🐮 Proper 10

Readings: Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Psalm 25:1-10; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37.

Welcome to Proper 10

Good morning, and welcome to Proper 10. This is Brother Logan Isaac, broadcasting from Albany, Oregon.

Today’s lectionary readings come from:

• Deuteronomy 30

• Psalm 25

• Colossians 1

• Luke 10

What struck me today wasn’t some deep, profound message for grunts—it was something simpler, maybe even obvious. But sometimes, the fruit that’s hanging high still needs to be picked.

Heart, Soul, and (Maybe) Mind

There’s a familiar phrase in Deuteronomy 30:

“Obey the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees... because you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

We often hear this alongside “mind,” too. Maybe that comes later—possibly from Exodus or from the New Testament. But in this reading, it’s just heart and soul.

This is significant because Deuteronomy is part of the Deuteronomic Code—a literary and theological framework that includes:

• Deuteronomy

• Joshua

• Judges

• Samuel

• Kings

It’s one of the earliest compiled segments of what we now call the Hebrew Bible. That doesn’t mean Genesis or Exodus weren’t around in some form, but this Deuteronomic history may have been the first to be written down comprehensively. It functions as a kind of recap—repeating and reinterpreting much of the earlier Torah.

Jesus and the Add-On

By the time we get to Luke 10, Jesus is quoting what sounds like the same passage, but with “mind” added:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind…”

This shows development over time. Maybe Jesus was referencing the Septuagint in Greek, or maybe speaking Aramaic in his local synagogue. But the Hebrew text we use today wasn’t codified until the 9th century CE—900 years after Jesus.

The Antagonist in Luke 10

In Luke 10, a legal expert challenges Jesus.

It’s important to understand the literary function of an antagonist. It doesn’t mean they’re evil. They just create tension—move the plot forward. This person isn't a villain. He’s more like a curious foil.

Like the rich young ruler who walks away sad—Jesus doesn’t say he failed, just that it’s hard. So too here: the legal expert gives the right answer:

“The one who showed mercy.”

And Jesus replies:

“Go and do likewise.”

That’s it. It’s not a condemnation—it’s an invitation. Maybe the guy followed through. Maybe he didn’t. But we shouldn’t read it as a moral failing just because there's a challenge involved.

Why Understanding Storytelling Matters

Literature matters. When we fail to grasp how stories work, we risk taking them too literally—and then building theology on hyperbole.

Take Revelation. The “Left Behind” series turned metaphor and symbol into a pseudo-literal worldview full of monsters with human faces. That’s not how literature—or Revelation—works.

When we forget that stories are made by and for us, we start worshiping the ink instead of the meaning.

The Danger of Literalism

The Reformation gave us sola scriptura—“only scripture.” But too many people act like the Bible dropped from heaven, leather-bound and indexed. That’s not reality.

When we fear complexity, we run toward fantasy. But if God is real, and faith is real, then reality—not fantasy—should be what we deal in. That includes obligation. Faith isn’t about comfort. It’s about trust and conviction.

Get the F Up and Pray

Conviction means movement.

That’s why First Formation’s motto is: “Get the F up and pray.”

Not just kneeling at an altar—walking. The Greek word for “the way” is hodos. Following Christ means you are moving.

If you're standing still, you’re not following. You can’t stay the same and claim to be on the way.

Iraq, Doubt, and the Need for Truth

I say this because I’ve lived through it. In Iraq, I was reading The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Life of Christ in one hand, and the 9/11 Commission Report in the other.

It was terrifying. People had lied to us—leaders, pastors, politicians. And when I came home, I needed someone to say: “Here’s what you did wrong. Here’s what you didn’t.”

But instead, I found churches defending the upside down:

• That killing kids was okay if it meant saving soldiers.

• That civilians could accuse me of murder without knowing anything about what I actually did.

I never fired my rifle. I rarely called in artillery, and when I did, it wasn’t in cities. But I was still told I was evil by people who had no skin in the game.

Trust Is the Foundation

We only have one word for love in English. But agape—the love that scripture talks about—is better translated as trust.

“Do you trust God?”
“Do you have faith in this idea—that Jesus, Mary’s bastard son, is the child of God?”

If yes, it should compel you to live differently. It will hurt when you fail. And it should.

Say What You Mean

That’s what faith should do. It should teach us to:

• Mean what we say.

• Say what we mean.

You cannot encounter Christ and stay the same. If something doesn’t change, then either:

• Your belief isn’t real, or

• The whole thing is a lie.

And honestly? I respect atheists more than people who claim to be Christian but don’t live like it. Because at least atheists are being honest.

In Conclusion

If you say you believe—live like it. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul… and yes, with all your mind too.

Even if you think the bugs with human faces are coming out of the ground—at least live as though you believe it. Walk the way. Get the F up and pray.

That’s all for today.

Peace and strength.

—Brother Logan Isaac