Faith Lens

Stephanie Opsal, Albuquerque, NM

Warm-up Question

How do you choose what to “like” or “follow” on social media?

Take the Invitation

How many times every day on Facebook are you asked to join a group, answer a friend request, or play the latest online game? Perhaps today more than ever, we are bombarded with invitations. Some are very significant, such as a family member’s wedding announcement, but many are very trivial: “[Insert name here] has invited you to play a game of Words with Friends.”

shutterstock_193013642edit Every request to which we answer “yes” implies an investment. When we choose to invest our time in a new friend or game we show what values are important to us. Do you spend all day playing online games? If so, you reveal that you enjoy and value those activities. Do you actually communicate with the “friends” or “followers” you have on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? If not, why did you say yes to their invitations?

In the same way that we are cautious about what personal information we reveal online, we need to be aware of how many different events, causes, groups, and friend requests we accept. “Likes” and things we “follow” reveal our personality and help form the identity that we represent to the world. Do you want to be known as a gamer? A soccer fan? A Christian? A supporter of cancer research? A follower of a famous actress? What you say “yes” to says a lot about your character.

For some games and applications, you have to sign contracts or consent to license agreements and stick to the program’s terms. When you’re in, you have to play by the rules. Think twice before automatically signing “yes” to every invitation that comes your way.

Discussion Questions

Discuss some of the people you follow, things you support, or games you play on social media websites, such as Facebook or Twitter. What things do you check the most? Why?
Do you ever “like” or “follow” something that you do not truly care about? Why or why not? Do you think this hurts anything?

Lectionary 28

Isaiah 25:1-9

Philippians 4:1-9

Matthew 22:1-14

(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 C at Lectionary Readings.)

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

Gospel Reflection

In our Gospel story, Jesus tells a parable about a wedding feast. A king is throwing a banquet for his son, but the guests he had previously invited now refuse to come. Twice he sends servants to the intended guests, telling them it is time to come to the celebration. Instead of jumping on board, they go off on their own way. Some even brutally attack the messengers. The king destroys those murderers and burns the city.

The king tells his servants to go out to the streets and invite everyone they can. The servants bring in many new people, of both good and bad reputations, and fill the banquet hall. Though many are poor, dirty, or stuck in sin, the king gives them a place at his banquet table.

Happy ending, right? Not quite. One new guest does not put on the wedding garments. In this historical context, the host always gave guests specific garments that were to be worn for weddings. This clothing was free and readily available for all guests. All were expected to wear them. A guest who chose not to wear the garment would come across as arrogant, as if he or she was too good to wear the standard dress. The guest would suggest that he or she did not truly want to take part in the ceremony.

The unfortunate fellow who did not wear the wedding garments was tied up and thrown out of the feast. The issue was not that the newly-invited man from the street could not afford the right clothing, but rather he was given the proper attire as a gift and yet chose not to wear it. He thought he could do whatever he wanted, when he actuality needed the son’s covering to receive his place.

This parable is a beautiful illustration of God’s story of saving you and me. The book of Revelation talks about the Son of God having a magnificent wedding feast to reunite Christ and his beloved bride, the church, at the end of time:

“‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding feast of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, ‘These are the true words of God.'”– Revelation 19:6B-9 (NIV)

Jesus offers an open invitation to his eternal wedding feast, but people have to come ready, clothed in his fine linen, which is Christ’s righteousness. When Christ died on the cross for all the world’s sins, He made His people clean, covered by His righteousness. They need only they believe that it is true and accept that righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made Him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

The parable suggests that Jesus invites everyone to come to His feast, both the religious people you might expect to follow God and the broken, weary, sinful, sick, poor, and dirty people. All are welcome in God’s house.

Two conditions prevent the parable’s potential guests from enjoying the banquet. The original guests say “no,” quite possibly more concerned about their own money and well-being than God’s desires. As a result, the king declares, “Those invited were not worthy,” (v. 8). The improperly clothed man got a free invitation but spoiled his chances by not wearing the required, yet freely available, attire.

What does this mean for us? Christ offers all an invitation to follow Him. He loves us so much that he keeps offering open invitations. However, we cannot get into the party by our own merit. We are saved by his work, but we do have to accept the gift. Otherwise we will be left, like the invited, no-show guests at the beginning of the parable or the unprepared man at the end.

Give your life to following God. Accept that you need Christ’s forgiveness of sins to receive heaven. This is one invitation you cannot pass up.

Discussion Questions

Why would the first invited group of guests refuse to come? Why do people choose not to follow Jesus and accept His gift of eternal life?
Do you think it was fair that the improperly dressed man was abusively kicked out of the banquet?
Discuss what you think the final verse (v. 14) means: “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Can we follow Christ half-heartedly as we do with many of our social media interests?

Activity Suggestions

Look up your own most-used social media profile page, such as Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, or Pinterest. View your page objectively, as if you had never seen it before. How would you describe yourself, based on the things you see written on the page, causes you support, and people with whom you interact? Think about what your page says about your outlook on life, values, attitude, faith, friendships, and identity. Is your page an accurate representation? If not, why not? Decide what image you want the world to see. Are there some things you would like to change? Change things, delete things you no longer commit to, and refresh your social media identity to be who you want to be.
Draw a picture of a “wedding garment” or make a list, and write or draw things about yourself and God that you want to represent to the world. What are some qualities of Christ’s righteousness? Search your Bible for Jesus’ character traits, and write things that you want to increase in your life, (e.g. love, forgiveness, kindness).

Closing Prayer

Jesus,

We praise you for teaching us about yourself and your ways through parables. Lord, we want to follow you whole-heartedly, know your love for us, and sit at your heavenly wedding banquet. Help us to live in your way and invite others to know you. We love you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Scott Mims, Virginia Beach, VA

Warm-up Question

What are some of the most important symbols of the Christian faith to you and what do they communicate? (For example, what meanings does a symbol like the cross convey?)
Can you think of any other important symbols in your daily life?

Symbols Matter

On September 18, 2014, the world watched as an historic vote unfolded in Scotland. By a margin of 55% to 45%, with nearly 85% of registered voters casting a ballot, the Scottish people voted “No” to independence. Their decision preserved a union between England and Scotland that has endured for more than 300 years.

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Yet there was more at stake in this referendum than just the “United” in United Kingdom. In the weeks leading up to the vote, as it became apparent that a vote for independence just might succeed, there was a great deal of anxiety on the part of many different parties. Not only were there impassioned pleas from leading politicians on both sides of the issue, leaders from all over the world weighed in, as did many international celebrities and artists. Questions were also raised concerning the impact of a “Yes” vote. For example, what would Scottish independence mean for the European Union or for NATO? How would a positive vote impact other countries like Spain who are dealing with their own independence movements? Like a rock being thrown into a calm pond, the ripples of this event radiated far beyond the borders of Scotland itself.

In many ways they still do. Though the vote is over, the issues it has raised, the emotions and passions that have been stirred, and the political debates that have been initiated will continue to resonate for a long time to come. At the heart of things is the question what sort of kingdom will this United Kingdom be?

Discussion Questions

Flags are potent national symbols. The Union flag of the United Kingdom, for example, is composed of the St. George’s Cross of England, St. Andrew’s Cross of Scotland, and St. Patrick’s Cross of Ireland, symbolizing in its very design both a union and unity. For those of us in the United States, what do the different elements of our flag mean or symbolize?
Symbols can often impact us at deep, emotional levels. Have you ever experienced a time when the sight or use of the flag stirred you emotionally?
What issues have threatened to destroy our own unity as a nation in the past? What issues divide people today? How are these issues the same? How are they different?

Lectionary 27

Isaiah 5:1-7

Philippians 3:4b-14

Matthew 21:33-46

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

Gospel Reflection

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.” Among other things, his actions lead to the setting of this story, a series of confrontations with the Jewish religious leaders and authorities. They challenge Jesus’ legitimacy and authority to do the things he is doing. He 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 itself. 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 well worth reading. 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 (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 (the original language of the Hebrew Bible, what we commonly call the Old Testament) 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 eventually will. For now they can only stand by helpless because of the crowds around them.

It is easy 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, and “bad” 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 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 the issue this passage calls us to think about is this, if indeed followers of Jesus have been given the kingdom as Matthew declares (Matt. 21:43), then 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 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. Can you follow up your discussion with action?
In your opinion, is it important for Christians – particularly people your age – to express their faith through outward acts of service? Why or why not?
If your congregation participated in the ELCA Day of Service, think about how your group might either continue or extend that service in your community or the wider world.

Activity Suggestions

Tour your worship space together. What symbols do you notice? If your space has stained glass windows depicted 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? Many older sanctuaries are built in the shape of a cross. Altars are often placed in the round. What do these things symbolize?
Think about your worship service. Make a list of all the symbolic actions or gestures you notice? Remember that both worship leaders and the congregation engage in symbolic actions. What do they “say?”
Together make a list of the sorts of things God wants/expects to see from God’s “kingdom people?” Some passages you might investigate 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?

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.

Dave Delaney, Salem Virginia

Warm-up Questions

Either individually or as a group, brainstorm a list of everyone in your life who can legitimately tell you what to do. Try to be specific.
Why do you end up doing what these individuals and groups say? Are there different reasons in each case? Which ones do you believe or follow or obey because they can make consequences happen to you, and which ones do you believe or follow or obey because you are convinced they are right or you just trust them?
Another way of coming at the same question: what is the difference between power and authority?

Who Says

Two high-profile public trials have recently ended: On Sept. 4, former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen were convicted on charges of corruption after accepting money, gifts, and loans from businessman Jonnie Williams in exchange for special access to government favors. Then on Sept. 12, South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius was acquitted of premeditated murder but convicted for reckless homicide in the shooting death of his girlfriend. And in a different sort of case, half-brothers Henry McCollum and Leon Brown were recently released after more than thirty years in prison because newly presented DNA evidence showed that they were not guilty of raping and murdering an 11-year old girl in 1983.

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All of these legal decisions were made because someone – a judge or a jury – decided who was telling the truth and judged whether testimony matched the evidence. Even in the example of the DNA proof, which we usually think settles the matter, someone had to decide whether to accept it. All three cases and so many others highlight at least two things: 1) the challenge of figuring out whether someone should be trusted when they speak, and 2) the question of who has the authority to make decisions like this. In both cases, we wonder where that authority comes from.

Each of us has to make these kinds of decisions every day – decisions as to whom we should trust and on what basis. The more trustworthy the source, the more likely we are to believe it. The closer the speaker is to the information, the more easily we can trust it. If we are suspicious about something we hear, the first words out of our mouths are likely to be “Who says?”

Discussion Questions

In these news items authority depends on testimony being trustworthy and knowledgeable. Why do we believe what God says or has said? Why do we trust what the scriptures say about God? Why believe what our pastors say about God and the world? Is it only because of what others have told us about living life with God or also because of things that we have experienced?
In the midst of life’s challenges and doubts, how do we continue to listen to Jesus when he speaks and trust that he has the authority to do so? What are the patterns and habits we can practice that will strengthen our trust in him, especially when faced with those who would say he was a liar or a fake?

Lectionary 26

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32

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

Gospel Reflection

This passage is one of several in the gospels where the religious leaders challenge Jesus concerning whether he should be allowed to teach people about God and their lives in God’s kingdom. It also reflects the remarks of Jesus’ hearers (Mark 1:22 / Matthew 7:29 ), who say he speaks “with authority” in contrast to their own religious leaders. In other words, when they listen to Jesus, it sounds like he has first-hand knowledge of the subject of God and life with God! He knows what he’s talking about and isn’t merely repeating things he has heard or surrendering to conventional wisdom just because that’s what had always been taught.

Time and time again, the people hear Jesus zeroing in on the core of what it means to experience the kingdom of God. Jesus’ teaching strikes them not only as reliable, but also as offering something missing from the way they had been taught to understand and serve God. The political and social pressures on the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day often forced them to give primary attention to stabilizing their relationship with the Roman Empire and fixing the boundaries of their religious community. No matter how much they hoped to lead the people into an authentic faith in God, it took Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God, to bring them into God’s own saving love. It is good news for us that Jesus lives and continues to be present to us through faith, so that we to can follow his leadership into God’s kingdom regardless of what other distractions may come our way.

This text comes from the last week of Jesus’ life. He has just come into Jerusalem to cheering crowds (21:1-11), cleared the temple of merchants and money-changers (21:12-13), begun healing the blind and lame (21:14-17), and taught about the power of faith (21:18-22). In the midst of all these activities, he was headed toward his arrest and execution just a couple of days later. So we see him speaking to the religious leaders in very stark terms about how things will soon change and why. He first exposes their commitment to political, rather than faith and life, concerns with his question about John the Baptist. Then he uses the parable of the two sons to lift up that God’s grace, which draws very unlikely people into God’s kingdom, will soon win the day over their political approach. This is more good news for us, allowing us to stop yielding to the temptation to draw lines between “the righteous” and “the sinful.” We can welcome anyone who seeks God because God invites all into the kingdom.

Discussion Questions

In the gospels, some who were utterly convinced that Jesus had authority to teach God’s truth liked what they were learning about God from Jesus, but balked when he called on them to align with the purposes of God’s gracious love. Are there things that Jesus calls us to do or to be which might make us unhappy rather than joyful about his authority over us as his followers? (If you need help, consider Matthew 5-7, the instructions for the church in Matthew 18, or his commandment to evangelize the world in Matthew 28). What are the hard things in those lists that might make us turn to Jesus and ask “Who says?”
When we receive challenges to the Christian faith, how can we have conversations with others that will let us know if they are perhaps truly curious about our faith and secretly wishing we could convince them that it is true?
Why do you think that Jesus did not just give the religious leaders a straightforward answer about who he was and that he was both the promised Messiah and the Son of God? [We have to speculate, but some possibilities are: 1) There were lots of prophets and other self-proclaimed messiahs running around who claimed to be God’s chosen one; just saying so would prove nothing. 2) Even if Jesus proved himself to them, he knew that they would use that information for their own political and social benefit (see his long criticism of them in Matthew 23) to exclude even more those whom they decided did not measure up. 3) Jesus knew that they were not really asking him this question honestly and so instead turned the challenge back on them]
Does the parable that follows Jesus’ conversation with the religious leaders (21:28-32) sound like it could come from your life? Have you ever behaved like either one of the sons in the parable? When we share faith with others or invite them to experience the joy of our church, which response would we rather get – an insincere yes from someone who has no intention of following through, or a cold reception from someone who ends up being devoted to Christ and his teachings?

Activity Suggestions

To experience what it’s like to see if someone is telling the truth, try a variation on the game “two truths and a lie.” The original game divides the group into two teams and they take turns having one of their own members tell the other team three things about him/herself, one of which is a lie, and the other team has to figure out which one it is. In a revised version, the whole team has to come up with two statements about something any one of them has actually *seen* or *heard* firsthand (e.g., they’re going to tear up the interstate again, some famous musician has a new video up on YouTube, so-and-so dyed her hair blue, etc.) and then a third statement regarding something they only heard about but did not see firsthand. The other team then has to figure out which one is second-hand information. As the game goes on, start asking groups to include statements that might be considered matters of opinion, but some hold as very true and important! What happens then?
Play a round of “telephone,” and at the end ask the group who would need to be asked in order to find out the original message. The obvious answer is the person who came up with the original message. Then the group can get a sense of how likely it would be that 1) God’s message might get distorted over time until Jesus came along and 2) why the religious leaders might actually have a good reason to care about where Jesus got his information.
Have three people role play the conversation between the father and the two sons in the parable and try to imagine what they would say to each other as each one of them is trying to prove that s/he is right. Other members of the group should yell suggestions for things to say. In a society like the one of Jesus’ day, where obedience to parents was a huge deal with a lot at stake, how might each of them reacted?

Closing Prayer

God of all truth and ruler of our lives, soften our hearts and minds with the ministry of your Spirit, that we may trust you for everything, be ready to receive your word with gladness, and open ourselves up to the real and powerful thrill that comes with living life close to you. Guide us through the teachings of our Lord Jesus and help those who doubt him or care only for earthly things to turn to him, even though they have refused once or even many times. In his name we pray.

Jen Krausz, Bethlehem, PA

Warm-up Question

Warm-up Question: How do you react when you think something is unfair?

Better Than Fair

College football season is in full swing. As with any group, some student athletes choose to break the rules set by their coaches or their leagues. Coaches must then give out punishments including suspensions, counseling, and extra hard practices.

Early in the season is the biggest time for suspensions. Colleges have had to discipline players for many different infractions, including failing drug tests, not going to classes, cheating in their classes, and even being arrested on charges like DUI or assault.

shutterstock_186023696edit Many different factors determine the punishments players receive. Former Texas coach Mack Brown describes it this way: “You’ve got to be consistently fair with your rules, understanding that there are so many inconsistent things that are thrown at you.” Brown once had three of his players get DUIs during one off-season. He disciplined them differently because two of the players had been causing trouble for a while, but the third had never broken a rule before.

Former Auburn coach Gene Chizik tells why he thinks the same offense may not always be punished the same way: “If the team knows you’re fair, you’re good. You want to be as consistent as you can be, but consistency is not always doable. Fairness can be.”

Houston Nutt, who coached at Arkansas and Mississippi, learned this philosophy playing at Arkansas under his coach, Jimmy Johnson: “Players who rarely if ever step out of line get leeway and second chances. Problem children don’t.”

Nutt also said coaches must take into consideration that their discipline measures might hurt the team, which may in turn put the coach’s job in jeopardy. It’s not an easy position for a coach to be in, since they are paid to win games.

Nutt once suspended his starting kicker for getting a DUI after Nutt had warned the players not to party before the game. The team lost the important game, and two weeks later the DUI charges were dropped. It was frustrating, but Nutt felt justified in suspending him.

“You have no respect for your team and coaches,” he told the player.

Punishments may not always look fair to observers, but sometimes the message can be communicated by what seems like a mild consequence. As Florida coach Will Muschamp said when he was criticized for reinstating players after suspending them from a game that was cancelled after ten minutes, “There are a lot of things that go into discipline. It’s about altering and changing behavior, which we’ve done here.”

Discussion Questions

Is there a difference between fairness and consistency? If so, what is the difference?
Do you think everyone should get the same punishment for the same infraction? Can you think of a time when that didn’t (or wouldn’t) work?
If a coach is unfair, what effect might that have on the team?
When a coach treats players fairly, what effect does that have on the team?

Lectionary 25

Jonah 3:10—4:11

Philippians 1:21-30

Matthew 20:1-16

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

Gospel Reflection

If you grew up going to church, you’ve probably heard the words of Matthew 20:16 before. You may have even heard them so often that they get on your nerves. They may have been used to make you feel guilty for rushing to be first in line, or as a consolation for being last. Your siblings may have thrown these words at you to compensate for their own feelings that they were being treated unfairly.

“The last will be first, and the first will be last.”

In all of history, only Jesus teaches such radical unfairness. Only Jesus possesses the grace to give those who worked for one hour the same wage as those who worked all day. How wonderful for those who received a full day’s pay for only an hour’s labor. May we all have been this fortunate at one time or another in our lives.

What about those who worked all day? Shouldn’t they get more? This is where our sense of unfairness kicks in. It just feels wrong to work all day and get paid no more than those who worked one hour. What a sour feeling to think you were first, and end up being last.

In this parable, the wages are meant to stand, in part, for forgiveness and salvation for believers. Forgiveness and salvation are available to us whether we choose to believe in Jesus when we are young or on our deathbed. It is the same gift to all believers.

Some believers don’t think this is fair. “I have believed and served God all my life,” they think. “I should get more than the person who lives a sinful life and only repents on at the very end of his life.”

In this parable, as in all his teachings, Jesus shows us that it isn’t about our efforts, how long we are a Christian or how great a Christian we are. Instead, we need to focus on God’s grace, which is the same for all, because we all need it equally. If we want to be truthful, none of us deserve God’s grace and forgiveness. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Although some of us are Christians just about all our lives, and some only come to faith very late in life, our need for salvation is exactly equal. This is the truth Jesus portrayed so well in this parable.

Discussion Questions

How does this story feel different if you focus on the people paid for one hour, than it does if you focus on the people paid the same for a whole day’s work?
Does Matthew 20:16, “The first will be last, and the last will be first,” give you a sense of comfort, or does it make you angry? Why?
Grace means “unmerited favor,” in other words, not deserved. Besides forgiveness and salvation, what have you received from God that you know you didn’t deserve?
What effect do you think conflicts about being first or last might have on a church?

Activity Suggestions

As a group, find an opportunity to serve a person or a group of people in need. Serving others is a way to put them first. Some ideas are providing a meal at a soup kitchen, raking leaves for someone, washing their car, etc. Afterward, discuss how it felt to serve in that way.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for your grace in forgiving us when we couldn’t do anything to deserve it. Thank you for the example of your justice in the world. Help us to be gracious toward others and willing to put them before ourselves. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

John Wertz, Blacksburg, VA

Warm-up Question

We all make mistakes. Share one excellent mistake you have made and what you learned from the experience.

A Mother’s Forgiveness

In December 2012, Josh Brent, an offensive linemen with the Dallas Cowboys, got into his car after a night of drinking and was involved in a one car accident. His passenger, Jerry Brown, Jr., a teammate and Josh’s best friend, was killed in the crash. At the time of the accident, Josh’s blood alcohol level was .018 – twice the legal limit. He was eventually convicted of intoxicated manslaughter and served 180 days in jail and was sentenced to 10 years of probation. In June 2014, Josh was released from jail and in early September, he was conditionally reinstated by the National Football League and given a 10 game suspension. If all goes as planned, Josh will return to the football field a mere two years after his deadly accident.

While some people were outraged that Josh didn’t serve more time in jail and other people were surprised that the NFL would allow him to return to the field at all, Stacey Jackson, the mother of Jerry Brown, Jr., announced that she was “very happy Josh has been reinstated with the Dallas Cowboys!” Shortly after the accident, Jackson publicly stated that she had forgiven Josh and that she hoped others, including the Dallas Cowboys would do the same. At Josh’s sentencing, she asked the court for leniency saying, Josh is “still responsible, but you can’t go on in life holding a grudge. We all make mistakes.” When the news of his reinstatement was made public, she affirmed her forgiveness and her hope that Josh would be given the opportunity to rebuild his life. “My beautiful son”, she said, “is in Heaven now, and Josh has to be given a chance to live his life and do something for someone else! We all make mistakes, and we all have an entrance date and an exit day. Although I miss Jerry every day, I know he would be very happy that Josh has another chance to play football!”

Discussion Questions

Do you think the NFL should have reinstated Josh Brent?
How do you think you would have reacted if you had been Stacey Jackson?
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, over 300,000 people drive drunk each day. To combat this problem, some people are proposing blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testers be added to all automobiles. How would you feel about having to pass a BAC test each time you needed to start your car? What arguments could you make for and against this requirement?

Lectionary 24

Genesis 50:15-21

Romans 14:1-12

Matthew 18:21-35

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

Gospel Reflection

shutterstock_205370161edit When Peter asks, “Lord, . . . how often should I forgive. As many as seven times?” (Mt 18:21) It appears that Peter is hoping Jesus will give him a clear, definitive answer. It appears that he is hoping Jesus will say something like “You must forgive offenses one to six, but once you reach offense number seven, then withholding forgiveness is perfectly acceptable.” Instead of providing a simplistic black and white answer, Jesus responds “seventy-seven times” and offers Peter a parable that demonstrates God’s generous forgiveness, the difficulty we have in extending forgiveness to others and the call we have to model God’s forgiveness in our relationships with others.

As the parable begins, we see a king ready to settle his accounts. We see a slave facing a debt that is impossibly large and we see a king ready to take the steps necessary to secure repayment. The order is given for the slave, his family and all his possessions be sold, but then something remarkable happens. The slave asks for patience and mercy and out of pity, the king forgives the debt. While the king doesn’t specifically say to the slave, ‘Go and do likewise’, it is clear that the king expects his generous forgiveness to be reflected in the life of his servant. Shortly after receiving this generous act of forgiveness, however, the slave finds himself on the other side of the equation. A debt is owed to him, mercy is requested, but unlike the king, this slave refuses to extend forgiveness. When the king finds out, he is furious. How could one receive mercy and forgiveness and not share mercy and forgiveness with others?

We too have received a generous gift of forgiveness from our King. In the waters of baptism, we are washed in the generous promise that thanks to Jesus’ death and resurrection our debt of sin is paid. Like the slave, the question for us is “How will we respond to this generous gift?” Will we receive God’s gift of forgiveness, yet refuse to share it or will we receive God’s gift of forgiveness and build on that gift to extend God’s forgiveness generously and freely to those around us?

Discussion Questions

What would the world be like if there was a law that said you only had to forgive the same person seven times in a lifetime?
Think of the last time someone forgave you. How did it make you feel to be forgiven? What difference did that forgiveness make in your life?
What are ways that you can draw on the strength of God’s forgiveness to help you forgive others?

Activity Suggestions

Using the Confession and Forgiveness in the ELW (pg. 98) as a model, work as a group to write a prayer of confession that relates specifically to your life. Ask if your prayer can be used in Sunday worship or just use it in a service with your group.
Try adding the phrase “I forgive you” to your life. When someone says, “I’m sorry.” Reply “I forgive you” instead of saying “Ok” or “Thanks”. Pay attention and see how it feels to actually say “I forgive you” to another person

Closing Prayer

Merciful God, in the waters of baptism, you connect us to the promise of forgiveness and new life. Help us receive your forgiveness in our lives and to know the good news that your ability to forgive is greater than our ability to sin. Inspire us to offer mercy and forgiveness to the people in our lives. Amen.

October 12, 2014–Take the Invitation

October 5, 2014–Symbols Matter

September 28, 2014–Who Says?

September 21, 2014–Better Than Fair

September 14, 2014–A Mother’s Forgiveness