Scripture - Luke 18:9-14 Let us enter into a court of law, wh ere a civil case is being tried. I haven’t been in a courtroom often, but we see them on TV & in the newspapers, & from time to time legal cases are widely reported & may even make history. If it wasn’t so serious, it would be like a sports contest. On one side is the plaintiff, claiming eagerly that he was wronged by the person opposing him. He has a team of lawyers, & they are arguing the case, producing witne

Scripture - Luke 18:1-8 Before I begin my message, I want to say a word about our Lord personally. I believe that he was God manifest in the flesh. I also believe that he was not any less God because he was a man. On the other hand, I believe he was not any more man because he is God. He was a perfect man – a real man. And I believe if you had been there that day, you would have enjoyed his company. It would have been a real privilege to be in his company & hear his lau

Scripture - Luke 17:11-19 Lepers became part of my nightmares at an early age, after I watched a film with my parents & godparents directed by Federico Fellini. I don’t remember what the film was about, but I do remember the lepers. They lived in caves, out of which they crept like vampires, shielding themselves from the light, their heads covered with hoods, their whole bodies hidden under tattered clothes. The first sound was the tinkle of the bells they wore around thei

Scripture - Luke 15:11-32 We might think that the parable of the prodigal son, as it’s usually known, hardly needs an introduction. It has inspired artists & writers for a couple thousand years. Rembrandt’s painting, with the younger son on his knees before the loving & welcoming father, has become for many as much of an inspiration as the story itself. Phrases from the story – the fattened calf, for instance – have become almost proverbial. And yet. People often assume t