Jesus the Good Shepherd

Unlike His previous parables in this sequence, Jesus uses specific names and places; Lazarus, Abraham, Moses and Hades (Luke 16:19-31). This ultimate summary of His radically new understanding of Sabbath Rest at God's banquet is hacked by Amos's reminder to grieve rebellion and St. Paul's admonishment to use wealth in the service of others (Amos 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 6:11-19).

Jesus continues to teach Sabbath rest that allows honest self-reflection and prudent planning for our future judgement (Luke 16:1-13). Amos warned against Sabbath rest that produced sin and famine from the Word (Amos 8:4-12). We too suffer from famine of the Word when we read the First Letter of Timothy and the traditional roles of men and women in the church. Be not mistaken, the women of the chu...

In St. Luke, Chapter 15, Jesus answers the Pharisees' grumbling over sinners by telling the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Lost Son. The Israelites were Lost in Exodus 32, when they decided to gather themselves according to their own desires. St. Paul had been lost in ignorance but was found by the patience of God and His desire to save all sinners (1Timothy 1).

Jesus summarizes His teaching on the Sabbath and three parables on meals with a shocking charge to hate our lives in order to become His disciples. Moses's reminder to the Nation of Israel, teaching them to choose life and the Love of God gives us foundational daily practice in Holy Living. The result of Holy Living is the reversal of ethnic ties and social class in humility, like St. Paul calls P...

The Letter to the Hebrews (13:1-8) teaches us to '...let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral...' and while the world dismisses the simplicity of marriage, without it, we cannot understand God's love for His church or the church's call to be faithful to God. Jesus's radical teaching (Luke 14:1,7-14) about the Sabbath is also grounded in the humble etiquette of the...

Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem, in Luke chapter 13, for His Loving Sacrifice on the Cross and He invites us to Strive alongside Him in His establishing the Heavenly City with Justice and Righteousness. The Prophet Isaiah, in chapter 28, reminds us that the Lord is the precious cornerstone. The grace of the cornerstone is available when we participate in that grace and holiness but is lost if we...

In Luke chapter 12, Jesus looks forward to the signs of Fire and Baptism. We are reminded that these are the Signs of Jonah, of Jesus' death and Resurrection and that this is the Word proclaimed by Jeremiah in chapter 23. We receive and proclaim His Word in the great cloud of witnesses of Hebrews chapter 12.