SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2023 | AFTER PENTECOST - Proper 24 (A)

Notes

Is: Militaristic God - troubling a bit

1Th: Intro to 1Th…relevance?

Revised Common Lectionary 10-22-2023: Proper 24

Matthew 22:15–22

Pharisees finally had enough and want to entrap Jesus…into a political trap:

Revised Common Lectionary 10-22-2023: Proper 24

Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?”

Jesus answers: Emperor claims ownership of the coins, so it is lawful for him to want them back -> not much to do with God

They went away amazed and probably also disappointed - no entraping this time! His answer is too good. Basically they would prefer someone else do their dirty work - if he were against taxes - the Romans and if he were for taxes - losing influence amongst people. They gave him a binary choice and he transcended it.

News:

Blast kills hundreds at Gaza hospital; Hamas and Israel trade blame, as Biden heads to Mideast

https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c

Vigil to be held Tuesday for unincorp. Plainfield (IL) Muslim boy fatally stabbed in apparent hate crime

Prosecutors said Al-Fayoume was stabbed to death by his mother's landlord.

Joseph Czuba, 71, has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, battery and hate crimes.

In court Monday, prosecutors detailed how Czuba allegedly attacked the mother and child in his unincorporated Plainfield home, where the Palestinian American family rented rooms.

The mother told prosecutors "Czuba was angry at her over what was going on in Jerusalem."

She responded by saying, "let's pray for peace."

That's when she said he attacked her with a knife.

https://abc7chicago.com/plainfield-stabbing-illinois-joseph-czuba-news/13927291/

Children’s Moment

Hi kids! So if you pick up an item…like a toy or a book and it is signed with another kid’s name, what does it mean?

Yes, that it is theirs and they get to decide what to do with it, correct! You have to ask them whether you can borrow it or touch it.

And Jesus looked at the coins in the same way - it didn’t have God or his name on it, but rather the Emperor’s profile, so they belonged to HIM and he simply wants a portion of them back. The religious leaders wanted him to say that taxes are either bad or not, but he said it is not about religion. So remember kids, not everything is about religion - some things are just us people between each other and God asks us to treat each other kindly.

Let us pray.

Good morning,

‌What glorious colors are coming with the fall. If you talk with me later I can tell you all about our family adventure apple picking yesterday. The weather was just right!

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We continue our journey through Matthew and Jesus’ encounters with religious leaders - driving home to point out why oh why they wanted him gone so badly.

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‌And well, in this case, they are trying to get others to do their dirty work - by giving Jesus an impossible choice - Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?”

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If he said no - maybe the Romans would target him as he would be seen as a disruptor of Roman order. If he said yes, maybe the crowd wouldn’t be too pleased with him as they really do not like double taxation. But Jesus saw the trap and jumped over it - answers: Emperor claims ownership of the coins, so it is lawful for him to want them back -> not much to do with God

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They went away amazed and probably also disappointed - no entraping this time! His answer is too good, darn it! He took an impossible choice and made something good out of it.

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And I think we are no strangers to impossible choices either. The conflict in the middle east has been ongoing for a very for a long time and is complicated to say the least. There is no doubt that Hamas is a terrorist organization. We pray for the release of the hostages and the families of those lost. That doesn’t mean we pretend Israel has clean hands here. Palestinians were under Israeli occupation for quite some time, trapped, and unable to enter and leave Gaza as they wished with Jewish settlements further eroding the land they can inhabit. And Palestinians are not just Muslims, but also Christians. A nuance is thus required - Mourning for Israel’s victims? Yes, of course. Support for their toxic nationalist tendencies mixed with religious claims and questionable military decisions? That is a no from me. On the other hand - condemnation of Hamas’ terrorism? Yes. Choosing to overlook decades of mistreatment of Palestinians by Israel? I cannot do that.

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Jesus shows nuance and I think we need to show nuance in ethical dilemmas as well, especially because those influencing us on either side want us to see it as a clear cut case serving their purposes. You are either for or against this or that. Government taxes have nothing to do with religion, but that doesn’t mean they need to be banned. Military retaliation against a whole region may have a reason for it, but that doesn’t wash away civilian casualties and many lives and livelihoods ruined. Religion or rather the interpretation of religion may tell you to do this or that, but if it causes suffering to a great many people, maybe it is time to pause that activity and reflect, whether the religion is Islam, Christianity, Judaism, or any others.

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God shows a great deal of nuance towards us - yes, we often do despicable things and are alienated from God, but God looks past that and chooses to love us and work with us anyway. Sure, God says that something bad is still bad, but it doesn’t end there - God looks towards our potential made possible in Christ’s sacrifice and the sending of the Holy Spirit. We are loved and cherished in our complexity. Let us do so as well - let us show a loving and caring nuance in our dealings with others and the world. It takes courage and work, but it can change the world for the better.

Today I want to end with a poem:

Words Whispered to a Child Under Siege No, we are not going to die. The sounds you hear knocking the windows and chipping the paint from the ceiling, that is a game the world is playing. Our task is to crouch in the dark as long as we can and count the beats of our own hearts. Good. Like that. Lay your hand on my heart and I'll lay mine on yours. Which one of us wins is the one who loves the game the most while it lasts. Yes, it is going to last. You can use your ear instead of your hand. Here, on my heart. Why is it beating faster? For you. That's all. I always wanted you to be born and so did the world. No, those aren't a stranger's bootsteps in the house. Yes, I'm here. We're safe. Remember chess? Remember hide-and-seek? The song your mother sang? Let's sing that one. She's still with us, yes. But you have to sing without making a sound. She'd like that. No, those aren't bootsteps. Sing. Sing louder. Those aren't bootsteps. Let me show you how I cried when you were born. Those aren't bootsteps. Those aren't sirens. Those aren't flames. Close your eyes. Like chess. Like hide-and-seek. When the game is done you get another life. -Joseph Fasano

Please God, we pray that the need for such words will soon cease!

Amen.