By What Authority - Matthew 21 - Proper 21A

By What Authority

Tony E Hansen

Sermon based upon Matthew 21:23-32; Philippians 2: 1-13; Psalm 25

Opening prayer

By what authority?

Jesus talks to these leaders about how they rejected John and his message where Jesus’s message is similar.  What change would happen to those heard John did not believe and hear Jesus and do not believe?

This is a debate between Jesus and the religious elite about where authority comes.  When I write and preach, I do so from the guidance of the Spirit. I have my faults and readily acknowledge that I am flawed like any person. 

Yet, when some do, they are motivated by money, power, or status that takes away from the truth that is God. Such is selfish desire instead of divine wisdom of the Spirit.

These people in authority ask Jesus what authority drives him. Jesus question back to the leaders leaves them without answers - a little speechless even.

Then, this parable, as well as the next couple in the weeks to come, are illustrations of this. 

Essentially, two kids were told to do work. One doesn’t and then changes mind and other says yeah and then doesn’t. Simple image but not just a simple message.

Then Jesus explains plainly that those who changed their minds are the ones who are on the path with God. Whereas, those who don’t or outright lie about it, they are not. Even more, these leaders, who are supposed to represent God in the lives of the people, these are being criticized for ignoring the plight of the people they are supposed to serve. 

Where have we heard this before?  This isn’t just a religious dogma or leadership thing because we see this in politics and business.

There are couple things, at least, in that assertion. There is a warning but also a path.

1. The people: whom these leaders consider to be lower class or just not worthy - “tax collectors and prostitutes” or throwaways and the excuses - those are the ones who actually get it. That is not the well-to-do who claim greatness or only talk about doing God’s work without manifesting that into action. 
2. They have established a pattern of empty words, lying, ego, exclusion and worse but that isn’t set in stone. It is not too late to turn from that attitude and way of being. 

Its more than just two ideas here.  For today, let’s look at these different perspectives.

Again this isn’t just about clergy or longstanding church institutions alone. 

There are people all around us, not just in leadership, but regular folks who think they don’t have time for unworthy people, homeless, ostracized or hurt. Even worse, they perpetuate in these exclusions through what they do and what is said.  Neglect is passive aggressive because we choose to ignore that which or whom needs our attention.

They have excuses lined up for why. Color of skin, gender, orientation, disability, clothes they wear, where they were born, or the religion they profess. Followed by, “I don’t have time” or “I don’t see them” or “their plight is not mine.” 

That is careless and mindless living. 

Really, it is just excuses for not doing the right thing or following the right path. They just might have to get a little dirty.  Shame.

They may have many blessings in their lives. (Great for them!) However, when we realistically only hoard them and don’t share the gifts given to us, we are not doing God’s work nor God’s will. 

I may say I am Christian and following the way of God, but does it stop at those words? I hope not.

People do need and want leadership that is good and responsible in our society; one that takes care of people, helps people and embraces our divine uniquenesses.  

Leadership and regular people have opportunities to do this in our everyday living, not just on Sunday in the pews. We have the capacity to listen to stories, to extend hands, to show compassion, and to be the face of God to someone who needs that now. 

That is the next part of this. 

If we find ourselves on a path like that, we don’t have to stay there. There is time, today and now, to change our path into something that aligns with divine work and will. 

For it is ego and our broken worldly expectations that keep us from living in the work and being with people that are our neighbors, whether a door down, across the city or even the other part of the world. 

When we remember these people as our neighbors, there is no need for judgment, prejudice, hate, fear and violence because we let God handle the judging. We let the blessings bestowed upon us show through in our interactions (words and actions).

We pray the psalm O Lord teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach and …steadfast love.” There it is again, steadfast love.

We learn these teachings why? By what authority?

That, Beloved, is what is meant for us and that, my friends, is the path of righteousness. Don’t just confess Jesus is Lord and stop there; we are to “work on [our] own salvation…”

“…look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.”

Roll up sleeves, help folks, extend smiles, extend grace or visit them in nursing homes, in jails, or wherever they are on life’s journey. For you know as well as I, that someone somewhere needs to know that God is here, and there are plenty of opportunities for us. 

We can be the face of that love and forgiveness when we let God’s love and forgiveness be us and our actions. Then you too can say by what authority you share that love and those blessings.

That Beloved is worth way more than empty words and mindless living because that is worth everything. 

Thanks be to God, Amen

Fairness - Matthew 20 - Proper 20A

Fairness

Tony E Hansen

Sermon based upon Matthew 20: 1-16; Philippians 1:21:30; Psalm145; Exodus 16:2-15

Opening prayer

Guten Morgen! Ich studiere Deutsch und habe ich Vokabeln tauchen.

Heute, Today, we read how fair God is. 

The parable of the laborers that arrive at different times of the day for work and all get paid the same. What is odd about this? Are we reading some socialist dogma?

The answer is why is it odd to you? It could be something entirely different from socialist.

We don’t know what these people were doing all day or the half day while the morning crew was presumably working.  Were they participating in shenanigans? Were they sleeping in for a day? Were they out shopping?

Yet when called in the evening to get paid, they all receive the same pay.

Then the grumbling. You know it, you have seen it and heard it. Why did they get the same as us who worked all day and been here all day - in scorching heat?  What have they been doing that we could have been as well? 

What justice is this? What is fair about this?

The response is “The last will be first and the first will be last.” (Die Ersten werden Die Letzten sein.)

That is similar to how people think about church and religion.  Those who have been here for all their lives compared to people walking in the doors for the first time today. 

What privilege does being here all that time give us or should be bestowed upon us? Aren’t you special?

I work out plenty, but I still have a weight issue. How is that fair?

Thank you for being here and keeping the lights on and doing the necessary, but yours and my welcome is better when we receive more and more  - When we celebrate those who have been found regardless of when they came and from where they came. 

The radical nature of grace is something we haven’t quite realized when we think in terms of some notion reciprocity or as a transaction for our efforts.  

The landowner gives “whatever is right.” Everyone gets what is “right.”

Face it life isn’t easy but God’s love isn’t dispersed based upon how long a tenure or years of service. God is abounding steadfast love. 

That love is for each and everyone of us. 

There is something that irritates and gets under folks’ skins here.

Those people aren’t taking advantage of us or God because God’s grace is just that radically given. We remember that judgment should be left to God but this feels like God not holding people account.

Yet there is a lot of power on display here. If we look at the landowner, first he goes out at different times to get more people. Could have just let the first work and have no help at all. If you are a farmer, we know that harvest is when you need the most help. This landowner is getting more and more help.

Second, the landowner tells them all they will get whatever is right. Then chooses to give - to distribute the same to the last - same as the first. 

Is God not allowed to give what God wants or be as generous to us?  That person on the corner holding a sign for begging or the person in jail who finds God or just the one who has done all the right things . The payout, the reward, is the same. 

Yet there is envy. There is this consideration in many that “how is that right or fair?”

That Beloved is divine grace.  It doesn’t have definitions for who can and cannot receive . It requires not our judgment or effort, but our belief and our celebration that others receive along side us - not resentment - not condemnation - not judgment.

This is also representative of an economy where people need work but have none. Doesn’t that sound familiar? 

Why do we blame those for standing around all day needing work but having none? How is it their fault ? How is that fair? 

What about people who have none? Who continue to hold the signs in scorching heat and humidity?

We pray the words of the psalm all the time in our services, but do we actually turn them into our faith?

God is great and to be praised for ALL that is done and for ALL the people that God blesses, not just the people next to us in the pews or inside four walls of a church. 

That ALL means something different when we chip away at it with our judgment and envy and prejudices. Instead, that ALL is precisely the grace that is meant to be and for us to truly realize the immense nature of the grace and mercy that are “abounding…“ 

That doesn’t require our approval or our weak judgments to proceed or be poured out to the many.

That does require of us to let go and Let God - like we said last time.

In that way, we become the last because we let God choose instead of our shallow expectations, prerogatives and our preferences. We let our faith be defined by God’s work and God’s guidance. We let God do for us and for all.  

That is fair. That is God. Receive that grace.

Gott sei Dank, Amen.

How Many Times - Matthew 18 - Proper 19A

How Many Times

Tony E Hansen

Sermon based upon Matthew 18 21-35; Psalm 103; Romans:14 1-12; Genesis 50: 15-21

Opening prayer

We like to think of Christianity as the feel-good experience of tossing out blessings or “thoughts and prayers.”

Matthew 18 gives us another shape of this in the form of reconciliation and forgiveness.

It can be easy to throw good wishes at people, but when someone has wronged us, the experience of extending grace is not usually a first thought. There are complicated feelings, especially if the wrong is violent or damaging. I know this personally. 

I could tell you about all the times I have been wronged, but we could be here for a while.  When I started ministry, the thing that tripped me the most was this reconciliation and forgiveness bit because I was holding onto considerable grudges. 

Jesus teaches us first to meet the person who did wrong and discuss with them about it. Jesus wants us to learn how not to make a spectacle of wrongs but to come to learning by containing the blast radius. First by talking to them directly to resolve, then involve another if needed, then involve the congregation.

Jesus goes further and promises to be present in those hard conversations.

Reconciliation does not happen without discussion and that includes the tough conversations. Yet, the conversation that is had - is good for both parties not just one. The conversation that is not, lingers and builds mistrust, cynicism and eventually worse.

There is a path to repentance, but what does that look like and how is it delivered? That path is not easy but avoids confusions, incorrect ideas of what happened or worse.  

It won’t rectify all that has been done because we can’t change that, but we can change how we go forward. 

The point here isn’t to prove points, confrontation or to win because the goal here: Jesus wants us to preserve the relationship and look for restoration. 

That isn’t always easy. This isn’t the easy-going faith; this is hard stuff. 

Add to that: forgiveness. 

Peter asks how many times should I forgive someone, and Jesus tells us 77 times, then tells this parable. A person is forgiven of his debts but does not share that forgiveness to those who owe him. Jesus reminds us that we have been forgiven and wants us to share that forgiveness to those who “owe” us debts.

If relationship and restoration are the goals, then forgiveness is a necessary step. This isn’t one direction but multi-directional. Forgiveness doesn’t start and end at me, but is to extend to all in our lives.

You may not feel good about meeting someone who wronged you, like when someone assaulted me or lied about me. If I am true to my faith, I am to forgive those who have wronged me - not just once but many times. 

I told you this wasn’t easy.

That isn’t to say we don’t learn and let people walk all over us. If someone is continuing to be bad to you - after the Nth time, you might want to ask why let it continue? If there is no repentance on someone’s part, reconciliation isn’t going to happen either. See the first part of conversation…

Jesus wants us to find strength in forgiveness of those who wronged us because there is strength in forgiveness. It can take a lot of strength in letting go of grievance and emotion to forgive, especially when we have been violated or personally harmed. 

But that grudge is effort we have been holding onto unnecessarily instead of using for good.

Further, Jesus reminds us that someone first poured out forgiveness to us. Paul says “…each one of us will be held accountable to God.”

Forgiveness isn’t just about handing down judgment to someone, but also “letting go” and letting God. 

How do we reconcile that with someone is important but what about in ourselves?

The challenge I had for forgiving wrongs done to me was first letting go of that hurt inside me. 

People often confuse forgiveness as only a grace bestowed upon others, but it really is more for the self.  People like to hold onto things whether it is a good idea or regardless if it is accurate. (Look at our politics.)

What are we holding onto that prevents forgiveness? What have we tied our feelings, emotions and activities in someone that tears at our own being - using up our strength (making us weaker)?

Yes someone probably deserves punishments and great verbal tirades, but what are we holding in our souls? 

Once the dust has cleared, will we let go of the pain, embarrassment or grief? Will we let that define us instead of our faith? 

I suggest to leave the judgment and grief; that is forgiveness for them but for us. Leave the judgment to God.

As I said sometimes, we hold onto inaccurate images of what happened or fabrications. Seems silly to be holding onto grunge based upon lies but people do this. What fiction have we been using to close our hearts and minds?

This is where that reconciliation step is important. What really happened and did they understand what made us upset?  If they never know this, how will they change or grow? 

Thus, our faith demands of us - good stuff like blessings and grace, but grace is in the hurt and pain too.  There we have lessons, growth and steps to restore and repair relationship with each other and with God.

That is how Joseph and his brothers became family again.

In our interactions with people, we will screw up, but the path is set for us to discuss, reconcile and forgive. 

“Bless the Lord … who forgives all your iniquity.” So too should we.

In those moments just as in the blessings, “for where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Thanks Be to God, Amen.