This is a special musical performance of Guide My Feet by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir with a solo performance by Chris Lewis.

This is a special musical performance of I Will Call Upon His Name by the Joyful Noise children's choir at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical performance by the Joyful Noise children's choir of There's Just Something About That Name.

For those of you familiar with William Shakespeare’s work you will remember that one of the lines from his play The Tempest is “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”  Over time, that line has morphed into the phrase, “Politics makes strange bedfellows.”  Now, while this might be applicable to our time, it has been true of time immemorial.  In fact, we find that is exactly what is happening in today’s gospel reading as the Pharisees and Herodians team up to trick and trap Jesus.

For the past few weeks, we have been journeying with Jesus through the last week of his life, a week that has been intense to say the least.  Just a few days before today’s confrontation, Jesus had entered Jerusalem where he was greeted by throngs of people shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”  Then there was that incident where he overthrew the tables of the Temple money-changers.  Jesus has spent the week challenging both the political and religious powers that be.  He has been doggedly confronted by the religious leaders who are questioning the authority behind his actions.  And, he has called into question the religious leaders’ authority by telling threatening, confrontational parables.  So, today, we discover the Herodians and the Pharisees team up to trap the itinerant, rabblerousing rabbi known as Jesus. 

To understand what is happening in this story, we must better understand these two groups of people.  The Herodians, on the one hand, saw themselves as having power derived from the Romans.  As their name suggests, they were allied with Herod Antipas, whom Roman authorities had named king of the Jews.  And, not surprisingly, the Herodians supported paying tax to Caesar.  The Pharisees, on the other hand, were committed to every detail of Jewish law.  They aligned themselves more closely with the occupied and oppressed commoners, and they opposed paying tax to Caesar for religious reasons.  Their opposition to paying this tax was based less on the fact of occupation and more on the special coin that had to be used to pay this particular tax.  You see, this coin – a denarius, worth a day’s wage – carried the inscription or likeness of Tiberius Caesar.  And, the Romans considered Tiberius Caesar the divine son of Augustus.  This inscription or likeness was overtly offensive to the religious leaders, and within Jesus’ community the inscription spoke both of oppression and of blasphemy. 

Anyway, these two oppositional groups of people invoke a temporary truce as they try to trick Jesus, believing they have him cornered.  They present Jesus with a question that poses a political conundrum, and they await a political response.  They ask Jesus, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?”  By asking this question, they know that if Jesus declares it lawful, he might acquit himself with the Roman authorities, but the crowd of followers would turn against him because it would scandalize the religious establishment.  And, if he rules against it, he positions himself against Rome, a position nobody in their right mind would willingly seek.  Brilliantly, Jesus responds by widening the question so that it has little to do with politics.  He quickly procures a coin and asks, “Whose head is this and whose title?”  Thinking they finally have Jesus ensnared, they respond by saying, “The Emperor’s.”

Now, we need to delve more deeply into what is really happening here.  As professor, David Lose, describes this incident, he writes: 

There’s more going on here than meets the eye, as along with that image is an engraved confession of Caesar’s divinity, which means that any Jew [even] holding the coin is breaking the first two of the commandments.  All of which leads to Jesus’ closing line, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s and to God the things that are God’s.”  And with this one sentence, Jesus does not simply evade their trap or confound their plans, but issues a challenge to his hearers that reverberates through the ages into our sanctuaries.

You see, a better translation of verse 20 in today’s reading would be,

“Whose likeness is this, and what title?”  So, when the good Jewish religious leaders hear these words, their minds will automatically think back to their Jewish scriptures and the book of Genesis.  Knowing their Hebrew Bible very well, they will automatically reference God’s pronouncement and promise in Genesis, chapter one, where we read:

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;”

        Jesus’s response calls us to think about the way in which we are called to live.  His words are powerful words for the Herodians, the Pharisees and for us.  You see, what Jesus is really reminding us of is that we are made in the image and likeness of God.  We are not gods, but we bear God’s likeness and we are to act as God acts regarding the way we live in relationship to others and the way we live as good stewards of all we have been given.  We are to bear the same characteristics God shows to us as we live in relationship to God, to others and to creation.  Jesus is saying that we are called to serve as God’s agents and God’s co-workers, not as an act of power but rather as an act of stewardship, as we work to extend the abundant life God wishes for all. (David Lose) 

         Jesus is calling us to remember our identity.  As we go through our daily lives, making decisions and interacting with all kinds of people, it is often easy to forget in whose likeness we are made.  God is always calling us back, to turn again to him and remember that our primary identity is to live as God’s children, live as God’s good stewards of all that we have been given, and act like the God we see in Jesus.  And, while Caesar or Empire will get many of our coins, the coin of the realm of our flesh and blood is the image of God.  Every single life is marked with that inscription, an icon of the One who is its source and destination, as we embody the kingdom of God.  While our currency bears the image of Empire, baptism is the watermark of our true currency, the inspiration for all the rendering we do and for the many ways in which we live as God’s stewards of all that we have been given. 

          So, as we reflect upon the question the Herodians and Pharisees pose to Jesus, the point really is not about paying taxes or not paying taxes.   In fact, paying your taxes is simple.  However repugnant, you hold your nose and write a check.  Rendering relative honor to that subordinate Caesar is the easy part, and perhaps even necessary.  After all, civilization is expensive, and taxes pay the tab.  (John Clendenin)

        The point of this Jesus story is that we are called to live remembering that each one of us has been made in the likeness of God. God loves you. God loves you so much that God keeps your picture in the divine wallet and on the heavenly refrigerator. Jesus did not care about the tax – his real concern is that you live into the image and likeness of the God who lovingly created you.  This is the best word we can receive and it is the best word you can share with others.

This is a special musical performance of Lord of the Dance by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir.

Today we had a special sermon about the Tanzania Water Project that Faith Lutheran Church has been supporting over the last year. 

This is a special musical performance from the Faith Lutheran Church Chancel Choir of All My Days with a solo performance from Tammy Heilman.

As we begin to delve into today’s readings, I invite you to look at the beginning words in your bulletin.  There we read:

Open a newspaper, turn on the TV, read online – everywhere we look, the world is crumbling about us.  War, violence, natural disasters, hateful words, anger, and hostility litter our cultural landscape like so much garbage along a highway.  Even within our own homes, sin, death, and the devil seem to have the upper hand.  Anger, betrayal, mistrust, and manipulation hang rotting on the vine, rather than the lush, sweet grapes of love, care and forgiveness we expect and desire.  And if we take but a moment for self-reflection, we notice that it is our own selfishness and hard-heartedness that contribute to this state of affairs.  We are indeed “captive to sin and cannot free ourselves” as we confess in worship.

         These words were not written this past week.  They were written almost two years ago for this Sunday by a handful of leaders in our denomination as they formed and created ELCA resources for this church year.  Yet, how fitting they are on this day as we reflect upon the events of this past week, let alone the events of these past few months and all that we have experienced.  In fact, over the past week, following the massacre in Las Vegas, I have been feeling the weight and sadness these printed words express.  They are timely words and they connect to our readings because today we hear something about judgement and lament. 

         In today’s readings we hear a lot about vineyards, a metaphor used many times in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  We are invited to consider the “vineyard” as God’s dominion and we, by virtue of our baptisms, are the tenants of the vineyard.  

In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah begins by singing a love-song concerning his beloved’s vineyard.  When looking at Isaiah’s words, I think he gains the attention of his listening audience when he begins to sing this love-song.  And, like us, the people who listened to Isaiah’s song likely expected to hear of a ballad with a happy ending.  Isaiah sings of how God, his beloved did everything possible to set up a healthy, thriving vineyard. He tells of how God spared no effort to create an environment conducive to success.  The soil was fertile and cultivated; the stones were removed; only the finest quality vines were planted; a watchtower was built in the middle of the vineyard; and a wine vat was built in preparation for the harvesting and processing of the grapes. The love-song is most pleasant to the ears, and listeners’ heartstrings are touched by the nurturing care of the beloved. Yes, the prophet Isaiah is serenading us with such a beautiful love song.

         But wait, before you fall asleep with these tender words; listen to what follows. As the iconic Gomer Pyle would say, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” Isaiah’s love-song is transformed into song of hard-hitting judgement and lament. Maybe we can gain the sense of such an unpleasant surprise by thinking of the love-song as a gentle, bedtime lullaby which is suddenly transformed into a condemning, raunchy, deafening heavy-metal rock-and-roll song.

         In any case, the irony of the song comes to the forefront when Isaiah, speaking for God, asks the people of Jerusalem and Judah to “judge between me and my vineyard.”  In other words, the people are asked to judge between God on the one side, and Jerusalem and Judah on the other.  In an agonizing song of judgement and lament, God tells his people that there was nothing more God could do to guarantee the success of God’s own vineyard.  God had done everything that could possibly be done. And, quite honestly, implied here in the song is the human freedom that God gives us. In the song, God the beloved expects the best from God’s people: “God expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.” And, by the way, a more literal translation of “wild grapes” would be “stinking things.”  So, the consequences of freedom being misused or abused is that a well-cared for vineyard becomes neglected and turns into a dried-out wasteland of briers and thorns and stinking things.

         The concluding verse of the song makes it abundantly clear that the vineyard represents God’s chosen people. God expected and hoped the people would ensure that there was justice for everyone in the nation. Instead of justice, the wealthy class of politicians and business people were killing society’s weakest and most vulnerable citizens. Blood was on the hands of the rich and powerful members of society, since their wealth was gained by cheating and robbing society’s poorest class. God expected and hoped for righteousness from God’s very own people. Instead God heard a cry from the poor and oppressed. God expected God’s own people to look after the poor and oppressed; after all, those who were now blessed with wealth and the good life – had they and their ancestors not cried out to the LORD when they were poor and oppressed slaves in Egypt?  Had God not heard their cries and delivered them from Egyptian slavery? Why now had they abused their freedom and become selfish and greedy? They, with their blood money and ill-gotten riches were no better than their former enemy oppressors – the Egyptians.

         In our day and age, has anything really changed?  Don’t we hear stories of injustice and ill-gotten gain today? Our planet is moaning and groaning due to the selfishness and greed of a minority of the world’s population. 795 million people in this world experience hunger every day.  Increasingly, hateful, venomous words are spoken to others as our words become weapons.   Countless numbers of people are hurting following recent hurricanes and earthquakes.  And, we have just experienced the largest mass murder in our country.  Do we hear the cries of suffering and how do we respond?  Are we really a caring society?

         God’s love, care, and protection come with an expectation:  justice and righteousness.  These are the fruits God longs to see flourish in us.  The blessings and nurture we receive are meant to result in right social relationships.  Justice and righteousness are not things we practice for extra credit; they are the main point.  God is not content until the blessings we receive are shared fairly with all.  If this fruit is not produced, the consequences may be that God allows us to have our own way and leaves us to our own devices.

         In today’s gospel reading, Jesus borrows Isaiah’s words when he tells the allegorical parable of the Wicked Tenants.  God, the landowner, has called us to work in the vineyard of the world.  But, we decide we want the fruits of the land for ourselves and we refuse to give back to God that which is rightfully God’s.  And we beat and mistreat and murder those who would call us to be responsible.  And what does God the landowner do in response?  God keeps sending servants, until finally God sends God’s own Son, who also is mistreated and ultimately killed.  But, the point of this story is that God goes to such great lengths for us because God never gives up on us.  This is the amazing part of Jesus’ story, and the part that is too often missed.  Like the crazy landowner in this parable, God is constantly working to establish a relationship with us and God never gives up, no matter how many servants are treated badly.   And, that’s the thing about God’s grace – it isn’t sensible, it isn’t logical – it just abundantly is!

         This parable Jesus tells is about the abundant and extravagant grace that God has for us!  In this parable Jesus is illustrating how God goes to extravagant, excessive, even illogical and crazy extents to shower this love and grace upon us.  And no matter how many times we reject God, God keeps at it.  God keeps working on establishing a relationship with us!

         So, as I continue to reflect upon the events of this past week, today’s readings not only call me to repentance and grieve the evil in our present culture, they also remind me of a God who never gives up on us.  The Son is continually redeeming creation and this God never lets us forget that we are the characters in God’s divine love song. God is always showering us with immeasurable grace and love.  And, as a tenant in the vineyard, I can only respond by working to bear good fruit.  As people of faith, we respond to God’s immeasurable grace by bearing the sweet grapes of love, care and forgiveness and letting God use us as we work for peace, righteousness, loving kindness, mercy and God’s restorative justice for all. 

This is a special musical performance by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir of Jesus, Clear The Temple.

Charles Campbell, professor of homiletics at Duke University, offers this great commentary about having a conversation with Jesus.  He writes:

A few years ago, while channel surfing, I paused and watched part of an interview with television psychologist and celebrity Dr. Phil.  At one point the interviewer asked Dr. Phil, “If you could interview anyone in the world, past or present, who would it be?”  Dr. Phil replied, without hesitation, “Jesus Christ.  I would really like to interview Jesus Christ.  I would like to have a conversation with him about the meaning of life.”  As soon as Dr. Phil spoke, I remember thinking, “Oh no, you wouldn’t!  You would not want to sit down with Jesus, treat him like an interviewee, and ask him about the meaning of life.  You would be crazy to do that.  He would turn you upside down and inside out.  He would confound all your questions and probably end up telling you to sell everything you own, give the money to the poor, and come, follow him.  No, Dr. Phil, you do not really want to interview Jesus, and I do not want to either.  It would not go well.”

         Dr. Campbell’s point in telling this story is that conversations with Jesus are dangerous conversations.  They are very dangerous because Jesus is always going to twist and turn your thinking, leave your head spinning and leave you feeling confounded.  Jesus is always going to be moving us beyond the safety of our preconceived notions, perspectives and ideas about God.  And, quite honestly, when one of these dangerous conversations takes place, the participants will rarely leave the encounter singing a hymn like, “Safe in the Arms of Jesus!”

         As we encounter Jesus today, it is the final week of his life.  Just one day earlier, he had entered Jerusalem accompanied by shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David,” as people were proclaiming him king.  He then went to the temple and literally turned the tables, knocking them over as he drove out the money changers.   He called the temple a ”den of robbers.”  It had been an eventful day, to say the least.  Things are becoming intense and there is growing, even violent controversy between Jesus and the temple leadership.  So, it is the morning of the next day, and he has returned to the temple.   As he enters, he is confronted by the chief priests and elders of the people who try to trap him with a question about authority.  They think they are the ones who are in charge and they have ultimate authority at the temple.  So, they demand to know, “By what authority are you doing these things?”  Believing they have control and are in charge, they are ready to challenge whatever Jesus says. 

         Well, the chief priests and elders discover that challenging Jesus results in some very dangerous conversation.  What they are not prepared for is hearing that Jesus’ authority comes not from another human being but from heaven.  Jesus avoids the trap and figuratively turns the tables on the religious leaders with a thorny question of his own, “Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin.”  This is a very dangerous question because, in making a commitment about John’s authority, the religious leaders would also make a commitment about John’s witness to Jesus – and thus Jesus’ authority.

         Oh yes, the tables have really been turned and the interviewee has now become the interviewer!  Jesus outwits the religious leaders, places the question back on them and unmasks their deepest priorities and concerns.  You see, the religious leaders are not really interested in Jesus’ true identity or in discovering how God would have them respond to Jesus.  No, what they are really interested in is maintaining their privilege, power and control and they want to keep the current order intact.  They want to keep Jesus in their tidy little box or have nothing to do with him.

         Yes, this was a dangerous conversation indeed!  The religious leaders are left speechless and the interview appears to have ended.  But, Jesus does not stop.  He knows they are off balance and confounded and so, he tells them a story – one of his favorite teaching tools.  He tells of two sons.  When the father directs the first son to go and work in the vineyard, the mouthy and rebellious son emphatically answers, “I will not go.” But then, he changes his mind and goes anyway.  The second son, who appears dutiful and obedient, answers that he will go, but then he does not.  When Jesus asks his questioners which of the sons did the will of his father, they say, “The first.” 

         Again, this is a very dangerous conversation, indeed!  According to this parable, those who are seemingly “in the know” are not the ones who are doing the will of God.  Wow!  The tables are again turned.  You see, Jesus’ stories and questions are seldom about right answers; rather, they are about calling his followers and his hearers to be transformed.  The question really is not about what is the will of God.  It is about the deeper question of who belongs in God’s realm or kingdom.  And, through this exchange and his questions, Jesus convicts the scribes and elders of their lack of belief, and finally asserts that the despised, faithful tax collectors and prostitutes will enter heaven before they will.  Talk about dangerous conversation!  This whole exchange begins with the “in the know” religious leaders authoritatively questioning Jesus, and it ends up with a pronouncement that they will follow reviled tax collectors and shunned prostitutes into heaven.

         Yes, conversations with Jesus are dangerous conversations!  Jesus is not interested in simply talking with us about the meaning of life.  He is always confronting us with the issue of his identity and the call to faith in him.  Again today, Jesus is really asking the central question of the gospels: “Who do you say that I am?”  And, Jesus is not about small talk or beating around the bush.  Jesus wants our very lives, and he is going to do whatever it takes, even going to the extreme measure of ultimately dying on a cross, to unmask our deadly priorities and call us to faith in him.

         Yes, conversations with Jesus are dangerous, indeed.  We do not begin by interviewing Jesus, but by believing in him, trusting in his authority and following him to the places where he goes.  And, in the process, our world is always going to be turned upside down and inside out, our heads left spinning and our tongues stammering.  We discover that the privileged –  which I dare say are people like most of us, people who are type A take charge people – the privileged are not leading this parade.  We discover that no matter how much we think we are in control and in charge, whether it be our own lives, the circles in which we function and live, or even the community of faith, we are not.  It is God alone who is in charge.  And, we discover that it is the despised prostitutes, the loathed tax collectors, the reviled “others” of this world, and the most vulnerable of the world that are leading this parade as we follow Jesus.  And, we like the privileged religious leaders, are always going to discover that our preconceived notions and perceptions of who Jesus is will always be shattered.  Jesus will never be captured or controlled or fit into our little boxes.  He is always going to disrupt the ways in which righteousness and privilege and piety and power try to control and manage.  Jesus will always elude our grasp so that we may be grasped by him and by God’s immeasurable grace and boundless love for all.  And, when we are grasped by God’s grace, the tables have truly been turned.  Then, we can truly celebrate a love that is indiscriminate, boundless in mercy, and life-giving for all.