Devotion - Thursday, October 30

I was reading this morning from Luke 6.  Jesus is accused in these verses of allowing his disciples to ignore the Sabbath Laws.  He ignores them himself by healing on the Sabbath.

We read such stories and we wonder, "How could they have insisted on such rules?"  But are we able to turn that question on ourselves?  Are we able to see the "rules" we have in place, rules that in another 2,000 years be looked upon as ridiculous?

There is an old saying which goes something like "We can't know what we don't know."  So, I need to admit that we may have no way of knowing our own shortsightedness.

I read an article which spoke of a teacher growing older who told his students, "I believe much fewer things now than before; but I believe them with more deeply."  That comment resonated with me.  I find myself much less likely to pull out one or more of the "rules" that I insisted on in my youth.  But I also know that I am more firmly convinced of the goodness of creation and the presence of God which pulls me toward living a life which reflects that same goodness in me.

Read Luke 6.  Come to your own conclusions about Sabbath laws.  Then turn a critical eye on yourself, for a moment, and ask what it is that God expects of you, as opposed to what you have come to expect.  It can be, and ought to be, an experience of the freedom which is ours through Christ.

Devotion - Tueday, October 28

In my attempts to make these offerings both a devotion and a tool for biblical literacy, allow me to spend this morning offering encouraging you to become familiar with the book of Hosea.

The "plot" in the book is the prophet's marriage to a cult prostitute.  He thinks his love for her will reform her ways.  But that does not happen.  She continues to return to the Baals.  She births children in her harlotry.  

Hosea laments her actions and wonders what more could have done.  He begs her to return.

Today's appointed reading is Hosea 2:16-23.  Here, the forgiving nature is revealed.  No matter what she has done, even if her children are born during her harlotry, still they will be welcomed back.  They will be accepted and claimed and named as "my children."

I am in no way meaning to imply that any of you reading this are like the wife of Hosea.  (Her name is Gomer.)  At least, not like her pattern of denying God.  But in each of us there is that part which - regardless of God's desire to love us and hold us - turns from God to seek other things.  I once heard it said that those with dramatic conversion stories find it easier to depend on God's forgiveness than those of us who have just sorta turned aside.  The most painful of pastoral conversations are those in which my visitor acknowledges a desire to be closer to God, but isn't sure that God still wants to consider them a member of the family.  Of course God does!

Hosea is a short book.  An easy read between classes.  A powerful statement of the pain God feels upon seeing our inability to accept his protection and care.  And it is a great reminder of that verse which occurs over and over in the Old Testament, the one which speaks of God as "Gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

Pastor Chris

PS  I am at a pastor's conference the next couple of days.  I may take advantage of the time away and sleep a bit later in the morning.  I know that getting to Wi-Fi means dressing and walking to a different building.  So, forgive me if there is no offering these next two days.

Devotion - Monday, October 27

Those who were in worship yesterday (in a congregation which observes the day) will know that yesterday was our observation of Reformation Sunday. My strong "Lutheran" identity won't allow me to let the Festival pass without commenting on it in at least one devotion.

It is not all that important to me to be "Lutheran." It does not matter all that much that I share in a worshiping community which carries that name.  But it is absolutely essential to me that I am part of a Christian community where there is a strong sense of the ongoing reform of the Church.

As the world around us evolves; as the human species develops; as the stars burn out; and as the oceans reshape the coastline - God's Spirit moves over it all and aids those who turn their hearts toward the movement of the winds.  Reform is necessary, if we are to keep up with where the Spirit is leading us and to how God is calling us.

Martin Luther did not trash all that was in the past and start anew.  He carefully and methodically combed the wisdom of scripture and the collective wisdom of those who had gone before.  He justified the places where he understood reform to be necessary and he acknowledged the writings which remained applicable to today's issues.  

It is said that he appealed to "scripture and sound reasoning."  And those anchors will surely guide us as we follow the Spirit, as we attend to the proclamation of the Word, as we consider what reforms are necessary in our own day and for the times in which we live.

I like to shock folks by pointing out that the congregations where the Reformation began are not Lutheran. The whole state-church thing in Germany is confusing, but what I have learned during our student trips there is that those regions of Germany are affiliated with the Reformed wing of the Reformation.  But that does not matter.  The name does not matter;  what matters is the commitment to following God and listening for the instructions of God so that we never again become disconnected from the lives of those living the faith.

Devotion - Thursday, October 23

This morning's Gospel reading is from Luke 4.  This passage is oftentimes referred as Jesus' first sermon.  "Firsts" do mean something; either to those who do them first or to those who record them as the first act of one whom they have chosen to follow.

In this "first sermon," Jesus uses as his text the words of the prophet Isaiah:

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

   because he has anointed me

     to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

   and recovery of sight to the blind,

     to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’

When the world thinks of Jesus, and Christianity, it breaks my heart that this "first sermon" of Jesus' isn't what comes to mind.  The world does not think - FIRST - of Christians who make this proclamation.

I was in a conversation with an individual who has migrated to the US.  This person's status is in deferment, meaning they cannot be deported, but their claim to remaining in the US is under review.  They were surprised at my knowledge about such status issues, and overwhelmed when they learned that my daughter is working with the undocumented children coming across the US/Mexico border. "Why are you committed to this?"  I was asked.  And my heart broke.

I wanted to simply say, "Because I am a follower of Jesus."  And I did. But I had to get there by way of a bit of explaining.  

It seems that we have lost something, as Christians, when those less familiar with our faith tradition cannot immediately understand that we are doing good in the world because this is the thing of which Jesus first spoke.  We have allowed first things to no longer be first things.  And we have turned the way of Jesus into a thought or a pledge.  

Devotion - Wednesday, October 22

Death should never be a part of the college experience, but it tragically is.  We have had four student deaths this year; the memorial service for Virginia (who died of an infection the week after she moved to Clemson for her freshman year) is this afternoon.

We have also been shocked this week with the sudden and unexpected deaths of an active student's father (Gina), and the father of one of our beloved alumni (Brian).  Both men in the middle years of their life, both full of life, and activity up to the day of their deaths.

Death should not be one of the memories we carry away from college.  But it tragically is.

I witnessed the devastation of death's entry to your precious lives.  Last evening, I drove the church van to the visitation for Gina's father.  Among the van-load, there were some who had never been to a visitation before.  They were nervous, and anxious, and asking "What do I say?"  Another asked, "Is there going to be an open casket?  I remember the death of a high school friend and no one warned me there would be an open casket."  All were assured they didn't need to worry about what to say.  In fact, they need not say anything.  "Just be present."

Then it happened. We made our way through a very long line to Gina.  And the tears flowed and the hugs lingered and the burden of death having entered our lives was shared and made somewhat lighter.

There is no balm capable of taking away the pain of death.  There is the solace of having others who will enter into that painful place with us and help us to lift the weight.  This, too, is a miracle.  That another would set aside their own happiness in order to share the heartbreak of another.  

Death should not enter your world.  But it will.  When it does, look for those willing and ready to aid you in bearing up under the burden of a life disrupted but never without the promise of God.

Devotion - Tuesday, October 21

There is a very brief note in Acts 18 about one of those who did great things to spread the Good News.  His name is Apollos, and he is a native of Alexandria who shows up in Ephesus.  Of him it is said, "He was an eloquent man, well versed in the scriptures.  He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John."  (emphasis mine)

In other places, when followers of The Way are found not to have received the baptism of Jesus, they are immediately instructed and baptized.  This baptism is linked with the granting of the Holy Spirit.  This practice is not insisted upon for Apollos.  

The story may explain why - he spoke accurately, etc.   But there may be something to gain from noting the alteration in practice.  Apollos doesn't fit all the expected criteria, and yet he is described as one who was of great help to the emerging church.

What criteria might you fail to meet?  And yet, surely, you know of your value.

How many times have we dismissed the witness of someone, because they did not meet some pre-established criteria set by the structures or by us individually?

The work of Jesus is carried out by a great many of witnesses.  Some of them have the credentials to go with their names; others have only the assurance of God's help.  That assurance is surely enough.

Devotion - Monday, October 20

Having finished the Book of Job (one of my favorites in the Old Testament), my daily readings now have me in another of the Old Testament books I love - Esther.  If it has been a while since you read this book, make that your goal.  It is a  short book, it is a story, more of a short story that can easily be read in one sitting.

Esther is a Jew.  This is not known to the King, who chooses her as his Queen.  One of the King's commanders develops a grudge against Esther's uncle (Mordecia).  He manages to get the King to issue a decree that all the Jews are to be put to death.  Mordecia puts on sackcloth (a traditional symbol for mourning) and sits outside the palace.  When Esther sends her maids to him, he relays the story to her.

Esther says there is nothing she can do.  No one (even a Queen) can approach the King without an invitation.  Mordecia says to her, "Who knows whether you have come to the Kingdom for a time such as this."  (Esther 4:14)

Who knows?

From Esther I summon up the courage to do things that I might not otherwise have the courage to do.  From her story, I learn that I don't have to be a hero, but I can do the heroic thing.  Who knows, the opportunity set before me may be the reason I have come to the kingdom; it may be my moment to make a difference and to save the lives of others.

In the book of Esther, there is no mention of the name of God.  There are only those who live out what caring for the name of God means.  It is a great book for those who would rather not be the spokesperson, but are prepared to be the actor.  It is an encouragement to not let the opportunity to do the right thing to pass.

Who knows?  The reason you have come to the kingdom may be set before you this day.  Act as if it were that moment - so you won't miss the opportunity, so that the people of God might benefit from your action.

Sermon - 19th Sudnday after Pentecost

Matthew 22:15-22

 

Asking in Order to Learn 

 

One of the promises we make, upon ordination, is to identify and support potential future leaders for the church.  That is a promise to equally support all leaders, but there is at least one line in there that highlights the importance of identifying professional leaders – Pastors.  I try to do that.  And have done quite a bit of it.  We were putting together a grant application and one of the things it asked was for number of pastors who have come through the ministry group.  That number is eleven, since 1993.

 

I do try to encourage them.  I also discourage others.  Some realize on their own that being a pastor is quite different than they imagined it would be, and decide on their own this isn’t for them.  It isn’t always the case, but often is, that the discouragement comes from being invited into the lives of folks enough to see that seldom do parishioners come to ask the Pastor what it is they ought to do, rather they come looking for the courage to do it.  We know what God would have us do; we simply aren’t prepared (yet) to do what it is that God would have us do.  When this occurs during a pastoral visit, nothing is more painful than to see the ways in which someone tries to twist the words of scripture in order to justify what it is that they would prefer to do.

 

The Pharisees sent their disciples, along with the Herodians, to Jesus.  They came, supposedly, to ask a question.  But they weren’t interested in learning anything from Jesus.  They came hoping that his answer would justify what they already thought.  They didn’t want to learn; they wanted support for their own position.  They didn’t come asking him what they ought to do; they came looking for justification to do what it is that they wanted to do.

 

Here is another instance where it is really handy to have your bible with you.   We need to set the stage for this week’s reading before we can appreciate what is going on here.  We are now in the 22^nd chapter of Matthew, for the past three Sundays we have been reading lessons which all arose from a question put to Jesus by the chief priests and elders.  They were questioning Jesus’ authority, what right did he have to consider himself a teacher of the people.  Jesus rebuffed them, by a piece of trickery.  He said he would tell them the source of his authority if they would tell him where John’s authority came from.  The chief priests and elders wouldn’t answer Jesus.  As the text states, The argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’  But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for they regard John as a prophet.”

 

The chief priests and elders weren’t interested in knowing the source of Jesus’ authority.  They wanted an affirmation of what they already thought.  The parable of the man who sends his two sons into the vineyard; the story of the vineyard whose caretakers beat and murder the owner’s son in hopes of obtaining the vineyard for themselves; and last week’s reading of the Great Banquet to which the honored guests turn up their noses so that the giver of the banquet sends messengers into the streets to invite the good and the bad to the marriage feast - all of these are told in response to the attempt to discredit Jesus and turn the crowd against him. 

 

These attempts began with a question, a question posed by those who came to Jesus with no interest in learning from him.  They came only in the hope of entrapping him in his answer - they were trying to twist his words in support of their own positions.

 

All of this is acknowledged in the opening line of today’s Gospel.  Matthew begins this chapter by acknowledging The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap [Jesus] in what he said.  So intent are they in getting the goods on this itinerant street preacher that they even fall into cahoots with their enemies. 

 

See that line about the Herodians?  The Herodians were the staunchest of the supporters of Roman oversight.  Remember that Rome had been asked to take over governance of Israel by those who were concerned with the infighting and disorganization of this tiny nation.  The Herodians were a party among the Jews who gladly paid the census tax and were grateful for the order Rome brought to Jerusalem.

 

Herodians and Pharisees didn’t see things eye to eye.  The Pharisees had gained in popularity with the people because (in principle) they resented and resisted the tax.  While not quite as radicle as the nationalists who publicly resisted paying, the Pharisees were known to be in opposition to the paying of this tax.  They further resented Roman’s insistence that the tax be paid in Roman coins.  They considered it sacrilege to handle the coins which bore the inscription of Caesar, the god of Rome.  The Pharisees and the Herodians were not popular with one another.

 

Yet, together, they come.  They utter all sorts of platitudes to Jesus and then they ask their question.  But they aren’t looking for an answer; they are hoping for a response which will cause Jesus to fall out of favor with the people.

 

This next part of the story is tricky.  In doing some background reading I gained an insight I had overlooked before.  Advocates of this story as an endorsement of the separation of church and state have repeatedly pointed out that Jesus himself doesn’t have one of the coins.  He asks for one from his questioners.  Their ability to produce one illustrates the gap between what they say and what they do.  They say one should resist paying the tax, resist handling the coins which bear the image of Caesar, and yet they continue to participate (and probably to benefit) from the economic system which they verbally deplore.  They have a coin in their pocket.  They come, trying to entrap Jesus.  Their ability to produce a coin which bears the image of another god exposes their lack of integrity.

 

I have to be careful, because this text will come up in a few weeks – and I haven’t looked to see which of the three of us is preaching.  But in the 23^rd chapter, Jesus is going to summarize his encounters of the 21^st and 22^nd chapters.  He is going to point out that the Pharisees and the scribes sit in the seat of Moses.  They have the authority to be teachers of the Torah.  Somewhat surprisingly, Jesus is going to affirm the job they do as teachers of the law.  He is critical of the way they live.  There is a huge gap between what they say you should do and what they do.  They know what Jesus would do - they simply have trouble doing it.  They have confused knowing the correct response with living a faith-filled life.

 

There lies the difficulty – for all of us.  Pastors see it, are painfully aware of it, but hopefully remain pastoral in dealing with it.  It is a difficult thing – to not only KNOW what Jesus says, but then to take those words and make them part of our lives.

 

We just concluded our stewardship campaign, right?  Any doubt as to the level of giving that scripture says is appropriate?  10% right?  You know that.  Don’t worry, I won’t ask you to raise your hands on the question which follows – i.e. “How many are giving at that level?”

 

What does scripture say about our neighbors?  Know that one?  But how many of us have a neighbor with whom we can’t get along?  Or, if we accept Jesus’ definition of neighbor (the one whom we encounter who have the means to help) what of the way we treat our neighbors to the south;  all those fleeing lives in the regions of Central America where the demand for illegal drugs in the US makes life hellish. 

 

Who can tell me what the scriptures say about visiting the sick or those in prison?  Anyone want to compare and contrast the hours you have spent visiting with the hours you have spent watch college football?  (I should add NASCAR – for my humiliation.)

 

We continue to attempt to entrap Jesus.  We continue to look for ways to wiggle out of his instructions. 

 

Today’s section of Matthew’s Gospel ends when them “going away.”  They were down, but they were not out.  They will return.  And when they can’t outwit Jesus or entrap him, they will decide to kill him.  Maybe that is the final tragedy of those who know what God asks of us but can’t find the courage to do it.  Eventually, they do find courage.  But that courage results in putting Him to death, silencing him, rather than doing what it is that he calls upon us to do.

 

Amen.

Devotion - Thursday, October 16

If it seems as if I have made reference to the Book of Job for weeks, it is because the book is long, and its verses so rich, that the folks who put together the two year lectionary included many selections from this book.  I assure you, we are coming to the end.  But the end has many verses worth remembering.

Today I read Job 28:1-28.  

The chapter starts by acknowledging how we mind for gold and silver and precious gems.  We have learned how to dig in the earth and uncover these valuable items.  "But where shall wisdom be found?" the verses ask.  It is not something that we can merely uncover by craft.  Nor can we obtain it in exchange for other riches; "It cannot be gotten for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price."

I would also like to point out the difference here between "knowledge" and "wisdom."  There is a difference, which I am sure you can discern.

The Book of Job encourages us to turn to God as the source of this wisdom.  (There are no directions for obtaining it - more for discovering that it is there.)  Wisdom may begin, the book suggests, when we acknowledge that it isn't something that we can grasp or obtain by deceit.  

Amid your pursuit of knowledge, create opportunities to reflect on wisdom.  As you amass greater and greater amounts of information, reflect upon the wisdom needed to use that knowledge appropriately.

Wisdom is a precious thing.  We can pursue it, but it finally comes as a gift.  In our faith tradition, we assert that it comes as a gift from God.  As with all gifts from God, it is then something we use to honor God and bring His creation closer to the promises of God.

Devotion - Wednesday, October 15

Richard Foster edited a collection of writings, clustered around the spiritual disciplines of Jesus' followers.  The collection exposed the variety and diversity among Christians.

For some, the prime expression of their faith is thought.  For others it is mediation.  Some prefer to focus their spiritual life on scripture.  I found myself resonating most powerfully with those whose preferred expression of piety was service.  I am most comfortable showing my devotion to God through acts done to assist others.

This is no surprise.  I am still completing the duties I assumed for the CROP Walk for hunger.  The LCM e-news has a note about helping distribute meat to needy families in partnership with the Turkish Muslim students.  And, today, I begin the week and a half project of building the Habitat for Humanity house on Bowman Field.  

I will be tired and irritable.  But I will be as happy as one can be over these next ten days.  I hope I get to swing a hammer, but mostly I will supervise and assign folks to tasks.  When workers ask me, "Are you a contractor?"  I will reply "No, I am a preacher."  If they allow me, I will say that my grandfather was a contractor, but wanted to be a preacher.  So I am a preacher who would really like to be a builder.

Over 350 students will work on the house.  They will come for an hour, two hours, maybe half a day.  And together we will transform a pile of lumber into a home for a neighbor.

If you are still struggling to discover your preferred spiritual tradition, come out and discern that along side me.  Regardless of your preferred style, we all make use of the spiritual tradition of prayer.  Put some of that into play as you remember the project and those who work on it.

It isn't merely a house, it is a home.  And more importantly it is an expression of our intent to follow the directive of Jesus to care for neighbor and to serve him, not with words only but also with our lives.

Devotion - Tuesday, October 14

I was reading this morning from Acts 16.  Paul is traveling, and searching for persons with whom he could share the message of Jesus.  In a vision he is lead to Macedonia.  There, he meets Lydia.  Lydia is described as "a seller of purple goods."

Most characters in the bible have or could have a similar description.  Most wove their service of God into their jobs and family life.  Few were professional spokespersons (pastors).

And during this period, the Church grew unlike it has ever since.  There is something powerful and compelling about the witness of one who isn't being paid to say what they are saying.

Being a follower of Jesus is about many things, but surely part of being a follower is telling others how Jesus has affected your life.  Being a follower of Jesus means we go to work, do our job, contribute to the common good, AND weave into all of that a life which reflects the confession which we have made.

Lydia was delighted to hear the message.  Others are eager and in need of hearing the message.  Our fear of being seen as pushy or bossy stands in the way of our being the herald of good news to a world which needs to hear it.  As a result, those who sell purple goods continue to sell their wares unaware of the rich blessings available to them.

Devotion - Monday, October 13

Do you know the name of George Washington Carver?  If not, your history (and perhaps religious) education is lacking.  He was a researcher whose labs at Tuskegee changed the lives and fortunes of so many.  He studied the peanut.  He talked poor farmers to grow peanuts in the small parcels of depleted soil available to them.   His research lead to the production of this protein rich crop which fed the children and families of folks too close to malnutrition.

His autobiography is mentioned today, along side the conclusion of the Book of Job.  As God tells Job, "Where were you when I set the corners of the earth?", Carver writes, "I asked the Great Creator what the universe was made for. 'Ask for something more in keeping with the little mind of yours,' he replied.  'What was man made for/' 'Little man, you still want to know too much.  Cut down the extent of your request and improve the intent.'  Then I told the Creator I wanted to know all about the peanut.  He replied that my mind was too small to know all about the peanut, but He said He would give me a handful of peanuts."

And thus his life-work began.  Thus, he studied and he discovered and he shared information that created a way of improving the lives of others.

Sometimes, in our desire to change the world, or have a lasting impact, or simply to live a life worth living, look to the great and grand schemes.  If only we could look and see the handful of peanuts we have been given.

Start where you are.

Do what it is that your life encourages you to do.

Realize that the grandeur of the cosmos is caught up in the smallest of molecules.  And so is the wild and wonderful life which God has given you.

Devotion - Wednesday, October 8

I left Bible Study as night totally dissatisfied with myself.  I had entered the study convinced that everyone would be able to laugh and joke and assure one another that they do hear the words of "The Gospels" as "good news."

That is what the word "gospel" means - Good News.

But it didn't happen.  The text for this coming Sunday is the third parable Jesus tells as he fusses with the religious leaders in the Temple.  This one (you really MUST read it) is in Matthew 22:1-14.  The commentaries insisted that while a vision of a great and glorious banquet is set before us, as well as God's insistence that His banquet hall be full, that what most folks hear is the part about the exclusion of one guest for reasons that seem to be rather trite.  I never felt as if those gathered with me could overcome the fear that while they may be "called," they worry they might not be chosen.

This has got to change.  The whole presentation of the Church has GOT to stop leaving open any opportunity for us to worry about our acceptability.

I left bible study wondering if in my 31 years of professional ministry I have been able to assure anyone that God loves them and welcomes them and that God is NOT looking for an opportunity to resend that invitation.  Have too many preachers drilled a different message it into our heads?

Whatever that other message is - it isn't Good News.  It isn't Gospel.  Don't listen to it.  Don't allow it to erode your confidence.  Do not allow its repetition to drown out what we know to be True.

Sermon - October 5, 2104

17^th Sunday after Pentecost   

Matthew 21:33-46

Using Faithfully What is Given to Us

I spent almost as much time this week attending to details of our upcoming spring break trip to Germany as I devoted to studying the lessons for today.  The two activities blended together as I remembered one of the things I wanted the tour guide in Wittenberg to point out on our tour of the city.  It is a sculpture on the exterior of the Town Church.

During Martin Luther’s lifetime, there were two churches in Wittenberg.  The reason for the two churches, in this small village is that one of the churches was the castle church.  Prince Fredrick lived in Wittenberg.  The castle church was his church.  The commoners would not worship in this Cathedral, so they had their own church.  A much more modest structure located about half-a-mile away.  While it is in the Castle Church that Martin Luther was buried – it is in the Town Church that he spent the greatest amount of time.  Luther was assigned to this church by his superior.  He preached in this church for nearly 3 decades. 

            There is a stone carving on the situated on the southwest exterior corner of the Town Church.  This corner of the building faced the part of town where once there had been Jewish residents.  I say “once” because there were none during the days of Luther.  In fact, it is doubtful that Luther, in his whole lifetime, ever met a practicing Jew.  But there had once been Jewish residents in Wittenberg and facing the part of town where they lived there was this carving on the church.  The illustration was of a sow, a mother pig carved as a reference to the Jewish people.  This sow had a number of sucklings, but they were not cute little pigs.  They were men; men whose features were meant to leave not doubt as to their ethnic heritage.  The sow was being driven away by a townsman.  Even as she attempts to flee, the suckling children cling to her.

            Our teacher spoke of how the Jews were repeatedly expelled from Europe.  There would come a time when they would be forced to leave, driven out of the provinces by the Lords and Princes.  They would be expelled, sometimes for generations.  But after a while, there would come a time when they would be welcomed back, a time when they would be begged to come back.  Such a time would come when the Princes realized they just couldn’t make it without these wise stewards and caretakers.  They needed the Jewish expertise at handling money matters.

            The undeniable biblical prohibition against usury meant that the Christian Lords could not use their wealth in order to make more money or stimulate the economy.  Christians could not loan money to other Christians and charge them interest.  Unable to use money to make money, these Princes were poor business managers.  When things got desperate, they would beg the Jews to return and teach them what they did not know how to do.

            Throughout the dark ages and into the era of enlightenment, there was this moving in and out of those whose to whom the vineyard of God had first been entrusted.  They would come and put things in order only to find themselves later considered unwelcome aliens.  Then, there would come a time of expulsion, usually involving death and destruction.

            My concern is that in reading Matthew 21 (or Isaiah 5) Christians might develop the idea that such treatment of the Jews is warranted.  Christians have all too often read into theses lessons justification for condemnation and punishment of our Jewish neighbors.  We have to be careful, in reading these passages, to remember the setting and to understand that it isn’t a people who are being condemned – it is a lack of obedience to God. 

In telling this parable, it is doubtful that Jesus is rejecting the whole of Judaism.  Rather he is calling for a change of heart.  He isn’t looking to destroy the people in which he found his own identity – he is attempting to call them back from the behaviors and practices which have allowed God’s children to go unattended.

            Jesus is in a tiff with the leaders of the synagogue.  It all started when they challenged his authority.  They wanted to know why he had set himself up as a teacher and healer.  They have been going back and forth for a while and this is actually the second parable Jesus tells them.  In each, Jesus addresses those who had been asked to perform a task and then just didn’t do it.  He is condemning those who have not honored the commitment they made to God.  It is in response to this lack of faithfulness that the parables speak of driving out and replacing.

            Let me be consistent with what you may have heard me say in other settings:  The Gospel of Matthew does make a case for supplanting the Jewish authorities with the leaders of the “Church.”  Matthew’s use of many Old Testament passages serves the purpose of proving that it is right and proper that the group organized around the message of Jesus should now be looked upon as God’s chosen.  In today’s parable Matthew is saying that the leadership of the Temple has not proven faithful to their task; but this is a far cry from insisting that all those who share the blood lines of Mary and Joseph are to be expelled from God’s Holy City.  Matthew writes to a Jewish community.  His words could never be construed to mean that the destruction of the Jews is called for.  His purpose is to point out God’s frustration with the leadership - with the servants sent to manage affairs until God’s return.

            Similarly, we should understand the prophecy of Isaiah, as recorded in the fifth chapter.  Isaiah was very dismayed with the way in which God’s people were living their lives.  He is critical of the selfish lifestyles and lavish festivals.  He does not understand how God’s people, God’s Chosen People, could have become so blind to the needs of the poor and the plight of the orphans.

            The book of Isaiah is a long book.  Its oracles speak to events which cover in excess of 120 years of history.  Isaiah’s open chapters speak warnings; the middle chapters are address to the exiles during their time in captivity; and the final section speaks of the events surrounding the return of the children of Abraham to their Promised Land.  This book contains it all.  Its length allows its message to come full circle.  And come full circle it does. By the end of the book, Isaiah rejoices at the restoration of Jerusalem and the establishment of those who will faithfully care for God’s vineyard.

            Isaiah 66:13 reads:  As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you, you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.  You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;  your bodies shall flourish like the grass;  and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies.

            Isaiah is not condemning the whole of the Jewish people – he is pointing out that God will not tolerate those who are unfaithful servants.  It is not a people who are to be destroyed – rather he seeks to root out poor management of his vineyard.

            These lessons do form a consistent pattern.  Both speak plainly of God’s unwillingness to stand by while His people are ignored.  God will not tolerate unfaithful stewards.  God, who has planted the vineyard;  God, who has put up the fence and built the watchtower;  God, who has given us all that we would ever need will not stand by and accept mismanagement, or ungrateful misuse of that which He has established.

            If we are looking to these verses for justification of our hatred of the Jews, we are looking for what we want to see and ignoring what God is saying.  God speaks to all those who serve as stewards – stewards of His people, stewards of his gifts.  God is encouraging us to use these resources wisely, to use them in a manner which is consistent with God’s intentions.

            God has given us many gifts.  We have received many talents and possessions.  Our lives, our whole society, could easily be compared to the wonderful vineyard described in Matthew 21.  Living in this land of plenty, drinking the wine of success, it is way too easy for us to begin to think that we are the masters.  We forget that we are stewards, caretakers of that which is the rightful possession of One much greater than we. 

Rather than contribute to any thoughts of the unworthiness of the Jewish people, these lessons should fill us with dread.  What nation has amassed greater wealth?  What people have benefited from a more prosperous harvest?  Remember that in the parable God is represented by those who come asking for a portion of the profits.  The conflict arises when the managers beat them and send them away empty-handed.

These lessons are not intended to be wholesale condemnations of the Jewish people.  They are warnings to everyone who has accepted the call to make the care of others a higher priority than their own achievements. 

Just as a footnote – allow me to tell you that in Wittenberg they have erected another sculpture, at the southwest corner of the Town Church.  Directly below that awful carving, there is a bronze casting of four square tiles.  These tiles are bulging upward from a molten mass making its way upward.  The inscription notes that the souls of 6 million neighbors will not remain hidden; they will make their presence felt and they will plead their case before God.  This later sculpture is a wonderful corrective to the ancient carving.

We may be able to disguise the evilness of our deeds – for a while.  But in the end, God’s justice will be done and the wickedness of unfaithful stewards will be exposed.

Amen.