Thomas Altepeter

Luke 11:1-13 invites us to reflect on our mental image of God. A mental image is an internal representation of the world. We form these internal representations over time based upon our perceptions and experiences. For example, we all have mental images of "summer" and "winter," formed over many years of experiences of the naturally occurring patterns in the weather.

Much has been made of this reading over the years. If one were to do a historical review of commentaries on this reading, one would find a wide variety of interpretations that often contradict one another. Some have viewed this reading as a criticism of traditional female roles (meal preparation in the kitchen) as compared to more traditional male roles (education, learning at the "feet of the master").

Luke 9:51-62 invites us to reflect on the issue of discipleship. Discipleship is often misunderstood in our culture. We tend to think of a disciple, especially in a Christian context, as one who has some familiarity with Jesus, and who is favorably disposed toward him.