Scott Moore, Erfurt, Germany

Warm-up Question

When was that last time you noticed someone being hypocritical (saying one thing and doing the opposite)?

Walking the Talk

Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of both the Nobel Peace Prize and the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, has come under massive criticism in recent weeks because of her stance on the Rohingya crisis. The Rohingya are an ethnic minority that has been living in Myanmar since the 8^th century. They are not considered one of the 8 “national races” and, according to a law passed in 1982, do not have the right of citizenship. They are effectively stateless. They are not allowed to work and do not have freedom of travel. As many as 600,000 of the approximately 1 million Rohingya living in northern Myanmar have fled to Bangladesh since the end of August. Their stories are of extreme violence against them from the majority Buddhist population. They are being tortured in many different ways and being driven from their homes. Things have been getting more and more difficult since 2012, and the world community had been patient with Suu Kyi and her party since it came into power. Things are rapidly changing.

The politically active daughter of two politically active parents, Aung San Suu Kyi, spent approximately 15 years under house arrest by the military-led government between the years 1989 and 2010. She was influenced by people like Mahatma Gandhi and has spoken up a lot over the years on democracy, justice, peace, and fear. She has been the subject of a number of films and has been referred to in songs like U2’s tribute to her, “Walk On”. In 2015, her political party won a landslide election and she was eventually made the first State Counselor, a position like prime minister, which was a position created specially for her. She is prohibited from being president because her deceased husband and her children were/are foreign nationals. She is considered by many at home and abroad to be a hero. Unfortunately, her words and her silence in recent weeks do not resonate with what she has taught all the years she was in captivity, speaking and teaching about freedom and democracy. Here are a couple of quotes of her from her writings:

“Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man’s self-respect and inherent human dignity.”

“It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”

“If you’re feeling helpless, help someone. ”

“You should never let your fears prevent you from doing what you know is right.”

“To view the opposition as dangerous is to misunderstand the basic concepts of democracy. To oppress the opposition is to assault the very foundation of democracy.”

“It is not power that corrupts but fear.”

“Government leaders are amazing. So often it seems they are the last to know what the people want.”

“Fear is a habit; I am not afraid.”

“Please use your liberty to promote ours”

“Some have questioned the appropriateness of talking about such matters as metta (loving-kindness) and thissa (truth) in the political context. But politics is about people and what we had seen … proved that love and truth can move people more strongly than any form of coercion.”

Discussion Questions

• What other stories around the world or in history does the current situation in Myanmar/Burma remind you of?
• Why do you think Suu Kyi, now that she is in power, is much more cautious and silent about the situation than she was when she was a political prisoner?
• What is our responsibility as a nation on the outside when we see hundreds of thousands of “stateless” minorities being driven out of their homeland?
• What is our responsibility as the church and as Christians?

Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

When someone, usually someone older and with some authority over us,wants us to be better they might use the phrase, “do what I say, not what I do.” We understand they are encouraging us be even better than they are. We have also heard people tell us not to drink irresponsibly (or at all if we are underage), or smoke, or do any number of things that they did, or maybe even are still doing. We hear the words. We might even agree with the words. It is still hard for us to follow the advice of people who aren’t living what they teach.

Jesus is talking about a similar kind of dynamic in this reading in Matthew’s gospel. The Scribes and the Pharisees are two of the groups that make up the Jewish religious leadership in Jesus’ time. The Scribes know the written word of God and the Pharisees are well-versed in the oral tradition of the faith. Both apparently are seen as religious authorities on the teachings of Moses. “Moses’ seat” is the symbol of teaching authority in the synagogue. Despite the numerous moments of conflict Jesus experiences with these religious leaders throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus does not say something like, “Don’t listen to a word they say,” or, “They are full of baloney.” Instead, Jesus acknowledges the good of what they are teaching even if he believes them to be hypocrites. “Follow the good stuff they teach but don’t do what they do,” is the summary of Jesus teaching about his antagonists.

In addition, Jesus is very clear about what the roles are for the disciples. Heavenly Father is father, Messiah is instructor, they should be good students, and they should remain humble servants. Jesus’ words encourage us to learn to separate the good of what someone teaches from their imperfect ways.

We are tired of our leaders being hypocritical. We want the world to be authentic. We want people to live what they teach and practice what they preach. And, it is ok to want that and to have standards, but it is important for us to realize that people are inconsistent. Human beings are often a contradiction. You can name it what you want: sin, imperfection, a work in progress. It is good for us to identify the grace and the good in what people say, even when they don’t live up to what they teach. Jesus calls us to be aware and to learn discernment. Jesus calls us to place our focus on God and to see our Lord as the Messiah.

Discussion Questions

• When have you been frustrated or even disappointed by religious leaders you felt were being hypocritical?
• When have you experienced that from other Christians you respect?
• When were you ever hypocritical, where you acted contrary to what you say you believe?

Activity Suggestions

• Does your congregation have a mission statement? If so, take a look at it and see where you feel you as a community of faith are living in accordance with what you say you are as a community?
• Download any one of the ELCA’s social statements and see if you can identify moments in your congregation’s or in the wider church’s experience where you assert one thing yet live another?

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, you never change yet you show yourself new to us each day. Open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds to understand your will for us. Give us the strength to live accordingly so that others might know the joy of a life in your love and grace. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, the one who walked with us and died and lives for us. Amen

Sylvia Alloway, Granada Hills, CA

Warm-up Questions

• The recent series of seemingly endless disasters has made many people feel that there is no hope for the world. Do you agree?  Why or why not?
• Are there any stories you have heard about people helping each other through these tragedies? What did they do?
• As a Christian, what would you say to people who think the world is hopeless?

Recipe of Love

Hurricanes. Fires. Shootings. One calamity after another seems to be threatening the stability of ordinary people’s lives. We look on, helpless and ask, “What can we do?” Social media posts advise stricter gun laws, more precise weather science, or changing your personal philosophy to agree with the person posting. Still the question remains –What can WE do to make the world better?

It’s true that there is little we can do prevent disasters or personally help the victims. But we can find ways to bring hope to the world. Take, for example, The Café Momentum. What does a popular Dallas restaurant have to do with bringing hope to the world? Almost all the cooks, servers, and clean-up crew are juvenile offenders who have spent time in the county lock-up.

The force behind this unusual rehabilitation program is Chad Houser, a successful chef who was part owner of a popular high-end restaurant in Dallas until he sold his share to help young detainees find a way out of the repeating cycle of crime and jail time. As he says, “I teach them to play with knives and fire.”

Backed by a crew of chefs, social workers and other professionals Houser oversees the young people’s food service education, but also provides classes in life skills such as parenting, driving, and managing a bank account. And he pays them more than the current minimum wage. The average rate of recidivism (returning to jail) for youthful offenders in general is 48%. For the graduates of Café Momentum it is 15%.

All right, very inspirational, but how does that answer the question? What can we do to make the world better?  What we can.

Discussion Questions

• Why do human beings need hope, especially in difficult times? What happens to people who give up hope?
• Why do you think so few young people who have worked at Café Momentum end up back in jail?
• Where do you find hope when adversity comes into your personal life?
• What special talent or ability do you have that you can use to bring people hope?

Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

There was nothing the religious leaders of Jesus’ day liked better than a good game of “Stump the Upstart.” They had standard questions to ask that no one had been able to answer. The question about taxes, the question about the seven brothers and one bride – they were posed to trap dissenters into making fools of themselves and by contrast make the Pharisees and Sadducees appear wise.

But this dissenter was different. He had silenced the Sadducees’ standard argument against the resurrection. He had overruled the Pharisees’ encyclopedic knowledge of the commandments by reducing them to two: Love God. Love neighbor. Find if you can, Pharisees, a commandment that is not contained in these two.

Taking advantage of the leaders’ stunned silence, Jesus asked them a question: Whose son is the Messiah? David’s, of course. Then why does David call him “Lord”? An ancestor calling a descendant “Lord”? Unheard of. The Pharisees have no answer.

The contrast here is between the Pharisees earthly thinking and Jesus’ heavenly thinking. The Pharisees thought people needed more laws to keep them in line, and the leaders had obliged by adding over 600 laws of their own to God’s. The Hebrew word for “love” literally means “give, sustain, or protect.” This means action. It seems the Pharisees had diminished this vital word in their thinking. To prepare them for heaven, people don’t need more rules. They need to learn to give.

The Pharisees pictured the Savior, the Son of David, to be like the earthly David – a warrior, a conqueror who would restore Israel to its former glory. They did not understand that the Christ was to be a heavenly Messiah, the Son of David and the Son of God. God’s love was not at the root of their laws. God’s Messiah was not the one they expected.

But let’s be honest.  We can be just as blind as the Pharisees. Surely loving God and neighbor doesn’t mean actually coming into contact with real people. Can’t I just send money? And full obedience to Christ as God sounds – inconvenient. Can’t I downgrade him from Messiah to a “good teacher” among others?

No. Love God. Love neighbor. Live for Christ, David’s Lord and ours. This is the way we bring hope to the world.

Discussion Questions

• What are some excuses we make for not living by God’s law of love? How can we overcome these excuses?
• Tell a real or hypothetical story about a situation in which it was/would be especially difficult to show God’s love to someone. What might a person do in this situation?
• Brainstorm practical ways in which the class, individually and as a group, can use their specific abilities to reach out to despairing people and help them find hope.

Activity Suggestions

Take two or three situations the class suggested in question 3 and help students improvise dialogues and actions that might take place in those instances. Students who don’t want to join an improvisation may suggest words and actions to the people performing.

Closing Prayer

All-Loving God, your psalms tell us that you are an “ever-present help in trouble.” Wake us up to your loving presence. Lord,  keep us thankful and hopeful.  May we serve you by giving of ourselves in word and deed, cheerfully sharing hope with a weary, needy world. Amen.

John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Questions

The sign in the window says the drink costs 99 cents? What will the final price of the drink be when the cashier rings it up? Why will it be more than 99 cents?

Paying Taxes

In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to one of his friends that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” As Christians, we might argue that the only thing more certain than death and taxes is the generous love of God, but Franklin is correct that in life each of us will have to deal with both death and taxes.

In late September, President Donald Trump announced a new tax proposal that will attempt to completely overhaul the American tax code. (1) While the details and implementation of the new proposal still need to be worked out in Congress, any change to our complicated tax code will likely impact nearly resident of the United States. For some people, changes in the tax code could bring reduced tax bills. For others, changes in the tax code come mean increased tax bills. While the changes being discussed by the President and Congress are focused on income taxes and business taxes, even if you are currently not working at a job, you still pay taxes. Each time you go out to eat, put gas in your car or buy a new shirt, you pay sales tax.

Who pays taxes and how much each person or company is required to pay will continue to be in the news until the President and Congress agree upon a plan. Regardless of what they decide, however, taxes will continue to be a required, if unpopular, part of our life together because taxes provide the money necessary to public services like roads, first responders, health care for senior adults and public schools.

Discussion Questions

• What services or activities in your community are supported by taxes?
• When people start talking about taxes or politics, how do you respond? How do you see the people in your life respond?
• What are your main sources of information for understanding issues like politics or taxes? How do those sources of information shape what you believe about those issue

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

“Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s” Jesus said, “and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mt 22:21) The Pharisees had hoped to trick Jesus into upsetting the crowds by getting him to endorse the unfair tax policies of the empire or, more likely, they hoped he would speak against paying taxes and then the empire would arrest Jesus. As is often the case, Jesus does not respond as others expect. By responding in the manner he does, however, Jesus teaches us two valuable lessons for our lives of faith in the world.

The first lesson has to do with living in the world. As people of God, we are called to be in the world, but not of the world. Our decisions and ideals need to be guided and shaped by God, not by the pressures and priorities of the world around us. At the same time, we are also called to live in the world, to share what we know of God with others and to live out or faith in our daily lives.

As God’s people in the world, we live under a set of rules established by the government. We pay taxes on the money we make in the public market place. We give to the emperor, what is the emperor’s.

At the same time, we give to God what is God’s which means that we are constantly trying to determine how we can live and act faithfully in the world. We give back to God as God has given to us by supporting ministries we believe in with financial resources and through our gifts of time and expertise. It isn’t always easy, but as followers of Jesus we try to live faithfully in the world giving to the world what is the world’s while at the same time giving to God our love and obedience.

In addition to this fairly direct lesson on life in the world, there is a second lesson that Jesus teaches which we can see, when we examine the way in which Jesus responds to the Pharisee’s question. In his response, Jesus models an approach to dealing with a problem that invites us not simply to react to a problem we might face, but rather to respond from our strength, to act out of our convictions and beliefs, not simply react to what is happening around us.

Many people when faced with the type of question posed to Jesus would have felt trapped by the question. They would have felt the need to answer either ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Many people would have allowed the question to define the conversation, but Jesus shows us that we don’t simply have to react to the world around us. We don’t have to take option ‘a’ or ‘b’ simply because those are the options presented to us, but instead we are called to take or to create the option that is faithful to God.

When you are faced with a choice in life where none of the options presented to you seems faithful to what you believe. Don’t feel trapped. Follow the example of Jesus we see today and look for a different way forward that allows you to act on your beliefs and to act out of God’s love for you, not simply react to the world around you.

Discussion Questions

• What does it look like to you to live in the world, but not to be of the world?
• How to you give to God what is God’s in your daily life?
• Share a time when you acted out of God’s love for you instead of simply responding to what was happening in the world around you.

Activity Suggestions

Drawn Together – Tell the group that the whole group is going to draw a picture together. You can draw an animal, a building, a superhero or some other picture that works with your context. Give everyone in the group a portion of a shape that they are allowed to draw. One person might have half a circle. Another person might have a straight line. Once everyone is assigned a portion of a shape, announce the image you will draw. Each person in the group takes turns using their portion of the shape to complete the drawing. Each person must contribute their shape to the drawing before a shape can be repeated. Discuss the idea that when all of us contribute our gifts and talents, we are able to accomplish far more than one of us could accomplish alone.

Closing Prayer

O God, you give us a variety of gifts and call us to share those gifts in your service in the world. Help us to be faithful to you in our daily lives and give us the confidence to know that you are with us even if it feels like the world is against us. Amen.

Herb Wounded Head, Brookings, SD

Warm-up Questions

• How does it feel to be invited to a party?
• How does it feel to be excluded from the party?
• How does it feel to invite others to a party and not have them come?

Hope Beyond Violence

A horrific and horrible tragedy unfolded on the night of October 1^st, 2017. A gunman opened fire on  a large crowd at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas for approximately 11 minutes wounding hundreds and killing 59 people. It’s been called the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. Our nation has been left stunned as a result with many people asking “Why?” Why would someone do such a horrific thing? What would drive someone to believe that they needed to open fire on a crowd of innocent people? The massacre quickly turned into political discussions about gun control, background checks, and the National Rifle Association. The more troubling question beyond the “Why?” has been the “How?” How did someone go undetected to set up at a high point and open fire on so many people?

There is no good answer or resolution to such questions. While we can certainly talk about the need for more gun control or about our 2^nd amendment rights, the fact of the matter is that people were left dead and even more left suffering. In the aftermath of such chaos, different stories begin to come to light, stories of people doing extraordinary things in order to limit the damage dealt by a person with an arsenal. First responders went against their usual training to wait for the gunfire to subside before helping people.  Instead, they waded back into the place of chaos to begin to save as many people as they possibly could, knowing full well that their own lives were at stake.

Discussion Questions

• What was your reaction, your first feelings when you heard about the shootings in Las Vegas?
• What are your feelings about gun control and 2^nd amendment rights?
• Has this tragedy changed your perception of firearms as a result?
• What would your reaction be if you were placed in the same situation?

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

In our Gospel lesson for today, Jesus tells his followers a troubling parable about the kingdom of heaven which consists of two parts. A king invites some guests to attend a banquet.  Those invited don’t really care about the invitation; in fact, most of them kill some of his slaves. The king then responds in kind and destroys those whom he first invited.  Then he tells his servants to invite everyone that they can find to fill the wedding hall with guests. These guests probably never imagined that they would be invited to such an event. This invitation is extended to everybody.

But there’s a warning in the final section of the parable. One guest doesn’t appear to have it “right.” He’s not wearing the proper clothes at the wedding banquet. When he is asked why, he has no response and is cast out of the party. Jesus concludes the parable with this, “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

The parable is troubling. On the one hand, it might leave us with a sense of anxiety. We may ask ourselves if we’re doing enough, or even if we’re wearing the right clothes. Most of us have enough of this anxiety already; do we really need more concerns? On the other hand, the parable does show us about God’s grace. The invitation is now for everyone.  Still, you’d best know who the party is for; the party is for Jesus. It’s in Jesus that we have our answer to the king’s question. When we are asked how we got in, our answer is simply, “Jesus.”

Discussion Questions

• What troubles you about this parable?
• Where do you find yourself in the story Jesus tells?
• What gives you hope in this parable?
• This parable has a great deal of violence.  Why do you think Jesus tells a story which includes such elements?  Does this story condone violence?  Why or why not?
• With the shooting in Las Vegas in mind, what gives you hope in the midst of great tragedy?

Activity Suggestions

Mine Field is a team-building activity involving trust and teamwork.

Find a good large outdoor field or large indoor space.  Be sure there are no dangerous items or hazards nearby.  Set up the “minefield” by placing “mines” (large paper cups, empty plastic bottles, cones, soft foam balls, etc.) in many places all over the space.

Once the minefield is set up, divide players into pairs.  Create pairs carefully.  In each pair, one person will be blindfolded and will be not allowed to see or talk.  The other person is allowed to see and talk, but is not allowed to touch the other person or enter the minefield.  Have each pair decide which role they want to play and distribute blindfolds.

The goal is for each blindfolded person to get from one side of the field to the other.  He or she must safely avoid touching the “mines,” by carefully listening to the verbal guidance of their partners.

Give each pair a few minutes of planning and preparation for their communication strategy.  Then, have all the pairs go to one end of the minefield.  Once blindfolds are worn and everyone is ready, say “Go!” and the activity begins.  The blindfolded person can not talk; he or she just listens and walks.  The guider can’t touch his or her partner, but he or she can speak to his partner and use whatever verbal strategy he or she wishes.

After a pair successfully reaches the other side of the minefield, swap roles and repeat the process.

Note:

• Be careful that blindfolded people don’t crash into each other.  The facilitator should ensure collisions don’t occur.  He or she can walk around and help keep people separated.
• Create a penalty for touching a “mine”.  Perhaps a time delay, or a loss of points, or (worse case) a restart.
• If a person prefers not to play, do not force a person to be blindfolded.

At the end of the time, debrief and allow for reflection; ask pairs what they learned from the experience.

Closing Prayer

Holy and gracious God, you have formed the universe out of chaos into your good creation. Help us to recognize your grace in our everyday lives. From the time that we rise, to the time that we rest, surround us with the knowledge that you have called us into Your presence where we can know peace, compassion and security, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Questions

• What are some of the most important symbols or images of the Christian faith to you and what do they communicate? (For example, what meanings does the cross convey?)
• Think about your worship service, what symbolic actions, gestures, or postures do you notice? What do they “say?”
• Can you think of any other important symbols at work in our daily lives? What do they communicate – what “stories” do they tell? Do they draw people together or push them apart?

Taking a Knee or Making a Stand?

Some stood.  Some knelt.  Some remained in the locker rooms or stood together in the tunnel, as an unprecedented collective action unfolded prior to the kickoff of all 14 NFL games on Sunday, September 24.  During the pregame ceremonies, in which the American flag is displayed as the national anthem is sung, players, coaches, staff, and

even some team owners locked arms with each other on the sidelines in response to comments made earlier in the weekend by President Donald Trump. The President had called for team owners to “fire or suspend” players who kneel during the national anthem.  As the acts of solidarity among NFL teams played out throughout Sunday’s events, President Trump continued to weigh in against those who knelt via Twitter, encouraging fans to boycott games if the protests continued.  The national conversation that was sparked by these events is ongoing.

At the heart of the issue is the meaning and power of important symbols, and of the postures one assumes regarding those symbols. Do you stand or take a knee?  Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid of the San Francisco 49ers originally decided to kneel during the anthem as a protest to what they understand to be issues of systemic racial injustice.  You can read a recent opinion piece by Eric Reid outlining their reasons and intentions here: https://nyti.ms/2yoJqPU.

On the other side of the debate are those who believe that the players’ refusal to stand during the national anthem shows great disrespect for the flag, and, therefore, for America, itself.  This is the President’s stated objection, also tying the symbol of the flag to the service of those in our military, and to their sacrifices on our nation’s behalf.  For President Trump, the issue is not about race.  (You can read one of many articles outlining the President’s position here: http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-trump-on-his-role-in-kneeling-protest-1506289872-htmlstory.html)

So, what is this moment in our national conversation really about?  Is it about confronting injustice or disrespect for the flag?  Is it about standing with those who have given of themselves to create a nation characterized by values such as freedom, justice, and equality?  Or is it about taking a knee in critique of how far we have yet to go in the struggle to make those values a reality in the lives of many people of color?  How can our interpretation of certain postures be so different? And finally, who gets to decide what the real issues are?  Perhaps it is the symbols that are in play, and the power they have, that make it hard for us to know.

Discussion Questions

• Flags are potent national symbols, and can impact us at deep, emotional levels. Have you ever experienced a time when the sight or use of the American flag stirred you emotionally?
• How would you answer the questions in the final paragraph above?
• What issues have threatened to destroy our unity as a nation in the past? What issues divide people today?  How are these issues the same?  How are they different?

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 5:1-7

Philippians 3:4b-14

Matthew 21:33-46

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

In our gospel lesson for today, Jesus is also dealing in some very powerful symbols.  Jesus’ “Parable of the Wicked Tenants” follows his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event we celebrate on Palm/Passion Sunday as the beginning of Holy Week.  The

donkey and the route that Jesus takes in this procession are not accidental.  Jesus makes use of potent national symbols to make a statement about himself, as the gospel writer makes clear in Matthew 21:1-11.  Jesus then attacks the powers that be through “cleansing the Temple,” itself a central symbol for the Jewish people. Among other things, Jesus’ actions lead to the setting of this story, a series of confrontations with the Jewish religious leaders and authorities. Last week’s gospel reading (Matt. 22:23-32) presented the first part of the conversation we rejoin today.  In this conversation, the Jewish leaders challenge Jesus’ legitimacy and authority to do the things he is doing.  He, in turn, calls into question not only their legitimacy as leaders of the true Israel, but also their loyalties and motives concerning God and God’s purposes and desires for the people.

One of the well-known symbols that Jesus uses in these confrontations is that of a vineyard, long an image for Israel and Israel’s special relationship as God’s people.  The prophet Isaiah’s “Song of the Unfruitful Vineyard” in today’s first lesson (Isaiah 5:1-7) is but one example of this symbol’s use in Scripture, and is well worth reading over.  The point of Isaiah’s message is Israel’s unfaithfulness.  What more could God have done?  God prepared in the very best ways, planting and cultivating a people through whom a harvest of faithfulness, justice and righteousness was expected.  What God received was something else altogether.

Jesus’ parable follows a very similar plot.  Here a landowner prepares a vineyard and leases the vineyard to tenant farmers, expecting to receive his due – a share of the harvest.  They in turn are not faithful to their responsibilities, but instead treat the landowner’s representatives (and therefore the landowner, himself) with great contempt and violence.  Now given that Jesus’ opponents were also experts in the Scriptures, it is easy to imagine that they made the connections right off the bat.  The landowner is God, of course, and the tenants are the leadership of Israel.  The long-string of servants which the tenants mistreat are the prophets who were beaten, stoned, even killed for declaring the word of the Lord and pointing Israel back to her true purpose and vocation.  But who then is the landowner’s son in the story?  That is the question.

Lest we think the answer to this question is obvious – Jesus, of course – remember that the whole issue behind these confrontations and the increasing animosity towards Jesus centers around his true identity and by what authority and power he is doing the things he is doing.  In answer, Jesus points them to two places in the Scriptures, Psalm 118:22-23 (Matt. 21:42) and Daniel 2:44-45 (Matt. 21:44).  In the first, Jesus makes use of a play on words in the Hebrew language between the word for “son,” ben, and the word for “stone,” eben.  Though they are rejecting Jesus and his message, and indeed will ultimately reject him through the cross, God has something else in mind and will vindicate Jesus in the end.  The second passage from Daniel serves to underscore Jesus’ point.  Here again the image of a stone is used, but this time from an important passage in terms of the hope of a time – a messianic age – in which God would defeat all the opposing kingdoms and restore Israel.  God is doing that, Jesus claims, but not in the way that many, including his opponents, were expecting.

In the end, the chief priests and the Pharisees who have come to confront Jesus get the point.  They are the tenants in the story and Jesus is the son.  Enraged by such a challenge to their legitimacy and authority, they want to arrest Jesus – and will eventually – but for now they can only stand by helpless because of the crowds around them.

It is easy, of course, to read this passage from the perspective of being on the right side of things.  After all, we know who Jesus is.  We believe in him, “unlike those stubborn, hard-hearted people who put him on the cross.”  Sadly, the history of the church has been to do just that, to read such passages and find in them a reason to hate and persecute our Jewish brothers and sisters as “Christ killers.”  Yet if we are to listen carefully to our own experiences – to conversations such as the ones we are having now around taking a knee or making a stand – then perhaps we can come to a deeper understanding of what is happening in this passage, especially in light of its  use of powerful symbols of faith and national identity.

One final thought concerning the ending of this parable: if Jesus is indeed the Messiah (and I believe that he is), and if we are “joint heirs” with him of God’s kingdom as Paul says (Romans 8:15-17), then are we not also accountable to God for producing the “fruits” God expects to see?  Perhaps then another issue this passage calls us to think about is this, if we, as followers of Jesus, have been given the kingdom as Matthew declares (Matt. 21:43), then what sorts of “fruit” is God looking for from us?  What sort of “kingdom” is God calling us to be?

Discussion Questions

• When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” what do you think we are asking? What does God’s kingdom look like to you? What pictures or images come to mind?
• What is the “harvest” that you think God wants/expects to see from God’s “kingdom people?” Perhaps make a list together.  Some passages you might investigate for ideas include: Isaiah 58:1-14; Micah 6:6-8; the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7).  What other verses, stories, or parables come to mind?
• If you talked above about the issues that divide people today, what do you think would be a Christian response(s) to some of the things you discussed? Or if there are other issues, anxieties, or needs particular to your group or community, talk about how you might respond in ways which bring God’s love and light to bear.  What is one small step…one small action that you could take today to make a difference?

Activity Suggestion

Take a tour your worship space together. What symbols do you notice? If your space has stained glass windows depicting biblical people or stories, for instance, why do you think those themes were chosen?  Does the shape of your worship space or the way that the altar is arranged communicate something?  For example, many older sanctuaries are built in the shape of a cross, and altars are often placed in the round.  What are the messages?

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, in the waters of baptism you name us and claim us and make us your very own.  Thank you for the gift of faith, and for your relentless love that will not let us go, no matter what.  Empower us by your Spirit to be the kingdom-people you call us to be, and lead us to be living signs of your grace in the lives of those around us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.