Request 285 Luke 12 Sermon

Luke 6:17-38

Cast and drama.
Luke, Tiberius, Zephaniah, Mrs. Zephaniah, Jesus,

(Fading in, repeating closing line from the last episode).

Luke: There there, now for this other little problem. Let me wash off your hand and tend to this little cut…

Mrs. Zephaniah (Joanna): Is it serious, Dr. Luke?

Luke: Not at all. Just keep this bandage on, and try to keep it dry. You know, your husband sure has plenty to tell about Jesus and his ministry. Did you travel with him as well?

Mrs. Zephaniah: oh heavens no. we had been married for some time before the Master began teaching and healing.

Zephaniah: but one thing you should know about our traditions, is that there is no way of making your bride move if she doesn’t want to go.

Mrs. Zephaniah: Scripture may teach that woman came out of man, but it says this about marriage. For this reason, a man shall leave father and mother to cling to his wife.

Zephaniah: that’s right, it never claims that a woman should leave her parents to cleave to her husband. And just try getting one of these stubborn Jewish women to go somewhere when she’s comfortable where she is.

Mrs. Zephaniah: Well, it’s not that a bride doesn’t ever travel. Sarah went with Abraham everywhere he went. Rebecca left her homeland to marry Isaac.

Zephaniah: But those are the exceptions rather than the rule. And they made the decision to go. They were not forced to go.

Luke: I see.

Mrs. Zephaniah: Now don’t get me wrong, I did go to some of the sermons of the Master that he did around here. Remember that big one he did on the plains right out of town here?

Zephaniah: I sure do. It was on the heels of calling his first disciples, and the Master spoke on topics he often taught, anywhere he went.

Mrs. Zephaniah: He spoke of blessings, love, being genuine, wisdom and so much more.

Luke: Hold on a moment. I need to get something to write with.

Zephaniah (fading out): Certainly. I recall it so vividly. We came down from the mountain, and Jesus began teaching the crowd that awaited him.

[sound: writing]

Luke: And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.

Mrs. Zephaniah: And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

Zephaniah: And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:

Jesus: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

[Sound: transition]

Luke: And those are blessings? To be poor, hungry, and hated?

Zephaniah: I know that might sound backward, but through the patience in enduring those kinds of hardships, we store up treasure in heaven.

Luke: But rejoicing? How can anybody rejoice in hardships?

Zephaniah: All I can say is that it places un the same footing as the many prophets who were also hated, but still did the will of the Father. Jesus went on to teach…
(fading out).

[Sound: Writing affect]

Jesus: But woe to you who are rich, for you, have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

[Sound: transition]

Luke: Wo.

Zephaniah: is there something you need to be clarified, Dr. Luke?

Luke: If I get this right, Jesus is balancing his blessings with woe.

Zephaniah: Yes, in the first case, he is saying that we are blessed in enduring hardship.

Luke: And that we shouldn’t seek after riches, or being thought well of men.

Zephaniah: Because if we do, we have received all the reward that we’ll ever get. And it is not the eternal reward he wants for us.

Mrs. Zephaniah: The Master’s words weren’t only on blessings and woes. He also had a lot to say about loving one another. Even some surprising things about enemies.
(Fading out)

Sound: writing affect[]

Jesus: But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

[Sound: transition]

Luke: Now wait a minute. I’m supposed to not only love my enemy, but I should be praying for him?

Zephaniah: Bless, and do not curse him.

Luke: But to just let people take something, or to be struck is bad enough.

Zephaniah: It’s what the Master commanded.

Mrs. Zephaniah: We must treat others with the same kindness we would like for ourselves.

Luke: I suppose I understand it. There are some people out there who are hard to love, but as a doctor, I would still treat them.

Mrs. Zephaniah: It still bothers you, doesn’t it. To see people hurting, even if you don’t much like them.

Zephaniah: Loving others is what sets us apart from other religions. Or even from the way sinners treat each other,
(fading out).

[Sound: writing affect]

Jesus: If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

[Sound: transition]

Mrs. Zephaniah: You see Dr. Luke, as being in Christ its one thing to love, but the kind of love we show, demonstrates how much we love our lord.

Zephaniah: His love is even for the sinner, and those who are against him. All of us are sinners before coming to him in faith.

Luke (rhetorical): Where would we be if he didn’t love us in our sin and call us out of it?

Zephaniah: Right where we deserve. Condemnation.

Mrs. Zephaniah: The Master has always loved everyone, and doesn’t want any of us to perish. All he asks is to love the sinner the same way he does.

Luke: It’s still a mind-boggling concept. To keep on giving everything away.

Zephaniah: Well, the Master went on to teach forgiveness.
(fading out).

[Sound: writing affect]

Jesus: Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

[Sound: transition]
[Sound: Door knock]

Tiberius: Is anyone home this morning?

Zephaniah: Come on in my friend. Grace and peace to you. We’re in the back room.

Mrs. Zephaniah: How was the catch this morning?

Tiberias: Good enough. I think we managed to leave a few fishes in there for tomorrow. Luke! My brother! Grace and peace. Are you back to write more to your friend, Theophilos?

Luke: Yes, we were just finishing up with Jesus’s sermon from the plain.

Tiberius: You mean the one where he preached on blessings and woes?

Luke: Yes.

Tiberias: And loving your enemies?

Luke: Yes, that’s right.

Tiberias: And the one with the parables about…

Zephaniah: Ah yes, the parables on judging correctly, and recognizing a false believer.

Luke: Wait, there’s more?

Tiberias: And the one about the house of the true believer.

Luke: Hold on.

Mrs. Zephaniah: Why don’t you men take this outside, under the fig tree. I’ll make some refreshments for you.

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