Pentecost 20 Year A

Pentecost 20 Year A Matt. 21:23-32 The Rev. Benton Quest

Father grant that what we say with our lips

We may believe in our heart

And what we believe in our heart

We may show forth through our lives

Through our Lord Jesus Christ

Amen, Amen, Amen

That song is one of my favorites from my days as a camp counselor. I never knew the official title to it; we only referred to it as “Father Grant.” Now I know the lyrics are not politically correct, but I think we can understand the sentiment.

This song always reminded me of the struggle that goes on in our lives between what we want to do and what we do actually do. Or perhaps between what we say we will do and what we do actually do. First, the song makes not of the struggle between what we say to the world and what we truly believe. Then the second part speaks of the struggle between what we truly believe and what we do in our lives and in our actions.

These two struggles can be likened to the two brothers Jesus speaks about in the parable in our Gospel reading. The first brother says that he will not go into the vineyard and work for his father. But after some thought, he changes his mind and goes and works.

Now the second brother appears to be better than the first. When his father asks him to go into the vineyard and work, he immediately agrees. But this son never seems to fine his way into the field. So in the end, although the son says he will do the work, no work is ever done.

Then Jesus asks them, “Which of the two did the will of the father?”

I think we would answer like the chief priests and the elders; we would say that the first did the will of the father. Most of us would agree that we would rather be surprised by expecting to have to work and finding the task finished than by expecting all the work to be done and arriving only to find nothing had been done. Jesus tells us that this, too, would be God’s response.

Jesus aims this parable at the chief priests and elders. He points out how they proclaim to have such high holiness but yet they were not able to follow through on the words of truth they heard from John. Jesus compares these priests and elders to the prostitutes and tax collectors. The prostitutes and tax collectors were the supposedly “bad” people, but these were the people heard the words of John and believed them and lived them out. It wasn’t the ones who professed to be high and holy who were pleasing to God, it was the ones who lived out God’s truth in their lives.

Frankly, I don’t think we are either one brother or the other. I think we often act like both brothers. Sometimes we put on a show of our faith for all the world to see, but when we are away and alone, it is then that we as we will not as God wills. Other times we may not want to even consider that God would have any plans for our world. We just want to do what we want when we want. We don’t want to think about what would be right and just, we just want to be comfortable. But then, after some time, we realize that what is right and just is also what is best for not just us, but for all involved. We decide to follow through with our understanding of God’s plans for the world and go out and do what we had previously said we would not do.

As I said, I don’t think we are one or the other, I think we are, at various times, both brothers. Sometimes we get the words right, but we don’t follow through. Sometimes we finally figure out what is right but might not have the will to say it. Sometimes we eventually get it right, but just as often we don’t.

But there is a third son in this parable, one the Biblical people may not have known about but the audience Matthew was writing to would have known about: That third son is the son who not only responded affirmatively when asked to work in the vineyard, but also went out and did the work. That third son was the son that was pleasing to the father in not just word, but in word and deed. I am sure you have figured out that I am talking about The Son, Jesus the Christ.

In the person of Jesus, we have the salvation we search for. In Christ’s death and resurrection, we are made right with God. Whether we say “yes” and then go about our own thing or say “no” and change our minds, Christ’s sacrifice of self is given on behalf of all of us.

Now it would be easy to just then assume that we can bypass what God asks of us and just do our own thing; you know, as long as life is good for you that is all that matters, right? Well, that is not what Paul is telling us in the epistle reading for today. Paul has something different to say.

Paul reminds us that we are to follow the example that Christ set for us. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” Yes, our salvation is assured, but we are not to keep this salvation to ourselves. Jesus tells us and Paul reminds us that we are to look after each other and not just for our own interests. We are to work in the Lord’s vineyard to help bring in the harvest. We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Now this doesn’t mean that our salvation is dependent upon our works; but it does mean that we are to bring our faith to life through our works. We are to be about the work of Christ in our community, in our work, and in our world. Like our Savior, we are to strive to have the words of our mouths and the work that shows forth in our lives be the same thing.

One of my favorite lines from the Lutheran Baptismal service exemplifies this though: It said, “My your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and praise you God in heaven. That is what we, as Christians, are to strive for. And as I have said over the past few weeks, this is not easy.

That is why we have been given the gift of the table. That is why we are called from our daily lives to be here in this place and be nourished at this table. Each of us is called to be refreshed and to be strengthened. And this is not something we do ourselves, this is something that God does for us through those around us.

In the song I sang at the beginning of the sermon, there is recognition that we cannot do this alone. The song begins with a petition to God the Father and concludes with a petition to God the Son. And finally we would sing in rousing agreement: AMEN! Lord thy will be done.

Father grant that what we say with our lips

We may believe in our heart

And what we believe in our heart

We may show forth through our lives

Through our Lord Jesus Christ

Amen, Amen, Amen

Pentecost 19 Year A

Pentecost 19 Sept 21, 2008 Matt. 20:1-16 Rev. Benton Quest

I was driving down I-96 a while ago and there was a billboard along the road with an American flag blowing in the wind and the words, “God Bless America” emblazoned across the flag. You may not have seen the billboard, but I am sure you have seen something similar.

Now this might seem rather obvious, but you will note that the signs, songs, whatever, say “God Bless America”; there are no signs around saying “Jesus Bless America.” Some of you may say that when we pray for God to bless America, we are including Jesus and the Holy Spirit in on the deal. You know, that Trinity, Three-In-One, thing. But I think there is a different reason. As Americans, we would like for God to bless America, however, we probably do not want Jesus to bless America. If Jesus were to bless America, life as we know it would be thrown into chaos.

It is not an accident that we are the country that created Mr. Clean, Rosie the Riveter, and The Marlboro Man. Part of our national myth is the belief that through hard work we can reach our dreams. We profess equal work for equal pay. We speak of putting our nose to the grindstone and working to achieve our dreams. We are the country where anyone can grow up to be president but where there is no such thing as a free lunch.

This whole school of though is the way we often view the God of the Old Testament. The God of the Old Testament gives blessings to those who obey and follow directions but strategically places earthquakes to swallow up evildoers and turns into pillars of salt those who do not unquestioningly follow the rules. The God of the Old Testament is pretty much a you-get-what-you-disserve kind of God. In this way of thinking, the harder you work, the more blessings you get. Understandable. Straightforward. We like this way of thinking, it appeals to our sense of moral value.

It is this moral framework that allows us to feel good about ourselves. We can look at others and feel that we must be better than they are because look at how horrible their lives are. If they were only; good, more self disciplined, thinner, less lazy, more charitable, less self-serving, more educated, less educated, more responsible, more easy-going, whatever, then their life would be better. Because of their personal lack, they are getting what they deserve. Also, because we are better, we have the better life that we deserve.

We may not like to face this portrayal of life, but I think it is something we all believe at one level or another. It is what surrounds us as Americans and it is not a totally bad mythology. It has created a hard-working, creative people. However, it has also created strife, violence, and hatred. It has created the highest standard of living on the planet. However, it has also created problems of pollution, exploitation, and abuse. But in our worldview, here in America, we need the belief that you get what you deserve.

As I said before, you notice we don’t say, “Jesus Bless America”? If Jesus were to bless America, things would have to change big time! The whole “you get what you deserve” philosophy would be gone. This is the meaning behind the gospel for today. You see, in today’s gospel we are dealing with that mind-boggling concept of grace. The blessing of Jesus is not simple payment for being “good” or for being “hard-working,” the blessing of Jesus is so much more!

The blessing Jesus tells us of today is the blessing that comes from abundance. I think we have difficulty understanding the world as a world of abundance, we usually only focus on the scarcity and lack in the world. We are much more willing to complain about what we don’t have instead of reveling in what we do have. Focusing on lack is the way of the world, focusing on how we are blessed is the way of Christ!

What happens, when we focus on abundance, is we realize we do not need to grab so tightly to the things of the world. We do not need to hang on so tightly as if nothing else will ever come our way. Abundance assures us that we will get what we need when we need it. Abundance challenges us to be thankful for what we have and to not compare ourselves to others.

In the gospel reading, we have workers and an employer. The employer goes out at various times of the day and hires workers of the fields. At then end of the day, the employees are paid. Those who were employed last are the first to get their pay. They are paid, let’s say for the sake of argument, $200. Now the people at the end of the line, that would be the first employed and the ones who worked the longest, were thinking, “Wow! If they are getting $200, we should be getting over $1000! We are obviously much better than they are because we worked more than they did!” Still, when those who were first employed got to the front of the line, all they received was $200.

Now these, the first employees, were not amused. They felt they deserved more money. They felt they had the right to complain to their boss. I think we would probably agree with them; they worked more so they should get paid more. I know I would be grumbling if this were to happen to me! But it is the grumbling that is the hallmark of our lack of understanding. The workers grumble because they assume there is only a certain amount of work and a certain amount of wages. We would grumble because we believe the same thing. We believe that what we see is all that there is.

If we have learned anything as Christians I would hope it is that in the reality of Christ, what we see is just a hint of the true reality of things. That in Christ the blind see, the lame walk, and the dead are raised! Christ is a “never say never” kind of guy! In Christ, there is much more to life than what we see! We need not worry about getting equal pay for equal work because the pay is endless! Tomorrow there will be pay, and the day after that, and the day after that! We don’t need to grumble because others seem to get more than we do but seem to work less; in the abundance of Christ, there is more than enough. Besides, in the realm of Christ, we are given eternal peace and eternal forgiveness. When the gift is the eternal, it is hard to justify the need for getting anything “more.”

Now this brings up an interesting point: When we hear this story we get upset because we place ourselves in the role of the workers who have been toiling in the field all day while others are just loafing until the end. We get angry because we worked so hard when we could have been playing. We feel it is an outrage because we were there working while the others were getting paid for doing nothing.

Unfortunately, we do not know what the other workers were doing before they were hired. Maybe the others had to take care of their families. Maybe they had to bury a loved one. Maybe the ones who were hired later were trying to find work in some other place. We don’t know what kept those who were hired later from being present when the master came. So in this situation, if we were the ones who were first hired, we should be glad to have had the good luck to be present when the master of the field stopped by. We were there because we were not dealing with the tragedies of life nor were we wandering aimlessly. We were there because we had a purpose and a place. We were there to be called and therefore we received our reward.

The others who came later may have been dealing with the trials of life. They were late, but you know what? The reward was there for them also! They were given the gift of working in the garden and were rewarded for their work. If we are the first to have been hired, we should be glad that the other workers made it to the fields and could now provide for their families.

However, I think we are often the ones who arrive at the field later in the day. We have been searching for other ways to earn a living and finally end up in the town square lost and begging. It usually takes us a while to find the field of Christ. Often we go to the field of possessions, or maybe the land of money. We may take a path into public recognition. Eventually, we find that it is only in the field of our Lord that we find prosperity.

And when we finally get to the field, aren’t we glad that our Lord is a generous giver? Aren’t we glad we are paid not as to how much we have earned but paid out of the immense abundance of God? Aren’t we glad God is willing to look beyond our shortfalls and sees the beautiful creation God himself has created?

If we can see how much we have been blessed – how many of our faults have been passed over – how can we fail to keep that blessing to ourselves? In recognizing our weakness and God’s strength we are challenged to go out and find more workers for the field! In the recognition of God’s abundance, we need not fear that we will be forgotten. There is plenty for all with more to spare!

So you see, this is not the way most want God to bless America. But this is the way Jesus would have God bless America! The harvest is great but the workers are few! The pay is wonderful and the hours are easy! And on top of it all, the more the merrier! And you know, the first may be last and the last may be first, but because of Christ, we are all going to get to the same place!

Pun Answer

The answer is Saratoga! Get it? Sarah-Toga! HA HA HA!!

Pentecost 18 Year A

Pentecost 18 Year A Matthew 18:21-25 The Rev. Benton Quest

If you were to listen to what most “Christians” have to say (and I use the quotes because I sometimes have problems calling their message Christian) the only thing that the Bible talks about is homosexuality and abortion. It seems like these two things are lifted up as the litmus test as to whether one is a good Christian or not. And the thing that is even more intriguing is that most of the arguments and proof texts that are used as to why these subjects are important don’t even come from the mouth of Jesus or even the New Testament. Most of the “proof” comes from the writers of the Old Testament.

When we look at the words of Jesus, we encounter what I like to refer to as the “Preacher’s Nightmare.” What Jesus likes to talk about is not the things that make for nice, comforting, sermons. The things that Jesus talks about tend to make people feel a bit uncomfortable. So, unfortunately, when preachers preach about them, we preachers tend to get accused of having an agenda. Well, I have to tell you, it is not me that has the agenda, it is Jesus who has an agenda.

One of the biggies of Jesus is, thankfully, not the subject of today’s gospel lesson. That biggie is the use of money. Jesus speaks of money and how we handle our money over 400 times in the Bible. That is a lot! No wonder it is often the subject of sermons. But another of the biggies is the subject of today’s gospel. That would be forgiveness.

Forgiveness is of major importance to Jesus. We discussed last week about how we forgive and how forgiveness can help to end the chain of hate. And today, we continue to learn more about how we, as Christians, are supposed to live when it comes to forgiveness.

Now when I was in college, one thing that my professors made clear to us is that it helps a discussion if we can all agree on what we mean by the terms. So I guess I want to start with what I would consider a working definition of “forgive.” To forgive means to give up our perceived “right” to restitution and revenge. I will say that again: To forgive means that we give up our perceived “right” to restitution and revenge.

Now, this perceived right can take many forms. I remember my nephews fighting. My sister told Eric to forgive Luke. Eric says he does forgive Luck but as soon as my sister’s back is turned, Eric runs up and punches Luke. When I asked Eric why he did that after forgiving Luke, his response was, “Well, Luke punched me first!” When we forgive, we give up that right to revenge. Another example I can think of comes from the movie, Dead Man Walking. Here we find a man talking about his Christian faith but then wants to see the murderer of his daughter killed. The man says he has forgiven the murderer; he just wants the sentence of capital punishment so he can find “closure.” Whether we call it “closure” or whatever, when we seek revenge, we have not yet forgiven. We may say we forgive, but when we have to make sure the person knows we have forgiven them, and that person knows what they did wrong, well, in that situation, we really haven’t forgiven. Forgiveness is something that is given by the forgiver, regardless of the response of the one forgiven.

In today’s gospel, we learn more about forgiveness. Today we learn what it means to truly forgive. In the reading, we have Peter asking a simple question of Jesus, “How many times should I forgive?” Simple enough. And I think Peter probably though he was being pretty generous in extending forgiveness seven times. But Jesus doesn’t let Peter off the hook. Jesus doesn’t say, “Yah, I guess seven times is enough. That is pretty generous of you Pete.” No, Jesus raises the bar. The exact words Jesus says here are open for interpretation; but whether he says “77 times” or “70 times 7 times”, Jesus challenges Peter, and us, to forgive a whole bunch of times. Seventy is a lot of times! Trying to remember all those times is difficult. The point is, if we are keeping track of the number of times we have forgiven others, then we have not really forgiven at all.

But the second part of the gospel presents us with a bit of a problem. It would appear that in the parable presented, the forgiveness that is given is not freely given at all. It would appear that there are some major strings attached. If we look at the story, we may get some insight.

The servant was indebted to his king for over 10,000 talents. Now, we need to remember that one talent is equivalent to what the servant could earn in 15 years. So in reality, there would be no way this servant could every repay the king. Now the king, being kind and caring, realizes that the debt can never be repaid and forgives the debt for the servant. So we can see that the king truly forgives. He does not seek revenge or retribution. He just gives up his right repayment and interest.

Now we would think that the slave would have learned about what it means to forgive from this event, but it doesn’t appear so. We would think that the servant would be willing to forgive a much smaller amount that was owed to him because he had had such a large amount forgiven him. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The amount of money the second servant owed the first was comparatively small. A danarii is equal to the amount of money a slave would make in one day. So the second servant owed first about 100 days of pay. But instead of showing compassion to the second, the first servant had the second thrown in jail.

Well, as you can guess, when the king catches wind of this, he is not pleased! After he had shown great forgiveness to the servant, the servant would not even show a little forgiveness to his fellow servant. This is something the kind could not let happen. So the king had the first slave thrown in jail until the debt was paid, in effect, until the slave died.

Jesus tells this parable to teach his disciples not only how often we should forgive but also, why we should forgive. We, like the servant, have had our sins forgiven. We have had a debt that we could never repay forgiven. God has given up the right to seek revenge and repayment from us. Jesus took that burden from us and placed it upon himself. It is given freely. But how are we going to respond?

Well, of course, we are to forgive those around us. We are supposed to forgo the revenge and repayment we feel we deserve. And we are to continue to do this. We are to continue to gorgive. I think this is the most difficult part of these readings; we are not just supposed to forgive once, we are to forgive again and again.

As I said, I am sure Peter thought he was being pretty generous when he offered to forgive seven times. It makes sense, doesn’t it? If, after seven times, the person is still offending you, then the person must not want to change. So, give the person seven tries and then write the person off.

But Jesus wants more of us. Jesus uses the 70 times or the 70 times 7 as a way of demonstrating for us what it means to forgive constantly. We are to forgive as God forgives, and that is constantly. Even when we continue to sin, God continues to forgive. Even while we were in the midst of sin, Christ died for the forgiveness of those sins, all of them.

But this forgiveness was not just a one-time thing, it continues! Christ paid the price for us. And it is because of this forgiveness that we are to go out into the world and forgive also. As we have received the forgiveness, so we are to pass it on.

So, who do you need to forgive in your life? What revenge do you feel you deserve but now need to let go? Who do you feel has wronged you but now you need to let that feeling go? I challenge you to not just let these questions slip through the cracks of your consciousness. I challenge you to seriously think about them. Then I challenge you to forgive that person or persons. Really forgive. I challenge you to forgive those people right now. Give your right to revenge and restitution to God and then let it go. I challenge you to remember the great forgiveness you have received through Christ, and then to pass that forgiveness on to those around you.

We are called to forgive. We are called to forgive again and again. We are called to release the grudges we may hold. Remember: Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die. The only person who is imprisoned by our need for revenge and retribution is us.

This may seem like and immense undertaking, but we are not alone in the process. We have the promise of forgiveness through Christ. Our debt, a debt we could never hope to repay, has been canceled in full. We have received forgiveness and it is through this forgiveness that we are able to forgive others. This is our gift, and this is our call.

Being human, we will probably have times when we will forget this truth, but that is ok. Jesus brings the topic of forgiveness up in the Bible, A LOT! If we forget, there will be another sermon on the topic to help keep us on the right path.

Pentecost 17 Year A

Pentecost 17 Year A Romans 13: 8-14 September 7. 2008 The Rev.Benton Quest

You know, this week we remember the seventh anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. There are some of us that will never forget the exact place we were when we heard the news. But there is also a new generation that has no memory of the event. But whether we remember or not, that attack of terrorism has become a part of our lives. Our lives are different now than they were seven years ago. Life is more difficult now than it was seven years ago. I almost got stuck in Canada a couple of weeks ago because I didn’t have my birth certificate with me when we were trying to cross the border. Back in 90’s I remember crossing) the border with my driver’s license and my word that I was an American. Now… No way! Even now we cannot return to that feeling of being safe that we had before the attack. We now have to take our shoes off to get on an airplane and it takes hours to get through security.
On that day, our view of the world changed. We had to look at the world with new eyes. We had to take a more accurate view of the world. And what is really sad is that the tragedy that we experienced seven years ago is just a taste of what many places in the world experience on an almost daily basis. This is not to minimize the losses that we experienced; but I wonder if the attack really did what the terrorists wanted. The terrorist were trying to get something, but all that they got for their hate was more hate in return. What we can learn from this event, seven years ago, is “Hate enacted results in more hate.”
When people lash out in hate, it never changes the situation. All hates seems to do is to just create more hate. I mean, just think about it: I hate you so I punch you. Now, do you say, “Wow, I just got punched. I must be a jerk! I better change my ways and follow a new path. Thank-you for punching me and pointing out my character flaws!”? I really doubt it. If I punch you in the eye, you are probably going to punch me back. Then I punch you and so on until one or both of us are lying on the floor. And, you know, nothing really got solved, although now we will probably never speak to each other ever again. And our children will probably never speak to each other. Or their children, or their children…
So you see, if we cat out of hatred, all we do is cause more hatred. When we act with revenge, all we do is propagate more violence, more disdain, more distance. Often we feel we are “owed” some kind of revenge. We have the law of the Old Testament, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” We have the right, THE DUTY, to strike back. When we acted upon in hatred, we feel we are feel we are totally justified in returning the pain for the pain inflicted. We feel we OWE it to them.
We may feel this, but in today’s reading from Romans, we are told differently. As Christians, we should not owe anyone anything, except to love one another. We are not to find ways of seeking revenge. We are not to repay evil with evil. We are not owed an eye for an eye. We are not owed a tooth for a tooth. We are not to take revenge upon others. We are to love one another.
At this time, it is easier to come up with what this love doesn’t look like. It doesn’t wish to heap pain upon the perpetrators of crimes or their families. It doesn’t seek out ways to humiliate the perpetrator or the family of the perpetrator. Our obligation is not to beat the other to a pulp.
But we, as Christians, are obligated to love. Now remember, love is not just that warm, squishy, furry teddy bear feeling. It is not the head-in-the-clouds, walking-on-air kind of feeling. Actually, love is not a feeling at all. Love is a choice. Love is a series of actions. Love is our energy placed into motion for the good of the other. Love is working to make the life of the other as joyful as possible.
In working to make the life of the other joyful, this doesn’t mean we are to become doormats. We are not supposed to just take everything that comes our way. That is not love either. Quite often, Christ’s teachings are difficult and painful. Jesus does not say, “If a member of the church sins, just gloss over it and don’t embarrass that person. We would not want to have the person think we are prying into his business.” That approach would not be loving either. To allow a person to wallow in sin is not loving at all. And we are not to stop at trying once; we are to try again! And this time, when we try again, we are supposed to being more people. And what are we supposed to do if the person does come around after the second try? We can quit, right? Isn’t that what Jesus meant when he said we were to treat the person as a Gentile or a Tax Collector?
Not hardly! How did Jesus treat the Gentiles and the Tax Collectors? Jesus healed the gentiles. Jesus ate with the tax collectors. Jesus did not send the gentiles and the tax collectors away, he stayed within their midst. So, too, are we to treat those that are in sin. We are to love them and invite them in. We are to continue to love them, even those we would consider our enemies.
As followers of Christ, we are to look to Christ as our role model. Christ loed us and died for us even when we were unrepentant and downright cruel. We were subjecting this man to a cruel, humiliating, and painful death, and his thoughts were for our forgiveness, for we knew not what we were doing. Christ didn’t seek revenge or retribution. Christ didn’t seek a life for a life. Even as he was dying for our sins, his love was still with us. That is the model of love that we are to follow. That is the path our leader blazed.
This is not an easy thing to do. I am not going to stand here and tell you that it is. But it is the path that leads to life and joy and freedom. It is the path to the kingdom of God. It is in loving others that we can find peace in our lives. I had heard it said that holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die. Christ didn’t die so we could remain bound to our sin and our petty hates and grudges. Christ died so we could have a full life, here and now! And that full life comes when we release what we feel we are owed and move toward realizing what we can give. We can receive this full life when we reach out to our enemies, not to punch them in the eye, but to love them in whatever way we can.
For most of us, the anger of seven years ago has probably subsided. But I am sure there are other people who you can call to mind that pique your anger. Those people may be co-workers, family members, or maybe even a spouse. Even though we feel these people may have tried to hurt us, should we try to hurt them in return? Should we continue with the petty bickering that may exist between us and those whom we interact on a daily basis? Should we continue to seek revenge that in the end serves no one?
Or can we be true disciples? Can we love those who we may consider our enemies? Can we wish the best to those who would wish us the worst? I think we may be able to for a while, but I think that without help, we are destined to fail.
Having said that, I do believe that the Christ that exists in you and the Christ that exists in me can give us the strength to choose to love over choosing to hate. I do believe that the Christ that exit in you and that exists in me will give us the wisdom to work for healing instead of working for the continuation of pain. I do believe that the Christ that exists in you and that Christ that exists in me and the Christ that exists in President Bush and the Christ that exist in Senators McCain and Obama and that aggressive driver on the interstate can move us to places we have never dreamed. Revenge is death. Love, love is life! As true followers of Christ, and through His strength, lets remind the world of the powerful love that we have been given through our Savior. The love that is there for all, just waiting to be embraced.