Bryan's Blog

Genesis 18:1-10a Psalm 15 Colossians 1:15-28 Luke 10:38-42 Today's lesson from the Gospel of St. Luke is the story of Mary and Martha.   It's a well-known story, with a well-known moral.   Martha received a rebuke from Jesus when she complained about her sister sitting listening to the rabbi and not helping with all the things that needed to be done around the house.   It doesn't say this in the gospel, but I get the feeling that this was not the first time Mary had left Martha holding the broom. What is not often pointed out is that both Mary and Martha were doing important things. Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to his teaching.   It is obvious that this is what we as Christians should be doing as well; seeking the presence of Christ in our lives, and learning from him.   Hopefully, that's one of the reasons we are here this morning.   But Martha was the one who had invited Jesus into their home.   Hospitality was...

It's kind of silly for me to preach on the gospel lesson this morning.   Everyone knows the story of the Good Samaritan.   It's one of the first Sunday school lessons we learned, and even people who have never entered a church in their lives are familiar with the story.   Being a Good Samaritan is a cliche in our language.   But I can't just get up, tell everybody to think about the story for a while, and then sit down, no matter how much you wish I would.   That's against the rules.   I have to preach.   So, hopefully, if I ruminate enough on this well-known story this morning, we can find something new in it. A scribe, one of those experts and interpreters of the Law of Moses upon which Jewish society depended, came to Jesus to check him out.   "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" he asked.   In response, Jesus asked him a question, "What does it say in the Law?"   You already know the answer, Jesus told him. Indeed, he ...