Jesus’ revolution was like nothing the world had ever seen. It was a revolution of love. At his arrest, some seemed to believe this was going to turn violent. And in one moment it did, when a disciple struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. But Jesus’ response was different. He pointed to the fact that he was always with them, teaching and in the place of worship. These words suggest tenderness in the heart of Jesus. Something the authorities miss.

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Luke gives us a startling picture of how agonizing Jesus’ decision was to obey. He was in the place of the “olive press” – a place where olives were pressed and crushed. Jesus is compared to an olive being pressed and crushed with the oil being squeezed out of it.

Often, we abandon the humanity of Jesus and his agony in submitting to his God’s will. This was not an easy prayer to pray, but it was one that Jesus prayed in faith. Luke shows us that no matter how difficult the decision we, through God, have the power to do it, even if, like the disciples, we at times fall asleep.

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Many agree that Jesus espouses a nonviolent ethic; instructing us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Which is why his instruction here has the power to be confusing. However, Jesus does not stop there. He quotes the prophet Isaiah saying, “And he was numbered with the transgressors …” Which is to say that there is a connection in his mind between using the sword and transgressions. The disciples have two swords, which for Jesus is enough to fulfill the prophecy and justify the Jewish authorities accusing him of being a rebel leader.

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Just after Jesus serves the disciples, they embroil themselves in a debate about who is the greatest among them – obviously missing the point. Jesus’ response is to instruct them that the Kingdom way is about serving not being served. And it is in the serving that greatness is found. While it may be easy to roll our eyes at the disciples, who are eternally dull, we may do well to consider how we often pursue being served first and foremost.

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The meal that is recorded here is a meal that the Church has celebrated for 2,000 years. Some have called it “The Lord’s Supper,” others “Holy Communion,” and most traditionally “Eucharist.” But what does it all mean? Many recognize that it is represents the Body and the Blood of Jesus which was broken and poured out for us, but what should the people of God know?

The meal that Jesus celebrated with his disciples was the traditional Seder meal in which he brought new meaning to the elements of the dinner. Like the Seder the people of God are commanded to “do this in remembrance” of Jesus. We will ask, “What are we remembering?” “Why is the meal so central to all streams in the historic, orthodox church?” We will dive deep into the historic underpinnings of this meal and explore why some traditions forbid all those who are not “one of them” from participating in this meal.

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Judas is known for one thing: betrayal. He’s an awful character in the Gospels; one who was Satan incarnate. While we assume we know his motives for betraying Jesus, perhaps we can take a step back from our assumptions. Did Judas really want Jesus dead? Or did he just miss Jesus’ message, which led him to do the unthinkable?=

Some recognize that Judas may well have been connected to the Zealots; those who wanted a violent revolution. If this is the case, is it possible Judas was trying to foment rebellion by getting Jesus arrested? Maybe if this happened, he and others would take up arms against their oppressor. Of course, we know the end of the story. That’s not what happened. Worse yet, he missed another message of Jesus: forgiveness and restoration. He missed it all. How often do we, like Judas, miss the message and heart of Jesus?

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There is something about religion that tempts us to appear good, right, attractive, and “holy” in our own way. This is often the result of submitting ourselves to outward performance and putting on a show for others. This is what Jesus points out about the “religious” in his day. As soon as the words leave his lips, an illustration happens right in front of them. Two offerings: one big but small and one small but big.

Many immediately want to contrast this woman’s faithfulness in giving all she had. And we should, for Jesus points to her faith. But some suggest a dark side to this story given Jesus’ declaration about the religious “devouring widows’ houses.” There is a sense that there is something wrong with the system of religion that leads her to act this way.

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Spiritual Formation Pastor Hannah Thom leads us through an exploration of Luke 21:5-38.

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