--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: It is day 315. Oh my gosh, what a great gift. We're reading Luke chapter 6, 7, and 8. We're also reading Proverbs chapter 26, verses 1 through 3.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Tender Version, 2nd Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on daily. Oh, clicking on subscribes. Subscribing? Subscribes. You can subscribe to this podcast. It's a wonderful thing. You don't have to do it. Do what you want. Anyways, we're reading Luke chapter 6, 7, and 8. It's day 315, and we're reading Proverbs chapter 26, verses 1 through 3.
--:-- [Scripture reading: Luke 6:1-49]
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The Gospel According to Luke, Chapter 6, A Teaching About the Sabbath On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grain fields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But some of the Pharisees said, Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And Jesus answered, Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he said to them, The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The Man with the Withered Hand On another Sabbath, when he entered the synagogue and taught, a man was there whose right hand was withered.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath so that they might find an accusation against him.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But he knew their thoughts.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he said to the man who had the withered hand, Come and stand here.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he rose and stood there.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And Jesus said to them, I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he looked around on them all and said to him, stretch out your hand.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he did so, and his hand was restored.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Jesus chooses the twelve disciples.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: In these days he went out to the hills to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And when it was day, he called his disciples and chose from them 12 whom he named apostles, Simon whom he named Peter and Andrew his brother and James and John and Philip and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus and Simon who was called the Zealot and Judas the son of James and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Jesus teaches and heals.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And all the crowd sought to touch him for power came forth from him and healed them all.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Blessings and Woes.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Rejoice on that day, and leap for joy.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For behold, your reward is great in heaven.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For so their fathers did to the prophets.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Love for enemies.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But I say to you that here, love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Give to everyone who begs from you, and of him who takes away your goods, do not ask them again.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For even sinners love those who love them.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For even sinners do the same.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much again.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But love your enemies and do good and lend expecting nothing in return.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Be merciful, even as your father is merciful.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Judging Others.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: He also told them a parable. Can a blind man lead a blind man?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Will they not both fall into a pit?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone, when he is fully taught, will be like his teacher.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: A tree and its fruit.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For each tree is known by its own fruit.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, produces good.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And the evil man, out of the evil treasure, produces evil.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Hearers and Doers.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation upon rock.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But he who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation against which the stream broke and immediately it fell
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And the ruin of that house was great
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Chapter 7 Jesus Heals a Centurion Slave
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: After he had ended all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Now a centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: When he heard of Jesus, he sent him to elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his slave.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And when they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And Jesus went with them.
--:-- [Scripture reading: Luke 7:1-50]
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Therefore I did not presume to come to you, but say the word, and let my servant be healed.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And I say to one, go, and he goes. And to another, come, and he comes. And to my slave, do this, and he does it.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: When Jesus heard this, he marveled at him and turned and said to the multitude that followed him, I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Jesus raises a widow's son at Nain.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Soon afterward, he went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And a large crowd from the city was with her.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, do not weep.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he came and touched the bear and the bearers stood still.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he said, young man, I say to you, arise.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And the dead man sat up and began to speak and he gave him to his mother.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet has arisen among us, and God has visited his people.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And this report concerning him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Messengers from John the Baptist.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The disciples of John told him of all these things.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And John, calling to him two of his disciples, sent them to the Lord, saying, Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And when the men had come to him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many that were blind he bestowed sight.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he answered them, Go, and tell John what you have seen and heard.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, The dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: When the messengers of John had gone, he began to speak to the crowds concerning John.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: What did you go out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: What then did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Behold, those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in king's courts.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: What then did you go out to see? A prophet?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: I tell you, among those born of women, none is greater than John.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: When they heard all this, the people and the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: To what then shall I compare the men of this generation?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And what are they like?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, We piped for you, and you did not dance.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: We wailed, and you did not weep.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, He has a demon.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: A Sinful Woman Forgiven
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and sat at table.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And behold, a woman of the city who was a sinner, when she learned that he was sitting at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Now, when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, if this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he answered, what is it, teacher?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: A certain creditor had two debtors, One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: When they could not pay, he forgave them both.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Now which of them will love him more?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Simon answered, The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he said to him, You have judged rightly.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, Do you see this woman?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But he who is forgiven little, loves little.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, Who is this who even forgives sins?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Chapter 8. Some Women Accompanied Jesus
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Soon afterward, he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chusa, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their means.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The Parable of the Sower
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And when a great crowd came together, and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, A sower went out to sow his seed.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and was trodden underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: As he said this, he called out, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The explanation of the parable
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant he said To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Now the parable is this, The seed is the word of God.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The ones along the path are those who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy, but these have no root.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: They believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: A lamp is not hidden.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Take heed then how you hear, for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The True Kindred of Jesus
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Then his mother and his brethren came to him, but they could not reach him for the crowd.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he was told, Your mother and your brethren are standing outside desiring to see you.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But he said to them, My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Jesus calms a storm on the sea.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: One day he got into a boat with his disciples and he said to them, Let us go across to the other side of the lake.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: So they set out, and as they sailed, he fell asleep.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And a storm of wind came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And they went and woke him, saying, Master, Master, we are perishing.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: He said to them, Where is your faith?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, Who then is this, that he commands even wind and water, and they obey him?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And as he stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house, but among the tombs.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: I beg you, do not torment me.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: For many a time it had seized him.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the desert.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Jesus then asked him, What is your name?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he said, Legion, for many demons had entered him.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: So he gave them leave.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And those who had seen it told them how he who had been possessed with demons was healed.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: So he got into the boat and returned.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The man from whom the demons had gone begged him that he might be with him.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But he sent him away, saying, Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: A girl restored to life and a woman healed.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue, and falling at Jesus' feet, he begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: As he went, the people pressed around him, and a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her flow of blood ceased.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And Jesus said, who was it that touched me?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: When all denied it, Peter said, master, the multitude surround you and press upon you.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But Jesus said, someone touched me for I perceive that power has gone forth from me.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling and falling down before him, declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he said to her, daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: While he was still speaking, a man from the ruler's house came and said, your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the teacher anymore.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But Jesus, on hearing this, answered him, do not fear. Only believe and she shall be well.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And when he came to the house, he permitted no one to enter with him except Peter and John and James and the father and mother of the child.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And all were weeping and bewailing her, but he said, Do not weep, for she is not dead, but sleeping.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But taking her by the hand, he called, saying, Child, arise.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And her spirit returned, and she got up at once, and he directed that something should be given her to eat.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The book of Proverbs, chapter 26, verses 1 through 3.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Like snow in summer, or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Father in heaven, we give you praise and thank you.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Thank you for this day. Thank you for your word. Thank you for continuing to call us back to yourself so that we can not only hear your word, but also see your word, your word made flesh in action.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Lord God, as we hear the description of how your son, Jesus Christ has lived and walked among us, we see your heart, your heart for those who are forgotten, your heart for those who are neglected, your heart for those who even are enemies.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: and God we know how often we've made ourselves your enemy and what we see is we see your love we see you commanding us to love our enemies because when we were your enemies you loved us
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: When we had rebelled against you you died for us You gave your life for us
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Help us to live our lives for you this day and every day.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Gosh, I might have mentioned this yesterday. One of the problems with going through all four Gospels is I can't remember what I highlighted in the previous three.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Also, So there's so much action. We go through three chapters today and every one of these chapters has so much. They are what they call action-packed.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And so here we are.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But I want to highlight this. We had in Matthew's gospel, we had the Sermon on the Mount.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: This is in Luke's gospel, what's called the Sermon on the Plain.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: It's very, very similar to the Sermon on the Mount.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: It's kind of an abbreviated form of what Jesus must have preached multiple times, right?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: He must have taught this wherever he went, the Beatitudes, the blessings and woes.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: there's something about this and also about the teaching of love for enemies.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: You know, when Jesus teaches about love for enemies, he is asking us to do something that is radically different.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Now, in our day and age, mercy is a virtue, right?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: In our day and age, we recognize that we've been so shaped for the last 2,000 years by Christianity that we recognize that graciousness, we recognize that mercy are virtues.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: There are things that can be, you know, a virtue of honor, some kind of behavior that's worth praising.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And yet, mercy was not until Christianity.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Mercy was not considered to be a virtue.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: It was considered to be a weakness.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Why would you? Why would you ever allow someone to do something evil and let them get away with it?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Why would you ever forgive someone?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Why would you take those who were actually your enemies and pray for them?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Why would you love them?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: That doesn't make any sense.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And it's true. It doesn't make any sense unless there's a higher law than justice.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: We have talked about this so many times.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: in the Old Testament, one of the things that God reveals is that he is a God of justice.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: So that yes, we need to pay back what we owe and that we are owed what other people need to pay us back with.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And there's even a higher call in the midst of justice.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: This higher call is mercy.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And mercy is very interesting.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: You know, the Latin word for mercy is misericordia, misericordia, right?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: That's the word.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: That is where love meets our need.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: That is where love meets us in our misery, that misericordia, right?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The misery, when, you know, we've said this before, I will say it a thousand times again, is that mercy is the love that we do not deserve.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Mercy is love when we need to be loved the most and we deserve to be loved the least.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: So even you have this story of the centurion, right?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he is in the village and he has a slave who needs healing.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And the people come to Jesus and they say, he's worthy for you to do this because, you know, he loves our people.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: He built us a synagogue.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And yet the man, the centurion, he knows his state.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: He knows the truth about himself.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he actually says, Lord, I'm not worthy that you should come and enter under my roof.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: You know, on one side, the people are saying that, oh, the centurion is worthy.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: But the centurion, he knows his own heart.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And he knows, actually, the truth is, I'm not.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: I'm not worthy.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And this is an echo we have of John the Baptist, right?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Yesterday, when we read the story of the baptism of Jesus, John the Baptist himself said this, I'm not worthy that he should untie the thongs of my sandals.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Our world would say, no, no, no, John, come on, don't get down on yourself or no, hey, centurion, don't get down on yourself.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: You are worthy.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And the centurion and John, they know the truth.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: The truth is, I'm not.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: I'm not worthy of this love.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: I'm not worthy of this gift.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: I'm not worthy of this mercy, but I need it.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: I need it.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And that's every single one of us.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: God, I'm not worthy of your mercy, but I need it.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And so because God is so good, he gives us what we need.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And that's amazing.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Isn't that incredible?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: You know, we have to keep that in balance, right?
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: That balance those things that we know in tension because it is very easy for so many of us, so many of us to forget the worth we have in our Lord, the worth we have just because we're made in God's image and likeness, the worth he bestows upon us by his grace, and we can focus on our sin, our brokenness.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And so we can forget our goodness because we're focused on our brokenness.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: On the other hand, we can be so focused on our goodness that we forget our brokenness.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: And so there's that fine line that we're called to walk.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: It's able to say, Lord, I'm good in the fact that you have made me and you make things good.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Ontologically is the fancy word.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Ontologically, I'm good.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: Morally, I am not.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: That I have been made into your beloved creature or even I've been baptized.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz: I've been made into your son or daughter, but I don't always live like that.
--:-- Father Mike Schmitz
