Spiritual Hiccups - Kingdom Priorities

As a pastor, I find that it is easy for me to get preoccupied with the tasks of professional ministry, so preoccupied that I can miss opportunities for showing Christ to others.  One of the big items in my work is Sunday worship.  It is important work, but I wonder what Jesus would think about the way I and many attending worship might respond to someone in need.  I can get so focused on the upcoming service that I become oblivious to much of what is going on around me.  And I mentioned in this blog before a time when the ushers at our church escorted a man seeking assistance out of the building, telling him to come back later, at a better time.

I wonder if I and those ushers and lots of other folks wouldn't have chimed in with the crowd in today's gospel who "sternly ordered" a blind beggar to be quiet when he cried out for Jesus' help.  Surely Jesus had more important things to do.  He has just told his disciples that he is headed to Jerusalem where he will be mocked, flogged, and killed.  He is on his way to his moment with destiny.  Surely he hasn't time for one so unimportant as this blind beggar.

Luke's gospel tells us repeatedly that Jesus brings a new day where the poor and unimportant are lifted up while the rich and powerful are pulled down.  God's kingdom is full of reversals, and Jesus enacts one as he heals this blind beggar, who then joins Jesus on the way.

In our current economic climate, lots of congregations and charities are hurting for money.  Many churches are struggling to balance budgets, pondering where to make cuts.  Mission dollars are often a tempting target because they represent the largest share of "discretionary" spending.  And a $5000 cut in mission giving is surely preferable to a $5000 cut in my salary. 

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