The days since Easter have been busy, but slowing down.  I spent a few days there just trying to wrap my mind around the amazing bigness of a God who creates and loves so deeply.  The cross and resurrection leave me in awe, but the greatness of our God creating so many complex and complicated people and calling them to love each other boggles my mind.

Today I'm waiting.  It's a good thing.  The electrician is coming to the house to finish some work, but got called away on an emergency.  I understand that lifestyle so it's no big deal to me.  I can wait.  It's good to wait.  Makes me engage in other things.  Cleaning, taking down storm windows (Yes, we bought an OLD house!), laundry, checking on my roses, finishing the last cup of coffee, my half hour of silence!

The musician at church has been after me for 2 weeks for an answer I needed time to pray over.  The answer is yes, but wrapping my head around how it all works is another thing.  That's why I need the half hour to breathe and comprehend and think.  Waiting provides that time.  It also reminds me I need to take the time in life instead of let the chaos take over.  Just let it go.

Today I wait...and breathe...and prepare.  For tomorrow my daughter goes to prom.  I'm proud of my beautiful young adult, but I'm scared for me.  I guess that's what Moms and Dads do...be scared...when they let go and let our children soar with the eagles. 

Today I wait....today I breathe and know the breath of God filling me, preparing me, loving me.  That same God who created/creates and loves so deeply that the tomb was empty after the cross.  I wait in awe and wonder knowing this God as I watch my roses reach towards to sun and prepare to pop with glory.

Today I wait...

Today is that day inbetween the already and the not yet.  It's this world and not.  It's complicated.  I offer the 22nd Psalm with more.  I was asked to preach this Psalm last night for Good Friday, but I don't preach the Psalms.  I pray them.   So, here is my prayer.  Please understand these are my personal notes so they will be incomplete and unedited.  In prayer, I offer you this prayer.

Psalm 22

¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

²O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.

God, do you hear the pain?  Do you hear the children who are starving and the violence that steals them from their Mama’s arms?  Do you feel the quake of the parent who lost a child?  Do you hear the anger that permeates the voices of world?   Do you really hear, O Lord, the groaning of this world as we beg for your voice?  Have you left us in the dust?  Are we left to do with our problems without you and your wisdom?  Have you washed your hands of us?

³Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.

⁴In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.

They taught us to love you…our parents and grandparents taught us in faith…they gave us the rituals and the scriptures to guide us…We were taught well…they trusted you!  They trusted their lives in your hands listening to your voice and they taught us to do the same.

⁵To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.

⁶But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people.

I am tired, Lord.  We look around and We see the pain life crashes on so many…cancer, illness, job loss, homelessness, addictions, anger, violence, pain, Lord…We open my eyes to my neighbor and We know their pain on top of our own.  Our world feels put to shame…left behind…lost in its sinfulness…crowded out by the ones who chose not to hear your voice…not to listen…it’s like you have silenced yourself and watch from a distance as hate and evil spread….God…where are you?

⁷All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;

The children God who are bullied to the point of suicide….the men who abuse their wives and children…the people who see others as throw aways…God the mocking is loud and it is scary!  The violence of our world…the lovelessness and hate is in the news at every turn…gun violence, war, hateful words, racism, ageism, poverty, desolation…..

⁸“Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver— let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

Lord, save your children…end the violence…end the depravity so many find their lives to be bound by.  God, break in!  Break in and save us!  End the angers and the hatred and the violence that pervades.  Stop the evil love stealing ways from spreading.

⁹Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.

¹⁰On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.

You knew me as a babe…I knew you through holding my own babies.  I knew the power of your gentle creation…I knew the silkiness of your touch through birth.  I have known you since the beginning…you Lord were with us from the first touches, the first cries the first breaths…you breathed life into us, o Lord.  I, we have known you since you created us.  My core knows you despite my mouths cries.

¹¹Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

I know your hand holds me…you carry me in the sands of life..you are my strength.

¹²Many bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

¹³they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

¹⁵my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shriveled;

¹⁷I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me;

¹⁸they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid!

No matter how awful this life becomes…I know you, Oh God!  I know you are here….you hold us!  You know us!  Don’t leave us forsaken completely.

²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog!

²¹Save me from the mouth of the lion! From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.

It is in your power…your might…your mercy, Oh Lord…it is only in you that I know I will be saved.  That my pains…the pains of our world…will not win!  They will not have the last word…You Will! 

²²I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:

I will share you, O Lord…I won’t keep you to myself and hide you…I will share our relationship with the world without shame…I am yours and I love you!  I will tell others of your amazing love…

²³You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

Don’t hide…let your life show your love of God…don’t make God less than money…make God the greatest part of your life…Sing his name in hallelujahs and offer blessings in his name!

²⁴For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.

He didn’t leave the broken…he stayed!  He didn’t run away like a fair weather friend when we hurt…he didn’t leave us in our pains to be consumed by them.  He hasn’t turned his back on the groans of pain from the creation…he hears the children who are starving and the mothers grieving their babies.  He hears us in our pain!

²⁵From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

²⁶The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek you shall praise the Lord. May our hearts live forever in you!

God will answer the needs of the afflicted! There is joy in know God is God…there is relief in not being left in the pains and agonies of this world without, you, oh God…We need you! 

²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.

²⁸For dominion belongs to the Lord, and you rule over the nations.

²⁹To you, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before you shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for you.

³⁰Posterity will serve you; future generations will be told about the Lord,

³¹and proclaim your deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that God has done it.

We are his children…to live the love and the gift.  Amen!

Mark 14:32-15:47

³²They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”³³He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated.³⁴And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.”³⁵And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.³⁶He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.”³⁷He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour?³⁸Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”³⁹And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.⁴⁰And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him.⁴¹He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.⁴²Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”
⁴³Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.⁴⁴Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”⁴⁵So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.⁴⁶Then they laid hands on him and arrested him.⁴⁷But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear.⁴⁸Then Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit?⁴⁹Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.”⁵⁰All of them deserted him and fled.
⁵¹A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him,⁵²but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.
⁵³They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled.⁵⁴Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire.⁵⁵Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none.⁵⁶For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree.⁵⁷Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying,⁵⁸“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’”⁵⁹But even on this point their testimony did not agree.⁶⁰Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?”⁶¹But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”⁶²Jesus said, “I am; and

‘you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power,’
and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’”

⁶³Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?⁶⁴You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death.⁶⁵Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him over and beat him.⁶⁶While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by.⁶⁷When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.”⁶⁸But he denied it, saying, “I do not know or understand what you are talking about.” And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed.⁶⁹And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.”⁷⁰But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.”⁷¹But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know this man you are talking about.”⁷²At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
15As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.²Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.”³Then the chief priests accused him of many things.⁴Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.”⁵But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
⁶Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked.⁷Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection.⁸So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom.⁹Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”¹⁰For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over.¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead.¹²Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?”¹³They shouted back, “Crucify him!”¹⁴Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!”¹⁵So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
¹⁶Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort.¹⁷And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him.¹⁸And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”¹⁹They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him.²⁰After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
²¹They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.²²Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull).²³And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it.²⁴And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
²⁵It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.²⁶The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”²⁷And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.²⁹Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,³⁰save yourself, and come down from the cross!”³¹In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.³²Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
³³When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.³⁴At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”³⁵When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.”³⁶And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”³⁷Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.³⁸And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.³⁹Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
⁴⁰There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.⁴¹These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
⁴²When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,⁴³Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.⁴⁴Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time.⁴⁵When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph.⁴⁶Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

For some today is Opening Day and nothing else....for some people the days ahead are about bunnies and candy.  For some the excitement is all wrapped up in new dresses, hats and white gloves.

For those of us who truly delve into the faith of Easter it is time to engage our hearts and mourn.  It's time to begin the painful journey of the cross.  Our Lord and Savior is going to die to save us.  The greatest gift of love.

It's time!  It's time to truly confess our sins.  It's time to egage our scriptures and know our story.  It's time to be Christian.

Lord, forgive us for those times we have not loved you by loving others.  Forgive us for not loving ourselves as you love us.  Forgive us, o Lord, for those moments we deny our faith and live as if it doesn't matter...as if you don't matter.  Open us, come into our hearts, brush awway our sins and claim us as your own.  Amen.

 

Mark 14:1-31

The Plot to Kill Jesus

14It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus^* by stealth and kill him;²for they said, ‘Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.’

The Anointing at Bethany

3 While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,^* as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head.⁴But some were there who said to one another in anger, ‘Why was the ointment wasted in this way?⁵For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii,^* and the money given to the poor.’ And they scolded her.⁶But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me.⁷For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me.⁸She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial.⁹Truly I tell you, wherever the good news^* is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.’

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them.¹¹When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, ‘Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?’¹³So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him,¹⁴and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, “The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”¹⁵He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.’¹⁶So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
17 When it was evening, he came with the twelve.¹⁸And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.’¹⁹They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, ‘Surely, not I?’²⁰He said to them, ‘It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread^* into the bowl^* with me.²¹For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.’

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

22 While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take; this is my body.’²³Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it.²⁴He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the^* covenant, which is poured out for many.²⁵Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’

Peter’s Denial Foretold

26 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.²⁷And Jesus said to them, ‘You will all become deserters; for it is written,
“I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.”
²⁸But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.’²⁹Peter said to him, ‘Even though all become deserters, I will not.’³⁰Jesus said to him, ‘Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’³¹But he said vehemently, ‘Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And all of them said the same.

 Today's scripture is not an easy one to read.  It's difficult in many ways. 

Lord, in the midst of suffering hold us.  In the midst of the pains of our world break in and be peace. Amen

Mark 13

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

13As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’²Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’
3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,⁴‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?’⁵Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray.⁶Many will come in my name and say, “I am he!”^* and they will lead many astray.⁷When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come.⁸For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Persecution Foretold

9 ‘As for yourselves, beware; for they will hand you over to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them.¹⁰And the good news^* must first be proclaimed to all nations.¹¹When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.¹²Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;¹³and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

The Desolating Sacrilege

14 ‘But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains;¹⁵someone on the housetop must not go down or enter the house to take anything away;¹⁶someone in the field must not turn back to get a coat.¹⁷Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days!¹⁸Pray that it may not be in winter.¹⁹For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, no, and never will be.²⁰And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days.²¹And if anyone says to you at that time, “Look! Here is the Messiah!”^* or “Look! There he is!”—do not believe it.²²False messiahs^* and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.²³But be alert; I have already told you everything.

The Coming of the Son of Man

24 ‘But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
²⁶Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory.²⁷Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

28 ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.²⁹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he^* is near, at the very gates.³⁰Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

The Necessity for Watchfulness

32 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.³³Beware, keep alert;^* for you do not know when the time will come.³⁴It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.³⁵Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn,³⁶or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.³⁷And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’

12Then he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.²When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard.³But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.⁴And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted.⁵Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed.⁶He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’⁷But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’⁸So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.⁹What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.¹⁰Have you not read this scripture:

‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
¹¹this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’?”

¹²When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.
¹³Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said.¹⁴And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?¹⁵Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.”¹⁶And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.”¹⁷Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.
¹⁸Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying,¹⁹“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that ‘if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’²⁰There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children;²¹and the second married her and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise;²²none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died.²³In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.”
²⁴Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?²⁵For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.²⁶And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?²⁷He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.”
²⁸One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”²⁹Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;³⁰you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’³¹The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”³²Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’;³³and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”³⁴When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
³⁵While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David?³⁶David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’

³⁷David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.
³⁸As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,³⁹and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!⁴⁰They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
⁴¹He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.⁴²A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.⁴³Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.⁴⁴For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Lord, today show me the ways to love you and your children.  Open my closed places to love my neighbors.  Take away my hesitations and fears in loving the people I don't know.  Push, oh Lord, to express that love beyond thought and heart.  It's a world full of hate based on appearance and assumption, Lord, set me aside from this world so I can love beyond the rules of our society.  Let me see my brothers and sisters through the eyes of love and faith.  Amen

¹²On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.¹³Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.¹⁴He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
¹⁵Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves;¹⁶and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.¹⁷He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?
But you have made it a den of robbers.”

¹⁸And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching.¹⁹And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
²⁰In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.²¹Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”²²Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.²³Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.²⁴So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
²⁵“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”²⁷Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him²⁸and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?”²⁹Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.³⁰Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.”³¹They argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’³²But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?” —they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet.³³So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

God with a temper,
  As we begin this journey to remember and reclaim our faith this week deepen our roots.  Amen

Mark 11:1-11

11When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples²and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it.³If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’”⁴They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it,⁵some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”⁶They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it.⁷Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it.⁸Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields.⁹Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
¹⁰Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

¹¹Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.