Sermon - 2017-10-22
Growing up, I learned a lot from my parents. One of the key lessons that I learned was an understanding of right and wrong. It was something that they taught me over the course of months, years, and probably a lot of mistakes. I am sure that there were many moments of them saying, “What is wrong with this kid?” Along with even more moments of, “God, please help this child.” As many of you have realized that sometimes, it takes us all more time than we would like, to learn a lesson, and then even more time to actually begin to live out that lesson.
It is one reason that we in the church actually spend time talking about things over and over and over again. It may get to the point where you begin to say to yourself, “Yep, I know this story. When are we going to cover something new? OR for that matter when are we going to cover something more relevant to me?!?!” Yet I would like everyone who is gathered here today to stop and listen to the lesson and if you have heard this one before, now it is time to apply that message to your life.
So let’s look again at the Gospel. Jesus is confronted by people who are trying to show him up. They want to show that Jesus is not the real thing that people should be following but rather, we should all be going back to our old safe and set ways. It is the Pharisees and the Herodians who gather together to unite against a common enemy, a common distraction from their important work, JESUS. In the plan that they have for Jesus, they want Jesus to say that it is not important for people to pay their taxes to the Emperor but rather God is more important. And this so important because at the time, the Emperor is declaring that he is a god on Earth and that is the reason that people should honor him, pay him an offering or taxes, and even have temples in his name. A clear false god in the world and yet they want to use that god to have Jesus die at this false god’s hands.
Now here is where we are getting to the lesson that we all need to learn and be aware of: “Jesus, aware of their malice.” We need to be aware of the ways in which people are working against us. Not that we should constantly be doubting people, or thinking that they are constantly against us, but we should be aware that people will sometimes be in it for their own will, their own glory, and against our own best interest. Jesus uses his knowledge of humans and realizes, our strengths and our weaknesses. He delivers an answer that slaps us in the face but also drives us to realize the ways that we should be living.
In this short encounter, Jesus wants the Pharisees and the Herodians and even us as listeners to begin to realize - What lies are we telling ourselves? What false ideas and gods have we placed into our lives? Now you may be saying, “But wait, Jesus just asked a question about paying taxes or not. And I know the answer to that, I have to. I don’t like to but I HAVE to.” Truly Jesus wants us to understand that one lesson but also begin to apply that questioning and realize so much more. He wants to draw us out and into the Kingdom of God.
Into the way, God sees this world. Into a relationship with God himself. Typically in the church, we have said that the only way to learning to do this is to STUDY!! Yes go back to school, open the books and begin learning what the words on the page mean. Learn from someone who has made the mistake before so that we do not have to go through the same pain and suffering. However, so much of our human mentality, we read the surface and say, “But that doesn’t apply to me. I would never do that. And yet, we go and do exactly that.” Which reminds us that there is more than one way to learn, you can read it in a book, you can learn from others, or you can continue to learn in your own life. However, fair warning, when you learn in your own life, on your own way, it will often be with you walking into the same brick wall and wondering, why is life so hard.
Now many of you may begin to say, but I have learned so much and I have all of life figured out. You have your ways, and your methods and they have worked so far to get me to this point. And I am too old to change my ways now. Yet Jesus is speaking to YOU. It is never too late to begin learning. Or perhaps you are thinking, I don’t have time to study, I am just trying to keep my head above water and out of debt. To YOU, I would say, you need to do it for your sanity and wallet. And for those who are thinking, “Boy am I glad that person is here today to hear this, they need to learn this lesson and finally start to follow my way of thinking.” That slap in the face that we mentioned earlier, it was meant for you. Go back and read the lesson. And for everyone else, who has an excuse, a reason or something that separates you from hearing this message of God’s love today. May you finally hear this calling and know that YOU are able to start on this journey of life and faith with God today. Amen.
It is one reason that we in the church actually spend time talking about things over and over and over again. It may get to the point where you begin to say to yourself, “Yep, I know this story. When are we going to cover something new? OR for that matter when are we going to cover something more relevant to me?!?!” Yet I would like everyone who is gathered here today to stop and listen to the lesson and if you have heard this one before, now it is time to apply that message to your life.
So let’s look again at the Gospel. Jesus is confronted by people who are trying to show him up. They want to show that Jesus is not the real thing that people should be following but rather, we should all be going back to our old safe and set ways. It is the Pharisees and the Herodians who gather together to unite against a common enemy, a common distraction from their important work, JESUS. In the plan that they have for Jesus, they want Jesus to say that it is not important for people to pay their taxes to the Emperor but rather God is more important. And this so important because at the time, the Emperor is declaring that he is a god on Earth and that is the reason that people should honor him, pay him an offering or taxes, and even have temples in his name. A clear false god in the world and yet they want to use that god to have Jesus die at this false god’s hands.
Now here is where we are getting to the lesson that we all need to learn and be aware of: “Jesus, aware of their malice.” We need to be aware of the ways in which people are working against us. Not that we should constantly be doubting people, or thinking that they are constantly against us, but we should be aware that people will sometimes be in it for their own will, their own glory, and against our own best interest. Jesus uses his knowledge of humans and realizes, our strengths and our weaknesses. He delivers an answer that slaps us in the face but also drives us to realize the ways that we should be living.
In this short encounter, Jesus wants the Pharisees and the Herodians and even us as listeners to begin to realize - What lies are we telling ourselves? What false ideas and gods have we placed into our lives? Now you may be saying, “But wait, Jesus just asked a question about paying taxes or not. And I know the answer to that, I have to. I don’t like to but I HAVE to.” Truly Jesus wants us to understand that one lesson but also begin to apply that questioning and realize so much more. He wants to draw us out and into the Kingdom of God.
Into the way, God sees this world. Into a relationship with God himself. Typically in the church, we have said that the only way to learning to do this is to STUDY!! Yes go back to school, open the books and begin learning what the words on the page mean. Learn from someone who has made the mistake before so that we do not have to go through the same pain and suffering. However, so much of our human mentality, we read the surface and say, “But that doesn’t apply to me. I would never do that. And yet, we go and do exactly that.” Which reminds us that there is more than one way to learn, you can read it in a book, you can learn from others, or you can continue to learn in your own life. However, fair warning, when you learn in your own life, on your own way, it will often be with you walking into the same brick wall and wondering, why is life so hard.
Now many of you may begin to say, but I have learned so much and I have all of life figured out. You have your ways, and your methods and they have worked so far to get me to this point. And I am too old to change my ways now. Yet Jesus is speaking to YOU. It is never too late to begin learning. Or perhaps you are thinking, I don’t have time to study, I am just trying to keep my head above water and out of debt. To YOU, I would say, you need to do it for your sanity and wallet. And for those who are thinking, “Boy am I glad that person is here today to hear this, they need to learn this lesson and finally start to follow my way of thinking.” That slap in the face that we mentioned earlier, it was meant for you. Go back and read the lesson. And for everyone else, who has an excuse, a reason or something that separates you from hearing this message of God’s love today. May you finally hear this calling and know that YOU are able to start on this journey of life and faith with God today. Amen.
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