Our Relationship Status with God: "It's Complicated."

Isaiah 45:1-7

Psalm 96: 1-9 [10-13]

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Matthew 22:15-22

Narrative: 2 Samuel 12:1-9 and Psalm 51:1-9

First Lesson: Isaiah 45:1-7

Challenges:

Wait, who is Cyrus? What’s going on? You know someone will be wondering that. Other people will simply hear, “Blah, blah, blah…Bible words…blah, blah, blah.” This is even more of an issue if you are NOT preaching on this text than if you are. If you have the chance to do this, why not give a quick explanation before the reading begins so that people at least have the chance to understand what’s going on here?

Opportunities:

I once heard a medical nurse give an excellent “witness” to his blossoming faith and relationship with God. As he looked back on his life in medicine and healthcare he was able to see ways that God had strengthened him, inspired him, guided his hand while caring for people, even though at the time he didn’t recognize God.  It makes me think of verse 5 where God says about Cyrus, “I arm you, even though you do not know me.” Just because you don’t notice God, doesn’t mean God isn’t there!

Good News:

There is no other god but God. Frankly, I am very happy to know that Molech, Baal and Zeus aren’t running around because they scare the #$%* out of me. 

Second Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Challenges:

This probably shows much more of my own emotional and spiritual baggage than anything else, but verse 4 brings me questions. Paul says that God has “chosen you.” That’s wonderful and awesome and all of that. But if God chooses the people in this congregation of Thessalonians, why didn’t God choose other people as well? I know this is going down a “rabbit hole” of sorts, but I imagine some people of the Thessalonians wondered this as well. They obviously had family members and friends who did accept Christ.  Why didn’t they? They probably had some wonderful neighbors who they really, really liked and cared for…who still worshipped the old gods.  They might have has some of the angst I feel when I hear talk of who is chosen.  I don’t know what you do with this, but it’s a challenge I face!

Also, Paul talks about how Jesus rescues them (and us) from the “wrath that is coming.” That might be a way of describing atonement that makes you uncomfortable. Just remember that there is no ONE AND ONLY atonement theory and that Paul is in the canon and you are not.

Opportunities:

Since this is the beginning of the epistle, this could be an excellent chance to talk about what a First Century Christian Congregation might have been like. Relatively small, meeting in houses, gathered around a common meal.  Some things were probably very familiar to us: differences of opinion about how things should happen, people who were loud talkers, people who were very quiet, people who could count on, people who talked a good game but didn’t come through. In short: you’d have a group of people.

At the same time there would have been some major differences too: the complete and total radical nature of rich and poor people, slaves and free people, Jews and Gentiles worshipping together would have been HUGE. Yes, it’s huge today too and yes Sunday Morning is one of the most segregated times in America, but it would have been even more amazing 2,000 years ago.

And don’t forget the persecution they faced. Something tells me that it was 1000% worse than anything people in the U.S. of A face.

What a great opportunity to paint a picture of Christian Life in community.

Good News:

Here is yet another example of people being blessed (see verses 4 and 5) and they themselves become blessings to others (see verse 6) by becoming imitators of both Paul and the Lord.  They are not only saved and delivered from wrath, they are empowered and given a purpose.  There is meaning in their life: both collectively and individually. That’s a big deal and it gets me excited.

Gospel: Matthew 22:15-22

Challenges:

Many of the commentators I have read speak about the “dubious” interpretations of this story (i.e. God doesn’t care about how you spend your money, just about your heart, or that God and politics should be kept separate, etc.). I believe that they are certainly right. But we have to be careful in how we preach this. I’m getting tired of reading articles online about the seven or ten or twelve “things I am doing wrong.” I get it: I’m doing lots of things wrong, I know. It gets old when people who think they know more than I do try to keep telling me this.  I think people “in the pews” can feel the same way if their pastor keeps trying to tell them, over and over again, how they are looking at this story in the wrong way. Maybe they are! But as Andy Stanley has said, “Do you want to make a point or do you want to make a difference?” You could preach a sermon on this text that gets EVERYTHING “right” but if it turns off your audience so that all they hear is, ‘I’m a pastor and I’m smarter than you, aren’t you glad I put up with you all?” then your “right” sermon has failed miserably. 

Opportunities:

I really love the opening line of Prof. Lance Pape’s commentary for this text on the Working Preacher website: “Politically, just about the only thing Pharisees and Herodians have in common is that they don’t like Jesus.”  Think about all of the crazy political alliances, back-stabbings, log-jams and various “silly things” that happen in our own country.  Perhaps you could invite your people to think about the craziness of politics (heavily dipped in religion) of Jesus’ day.  That could set the tone for your sermon.  Imagine Jesus going on “Meet the Press” or another show like this.  The Herodians and the Pharisees are hoping he’ll say something that will provide a sound-byte they can show again and again until his “campaign” is ruined.

From The People’s New Testament Commentary (go buy it right now if you haven’t already): “While Matthew is clear that loyalty to God is a different and higher category than loyalty to Caesar, this text is not instruction on how people who live in a complex world of competing loyalties may determine what belongs to Caesar (as some things do) and what belongs to God (the ultimate loyalty) must be made, and it leaves it to readers in their own situations to be “Jesus theologians” who, in the light of Jesus’ life and teachings, will make their own decisions in such situations.” (pg. 87)

From N.T. Wright’s For Everyone series: (go buy it too) “We can only fully understand what Jesus was doing when we see his answer in the light of the whole story. Jesus knew-he had already told his disciples-that we was himself going to be crucified, to share the fate of the tax-rebels of his boyhood.  He wasn’t trying to wriggle out of personal or political danger. He was continuing to walk straight towards it. But he was doing so on his own terms.  His vocation was not to be the sort of revolutionary they had known.  The kingdom of God would defeat the kingdom of Caesar, not by conventional means, but by the victory of God’s love and power over the even greater empire of death itself…” (Matthew, vol. 2 pg. 88)

Good News:

I believe that Jesus is showing us that life is both very simple (God is #1) and very complicated (how do we live in a world where there are competing forces demanding our loyalty?!?!) all at the same time.  It’s as if he is giving us permission to name our world as complicated.  That is a relief! Now that we have that out of the way we can get down to the business of following him: stumbling imperfectly as we do, trusting that the Holy Spirit will grab us by the shoulders and put us right again and again.

Narrative:2 Samuel 12:1-9; Psalm 51:1-9

Challenges:

When you think about it, it’s too bad that even hear Bathsheba is considered something as “less-than-human” (i.e. a lamb).  We don’t really get to hear her voice or her side of the story for any of this story, and that’s much too bad as well.  You could go off on this…or you could put this story by Nathan in context.  Emphasize the revolutionary and groundbreaking nature of Nathan’s message.  For most of history (and plenty of the present-day as well), David’s actions are simply “the way things work.” Kings and bosses “get what they want.” Many people who are connected with power would simply shrug.  But God doesn’t shrug, God doesn’t cast a blind-eye, God sends Nathan instead.

Also, it will be a great challenge to deal with David here. David is an adulterer and murderer. Absolutely, positively. There’s no sugar-coating that.  At the same time, if we just simply dismiss him as one of “those guys” or one of “them,” that misses the point as well.  It’d be much easier to write David off as a “bad guy” and that’s it.  But we have to look at David in a more complicated way.  We need to be aware that ALL of us are susceptible to the corrupting influence of power wherever we are.  We might not be open murder and adultery, but we ALL have the chance to abuse power me might have.

Opportunities:

Many people might be familiar with the phrase that “power corrupts” and that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  This certainly seems to be the case today.  Until Nathan arrives there is no accountability for David, no one holding him up to a higher standard.  As a pastor in a “solo call” I am very much aware of the need for accountability.  It’s a very important thing. This could be a great opportunity to talk about accountability in the context of your listener’s lives: a work, in the family, etc.

We ALL have places were he have some power…it might be on the same level as David, but we do. How do we use it? How do we react when we realize that we have misused it? What does our relationship with God look like when this happens?

Good News:

I’ve said this before (many times) and I’ll say it again: GOD CARES ABOUT HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER. God doesn’t just fly by and say, “Hey, you guys are still sacrificing to me? Great, I’ll be back later…” God cares about how the powerful act, God is a God of accountability and justice. 

Pent. 18 & Narrative 6: God's Throwing a Party

Isaiah 25:1-9

Psalm 23

Philippians 4:1-9

Matthew 22:1-14

Narrative: Joshua 24:1-15

First Lesson: Isaiah 25:1-9

Challenges:

We haven’t even made it to the Gospel Lesson and we have a city that has been turned into a heap and a ruin. All this destruction, what’s up with that?  The palace of aliens/foreigners is no more. Now, if we’re talking about the Assyrians or even the Babylonians or Egyptians, that’s not necessarily bad news.  After all, I’m all for the song of the ruthless being stilled.  But it does need to be dealt with responsibly. It’s also good to see that the shroud that this put over all peoples (apparently even the aliens) is being destroyed. 

Opportunities:

As usual with Isaiah, there is rich imagery here. What parallel or similar images could you add in?  Warships and weapons on the scrap heap?  Military bases filled with cobwebs?  How about that feast of rich food? What do you envision being in that feast? Steak? Chicken wings? How about if you are a vegetarian or vegan? What kind of foods then?  When we have readings from Isaiah, there is always the opportunity to play with imagery.

Good News:

Bad things will be destroyed and good things will be raised up. There will be feasts and death will be swallowed up.  An amazing future awaits humanity. Tears will be taken away and dried. This is all amazing news. As I often say, sometimes you have to describe the Good News, on other occasions you simply have to get out of its way!

Second Lesson: Philippians 4:1-9

Challenges:

Paul’s words in verse 6 that say “do not worry about anything” are very important to hear, especially for someone with my personality.  I come from a long line of worriers. As a matter of fact, not only do we worry about “bad” things, we worry about “good” things as well: will they let us down? Will they all fall apart? Will I squander these good opportunities?  Yeah, we’re those people.

So I really need to hear this word about worrying! At the same time, there are some “happy-go-lucky,” “devil-may-care,” “why-plan-it’ll-all-be-alright” people out there who might not need any encouragement to not worry. If I go overboard about how worry is bad, they might equate that with, “Hey, I don’t need insurance or money in my savings account, or whatever.”  My point is, consider the variety of personalities and positions of the people in your congregation!

Opportunities:

While I just talked about being careful how we talk about “worry,” I must add that this is a great opportunity to talk about “worry.” Go figure.  Maybe you can name the fact that people out in your congregation will look at worry in different ways, but that many of them probably deal with it.

It could be a great chance to talk about the ways that media and the news do their best to make us worried.  Some things that are presented as worthy of worry are actually worrisome: terrorism, climate change, human trafficking, Ebola, etc.  But it’s important for us to not give in to panic and chaos. 

We don’t hear who is “right” or “wrong” in the argument between Euodia and Syntyche, nor should we really. That would be missing the point. Chances are they are both right and both wrong. Paul doesn’t take sides, except for saying that they are ALL on the same side.  That’s what matters. 

Good News:

This lesson is chock-full of good news.  Paul’s point (seen above) that we are all on the same team and don’t need to fight, is very inspiring and uplifting. When I read Philippians, I get “pumped up” about life in Christian community.  Paul’s comments on “the peace of God that passes all understanding” helps bring exactly what Paul is talking about: peace.  Quite often when I pray for people in tight or tough situations I pray that God will give them peace: in their hearts and lives, despite the challenges and hardships they face. There’s nothing like having the peace of God in your life: it changes things.

Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

Challenges:

I almost hesitate write some challenges here because they seem so obvious: this king is going over the top in destroying cities, and boy is the king pretty harsh for the guy who doesn’t follow the dress-code.   We might want to shy away from all of this harshness, and I get that.  But be careful how you dismiss something in this story! 

Opportunities:

There is a story about one of my favorite preachers, Fred Craddock.  He and Barbara Brown Taylor and someone else (who I can’t remember) all spoke at a preaching conference in Atlanta.  One evening, once all of the classes and seminars were complete, they went to an Atlanta Braves baseball game. While there, they noticed a group of college kids who were sitting a few rows in front of them. One of these students had become rather drunk and belligerent. He started yelling profanities, throwing empty (and not-so-empty) cups of liquid and generally carrying on. When security finally came and forcibly escorted him out of the stadium, Craddock turned to his companions and said, “He must not have been wearing a wedding garment…” I don’t know how much that will help your preaching preparation, but it’s a good story.

Lance Pape, writing for the “Working Preacher” website makes a good point by saying, “Note that this is not a matter of “Christians vs. Jews” -- that kind of thinking would come later -- but an intramural conflict within Judaism. Surely Matthew and his community understood themselves as faithful Jews who had responded to God’s summons to the kingdom banquet offered in honor of God’s Messiah, Jesus. But others had inexplicably rejected the great invitation, ignoring or persecuting both the prophets of old, and the new missionaries of this good news.”

I imagine that there could even have been some bewilderment in early Christian Community who were so in love with Jesus that they couldn’t understand why other people just couldn’t get how amazing he was.

Good News:

I’ll admit, this is the sort of story that can make a person wince: the destruction of cities, the casting out of the wedding guest, weeping and gnashing of teeth…all that stuff.  It might seem like ‘good news’ is hard to find!  If we can get past the burning cities, there’s the guy who is thrown out of the party.

There are many ways to wrestle with this, but the best that I have heard comes from many commentators who point out that the real problem this guy has is his refusal to join in the party.  Some point out that at these kinds of weddings, wedding garments were handed out at the door. Others will say that even just a flower picked from the side of the road and put on your clothing counted as a “wedding garment.” These could very well be true. Whatever the case, it really comes down to whether this guy is willing to take part in the party. Plus the fact that he was speechless. Perhaps if he had just said, “You are right, I am sorry, I repent, please forgive me!” The host would have found him the right thing to wear. Instead, he was speechless. 

So, in light of all of these things, the good news is this: God is throwing a party and we’re invited.

Narrative: Joshua 24:1-15

Challenges:

Joshua lists quite a bit of scraps, challenging situations and near-run-things that the people of Israel have been through over the centuries: slavery in Egypt, attacks by the Amorites, Moab’s Balak and his animosity, Balaam’s attempted curses that turned into blessings, fights with the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites.  You should buy your Lector a candy bar or a Pumpkin Spice Latte or something after he or she has read this passage!

How do we talk about a picture of God who is not only violent, but very definitely picking sides?  You don’t get a view of God being the “God of all” here: God is “our” god.  If you’re an Amorite, I guess it sucks to be you!  

Opportunities:

Bob Dylan has a very, very good song called Gotta Serve Somebody where he says:

You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

The song goes on (and it’s really worth listening to), but Dylan’s point has been made.  All of us serve SOMEONE or SOMETHING.  We might look at Joshua’s challenge to decide who the people will serve and say: why do we have to serve anyone? But the truth is we all serve someone or something: the question is who or what?  Your job? Your family? A substance?  (I’ve heard it said that drug addicts are some of the hardest working people in America, doing everything and anything they can to get their fix). 

Joshua is giving us an invitation to serve the LORD, who has done so many important things for the people. People are inspired to take part in something bigger than themselves, make a difference in the world and in their community. While I’m not saying that making a difference is the same as serving the Lord, it is very easy to make the leap between the two: you want to make a difference? You want to have a better community? You want to be part of something bigger than yourself that is changing the world for the better? Let me tell you about the LORD and the LORD’s son, Jesus Christ!

This could be an excellent chance for you (the preacher) to be a present-day Joshua.  Could you list a few instances in the past 10-20 years (or whatever) where God has provided for your faith community? Times when things looked bad, but God provided?  Moments when “provision” was provided out of the blue? This could be a way to make this story, THEIR story.

Good News:

We might read this passage and say, “Well, I’m not part of the people of Israel. I wasn’t there in the Wilderness, I wasn’t part of the group who crossed the Jordan…I’m not even related to any of those people over the centuries!” The GOOD NEWS comes with the fact that we have been “grafted in” through Jesus Christ. 

When it comes to service, there is a great deal of GOOD NEWS to be found there as well. Martin Luther said in his treatise on The Freedom of a Christian, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.  A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”  These two statements seem to contradict each other, but Luther explains how they work together very well.  We give out of our liberty, we love because we have been loved, we find significance because of our service.

Living a full, significant, (dare I say) abundant life comes from service to the Lord and relationship with Jesus Christ.