PENTECOST
20-A
28 September 2008, Proper 21
Matthew 21:28-32
Let's put
this morning's reading in a contemporary light.
A story tells
of two couples. The first was married in a large, beautiful church
ceremony. They pledged life-long faithfulness to each other in
the moving words of their vows. However, their life together has
been one of abuse-both physical and verbal. They both have been
unfaithful. The second couple lives together. They were never
married; they never applied for a marriage license; and they never
spoke vows in the presence of God, or in the hearing of family
and friends. Their life however, is a loving and affirming relationship.
They treat their children well, and have remained faithful to
each other. What do you think? Which couple would you say is doing
the will of God?
Jesus put
his question before sinners to see how they would answer it. So
now it is put before you: "what do you think?"
As you reason
it out, you will note that the first couple appeared to do what
was right. At least they care about appearances; they care about
what family and friends think; they care about putting on a great
wedding, about letting everyone know that they are really married.
But in their private lives they don't care very much about honoring
each other, nor do they care about their marriage. Individually
they are self absorbed. Sacrifice is not in their vocabulary.
There was no mention of children.
The second
pair too needs a change of attitude. They demonstrate a callous
dis-regard for the laws of God and society. Despising what they
call only "a piece of paper" (the license) they are
all about each other and have forgotten the world around them
in which they live. They have not honored God, or their parents,
as the Fourth Commandment requires. And, also a violation of the
Fourth Commandment they have not obeyed the civil authorities
as scripture commands. Some would argue that they have foolish
placed themselves and the children legally and financially, if
not morally, at risk.
The situations
are hypothetical: that is, I found them on the internet. But you
can name these people; we all know them. They are family, neighbors,
coworkers. They could be us. What do you think? We are tempted
to reason along these lines; the second couple really love each
other, and they are good parents; maybe that is more important
than a marriage license. The mind of sinful man can justify just
about anything. We see sin on a sliding scale from 1 to 10. In
God's eyes, sin is sin. "All have sinned..." Ro. 3)
We all stand condemned. "The wages of sin is death..."
(Ro. 6:23)
Both couples
need to change. We might want to use the word repent. But the
evangelist, Matthew, doesn't exactly speak of repentance here.
The exact term in Jesus' mouth speaks about changing the things
we care about, metamelomai)
In my hypothetical
situation the first couple cares about looking good to others.
Like the religious elite in Jesus' day, they want to be well thought
of, well spoken of-they want to look holy and prosperous. In the
second situation, that couple cared only about what they wanted
to do regardless of custom or civil law. They are all about their
own happiness, everyone else can fly kites. Their careless attitude
may one day leave their children in a legal limbo. There are reasons
for forms, custom and law. And, godly people are considerate of
others.
It becomes
obvious that the things God cares about are different than things
sinners care about. Peter's ideas about the messiah were in opposition
to Jesus. Our Savior took him to task (Mt. 16:23); "get behind
me, Satan." Peter thought the Davidic messiah should be concerned
about ruling and power. The Samaritan woman (at the well; Jn.
4) she thought the messiah would be a great teacher, who would
settle theological disputes-especially the matter of the true
and proper place for worship.
Clearly the
things God cares about are different than ours. Proverbs (16:25)
tells us, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but
its end is the way to death." Human ways are not God's ways.
Isaiah 55 adds that God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are
his ways, our ways. (v. 9) The ways of God are higher, loftier,
and more noble. What do you think?
We know this;
the messiah was neither a military leader or a king, nor even
one who settled religious disputes between the Samaritans and
the Jews. God gave us a messiah who did the will of his Father,
he served all people by his self offering.
More important
than being righteous and noble, God is merciful. He is more concerned
with the death and triumph of his Son over Satan, than his own
glory. What do you think? Most of you have heard that the Bible
repeatedly assures you that God is forgiving, and that he abounds
in "steadfast love." And, in keeping with these attributes
Jesus took up the cross and died as the atoning sacrifice for
the sins of the world. What do we think? We know that's not how
we would have handled mankind's situation. In fact, we would have
left it just as it was-each one doing what he or she wants to
do, each one paving his own road to perdition.
What do we think? We think sometimes it would be just great to
left alone to do whatever it is we wanted to do. But being left
alone means having to handle the difficult ways by ourselves too.
What do you
think? In the end it's not what I care about that's really important.
In the end all that will matter is that we care to know, honor
and serve the One who cared to do the Father's will. What do I
think? Sometimes the things I think about are down right silly.
Thanks be to God, that he cares about me.
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Hamburg, NJ 07419
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