Robert
Fulghum is famous for his essay “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in
Kindergarten,” but just as instructive is his essay about his visit to a
college classroom. Speaking to college students, he reflected on the can-do
attitude of kindergarten students; they can do everything: sing, dance, play
musical instruments, engage in science experiments, read (or at least they are
starting to read), do math. Kindergarten students are generalists!1
But by
the time we get to college, we think we’re only good at one thing. The college
classroom reflects a specialty, a single purpose, a single subject.
Why is
it that when we’re adults, we define ourselves by all the things we say we
can’t do? If we’re good at math, we can’t tell stories. If we sing, we can’t
dance. If we cook, we can’t clean.
In the
Gospel of Luke, Jesus wants us to be good at several things. The gospel itself
is defined by that moment when Jesus opens the Isaiah scroll in his hometown
synagogue and announces he has come to proclaim liberty to the captives and
hope to the poor, give sight to the blind and proclaim the Jubilee, when people
are liberated from crushing debt.2
Maybe
that seemed like a pretty full skill set to the apostles. Then, just before
today’s passage, Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus, where he
suggests that care of the poor is radically important.3 And right
after that, Jesus warns the apostles about the dangers of leading God’s
children astray.4
Slavery in
the New Testament
Against
this backdrop, the apostles beg Jesus to increase their faith, but are then
derided by Jesus for not having the faith of even mustard-seed size! Jesus then
tells what at fir
...approximately 1,734 words remaining. You are not logged in. Please see options at the top of this page to view complete sermon.
