Luke 18:9-14 The Pharisee and Tax Collector In God’s presence there is grace for BOTH the tax collector and the Pharisee. Both of them can be found in the temple, seeking God's presence. They are both in the right place. They are both sinner and saint.

Title: The Bible is Sometimes Disturbing We can’t have an honest conversation about the Bible without dealing with the fact that the Bible is sometimes disturbing; at times, the Bible presents God as violent- or as sanctioning violence. What do we do with this?

The Bible is a divine and human co-creation. At times God may have spoke to people and lead them to write down specific things but most of the time, the biblical authors were using their best judgement to tell the story.

In scripture, God speaks to and through people using their own language, their view of the world and at times, even their memory of how things happened. This is why the Bible is so diverse. God doesn’t seem to have a problem with this because this is the Bible we have. If this doesn’t make God nervous, then it shouldn’t make us nervous.

The Bible isn't as clear as we'd like to be, which means it doesn't always tell us what to do or think. Instead the Bible pushes us toward the pursuit of wisdom because as Pete Enns says God is not a helicopter parent. God is a wise parent who wants us to grow up into mature disciples.

The Bible is complex, messy and at times confusing, but so is life. Perhaps the Bible has stood the test of time because it isn't a straightforward answer book. Instead, it is a diverse and inspired library of books, a divine and human co-creation.

Jesus dreams that every person will find a place at the table. He wants those who have power and who CAN take the seats of honor to learn to humility and to put others first. He invites leaders, like the Pharisee, not just to surround themselves with important people, but to use their wealth, influence and power for greater hospitality and generosity. Jesus also has a message for those on the fringe or margins, people who may think they deserve the LOWEST place at the table. He says to them, "You are a child of God and that is a privileged status."

Jesus blesses, heals and interacts with children. They are a part of his life and ministry. Of all the people that come to see Jesus, the poor, beggars, Gentiles, women, sinners, the sick and the rich young ruler at no point does Jesus chose one of them as sign of the Kingdom God. Instead, he chooses a child as a sign of Kingdom. It is like he is saying, “Look these little ones are important. In the Kingdom of God, they matter."