Edible Words

In Luke 20, Jesus was being criticised by the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Physical violence can't get rid of Jesus, because of the adoring crowds (19:47-48), so he is plied with trick questions - first in the personal arena (1-8), then the political arena (19-26) and finally in the theological arena (27-39). By 20:40, each interested group has asked a question and every avenue has been explored. They've failed to expose Jesus; instead their own spiritual bankruptcy has become transparent whilst Jesus' authority is established more vividly than ever.

This attempt to unseat Jesus is a fulfilment of the dramatic conclusion of Palm Sunday recorded in 19:41-46. Jesus is cheered by the crowds into Jerusalem, but then he stops to make the very public gesture of weeping. He weeps because he can see the devestation to befall the city and the temple in 40 years time, devestation that will come as God's judgement because this city did not recognise her Lord when he visited. After weeping, he symbolically drives the profiteering merchants out of the temple, as a symbol of the judgement to come. The rejection he weeps over is all too apparent in the deceitful questioning of chapter 20.

In Luke 15, Jesus addresses two groups of people. First, the tax collectors and sinners with whom he was eating. These people were viewed by respectable people as scum of the earth, lowest of the low, beyond the pale. Second, he addresses the Pharisees and lawyers. These people were good as can be, careful to do what is right, squeaky clean, respectable and above reproach and they looked down on the tax collectors and sinners.

As the Pharisees grumble about Jesus eating with sinners, he replies by telling three parables.

I wonder how you feel at this stage on Christmas morning. Some of you may be thinking about the turkey that is on timer, and wondering how you'll ever get all the trimmings ready at the same time. Others of you may be excited at the thought of the day ahead. Others of you may be feeling slightly left out, not having made many plans for Christmas this year. And others of you may dread today, because it's been a difficult year and everyone is going to expect you to be happy.

What that passage from Luke's gospel tells us how is how heaven felt on the first Christmas day.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests."