John Killinger says that a preacher lives in a fish bowl, but according to his experience that is hardly the full story. It is more like a piranha bowl... people take a bite here, a bite there, and pretty soon all that's left is a stain in the water. Nobody knew that better, or experienced it more, than Jesus.
I imagine that heaven is something like that: An infinite number of people clothed in their glorified bodies living in community with God and each other, knowing each other and being known by each other perfectly, unconditionally, without blemishes, impediments or faults.
But Jesus doesn't cater to their terms. Not in Nazareth, not anywhere. He never told people what they wanted to hear. He told them the truth. In fact, instead of leaving well enough alone, he quits preaching and goes to meddling.
The word "believe" appears in the Bible 273 times, "pray" 371 times and "love" 714 times, but the word "give" appears 2,172 times. Jesus' teaching about money and possessions is second only in number to his teaching about the kingdom of God.
Why would the early church include this story in the scriptures? Unless, of course, they thought that believers of every age would assume that Jesus owes them a blessing. We’ve trusted him with our lives. So where’s the home field advantage?
It has been said that the past is another world. This is a new world we are living in, not the foreign country of the past. The new world is today is filled with people from the four corners of the globe.
Ministry has continued through the years because as a church we have been willing to walk in new directions. Whether its working toward the construction of a new facility, starting a new Sunday school Class, or sending care packages to our soldiers in Iraq, we have been willing to travel on various missionary roads.
So far, we've got Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathanael. God's dream team is getting off to a slow start. If we were to list all twelve disciples, it gets worse. There's the Doubting Thomas, Thaddeus, James the Less, Simon the Zealot and, of course, Judas Iscariot. What kind of dream team is this?
Jesus’ inclusive ministry remains something we struggle with. We still sit quietly judging the worth of others. We still like the idea that God’s blessings are meant only for us and not for others. We still long to constrain the ways of Christ and keep him obedient to our rules.
Didn't I just say that the Bible was clear in what it teaches? Then why are there so many different interpretations? The Lutheran Church wants to say that it is the Bible Church, but Presbyterians and Methodists and Baptists and Disciples want to say the same thing.