But Jesus does congratulate these losers, these grievers ~ because of what God will do for them.
Now, that metaphor, fish for people, could be taken a lot of ways. Not all of them pleasant.
One of the great common sense mantras that gets repeated by leaders in various settings is KISS: Keep It Simple, Silly. Whoever thought it up realized that it is easy to get lost in the little details. Whenever God’s people start getting all caught up in the details, God manages to communicate the KISS message.
Our names are crucial to our identity….
But the most important thing that happens in this gospel reading is in verse 24: when Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.
St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, echoes Isaiah’s hope in the root of Jesse, who will bring God’s mercy and favor even to the Gentiles. The foreigners will have hope in the one God has appointed. Most Jews taught that Gentiles, foreigners, had been cut off from God’s promises. But Paul is clear…
Jesus warns about a thief. The thief will come in the night. Not when it’s the middle of the day and we are looking right out the window. Not when we are ready. Jesus is talking about the second coming of the Son of Man.
But Paul has another word to those waiting for the end of the world to happen: besides getting back to work, Paul says to both the idle, and to those complaining about them: do not be weary in doing what is right. And what is right? What does the Lord require of us? Do justice.…