1030am Sunday 9-20-2020

I invite you to stand as you are able for the reading of the Holy Gospel reading today comes from the gospel of Matthew chapter 20.

For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner if it went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his Vineyard and agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage. He sent them into his Vineyard. When he went out about 9, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace and he said to them you also go into the vineyard and I will pay you whatever is right, so they went when he went out again about noon in about 3, he did the same. About 5 he went out and found others standing around and he said to them why are you standing here idle all day. And they said they have because no one has hired us. He said to them you also go into the vineyard when evening came the owner of the vineyard said to his manager call the laborers and give them their pay beginning with the last and then going to the first Windows hired about five came, each of them received the usual daily wage not when the first came and they thought they would receive more. But each of them also received the usual daily wage and when they received it, they grumbled against their land their the landowner saying these last work only 1 hour and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching Heat. But he replied to one of them friend. I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage take what belongs to you and I choose to give this life the same as I give you and my not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me or are you envious because I am generous. So the last will be first and the first will be last the gospel of Our Lord. I invite you to be seated.

Let's pray. Change be broken lives be healed In This Moment Christ be revealed in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit. Amen.

Life isn't fair. We we hear this term a lot and we probably said it ourselves life isn't fair. Life isn't fair, because I didn't get enough for life isn't fair because I was treated a certain way your life isn't fair because I wanted this and I got that and we start this on their anus very young we started when we were little and we started when we have we get toys we want toys and and Mom and Dad won't buy us that toy, but we want that toy in entebbe get a different toy. That's maybe $100 cheaper because we want to be expensive toy. At least that's not there. Where where could we kind of have this ingrained attitude as we grow and we age that develops from that foundational sense of entitlement, but I think more importantly this sense that that what we have isn't enough I think at the heart of that sense of wanting more because we don't have enough is because we have this sense within ourselves that we aren't enough and that we need these things. Small things and then things things that are children throw temper tantrums over for no reason whatsoever. I'm sure you've had if you have children you seen the Meltdown over a blueberry or over saying something or trying to give one of your kids another thing cuz they're trying to share it. It's this sense that when we are born we have this sense that we are somehow incomplete and we we spend our lives trying to fill that void within us and it starts with toys and temper tantrums, but it grows in a blossoms. And then you get things like war and coercion and it'll monopolies in Market you get this broken human system that that hurts the poor hurts that the working-class and hurts those who don't have their hands on the levers of power.

And those who have those things do their best because somehow if if the poor and the disempowered have more that I therefore must have less. And and when we when we look at it that way when we live in this place of privilege any attempt to to raise up those without it feels like an attack. I can feel that way right especially with the current climate were in in America where we have these these protests in this this this struggle in this challenge for Justice from groups, like the black lives matter movement to things like that any any attempt regardless of what you think of of their of their methods that the attempt to bring attention to that oppression can feel for people like me and maybe like you who live in a place of privilege where we don't have to contend with the the struggles and the challenges that they do it can feel like an attack on us. When reality is it's just trying to make things Equitable and and that's kind of the struggle that this idea of equity this idea of equality this idea of viewing each other as as holy worthy human beings deserving of the same thing that concept is the exact thing that Jesus talks to hear and it is talking specifically to his disciples and this is actually I've never been a huge poetry fan, but this feels a little bit like a poetry slam. Because Jesus is directly talking with his disciples and his struggle their struggle with this idea that the kingdom of God is this radical reversal and the disciples struggle with this image. We're the chosen people Jesus work. We're the ones who God loves most what do you mean they also are included in this If we give that away, what will we have?

And in the the text right before ours Jesus teaches his disciples in this confrontation with the prick of his called the rich man. Just the rich man and Jesus tells the Young Rich Man. Here's what you must do to inherit eternal life. Here's what you must do to receive this and it's it's a difficult pill to swallow for this person who has plenty who has an abundance and Jesus is instruction to them is is almost intolerable. It's I can hear the man's rage Building inside of an even has the words here are different than that. I can just hear the the disquieted miss of his emotions coming up as Jesus as telling him. Here's what the kingdom of God is a Jesus ends that prokopy with kind of a phrase that were very familiar with hopefully if we engage with and receive the scriptures and teachings of Christ. Verse 39, excuse me, Versi 30 of chapter 19 right before our text today. Here's how this text ends after Jesus confronts this young rich man. He says to his disciples but many who are first will be last and the last will be first and so Jesus ends this this chapter and this perkapita, which also includes a teaching on divorce with Jesus highlights as the the the relationship here in the ancient world between male and female is not Equitable in any way shape or form and we still have a ways to go even today in our society. But Jesus is teaching in a world where women are essentially bought and sold for the honor and the power of the privilege of the man and and there's this debate about whether or not a man can divorce his wife for any reason whatsoever there by putting the woman in a very precarious position because then she is compromised. To the she doesn't do exactly what her husband want. You can divorce her and she has no recourse Jesus sides in this text in chapter 19. You can go back and read it he sides with the woman decides and it doesn't sound like it but it's a radical teaching for the time that it was in and he sides with the woman and he offers her protection from the winds and the the the baby wandering eye of her husband. He protects her in this teaching to his disciples teaching about that. The the point of marriage is not power and and and possession. It's about a covenant love between two people that is not easily broken and you cannot simply treat your your wife or your spouse as property for your amusement or for your betterment or Prosperity either socially or financially and Jesus makes it very clear and he sides with the woman he sides with that the one who is Marginalized and oppressed and then this teaching about my children comes and Jesus sides with the children who are also treated as a marginalized and oppressed. People are not really seen as human beings. In fact it is it's a long story. I don't have time for it today. And then and then we get this story in chapter 19 of the rich man, who comes right before teaching today from chapter 20 and Jesus talks about how is this Kingdom going to shift? How is this Kingdom that Jesus brings going to cause to go to a change in place everything upside down give us a new lens and end of the Young Rich Man is so owned by his own possessions, which is just a a boggling cuz septic tank out like we are owned and dominated by the things that we own right who is really in control and Jesus teaches this young man here is what you do and he just can't bring himself to Jesus ends this whole section talking about the radical change in the radical shift in the radical is kind of revolutionary Kingdom that he's bringing where that the oppressor raised and the week are are are are given strength and those who are considered dishonorable or marginalized are given honor and privilege and a place at the table. He ends with Brooke appear with but many who are first will be last and the last will be first and then we get our checks today and how does Jesus end this teaching? What's the last verse in our section 60 So the last will be first and the first we last saw Jesus in this truncated section here. He ends the previous one with the first will be last and the last will be first and then he ends here with the last will be first. He does this bracketing. He's Keith underscoring these highlighting. Listen. If you want to really know what my kingdom here to do is to up and the things that you think are important and and the disciples hear this and the disciples who have been bickering amongst themselves over who the greatest is Jesus is this poetry slam of listen the laborers who were complaining about the people who got in their last, The people who are complaining that they're not being paid more because of the work that they did. That's you.

And then Jesus goes immediately from there in the next section and he talks about he's going to be killed and rejected and died in the third day. Be raised all of this Brokenness that's happening all of the distortions of our vision all of the distortions the contortion of our relationships and what we think are important. Jesus is going to untangle all that but he's going to untangle all that in a way. That's probably going to upset us. Jesus clearly isn't here to be the disciples friend. Jesus isn't here to be the friend to anyone. He's here to bring Justice and there are times when that Justice creates conflict and friction. I can hear the disciples kind of grumbling just as these these Vineyard workers did who got paid the same amount as those Slackers who came in late? And this idea of entitlement this idea that that that what you do and how hard you work dictates your worth? Jesus isn't about any of that. He not about any of that and he makes that very very clear today. But he also makes it clear in so many other ways The Sermon on the Mount after The Sermon on the Mount is done. Jesus decides to feed this 5000 people. And he he finds Five Loaves and two fish. That's what he's got. And it says in the story it says that everybody had their fill and then what he was done. They collecting of all these extra baskets. and here's kind of the point that I want to make about this idea of abundance and scarcity and worthiness and earnings and all of these things these categories that we have in our minds as human being about how things work in the way things should be the true abundance that we have that we received. It cannot fully be acknowledged or seen. Until every person has enough. Until every person has enough. Say that again your true abundance my true abundance the abundance that we have been raced in given cannot fully be acknowledged seen not fully be appreciated until every other person has enough. And that's what this text is about. At least as best as I can understand it. this idea of enough this idea of Our Daily Bread this idea of being satisfied and and Unshackling ourselves in the things that we own that actually own us. Maybe it's our business. Maybe maybe it's maybe it's our obsession with being the perfect parents maybe this obsession with looking perfect on your Instagram or social media. Maybe it's this idea that it is that in order to be happy. I need to have $1000000 in the bank in order to feel safe. I need to have this much in Savings in order to be loved. I need to be this pretty or this heavy or this strong. All of those human categories are immaterial. because of the end of the day What matters? What matters is that your God Made You? And he made you it says in His image.

your value on Earth Is immaterial when compared to your value in the eyes of your father? Bet that this relationship that you have this wisdom that you receive that God has given us in his word through his church to the relationships that we find in this world that we find it to be enough. This challenge of being enough is is the very thing that is killing us. The very thing that the constricts US is the very thing that can also free us. And it's it's a human mentality. And it's a way that we think that is manipulated and shaped and formed by the interaction. Do we have in the world and the daily diet? We are fed by the world around us. That in order to be loved in order to be worthy and we'll just be good. We have to do these certain things. We have to retain these levels of Holiness righteousness or financial stability or you know, what social power and it just isn't true at in the parable that Jesus gives to us today radically verses that dichotomy and dynamic that we think we need to achieve that recognizing that the last shall be first and the first shall be allowed this The Sinner play and the interchangeability of those words. Helps us to understand that God's kingdom is a place of equity and justice has nothing to do with what you've earned has nothing to do with what you deserve at home were able to treat people. as a human being wholly and entirely beloved by God and worthy of our love and forgiveness and mercy that is when the world that the kingdom of God will be made manifest among us and it happened in small ways and happen in big ways between nations between regions between states and countries, but most importantly the most important fundamental way that we can help bring about this kingdom of God this this radical reversal reversed Kingdom that Jesus brings to us today for people who don't get what they deserve they get what the king decides That happens when we treat each other. Well, it happens when we don't hold grudges. It happens when we don't keep tabs and we just live in the moment for the other person in the light and love of God in Christ Jesus.

the text today is hard and it's challenging and maybe it makes us crumble to because I think it it it Compounce and it maybe even me feel like it's be attacking your worldview your political ideology your philosophical approach to what makes a good society and if it makes you mad lean into it if it makes you nervous lean into it make you happy lean into it. These are the words of Christ and they have more depth than I could ever speak. But they are important words to get to the root of our humanness about worth and value and What Makes Us good? And the last section really underscores for us this idea of worthiness and belonging. What it what does the landowners say to the disciples that are grumbling against him where he's giving these people who they don't believe deserve it right there. They're not they didn't work enough. They're not educated enough. They're they're not fill in the blank. We've all heard the terminologies. What does he say to them in verse 14. He said take what belongs to you and go. Is I choose to give this last the same as I give you? Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me and that's the core of it. It doesn't belong to you your possessions. your life it doesn't belong to you all of it. All of it belongs to God and we are stewards of those resources. And so as beings created in this image of God and given this huge new Humanity in Christ that embodies the kingdom in the last shall be first. And the first shall be last we ought to also and body this radical Kingdom reversal ideology philosophy identity the Christ gives and teaches and in fact rebukes his disciples over. Jesus owns it all. Our place in that story is to be the one inviting others into it not counting them or asking what skills they bring the table or how much they can contribute to the church, but to invite them into it people who have been scorned and hurt we never asked why these people aren't coming to the Vineyard in the first place, right? Why aren't you working? And they said nobody hired us maybe because they are not considered emotionally stable enough. Maybe they're not considered skilled enough for Holy enough for Sanctified enough for you know, they don't they don't bring it up the table to be worth the time of the other Vineyard workers and the other landowners, but God sees them God sees you wherever you are recognized that you are worthy and that your true abundance will not fully be appreciated by you until those around you truly have enough. And that is a worthy Endeavor for the church to seek. I put let's pray together. Gracious God thank you for the day. Thank you for your words of truth as biting as they maybe they are your words and God. We ask you to ponder help us to wonder you consider the implications of this teaching of what it means for the last to be first. And the first to be last help us God to set aside our own preconceived notions our own worldly wisdom and said lean on your own understanding God. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ Our Savior and Lord. I invite you to stand as you.