First Reading: Jonah 3:10–4:11

¹⁰When God saw what [the people of Ninevah] did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
 ^4:1But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. ²He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. ³And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” ⁴And the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” ⁵Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.
 ⁶The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. ⁷But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. ⁸When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
 ⁹But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” ¹⁰Then the Lord said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

Psalm: Psalm 145:1-8

The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Ps. 145:8)

 ¹I will exalt you, my God and king,
  and bless your name forever and ever.
 ²Every day will I bless you
  and praise your name forever and ever.
 ³Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!
  There is no end to your greatness.
 ⁴One generation shall praise your works to another
  and shall declare your power.
 ⁵I will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty
  and all your marvelous works.
 ⁶They shall tell of the might of your wondrous acts,
  and I will recount your greatness.
 ⁷They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness;
  they shall sing joyfully of your righteousness.
 ⁸The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
  slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Second Reading: Philippians 1:21-30

²¹For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. ²²If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. ²³I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; ²⁴but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. ²⁵Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, ²⁶so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.
 ²⁷Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. ²⁹For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well—³⁰since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16

 [Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ²After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. ³When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; ⁴and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. ⁵When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. ⁶And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ ⁷They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ ⁸When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ ⁹When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. ¹⁰Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. ¹¹And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, ¹²saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ ¹³But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? ¹⁴Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. ¹⁵Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ ¹⁶So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  Today I want to look again at one of Disney’s beloved fairy tales that has been made into multiple movies, Beauty and the Beast.  Belle, a beautiful young town girl, is captured by a Beast who is actually a prince turned into a monster by a wicked fairy.  He must learn to love Belle and get her to love him before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. Meanwhile handsome and buff Garcon is convinced Belle is the right wife for him.  There is much drama and beautiful music and magical love that sees beyond the scars of life.  Belle wins the heart of the Beast who humbles himself.  And she learns to see beyond appearances and to love the Beast.   In our text today we are tempted to see a landowner as a beast because it seems unfair to pay all his workers the same wage though they have worked different amounts of time.  Can we see beyond his seemingly gruff exterior to the heart of love beneath?  Let us try.

Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my rock and redeemer.

SERMON

         What is the context of our text today?  We are in Pentecost, asking how our faith impacts our lives.  We are somehow like Disney’s Beast because we are like the prince living under a curse.  We in a similar way are children of God living in the kingdom of this world if sin.  Biblically, Matthew sets the context of the story in a setting where a young rich man comes to ask Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life.  What must he do to break the curse?  The man believes he has fulfilled the law and has tried to do everything, as God requires.  Maybe he is like Disney’s Garcon, the arrogant young man who wants to marry Belle and flexes his muscles bragging about his wonderfulness.   The young rich man of Jesus, though, suspects he has fallen short.  Hence the question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  I suspect many of us, in the depths of our heart ponder if there is something more we need to do to get to heaven?

         In the Bible, the young rich man is told to share his riches and he has left sad, for he was very wealthy.  Beauty tells Garcon she does not want to marry him and he leaves angry.  The Beast and Garcon must each humble himself.  The disciples hear this and despair as they have left everything to follow Jesus.  What more must they do as faithful followers?  Jesus tells this story.

¹“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

         A landowner, God, the owner of this world, takes the initiative to seek and hire us, the laborers.  Faith is not a once in a lifetime opportunity, it seems. God keeps coming back, hiring workers at various times of the day – early morning, nine a. m., noon, and 3 p.m.   We do not know if the people in the square refused him earlier hoping for a better offer, or if they slept in or if perhaps they were passed over, but the owner keeps returning.  At the end of day, at the end of time, rewards for work done were given.  I find that encouraging. 

         God does not give up on seeking workers and God does not give up on us.  God does reward.  Some come to faith as children and some later on.  Some of us have dramatic stories of conversion and some of us have the internal peace of growing into productive workers for our Lord.  God is not a one size fits all God! In the face of death, we comfort ourselves that one-day we will meet our heroes, our relatives and friends, and perhaps that wayward special person who turned to God at the last minute.  God is a landowner seeking laborers.  Belle and the Beast go through the tale learning to love each other.  The curse is reversed at the cross but there is another theme being woven of how we learn to love each other, see past our scars and masks and humble ourselves.

         The twist is that all the workers, the early morning and the late afternoon workers, all receive the same wage. “Unfair” cry those who have worked all day.  Did I hear an “Amen” from you?  By the world’s standards, life IS unfair!  It is unfair that late, lazy or unqualified workers get the same wage as those who have worked hard all day and done what is right.  It’s ok to shake your head and agree in the depths of your heart.  We demonstrate for fair wages, equal rights and justice.  People want life to be fair for all ethnicities, all economic strata and all people.  But life is not fair and we demand justice in the kingdom of this world.  The Beast and Garcon should have equal opportunity to claim Belle’s heart.  Both men are fighting arrogance but the Beast is also fighting a curse.  The odds are stacked against him.  Handsome and buff Garcon seems to have all a man needs to impress Belle and the town’s people agree. It is so easy for us to feel like victims of injustice.

         In Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, the writer talks about the martyrs through history who died during persecution for their faith.

         “³⁹ These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, ⁴⁰ since God had planned       something better for them so that only together with us would they be         made perfect.”

 Jonah in our Old Testament reading, in the face of God’s mercy to Nineveh, sat under a bush God provided and sulked.  A worm destroyed the bush and Jonah whined.  He knew God to be merciful.  There was no point in his work.  Life was unfair in Jonah’s eyes.  God responds – should he not be concerned about the Ninevites who cannot tell their left hand from their right?  Should God make life revolve around Jonah or you or me? Perhaps there is a bigger picture we do not see and cannot understand?

         If we connect blessings in this world with God’s approval, as the Jews did, then we end up asking, “Who sinned, his parents or this man, that a man should be born blind?”  When faced with a diagnosis of cancer, a bankruptcy, a wayward child, a setback in any area, it is easy to cry, “unfair” and put our lives under a microscope to see where we went wrong.  This world is not the kingdom of heaven and our sense of values is warped by this world.  Perhaps when we get to heaven we will see the bigger picture and there we will be treated fairly.  God works outside our boxes and has a bigger plan he is working on.  Belle and the Beast do not see the bigger picture till the end when he has humbled himself and they have learned love.

         As I step back from the demands for justice, I must ask myself if it is true that life is unfair.  Those hired early in the morning, let’s say the disciples, represent people who had the blessing of walking and talking with Jesus in person for years.  The early workers had the privilege of working under a benevolent dictatorship, under the owner, God.  They had the gift of prayer.  They had the blessing of fellow workers hopefully supporting each other.  Paul in our second reading ponders the choice of death to be with Christ verses the suffering of this present life.  For the sake of his fellow Christians he chooses life.  Life as Christians cannot be compared to what we might have experienced without God.  We just don’t know!

         Meanwhile, whom are those late hirees working for?  They are not working for the Lord; they are sitting in the public square waiting to be hired.  Perhaps we would not equate life without Christ as working for Satan but I would ask you to reflect on lives of others without Christ.  What was your life like before you came to faith?  Those late arrivers have not just sat in luxury in the market, enjoying life but have worried about how to buy food for their families, worried about who is first in line to be chosen, pondered their faults that they were not chosen. Perhaps they have grumbled, gossiped and despaired of life.  They have not had an easy life. For those of us who chose to follow Christ as youngsters, we have received benefits far beyond the wage at the end of time, a life of eternity in God’s presence.  In today’s lingo, the bonus of having a benefit package like health insurance, vacation days, or bonus days needs to be factored in.  Life is unfair but life with Christ has fringe benefits that help level the playing field.  Also, the Beast was not alone in his curse for he had servants loyal to him and rooting for him as the other enchanted workers in the castle.  The Beast is living in the castle as he struggles in community. 

⁸When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.

         Not only is God always seeking out laborers, not only do we not see the big picture, not only do we have a benefit package to go with our work but we now learn that all workers were paid the same wage at the end of time.  All believers receive eternal life.  When the Beast loves Belle and the spell is broken, all the enchanted servants are freed.  Love flows and transforms more than just the Beast.  How the rewards for good deeds will work out in heaven, we just don’t know.  There are theories about heaven.  Some talk about gems in crowns.  Many think of a heavenly choir or floating on clouds.  I like C. S. Lewis’ image in the last book of Tales of Narnia, The Last Battle, where the heroes start running as they reach heaven, crying “Higher up and higher in”.  That gives the feeling of continued relationship and adventure, as we are able to receive and continue growing with Christ after death. We are all recipients of God’s grace and God will reward us fairly in eternity.

^“11And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,”

         Next, notice that the unfairness of life in this parable has the workers grumbling against the owner, God.  I do not see them reflecting on their choices that led to the results.  They do not say, we should have waited to the last minute to start working for God.  That is not their response.  Their response is to blame God of unfairness.  Faced with the horrible circumstances of life, poverty, disease, and war, I can hear that little voice on my shoulder whispering, “And where is your God?  Is he lost in the heavens?  Does he not care about you?”  All the doubts about God’s love rise to the surface in the face of unfairness.  Do you notice how our attention has gone from the blessings of working for God and his character to the pain of our own situation?  We become self-centered and not God-centered.  We must be careful that we do not end up like Jonah, sitting under a withering vine, angry with God. Grumbling blinds us from realizing the blessings we are receiving and separates us from the God of the universe.

“Friend”

         Finally, please note how God addresses those workers who are grumbling and out of focus.  The owner responds to the workers, “Friend.”  Let me say it again.  “Friend.”  I must stop here and cry.  The God of the universe addresses me in the midst of my grumbling and laments and pulls me back to reality, “Friend.”  Abraham who got his wife to lie and become the Pharaohs concubine to save his own neck, who irritated Sarah with his favoritism for Ishmael until God stepped in and corrected him, this Abraham, the father of the faith, was called the “friend of God.”  In this parable today, God calls his workers friends.  I hear warmth, I hear love, I hear acceptance.

         I do not know whom you identify with in this story.  Perhaps you signed on with those early workers and you question God’s fairness?  Perhaps you are just overwhelmed at God’s mercy at the end of your life?  Perhaps you are just plain grumbling because life is hard right now and you want to demonstrate and bring justice to earth?

         This parable reminds us that the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of heaven are under God’s rule, a benevolent dictatorship that is run by his mercy.  God seeks to partner with us through out our lives. This life is unfair but when wages are paid we will receive what God has promised, eternal life in a kingdom without tears, without hunger, and without pain.  That is something to look forward to.  You are God’s worker and he addresses you a “friend.”  The curse on the Beast was not broken by hate and fighting but by the love of Belle.  The curse of sin was broken through forgiveness because of the cross, not by works but by the love of God.

Let the people of God say, “Thank you Lord.”

 

September 17, 2023

First Reading: Genesis 50:15-21

¹⁵Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” ¹⁶So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died, ¹⁷‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. ¹⁸Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” ¹⁹But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? ²⁰Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. ²¹So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

Psalm: Psalm 103:[1-7] 8-13

Lord, you are full of compassion and mercy. (Ps. 103:8)

[ ¹Bless the Lord, O my soul,
  and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name.
 ²Bless the Lord, O my soul,
  and forget not all God’s benefits—
 ³who forgives all your sins
  and heals all your diseases;
 ⁴who redeems your life from the grave
  and crowns you with steadfast love and mercy;
 ⁵who satisfies your desires with good things
  so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
 ⁶O Lord, you provide vindication
  and justice for all who are oppressed.
 ⁷You made known your ways to Moses
  and your works to the children of Israel.
]  ⁸Lord, you are full of compassion and mercy,
  slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love;
 ⁹you will not always accuse us,
  nor will you keep your anger forever.
 ¹⁰You have not dealt with us according to our sins,
  nor repaid us according to our iniquities.
 ¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth,
  so great is your steadfast love for those who fear you.
 ¹²As far as the east is from the west,
  so far have you removed our transgressions from us.
 ¹³As a father has compassion for his children,
  so you have compassion for those who fear you, O Lord.

Second Reading: Romans 14:1-12

¹Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. ²Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. ³Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. ⁴Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
 ⁵Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. ⁶Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.
 ⁷We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. ⁸If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
 ¹⁰Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹For it is written,
 “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
  and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
¹²So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35

²¹Peter came and said to [Jesus], “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” ²²Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
 ²³“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; ²⁵and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. ²⁶So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. ³¹When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. ³²Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. ³⁵So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  The Lion and the Mouse

A Lion lay asleep in the forest when a timid little Mouse ran across the Lion’s nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.  “Spare me!” begged the poor Mouse. The Lion was much amused but he was generous and let the Mouse go.  Some days later the Lion was caught in the ropes of a hunter’s net. He filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and ran to one of the great ropes that bound him, gnawed it, and soon the Lion was free.

      Share with your neighbor.  What does this story teach us about forgiveness?

Let us pray.  May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, My Rock and My Redeemer.

SERMON

         We are a little over half way through the Pentecost season.  Not only do we “serve a risen savior,” our lives are in the process of being transformed by our faith in him on this journey of life.  We live with one foot in this world and one foot in the kingdom of heaven.  We are in process.  We are in relationships with God and his creations but also we deal with our sinful selves.  As Martin Luther said, we are saints and sinners all the same time.  We bless those we relate to and we have the potential to deeply wound them also.  Last week our text raised this tension of broken relationships.  I am always impressed that Jesus reminds his disciples that what happens in our lives affects what is happening in eternity.  What we bind on earth is bound in heaven and what we loose on earth, is loosed in heaven.  My anger and bad attitudes affects how God can work with another because I am God’s agent. Likewise my ability to forgive the “other” loosens God’s hand and allows his love to flow.  That’s “deep,” as my husband would often say.

         Peter, always ready to comment, follows up today with a question to Jesus in our text, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive?” Now that is a question worth chewing on!  Perhaps our minds think of the “big ten” commandments and breeze past this text thinking we do not know any murderers and we have not committed adultery.  We are not addicts, not addicted to pornography or gossip so the lesson applies to someone else.  Before we are too quick to snooze through this sermon let me ask, how many times do we have to pick up after our children or spouse or close a door for someone who just never seems to close anything?  We won’t mention squeezing or rolling the toothpaste or putting the toilet paper rolling forward or backward.  Yes, there are habits, “idiosyncrycies,” that irritate and make us want to bop someone on the head and make us want to yell.  We don’t want to call it “sin” to be forgiven but our relationships are impacted and snarky remarks can suddenly fly from our mouths.  I would say that this text is not just for big sinners with big debts but also for those of us who tend to remember the slights of others.  Our hearts ask Peter’s question, “How long do we have to tolerate the shortcomings of the other?”  Whether we are the lion with a mouse in our paws or a mouse caught by a lion, God is speaking to us today.  Let’s dig in to the parable that Jesus tells to help us.

“…how often should I forgive?”

         I first ponder what forgiveness means.  It certainly implies an offense where one side is offended and the other side is thought guilty of thoughtlessness or worse.  The mouse disturbs the sleep of the lion.  The motives of the mouse are not a factor.  The character of the mouse is not in question for the lion laughs thinking the mouse could help him.  The ability of the mouse to pay back his debt is silly.  The power rests with the lion.  The kingdom of this world thinks of forgiveness in a tit-for-tat way.  Court sentences are assigned according to the degree of offense.  We pay fees for speeding and go to jail for robbery.  We believe the punishment should fit the crime. 

         In the parable, the king is not motivated by vengeance though.  He does not want to get even with the servant for abusing his generosity.  Nor does he seem to be motivated by justice.  He is not rewarding the servant for good service by dismissing a debt.  I even notice that he is not motivated by any mention of a deep friendship with the servant.  The master is seeking to remove barriers to relationship – “a king who wished to settle accounts…” The king whom we know represents God has all the power and seeks to settle accounts with us, his servants, to clear the slate and be able to go forward.  The king seems to be motivated from within and not by anger.  The lion lets the mouse live because he chooses to.  He is being generous.

         I think this is an important point worth pondering.  If we understand the cross as Christ paying the debt for our sins or Christ appeasing a distant God separated from sinful humans we might end up with a view of God who is distant and distressed with our sinfulness.  He is always unhappy with us and we often feel not good enough, needing Jesus to plead our case.  If we understand the cross as Christ walking through death to show us that nothing in this world can separate us from a loving God who wants relationship, we might end up with a much more approachable view of God who delights in prayer filled conversations with us.  He is not just looking for praise and worship from his creation but for relationship to partner with.  Different branches of Christianity approach salvation looking through different lens.  If you come to church today weighed down with a past or present guilt, please hear that God wants to settle accounts and rid you of the burden.  He takes the initiative to remove the debt.  If you come to church today thinking God is just about love, please hear that we do have debts that are important to God and he wants to remove those barriers.

²⁷And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 

         Jesus tells a parable to make his point clear and to bring his point home.  Some person owes a huge debt, an impossible to pay debt, and begs the king for mercy.  If the king throws him in jail or sells his children, the king will never raise the money of the debt.  Even if the servant has an estate sale or foreclosure, the king will only receive a portion of what is owed.  Besides no amount of money can compensate for the memories of the need for the loan or the humiliation of asking.  The servant can never create new health, new smiles or new memories.  Killing the offender does not bring back the victim.  How much do we owe God for health, for family, for fellowship, for sunrises, or for answers to prayer?  We, the servants, have impossible debts because God’s generosity is impossible to assign monetary value to and daily he blesses us! The lion chooses to release the mouse because the lion knows himself to be generous. 

         Some people see God as the one who owes them for their faithful service. God owes them a good life because they have worked so hard and tried so hard to be good.  That’s how we think of a good boss.  After all, he created us and now it is his job to take care of us. I have heard the argument presented that God is good and I have tried to be good and love my neighbor as myself and so I don’t need to worry about God and church.  My good deeds demand God’s generosity.  When hard times come, we are surprised because we have tried to be good.  Part of the lesson here is that settling debt, settling sin, is not about good works, maybe not even about relationship.  There is no indication that there is a strong relationship between the king and the servant.  Forgiveness comes from the heart of God who does not desire to destroy our lives to get his due.  Let me say that again, forgiveness comes from the heart of God who does not desire to destroy our lives to get his due.  Forgiveness is an undeserved gift from the heart of God.  Mercy comes from above because God is a God of mercy and love.

^“31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened,”

         The king forgives the servant an unpayable debt because of his own character, not because of anything the servant does. We are blessed by God’s grace.  This forgiveness, though, should have a trickle-down affect. The story continues to tell how the forgiven servant goes out and sees a fellow servant who owes him a little.  He does not pass on the grace but demands repayment and refuses mercy to another.  We come to the communion table but go to the car and have choice words for the idiot who cuts us off in traffic or who is texting on his phone at the signal.  We who have been so blessed have the tendency to turn around and critique or judge another.  God forgives me and yet I demand from others.

         Not only do I not extend grace to my fellow human but also it is also true that other people are watching.  Others see the forgiven servant be cruel to his own debtor and report to the king.  Our lives are not lived in a vacuum.  I like to say, the wall has ears.  My mother would say, little pitchers have big ears in the back seat of the car.

         My love for God is imperfect and yet I demand perfect love from friends.  When I am unforgiving, I am refusing to give others what I have already received from God.  The Old Testament reading is about the life of Joseph who because of his brothers’ jealousy was sold into slavery and had a rough time in Egypt.  He was falsely accused of adultery by Potiphar’s wife and thrown in jail.  In jail he interpreted dreams but the lucky men who benefit forgot Joseph.  Finally he rose to power only to run into his brothers again.  He saved their lives from starvation but when father Jacob died the brothers are convinced they will now get what they dished out and they are petrified.  Joseph responds:

         “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? ²⁰Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. ²¹So have no fear;       I myself will provide for you and your little ones.”

When we refuse to forgive, we place ourselves above another and take the place that belongs to God.

         The New Testament reading reminds us that while we may feel right in our own eyes, others with weaker consciences are watching.  Our ability to forgive has a ripple effect.

         Allow me to summarize:

• We forgive because God first forgave us.
• We forgive because anger and hatred and bitterness destroy relationships and hurt us as well as the other. 
• We forgive because others are watching and we desire to give glory to God. 

         It is not easy to forgive.  It is not easy to be merciful.  Forgiveness cannot be measured nor do we know all the impact.  The lion had no idea the mouse would one day save its life.  Our debt is impossible to pay.  The mouse had no idea how it would repay the lion and so could only plead for mercy and promise to be available to help. God’s grace is impossible to measure.  Let us remember Christ on the cross for our sins as we face each other and those irritating things we do to each other. May we seek to honor God in all we do.  May we face each other with attitudes of gratitude and when caught in a falsehood, humbly seek forgiveness.

Is your image of God a being who is a just judge or is he a being willing to incarnate and go through death to be in relationship with you?  Our parable says God wants to settle our accounts, not get even.  He is merciful.  To God be the glory! 

Let the people of God say, “Amen.”

First Reading: Jeremiah 15:15-21

Jeremiah is strengthened by the simple words, “I am with you.”

 ¹⁵O Lord, you know;
  remember me and visit me,
  and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors.
 In your forbearance do not take me away;
  know that on your account I suffer insult.
 ¹⁶Your words were found, and I ate them,
  and your words became to me a joy
  and the delight of my heart;
 for I am called by your name,
  O Lord, God of hosts.
 ¹⁷I did not sit in the company of merrymakers,
  nor did I rejoice;
 under the weight of your hand I sat alone,
  for you had filled me with indignation.
 ¹⁸Why is my pain unceasing,
  my wound incurable,
  refusing to be healed?
 Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook,
  like waters that fail.

 ¹⁹Therefore thus says the Lord:
 If you turn back, I will take you back,
  and you shall stand before me.
 If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
  you shall serve as my mouth.
 It is they who will turn to you,
  not you who will turn to them.
 ²⁰And I will make you to this people
  a fortified wall of bronze;
 they will fight against you,
  but they shall not prevail over you,
 for I am with you
  to save you and deliver you,
 says the Lord.
 ²¹I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
  and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.

Psalm: Psalm 26:1-8

Your love is before my eyes; I have walked faithfully with you. (Ps. 26:3)

 ¹Give judgment for me, O Lord, for I have lived with integrity;
  I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.
 ²Test me, O Lord, and try me;
  examine my heart and my mind.
 ³For your steadfast love is before my eyes;
  I have walked faithfully with you.
 ⁴I have not sat with the worthless,
  nor do I consort with the deceitful. 
 ⁵I have hated the company of evildoers;
  I will not sit down with the wicked.
 ⁶I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord,
  that I may go in procession round your altar,
 ⁷singing aloud a song of thanksgiving
  and recounting all your wonderful deeds.
 ⁸Lord, I love the house in which you dwell
  and the place where your glory abides. 

Second Reading: Romans 12:9-21

⁹Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹²Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. ¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
 ¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. ¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. ¹⁸If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Gospel: Matthew 16:21-28

²¹From that time on, [after Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah,] Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. ²²And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” ²³But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
 ²⁴Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ²⁶For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
 ²⁷“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. ²⁸Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON: Aesop told the tale of “The Fox & the Grapes.”

         A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine growing on a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox’s mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them. The bunch hung from a high branch though. The Fox jumped for it but missed. So he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain.

         Finally the Fox sat down and reasoned, “What a fool I am,” he said. “Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of grapes that are probably sour.” Off he walked very, very scornfully.

         G.K. Chesterton said,  “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.”

Let us pray.  Lord may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

“From that time on…”

         Today we continue from last week when Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, the son of the living God. Jesus publicly affirmed Peter and said he would build his church on that “mustard seed faith.”  The next verses though flesh out what this means, “From that time on…”

          Jesus realized that Peter only partially understood the meaning of “messiah.”  We too have our plans and hopes for tomorrow and it is possible to become discouraged when reality challenges us.  We only partially understand.  Like the Fox, we wonder if we have been working for a bunch of grapes that are really sour and not worth the effort.

           “From that time on,” Jesus has to prepare his disciples for the reality that was going to face them.  He knows the world will try to convince them and us that faith in him is just sour grapes or perhaps a crutch weak people lean on.  For Jesus to finish fulfilling his role as Messiah, certain things were going to happen.  He would go to Jerusalem, suffer, die and resurrect.  We know that part of the story but Peter does not.  Faith is hard work.  One jump is not going to do it and he and we must learn to persevere.

         Jesus began to show his disciples that they must go to Jerusalem.  Can you hear me reminding us?  Faith is a journey, not a destination.  Jesus is not about freeing the disciples or us from Roman rule but from that moment when our “mustard seed faith” is planted, we begin a journey of learning how to live into that freedom that we will come to profess as our Christian faith.

         I do not know where your Jerusalem is but for most of us it will involve suffering.  I don’t know where you are headed and the transition you are going through but I can almost guarantee there will be painful moments.  Like the Fox, we jump and jump.  It is not easy to change alliances – from the world to God, from single to married, from non-Covid to Covid masking, or from interim Deaconess to the next phase of ministry for Bethany. But for sure our future involves struggle as we live into our dreams.

           After the struggle, new horizons open up.  After that period of sleepless nights, that baby grows and settles and parents start sleeping again and learning language to communicate with the new little creature.  Getting to know your new person will have its ups and downs but a new rhythm will develop.  But it is also true that sometimes our tomorrows involve walking with rebellious teenagers, rejection by people we professed love to or even walking with that loved person through the valley of the shadow of death.  Peter is thinking of the triumphant Messiah overthrowing Rome but Jesus knows his and our path is to Jerusalem and will involve suffering. 

         Parts of ourselves must die in the transition.  We must let go of old allegiances and the glory of those past days to be able to embrace the new ministry God has for us. The Messiah will move us from Synagogue to Church, from sacrifices to communion, from hierarchy to being the body of Christ.  Jesus is trying to tell his disciples, trying to tell you and me that change must come and it will be hard and often feel like death but the result will be salvation. Resurrection will come.  We know that from the life of Christ and we believe.  We call that faith.  Peter and the disciples had not lived into that yet and we have not lived into our future yet.

“God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.”

Resistance

         Peter resists Jesus’ revelation that going to Jerusalem means conflict, death and resurrection.  No, Lord!  We don’t want suffering and death.  We want victory and defeat of the enemy.  It is hard to get our hearts and minds around the truth that the God of the universe might allow us to be immersed in hard times.  I would suspect, if there is one big stumbling block in our faith, besides the Trinity thing, it is our belief that God by definition should be able to rescue us from all pain and struggling.  God should appear and resolve our issue if we only have enough faith, laid our hand on the television, donate enough money, or act in a certain way.  We expect grapes to be sweet. Pain should be avoidable if God is God.

         But Jesus calls it like it is.  Life is not about making me healthy, wealthy and wise. It is not just about my happiness. God is building a kingdom and we are learning lessons to live in that kingdom. God travels with us and is our God, not a magic answer to get us what we want.  We must trust that he sees the big picture and is with us in our momentary discomforts. 

         We hear the next words that challenge us to take up our cross as we follow him. Perhaps we grimace.  There is nothing pretty about a cross, nothing pleasant.  There is nothing easy about forgiveness.  It is not easy to share our wealth, turn the other cheek, or go the extra mile.  But that is the answer.  Violence, hate, and anger will never bring about a better world – I know that is not the common feeling now as culture embraces demonstrating, advocacy, and personal rights, but I just do not see it in Christ.  There is no way for our Fox to get that bunch of grapes but to learn how to jump. Demanding that the grapes fall in his mouth just does not work as hungry as he is.  The Fox can continue figuring out the way to get the grapes or he can quit and reason that the grapes are sour.  We face that same challenge when life gets tough.

         Jesus then asks a reflective question, ^“For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?” 

         What will the Fox gain if he walks away from the grapes, calling them sour?  He will still be hungry and still be looking for grapes that are easier to obtain.  If he gets the grapes he will still be hungry later.  These are serious questions Jesus presents to us today.  Jesus is asking us to examine our priorities.  Do we want to get the best grapes this world has to offer or do we want to develop a relationship with the God who made the grapes?  Are we willing to trust that he has the best grapes for us as we follow his guidance or are we determined to do it our way and in our own strength?

         One of the themes that I find myself coming back to all the time in Scripture is that God works outside our boxes.  God is the God of the unexpected, of the surprise answer, of the creative solution.  Again today we see that.  Peter is thinking that Jesus is the Messiah who is going to bring political revolution and overthrow of the Romans.  Jesus has to push Peter’s envelope so he can see that the Messiah is about the cross, struggle and death into an eternity of being with God.  Eating grapes may satisfy the fox for an hour especially if they are indeed sweet but the Fox will get hungry again.  God wants more for the Fox, for Peter and for us.  What this world has to offer, all the fame and applaud and wealth and power mean nothing if Peter looses his soul.

         I am much better at looking in the rear mirror of my car and being able to see the blessings that have come my way than I am at predicting any blessings in the future.  But I do know that God is faithful, trustworthy, and reliable.  The Fox thought it would be happy if it could just get the bunch of grapes.  What is the bunch of grapes that you are convinced will make you happy?  Fill in the blank.  Life would be wonderful if only I had….  The truth is that we must go through suffering, death and resurrection on our journey to reach Jerusalem.  Our destination is not this world.

“…is to come…”

         We started our sermon with “From that time on..” and we end this sermon with Jesus’ promise, “For the Son of Man is to come…”  Sounds to me like we are living in the intermission between the opening scenes of faith in Jesus and the conclusion of the coming of the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus promises that he will come “with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. “  Some day we will all face God face to face.  We do not labor in vain.  There are highs and lows but God is constant, walking with us, leading, guiding and rewarding.  Jesus is to come.  Not a bunch of sour grapes.

Let the people of God say, “AMEN!”

First Reading: Isaiah 51:1-6

 ¹Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,
  you that seek the Lord.
 Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
  and to the quarry from which you were dug.
 ²Look to Abraham your father
  and to Sarah who bore you;
 for he was but one when I called him,
  but I blessed him and made him many.
 ³For the Lord will comfort Zion;
  he will comfort all her waste places,
 and will make her wilderness like Eden,
  her desert like the garden of the Lord;
 joy and gladness will be found in her,
  thanksgiving and the voice of song.
 ⁴Listen to me, my people,
  and give heed to me, my nation;
 for a teaching will go out from me,
  and my justice for a light to the peoples.
 ⁵I will bring near my deliverance swiftly,
  my salvation has gone out
  and my arms will rule the peoples;
 the coastlands wait for me,
  and for my arm they hope.
 ⁶Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
  and look at the earth beneath;
 for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
  the earth will wear out like a garment,
  and those who live on it will die like gnats;
 but my salvation will be forever,
  and my deliverance will never be ended.

Psalm: Psalm 138

O Lord, your steadfast love endures forever. (Ps. 138:8)

 ¹I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;
  before the gods I will sing your praise.
 ²I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your name, because of your steadfast love and faithfulness;
  for you have glorified your name and your word above all things.
 ³When I called, you answered me;
  you increased my strength within me.
 ⁴All the rulers of the earth will praise you, O Lord,
  when they have heard the words of your mouth. 
 ⁵They will sing of the ways of the Lord,
  that great is the glory of the Lord.
 ⁶The Lord is high, yet cares for the lowly,
  perceiving the haughty from afar.
 ⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe;
  you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your right hand shall save me.
 ⁸You will make good your purpose for me;
  O Lord, your steadfast love endures forever; do not abandon the works of your hands. 

Second Reading: Romans 12:1-8

¹I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ²Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
 ³For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ⁵so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20

¹³Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

CHILDREN’S SERMON: What makes the zebra different from the horse and the donkey?  I still love this story that tells how the zebras came to be unique.

           At creation God decided to let the animals choose how they wanted to look.  The elephant chose a long nose.  The giraffe chose a long neck.  The rhino chose horns on his nose.  The lion wanted a huge voice and big claws.  The parrot chose colorful feathers.  Zebra, though, was undecided.  He wanted to be white and then he changed his mind to be black.  God granted both wishes and so the zebra has black and white stripes that make them different from the horse and the donkey!

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

         This week I had a fun chat with my doctor as we finished up.  She had had a rough week being a single parent.  I was surprised, as I had understood that she had a small baby and had talked about her husband and I assumed she was married.  So I asked if she had just divorced.  She laughed.  No.  Their house had flooded and so they had gone to stay with her husband’s family during the repairs and he had an identity crisis trying to be the obedient son, the attentive husband, a father and of course a professional.  I could identify as we had stayed with my parents on an emergency trip to the States for my mother-in-law’s health.  We stayed with my parents for a month with our two little ones.  I said, “Never again!”  Trying to be daughter, wife, and mother I found stressful.  I do not like to think of myself as a chameleon that presents different faces to different audiences but sometimes I feel like our zebra as I juggle the various roles and expectations that swirl within me.  Perhaps “integrity” is the word we use to explain the core of our identity that we pray is always there in any situation we find ourselves.  Is the zebra white on black or black on white and what is its core identity?  Our text challenges us with these questions today.

         We are at a pivotal point in Matthew’s gospel.  We have been building up a resume of Jesus.  John the Baptist said it, “Are you the one or should we look for another?”  At the beginning of chapter 16, the Pharisees ask for a “sign from heaven.”  Perhaps we come to church today asking God to prove he is really there by showing us a sign, answer our prayer the way we want it answered.  Perhaps we are like the disciples, following as normal and the question Jesus asks us today is, “Who do you say I am?”  Let’s dig in!

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 

         A zebra is black and white.  Jesus has several major titles but like the zebra that is black and white, two titles stand out.  He is called Son of Man and Son of God.  We see Jesus in his incarnation, his humanness, and yet he does these remarkable things like healings, walking on water, and calming storms that indicate he is not just a normal person.  The disciples answer his question of who people say the Son of Man is by pointing to other greats that people put Jesus in the same category with.  They name John the Baptist, Elijah and Jeremiah.  He is like a prophet.  Today people might compare him to Mohamed, Confucius, or Buddha.  Youth might consider him like Martin Luther King Jr., JFK, Superman or some other deeply admired and inspirational leader that inspired movements.

         Think of some of the people in your life.  How would they explain Jesus?  Do you know?  Perhaps you have never talked about it?  Ouch!  Christianity today has developed communication problems as it is linked to “right wing” politics, causes like abortion, and marches on cities.  It has also been linked to abuse of children by pastoral people, hateful groups that kill “the other,” and many unpopular causes.  Of course we could mention TV personalities raking in money and flying personal jets.  The name of Jesus, Son of Man, has been smeared.  It is a dicey deal to try and talk about faith because we do not know all the unspoken assumptions floating in the culture and the answer to what people think about Jesus is as blurry as trying to explain if a zebra is black or white.  A zebra is like a horse and like a donkey.  So who do the people you relate to think Jesus is?  Perhaps that is an interesting conversational opener when you next meet.

“But who do you say that I am?”

         Jesus begins to tighten the focus of the conversation.  For 15 chapters of Matthew we have looked at Jesus.  Since Advent we have had sermons on Jesus’ birth, childhood, life, death and resurrection.  During Pentecost we have reviewed some of those stories.  The stories of our life, the roles we play do not get to our core identity.  They are the masks we wear in public.  Jesus was a healer.  He was a teacher.  He was from Nazareth.  He was the son of Mary.  But at the very core of his identity, who was he?  He turns to Peter and to us and asks, “And who do you say that I am?”   THAT is a conversation stopper.  We are no longer talking about parables and miracles; we are talking about Jesus’ core identity and our core beliefs.
         Peter ticks the right box: ”the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Please note that even as Peter confesses Jesus as Son of God, he still does not fully understand.  Many of us feel unqualified to speak about our faith and leave it for a pastor or trained professional but we note that Peter did not really understand either. Jesus has not died on the cross yet.  Peter does not know Jesus as Savior, but only as the promised Messiah that he thinks will defeat Rome.  We need to be gentle with ourselves and tolerant with those who see faith slightly differently than ourselves. We are only called upon to confess what we have experienced, not explain all of theology.  Christ’s death on the cross saves people, not our testimony.  The Holy Spirit is working.  So who do we understand Jesus to be? 

         This also reminds me that faith is a journey.  Many come to the church with a partial understanding of who Jesus is, perhaps warped in some ways, perhaps wrong in some ways, and it is through relationship that we grow to know Jesus more and more and to appreciate the meaning of his role in our lives.  Faith is a journey and the church is one of the places this takes place.

         Soooo, forgiveness becomes key as we each have blind spots and places where we do not understand fully.  We see through a glass dimly.  Jesus declares that on this confession of Peter, this partial understanding, on this mustard seed of faith, he, Jesus, will build his church.  Jesus is the builder and we are a starting point for him as we learn to share our truth.  I know the Catholics believe that means that Peter himself, was the first Pope, and Protestants believe it to be a more general promise but really it doesn’t matter.  Faith is a journey of understanding more and more whom Jesus is and who I am in relationship to him.  As you turn your heart to God today, “Who do you say Jesus is?” 

         Jesus’ next words confirm that it is God who makes this truth real in lives.  “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.”  Peter is a zebra too.  He is Simon, son of Jonah, and he is Peter, child of God, a rock upon which God will build his church.  Our job is to share the truth as we know it but it is God who reveals the truth to the heart about the identity of Jesus. God chooses the time and place, not us.  It is our role to testify and God’s role to reveal, to save.

¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 

         The zebra’s black and white stripes are what identify it as a “zebra.”  But “zebra” is not just a name or title.  It automatically tells us that the zebra is found in Africa or in a zoo.  It automatically tells us a zebra is an herbivore and not a carnivore.  Our identity tells about our relationships.  “Christian” automatically means I am in relationship to the Eternal and have been given permission to speak with him.  My human identity tells you something about whom I relate to socially or professionally and especially spiritually.  I am a connection between the eternal and the present.  I have “voice and vote” in the affairs of the universe.  That does not put me in control but it does mean our lives are important. 

         Jesus is giving a very practical explanation of faith.  Faith is more than that marvelous moment when we believed or when we were carried to the font or when the reality of God touched our lives.  Our faith is also like an electrical current, a power line between heaven and us. 

         “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven”

         Faith dynamically connects heaven and earth.  When we come to the baptismal font, pray over a person, baptize them in the name of God, and anoint them with the cross, we are binding them to the God of the universe.  We believe something sacred happens.  We call it a sacrament. Jesus is here saying that our faith, our prayers are answered in heaven.  When I pray for my wayward child, grandchild, or my struggling friend, or my sick neighbor, that prayer “binds” God’s hand to the situation.  That does not necessarily mean the results will be happy-ever-after but it does activate a spiritual dynamic in the situation.  I believe prayer is power!

         “whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

         In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus expresses this reality when he encourages us to pray, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”  When we harbor and cherish hate, bitterness, and spite in our hearts, God cannot, well has difficulty, working in the situation because we are unwilling to allow his healing presence, his perspective, his power to be present there in us.  We are only focused on getting what we feel is right, not any bigger picture.  It is not until the prodigal son “comes to himself” and is willing to go to his father, that restoration happens.  The older brother who is so bitter does not experience the banquet but sits outside.  The father is willing to work with both but their attitudes, their ability to loosen their attitudes, affects the whole story.  When we confess our sins, our mistakes, our shortcoming at the altar and the words of absolution are pronounced – we are forgiven.  We need not carry that burden any longer.  We are free in God’s eyes and free to be his agents.

Who?

         Who others say Jesus is often is answered by his identity as “Son of Man.”  He is grouped with cultural heroes and great people.  He is identified by all the stories of his marvelous actions.  But then again that may just make him one of the Super Heroes in the movies.  What others say opens an interesting conversation.  When the question changes to who Jesus is to us, then we enter sacred territory for we must ponder his title “Son of God.”  He becomes more than an historical Messiah.  We must answer if he is our personal Savior.  We have been gifted to know the whole incarnational story including the cross and the resurrection.  We are challenged to move from being one of the gang during the week and then donning our Christians identity on Sundays.  For in truth is we are all both white and black.  We are in the world but not of the world.  We are all like that zebra.  We connect two kingdoms, the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of earth.  Through us blessings from God flow and through us forgiveness flows.  I pray Bethany will be a place where heaven and earth meet so that you leave today ready to face the challenges God has for you.

Let the people of God say, “AMEN!”

First Reading: Isaiah 56:1, 6-8

 ¹Thus says the Lord:
  Maintain justice, and do what is right,
 for soon my salvation will come,
  and my deliverance be revealed.

 ⁶And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
  to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
  and to be his servants,
 all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it,
  and hold fast my covenant—
 ⁷these I will bring to my holy mountain,
  and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
 their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
  will be accepted on my altar;
 for my house shall be called a house of prayer
  for all peoples.
 ⁸Thus says the Lord God,
  who gathers the outcasts of Israel,
 I will gather others to them
  besides those already gathered.

Psalm: Psalm 67

Let all the peoples praise you, O God. (Ps. 67:3)

 ¹May God be merciful to us and bless us;
  may the light of God’s face shine upon us.
 ²Let your way be known upon earth,
  your saving health among all nations.
 ³Let the peoples praise you, O God;
  let all the peoples praise you.
 ⁴Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
  for you judge the peoples with equity and guide all the nations on    earth.
 ⁵Let the peoples praise you, O God;
  let all the peoples praise you.
 ⁶The earth has brought forth its increase;
  God, our own God, has blessed us.
 ⁷May God give us blessing,
  and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe.

Second Reading: Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

 [Paul writes:] ¹I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. ^2aGod has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

 ²⁹For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. ³²For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.

Gospel: Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-28

 ¹⁰[Jesus] called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand:¹¹it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” ¹²Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” ¹³He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” ¹⁶Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? ¹⁸But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. ¹⁹For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. ²⁰These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”]
 ²¹Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²²Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ²³But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” ²⁴He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  Let’s groupthink for a moment.  What are some common explanations for what makes an apple become rotten?  Did you think of: 1. It’s in a barrel with a rotten apple that infected it, 2. A worm, or 3. It was dropped,

Let’s pray.  Lord may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

         Our text today starts with Jesus and the Pharisees banging heads on what makes an apple rotten.  OK, it wasn’t apples. But it is rather similar to our preoccupation today with using disinfecting wipes or gel.  Or noticing people aren’t wearing their masks!  We might even notice if people don’t wash their hands before leaving the restroom.  We see the signs about infection everywhere and can identify with the Pharisee’s alertness to cleanliness.  The Pharisees were conscientious spiritual leaders and tried hard to follow the rules.  The disciples who did not wash their hands were not only breaking the rules but were presenting a threat to their congregation.  It only takes one rotten apple to spoil the barrel! 

         Matthew in our Gospel text today relates how Jesus, in response, first delves into the causes of rottenness, defilement, and then Jesus lives out the truth for his disciples and us.   Jesus tells them to listen and understand.  We are listening. Lord, help us understand!

         Jesus uses a strong word, “defilement”, as he confronts the topic.  The Internet defines defilement as, “the violation of something considered sacred, or the act of making something ceremonially impure; desecration.”  Jesus is talking about what makes a person spiritually unacceptable, not just socially unacceptable, but he uses a common apple to prove his point about our sacred souls.

“Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David;

my daughter is tormented by a demon.”

The Agenda

         The Pharisees approach Jesus.  The disciples approach Jesus.  A Canaanite woman approaches Jesus.  All three groups have a different agenda.  The Pharisees point out that the disciples are not washing their hands.  They know that apples must be washed before they are eaten as they might be contaminated by chemicals, by germs, or by a worm.  They are concerned about defilement that comes from exposure to things outside themselves.  Their approach might be called, “ How do we avoid defilement?”  The disciples on the other hand ask for an explanation of the parable.  We might call that approach, “Knowledge prevents defilement”.  “Tell me about this apple,” might be their question.  The Canaanite woman however comes crying, “Lord, have mercy.”  The apple of her eye, her daughter, has been defiled by an evil spirit.  This is desperation thinking.  This is a faith the size of mustard seed thinking.  Our text presents three ways to approach spiritual defilement.  We might see glimpses of all three within ourselves.

         Some of us here today are doing the culturally appropriate thing we were taught by our parents – go to church on Sunday.   Somehow we believe consciously or unconsciously that if we follow the rules then God will bless us.  When we encounter problems we make sure we’ve paid our tithe, we’ve been nice to those we don’t really like and we have tried to live the Golden Rule – love God and neighbor. Buying apples at the right grocery store is the best way to avoid rotten apples.  Doing things the right way is important to us.  We understand the Pharisees.

         ¹⁵But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.”  For many, understanding God’s Word is very important also.  Some of us love Bible studies.  We like to read commentaries or listen to explanations of how the Greek impacts the innuendos of the translation.  Groups have sprung up that focus on hiding God’s Word in our hearts.  In the 60s, during the height of the Cold War we were challenged to memorize Scripture in case of a catastrophe.  Some Bibles have indexes with lists of Bible verses for common challenges that confront us.  That thirst to know God is as legitimate as the Pharisees wanting to do it right and please God.

         The third person, our unnamed lady just calls out “help.”  She believes that her daughter is demon possessed and her problems are far beyond her ability to cope.  Perhaps some of us have real empathy with her this morning.  We are the wrong gender, the wrong ethnicity, the wrong income level, the wrong education, just plane wrong.  We come to church today knowing somehow our life is defiled.  We may not say it out loud but in our hearts we are coming to Jesus today crying, “Help.”

         We read all sorts of motives into each person’s approach to Jesus today but only God knows the truth of their hearts.  Trying to please God by doing his will is not wrong.  Trying to know God by reading his word is not wrong.  Calling out to God when we are despairing is always right.  

¹⁷Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?

In/Out Thinking

         Jesus responds to each group with a kind of in-and-out processing of each group’s agenda.  Food taken into the mouth gets digested, and waste is eliminated.  For the Pharisee, Jesus points out that no matter how much clean food they eat, how it is processed is what determines what is eliminated.  Dieters raise your hands please!  Diabetics raise your hands please!  Alcoholics nob your heads please!  People in the congregation could process that apple and come up with different elimination, “outs”.  The diabetic gets high glucose readings.  The alcoholic is reminded of the apple wine from the night before and is drawn back into his addiction.  The dieter might feel guilty for taking in too many calories and decides not to record the apple on the chart. Actually it was a small apple and not a big apple!  The issue is not the apple but how each one of us processes that same apple.  It does not matter if the hands are washed but if the heart is washed.

         The disciples believe if they understand the truth that Jesus is expounding they will have grown wiser perhaps closer to God.  That might translate, more loved by God.  Just being in church, just hearing the word of God explained does not automatically mean growth.  “Word in, understanding out, and hence growth” is inaccurate thinking.  The sayings of God must be digested and thought about for growth.  In my youth I heard the reasoning that God is love and so free sex is God’s will.  Honoring our spouse is often used to defend abuse.  In Kenya it was believed that “multiplying and filling the earth” was a good reason for the wife to always be pregnant even if she almost bled to death in the last pregnancy.  A man must have children – sons.  It is in the Bible.  We can twist the word of God to justify any cause we are emotionally drawn to if our hearts are not in tune with his.

         So how about our nameless Canaanite woman with a demon possessed daughter?  Certainly all the names we use to describe her, she had heard many times.  She knows she is a woman and a Canaanite.  We know if we are the wrong gender for the goodies of society or welfare or benefits.  We know if we are the “other” ethnicity because we check that blank on most forms.  When our children flounder, we often know and probably we are not so anxious to just blurt out the details unless we trust the audience.  All the labels are told to this woman by her society and even by the disciples walking with Jesus.  “Send her away.”  She is an irritant.  Our woman knows and hears all this but what went on in her heart.  The labels go in but what comes out?

     How did she digest the messages bombarding her?  She approaches Jesus as “Lord” and as “Son of David.”  She acknowledges his superiority and she acknowledges his ethnicity and she cries for mercy.  She knew she and her daughter were rotten apples that had been defiled.   We do not know if she truly understood that Jesus was the Messiah or knew anything about theology but she cried out.  All the labels of our world pour into us every day convincing us that we are unworthy of God’s attention but our heart must process this information and agree or realize the truth that God is our only hope.

         Daily we hear about how to live life right – wash our hands, buy this or that product, go to this or that place and associate with this or that church.  Daily we have the opportunity to read the Word, listen to podcasts, watch TV, or meet with friends to grow in our understanding of God.  Daily we will meet messages telling us we are unworthy of God’s attention.  All those scenarios, our heart must process.  It would seem the Pharisees were distressed at Jesus’ answer and turned away.  The woman continued to plead and drew close to Jesus.  She did not allow the messages of society to silence her.  She did not give up on her apple.

“Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Crumbs

         So we all want to do it right.  The Pharisees wanted to please God by following the rules and not being contaminated, keeping their apples from bruising.  They wanted to draw near to God by following the law.  We might even say they were trying to deserve God’s blessings.  The disciples wanted to know and understand Jesus by having Jesus explain his teachings to them.  They wanted the right diet so they could get the most out of eating apples.  They were drawing near to God through their minds, not just their deeds.  The woman, though, touched God with her faith.

         The Pharisees were the blind leading the blind.  The disciples were seekers wanting to know Jesus but that is not relationship.  They missed the big picture.  They thought Jesus was theirs and not to be shared with a woman, a Canaanite, possibly an unbeliever.  The food, the apple, was theirs.  Their hearts did not believe God’s desire is for all people to have apples.  The woman, on the other hand, has faith that God can deal with all kinds of apples, in all kinds of conditions, and in all places.  She does not ask for the whole apple, just the core.

And so…            

         Today we are challenged to ponder what or who it is that we feel defiles us.  Sermons usually identify the woman as the she-ro of Matthew’s report so we can ask ourselves what is attractive about the woman’s faith?

         The woman is crying for mercy for her daughter, not for things that are transitory. “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David.”  She is not pleading for food for her mouth but help for her soul.  She is not pleading for a miracle.  She is asking for mercy.   What is the cry of our heart today?  Money, health, relationships or mercy?  Can we be satisfied with a crumb?

         The woman kneels at the foot of Jesus in total humility and respect. “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David.”  Prayer is not just the routine she goes through at the start of her day, if it works – good – if not then no harm in trying. She works the insult of being called a dog.  She knows she is a sinner.  She seeks mercy respectfully and humbly, acknowledging and honoring Jesus.  Jesus is her last and only resort because she acknowledges that he IS the voice that counts.  Is Jesus our first box to tick or our only box?

         The woman has no name.  She is called a dog but she goes down in history as someone who moved God’s heart and experienced his blessing personally.

         I think this text challenges us to ask what we are putting in our souls today.  What are we eating?  Are we just looking for clarification of the rules to please God?  Are we looking for greater knowledge trying to develop a closer relationship with God?  Or are we crying out for his mercy for our family, our friends, our world and ourselves?  Let’s hope we are doing all three. This text challenges us to look at what we are seeking – rules, relationship, or mercy by persistent prayer.  Are we willing to accept a crumb from his table believing that is truly enough or do we want the whole apple?  These are hard questions. Jesus honored the woman’s faith. 

         May our faith not be like that rotten apple, forgotten in the back of the refrigerator of our life, allowed to be eaten up by the worms of hurts and prejudice, nor infected with the bitterness of others.  May we be seeking to please God.  May we be seeking to grow in knowing and understanding God.  May we humbly cry out in our need, “Lord, son of David, have mercy on us.”  Lord, help us to listen and understand!

And the people of God said, “AMEN.”

‘

First Reading: 1 Kings 19:9-18

⁹At [Horeb, the mount of God,][Elijah] came to a cave, and spent the night there.
  Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
 ¹¹He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; ¹²and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. ¹³When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁴He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” ¹⁵Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. ¹⁶Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. ¹⁷Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. ¹⁸Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Psalm: Psalm 85:8-13

I will listen to what the Lord God is saying. (Ps. 85:8)

 ⁸I will listen to what the Lord God is saying;
  for you speak peace to your faithful people and to those who turn their hearts to you.
 ⁹Truly, your salvation is very near to those who fear you,
  that your glory may dwell in our land. 
 ¹⁰Steadfast love and faithfulness have met together;
  righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
 ¹¹Faithfulness shall spring up from the earth,
  and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
 ¹²The Lord will indeed grant prosperity,
  and our land will yield its increase.
 ¹³Righteousness shall go before the Lord
  and shall prepare for God a pathway. 

Second Reading: Romans 10:5-15

⁵Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.” ⁶But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷“or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸But what does it say?
 “The word is near you,
  on your lips and in your heart”
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. ¹¹The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” ¹²For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. ¹³For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
 ¹⁴But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? ¹⁵And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33

²²[Jesus] made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee], while he dismissed the crowds.²³And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. ²⁵And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. ²⁶But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. ²⁷But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
 ²⁸Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³²When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  Today our Gospel shares of a time when the disciples were in a great storm on the Sea of Galilee and they were so scared that they were going to die.  Can you think of a time when you were really, really scared?  Share with your neighbor.  What helped you?

Let us pray.  Lord may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

         “Déjà vu!”  If we step back from our text today, it looks like the same story as last week only in a slightly different context and with more detail.  Last week Jesus headed across the lake to the wilderness to be alone after hearing about the horrible death of his cousin, a fellow prophet, John the Baptist, one of the most righteous men ever and Jesus’ forerunner.  The crowds preceded Jesus and needed him.  He had to postpone his quiet time.  Today in our text Matthew continues from last week and Jesus is dismissing the crowds and headed up the mountain to be by himself and pray.  Jesus has not forgotten his goal and is still on course.

    Last week the crowd brought their sick that Jesus then healed.  The disciples handled crowd control, and at the end of the day when there was no food, they seated the people, distributed the fish and loaves that Jesus blessed and that miraculously satisfied all.  Today the text has the disciples then sent across the lake on a boat, preceding Jesus.  Traveling by boat is something many of them were familiar with even if they were tired.  Jesus comes to the disciples when a storm threatens them and does three more miracles.  He calms the storm and invites Peter to walk on water AND rescues Peter when he flounders.  Jesus again meets the disciples at their point of need.

         Last week the people were hungry.  They were hungry for healing, for teaching, and yes even physically hungry.  This week the disciples are overwhelmed with fear and terrified.  They too are hungry to be rescued. They are even so scared they think they are seeing ghosts when Jesus approaches.  Peter is overwhelmed with doubt, “if” he says.  If Jesus is real, prove it.  Jesus is present in our moments of need and has a solution that satisfies, even if we flounder and are overwhelmed with doubt!  Let’s dig in.

“he went up the mountain by himself to pray”

         The new detail this week is that Jesus was going across the lake to the mountain “to pray.”  When Jesus was confronted with the news about the death of John the Baptist, he did not turn on CNN to hear the “he-said-she-said” of political pundits.  It did not seem that he was concerned about riots in the streets or demonstrations.  He did something we can all do.  He went to pray. 

         Jesus did not go to the Temple to pray but went to the wilderness.  Interesting.  Prayer takes many forms and is not just formal prayers said kneeling by our pew or by the bed or sitting in our favorite chair or at our favorite place. Personally I like swimming laps and just letting my heart unwind with God.  Kneading bread and sitting listening to music and letting the words soak my soul helps.  Many like jogging, biking or fishing.  I remember the tune; “God speaks to little boys when they are fishing.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eAvPunye8Y ) We are invited to pray at all times.  Prayer is an appropriate answer to grief and exhaustion.

         Both texts speak of Jesus going by himself.  As I pondered that, I realized that “by himself” is not the same as “alone.”  Jesus was not alone spiritually because he was always in communication with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Perhaps another way to say this is that he went to where he would not be distracted and could have “focused attention.”  We are never alone either.  The Holy Spirit is always with us and available for conversation but sometimes we need to zero-in on his presence.

         In the evening, the disciples are struggling with a storm.  Jesus is aware of their need and does not go in search of another boat to get to them but walks across the sea.  Interesting again.  He does not say, “Transport me over there, Scotty,” like Star Trek.  He does not leave his incarnation behind to perform the miracle.  God’s identification with humanity seems to somehow impact his actions.  That says to me that we do not need to fear that somehow Jesus has ascended back to being God and forgotten what it is like to be human.  Likewise, some miracles are instantaneous like the fish and loaves, and others take time like walking on water.  We want the instantaneous but we must never forget that even if God seems absent, he sees, cares and is on course.

“Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

         Fear is such a crippling emotion.  Last week the disciples were afraid because it was evening and they did not have enough food to feed the people.  After a night of fighting a storm, they are now so exhausted they are terrified and think Jesus is a ghost.  When our resources are running low and we are afraid, it is easy to doubt the presence of God.  Conversely, our fear-paralysis does not stop God from being present to help us.  Jesus did not need the people to believe that he could multiply the fish and loaves in order for him to do it.  Jesus did not need the disciples to believe he could walk on water in order for him to appear.  Often we are taught that God’s actions depend on us having faith only as small as a mustard seed.  Somehow we get tied up in doubt, believing our faith controls God’s ability to help.  It is so easy for our focus to shift from God to our emotions and ourselves.

         Peter responds, “IF.”  THAT is a grain of mustard seed faith!  It sounds like Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof, looking to heaven and saying to God, “While you are in the neighborhood, my horse’s foot is lame again.”  I know I have been guilty of praying, “God, if you’re listening…”  Fear cripples us and often its friend doubt is right there also.  But our frazzled emotions do not stop Jesus from inviting Peter or us into a faith adventure.  Jesus invites Peter, “Come!”  Did you hear that?  We do not need to be theological giants, faith heroes, or have spiritual muscles like Super Person.  God can invite us into an adventure when we are exhausted, terrified, and doubting his presence.  I cannot help but ask us to take a moment to reflect on whether God is calling us today to “come” to him in an area of our life that we are terrified and doubting about.  He says, “Do not be afraid.  It is I.  Come!”

         Wait for it….  Peter steps out of the boat and floppo!  Peter looses focus and starts looking at the storm and starts to sink.  Oh my.  Yep.  Sometimes even in spite of my best intentions, I fail.  I’m guessing most of us do not have to think hard to remember moments of failure.  Sometimes relationships just don’t work out no matter how much we believed God was calling us into them.  Sometimes cars are lemons.  Sometimes adventures end in disasters.  My children all have litanies of “Remember the time we ate eggplant for a month,” or “Remember when mom…” and then I hang my head and reaffirm my humanness. 

         Again we confront the mystery of faith and works and God.  Jesus called Peter into an adventure.  Peter had the faith to step out of the boat but then lost focus on God and looked at the storm.  He has shifted from looking at God to looking at self.  But Jesus did not stop looking at Peter.  Jesus rescues Peter!  Peter may have lost focus on Jesus but Jesus did not loose focus on Peter.  The disciples may have lost focus on Jesus knowing he was off praying but Jesus did not loose focus on them!  You may have lost focus on God but he is still focused on you.

“Lord, save me!”

         Jesus had not died on the cross yet.  Peter was still figuring out what it meant that Jesus was the messiah and what that even means.  So often we discredit ourselves and we become grasshoppers in our own eyes.  We are seldom called upon to walk on water but we are always challenged to be ready to live the faith we confess.  That may only be the gift of a smile to a stranger or a word of encouragement to someone downcast.  It may mean biting our tongue when that snarky response jumps to our lips in response to another.  Then there is always the battle with the pocket book and how we spend our money and the battle with the clock with how we spend our time.  Living out faith just is not easy.

         Peter simply cries out, “Lord, save me!”  It is a simple prayer.  He did not flail around in the water blaming himself for his lack of faith or his stupidity.  He did not turn to the boat and yell, “Hey guys, I need a hand!”  He did not turn at God yelling, “You lied! I can’t depend on you.”  He simply cried “Help” to the only one who could save him in his circumstances.

         Perhaps you are on the top of the world today but I suspect that most of us have a point of pain, grief, or fear.  Making time and space for focusing in prayer on our relationship with God, is always a good choice.  When we can’t see him, he still sees us and is helping.  Our faith does not control God’s creativity in answering prayer.  There are no magic prayers. There are no icons we need to put in front of us.  Just a simple “help” touches the heart of God.  He sees and he cares and he is willing to use us in a faith adventure even if we are old, tired, or terrified.  Our response is to worship him.  Always remember, Jesus said “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Thank you, Lord.

Let the people of God say, “AMEN!”

First Reading: Isaiah 55:1-5

 ¹Ho, everyone who thirsts,
  come to the waters;
 and you that have no money,
  come, buy and eat!
 Come, buy wine and milk
  without money and without price.
 ²Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
  and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
 Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
  and delight yourselves in rich food.
 ³Incline your ear, and come to me;
  listen, so that you may live.
 I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
  my steadfast, sure love for David.
 ⁴See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
  a leader and commander for the peoples.
 ⁵See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
  and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
 because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
  for he has glorified you.

Psalm: Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21

You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. (Ps. 145:16)

 ⁸The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
  slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
 ⁹Lord, you are good to all,
  and your compassion is over all your works.
 ¹⁴The Lord upholds all those who fall
  and lifts up those who are bowed down.
 ¹⁵The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord,
  and you give them their food in due season.
 ¹⁶You open wide your hand
  and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
 ¹⁷You are righteous in all your ways
  and loving in all your works.
 ¹⁸You are near to all who call upon you,
  to all who call upon you faithfully.
 ¹⁹You fulfill the desire of those who fear you;
  you hear their cry and save them.
 ²⁰You watch over all those who love you,
  but all the wicked you shall destroy.
 ²¹My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord;
  let all flesh bless God’s holy name forever and ever.

Second Reading: Romans 9:1-5

¹I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit—²I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. ⁴They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; ⁵to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21

¹³Now when Jesus heard [about the beheading of John the Baptist], he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. ¹⁵When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” ¹⁶Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” ¹⁷They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” ¹⁸And he said, “Bring them here to me.” ¹⁹Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. ²¹And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  Today I want to focus our thoughts through the childhood poem, “Old Mother Hubbard.”  Let’s see if we can remember it.

“Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the Cupboard,
To give the poor Dog a bone;
When she came there,

The Cupboard was bare,
And so the poor Dog had none.”

The origins of the poem in the early 1800s are debated and actually there are several more verses that have been added through the years for various reasons.  The point I want us to think about is when we “go to our cupboard’ and find it “bare,” what are our alternatives?  Share with your neighbor something you might do if you found the cupboard bare.  Call instacart?  Borrow from a neighbor?  Change the menu?

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

         Last Sunday we heard about the wonderfulness of the kingdom of heaven.  It is like a mustard seed that grows into a great bush that provides food and shelter.  It’s like yeast that is used to make bread.  It is a treasure, a pearl of great price, and a good catch of fish.  Whew.  We are blessed to be part of the kingdom.  It almost sounds like the health, wealth and prosperity gospel.  Try it, you’ll like it and be happy ever after and maybe even get a miracle.  Perhaps that is why we need the reminder of today’s gospel.  The kingdom of heaven also involves death, no resources and hunger on earth.  Some days we go to the cupboard and it looks bare!

“Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:11)”

         Our text today opens with problems.  Jesus hears that John the Baptist, his cousin, his forerunner, and a great servant of God was beheaded.  John was the victim of King Herod, who did not want to loose face, so kept a thoughtless promise to his seductive stepdaughter who danced for him.  Herod ordered the head of John the Baptist be brought on a silver platter.  Gross.  Unjust.  Unfair.  It is an epitome of political power corrupted.

           Jesus heard and could have called down the armies of heaven to establish a just society but he didn’t.  He withdrew in a boat to the wilderness.  Maybe our situation is slightly different.  The doctor says our godly husband has a terminal disease.  A senseless accident by a drunk driver wipes out the potential of a beloved other.  A marriage with all it’s promises made to God, turns sour.  That other candidate gets voted into office.  We shake our head and a little voice whispers in our ear, “Where is your God now?  Doesn’t he care about you?”

         Suffering in this world does not mean God have forsaken us or that he doesn’t care or that he is busy with others with worse problems.  Godly people like John the Baptist experienced injustice.  People struggling are not necessarily bad people.  Only God knows.  Let us not be like the Pharisee who thanked God that he was not like that poor tax collector.  The kingdom of heaven drew near in the person of Christ and we taste some of the wonderfulness of that kingdom in the beautiful sunrise, the smile of a friend, and a hug when we are discouraged.  But we also experience grief, down days and death.

         So how did Jesus handle the bad news, the hard times?  Our text tells us he withdrew to a deserted place by himself.  Jesus, God incarnate, withdrew.  I sometimes think as Christians we ask of ourselves to always be happy.  Several people at my retirement center have passed away recently and often I hear the response that people are so happy the deceased is with Jesus singing, if they were musical, and loved more than here with family.  We grieve privately and save our tears for our pillow.  Jesus too withdrew. Our text does not say Jesus is grieving but I suspect that if he cried at the grave of Lazarus, he grieved at the death of John the Baptist. Withdrawing to recharge our emotional batteries is not wrong.

         The crowd heard about Jesus moving and beat him to the distant shore.  Jesus had compassion on them.  When we feel like God has withdrawn his presence from us, what do we think?  I suspect we often take his silence as judgment or disapproval.  We think God has withdrawn and we withdraw rather than seek him out.  Many times God seems cloaked, out on the sea of life in a boat dealing with the really important issues of life.  We doubt that God can be concerned about our little dilemmas.  Perhaps God is silently hanging his head and grieving that one of his own is hurt!  This passage reminds us that God sees, God has compassion on us, and God cares.  Suffering can draw us closer to God.  Old Mother Hubbard had a bare cupboard so what did she do?

“We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 

Limited resources!

         Our text says Jesus spends the day curing the sick brought to him.  I suspect the disciples spent the day doing crowd control.  While grieving, they must go the extra mile at work.  Some days are like that.  Do I hear an “Amen!”?  Well, as Lutherans we just nod our head. But we know, bad news does not stop life.  We must continue on.  At the end of that day the disciples realized they did not have any more resources.  There was no food for dinner and Instacart has not been invented yet.  And even if it were they had no charge card!  Like good followers, they turned to Jesus and asked him to make the problem disappear.  Send the people away to nearby shops to buy food because they, the disciples, only had two fish and five loaves.  Lord, our cupboard is bare!

         We know the end of the story but the disciples don’t.  That is how the kingdom of heaven is now for all of us.  We don’t know what God is going to do and we know we do not have what is needed to face the challenges in front of us.  Ukraine begs the world to help in their fight against invasion.  Politicians spend big bucks begging for us to help them win the election.  Facebook is full of people asking for affirmation for them in a situation they are facing, unrecognized artists post using all sorts of media, unrecognized musicians post their talent, movie stars ask for further affirmation from fans, and that does not even mention the plea for help facing medical problems.  Our resources are often insufficient for our challenges.

         The disciples turn to Jesus, good choice.  They turn to Jesus with a prepared solution.  Get rid of the challenge by sending the people away.  Often we too turn to Jesus and don’t realize we have blinders on.  We think we know how God might resolve our pain.  Very few choose suffering, humiliation, or defeat.  The history of the missionary movement in China is a more modern case study.  Missionaries went to China mid 1800s and by 1900 it was estimated there were 700,000 believers.  After the Cultural Revolution in, 1949 missionaries were expelled and many despaired.  In 2018 China claimed 44 million believers and many think there are many more who did not declare their faith publicly.  Authors like Joni Erikson Tadda look back on physical tragedy and write how it led to unplanned blessing.  This is not to dismiss the pain of tragedy but to affirm that we do not know at any moment when our resources seem so limited, how God might work in the situation.

         Jesus looks to heaven and prays.  We do not know what he prayed but we do know that all were fed and satisfied. Jesus met the people and the disciples at their point of need with the resources at hand.  They were still sitting in the wilderness.  They still did not have the resources for an uncertain future under the Romans or under King Herod who could just order the death of John the Baptist, a righteous man.  They did not know what the next meal would be but as they let God deal with their problem, they experienced satisfaction.

         Faith is not a substitute for the problems of life.  Faith means we believe God walks through the problems, running interference, holding our hand, caring.  I wish I could say that faith means all our problems are resolved to happy-ever-after but it does not always happen that way.  We know.  Divorces happen and families are split with terrible scars.  Bankruptcy may have to be walked through.  The doctor’s scalpel is sometimes the answer to disease.  And yes, people die.  But perhaps the kernel of truth in this part of the passage is that Jesus does not send the people away because he is too busy.  He helps them deal with their challenge and blesses. Old Mother Hubbard is going to the cupboard and does plan to feed her dog.

         Our text challenges us to ask ourselves, when we hear the news of our world, of our doctors, of our economists, or our environmentalists where do we run?  Where do we run when we realize our resources don’t meet our needs and we are grieving?  Where will Mother Hubbard go to feed her dog?

¹⁵When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

Hunger

         The kingdom of heaven is not always happiness as we face the challenges of this world.  We have our feet in two worlds.  We live in the kingdom of this world but by faith we have started living in the kingdom of heaven.  There is always a tension.  Now we grieve and eventually die physically to enter eternity.  In this world we often do not have enough resources to deal with life and must turn to God and trust as he walks with us through tough times.  But I also see the truth in this passage that we hunger.  The people saw Jesus leave for the wilderness and got there before him.  They were hungry for a different way of life he talked about.  He healed their sick.  There were no razzle-dazzle medical resources like we have today.  There were no credit cards that allowed people to live beyond their means.  The crowds were subject to the whims of Rome, of tax collectors, and of evil.  At the end of the day they were hungry for a better life.  When all is said and done, we are hungry too.  I love Chronicles of Narnia, in the 6^th and final book, The Last Battle, it ends with the children entering a stable that opens unto eternity and they join hands singing, ‘Higher up and higher in!”  The journey of faith is always, “Higher up and higher in” to the presence and relationship with God.

         Would we be satisfied with a meal of bread and fish with no tarter sauce or mayo, shared by some unknown kid, and handled by a bunch of uneducated fishermen turned disciple?  Like the people of Israel, we might grumble and ask, “What is it?”  Surely God could do better than this?  We might look for disinfecting wipes to clean our hands and we might even put on our masks. We live such entitled lives in the USA where choice is part of our way of life.  We go to a buffet and choose our items.  Even deciding what to eat at Mc D’s is a challenge of choice.  Often we have the right to get a second medical opinion on any procedure.  Satisfaction often eludes us. 

         Jesus looked up to heaven, blessed and broke.  I wonder what that moment was like.  Was Jesus just putting on a show of prayer or was he seeking guidance?  Did baskets of bread and fish just suddenly appear?  Or did the example encourage others to dig into their knapsacks and share as some suggest?  Or would I have been so anxious about getting my fair share that I was preoccupied and did not even see the multiplication going on?  What exactly happened, we are not told.

         Miracles are like that.  Something happens and life changes.  The phone call comes at that moment of despair and rescues us and reminds us we are loved.  We open the Bible and our eyes fall on a verse that exactly answers our heart.  Jesus spits and makes mud, puts it on a man’s eyes and he goes and washes and he can see.  How did that happen?  How did Lazarus walk out of the tomb, bound in wraps?  God works in ways beyond our ability to predict and often beyond our ability to explain.  Our choice is to respond with an attitude of gratitude or to grumble, what is it?  Our text challenges us to ask what we hunger for today.

^“20And all ate and were filled”

         We believe in a God who grieves at injustice, at political corruption, and walks with us, perhaps in silence.  Christians seek out God in the midst of the problems of this world.  God responds to our dilemmas with compassion.

         We believe in a God who is there when we are at the end of our rope, when our resources are just not enough.  He cares when we have no solution.  He can use the two fish and five loaves, what is available in our life situation.  The solution may not be to get rid of the problem but to join with God in resolving it.

         We pray for an attitude of gratitude when we hunger for it draws us to a God who works in unexplainable ways in our lives. 

Lord help us, with the 5,000, to ask, seek, and knock on your door with our challenges.  Open our eyes to see the ways you are working in our lives. Lord, we long for our hunger to be filled by you.

Let the people of God say, “AMEN!”

First Reading: 1 Kings 3:5-12

⁵At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” ⁶And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. ⁷And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. ⁹Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”
 ¹⁰It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, ¹²I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.”

Psalm: Psalm 119:129-136

When your word is opened, it gives light and understanding. (Ps. 119:130)

 ¹²⁹Your decrees are wonderful;
  therefore I obey them with all my heart.
 ¹³⁰When your word is opened it gives light;
  it gives understanding to the simple.
 ¹³¹I open my mouth and pant
  because I long for your commandments.
 ¹³²Turn to me and be gracious to me,
  as you always do to those who love your name.
 ¹³³Order my footsteps in your word;
  let no iniquity have dominion over me.
 ¹³⁴Rescue me from those who oppress me,
  and I will keep your commandments.
 ¹³⁵Let your face shine upon your servant
  and teach me your statutes.
 ¹³⁶My eyes shed streams of tears,
  because people do not keep your teaching.

Second Reading: Romans 8:26-39

²⁶The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. ²⁷And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
 ²⁸We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. ³⁰And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

 ³¹What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³²He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? ³³Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. ³⁵Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶As it is written,
 “For your sake we are being killed all day long;
  we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gospel: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

³¹[Jesus] put before [the crowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;³²it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
 ³³He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
 ⁴⁴“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
 ⁴⁵“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; ⁴⁶on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
 ⁴⁷“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; ⁴⁸when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. ⁴⁹So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous ⁵⁰and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
 ⁵¹“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” ⁵²And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  I have told the story before of the blind men who encountered an elephant, but let me share it again.  The first blind man touched the side of the elephant and exclaimed, “An elephant is just like a wall!”  The second man felt a tusk and shouted, “No, my friend, the elephant is just like a spear.’  The third touched the trunk of the great beast and was convinced his brothers were wrong so said, “The elephant is more like a snake.”  The fourth was led to put his arms around the leg, “An elephant is like a tree,” he exclaimed.  The fifth man, the tallest, grasped hold of the elephant’s ear and told his friends that an elephant is like a huge fan.  The last man, upon grabbing the tail of the beast, corrected the rest. “Any person would agree the elephant is not like a wall, a spear, a snake, a tree or a fan but is more like a rope!”  The men argued among themselves and could not decide what an elephant looks like for they could not see the beast.  In the same way, we come together today to ponder five parables about the kingdom of heaven and how it informs our relationship with a God we cannot see face to face.

Let us pray.  Lord may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptible in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

         We have been looking at the parables Jesus told that talk about the kingdom of heaven.  He compares himself to a farmer sowing seed, the word of God.  It falls on four types of soil.  We are not all the same and some days we may even be just plain rocky!  Or Jesus is like an owner of a wheat field that has weeds growing in it, sewn by an enemy. Good wheat and weeds grow together until the harvest.  God is patient and tells the workers, tells us, to let good and evil grow together until the harvest when all will be made right.  Jesus now continues with five more parables, snap shots of the kingdom. “The kingdom of God is like…” a tiny mustard seed sewn in a field, like yeast put in dough, like a hidden treasure in a field, like a pearl of great price and like a net thrown out to catch fish.  It feels a bit like our men trying to understand that elephant!

         Our text today concludes with a question, “Have you understood all this?”  Like the bind men and the disciples, we think we do, we hope we do.  In truth, we are learning and Christians disagree all the time.  “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know him even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)”

Small is a Window to Big

         The blind men each see a piece of the elephant.  They cannot see the whole picture.  It is hidden from them.  We do not see God face to face and we do not see the whole picture of why events happen or our friend, much less our enemy, is struggling today.  The mustard seed is planted in soil and so small as to be hard to see.   The yeast is working in dough and cannot be seen as it does its thing.  We only see the dough rising.  The treasure is buried in a field that is not ours.  The pearl of great price is among other pearls and the net pulls out fish that are in the sea, under the water.  Have you ever prayed, “Lord, please send a fax so I will know what you want me to do!”  I have.  I do not see God face to face and which path to take is not always very clear.  Our faith is small but calls us to venture forth into a broader experience of God’s grace.  We must plant that mustard seed, kneed that dough, buy the field, purchase the pearl and cast the net.  The small calls us into a bigger world.   

      Then the hearer must be patient and wait to see how the mustard seed will grow and become seen.  The bread is not feasted on until the yeast has done its work on the flour.  Relating to God starts as a seed of faith or a granual of yeast and grows in us as we mature, hopefully.  The shrub that grows does not look like the seed nor does the loaf of bread look like the yeast.  The kingdom of heaven does not look exactly like any single Christian.  Like those blind men, we gather today to share our experience of God and the journey we are on.

         Each of our relationships does not look like those first days when we started to grow into faith.  If we do not tend to that seed of faith, that grain of yeast, we will be like the seeds planted on rocky or thorny soil or like a bowl of dough that refuses to rise.  Neither fulfills its potential.  We cannot see the future that is hidden from us and so the hiddenness of God calls us into trusting him. 

Good grows in the presence of bad

         The hiddenness of the kingdom also speaks to our lives in community.  Jesus puts each parable in a context of other people.  The seed needs soil to grow.  The yeast needs flour and fluids to fulfill its purpose.  The treasure is sitting within a field, the pearl is undiscovered, hidden in community and the fish swim with the good and bad under the water.

         The last parable is almost a mirror image of last week’s parable except instead of talking about a field with wheat and weeds, Jesus talks about water and a net that catches good and bad fish.  Again, Jesus tells us that the angels will do the dividing at the end of the age when evil is punished.  We do not know the eventual judgment on the soil or the dough or the other pearls but we are told that the kingdom does coexist with that which is not-kingdom.  We are encouraged that the kingdom influences the not-kingdom.  The seed becomes a bush that gives shelter and home to the birds.  The yeast does change the dough that is the foundation for making bread and feeding people.  The treasure and the pearl empower the buyer to do good.  We grow in the presence of not-kingdom and we impact it for good.  The weeding and the sorting of who are the good and bad fish is for the angels.  Our role is to be the new creation and grow into whom the Lord wants us to be.  None of the blind men had the whole picture but they shared with each other their experience and hopefully if they talked long enough, they would come to a clearer picture of the unseen.

Growth requires work

         Not only are we like the blind men, not seeing the whole picture of who God is, and not ony do we live with not-kingdom others, the parables challenge us that we must work to grow.  Sometimes Christians give testimonies that would make us think that the emotional experience of “conversion” is the whole story.  Praise the Lord.  When faced with suffering and trials we know God is in control and the result is to his glory and so “Praise the Lord.”  All five parables add more texture to the journey of faith.

         The mustard seed must persevere and grow on sunny days and rainy days.  Not all days are sunny.  I am guessing trees don’t experience pruning as delightful.  Being corrected when we are wrong is humbling.  Growth takes time and patience.  Some of us know about the Dark Night of the Soul when the sun is not shining and the moon is only a sliver.  We hold on by our fingernails.  Likewise the yeast must be softened in liquid and kneeded into the dough.  We pray the master is gentle as he pushes and shoves on us!!!  Being buried and unseen like the treasure is hard.  It’s hard to be unappreciated and unrecognized, to be passed over, or to be dismissed.  Again, the pearl must wait for the right person to come along and discover it.  Being scooped up like the fish in the larger events of our world like Coved or like war or famine, tests anyone’s faith.  Hanging on to the kingdom is work.

         Likewise the flip side is to think how we are like the agent in these parables.  We plant little seeds in our children, at our work, in our world and we must wait and help them grow, not knowing the final result.  It is work for the baker, for us, to knead the dough.  It’s not easy to push back on others and question them and encourage them to be their better selves.  The man must sell everything to buy the field with the treasure.  Everything is a big word.  The one who spies the pearl of great price is looking.  The pearl does not just drop into life as a blessing but that person must learn to distinguish what makes a pearl of great price.  Some of you are fisher people and know the work of getting ready to go on a trip preparing gear, boat, transport and the patience of waiting.

         Our blind men would never have had their experiences of the elephant had they sat in their homes and allowed life to deal with them.  They had to venture out of their comfort zone and touch that which may well have been threatening.  They had to trust their guide.  They had to interact with their friends and allow their experiences to be challenged and to grow in their limited understanding.

     And so we are back to our original question asked by Jesus, “⁵¹“Have you understood all this?” I suspect the honest answer is, “We’re trying.”

⁵²And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

         “Scribe,” Jesus calls us scribes.  We are scribes.  The scribes were the people who “scribbled” “scripture”, who copied the texts that were given them.  We are called scribes because we are the carriers in real life of the teachings of God.  Our lives are a book others read and learn about God.  We are parables not unlike those we learned about today.  We are the mustard seed that says some little word that may lead someone to question about faith.  Or we might be the yeast that helps another grow in faith.  Each of you is a treasure of experiences, old and new, of God’s grace in your life.  You can be a pearl of great price as you encourage the discouraged, speak the truth to the deceived, love the downtrodden, or heal the broken hearted.  You are the scribes, the living parables God is using to speak to the world today.

         We do not know what is to become of our efforts but we do know the God who is working in our lives.  We do know we live in community.  We do know it is not easy to choose God’s way over our selfish desires.  God will make sure evil is held accountable.  You are important and God has your back.

Let the people of God say, “AMEN.”

First Reading: Isaiah 44:6-8

 ⁶Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
  and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
 I am the first and I am the last;
  besides me there is no god.
 ⁷Who is like me? Let them proclaim it,
  let them declare and set it forth before me.
 Who has announced from of old the things to come?
  Let them tell us what is yet to be.
 ⁸Do not fear, or be afraid;
  have I not told you from of old and declared it?
  You are my witnesses!
 Is there any god besides me?
  There is no other rock; I know not one.

Psalm: Psalm 86:11-17

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth. (Ps. 86:11)

 ¹¹Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;
  give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
 ¹²I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
  and glorify your name forevermore.
 ¹³For great is your love toward me;
  you have delivered me from the pit of death.
 ¹⁴The arrogant rise up against me, O God, and a band of violent people seeks my life;
  they have not set you before their eyes.
 ¹⁵But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion,
  slow to anger, and full of kindness and truth.
 ¹⁶Turn to me and have mercy on me;
  give your strength to your servant, and save the child of your handmaid.
 ¹⁷Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame;
  because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Second Reading: Romans 8:12-25

¹²So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—¹³for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

 ¹⁸I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. ¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; ²⁰for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²²We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; ²³and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

²⁴[Jesus] put before [the crowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. ²⁶So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. ²⁷And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ ²⁸He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. ³⁰Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”
 ³⁶Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; ³⁸the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, ⁴²and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  In 1740 a French writer recorded a tale that she claimed a chambermaid told to a young lady traveling on a ship to America.  Disney has made the story famous in “Beauty and the Beast.”  We have  most likely seen some version of this beloved story. Let’s group think.

Who are the good guys?

Who are the bad guys?

How is the curse broken?

Let us pray:  Lord may the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Amen

SERMON

         Today is the 8^th Sunday after Pentecost.  During Pentecost we come to Scripture not asking what it tells us about our God but we come to Scripture asking what it tells us about ourselves so we can believe, and more fully love and serve God.   Somedays I cry more than I rejoice and it is good to come to church on Sunday to refresh my perspective and be reminded of eternal truths.  We opened Pentecost focusing on the truth that as Christians, we worship a Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  It is a mystery that is hard to get our heads and hearts around. 

• God is a relational being within itself and with its creation. 
• God is a communicating being within itself and with its creation. 
• God is a teaching being showing us how life works best and we have free will to obey his wisdom. 

Maybe those three ideas can give new insight into our text today.

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away.”

         Jesus gives a parable to the crowds, to us, in our text today and then later gives a very specific explanation to the disciples.  Jesus tells us what the parable means.  First, God is relational.  In our world today there are good guys and bad guys.  We relate to both and so does God.  We are encouraged by our culture to believe diversity is “different” but not “bad.”  One of my sons used to say, “You drink your kool-aide Mom and I’ll drink mine.”  Another way to think of it is that “all roads lead to Rome,” or God.  “Beauty and the Beast” opens and gives the impression that Belle is the good guy and the Beast is the bad guy.  May I suggest that Belle is the wheat and the Beast is the weed.  The enchanted house servants and the town’s people may be more like the slaves and reapers of today’s parable.  The servants are under the curse with the Beast.  The town’s people are neutral with free will, observers.  Garcon, the handsome young dude who wants Belle, seems to be good.

         Weeds and wheat are not the same though.  Jesus says that wheat represents people who have accepted the word of God that God sewed last week in our text.  Do not forget, though, that some of that wheat is growing in good soil, some in rocky and some in thorny.  Weeds are people, at their core, who are under the influence of Satan.  Their hearts are hard like a road.   Weeds and Wheat are not the same but they do coexist in the same field, in the same world and in the same church.  We live in a time of good and evil, not simple ignorance, not just diversity, and not just right and wrong.

         I also read in this that not only do we have good and bad people around us, there is an enemy, Satan, the Devil.  The Beast is under a curse.  Our cartoons have made evil into a very fictitious being.  In our polarized politics “evil” is being identified with people who did not vote like us or who voted for a certain evil candidate.  In our drug saturated cities, we might think of gangs or dealers.  We think of addictions.  We think of mass shootings of children.  We think of wars “over there.”  We disperse evil into “systemic problems” we face with democracy.  The Beast appears to be evil, under a curse, believing he must work his way to salvation, to earn love before the last petal on the rose falls.  We work hard today to not see evil as a spiritual being working at odds with God.  Our parable reminds us of Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6:

            ¹² For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the       heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 

         Our parable today acknowledges the existence of Satan but gives no explanation.  We do not know why God allows Satan to work in our world but the parable promises an eventual ending when evil will be reckoned with.  God is in control, watching his field and evil will be called to account. Evil is not outside God’s influence and we believe that when Evil touches our lives it is mediated by God’s love, by our relationship with God.

May Bethany be a place where wheat can grow and weeds can be confronted with the truth.  May we be more like Belle, willing to look beyond the masks we wear, and not like Garcon, the egotistical man who wants to marry Belle and considers the Beast evil because the Beast gets in Garcon’s way.

The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them (the weeds)?’ ²⁹But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. ³⁰Let both of them grow together until the harvest;

         God is not only a relational being, able to work with servants and harvesters, with wheat and weeds, and with his enemy but he is also a God who communicates.  That is seen in the relationship between the slaves and himself and between the reapers and himself. The parable invites us to ponder why God would allow the weeds to stay with the wheat.  I would like to think communication is happening as the owner gives time for the plants to grow.  The parable does not fill in details so we cannot take too much liberty but God definitely gives time. The parable does not directly speak to evangelism, the wheat convincing the weed it needs to become wheat.  I don’t think we can read that into our text today.  But we can make a few observations.    

         The owner, God, is clear that what happens to the weed affects the wheat that is near by.  God says to allow the weeds to exist with the wheat.  Pulling up weeds can hurt the young wheat.  Our lives are lived in community and often we indulge is “witch hunts” identifying the bad guys and trying to uproot them.  That is God’s job. Jesus could be referring to the temptation to slander, to gossip, to judge others when we don’t know the whole picture.  We do not know who is wheat and who is weed.  Only God knows the heart of people and only God sees the whole picture.  Jesus is not talking about crime for the Bible clearly says not to murder, steal, commit adultery, slander or covet.  Jesus is talking about the temptation for us to play God when we decide who are the bad guys. Pulling up weeds may well hurt the tender wheat. We do not believe weeds become wheat but we do believe that at some moment faith reaches out to God and God transforms us sinners into saints, a gift of God through faith.

                  Not only do we play the blame game but also as we live in community, others are always observing us when we live our better selves and also when we fall short.  Our lives impact others and we do not want to hurt one of the little ones whose faith is young and tender.  We impact our world not only by telling our story of faith but also by being salt and light and being in the world but not being of the world.  It took time for Belle to develop relationship with the Beast and for the Beast to change his ways.  The parable encourages us not to play God by judging another whom we think needs to be uprooted from community and encourages us to remember that our lives impact those around us as we allow God’s love to flow through us.

         Martin Luther talked about “double killing” as he wrote about this parable.  If the servants do not obey the owner and if they go and pull out the weeds, they have not only killed the weeds physically but have also killed the weeds spiritually as the weeds will never be able to hear the Gospel.  When our mouth gets out of control either with gossip or bitterness or angry replies, we have the potential to do serious damage to the faith of another.  That is a serious thought.  Garcon wants Belle for his own wife but we see not only his desire for her but also how his arrogance and speech influence the town’s people to storm the Beast’s castle to destroy the Beast.  Had they succeeded, they would never have had a transformed prince to govern them.

         Bethany has an agricultural program that gives teaching and garden space to people in the community and that provides fresh vegetables for food pantries.  The people who work these gardens are taught valuable lessons.  I am pretty sure that involves weeding and thinning the plants to maximize the harvest and get the most for your efforts.  So interestingly Jesus does not advise taking out the weeds in this parable.  Church community is not about developing a “pure breed” of Christian but more like a farmer’s field with healthy wheat, scraggly plants in the places that water does not reach, rocky and thorny places that prohibit growth, and weeds generously sprinkled in.  The kingdom of God does not work like the kingdom of this world.  Our world tries to identify and eliminate that which we don’t agree with.  God nurtures all of us, communicates with all of us and desires eternal salvation for all of us.

⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”

         “Then.”  Then implies that after the owner’s wishes have been carried out, after his teachings have been followed, and after we have grown to maturity then the golden wheat, the kingdom of God will shine like the sun.    

         Our parable today brings us to our knees as we realize faith is a gift.  Credit clearly goes to God who plants seeds that grow into wheat and who patiently waits for us to grow before he harvests.  I suspect that we don’t understand the storms of life that sometimes darken the sunny days of the field of wheat.  It is during those times that we keep our eyes on God.

         So let’s pull this together.

Who are the good guys?  We are petty sure it is Belle and the enchanted servants, especially the little teacup called Chip.  The father is good and the horses are good.  There are many ways to be wheat in God’s garden.  Ultimately it is Belle’s love that “shines like the sun,” not selfish Garcon.

Who are the bad guys?  We think Garcon is good because he has all the things our world admires but his self-idolizing and arrogance lead him to failure.  The servants might appear bad as they are under the influence of the curse but they keep faith in their master and in the end are transformed by Belle’s love.  The town’s people who are somehow neutral in their loyalty and are like sheep following the wrong shepherd.  Satan is sneaky and it is not always easy to identify.  So having a reference point like Scripture, friends, or worship.  Helps.  Time to allow the crop to grow and see what fruit is produced is always needed, God’s time.

How is the curse broken?  The curse is broken not by killing the Beast but by the love of God.  The love of God on the cross is the solution to evil.  Wars, education, wealth, and all the things the world admires do not replace the power of God.  God promises that in the end Evil will be defeated and we will live in a kingdom that shines like the sun.

Do we have ears to listen?

Let the people of God say, “Amen!”

First Reading: Zechariah 9:9-12

 ⁹Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
  Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
       Lo, your king comes to you;
  triumphant and victorious is he,
       humble and riding on a donkey,
  on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
 ¹⁰He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
  and the war-horse from Jerusalem;
       and the battle bow shall be cut off,
  and he shall command peace to the nations;
       his dominion shall be from sea to sea,
  and from the River to the ends of the earth.
¹¹As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
  I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
 ¹²Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
  today I declare that I will restore to you double.

Psalm: Psalm 145:8-14

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. (Ps. 145:8)

 ⁸The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
  slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
 ⁹Lord, you are good to all,
  and your compassion is over all your works. 
 ¹⁰All your works shall praise you, O Lord,
  and your faithful ones shall bless you.
 ¹¹They shall tell of the glory of your kingdom
  and speak of your power,
 ¹²that all people may know of your power
  and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
 ¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your dominion endures through-out all ages.
  You, Lord, are faithful in all your words, and loving in all your works.
 ¹⁴The Lord upholds all those who fall
  and lifts up those who are bowed down.

Second Reading: Romans 7:15-25a

¹⁵I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. ¹⁸For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. ¹⁹For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. ²⁰Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
 ²¹So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. ²²For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, ²³but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ²⁴Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ^25aThanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

 [Jesus spoke to the crowd saying:] ¹⁶“To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
 ¹⁷‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
  we wailed, and you did not mourn.’
¹⁸For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; ¹⁹the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
 ²⁵At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; ²⁶yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ²⁷All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
 ²⁸“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Children’s Sermon:  Let’s review one of the fun fables about how the zebra got his stripes.  It goes back to creation.

         At creation, all the animals looked the same with four legs, one tail, and brown fur.  One day God realized how dull and boring his world was because all the animals were the same.  Why not ask the animals their wish for size, shape, and color? 

“I want a long neck,” said the giraffe.  So it became.

“I want an enormous nose,” said the elephant.  So it became.

“I want sharp claws and huge teeth,” roared the lion.  Wish granted.

         Finally God came to his last brown animal.  “Who are you and what would you like?” asked God. Zebra was not sure if he wanted to be black or white.  He asked to be white, and it was so.  But then he said, “No, wait, I want to be black.”  God changed him to black.  Zebra wailed and said, “No, wait, I want to be white.”  God sighed.  He changed the zebra to black and white stripes. Even today zebra is known by his stripes.

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

         Last week we finished three weeks of Jesus’ instructions to his followers about being disciples.  We pondered the rewards of being a disciple, a modern day prophet.  It is an honor to represent God, our creator, who reaches out to us through Jesus Christ to restore relationship.  Prophets often are rewarded receiving a “prophets reward,” kind of like a tip.  And thirdly prophets invest in the future as people turn to Christ and become righteous, our world becomes a better place.  But as we come to today’s text, John the Baptist, a prophet in his time, has been seized by Herod and put in prison.  He has not yet been beheaded and has sent his men to ask if Jesus is really the one.  He is not being honored, rewarded or appearing righteous in the moment.  Jesus himself is not being honored as he is criticized for whom he associates with and questioned about his teachings.  In fact, even we encounter trials that can challenge our faith.  With that backdrop, Jesus turns to speak to the crowds, to us ordinary people.  He asks us, “To what will I compare this generation?

It is like children sitting in the marketplaces

and calling to one another.”

We are no longer sheep without a shepherd but children in a marketplace.    At that time, there were two living models, John and Jesus, but they were so different. We have two living, dynamic examples of faith but “it’s complicated” we might say to indicate whose camp we are in.  John the Baptist called the people to repentance.  He might have been classified as a “hell, fire and brimstone” preacher.  Jesus, on the other hand, was critiqued for associating with sinners.  “Advocacy” proponents might use him as their model. The crowd’s faith temperature seems to vary with surface circumstances.  Children in the marketplace call to each other, “Come look at what I found!”  They run from one captivating scene to another.  Are we also sometimes white and sometimes black like zebra, running around the marketplace looking at all that is available to us today?

         Jesus is using a picture from an urban setting we can identify with.  My second son was in Istanbul this week and sent me a picture of the market that was so similar to the open markets in Kenya.  It looked like our farmers’ markets.  Vegetable stands line the walkway with little cafes and people walking along looking.  Marketplaces are places with lots of energy, activity and choice. “Marketplace” has now become synonymous with finding medical insurance.  But whether you want medical insurance or walk the malls for exercise or go to the mall to get out of the house, you will encounter diversity, alternatives, activity and your senses can become overloaded with choice.  Like children, our “wants” often speak louder than our “needs.”

         May I suggest that our religious scene in the United States is also a marketplace of denominations, worship styles, programs and gifted speakers.  We often act like children.  That which glitters attracts us.  We are like a child standing in the cereal isle at the grocery store.  We are kind of like the zebra, we don’t know if we want to be black or white

White shows the dirt but black feels awfully dark!  We come to church but many times we are asking in our hearts what is in this for me.  A miracle? A healing? A good, entertaining sermon? A fantastic choir? Perhaps a financial handout for the needy.   We know we don’t want another sermon on money.  The question in our heart might be what we can get from church rather than what we can give.  Worship can become superficial.

         Perhaps, though, Jesus compares us to children because children have the ability to love mother and love father, to love all sorts of friends. They can throw their arms around John the Baptist and around Jesus and the different styles don’t bother them.  They have not reached the age of commitment to a single spouse.  They can embrace diversity.  I think of the song in South Pacific,

“You’ve got to be taught, To hate and fear,

You’ve got to be taught, From year to year, In your dear little ear

You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught to be afraid, Of people whose eyes are oddly made,

And people whose skin is a different shade, You’ve got to be carefully taught.

You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late, Before you are six or seven or eight,

To hate all the people your relatives hate, You’ve got to be carefully taught!”

         But children are easily distracted and undiscerning. Like the zebra they often want to be black and to be white.  The newest fad grabs their attention.

¹⁷‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
  we wailed, and you did not mourn.’

         The crowd’s response to John the Baptist or Jesus speaks to our own fickleness in going to church. It seems that churches today are trying to engage people who are shopping, that are looking for something.  We use the language, “seekers.”  It is easy to depend on our entertainment, our “dance.”  We may not be surprised when we are rejected for a bigger church that offers more programs.  We might sigh and pray for a bigger ministry but we err when we loose sight and become discouraged about who we are.  Maybe if I were white, then people would come.  No, probably we ought to be black.  And like the zebra, we might be doubtful of who God wants us to be at this moment in our context.

         So again why does Jesus compare us to children?  How do children act in the marketplace?  When we were in Minneapolis checking out a possible assignment we dropped our five children at the Mall of America with money.  We picked them up afterwards and none had bought anything!  Coming from Africa, it was all new and overwhelming to them.  They spent the whole time looking, open to the new experience.  They looked but did not commit.  “Openness” and “curiosity” characterize a child.        Jesus is sending his disciples out to places that will look very different from the synagogues in Jerusalem and they will need to be open and curious.  They are going to have to be willing to try to dance to new tunes and they are going to have to be able to mourn.  Children in the marketplace must decide which item is of value and which vendor is honest.  They are going to have to go beyond the glitter to find the gold that God has placed in every culture.  The question is not whether the zebra is black on white or white on black but whether it is alive and living out the purpose God made it for.

         So if we are children in the marketplace, Jesus may be asking us in our text if we are just being entertained by church or are we open to the diversity we are being led into and are we able to love all sorts of people who are his creation. Jesus next turns to God to pray and suddenly the children become the heroes of our sermon.

“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

 because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants;

         Discipleship and faith is not about education and intelligence.  It is not about quoting Scripture.  Wisdom is important.  Children have the ability of being able to run to the parent, to God, for protection, with their questions and fears, and with their doubts when they don’t know if they should be white or black as a zebra.  The picture of children sitting in Jesus’ lap comes to mind and their open nonjudgmental love of him.  Jesus tells his disciples, “‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ (Matthew 19:14)” 

         In this text Jesus says, “Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”  Children are spontaneous and transparent.  When they are hurt they cry and when they are happy, they laugh.  Children can be very selfish grabbing a toy for themselves and they can be very generous.  Normally children are devoted to those they love. Are we as transparent in living out our faith as a child is?   Children are many things but we do not think of children usually as wise.  Wisdom comes from God and the work of the Holy Spirit.  Wisdom comes from age, experience, and God.  Like children we must learn to listen and obey.

“Come…”

         I must end with the closing paragraph of our text today.  It is exhausting being a child.  Our eldest son would refuse ice cream for desert and curl up on the couch and go to sleep by 7 pm after a hard day of play with his village friends.  The marketplace is exhausting.  We often come home just plain tuckered out.  Keeping up with all the family activities of a church can be exhausting too.  Those tough days when we hold on to our faith by our fingertips challenge our faith and we become weary.

         Our generation is not that different from the one at the time of John the Baptist. The marketplace of freedom we celebrated on the 4^th this week allows the message of faith to be broadcast. But today we may actually feel exhausted trying to figure out which church best fits us or how to help our church “dance” more attractively.  Jesus closes with one of the greatest promises in the Bible,

²⁸“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”          

         The zebra could not decide if he wanted to be white or black and ended up with a bit of each.  Jesus invites those of us dancing in the “white zone” and those of us mourning in the “dark zone” to come to him, not to a doctrine or a theology.  We need his forgiveness when John’s message calls us to repentance.  We need his grace when Jesus’ message calls us to follow him.  Jesus calls us to a personal relationship that brings peace.  The zebra is beautiful.  You never see a skinny zebra.  As we worship together with all our gifts and come to Jesus, we are beautiful too and free to appreciate each other’s uniqueness.

Let the people of God say, “Thank you, Lord!”