Sermons (Page 104)

In today’s gospel reading, those whom Jesus spoke to in the temple were quickly offended and responded much like an entitled child. They said, “Do you know who you’re talking to? We are Abraham’s children, and we were never slaves.” But, Jesus knows that this response is from the book of “alternative facts.” The truth is that Abraham’s children were enslaved a number of times. The most well-known time was by the Egyptians. Their freedom came from God after Moses led the exodus, which included plagues, the Passover, and a pillar fire. It is the central story of Judaism, and so, it’s a little odd that those gathered in the temple weren’t aware. And, Jesus could have gone on to mention their long history of being ruled by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians. He could’ve pointed to their current occupation by Rome. But, Jesus knew that sometimes truth is suppressed, ignored, or forgotten…

We live in a world of extremes. Just this week, scientists reminded us that the rapid intensification of Hurricane Michael was a result of the extreme global temperatures. As election day grows closer, we hear politicians on all sides use extreme rhetoric and fear-based tactics to win. Our culture’s idolatry of individualism has contributed to our country’s extreme polarization and a lack of empathy. Time and again, we see that extremism has taken over religion giving us ISIS, the Christian Crusades, and the Biblical records of genocide committed by Jewish people…