Denver Community Church

January 20, 2008: Give It Away – Michael Hidalgo

The sages said, “He who gives in secret is greater than Moses” (Babylonian Talmud Baba Batra 9b). As a matter of fact giving alms was considered to be the second holiest act one could do outside of studying Torah. It is no wonder then why some wanted others to know of their unbelievably righteous acts. Consider this - how would such a public display of almsgiving make the one receiving alms feel? What would it be like to be an object used so one could feel good about himself? Giving to the poor was rightfully considered a sacred thing, but to make it public was to make a spectacle of the poor - not to mention placing the credit for the provision of God in your own hands. Jesus points toward giving that is done with no hope for public recognition, but giving that done for the simple purpose of blessing others. 

January 13, 2008: Loving the Haters – Brian Gray

Sigmund Freud said, “The commandment [‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’] is impossible to fulfill … Anyone who follows such a precept in present day civilization puts himself at a disadvantage.” With this hopeful viewpoint of the teachings of Jesus we ask the question … just how can I love someone who hates me? Jesus begins by quoting Rabbinic thought, You have heard it said, “It is a duty to hate the one who is sinning as it is said, ‘to fear the LORD is to hate evil.’” There was a debate in Jesus’ day about who people should love. The question was “Who is my neighbor?” This was asked in reference to Leviticus 19.18. The words for love seems to answer this. The Hebrew word v'ahavtah --is rare and only occurs three times in connection with people loving people. All three times in happens in the context of vengeance. It carries this idea of this being a choice in relation to one who has wronged you -- your enemy. This word was also used in reference to loving God -- love it seems is a choice. Our choice then is, will we love God? This is an important question as Dorothy Day reminds us when she says, “You can only love God to the extent you love the person whom you love the least.”

January 6, 2008: The Art of Nonviolence – Michael Hidalgo

Are we really just supposed to sit back and let evil run its course? I mean what about all of those people who are harassed and helpless - aren’t we supposed to do something to help them? Jesus’ comment about turning the other cheek is so often misconstrued. Jesus is forcefully asserting himself toward those who oppress others. He shows that in his kingdom it is not about swords, clubs, or fists … it is actually about subverting the powers that exist in our world and exposing evil for what it is. 

December 30, 2007: The God of Second Chances – Michael Hidalgo

So many times we see someone do something wrong, and we label them with a name or a description. We do not give many people second chances. For us in our world it is all about first impressions. It is these impressions that often dictate the way we will live our lives, and what opinion we will have of people. This, thankfully, is not how God operates. God gives second chances, even generations later. Saul, the king of Israel, could not obey God and kill Agag - yet generations later the same battle shapes up. This time however, it is in the court of a king in a foreign land - what would the descendants of Saul do now?

December 23, 2007: For Us and Everyone Else (4 of 4) – Michael Hidalgo

When someone is called a Savior, we are forced to ask the question what is he or she saving us from? Both Augustus and Jesus were called Saviors - yet both of them were saving mankind from two different things. As a matter of fact Jesus was saving humanity from the evil of people like Augustus and cultures like Rome. Jesus was calling his people to simple way. A way that was not oppressive but freeing. A way that was not focused on the Kingdoms of this earth, but the Kingdom of Heaven. The way of Jesus proved to be an alternative to the prevailing culture of Rome. So what if Jesus came today? Exactly what would he be saving us from?

December 16, 2007: A Gift From the Gods (3 of 4) – Michael Hidalgo

Good News of great joy was what the people of the Roman Empire were told they were hearing in Augustus' gospel. These are also the words that the Shepherds in the field heard when the host of angels sang in the heavens. So just what is this gospel, good news, and great joy? Why did Caesar believe that he had news that was so worthy? What did those angels know that night - and what did the shepherds hear them say when they used the words like gospel? Those shepherds in that field that night, in the shadow of the Empire, heard the angels tell them of a new reality - a new world in which all things would be new. 

December 9, 2007: Threat To An Empire (2 of 4) – Michael Hidalgo

The promise of Augustus was that he would make all war cease, and create order everywhere. This was Pax Romana. To ensure this kind of world he instituted harsh punishments for those who did not follow his program. Torture, imprisonment, and death were all part of his program. One instrument in particular was of special value for his program … the cross. He used the cross to bring the peace of Rome. It is interesting to note that Jesus promised peace, and he used a specific instrument to bring peace as well … the cross. The difference is that Jesus hung on Augustus’ cross … yet it was in his death that true peace came. 

December 2, 2007: You Are Not the Guy (1 of 4) – Michael Hidalgo

Herod the Great knew his history. Perhaps this is why he tried to change it all by calling himself the King of the Jews. So imagine how he would have felt when a few Magi from the East come and ask, “Where is he that was born king of the Jews?” Herod’s paranoia, which had to this point led him to murder many, decides it is time to ensure that he alone is King. However, this would never be for Herod was an Edomite and Jesus was an Israelite. Herod could not undo the words that Balaam was forced to utter in Numbers 24. The Star of Jacob would defeat the Edomites, and Jesus would rightfully be called the King of the Jews. 

November 25, 2007: Yes, No and Definitely Maybe – Michael Hidalgo

In the days of Jesus taking an oath became a very artful practice that if performed correctly allowed the person taking the oath to be freed from any obligation the oath itself demanded. Sound confusing? Well, so were the oaths. Jesus saw through this. His command of “Yes” and “No” simply got to the root of telling the truth. Being a person of integrity without all the legal fireworks that had come to mean nothing. Jesus, who is the truth, expects his followers to reflect that same truth. If you say it - do it. 

November 18, 2007: Something Bigger – Michael Hidalgo

So what exactly is marriage, and why was Jesus so intent on protecting it? Paul speak about marriage as a picture of the mystery of God’s love for us. There is something in the physical union of two people that is intensely spiritual. This kind of relationship cannot be treated lightly and thrown around. Jesus sees the way divorce had become in his world - which resulted in the abuse and neglect and woman - and tightens the loose boundaries. His view of marriage reclaimed the original intent - that two would become one.