Matthew 22:15-22

15 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him (Jesus) in his talk. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Hero'di-ans, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the money for the tax." And they brought him a coin. 20 And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" 21 They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 22 When they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away.

“A Loaded Question”

A loaded question is one that has more hidden then revealed.
A loaded question doesn’t deserve a straight answer. In fact it can’t be answered straight.

The issue at stake in this text is not simply the payment of taxes; it is the issue of the plurality and priority of the claims on one’s life and substance.

The issue at the heart of the text is how much are we willing to struggle with our faith as a power and passion in authority among the powers and passions of life. How much are we willing to struggle with putting our faith into action in love.

The answer Jesus gave left them with the struggle to be responsible for their own answer. And to determine where the hypocrisy was in their lives.

Each of us has the responsibility to determine as best we can where the hypocrisy is in our lives and then work at being more genuine, more truly human. This is the struggle of faith. To determine what is Caesar and what is Gods. That is, what priorities are going to claim our life and all its substance. How are we going to live?

If the image of Caesar is on the coin, then the counterpart to that which Jesus leaves unsaid, is that Gods image is on us! All of life is to be lived in gratitude to God who created us and sustains us with His love.

‘No Pat Answers”

Life isn’t black or white. It is made up of the shades of gray. It is not just having the answers; it is living with questions, struggles, even dilemmas. When ever we ask a question which begs a “yes” or “no” answer, we are either setting a trap or evading the struggle which is necessary to grow.

Jesus didn’t answer such questions. When closed minded people asked him a closed question, he gave them a riddle or a parable which made them come up with the answer. It also showed their hypocrisy.

It is a dangerous thing to be closed minded. It just might keep us from ever getting close to the Kingdom of God.

To be in step with Jesus Christ today is to struggle to be open with the issues which touch our lives...abortion, divorce, homosexuality, alcoholism and drug abuse.
It is to be open to the changes which are always a part of life.
It is to dare put people before principles, as Jesus did.
Healed on Sabbath
Ate with tax collectors and sinners
Talked to an adulterous woman in public
Went to the home of Zaccheus

To be in step with Jesus is to have a relationship with God which is real and alive and changing. A relationship of faith which is a power and passion in authority among the powers and passions of my life. A relationship which has room for failure and is open to surprises. To live with Jesus is to have the surprise of our lives, not just once, not just once in a while, but many times as Jesus opens us up to the joys of life in Gods Kingdom.

Matthew 22:1-14

1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.' 5 But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.' 10 And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; 12 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."

“Changed By God’s Grace”

Two thoughts and a challenge capture something of the meaning of this parable.
The first is summarized in the words of Dr. Helmet Thielicke:
“Christian satiation is worse then hungry heathenism.”

Indifference and complacency are both dangerous to faith. They take the life out of it.

The second is pointed to by the words of Nietzsche:
“If you expect me to believe in your Redeemer, you have to look more redeemed.”

God expects to see something different in our lives because we have been to his banquet.

We are shocked and surprised by the treatment of the one who came to the feast without a wedding garment. We do want to have our cake and eat it too. Again as Dr Helmet Thielicke says, “We seat ourselves at the banquet table without a wedding garment when we allow our sins to be forgiven but still want to hang on to them.”

When we have no intention of being changed by God’s grace!

God’s intention is to change us into God’s likeness - like it or not. If we refuse to be changed; we will not be welcome in God’s Kingdom. Make what you can of that!

“THEY MADE LIGHT OF IT”

When the Roman Emperor Constantine became a Christian, the Christian faith lost something. It lost its cutting edge. Nominal Christians appeared in vast numbers for the first time. It no longer cost to be a Christian. It became easy to make light of it.
We can see something of this today in:

Indifference - “Christianity without Sweat.” No call to discipleship; no costly grace freely given. No sacrifice in love until it hurts. Just easy going, rocking chair religion which isn’t too important and doesn’t get in the way.

Insincerity -”Christianity without tears”. No confession of sin; no tears shed for the wrongs of the past; no cross to bear in the present, just a name on a roll and a sometimes present body in a pew.

To be invited to the banquet is to fellowship with God at the Banquet table filled with grace; to share in the joys of being a part of Gods Kingdom, and to share in the work load of spreading this Kingdom on earth. It is a high calling, a great gift, and a life consuming challenge.

Matthew 21:23-32

33 "Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; 35 and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. 37 Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' 39 And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." 42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it." 44 45 46 But when they tried to arrest him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet.

“The Parable of the Wicked Tenants - A Wake up Call to God’s Love”

The setting of the parable of the wicked tenants is the “running oral controversy” Jesus is having with the religious leaders of his day. For Jesus the vineyard is Israel and the rebellious tenants are its leaders, who are trying to “seize the inheritance” for themselves. They are cast out and the vineyard is given to other tenants, who will give God the fruits in their season. These other tenants are the tax collectors and harlots who will enter the kingdom ahead of the religious leaders.

When asked, “what should the owner do with these tenants?”, they give the right answer. The right answer that is, for them. Not the right answer for God. For God is not satisfied with judgment, ever. Not even with them. God does not delight in judgment, ever! This is not God’s nature and it is not God’s liking. Judgment is always second to mercy and its purpose is only and always to prepare the way for love and grace to flow, full and free. This is why Jesus tells this parable - to try wake the people up to Gods love, not Gods judgment.

We need this shock therapy to wake us up and remind us of our role in Gods Kingdom. We are not owners. We are tenants, stewards, servants, who are to ”give God the fruits in their seasons.” This means we are not to “set our minds on earthly things”, but on “heavenly things”. This is a real struggle for all of us. It means we have to let go of trying to have it all, and be a servant to the least and the lowly. It means we have to carry our faith into our daily lives in ways which make a difference even for those who do not know the One we follow and are not interested in our religious beliefs. It means we have to walk the walk, at all costs!

“PRODUCE THE PROPER FRUITS”

The Kingdom of God will always belong to someone, yet it is owned by no one.
We are tenants, not owners. And the bottom line for a tenant is the crop produced.

Jesus is saying to the leaders of his day that “ the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and be given to a people who will produce the proper fruits” because:

They were adding to the burdens of the people rather then lifting their burdens.
They were more interested in being religious then in being merciful.
They were quick to cast the first stone as they judged others but could not
see the sins of their ways.

We, the Church, stand with the tenants. We are to produce proper fruits. If we don’t, we too will have it taken away from us. This is not a threat. This is part of Gods promise! God expects much from us because God has done much for us. We are blessed to we can be a blessing.

The fruit God is looking for in our lives is that we love one another as God loves us.
This does not mean sweet sentimentalism but strong compassion.

It means “That inner disposition to go with others where they hurt, where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken.” (Nouwen) It means to give up judging others, to stop measuring our meaning and value with the yardstick of others, and thus to become free to be with them and allow God to be the judge. “Love does not insist on its own way.”

Matthew 21:23-32

23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24 Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 28 "What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he repented and went. 30 And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.

“No = Yes”

The parable of the two sons is a biting parable which confronts the people of Jesus day - and us, who are trying to be religious, moral, good, and God fearing - with the disturbing truth that it is not enough to just talk the talk. It is necessary to walk the walk. That means we may have to do something we don’t want to do, something we are not inclined to do, something we even say no to, then have a change our heart, and go do it.

It is better to say no and mean it then to say yes and not mean it. In fact, we cannot say “yes” without also saying “no”. No is an important little word which establishes our identity, gives us dignity, and opens the door to our choosing to say yes.

To say “yes” to God is to never be free again to go our own way and do our own thing without a second thought as to what this means to others. It is to live out our words in how we handle our money, our time, our gifts, our energy. It is to be deeply aware that what God asks of us is not easy, yet it is full of grace and love, which makes it more then worth while.

The answer to Jesus question, “Which of the two did what his Father wanted?” is obvious. The one who said no and then went anyway. It is not enough to just say yes to God. Actions must follow words or the words are empty and useless. “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Mt. 7:21

It is not only our sin which separates us from God. Our religiosity - our pretending we are more holy then we are - our playing at our religion separates us from God.
Martin Luther: “The curse of the godless person can sound more pleasant in God’s ears than the hallelujah of the pious.”

It is not wise to say ‘yes’ too quickly, to the one you are going to with; to the vineyard you are going to work in; to God who calls us to go beyond what we intend.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “When Christ calls a person, he calls him to come and die.”

“For him (Bonhoeffer) Christianity could never be merely intellectual theory, doctrine divorced from life, or mystical emotion, but always it must be responsible, obedient action, the discipleship of Christ in every situation of concrete everyday life, personal and public,” (p. 8, Life Together)

It is not wise to say yes too quickly, or to think that once we have said ‘yes’, there will never be a no again. Never be a doubt or a question or a hesitation. Those who seek to oppress people take away the right to say no. This God will never do.

There are times when it is healthy to say ‘no’, even to God. So we can say ‘yes’ and mean it. Mentally healthy person can say ‘yes’, ‘no’, and ‘yippee’.

It is God’s will that we change our minds and our hearts often. That we not get locked up in our own hypocrisy (our own saying yes) and become blind in our faith. Not willing to go where God would lead us. It is Gods will that our no open us up to saying yes with a dedication and a commitment which can be felt in every part of our lives. This is how Gods Kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven. Through those who are like minded with the One God sent to bear our no’s in love until they become yes, and we mean it.

Matthew 20:1-16

1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. 5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' 7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, 12 saying, '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.' 13 But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' 16 So the last will be first, and the first last."

“Is God Fair?”

No! God is not fair. God is generous!

None of us deserve God’s love; all of us are loved by God. The good, the bad, the indifferent. This parable drives home the truth of the old hymn, “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling.” All have sinned and fall short. All enter by grace alone!

The challenge for we who enter Kingdom work early is that God’s generosity (grace) can easily seem unfair when we are not included. We are included but when we work so hard we subtly and not so subtly begin to think that we deserve it. That is the great danger of being religious!

What we need to remember is that no matter how religious we are, no matter how long we have labored in God’s Kingdom it is “By grace we are saved through faith. It is not a work...lest anyone should boast.”

“THE UNFAIRNESS OF GRACE”

Jesus is lucky there were no unions around in his day. He would have been in big trouble. Even though the master in this parable did no wrong. He acted with generosity toward the late comers, and fairness toward the rest. This was his right and privilege.

There is something inherently unfair about grace. It doesn’t try to be just, but merciful; fair, but forgiving, equal, but special, uniform but unique. Our God is a God of grace!
We can never predict what God will do and we can never limit who God will do it with.

It is a privilege to be hired at the first hour. These are the lucky ones who know the joy of living in the kingdom. Idleness is not a blessing.

Norman Cousins in “The Anatomy Of An Illness”, says there are two things necessary for longevity of life: creativity and meaningful involvement with others.

We who have never known what it is to be without a God we call Father (Mother); who have never known what it is to not be forgiven, loved, cared for; who have never known what it is to be “lost in a haunted woods, children afraid of the night who have never been happy or good.” (Auden) We are the lucky ones. And we dare not forget it nor resist God’s graciousness towards the less fortunate.