Sermons From My Heart

When we spread the good news of the Gospel, we can expect to face opposition. The apostle Paul was no exception. He boldly preached the Gospel to the Thessalonians in spite of suffering and mistreatment. First Thessalonians 2:1-8 is a model for all Christians to follow, especially when they are called to spread the Good News of the Gospel. In particular, we are to pay attention to the example Paul set for us. His bold preaching was direct and to the point. He did not use words that would please his audience. He did not resort to manipulation. He did not try to “tickle the ears” of his listeners. He did not try to use his ministry for financial gain. Unlike some preachers. Paul was honest, and honesty is refreshingly simple. No ulterior motives or hidden meanings. No need to manipulate people. No matter how much opposition he encountered, he never took his eyes off of his calling to bring people to Jesus.

If we want to build the Christian community, we must proclaim the Gospel boldly. In the words of Dr. Michael Youssef, who is the president of Leading the Way Ministries, we must “passionately proclaim uncompromising truth.” We must be fearless when we speak out against things such as social injustice, lax morals or the abuse of power within the Christian community.

Paul was entrusted by God to speak not to please man, but to please God. Paul was entrusted with the Gospel, just like God entrusts all of his people with the Gospel. The Gospel has been safeguarded throughout the nations. It is the responsibility of each generation to safeguard the Gospel for generations to come.

Paul and his fellow missionaries could have made demands as apostles. In particular, they could have asked to be paid for their preaching, but they didn’t. Paul made his living as a tentmaker everywhere he went to preach. This supported the claim that the motives of Paul and his colleagues were pure. Lay ministers such as me do not get paid for leading worship services unless they take services in a parish other than their home parish. [The love of God speaks to the insecurity and the need that is at the centre of greed and as we focus on God’s gift of grace, and we remember that in Jesus we have been given abundant, eternal life, there becomes less and less we have to have, less and less we want.

The Christian church does have some ministers with large egos who have to put their pictures on all their books, parade their degrees after their names, or have the best parking places and the nicest offices. They are no better than the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. True preachers can’t separate their preaching from their daily lives. They must literally “practice what they preach.” If only all preachers-indeed, if only all Christians-served one another as Paul served his fellow Christians. He served his fellow Christians in the following ways:

1. He served with boldness, truth and honesty, seeking to please God and not men.
2. He served without flattery, covetousness, or seeking glory from men.
3. He served with labour night and day, seeking to be devout, just, and blameless.
4. He served with the gentleness and affection of a nursing mother and the guidance and encouragement of a caring father.

Paul was an effective witness because of what he did. He lived out his faith in his relationship with God. The only way we can be effective witnesses is to live our faith in our relationship with God and with each other.

Those of us who provide spiritual leadership have to provide tender loving care to our flocks. We have to provide the spiritual nourishment that people need just like a mother cherishes and nurses her children.

Those of us who preach the Gospel must have courage. Courage is often associated with bravery, but courage can take many different forms. Courage is related to confidence, but in this case confidence is less about being right than it is about being comfortable. It means remaining non-defensive when we are challenged, to listen respectfully to others recognizing that God may be speaking to us through them. While we must have the courage to share the Gospel, we must also be vulnerable. We must share what we know and how we strive to live what we know and how we have failed and doubted along our Christian journey.

Evangelism must always be focused on leading people to Christ because it is a matter of their spiritual life and death. Evangelism must be done with a sense of urgency. We must not allow our daily routines to distract us from our Christian duty. We must preach the truth boldly without using tricks or manipulation. We must please God regardless of whether or not there is any growth in the number of Christian followers.

Paul was successful because he, like most good ministers, took the time to cultivate relationships with people. He cared for them by getting involved in their lives. As the old saying goes, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. He shared himself with them by getting involved in their lives.

Paul was bold and direct in his preaching, but he was also a warm and gentle man. That is why he used the image of a nursing mother in 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Paul and his colleagues were eager to give themselves to others just like a mother gives herself to her family-and just like Christ gave himself for us. Paul also got involved emotionally in their lives. He loved the people he met, and he treated them as people of value. When we love others, we must also treat them as people of value instead of a means to an end. When we talk to others, we must talk about our affections, and that includes the gestures of love and kindness such as hugs, handshakes (like those we use when we pass the peace).

We must lead lives that are stirring enough to start a movement for God. We must have a burning desire to change the world. That must be our passion in life. We must serve others with the tender loving care that Jesus showed. We must encourage each other in our spiritual journey. Even when things look dark and dismal in our broken, human world, God will prevail. God will triumph over evil. God is at work in the world, and he will work through people of faith. God can’t be limited. Even God’s enemies are used by God to do his work in the world.

God also works through the church. We are his agents of change. We are entrusted with the Good News of unconditional love, never-ending grace and ultimate peace. This means that there is something for each and every one of us to do. There are lots of things we can do in the church such as teaching Sunday school, volunteering with a church group or serving on a committee, church council or parish council, or even serving as a lay minister. There are things we can do in our everyday lives such as being godly parents or children or community members.

We are to be focused on the mission. The only way we can accomplish this mission is to live our lives with integrity. Living a life of integrity means genuinely caring for the people and churches we serve. We must have a passion to make God look good each and every day.

The late Dr. Haddon Robinson, who wass regarded as one of the leading teachers of the art of preaching, once told the story of a writer for a newspaper in Toronto who undertook an investigation into the ethical practices of auto repair shops in his city. He took a spark‑plug wire off of his engine, making the car run unevenly. He took the car in to different shops and asked them to fix it. Time after time people sold him unnecessary repairs or charged him for repairs that were not done.

Finally, he went to a small garage. A fellow named Fred came out, popped open the hood, and said, “Let me listen to that thing.” After a few seconds, he told the reporter, “I think I know what’s wrong.” He reached down and grabbed the wire, announcing, “Your spark‑plug wire came off.” And he put it back on.

The reporter asked, “What do I owe you?”

“I’m not going to charge you anything,” Fred replied. “I didn’t have to fix anything; I just reattached the wire.”

The writer then told Fred what he was doing and that he had been charged all kinds of money by mechanics looking at that same wire. He asked Fred, “Why didn’t you charge me anything?” Fred said, “Are you sure you want to know? I happen to be a Christian and believe that everything we do should be done to glorify God. I’m not a preacher and I’m not a missionary, but I am a mechanic and so I do it honestly. I do it skillfully and I do it to the glory of God.”

The next day in the newspaper was a headline that read, “Christian Mechanic, Honest to the Glory of God.”

Regardless of what we do for God, we must not tone down his message. Even when our message is challenged, we must not back down. We are to be good shepherds, servant leaders whose job description includes leading others to God. God empowers us as leaders and as followers to build up, to influence and to persuade others. We build and strengthen our community of believers so that we may reach out to serve.

 Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
3. Demarest, G. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1,2 Thessalonians/1,2 Timothy/Titus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)
6. Dennis Fisher, “Tender Loving Care.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org
7. Charles R. Swindoll, “Absolute Honesty.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
8. T.M. Moore, “Look at Me.” Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org
9. Holly Hearon, “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
10. Richard Ascough, “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
11. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Sermons We See.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
12. King Duncan, “A Victory for the Angels.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
13. Mary S. Lautensleger, “Leaders Worthy of Imitation.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
14. King Duncan, “Living to Please God.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
15. Richard Brand, “The Cloak.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
16. King Duncan, “What Would Bill Do (New)?” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
17. Preaching Magazine (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing, July/August 2014, p. 48)

Has anyone ever asked you a question that there just wasn’t any way to answer it without getting yourself into trouble? That’s what we call a loaded question. A loaded question is one that is worded so that a person cannot answer it without appearing to be guilty.

Here are a couple of examples of loaded questions:

• Have you quit cheating at cards? If you answer, “Yes” you are admitting that you used to cheat. If you answer, “No” you are admitting that you still cheat.

• Do you still pick on your little brother? That is like the other question. You are either going to admit that you used to pick on your brother or that you still pick on him.

Sometimes a loaded question is asked to try to trick a person into saying something that will get them into trouble. Matthew 22:15-22 is a good example of that situation.

Jesus was gaining great popularity among the Israelites. This was very upsetting to the Pharisees. They thought He was a threat to their authority. They tried everything they could think of to make Jesus look bad and yet Jesus had more and more followers every day. So, a group of Pharisees met and came up with a plot to trick Jesus into saying something that would discredit Jesus among his followers.

 The people in Jesus’ day were required to pay taxes to the Roman government. That was not popular with the people. The plan was to go to Jesus and ask him his opinion about paying the taxes. So, they sent their disciples, with a few of Herod’s followers mixed in and asked him, “Teacher, we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” They were actually trying to trick Jesus, because they knew if he said, “Yes,” the people would be angry. But if he said, “No,” he would get into trouble with the Roman authorities.

Jesus saw right through their plan and He did a wise thing. He asked them for a coin, then He said, “Whose picture is on this coin?”

They answered, “It is Caesar.” Caesar was the Roman ruler and all taxes had to be paid to him.

Jesus then said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

But what about God? Jesus also said, “Give to God what belongs to God.” The Bible says that we were created by God and that we were created in the image of God. If we are created by God, and we were created in His image, we must belong to Him. That means we must give ourselves to Him!

The Pharisees wanted Him to say something like God is more important than the emperor, religion is more important than the empire. They wanted Him to put these two spheres of authority in competition and declare a winner so that the other side can be mad. For Jesus, God and the emperor are so far apart that this competition is meaningless. We can give to governments the things that belong to them not because God has nothing to do with them, but because God’s authority doesn’t need governments to work.

The Herodians were Jews who supported King Herod’s dynasty and therefore tolerated their Roman overlords better than the common people in Israel did. Although they were on the opposite side of the political and religious spectrum, they joined forces with the Pharisees because both groups saw Jesus as a threat. They chose the question about paying taxes to Caesar because they believed that no matter how Jesus answered, He would alienate either the Jewish listeners, who hated the tax, or the Romans, who supported the tax.

While their question was clever, Jesus recognized their wickedness and hypocrisy. He knew that they were not looking for the truth but were merely seeking a means to destroy Him. The word “render” means “to give back”-implying that believers are responsible to respect and obey governments as well as God. All governments are in power by the authority of God and should be obeyed unless their edicts contradict the Word of God.

Jesus’ comparison of our responsibilities to God with our responsibilities to governments centres on the nature of power and allegiance. Government power is coercive and temporal. It can dominate our lives, but it is only temporary. It deserves appropriate respect in the political and government sphere, but it is limited and part of God’s larger world.

With His proclamation, Jesus acknowledges that God’s law allows what is printed on our currency to be given back to the government, but Jesus also insists that it be done in the ultimately more important context of giving what is imprinted with God’s image back to Him. We were created in God’s image, and Jesus calls on us to return to God all that we are and all that we have been given. We can give the government what it is owed in taxes, but that is the extent of what we owe to it. On the other hand, there is no limit on what is due to God since everyone and everything belongs to God.

The problem is that we don’t live as if this is true. We make giving to the government and to everyone else a priority, and God gets the leftovers. So, like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, we stand accused by His words. Despite what we say, our actions declare we are not really interested in hearing about God, let alone living that way. So in the face of Jesus’ instructions and invitation, we can go away, confused, and confounded, like Jesus’ accusers, or we can turn, confess our sins and ask to be forgiven.

Our first loyalty is to God. We do not give taxes. We pay them. How does knowing what belongs to God’s determine our response to the government when our government does something that goes against God’s will? God is always more than our church and our government. Our loyalty to our governments is limited and relative. Jesus is not suggesting that there are two kingdoms, the sacred and the secular. There is only one kingdom, to which our governments are ultimately accountable.

The government has stamped images on our currency, but God has stamped his image on our hearts. We must obey our government in its earthly realm but the things that are God’s do not belong to the government and should be given only to God. Human governments are legitimate according to God’s good purposes. If they need taxes to fulfill their calling, we must be prepared to pay them. Just as we are to give to governments what belongs to them, we must give to God what is His, especially our love and obedience.

The coin bears the emperor’s image. It only has value because it is valuable to him. Those who bear the image of God-even those who have been beaten down and robbed of their dignity-possess value that is inherent and can never be diminished. We may live in an occupied land, but Jesus has set us free. One day, when all of the kingdoms and empires of the world fall and every currency has dropped to zero, God will still be God, and we will still be God’s children.

Most of us don’t want to pay taxes, but we want to have money and use it as we wish. We also want to use roads, have the military defend us and enjoy many other benefits of the government, and then turn around and curse those who sponge off the government. We rightly curse the government when it makes wrong or unethical decisions.

We can’t separate our secular and religious lives. God’s presence and actions are not confined to these narrow categories. God wants total allegiance from us because, as the apostle Paul wrote, we have been freely chosen by God to live lives of “faith and love.”

We may feel that we have to choose between the kingdoms of the world and God’s kingdom, but Jesus tells us that we can live in both kingdoms if we let our faith interact with the world. In this way we live in society as good citizens and neighbours, and we fulfill our role in our chosen field. In all we do, and in every interaction with others, we allow God’s reign to be expressed in the world through us.

By calling attention to the different obligations we have, Jesus reminds us of the differences that exist for us as citizens of the state and citizens of heaven. Jesus carefully suggests that we owe the state exactly what is demanded of us. By contrasting this with his statement to give to God what is God’s, Jesus exposed the irony of the Pharisees’ and Herodians’ religious activities. They were more concerned with their own power than they were with honouring God.

In spite of the differences between then and now, we still live in a world where different entities constantly make competing demands on our loyalties. What part of our us-our gifts, our resources, our time and our energy-do we give over and to whom? For example:

1. Do we stop to help elderly or handicapped people in the grocery store, or do we quickly move on because we are in a hurry?
2. Do we agree to sit on another board or do we put our energies more directly into the congregations we are called to serve and is the former actually a way of doing the latter or not?
3. Do we ignore the abuse other people are going through?
4. Do we show up for community meetings to speak out either for or against a particular issue even though we may be ridiculed or do we just not go at all because we don’t believe our voices won’t make a difference?
5. Do we practice recycling or do we throw our plastic and paper in with the rest of the trash because we can’t be bothered or we’re pressed for time or it seems like it is just too much effort?
6. Do we take the time to call our local, provincial or federal representatives and advocate for a just budget that includes proper spending to fight issues such as poverty or the lack of affordable housing, or do we make the excuse that we are too busy and assume that someone else will do it?

How does the way we use our resources reflect the truth that all of us have God’s image stamped on us? When we look at how we use our resources, what do we see? Are we using them to do God’s work in our world? Are we living in Him and for Him, or is He a very minimal part of our lives?

In what ways can our worship be more aligned to God’s values? The place of worship is to be kept wide open for the poor, the marginalized and the least to be welcomed in, but do we really include them? Do we make them feel welcome? Do we value the number of worshippers in pews over our impact on the local community? Do we measure the financial wealth of our churches rather than the level of sacrificial service we offer? Do we make decisions about the choices of music based on what is popular on the radio or on who wrote the music? Do we seek to be comforted and encouraged in our quest for worldly success, influence, and material objects rather than be challenged to give up these things for the sake of eternal values?

Jesus is not just talking about where to locate loyalty. He is suggesting that loyalty tends to be accompanied by hope. Our loyalties to things in our lives-whether political figures, teachers, spouses, or friends-are deeply intertwined with hope. We are loyal to a political party because we hope it can make certain changes. We are loyal to certain authoritative figures such as teachers because we hope we will learn something. We are loyal to friends because we hope, in part, that they will be loyal to us in return. We are loyal to spouses because we have hopes for companionship and future partnership. We are able to have hope not because of a blind naivete but because we have experienced something that makes that hope possible.

Jesus not only models the life of giving everything to God, but He also makes it possible for us to do the same. Because He trusted in God’s love and care, He willingly gave up all that He had and all that He was. He emptied Himself, humbled Himself, and became obedient to the point of death on the cross. Through the Holy Spirit, we have been forgiven and healed. We have been offered new life. By the dwelling of the Spirit within us, we have the power to live as Jesus did, to walk in God’s way. Like Jesus, we can trust in God’s love and care and freely give to God ourselves, our time and our possessions for use in the world that God loves and cares for.

If we are sincere in our desire to be Christ’s disciples, our answer to the question “Whose image is this?” should be Jesus Christ. All of us are made in God’s image. His image is carved into our very souls and in our very breath because we are created with the very breath of God. We are to give to God what is His, including our very lives.

Jesus calls on us to be engaged with everyone around us-to truly interact and become involved in the lives of people we know and meet, so that we may become part of their lives as a new community in Christ. This means risk. It will take time that we might not have. We will be vulnerable in our relationships. Will God be present in our lives? The answer is “yes’” along with much more good news than we can ever expect.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New Kings James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1320-1321)
2. “The Pharisees Plot Against Jesus.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
3. The New Testament Commentary: Vol. 1-Matthew and Mark. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
4. Augsburger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982, p.18)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 29^th Sunday (A).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
7. The Rev. David F. Sellery, “Gotcha.” Retrieved from frsellery@davidsellery.org
8. Scott Peterson, “Matthew 22:15-22.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu.
9. The Rev. Dr. Ruth Hamilton, “Whose Coin Is It?” Retrieved from www.day1.org
10. Erick J. Thompson, “Commentary on Matthew 22;15-22.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3450
11. The Rev. Janet Hunt, “Giving to God the Things That Are (Already) God’s.” Retrieved from www.dancingwiththeword.com/giving-to-god-the-things-that-are-already-gods/
12. Karoline Lewis, “Having Hope.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=3361
13. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary, Pentecost 20, October 18, 2020.” Retrieved from https://www.patheos.com
14. Sam Keves, “Nothing is Really Caesar’s.” Retrieved from https://livingchurch.org
15. Rev. Taylor Meador Fuerst, “Rabbit Trick.” Retrieved from https://day1.or

The story of Paul’s voyage to Rome, part of which we heard in Acts 27:27-44, with its trials and triumphs, is an example of the way of faith all through the story of human life. Its remarkable feature is the hard and narrow places which we find intermingled with God’s most extraordinary plans and providences. It’s full of examples of night and day experiences.

The word “night” is symbolic of the times when all seems dark and foreboding for us. Like the people of the ship, we pray, but that prayer is also our time to let down our anchors. What are our anchors? What keeps the ship of our lives off the rocks of life? Do we believe the words of the old hymn, “Will Your Anchor Hold?” Some of these anchors should be faith, surrender to God, hope and thanksgiving.

Because God promised that everyone would be saved, the sailors who were trying to save themselves were fleeing from the promise of their own protection. Paul recognized what they were doing, and the sailors’ plan was thwarted-for their own benefit. A belief that God has purpose (that He designs and has always designed to save some) will prompt the use of all proper means to secure it. Paul believed that God offers mercy. Paul believed that God would save the passengers and crew because Paul was part of God’s plan.

Men can be cruel even when experiencing God’s mercy. God’s goodness will not ease the natural anger and cruelty of those who delight in blood. Roman policy was that if a prisoner escaped, the man who guarded him would be killed. So rather than run the risk of any of the prisoners (Paul and others) escaping, the soldiers wanted to kill them before abandoning ship. But Julius, the centurion, ordered the soldiers not to touch the prisoners. Paul escaped yet another attempt on his life.

For Paul’s sake, the lives of all the prisoners were spared. A pious, God-fearing person can earn the favour of man. God often confers blessings on the wicked for the sake of their believing friends, relatives and neighbours. God can defend people in all dangers and can accomplish all His purposes. We are safe in His keeping. He has a plan that can fulfill all His purposes and protect His people from danger. God promised that everyone on board the ship would be saved, and they were saved. When we take God at His word, we will never go wrong.

Paul modeled not only a life of faith but a life of wisdom and gratitude. Life presents us with a splendid succession of opportunities-both good and bad-to put our faith in action. Often the best chances we have to share our faith result from involvement and caring in ordinary ways for the people we long to introduce to God.

Sometimes God will use the strangest of circumstances to do His greatest works. He used the storm, so He can use any event. Even when life’s voyages are stormy, there will be a time when these storms will be minor compared to what God was able to accomplish because of them.

The worst time to “jump ship” is when times are tough. If we make decisions when times are tough, it’s hard to make clear choices. Isn’t that when we often make life changing decisions, only to look back later, and discover we made the wrong one? We should be more like Jesus and Paul-men who did not turn and run in the face of crisis, offense or opportunity. The storms of life are opportunities to grow as people, believers and followers of Jesus. All we have to do is find them.

When we go through difficult times, what happens to us is not nearly as important as what happens in us. The passage from Acts teaches us three ways we shouldn’t respond:

1. Don’t drift. The problem with coasting is that we’re heading downhill. Life is not a coast. Life is tough. When life is tough, we must not lose our ambition or our dream.
2. Don’t discard. When times are tough, we tend to abandon values and relationships we would not let go of in better times. God can change situations and personalities. He can change us, but He won’t change us if we’re always abandoning ship!
3. Don’t despair. Even in a storm, God is in control. He hasn’t left us. You may not feel Him, but if we feel far from Him, it’s because we have moved. God is with us in the storm, and He will help us through it. He uses the storms of life to test us to see if we will trust Him. Will we pass the test?

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1533)
2. Ogilvie, L.J. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 341-347)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
5. L.B. Cowman, “Streams in the Desert-August 22, 2016” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
6. Pastor David McGee, “Rough Waters.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
7. Pastor Rick Warren, “How Difficulty Can Make You Better, Not Bitter.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
8. Dr. Harold Sala, “Anchors.” Retrieved from info@guidelines.org.

How many of you have ever given a party? Of course you have! We have all given a party at some time. Perhaps it was a birthday party, or a slumber party. Maybe you had a picnic or a costume party. No matter what kind of party you give, it is a lot of work to get ready for a party, isn’t it? First, you have to decide what kind of a party you are going to have. Then you have to go out and buy the decorations or make them yourself. You have to plan how to entertain your guests. Next you have to decide what you are going to serve and go to the store to buy refreshments. After you have made all the plans, you make a list of who you are going to invite and send out the invitations.

Have you ever planned a party and sent out the invitations, but no one showed up? Oh, I hope not! If that happened, how do you think it would make you feel? Would you be angry? Would your feelings be hurt? What do you think you might do?

Jesus once told a story about a king who threw a party, but none of the people he invited showed up for his party. In Jesus’ story, the king was going to have a party for his son who was getting married. Since he was a king, and this was his only son, you can imagine that it was going to be quite a celebration and it was a tremendous honor to be invited!

All of the plans had been made, the food was prepared, the invitations had been sent. The day of the celebration came, but no one showed up! The king sent his servants to see where the people were and why they had not come to his celebration. The people all began to make excuses about how busy they were.

A wedding feast could go on for days with much food and merriment. An invitation from the king would be considered both an honour and a command, but the citizens of this country refused the invitation, even though the king had described the many pleasures of the feast.  In Jesus’ culture honour was highly prized and to publicly embarrass someone was a terrible affront. Some invited guests not only ignored or scorned the king’s invitation but also reacted violently against his messengers. This was the equivalent of a direct attack on the king, and he could not let this go by without a response. The king reacted as ancient rulers often did; he sent his troops to destroy the city of the murderers. To treat the king’s messengers with contempt was to treat the king himself with contempt. The king was very upset, so he told his servants to go out into the streets and invite everyone they saw to come to his son’s wedding celebration. They did exactly what the king told them to do and the Bible tells us that the wedding hall was filled with guests.

This parable refers to the rejection of the Jews and a calling of the Gentiles. In this parable, God is the king, the people who reject the invitation are the Jewish leaders, the wedding banquet is God’s salvation, and the good and the bad are the wheat and tares in the church. The Gospel was offered to the Jews but they rejected it because of their pride and wickedness. All the blessings of the Gospel were offered to the Gentiles, so they accepted it. The invitation to the wedding feast was given to everyone-both bad and good-because the original invitees had refused the invitation. This detail indicates that the Gentiles were now being offered salvation because the Jews had rejected the Gospel.

The king entered the banquet hall to meet the “guests”. Now they are no longer merely beggars, street people, foreigners, thieves, etc. They are honoured guests. Their conditions have been reversed. They did nothing to deserve it. They were invited to a feast that they could never dream they would get to attend. God’s grace echoes above the noise, the behaviour, the singing and laughing of the guests.

If God has invited people to the wedding banquet, they have already “earned” their spot in the kingdom of heaven. So why would people reject the invitation? Why would they give up salvation? Why would they pass up free food and drink? They either reject God and His message of mercy by killing the messengers, or they are busy with other things such as their jobs, their property, things they have built themselves, things they are using to define their worth in the world.

Even though the invitation to the celebration was broadcast indiscriminately, guests still had to meet certain conditions to participate in the feast, including wearing a wedding garment, which was probably given to the guests by the king himself. When the king found a man without such clothing, the man was summarily tied up and thrown out of the palace. We are given what we need once we accept the invitation to the wedding feast. Like the Cinderella story in which the fairy godmother gave her a gown so she could attend the ball, the apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:12-14,19-20, “My God will supply whatever you need in accord with God’s glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

God is the king. He is no pushover, and if we are the beneficiaries of His gracious invitation we must not become complacent like the first invitees. God has thrown the doors of the kingdom wide open, and he has extended the invitation to everyone. Once we come in, we have to meet His standards. We can’t go on acting like we are not at an extraordinary party. The new garments represent God’s grace, which we receive when we repent and accept Him as our Saviour. In this parable, the soiled garments represent our old, sinful lives. They represent our attempts to enter the kingdom without doing God’s will.

This part of the parable challenges us. How have we changed our lives in response to God’s invitation? Do we realize the gift we have received? What is our attitude towards other people who have received the same invitation? If all of us are guests, none of which have earned the invitation but have received it by grace, then how can we continue to separate and divide ourselves according to race, gender, birthplace, language, sexual orientation, newcomers and old timers, well-dressed and poor?

If we really believe what we hear from God’s Word and have taken it to heart, how can we fail to look around and celebrate God’s banquet with everyone who is around us? We must not judge their motives for coming, or how they are dressed, or how active they are in the church. Let’s celebrate with them the fact that we are all hearers of the Word. We will do our best to be doers of that Word too. God will decide who is wearing the proper garments. 

For the priests and the scribes, the message is that the call of the Gospel went out to the whole world, but to the Jewish people first. Relatively few accepted the Lord’s invitation to eternal life, so the invitation was extended to the Gentiles as well. To participate in the great feast of God, one must not only be invited, but also put on the king’s wedding clothes-namely, the righteousness of Christ, accepted by grace through faith. Those without such a garment, although called, reveal that they are not chosen.

We are to share the Gospel with anyone who will listen. We don’t know who will respond and who will not (because the most unlikely candidates often come to faith), so we are to preach the Good News of the Gospel to everyone. We are living in the day of grace. As the world descends deeper and deeper into darkness and sin, God is calling us to give out His invitation. Jesus tells us to preach the Gospel to everyone. He will give us the faith and courage to persevere, even in the face of opposition. We can pray that God will bring across our path the people He wants us to reach out to so they can be drawn to Jesus. God is not willing that anyone would perish. He wants everyone to come to repentance and the knowledge of Him.

The apathy and rejection of the people who were invited to the banquet offended the king. Similarly, people who reject God’s offer of salvation offend Him.  Like the king, God will eventually lose patience with those who reject Him. They will eventually bear the wrath of God’s judgment.

In order to attend the party, we have to know the host. Similarly, if we want to enter heaven, we have to know God and accept His gift of salvation. There are many people who profess to be Christians and who belong to the church but spurn the garment of righteousness by seeking to establish their own righteousness. They are afraid to admit their own spiritual poverty. They refuse to accept God’s righteousness and therefore they are guilty of a horrible sin against His goodness. We are the recipients of God’s grace and generosity. We are part of His kingdom not because of what we have done. We are honoured guests.

Jesus’ life put flesh and meaning on this parable. He sat with everyone, and everyone was welcomed into His kingdom, but they have to make a fitting response that indicates they realize what has been given them. In other words, we have to accept God’s offer of salvation. When we do, our deeds (as represented by the wedding garment) must match our beliefs.

Many are called, but few are chosen. The chosen ones are people who realize that just showing up is not enough. Mere submission to doctrine and dogma won’t stand the test of what it means to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The chosen ones believe that God might very well stake a claim to their own humanity. They also realize that the time for bringing about the kingdom of Heaven is now-not later, not tomorrow, not someday, but now.

Through Christ’s death and resurrection, God has thrown heaven open to everyone who is willing to come. He will provide the food and the proper clothes. Anyone who is willing to trust Jesus’ invitation is guaranteed a seat at God’s table. We are worthy not because of who we are, but because of what Jesus has done for us.

We can’t really respond to God’s invitation unless we are willing to have our lives changed to become like Jesus. God’s grace does not imply approval of our injustice and lack of love. Instead, it challenges us to become as gracious toward others as God is toward us. Saying “yes” to God’s kingdom opens to us a wide variety of possibilities. Saying “no” closes the door to receiving God’s generosity. Failure to get ready for eternity is in plain sight. I can’t imagine why, but some people will turn down God’s invitation. You’ve been invited — I hope you will accept God’s invitation.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New Kings James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1320-1321)
2. “You Are Invited.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
3. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
4. Augsberger, M.S> * Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; p. 18)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 28^th Sunday (A).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
7. Jenifer Brownell, “God Has Already Chosen. Now It’s Your Turn.” Retrieved from dailydevotional@ucc.org
8. A.W. Tozer, “Evangelism: Such a Short Time.” Retrieved from Biblegateway@e.biblegateway.com
9. Gemma Gardner, “The Invitation.” Retrieved from info@seedsofthekingdom.net
10. Erick J. Thompson, “Commentary on Matthew 22:1-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3443
11. Karoline Lewis, “What Not to Wear.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=4980
12. Lance Pape, “Commentary on Matthew 22:1-14.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx/commentary_id=2204
13. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary-The nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost-October 11, 2020.” Retrieved from www.patheos.com/blogs/livingaholyadventure
14. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 28^th Sunday (A).” Retrieved from firstimpressions@lists.opsouth.org
15. Dr. Kari Vo, “Worthy.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org/dailydevotionsprt.asp?date=20201008

When I was a child and asked my mother for something, she would often remind me to say “please”. Then, after she gave me what I asked for, she would remind me to say, “thank you” by saying, “Now what do you say?” I knew what to say, but sometimes I would forget. We all know what to say, but unfortunately, we sometimes forget to say it.

Luke 17:11-19 is a story about ten lepers. A leper is a person who has a disease called leprosy. This disease causes sores all over the body. Leprosy was very common in Jesus’ day, and people who had this disease were thought to be unclean. They were required to stay away from other people because of the fear that they might infect them with their disease.

Priests had great power. Once a priest judged a person to be unclean, that person was cut off from society and family. He could not hold a job or engage in business. He was reduced to begging. To be restored to a normal life required a priest’s judgment that the person was no longer unclean. That was Jesus’ reason for sending these lepers to the priest-so that they might be restored to normal lives. Jesus had another underlying purpose. The lepers would bear testimony to the priests of Jesus’ great healing power. When the priests judged the lepers to be clean, their judgements would authenticate Jesus’ Godly power.

When Jesus told the men to visit the priests, He was telling them to get a certificate of release indicating they were free from the disease. As they followed His instructions, they were cleansed. He did not heal them on the spot. He did not heal them in a distant spot. He healed them as they moved to obey His orders.

When Jesus visited the lepers, He made a big statement. He was saying to them, “You have value to me because I created you in my image.” He also said to those who are not leprous, “These people are just as loved by me as you are.”

Jesus told the lepers to go show themselves to the priests. He directed them back to the temple. That is a challenge to our modern church. Whom have we cast out or ignored? Who are those considered “unclean” among us? They include divorced and remarried women, women who have had abortions, refugees, prisoners, ex-convicts and so on.

The ten lepers didn’t ask for healing. They were looking for pity or a handout. When they obeyed Jesus’ instructions, He gave them much more than they asked for. When God tells us to do something small, all we have to do is obey Him! When we obey Him, He may surprise us by giving us more than we would have ever dared ask of Him.

What was a Samaritan (a foreigner) doing among nine Jews? Leprosy made misery their common denominator, and they joined together in a community of woe. Out of all those who had been healed, the one knowing the least about Jesus returned to thank Him. The most religious people are not always the ones who see life’s graces or think to say thanks. The lepers were Jesus’ fellow Israelites. They knew that He has been healing those in need and they showed Him due respect. The Samaritan-who worshipped God differently enough to be a non-Jewish outsider-knew that Jesus’ power was of God and that to thank Jesus was to glorify God.

The Samaritan was an outsider, and he saw Jesus for who He really is and turned back to throw himself at Jesus’ feet while praising God. In doing so, he showed not that Jesus has come for everyone but that those who are on the margins of society are most likely to see God working through Jesus. The insiders often miss this, preferring to work within the confines of the established institution.

As sinners, we have been defiled with the leprosy of sin. We should put our faith in God and obey His commands with confidence that He will heal us if we follow His instructions. This will be evidence that we have made peace with God.

While the one who returned had the same experience as the others, he had a different expression as a result of this experience. The other nine lepers were healed, but only one was made well. Being made well is more important than being healed. Unless gratitude is part of our human nature, we can’t be whole people. The other nine were merely healed. If ingratitude is more deadly than leprosy, the nine were in worse shape than before. Only one came back and was made whole.

Why didn’t the other nine return? Were they ungrateful, or did they just not know a return to say “thanks” was an expectation? Were they careless, or were they carried away in a mad fury to show their newly healed skin to those they were separated from by that dreadful bacteria? Were they distracted by the celebration with one another? Were they ungrateful, or were they swept up in the possibility of their new lives given in healing? Did they simply forget?

Jesus’ words in verses 17-19 reveal a note of sadness and surprise. The nine Jewish lepers who had been healed went away, clutching their blessings to themselves. Only the Samaritan returned, and Jesus rewarded him with a healing beyond the physical. The power of God cleansed him inwardly from the stain of sin.

One of the most prevalent sins today is ingratitude. God does so much for us, but we rarely (if ever) offer thanks for what He has done. In fact, many Christians fail to offer thanks over their meals, much less offer thanks over all that God does for them in their lives. They are like the little boy who was given an orange by a man. The boy’s mother asked, “What do you say to the nice man?” The little boy thought, handed the orange back to the man and said, “Peel it.”

Gratitude allows us to forgive everyone who has hurt us, especially our parents. Whatever they were, we can forgive them and bless them for our own sake. I know, because I’ve experienced this within my own family. One of my nephews had a difficult relationship with his father for several years because his parents divorced when he was a young child. His father was my brother. That rift was not completely healed until my brother was on his deathbed. His family was at his bedside, and my nephew spent a lot of time talking to his father even though his father could not speak because he was in a coma. At one point we were asked to leave while my brother’s breathing tube was removed at the family’s request. I saw my nephew in the hallway, and I could tell that he was upset. I asked him what was wrong and he said, “I never should have stopped talking to him after he took her side…” I asked my nephew if he was able to forgive his father, and he said, “Yes.” Jesus tells us to bless people who have hurt us, especially our parents. The Bible tells us that if we can’t forgive our parents, our days will be shortened.

Nothing pleases God more than faith, and faith is always expressed and made real through action. If we need a miracle or answer from God (just like the Samaritan leper), we have to do more than just believe that God can do it. We have to respond to our belief with gratitude. As the old saying goes, actions do speak louder than words.

The Samaritan leper praised God, but he still had problems. He lived as an outcast with no family, no job, no home and no village. In spite of these problems, he still praised God. Similarly, all of us have problems. We can focus on our belief that God is bigger than all of our problems and that He is present in the midst of our problems.

For the Samaritan leper, his encounter with Jesus was a life-changing invitation into a kingdom and a new community, into life as a new creation. When he fell at Jesus’ feet, he saw the Son of God who made him well. The Samaritan’s response is a model of discipleship, believing and faith. His grateful response to his healing was the start of a process of reaction. We are not called to respond as he did. We are called to imagine our own grateful response.

Several years ago a dog became stranded in the water at the bottom of a canal in Romania. A passerby saw the dog crying and trying to climb the wall to safety. The passerby scaled the wall, jumped into the water and carried the dog to dry land. The dog ran away and shook itself, but then it quickly returned, ran to its rescuer and showered the man with lots of nuzzles and licks.

We can learn a lot from the dog. Only one of the ten lepers Jesus healed returned to give thanks. Everyone who believes in Christ has been rescued and healed. We’re the most blessed people on earth. Some days may be harder than others, and some seasons of life might be tumultuous. But gratitude isn’t situational. It isn’t based on what we have or what we are, but on our relationship with the God who pulled us out of deep waters, set our feet on a rock, and put a new song of praise in our mouths.

Like the leper, on the way, we are being cured when:

1. A person who loves us tells us a hard truth we need to hear about ourselves.
2. We experience, in a loving relationship, opportunities for growth in generosity, forgiveness, patience and humour.
3. Parenting teaches us to give our lives for another in frequent doses of our time, energy, hopes and tears.
4. We suffer a broken relationship, go for counselling and the guidance we receive gives us hope for our future.
5. We seek help for an addiction and the group members offer us wisdom, support and helping hands when we fall and support us “one day at a time.”
6. We suffer the death of a loved one and family and friends are there to grieve with us and eventually there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Has Jesus done great things for us? Have we returned to give Him thanks? God loves to shower us with blessings, but He is not immune from the pain our lack of gratitude brings Him.  It’s easy to spend our lives worrying and obsessing over the problems of life. It’s also easy to overlook a blessing in times of need or forget to be thankful when troubled times have been put to rest. We must make certain that we don’t become one of the nine lepers who were so happy to be cured that they forgot who cured them.

This passage shows faithfulness in two ways. First, the Samaritan recognizes that mercy has come from Jesus, and returning to thank Jesus is a form of faithfulness to the mercy of God that has been shown. Second, the Samaritan’s thankfulness for his physical healing is a sign of deeper, spiritual healing-and that is our true salvation.

Faith is not only a matter of believing. It is also a matter of seeing. All the lepers were healed, but one saw, noticed, let what happened sink in…and it made a difference. This story is an invitation to recognize that what we see makes a difference. In the face of danger, do we see danger or opportunity? In the face of human need, do we see demand or gift? In the face of the stranger, do we see a potential enemy or a potential friend?

One of the simplest and most powerful ways we can show God’s love for others is by treating them with dignity, no matter who they are or what their relationship to us. When we take time to notice them, greet them and meet their eyes-especially those who serve us-and we speak kindly and patiently with them-even when we feel we are not being well treated-this gives them dignity and shows God’s love.

A life of faith is a life of thankfulness. Leprosy is not unlike a condition that is afflicting us, though ours is much graver. While the lepers were separated from worship in the Temple and the presence of God by their disease, we are eternally separated from God by our sinfulness. There is nothing we can do to heal ourselves. We need a Saviour to perform a miracle, and He did. He cured our problem-spiritual death. Even better, He bestowed on us spiritual life for eternity.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1420)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
3. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 249-253)
4. “’Please’ and ‘Thank You.’” Retrieved from www.Sermons4KIds.com
5. Daniel Darling, “The Ten Percent Rule.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. Joni Eareckson Tada, “A Surprise for Your Obedience.” Retrieved from communications@joniandfriends.org
7. Ron Moore, “Returning for Thanks.” Retrieved from www.ronmoore.org
8. Mike Benson, “Thankful.” Retrieved from kneemail@welovegod.org
9. Bobby Schuller, “Decisions=Actions.” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org
10. Jill Carattini, “Body of Hope.” Retrieved from slice@sliceofinfinity.org
11. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Give Thanks Loudly.” Retrieved from communications@joniandfriends.org
12. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for Luke 17:11-19.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
13. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Puppy Love.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org
14. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 28^th Sunday, -C-.” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
15. Ryan Duncan, “What are You Thankful For?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
16. Bob Christopher, “Something Good for the Soul.” Retrieved from bob@basicgospel.net
17. Diana Kerr, “Follow Your ‘Please’ With a ‘Thank -you.’” Retrieved from www.christianity.com/devotionals/grace-moments-devotions-grace-moments-devotions-june-6-2018.html#
18. Michael Youssef, Ph.D.,” Our Leprosy.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
19. Katherine Lewis, “The Rhythms of Faith.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=4726
20. John W. Martens, “Lessons from the 10 Lepers.” Retrieved from www.americamagazine.org/faith/2016/09/22/lessons-10-lepers
21. David Lose, “Commentary on Luke 17:11-19.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=783

The Ten Commandments define the life God wants us to have with him and with each other. Every aspect of our lives is to show that we belong to God. The Ten Commandments are minimum standards for a just society and are the framework for how we are to live our lives. We are to reflect God’s righteousness and justice by obeying God’s Commandments. They are the building blocks for a functioning society. These rules will never be out of date. These rules will never change. These rules will never budge because they are eternally the same.

The phrase “I am the Lord Your God” emphasizes his authority and his relationship with his people. They show the love he has for us. God knows that it will be almost impossible for us to perfectly obey these commandments, so he can heal the broken relationship when we break one of the Ten Commandments.

These rules deal with our relationship with God. For example, God is a jealous God. That is why he does not want his people to worship other gods. He loves us so much that he wants the very best for us, and the very best for us is worshipping the one true God. God loves us so much that he wants us to keep his name sacred. That’s why we are told not to take his name in vain. God loves us so much that he wants us to set aside one day a week to worship him. That is why he tells us to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

These rules also deal with our relationships with other people. Honouring our parents means loving them as much as God loves us. God wants us to love one another as much as he loves us. If we do, we will not kill, commit adultery, steal, covet our neighbour’s goods or lie. Our love for God will bring us to our knees because of our need to be loved. If we obey God, it shows our love for him and it is good for us as well.

These rules also deal with the ethics of life. God sees that the issues addressed by the Ten Commandments are wrong because they go against moral laws. God wants us to respect the hazards of sin. Appropriate fear of God makes us reverent, obedient and worshipful so that we will not sin. We will obey the Commandments because our commitment to God gives us an overwhelming desire to obey him. In fact, we are required to obey God when we hear his voice. The Ten Commandments force us to take responsibility for our actions. They are to be part of our response to what Jesus did for us on the cross.

God is a mystery. He has hidden many things from us. These hidden things combined with our sinful human nature to create a gap between us and him. Throughout the Old Testament several of God’s prophets such as Moses tried to close this gap. The only person who has successfully bridged this gap is Jesus. Jesus is the mediator between us and God. God tries to restore our relationship with him through the Ten Commandments and the two Great Commandments. We can’t ignore this relationship. If it is to be an exclusive relationship, God must be our number one priority. The Ten Commandments are the required response of a grateful people.

We are grateful, but we are not perfect. That’s okay, because God sees us through the eyes of love-the same love that caused him to send his son Jesus to pay the price for our sins. God hopes that we will look at others through the same eyes of love. We are not perfect, but God has prepared a place for us with his saints.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible Software package.
3. Dunnam, M. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 2: Exodus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.: 2006)
5. Radmacher, E.D.; Allen, R.B. & House, H.W.: Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)
6. Robert L. Allen, “Rules for Living.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
7. King Duncan, “Responsible Living.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
8. King Duncan, “Etched in Stone.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

He was, by all accounts, a successful man. This builder of fine homes in an upscale suburb was known to all as a creative craftsman, a shrewd businessman, a fair-minded employer, and a generous benefactor. But he was aging now, and before he set out for Florida for the winter, he approached his top superintendent and told him that he was retiring. “I want you to build me a home, the finest home this company has ever built. Spare no expense, use the finest materials, employ the most gifted tradesmen, and build me a masterpiece before I come home next spring.”

The next day, the superintendent set out to build that home, but not exactly to orders. If his boss was retiring, that meant he would be losing his job, so he needed to pad his own savings account, lest he be destitute. He ordered inferior concrete blocks for the foundation, but charged the builder for premium blocks, and he pocketed the difference.  He hired inexperienced carpenters, plumbers, electricians, roofers and landscapers, but he charged his boss wages that would be paid to master craftsmen, and he put the difference in his own bank account. He installed cheap appliances and lighting, insufficient insulation, inferior carpet, and drafty windows, and he skimmed a tidy sum off the top for himself. In the spring, when the home was finished, it looked spectacular; it was the signature home in the neighborhood, and the only thing that made the superintendent happier than how the project looked was the bottom line in his personal bank account, which had grown by hundreds of thousands of dollars that winter.

When the elderly business owner arrived home from Florida that spring, he toured this home fit for a king, and he was ecstatic. The superintendent handed him the keys and thanked his boss for the privilege of working for him all these years. And then the owner did an unthinkable thing: he said to the superintendent “You have been a trusted friend and a loyal partner in my business for all of these years; you deserve a home like this.” And he handed him the keys.

When you were growing up, did your parents ever have to take anything away from you because you didn’t look after it? If so, you can understand what Jesus is talking about in the parable of the wicked tenants.  It is a parable of God’s kingdom on earth. Specifically, God is the landowner, the Jewish leaders and people who reject Jesus or do not care about him are the tenants, the Old Testament prophets are the slaves send by the landowner, and Jesus is the landowner’s son. God gave the kingdom to the Israelites to tend and do his work, but they rejected their duties and turned away from God. In return, he sent the Old Testament prophets to warn them, but the Israelites rejected the prophets, even to the point of hurting or killing them. Finally, God sent his son Jesus to warn them, but he was also rejected and crucified.

The parable of the wicked tenants in Matthew 21:33-46 represents our broken relationship with God, his attempts to repair it, and mankind’s rejection of his attempts. In spite of our continual rejection of him, God never gives up on us. His love for us never diminishes.

Greed is what the parable of the wicked tenants is all about, and greed is everywhere. That’s why the parable is so timely and relevant today; because as that wise homebuilder knew the heart of his superintendent, so Jesus knows the selfish condition of our hearts, and he wants us to change our ways. This parable speaks of anger and hatred against not only God, but against those who oppose him. This can be anyone-nonbelievers, criminals, terrorists, or persecutors.

Exodus 17:1-20 and Matthew 21:33-46 are similar stories. In both cases God has told the people what he wants them to do and how he wants them to live their lives, and in both cases the people rejected him. God has done everything possible to give Israel every advantage. He has established an everlasting covenant with them. He has led them through good times and bad. He has given them the Promised Land as their inheritance. He has even given them the law and prophets to guide them. Were the Israelites grateful to God? No. They accepted everything he offered except for the one thing he asked for in return, and that was to worship him and accept him as their Lord and Saviour. As a consequence, the Jewish leadership, which failed to produce good fruit, was disenfranchised and the vineyard was given to the church, which will produce good fruit. Jesus was not so much foreshadowing the shift of God’s emphasis from Jewish to Gentile realms as he was anticipating the replacement of Israel by the church, which united both Jews and Gentiles.

The same situation exists today. God has sent ministers, priests, preachers and godly evangelists such as Billy Graham to us to urge us to change our ways and accept Christ, but we and our worldly society continue to reject him. As men treat God’s people, they would treat Christ himself the same way, if he was with them. If we are faithful to Christ’s cause, how can we expect a favourable reception from a wicked world? Eventually, God will deal with those who reject him just like he dealt with the leaders of the Jewish people. The kingdom will be open only to those who believe him and are willing to do as he asks. Opposition to Jesus is a wrong response as is an attitude of apathy. Those who harbour such attitudes are in danger of being judged.

It is somewhat ironic that the ultimate rejection of Jesus by the Jews led to the foundation of the church-a body of believers who accepted him. It is an example of something that is rejected but that becomes something useful, something that changes history. Another example is Nelson Mandela. For decades he was a prisoner in a South African jail, but he emerged to become the first president of the new South Africa. He was so influential while he was a prisoner that the Apartheid regime held secret meetings with him while he was still in prison. Rebels, young and old, were held with him on Robben Island, and it became a training ground for political leaders. Slowly and painfully South Africa was reformed. A nonracial parliament was elected and chose Nelson Mandela as president. During his inauguration speech on May 10, 1994, he vowed that “never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.” The former prisoner was now president. Once rejected, he was now the cornerstone.

The attitude of the tenants is represented by the Pharisees. They were so concerned about obeying the Ten Commandments that they came up with many rules and regulations governing what the people could and could not do. In time, the Pharisees developed an attitude of being entitled to God’s kingdom even though they disregarded the spirit of God’s law and emphasized the letter of God’s law. They considered themselves to be the only people who were good enough for God’s kingdom. In reality, they rejected him even though they thought they were accepting him.

We have a similar attitude today. Our world is not a playground that God will let us live in. His commandments are a reminder that he has expectations for his chosen people-people who have been chosen not for privilege but for service and witness. When we try to be in charge, it speaks of privilege, our misuse of freedom, or our arrogance. We fall into the trap of thinking we have a right to the many blessings that are part of the world we live in-just like the Israelites thought that they had a right to the blessings God gave them.

If we want to avoid the same fate as the Jewish leaders-if we want to inherit the kingdom-we have to know what God wants us to do with our lives. The only way we can do this is through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, reading the Bible and worship. If we want God to bless our stewardship, we have to live righteously, care about each other and bear witness to our faith. In other words, we have to be fruitful and multiply.

Churches in the Third World are growing while churches in North America are in decline. Why? One possible reason is that people in the Third World are on fire for God and are filled with the Holy Spirit. They have few resources, but much enthusiasm for the Gospel-so much so that they are willing to share with anyone who will listen.

God wants tenants who will produce for him. Do we want to be his tenants? If so, what will we produce? If we produce, we will receive the kingdom of heaven. It can’t be taken by us. It can only be given to us, but we have to earn it first and then share it with others. The only rent God will charge us is our time, our abilities and a portion of our money. We are called to be stewards of our lives, to give of ourselves in the name of the Lord as ministers of Jesus Christ. We are to share ourselves, our time and our possessions as a sign of God’s love. Wherever we spend vast amounts of our time and energy working at a job, caring for a family, helping those in need, making sure that the less fortunate get a fair deal, etc., these are places for us to be conscious of the fact that we are doing work in God’s vineyard, and we will be held responsible for it at the proper time.

The task isn’t ours alone to complete. God has invested care and concern for the work we do in his vineyard, and in the end, God’s ways are what we are trying to accomplish. We must remember that we are only tenants, and the full responsibility for the success of our work is not only ours.

Giving grows out of loving, and loving comes from God. We know love because God first loved us. We have known love and so we love others in return. Giving is our response to God’s love, and our giving makes things happen. In fact, at the time I’m preparing this sermon it will only be a few days until we celebrate the Canadian Thanksgiving-a time to give thanks to God for all he has given us, including the opportunity to bear good fruit for him. We are to be thankful for the portion of worldly things that God has given us, be content with what we have, and trust God to provide for the future.

Leadership must be about service and about nurturing God’s people. Actions have consequences. Good actions reap good consequences like appreciation, respect, a raise in income, etc. Bad actions reap bad consequences like disrespect, prison, other forms of punishment, or even death. The parable is a statement of God’s concern for his people and a declaration that God’s plan cannot be defeated by man. If we love God, we realize that he knows the best way for us to live. He knows how to keep us from following the ways of the world. He sent his son Jesus to pay for our sins so we could be free from sin and walk in a way worthy of him. Which consequences do we want to reap at the end of our lives?

Bibliography

1. MacArthur, John: “MacArthur Study Bible: NASB” (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 2006, 2008)
2. Exegesis for Matthew 21:33-46. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
3. The Rev. Roy T. Lloyd, ELCA, “Wild Grapes and Productivity”. Retrieved from www.day1.org
4. The Rev. Dr. Wiley Stephenson, UMC, “Who’s in Charge Here?” Retrieved from www.day1.org
5. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions: 27^th Sunday (A)” .Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
6. Ira Brent Driggers, “Commentary on Gospel (Matthew 21:33-46)” .Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=145
7. The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “October 2, 2011-Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 22, Year A”. Retrieved from www.episcopalchurch.org/sermons_that_work
8. Fr. John R. Donahue, S.J., “God’s Labour Lost”. Retrieved from www.americanmagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=2501
9. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Lectionary Notes-21^st Sunday after Pentecost”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/pentecost21anotes.htm
10. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Give and Take-Matthew 21:33-46”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon10-2-05.htm
11. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Whose Vineyard Is It Anyway?” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
12. Dr. Mickey Anders, “Wicked Tenants”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
13. Pastor Steve Molin, “Speaking of Us”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
14. The Rev. John Bedingfield, “Stewards of the Planet”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
15. Glen Copple, “What’s wrong with This World?” Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Whats-Wrong-With-This-World?&id=1559975
16. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker Bible software package

Fr. John Kendrick, O.P., “Working with God”. Retrieved from http://torch.op.org/preaching_sermon_item.php?sermon=5645

Complain, complain, complain.

Have you ever known people who do nothing but complain? Does it bother you after a while? If so, perhaps you can sympathize with Moses. He had to put up with the Israelites’ constant complaining during the 40 years they spent in the desert. We see a good example of this in the passage we heard from the Book of Exodus.

Wandering through the desert is hard, especially when you don’t have water and you don’t know where to find it. A human body can survive for one hundred hours at average temperatures without access to water. The Sinai Peninsula averages 82 degrees Fahrenheit in May and 91 degrees Fahrenheit in June. For those same months, average high temperatures are 95 degrees and 104 degrees respectively. In such extreme heat, and with exposure to the sun, the timeline for survival is cut in half to about fifty hours. Exertion-such as walking long distances in the daytime, carrying a load, and leading livestock-shortens the timeline even further to about seven hours. One long day’s march was all it would take to finish God’s people.  They were worn out, dehydrated and stuck in a place that doesn’t promise to change their situation.

The Israelites kept forgetting about God’s miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt. God freed them, but at the first sign of uncertainty they wanted to return to Egypt. They preferred certainty and slavery to the uncertainty of an adventure of living with God. They wanted security. They doubted that God would provide for them. God’s providence does not ensure that the path will lead to a particular outcome, and that frightened them. Despite their doubts, God provided. Regardless of what we do, God is faithful and will provide a way when there is no way. Providence will outlast our doubts and provide a way when we see no pathway ahead.

Something about thirst creates desperation. Something about desperation focuses prayer. Something about prayers of desperation creates a context for divine breakthroughs. Something about divine breakthroughs transforms nominal religion into blazing faith. Something about blazing faith changes entire communities and travels up and down generational lines.

The passage from Exodus could easily apply to our personal and church lives today. We see scarcity all around us, especially when the start of the current COVID-19 pandemic led to shortages of toilet paper, of all things! We assume that shortages and death are all around us when in reality we are surrounded with all of the resources we need to survive and thrive.

The road to freedom and real change can be long, difficult, and discouraging. The Israelites found that out. It was hard for them to sustain their initial faith and hope that got them to follow Moses’ invitation. Like them, we are on the difficult journey called life. We are going somewhere and we try to follow the right path, but sometimes life has its wilderness aspects. At those times we are often tempted to turn and look back to the old ways and the old slavery (like the Israelites did).

Where do we find ourselves today? Where are we thirsting and tempted to settle for less than God? Do we look around and see no possible way God can help us? Are the only things we see thirst, wilderness, and rocks? We have to remember that God is full of surprises.

Maybe the Israelites’ position between deliverance from slavery at the Red Sea and entrance into the Promised Land approximates the position of the Church between our deliverance at the cross and resurrection of Jesus and our awaiting the promised land of our heavenly home. In both cases God’s perceived absence is a common occurrence, but the passage from Exodus shows us that God was with the Israelites, and He is with us today. God uses the times of perceived absence to show us how truly present He actually is.

The Israelites constantly challenged both Moses’ leadership and God. It was no different when they got to Rephidim, which is the location for the events in the passage from Exodus. There was no water, and the people were thirsty. They complained to Moses. They forgot that if God could part the Red Sea, He could provide water to drink. To make matters worse, Moses asked them why they put God to the test. Moses could not get them to think about God. Moses was with them, so he was the focus of their anger.

We do the same thing today. We test God. We want Him to constantly prove Himself. We want Him to be involved in the smallest things in our lives, and not just the big events. We need to remember His wondrous movements in our lives when we ask these two questions:

1. Where has God made a way when there was no way?
2. Where have divine resources emerged to ensure our well-being?

When we remember how God has worked in our lives, we become aware of possibilities and go from scarcity to abundance. You want food? Ask God. You need water? Whether it’s from a rock, the sky, or the sea, God provides it. Do you need laws to organize your lives? Come to Mount Sinai and God will write them down for you. Do you want to worship? God will tell you how. Do you need land to call your own? Ask God, and He will show you the spot He has saved for you.

God assured Moses that He would provide a rock. This was the rock where revelation would take place. God already selected the place and the miracle.  How can we receive refreshment during a dry place? The answer is found in the solution and command God gave to Moses, “You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it that the people may drink.” This water is the giving of the Holy Spirit. It is the granting of eternal life and the glory yet revealed to us.

In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul wrote these words on this event: “They drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” The smitten stone in the passage from Exodus pictures Christ who when He was smitten upon the cross, became the fountainhead of blessing, the Redeemer of the world.

God told Moses to use something he had-the rod-and strike the rock. Some people claim that water can pour out of certain desert rock by striking the surface. Moses and God would laugh at this claim. The supplying of water was proof that God was with His people. He never abandons us. He gives us the life-giving water.

God chose to bring water-and the life it represents-out of something that appeared to be lifeless. This represents God’s plans to bring the people life, not death. God will make life flow in unexpected ways, but it will require a certain amount of trust from the people, a willingness to put faith in a God who seems not to do things in the typical way.

Sometimes we wonder if God is with us. As Christians, we go through difficulties at times when we face obstacles on the path of our calling or we feel like we’re hitting a brick wall and our breakthrough is a far-away dream. When this happens, what do we do? What do we ask ourselves? What do we tell others? Do we complain that God has abandoned us like the Israelites did, or do we ask Him to show us His glory, power, and miracles? Do we learn about His character and His attitude towards us through these difficult times and grow in trust with every single victory He grants, or do we still doubt His love for us when things get tough? If we have placed our faith in Him, He has promised to be with us.

God delivers us from bondage, refreshes our spirits, quenches our thirst, forgives our sins, and enables us to face suffering. The deepest, most profound, and unquenchable thirst of everyone is a thirst for the Holy Spirit. God cares deeply for us and helps us move from places of fear and doubt to places of trust. God provides for us and reveals Himself to us. God asks us to trust Him when He doesn’t answer our prayers right away or in the form we would like.

God knows that each and every one of us has something He and His ministry can use. If we are to be God’s instrument, we need three things:

1. A sense of our iniquities.
2. A sense of our usefulness.
3. A change in our daily patterns.

One of the greatest revelations that can come to any Christian is the realization that in every act of Christian ministry there are two agents-God and man. God does not need to be asked to help us, but He wants us to help Him. Our part is the very unimportant and subsidiary one of smiting the rock. His part is to make the water flow.

In every congregation and religious gathering the Holy Spirit is present, eager to glorify Christ, and to pour out rivers of living water for thirsty people. Our duty is to see that we are in a right condition spiritually so He can ally us with Him. We must continue to have faith that He will do His share, and when He does we must not take the glory.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New Kings James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 97)
2. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 2: Exodus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. “Is the Lord Among us or Not?” Retrieved from info@seedsofthekingdom.net
5. F.B. Meyer, “Our Daily Homily.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, Third Sunday in Lent (A).” Retrieved from firstimpressions@lists.opsouth.org
7. Mark Throntveit, “Exodus 17:1-7.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu.
8. “Wilderness: The Gift of Thirst.” Retrieved from farmteam@seedbed.com
9. Anathea Porter-Young, “Commentary on Exodus 17:1-7.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3432
10. Amy Erickson, “Commentary on Exodus 17:1-7.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1067
11. Nancy deClaisse-Walford, “Commentary on Exodus 17:1-7.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=160
12. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary-The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost-September 27, 2020.” Retrieved from www.patheos.com/blogs/livingaholyadventure/2020/09/the-adventurous-lectionary-the-seventeenth-sunday-after-pentecost-september-27,2020
13. Zach Koons, “Camping People.” Retrieved from http://livingchurch.org
14. Levi Jones, “Exodus 17:1-7.” Retrieved from www.aplainaccount.org/exodus-171-2-2/
15. William A. Flippin Jr., “A Rock and a Hard Place.” Retrieved form https://day1.org

It’s painful to have someone you trust tell you that they are going to do something for you—and they don’t. Many of us can tell stories about people who have let us down by making promises and then not following up on them. For example, there is a story of a young widow whose husband died suddenly and left her to raise their two children. She told her minister that during the wake for her husband, a lot of family and close friends came up to her and told her that they would be there for her. During the following years, some people were there for her when she needed them, including some people who never made that promise, but there were others who were so eager during the wake to offer help and never called or visited.

Life has taught us to be wary of certain people, and it is a lesson I have learned the hard way. These people include not just blatant liars but those who are all talk with no follow-through. There is an old saying that “a promise made is a debt unpaid”. We expect family and friends to keep their word and come through for us when we have a pressing need, but sometimes they don’t. When a friend disappoints us we are not terribly upset. When someone close to us makes a promise and then fails to fulfill it, we are blindsided because often we do not see it coming.

At the same time, we must acknowledge that that there have been times when we have made promises and then not kept them. There might also have been times when, in order to avoid discomfort or confrontation, we’ve given a half-hearted “yes” to someone or something which we never planned to follow up on. Whether we have been on the receiving end of broken promises or have given a half-hearted investment of ourselves to commitments we have made, we are in need of the healing and the challenge the Word of God offers us today.

The Gospel reading from Matthew 21:23-32 is another discussion between the Pharisees and Jesus. It occurs just after Jesus has chased the moneychangers and animal sellers from the temple. Both types of businesses needed the approval of religious authorities to operate in the temple. They provided a necessary service. Only temple currency could be used in the temple, so foreign currency had to be converted to temple currency, albeit at outrageous rates of exchange. Animals that were offered for sacrifice had to be free of blemishes as determined by the temple authorities. Both of these services evolved into profitable enterprises, so it is not surprising that the chief priests and elders were upset. They wanted to know who gave Jesus the authority to do what he did. They wanted God to play by their rules, and they insisted that God’s prophets must make the distinctions they make. Like John, Jesus thinks that God’s freedom includes the freedom to forgive people who are not children by blood of the Covenant, who haven’t offered sacrifice, even the poor person’s sacrifice of a dove, in the Temple, who haven’t done anything to deserve forgiveness.

Jesus’ actions in the Temple not only broke the powerful connection between money and religion, they also freely heal and forgive those who are perceived as cursed, those who are perceived as under punishment, those who need some serious blood atonement. Jesus sought to redirect the tradition of Israel away from ritual legalism and a dominant priesthood toward a more meaningful trust by the individual in the gracious and forgiving love of God. Jesus’ actions are a bullet in the heart of sacrificial religion, and they challenge the ultimate structuring of relationships offered by the so-called authorities. Like Jesus, we too may be called by God to engage in acts of conscience, acts that defy authorities and challenge their right to exist as authorities. We may end up paying a price like Jesus did, but we will also have the chance to turn the questions of our accusers back upon themselves in the hopes that they might see and repent.

We know the answer to the Pharisees’ question, but the chief priests and Pharisees did not. God gave Jesus the authority. The Pharisees and chief priests were rabbis, and they could not believe that Jesus’ authority was greater than theirs. They forgot that God is the ultimate authority. He gave the Jews the Ten Commandments. The Pharisees expanded them with all of their rules and regulations because they were obsessed with not breaking any of the Ten Commandments. The Pharisees considered themselves to be so righteous that they thought they were doing God’s work, but Jesus pointed out in the parable of the sons in Matthew 21:28-32 they were sadly mistaken.

But Jesus uses this trick question to teach the Pharisees about the Kingdom of God. You see, they were living examples of the second son in the parable. Self-righteous Jews were the ones who always gave the appearance of serving God. They followed all the picky religious rules; rules about what they should eat, and what they should wear, and how they should say their prayers. They looked and sounded very religious. But when it came to issues like loving their neighbor, or showing kindness to the poor, or showing compassion to the lowly, they never showed up in the vineyard! They said they would; their religion was very impressive when they were at the synagogue, but they did not live it out in their daily lives.

If we profess that Jesus is our Lord, we must do what he tells us to do. The religious people were the ones who were a problem for Jesus. They were oblivious to the true demands of God’s righteousness. They just didn’t get it. They did not see that God was not so much interested in the pious rhetoric and ceremonial formality.

When Jesus asked the Pharisees if the baptism of John came from heaven or from man, he was really asking them if they thought John was a true prophet or a false prophet. They were caught between the proverbial “rock and a hard place”. If they said that John’s baptism came from heaven, they would be faced with John’s witness to Jesus and their failure to respond to John’s preaching. If they said that it was from man, they would risk upsetting the crowd, many of whom believed in Jesus and John. The Pharisees had the responsibility to know who was and who was not a false prophet. They had the duty to protect the people from false prophets. Their final decision, which was the refusal to answer Jesus, compromised their own authority.

Jesus also indirectly asked the Pharisees if they thought that his authority came from heaven or from man. If Jesus authority is from heaven, then his messianic claim is valid, and the church must stake claim to a unique mission, a mission that relinquishes power in bringing Christ to the world, just as Christ relinquished power in bringing himself to the world. The church living under Christ’s present, heavenly authority will embody Christ’s own ministry as a gracious transformation, a divine reclamation of the world.

Tax collectors and prostitutes were prepared to change their ways, but the religious leaders were not, even though they had time to change. In the parable of the two sons, the older son represented the religious leaders and the younger son represented outsiders such as tax collectors and prostitutes. The faithful son represents the faces of people such as a recovering alcoholic, a small band of worshippers in a storefront, a church that reaches out to the needy in the community, a church member who decided to tithe-all of whom, however reluctantly or painfully, obey Christ. The second son is the person in the pew who refuses Christ entry to the deepest recesses of his or her heart—a preacher whose sermon is designed to please people rather than to please God; the Christian who refuses to obey God in the sensitive areas of sex, money or power; a church that ignores issues of justice and mercy. In other words, they are the people who appear to be faithful but, deep down, are not.

The parable of the two sons means that those who are not religious may sometimes respond to the good news of God’s forgiving love more readily than those whose self-serving religious superiority makes them immune to its appeal. The main key is a person’s sense of self-worth which can deceive even the most perceptive to think of themselves more highly than they ought to think. The truth is that even keeping the rules can lead us astray if we end up with the attitude that we’re good and righteous people, pure as the driven snow. To believe this is a dangerous deception. It can cause us as much grief as if we dive headlong into living an immoral life.

When we believe ourselves to be good and righteous people, then we ignore a large part of who we are. We overlook our dark side, what some psychologists call the shadow. The shadow then acts on its own, swallows us up, and takes others along with us. This can happen without us even recognizing it.

Jesus’ parable asks us how we will respond to the Gospel. Will we change our minds and believe, or not? Will we be the son who says he will obey and does not, or will we be the son who turns around and changes his mind? The parable is an example of the old adage that “actions speak louder than words”. We will be judged not by what we say, but by what we do. The religious leaders wrongly thought that they were better than they really were, and they imagined that they did not need to repent.

How many times have we made commitments to God, only to fail on the follow through? How many times have we made promises to God that for one reason or another, we have not kept? How often do we find ourselves responding to God when we have already told God “no”? What we believe needs to be evident in the way we live and relate. There must not be any break between our words, actions and faith. We must be able to discern God’s voice in those expected and unexpected places. We must not only listen but be willing to change as we grow in our personal and corporate faith.

Most of us have been pretty religious for most of our lives. Still, there are those whose religion seems to be lovely when they are surrounded by other religious persons. They can quote scripture verses by the boatload. They know all the religious language, all the religious rituals. But they don’t go to work in the vineyard. And all the love, and all the kindness, and all the compassion that they speak of in church…tends to stay at church. But there are also those whose lives are laced with sin, whose language would make a sailor blush, and who wouldn’t know a bible from a dictionary if it were handed to them, but they are kind, and generous, and compassionate to no end. They don’t get it when it comes to religion, and yet they are walking examples of the very people Jesus came to love.

Which of those people is doing the will of God? It’s a trick question because neither of them is. But here is the word of grace: Which one of them is God’s daughter or son, which one of them does God want to nurture, and mold and change into walking examples of righteousness in the vineyard? The answer is, “All of us.”

Jesus says that it isn’t the religious folk who are first in the kingdom of heaven. It is those who are most open to turning their lives around who are first in line, those who take action when Jesus says, “follow me”. We need to be careful lest we get to feeling that God owes us something. God sent Christ into the world to die for our sins, because we are sinners, and we are in need of redemption. That applies to all of us—Sunday school teachers, choir members, clergy, and members of the congregation. God does not owe us anything. Our hope for heaven is based on one thing and one thing alone—and that is the grace of God. This parable comes with the flame of Jesus’ Spirit to quicken our resolve to try again to change what needs changing. We have hope that this time, in some small or large way, change is possible because we have heard God’s word and experienced the living Christ through it.

When we look over our recent past and notice the trend our lives have taken, with the thoughts and deeds that speak of our lukewarm disciples, we want the second chance this parable offers us. We want to be able to change our minds, repent and do the good things we know we are called to do—and do them with the wholehearted “Yes” the gospel requires of us.

Bibliography

1. Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV
2. Exegesis for Matthew 21:23-32. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
3. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 26^th Sunday (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
4. Karl Jacobson, “Commentary on Matthew 21:23-32”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=1047
5. Ira Birt Diggers, “Commentary on Matthew 21:23-32”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=144
6. Preaching Peace, XVII Pentecost, Year A. Retrieved from www.preachingpeace.org/lectionaries/yeara-proper21
7. Saturday Night Theologian, 28 September 2008. Retrieved from www.progressivetheology.org/SNT/SNT-2008.09.28.html
8. Daniel Clenendin, Ph.D., “Repentance: Cleaning Up a Messy House”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20080922JJ.shtml?view=print
9. Sarah Dylan Breuer, “Dylan’s Lectionary Blog, Proper 21, Year A”. Retrieved from www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2005/009/proper_21_year_.html
10. The Rev. Debbie Royals, “Sept.28, 2008-Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 21, Year a (RCL)”. Retrieved from www.episcopalchurch.org/sermons_that_work_100542_ENG_HTM.htm
11. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Paved With…Intentions”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon9-25-05.htm
12. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost, September 25, 2011. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org/archives/fifteenth-sunday-after-pentecost-september-25-2011.html
13. Pastor Steve Molin, “Trick Questions”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
14. Dr. Mickey Anders, “Show Me Now”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
15. The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “The Strange Parade”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.

Have you ever faced opposition while on your Christian walk of faith? If so, you’re not alone. Opposition to the Christian way of doing things has existed since Christianity began. In the passage from Philippians 2:1-13, Paul is trying to deal with a rift that has occurred within the church at Philippi. He argues that the people of God have an incentive to come together for hope and comfort.

Paul emphasizes three characteristics of love: Harmony, humility and helpfulness. The church at Philippi needed to submit to Christ’s will and serve others. They, like all believers, needed to come together and agree in doctrine and creed, but not at the cost of the truth. Each believer has a responsibility for unity. Each believer has to take ownership of his or her own spirit and disposition. Ambition and conflict are empty works of the flesh. Christ has taught us how to submit to one another out of love instead of fear. We are to care for the interests of others more than we care about our own interests. There is a hurting world full of hurting people. They need our help, even if it is only a hug or a sympathetic ear. We are to do so with humility. When we serve Jesus with humility, he will lift us up and exalt us just like he was exalted and lifted up. When we care for others as much as we care about ourselves, mutual service causes disunity to vanish.

Jesus is the perfect example of Christian unity. Paul tells the story of the crucifixion from Jesus’ viewpoint so that his followers can see that the price of unity was Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus gave up his deity and heavenly position to become a servant. If he could waive his rights, so can we as Christians. He did this because he cared more about the human condition than he cared about his own benefit. Christ showed his humility by pouring out his life both literally and figuratively for us. He submitted himself to God’s authority, especially during his anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he died. When he returns, everyone will submit humbly to his authority-believers in joy, unbelievers in sorrow and remorse.

Not everyone has heard of Jesus, and that’s sad. Today, knowledge of the Bible has been steadily declining. Some people think that Jesus was just a religious leader. Some people think that he was a prophet, and others think that he was a good person, but as believers we know the truth. Jesus was God in the flesh. He gave up his position in heaven to take the form of a humble human in order to save us. Paul invites us to turn away from worldly influences and focus on Jesus’ example of humility. We are to persevere in faith in the face of opposition.

Why would he become a human and give up his life for us? The answer is simple. He did that because he loved us and wanted to give us our lives back. God puts Jesus in our lives through his living word-the Bible. He calls us his own through baptism. He forgives us and lives in us through the Eucharist. He is with us always. Jesus still reaches out to us today. He calls on us to trust him He tells us that we are still precious to him. He’s more than a hero-he’s our Lord and Saviour.

Christ didn’t see his godly position and authority as something to be kept for his own benefit. He was willing to sacrifice them so that he could be the sacrifice that was needed to save humankind. That was hard for the people to accept in Old Testament times, and it’s still hard for us to accept today. Christ left his heavenly position, but he was exalted by his resurrection and ascension. His exaltation will culminate with his Second Coming, when he will judge all the people and separate the saved from the unsaved. Jesus’ name and reputation create his power. That power will cause everyone to pay homage to him when he returns. The people will submit to his power and honour him. When they honour Jesus, they will honour God the Father. Jesus’ power exceeds earthly powers. Nothing is too difficult for him. No prayer is too hard for him to answer. His humble powers restored our broken relationship with God. There was a cost-his life-but to Jesus the cost was worth it.

Jesus is unique. He can’t be imitated. Instead, we must recognize the gifts God has given us, and we must think about each other in the same way that we think about Jesus. We have to look at situations with a mind that is informed by Christ and filled with his Spirit. We can do this because Jesus stirs our hearts, minds, emotions and wills. His name has spiritual power and can’t be mentioned in a neutral way. People either accept him or reject him.

There are some denominations, usually ones that are more fundamental or strict in nature, that claim that the only way we can be lifted up by Jesus is if we follow the denomination’s rules and traditions. This leads to prejudice. When people of different denominations fail to love and understand each other, they fail to show Christian love, and our Christian witness is marred. Instead of focusing on theological differences, Christian denominations need to focus on the basics of the Gospel. The way we treat others affects everyone. If they see us being mean, they will likely copy our behaviour. If they see us loving others, they will hopefully copy the same behaviour.

Our one motive must be to follow him. God wants to walk with us during our journey through life. He will strengthen us during that journey. He will strengthen us when we face hard times and bring us joy through the blessings he will give us. He pays attention to us even if we ignore him, and even when we pray to him. God is at work in the ordinary, mundane things. God is working in our lives right now just like he worked in the lives of the first disciples and his first followers.

Being Christ-like is caused not by imitation but by inhabitation. We allow Christ to live through us through the choices we make. We choose to follow Jesus in all situations and trust God’s Holy Spirit to give us the power, strength, love, faith and wisdom to do it. These gifts are always available for the asking because the Holy Spirit lives in us.

Jesus put our needs before his own, and he calls on us to do the same. Jesus calls on us to be servants, which means that we have to give up our right to be in charge. When we give up that right, we experience great freedom. We become available and vulnerable. We lose our fear of being taken advantage of. True humility is one of the most costly and life-enhancing of all Christian virtues and a powerful part of a spiritually solid believer. That’s why Paul encourages us to imitate Christ and the humility that characterized his life of service. We are to engage the world with three expectations in mind:

1. Unity. We are to engage the world together as Christians.
2. Respect. We are to respect other people even if we can’t stand them.
3. Regard. We must strive to understand and respond to the needs of other people.

A minister was sitting on an airplane when a family of three came aboard. They had purchased their tickets late and could not get seats in the same row. The flight attendant assured them that there were several empty seats, so surely someone would be willing to change seats with them.

In front of the minister were two empty seats, middle and window, and on the other side in the same row the middle and aisle seats were open. The family asked the gentleman sitting in the aisle seat in a courteous manner if he would be willing to move from the right side aisle seat to the left side aisle seat. He refused. He wasn’t even courteous enough to answer verbally. He just stared straight ahead as he shook his head firmly.

There are three stages to the service path for Christians. The first stage is charity. Charity is our emotional response to human need. We want to give something to alleviate the immediate problem. Charity can literally mean the difference between life and death. It is not insignificant. All of us can participate in this work of charity through our willingness to give.

The second stage is advocacy. Advocacy emerges from charity. In this stage of service we work and speak on behalf of others with the goal of changing social and political conditions so that the long term needs of the people can better be met. Advocacy is, by definition, a more controversial stage along the service path. Mother Teresa couldn’t help but move from the work of charity to the poorest of the poor to becoming an international advocate for children—the born and unborn—and women. If God is calling you to participate in the work of advocacy, you’ll not believe the impact it will have for those in need.

And the third stage is justice. We work for justice when we strive to change systems and processes that create the conditions for poverty or limit self-determination. Justice work naturally progresses from charity and advocacy. Justice means standing with the poor, with those in need.

When we focus our attention on Jesus’ humble sacrifice, we see human pride and sin. It’s only when we depend on God that we receive salvation. God calls us to humility each and every day. He calls on us to live out the love and life of Christ to a watching, hurting world around us.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. Pastor Gregory Seltz, “A Hero? No, a Saviour!” Retrieved from www.lhm.org
3. Exegesis for Philippians 2:5-11. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
4. Pastor Bobby Schuller, “There is No Name.” Retrieved from www.hourofpower.org
5. Jim Burns, “Responding with Love.” Retrieved from www.homewoed.org
6. Dannah Gresh, “Am I a Mean Girl?” Retrieved from www.proverbs31.org
7. Pastor D. Geedvadhus, “Humility.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org
8. The Rev. Dr. Michael Foss, “A Passion for Christ’s World.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
9. Charles R. Swindoll, “Sharing 101.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
10. Dave Branon, “Winners and Losers.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org
11. Stephen Davey, “Invisibly Involved.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Pastor Rick Warren, “Allow Christ to Live Through You.” Retrieved from www.purposedriven.com
13. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)