From the Pastor |
Colossians 3:12-17
What comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? Food, Family, Football? Maybe it is a Long Weekend, or fabulous sales and shopping. Thanksgiving is much more than any of this. Thanksgiving is a day to look at all you have and be thankful. It is a day that reminds us to give thanks to God!! Now… that is the problem with Thanksgiving. For God’s people, everyday should be Thanksgiving Day! It seems strange that we should NEED a special day each year to remind us to Give thanks, doesn’t it? It’s kind of like when parents need to remind children to say thank you… so why do we adults… why do WE Christians (of all people)… need to be reminded to give thanks to God? The Bible is chock full of reminders already. Such as: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus… Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God… There is such an emphasis on giving thanks to God that it must be extremely important. Think about it… We all like to be thanked. When we give a gift to someone, when we help another person, when we perform an act of kindness for a fellow human being, we might not be doing these things in order to get recognition, but we usually expect some expression of appreciation. Even when our actions are prompted by our love, or our compassion, or our genuine concern for the other person, if there is little or no evidence of gratitude, we are often hurt and offended. Our human desire for thanks is an echo from the heart of God. God wants to know we are grateful for all His wonderful goodness to us. I mean, all we have and all we are comes from God. How can we, as believers, NOT be thankful? We should always “give thanks in all circumstances.” The truth is, thanksgiving would be a lot easier if only we realized just how blessed we really are – even when circumstances aren’t necessarily to our liking. There was a woman who lived in a Suburban neighborhood. One day two young boys came around selling Christmas cards. They were a bit disheveled, and their clothes were clean, but pretty old and worn. She invited the boys inside to get warm and offered them some cookies and hot chocolate. As they gobbled the cookies and sipped from the cups, they looked around. One of them blurted out the way children do, “Lady, are you rich?” She chuckled and thought to herself, “Rich? Just last night my husband and I were talking about the bills we can’t pay, and these kids think we’re rich.” But before she could reply the other one said, “Ma’am, we know you’re rich, because your cups and plates all match.” It’s easy to lose perspective, isn’t it? Not only is it easy to forget that we are among the wealthiest in the world, but it’s easy to overlook our many blessings and focus instead on what we lack. So, how do we put our lives into perspective… how do we express our gratitude to God? Obviously, we praise God with our lips. Through prayers, worship and songs… we thank God. However, we all know that words can be cheap, and the gratitude that contents itself with simply saying “Thank You” to God, is not evidence of a grateful heart. We tend to forget that God’s great purpose for us is not merely to save us. God’s ultimate goal is to mold us into the image of His Son, to make us Christ-like. Real Christian thankfulness is a life-transforming dynamic. In order to be all that God intends us to be we need to develop the heart of a follower of Christ… We are to live, set apart, as God’s chosen people. Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, tells us what we need to do to succeed in this: “as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another… Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” AND BE THANKFUL! You see, if we do not remember to give thanks to God… if we do not develop a truly grateful heart… it is virtually impossible to live our lives the way God intended… Because, that’s where our thanksgiving takes place first, in our hearts. A grateful heart helps to keep things in perspective, relieves the anxiety of thinking that the world will fall apart if we take our hands off the steering wheel and celebrates the fact that each day is a precious gift from God. Paul tell us plainly and clearly that whatever we do, we are to do it with all our hearts offering thanksgiving to God at all times… in good times AND in bad. Even when it seems we have hit rock bottom… God is there to help lift us up if we just let him. God is always there to offer love and light in the darkness. If we are truly grateful for all that God has done for us… for all we have (a home, family and friends, food on the table)… for always being with us… and especially for our salvation through Christ’s death and resurrection, our gratitude will bring the determination to live a life worthy of a Disciple of Christ… a life filled with the peace of Christ ruling in our hearts. But thanksgiving doesn’t remain in our hearts. It turns into “thanks-living” and brings about a life marked by service to God, a compassionate heart, a generous hand, and a spirit of contentment. As Paul tells you and me. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” We can give thanks to God through our words and our worship, but also through our actions. We thank God... · In every act of kindness to a stranger · in every word of encouragement to a suffering friend · in doing work that needs to be done without being asked · in forgiving the person who mistreated us · in helping those in need · in sharing God’s love and light with those around us · in giving with a cheerful heart So give thanks to the Lord. Give thanks with a grateful heart and always remember: Sing or speak: “Because you are God's chosen ones, because you are kept in his care: Clothe yourselves with mercy and kindness, humility, meekness and prayer. Bear with one another, forgive one another, forgive as the Lord forgives you. Over all these put on garments of love which will make your life over anew. By wisdom made perfect, instruct one another; Sing hymns to the Lord from your hearts. In all speech and action give thanks unto God, who to you all His blessings impart.” Amen.
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Amos 5:18-24 & Matthew 25:1-13
We are nearing the end of the Christian calendar… in just a few weeks we will begin a brand new year with the start of the Advent season… Endings and beginnings… it is no wonder our scriptures call us to be prepared… For, although on Christmas we celebrate how Christ came into the world over 2000 years ago… our faith assures us that Christ WILL come again. We need to be ready… Unfortunately, the Christian religion in America does not seem to do a lot to help us prepare… In many churches and communities, Christianity has become an “escapist” faith… offering an escape and a watered down hope for a promised perfection in eternity. They fail to engage with the surrounding community… fail to get involved in the fight for justice or the struggles of other people. “Personal salvation” is the stressed message. There is very little that is contributed to the world in the here and now. It is any wonder so many young people have moved away from what they refer to as “organized religion?” It is a tragedy and is very misguided. What we need is for our scriptures to recapture our hearts and minds… engaging us in a way that brings a change in us and a change in the world around us. I think today’s readings can do that. Our Gospel reading is the parable of the 10 bridesmaids. This parable is part of a greater discourse Jesus gives on the end times… it is the second of three stories whose moral is basically the same: be prepared. Now, by 21st century standards, this story seems a little strange, but customs were greatly different back in those days. Weddings were a BIG deal and they lasted for more than a few hours! And the whole town looked forward to the festivities. When the time came and the bridegroom and his soon to be father-in-law agreed on the dowry, the groom would come to lead the bride and the wedding party back to his father's house for the ceremony and reception. A town crier would herald the coming so people could be ready. Once the ceremony was over, there was no honeymoon. Instead the couple and their families would host a celebration that could last up to a week. It was a BIG DEAL! In the Parable… The 10 bridesmaids were the welcoming party… it was their lamps that would light the way to the celebration for the bridegroom and the bride. The lamps were small handheld lamps that burned oil. Due to their size they needed constant maintenance… trimming and adjusting the wick and the addition of more oil when it got low. In this particular case, half of them messed up. They didn't think to bring extra oil with them. Why? I don’t know… but when the bridegroom is much later in arriving than expected… they are forced to go out in search of more oil. By the time they return… they are too late. They missed their chance and have been locked out of the festivities. Now… all ten of these young ladies were called to participate. They each answered the call… and prepared to serve… the bridegroom was so late that they all fell asleep while waiting. The difference is that five of them were ready… they planned ahead. They brought extra oil… just in case. The other five didn’t. They assumed the bridegroom would be on time As I said before… This parable has the basic moral of the story being that we shouldn’t wait. We never know when the Lord will return and we need to always be ready. Like the Scouts… we need to “Be Prepared!” But how… how do we do that? How do we make sure we are prepared? Well… Jesus’ warning to keep alert and ready connects really well with the reading from Amos. In fact… all the prophets deliver a vision of what God intends human life to become. They speak of the lion lying down with the lamb… of soldiers beating their swords into plowshares… of children living without fear… a vision that includes no illness, or hunger, or crying anymore. And Amos is no exception. However, today he offers a harsh word about the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord was believed to be a day of deliverance. The people of Israel believed that YHWH was committed to their safety. They remembered God’s mighty deeds and readily expected God’s help to come in the future. But Amos asks, why should you desire this day? It is not going to be what you expect at all… it will be a day of darkness, not the anticipated brightness of God’s appearing. He paints a vivid picture of a man who escapes one danger after another only to be taken down when he finally thought he was safe. According to Amos… the relationship between God and the Israelites is already greatly damaged. Damaged to the point that God speaks harshly saying “I hate… your religious festivals… Even though you bring me… I will not accept them… I will have no regard for them.” The Prophet provides God’s word to the people of Israel… challenging them in their complacency, and comfort. The Day of the Lord is viewed by the prophet Amos as a time to be watchful of, and a reason to embrace justice and mercy, so the prophet must destroy the false expectations of the people in order to help them recognize the gifts God has already given them. Then they could participate more fully in the means of their salvation. The problem is not that they are not worshipping correctly… or well enough… they are not worshipping other gods… NO! The problem is their blatant disregard for justice and righteousness; and without Israel’s commitment to these things, there can be no relationship with God. What does this all mean for us? Well… It all comes down to our faith. When we look closely at the parable Jesus told… we can clearly see this. The 10 girls symbolize the followers of Christ who were waiting for the bridegroom, Jesus, to return. The lamps represent the life of each follower which shines the “light” to the world. The oil represents the faith which fuels each follower's life. Those Matthew deemed as “foolish” are those who did not replenish their faith; those whose ‘light’ has dimmed or gone out. Preparation means so much more that declaring yourself to be a “Christian.” It is not about preparing yourself to one day enter heaven. This leads to apathy and complacency. We need to live the hope our faith brings… here and now… every day of our lives. Preparation is a constant and growing relationship with Christ through prayer and study of the scriptures… but it also requires action. Our praise, our worship, our singing, our sacraments… however beautiful and heartfelt… must be accompanied by the work of justice in community. Or they are empty and meaningless. We cannot have a good and right relationship with God without working for justice and righteousness. For as Amos reminds us… What pleases God is to have justice pour from our lives like waters, and righteousness from our work, like an ever-flowing stream. This parable is a reminder that Christ has promised to return and set the world to right. We need to be alert and watchful… ready for that day. But when combined with other scriptures, such as the reading from Amos… we clearly see that we need to be alert and ready every day… not just for some time in the future… because otherwise we will miss God’s presence and activity in our lives today. As we embrace our faith and hope for the future we are called to live differently now… working with compassion for justice in our communities. So let us pause for a moment: what areas of our lives, our community, our world, are thirsting for waters of Justice and Righteousness? As we look toward the coming of the Lord… past, present and in the future… let hope and faith fill us and inspire us to answer the challenge to continuously renew our faith… living it out in the world today. In this way we are able to contribute to the manifestation of God’s kingdom in the place where we are… working in ways that reflect Christ to the world around us… making us agents of grace, healing, and salvation to hurting, hopeless people. So, let me ask you: Are you prepared? I pray that we are able to keep our lamps and hearts filled with faith and hope so that justice and righteousness may flow from our lives to the lives of others. Amen. Oh the joys of those… Happy are those… blessed are those… who delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. That is what the first psalm tells us. “They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Their delight… their happiness comes from the law of the Lord.
The Jews know that it was the Law of God… the Torah… that is at the heart of righteousness. The blessed life deliberately avoids the way of the wicked and makes the conscious choice to follow God’s way… to follow God’s laws. This happiness is not simply a feeling, but it has to do with being in a right relationship with God because the Law prioritizes lives so they are oriented to God. And it is the Law of God that Jesus is questioned about in today’s reading. As I noted last week, there was tremendous division within the Jewish community… with varying responses to the reign of the Roman Empire. The Pharisees emphasized the importance of obedience to the Torah, and ritual purity as the means to restoring Israel to its original glory. The Sadducees and the Herodians believed that the best way to respond to Roman power was through collaboration rather than opposition. The Zealots, were an aggressive political party who looked to lead a rebellion against the Roman Empire… driving them from the Holy Land by force. And it seems each group was interested in either forcing Jesus’ hand or discrediting him in some way. The continuous challenging of Jesus in the Temple was their way of trying to trip him up… to get him in trouble with one side or another. Today’s reading was no different. In this final question they try to back Jesus into a corner… “an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Now, this question may appear rather straightforward today. But it was a bit of a landmine. I mean… come on… Jesus was a ‘nobody’… from a nowhere town in Galilee… He was a self-appointed teacher whose followers were fishermen, peasants and tax collectors. His critics, on the other hand are professionally trained leaders and scholars. The Pharisees had studied every detail of Jewish law. They felt they knew the truth and they were out to prove it. Maybe they didn’t think Jesus knew all of the laws… I mean, the Torah contains 613 laws given by God. 248 of them were things that God told them to do. 365 of them were things that God told them NOT to do. 613 laws! Most people I know have trouble remembering the first 10… but each of those 613 laws were a divine imperative… each one carrying the authority of a divinely appointed leader, namely Moses… each one stepped in religious tradition and supported by the Jewish community. This expert must have thought he was pretty slick. After all… Jesus claimed to be sent by God… therefore he MUST know all 613 very well… and surely he could not deny the importance of ANY of the commandments. In fact, one way to answer would have been that all the commands are great because they come from God, but if Jesus gives this answer … then they can spring the trap… I can picture the very next question being… “If every commandment in the Law is great, then, Jesus, why have you broken so many of them.” You see… Jesus was… at least in their eyes… a law breaker: he’d broken the Sabbath laws by healing people on the Sabbath. He committed blasphemy when he forgave sins. His own followers had been seen failing to adhere to the strict dietary and cleanliness laws such as the ritual washing of hands before eating to which Jesus had simply replied “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth that is what defiles them.” (Matt. 15:11) He was a law breaker and I think this expert of the law was hoping to call him out on it! But once again… Jesus doesn’t play by their rules. Instead, Jesus cuts to the very core of God’s will and purpose by responding: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” You shall “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and the greatest commandment. We are each to love our God with “all” that is within us… heart, soul and mind… But how do we do that… how do we love God with all we are? Loving God means putting God first in every area of our lives. It is that whole priorities thing again… Loving God with all our heart, soul and mind means making God our number one priority… every day. Too often we stray off the off the path of righteousness because we have lost touch with the most basic truth there is: God is the one… the source of all goodness… the giver of wholeness. We focus our hearts and minds on the things of this world… But Jesus is clearly saying that there is nothing more important than loving God. No other law, rule, custom, culture or tradition is more important than loving God completely. That is why this is the greatest commandment. But loving God is not simply an emotion… it is not sentimental. Love is an action, a behavior, and a commitment which is why Jesus adds a second commandment to complement the first. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Let’s face it… Loving God with all we are is difficult, but loving our neighbors is usually where most of us seriously mess up as we attempt to follow in the way of Christ. In fact… loving your God and loving your neighbor are so strongly interconnected that there is NO separating them. If we truly love God it will show in our interactions with others. In fact, our actions in public reveal more about our relationship with God than anything else. All people… Our loved ones… our neighbors and even our enemies are created in God’s image… they are all images of God. Giving to God what is God's, loving our neighbors as ourselves, is God's tool to remake the world. In the world of war, climate change, poverty, economic crisis and deadly diseases, love may appear to be powerless and irrelevant. But, when love is lived as demonstrated by Jesus it speaks directly to the root causes of our struggles. You see… While fear and anger cause war and division… Love drives us to seek out connections and understanding. It is love that drives us to share what we have so that others can not only survive but thrive. Love leads us to be more careful in how we treat our environment and use our resources… It guides us in the way we deal with those who are suffering. Love for God… expressed in love for our neighbor works to bring justice… it strives for peace… it cares for “least”, the lost and the most vulnerable. Love… the true agape love of God is what this world needs desperately. The challenge is whether we are prepared to embrace love, to live love, to “preach” love and to work to spread love through the world. It requires us to recognize that it is God's image we find in our neighbors… yes… even in our enemies. If we are truly followers of Christ Jesus, we are called to follow not just the law of love but his loving example as well. It makes sense that those who delight in God’s laws would be happy… If our focus is on God… we will not be so easily swayed by the things of this world. We would be less likely to “follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.” We are called to obey the laws of God because the law is God's gift to help all of God's creations flourish. God has given us tremendous capacity and tremendous freedom, and we regularly have the opportunity to demonstrate our love for God and for our neighbor. Unfortunately, we often fall short of that endeavor… again and again and again. Thankfully, we serve a God who loves us… who is willing to forgive us over and over and over. We know this to be true because in the cross we can see just how much our God loves us. God loves us so much that we are given the command to demonstrate our love for God by caring for one another; God loves us enough to forgive us each time we fail. So, when Jesus explains that the law and the prophets all hang on the commandments to love God and love our neighbors, he is inviting us to re-evaluate our lives, our commitments, and even our politics and orient them in ways that demonstrate and honor God’s divine image in others. So, as you move forward into this new week… work on your priorities and try to determine where God is on the list. Then work to make loving God the priority in your life… then allow your love of God to spill outward to all you come in contact with… loving you neighbors… ALL your neighbors as yourself. If we can and do, we will discover that, little by little, the world begins to change… moving a little further toward being the kingdom of beauty, love and compassion that God created it to be. With so much going on in our world… in our nation these days… we are facing challenges many of us have never had to face before. No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on… you have to admit… we… as a nation… are in a dark place. I personally have never been so frustrated and angry by what I see going on around me as I have been this year. Politics, economics, race, gender, religion… these are the things dividing us more and more each day.
As we strive to navigate the stormy waters that are drowning our nation… as we try to face some extremely challenging issues, the question of where we place God in our lives and our priorities may seem fairly insignificant… especially for those of us who have faith. We have faith… we have come to know our God… we need to focus on the turmoil that is all around us. However, as we begin to dig a little deeper, we discover that where we place God in our lives may very well be one of the most important questions for us to consider today. It was the question Jesus was looking for an answer to in our reading from Matthew. No, he did not come right out and ask “Hey… where do you place God in your lives?” … but when we look at this short question and answer exchange, it seems pretty clear that that is exactly what he is asking. It is the final days of Jesus’ ministry… he has triumphantly entered Jerusalem… He cleansed the Temple of the moneychangers… and he has spent his time teaching in the Temple “Then the Pharisees… laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth… Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” Now, this really was a pretty good trap they just laid out for Jesus because no matter which answer he gives… he is going to be in trouble. I feel the need to point out that this passage is not about taxes in general… but a very specific tax. The tax in question was the Imperial tax… the tribute paid to Rome to support the Roman occupation of Israel. That’s right: first-century Jews were required to pay a tax to Rome that went to cover the expense of their own oppression. This was the tax they came and asked Jesus if it was right for them to pay. Now even for the Jews, this was an incredibly divisive issue… Those put in power by Rome… and those who enjoyed wealth… supported the Roman occupation… However, the nationalists and the devout Jews did not… and that was the trap… the problem… If Jesus answers ‘yes’ it is right to pay the Imperial tax, it would alienate him from the oppressed people who despised the Roman occupation… they would view him as a traitor. However, if he answers ‘no’ he would demonstrate himself to be an ‘enemy of Rome’… It was a no win situation… But Jesus is not so easily trapped. Instead of a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer Jesus asks for one of the coins used to pay the taxes… after he is given one he poses a question in return… whose image is on the coin? Whose inscription? … When they identify both to be Caesar’s, Jesus replies “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Huh!!! This was not the answer that either side expected to hear, but it was one that neither side could argue with. Since Caesar’s image was on the coin… it belonged to Caesar… But what about God? What belongs to God? Well… Genesis 1: 27 specifically tells us that “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” So… If we are created in the image of God… The items stamped with God's image is… us! We are to give God ourselves… our whole selves… because we belong to God. And to take it even further… Psalm 24:1 says “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;” Therefore… everything… everything belongs to God. WOW! Jesus avoided the trap that was set… even though the question was political… his answer wasn’t… Jesus never openly spoke out against the Roman occupation… Jesus did not come to topple a government or to rally together a rebellion that would fight the system. (Much to the dismay of the Jews who were looking for a Messiah who would do just that.) Instead… Jesus simply declares that Caesar is owed what bears his image and name… the coin. Jesus did not allow himself to be drawn into a massive debate between church and state. Instead, he acknowledges that being a citizen of Heaven does not exempt you from being a citizen of the state. But it does mean that our higher duty… our priority is to give God what belongs to God. If we are created in the image of God… we belong to Him. We must give ourselves to God and do our best to live as God wants us to do… Jesus’ life and ministry demonstrates exactly HOW we are to live and work within the systems and confines of government and country in ways that will bring a lasting change. The government during Jesus’ time was about as corrupt, oppressive and bureaucratic as one could get, but Jesus successfully navigated it… all the while ministering and teaching… preaching the truth of God and serving those in need. Sharing love for God and neighbor everywhere he went. We are called to do the same. Living as citizens of this nation while striving to never lose our identity as the people of God… but always giving God what belongs to God… ourselves and our love… Loving God and loving our neighbor must be our main priority…working for justice, peace and the well-being of all people. Caring for this world that God created… Caring for one another… feeding the hungry… healing the sick… offering kindness and compassion to all we meet because they too belong to God… They too are created in God’s image. Jesus’ response to this question about taxes reminds us that as Disciples of Christ we are to do TWO things: First… We are to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s… in other words… we are to give our commitment to live as good citizens, in support and service of this country we live in… and our voice to challenge what is unjust within it as we also support and strengthen what is good, and just and peaceful. And second… we are to give to God what is God’s. There is no question that followers of Christ are called to be “salt and light”… we are called to “witness to Christ” in the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no question that we are to be set apart from others by the very presence of God in our lives… by the way that following Christ defines how we live and love. Let’s face it… There is so much division… anger and hatred within our society… tearing apart our nation. It never seems to end and love seems to be in short supply these days. I really think the problem stems from the fact that… as Christians… We have spent so much time focusing on our citizenship of this world that we have forgotten that, as citizens of the kingdom of God… we belong first and foremost to God. As followers of Christ Jesus… it is time we refocus our hearts and minds on what is important… we need to reevaluate our priorities. Let’s face it… Lashing out at one another in fear and anger is not the way… Trusting in the ‘Caesars’ of the world… the rich and powerful… the politicians is not the way. Giving our love and trust to God… giving ourselves and our lives to God and then living as God calls us to live… THAT is the WAY! Even though we may disagree with the things that happen within our own political arena, as followers of Christ, we are to always try our best to live and serve as Jesus did... as those who belong to God. When we remember whose image we bear… when we remember to whom we belong… when we live and speak and act as those who are reflections of God… that is when we are able to begin to tackle the challenges of this world with love and hope… trusting in God’s Spirit When we remember that it is through our faith, hope and love that we are truly able to give to the Lord what belongs to the Lord… namely everything… including our very lives, our love and our commitment… then we are able to reflect the image of God to the world around us… It is then that we will see changes coming to fruition bringing justice and peace to a world in pain. Amen. |
Yeon Shin
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