Advent 1. December 6 Luke 6

http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Luke+5 (Click on link to continue the story)

Today is St. Nicholas day.  Nicholas Bishop of Myra was a fifth century Christian legendary for his generosity to the poor, especially to children.  His legend grew into Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas.  In many places in the world, today is the day when Christians exchange gifts in celebration of Christmas. 

One of the core teachings or principles of Judaism is that God created the Sabbath day of rest for all of creation to be restored weekly, annually, and cyclically.  Sabbath-keeping was and is a significant mark of the Jewish life.  Friday night sundown until Saturday sundown there are rules of prohibition and permission around what one can and cannot do, eat, etc...it is also the day for Jews to gather in the synagogue to hear the Torah, the teachings of the books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.)  These teachings include the Ten Commandments and all the other commandments, of which there are over 600 in the Hebrew Bible.  Some of these commands relate to treatment of the poor and of certain offerings from the fields to serve the hungry, poor, foreigner, widow and orphan. 
This chapter includes conflict around Sabbath keeping.  It also includes a core set of ethical teachings known as the sermon on the plain, because of where Jesus delivered them.  They are an abbreviated and edited version of the Gospel of Matthew's sermon on the mount (Matthew chapters 5-8). 
What are the most challenging of Jesus' teachings?  Which ones are the hardest to obey?  Do you think these are teachings for religious individuals or are they directed more broadly at a community, a group, or even a nation? 
We begin to hear parables, teachings of Jesus that are like analogies or metaphors.  Jesus points at a common reference, like a fruit tree, and suggests that people can be like that too. Good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit.  He suggests that one's behavior is a product of one's inner moral compass or inner thoughts.  As opposed to external dangers that corrupt us, the corruption is internal.  So too is the goodness.  Are Jesus' teachings black and white, clear cut, or do they seem a bit more grey and uncertain? 
The things he teaches about judgment and pointing the finger at others, criticizing or chastising another person is most interesting and relevant.  Jesus suggests that self-reflection and self-correction is the way to a transformed life and a better world.  Instead of attempting to correct others, to see their mistakes and flaws, we are commanded to look in the mirror.  This may be good advice in a time of deep mistrust and division among people.  We are suspicious and judgmental.  Hearing the teachings of Jesus might remind us that we all have inner work to do, in order to become bearers of good fruit.