This Sunday’s Gospel reading from Luke 17 is a real shocker. Well, that is on a first reading. What is Jesus doing here to build the self-worth of his closest disciples, the apostles? Very little, it seems. On the contrary, he sees to think it necessary to deflate their ambitions, for reasons that may become apparent if you agree with my unpacking of the story right here… I also relate it to the other readings, briefly.
You will notice that the video has a 2010 date on its opening page. This is the third anniversary of my Preparing to Preach series, so we are back where we started in the three-year RCL lectionary cycle. So what did I do? Listened to what I produced three years ago and decided I couldn’t improve on it apart from applying some better editing skills that I have learned in the interval. Better still, I found myself challenged by my own message from back then, as it spoke to my present frame of mind with an uncanny directness. Maybe some of you may find it of similar value, but even if not I dare not replace it. Leave a comment!!
Howard Pilgrim