From Fear to Faith
Life is a story, and within that story are many stories, and often within those stories are embedded further stories. Today’s Gospel has a story within a story, within the great story of Jesus, and there are many stories layered within these stories.
Jesus has come back across Galilee to its western shore, probably Capernaum. Jairus, whose name means literally “he will awaken” is a leader of the synagogue. He approaches Jesus and falls at his feet. This moment passes very quickly as written, but we should take a moment to soak it in.
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The Problem of Pain
In The Princess Bride, the Dread Pirate Roberts says to Princess Buttercup, “Life is pain, your highness. Anyone that says differently is selling something.”
Among the most difficult questions, perhaps the most difficult question, of faith is the problem of pain. The basic question goes something like this: We know that God is good. We know that God is perfect. We know that God is all loving. We know that God created us in his image. So, if God is perfectly good and perfectly loving, why does he permit such awful and constant pain, suffering and evil in the world?
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Small Beginnings, Immeasurable Ends
I want to begin this morning with a brief word about parables. Jesus used them a lot. The synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) record 30-40 of them, depending on how you count them. They are very effective for a couple of reasons.
Whether he’s using an example like a lost sheep or a story like the Good Samaritan, they are extremely accessible. The parable meets us where we are, with the whole constellation of what that means in terms of experience, education, age, spiritual maturity etc. We can share them with elementary kids, high schoolers, seniors, bankers and ranchers.
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