Hear, O People of God

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 26 (Year B)

Mark 12.28-34

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 11:35)

 

“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” These words, known is the Shema Yisrael, or simply the Shema, is one of the two most important prayers in all of Judaism. Jews are to say the Shema twice day, at morning and evening prayers. In fact, it is viewed as the most important part of the Jewish prayer service. So profound is this simple statement to the lives of Jews, that it is traditional for Jews to say the Shema as their last words before they die. More than a prayer, it is a credal statement of their belief in the nature of the one true God. Not unlike our use of the Nicene Creed at Eucharist or the Apostles’ Creed during our services of Morning and Evening Prayer. Only a little more succinct.

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What Do You Want Me to Do for You?

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost – 

Proper 25 (Year B)

Mark 10.46-52

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 21:55)

 

On the surface, today’s Gospel reading seems to be a bit ho-hum. Nothing particularly exciting. Just Jesus healing a blind beggar. And while that was certainly a spectacular event for those who witnessed it and certainly for the one healed, to those of us who know Jesus, this is nothing unusual. As recorded in the Gospels, he’s healed numerous people throughout his ministry. In fact, this is a pretty straightforward account of a routine healing. Maybe the only thing that is out of the ordinary about this story is the fact that such stories do not generally tell the name of the person healed. But here, we are told his name. Bartimaeus. Which might indicate that there is something different, something special, about this particular story. So, what does this account of a routine healing have to say to us?

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Receive the Kingdom of God as a Little Child

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 22 (Year B)

Mark 10.2-16

St. Gregory’s, Long Beach

Live Streamed on Parish Facebook Page (beginning at 21:15)

 

Sometimes, the Gospel isn’t really about what it initially seems to be about. Sometimes, you have to dig for the real gem buried in the story. As we just heard, the majority of our Gospel reading for today talks about divorce. But is that the real take-away from today’s Gospel? As we are told, “Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (Mk 10.2). What ensues is Jesus’ response. Now to be sure, while Jesus gave a well-reasoned response based on Jewish Scripture, there was no chance Jesus could have answered the question in a way that would have satisfied all those present. Remember, the Pharisees asked the question about divorce to test Jesus. It was likely that the issue was so divisive that no matter what he said, someone would have taken exception with his response.

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