For a complete listing of the Lectionary scripture readings for these Sundays,
go to
http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/
Preaching a sermon series is nothing new. In fact many facets of the Christian
church have been preaching a sermon series for centuries! It’s a three-year
long series based on the Christian calendar and is called The Lectionary.
The series is broken down into three scripture lessons; an Old Testament,
Gospel, and Epistle lesson, and also includes a Psalm for each Sunday. One
of the ideas of this “series” is to walk the Church through the
majority of the Bible in three years.
A question, however, of the evangelical church has been whether this lectionary
series is still effective in the 21st century? In our age of movie sequels,
MTV and TV mini-series, the preacher has to wonder about the attention span
of the congregation to stay fully connected over a three year period without
ever changing sermon direction. Our culture tends to gravitate to the new
and exciting. We really are not a society that takes too kindly to re-runs.
For example, notice how the makers of Star-Trek have changed the direction
of their series five times in less than thirty-give years! Because of that
they have been able to maintain an audience, many of whom refer to themselves
as “Trekies” and are willing “to go where no man has gone before.”
This sermon series will show how to develop a centuries old series, The Lectionary,
into a mini-series made for the 21st century. It is actually three consecutive
mini-series on the Gospel of Matthew. While Matthew will be the main text,
the accompanying lectionary scripture lessons will be incorporated when possible.
The Bible is indeed a series of dramatic stories that can shape our lives
into becoming fully developing followers of Jesus Christ. And that’s
a lot better than becoming a “Trekie!” So join me on this journey
“to boldly go where the Church has always gone before…”
It's late in the earthly life of Jesus and he is literally staring death in
the face. When death is at the door there is no time to mix words. So, "Jesus
began to tell his disciples plainly..." (Matt. 16:21). It’s as if
he is saying, Men, there is no more time. I will be turned over to the enemy
soon and there’s something I need all of you to fully understand! “If
any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition,
shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself,
you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true
life” (Matt. 16:24-25).
The call to the Christian way of life is death to our way of life. One question
may be, What does death mean from God's perspective? To which our Lord responds
“You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from
God’s" (Matt. 16:23). Death from God’s perspective means LIFE
-- the sacrificial life described to us in the epistle lesson from Romans..."A
living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God..." (Romans 12:1).
What the disciples didn't yet know was that the kingdom of God had come to
them in the person of Jesus Christ and that its full consummation was seen
in his death and resurrection.
His Kingdom will continue to "come...on earth as it is in heaven"
through his disciples who continue to die to our own lives so that the life
of Jesus Christ can have its full expression in us! Is "DEATH" WORTH
LIVING? You bet! In fact, it's the only way to live!
Think about this from the Old Testament lesson. Moses, a "Prince of Egypt,"
flees the only life he knows, a life of rulership and royalty (Ex. 2:11-25)
and eventually is forced (a result of being a felon) to take up residence
with the Hebrew people whom he had known only as slaves (Midians).
This isn't a mere step down for Moses, nor can we make it more palatable by
saying that he had to swallow his pride! This may be the case if he had remained
in Midian, but God had more in mind. Moses would be called to Egypt to free
those whom he had formerly enslaved. To do this Moses would have to die --
die forever to the life he once knew as prince and become a slave, a bond
servant of God.
Is "DEATH" WORTH LIVING? You bet! In fact, it's the only way to
live!
The passage for this Sunday reminds us that Matthew’s story was written
initially for a small community living in a hostile environment that took
its corporate life very seriously. The text in isolation reads like a legal
manual on how to deal with someone else’s sin, the steps to excommunication.
The cut-and-dried character of the process leaves us somewhat uncomfortable.
We are not at all sure we want to deal with grudges and grievances the way
this passage suggests, much less make it the basis of a sermon.
They are not to disdain fellow members (“little ones”). God cares
about straying sheep and rejoices when one is restored. “It is not the
will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost”
(Matt. 18:14).
The powerful images of pardon and mercy found in the context color the reading
of 18:15-20. Forgiveness and restoration are the topics of the day. God forgives
freely, and those forgiven ones evidence their reception of forgiveness by
forgiving others. Thus, when we are the injured party we are to initiate reconciliation.
In other words we have no right to nurse our grudges, whine about our wounds,
and resist efforts at healing. We are to risk the engagement that can lead
to restored relationship. That surely is easier said than done, until we are
confronted with the epistle lesson where we discover that love covers a multitude
of sins. “Love does no wrong to anybody” (Rom. 13:10) thus it moves
us to not hold grudges by addressing the conflict! Why? Because we should
be decent and true in everything we do. That’s hard to do when we don’t
want to confront truth. The key is, “let the Lord Jesus Christ take control
of you” (Rom. 13:13-14).
One outward expression of “conflict resolution,” is the church’s
practice of Holy Communion where we are all “one at one table with the
Lord.” It just so happens that the Old Testament lesson for this Sunday
depicts the first Passover meal, serving as our reminder that death would
not have its dominion any longer over us.
Last week’s sermon sets us up beautifully for this Sunday’s gospel
story on the The Unforgiving Servant. Resolving conflict results in forgiveness
and it takes a lot of “dying to ourselves” to do. Thus Peter’s
question, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against
me?” (Matt. 18:21). This question is descriptive of one of life’s
most difficult dilemmas. Forgiveness is hard to do, yet we face people every
week who have a lot of this to do! Not to mention me and you.
At this point the text gives us some plain and penetrating reminders. “Be
patient with me” (Matt. 18:26) is a good reminder to us when we have
been wronged by another. Or how about “filled with pity”? (Matt.
18:27). Wow, what does that look like?
Perhaps the same pity which God expresses toward you must also be expressed
toward others! We were not worthy of his forgiveness, but he gave his Son
in order that we may be forgiven! Likewise, do for others. Do not, as today’s
epistle lesson conveys, criticize or condemn. After all, “shouldn’t
you have had mercy on him as I have had on you?” (Matt. 18:33).
Several years ago I was making a job change to a competing company. I went
on the interview, agreed on a contract, signed it and was hired. Shortly after
that my new company hired two of my former co-workers. I later learned that
they held out for more money. So here I was being hired first and yet being
paid less! Sometimes life is not fair!
This is probably one of the most frequently asked questions, Why is life not
fair? It's a good question and one about which our Lord deeply cares.
The workers in the gospel story didn't appreciate being treated unfairly.
Those who worked only a couple of hours were paid the same as those who worked
all day! I wouldn't like it either. I didn’t! The point seems to be,
however, that life is dealt to us according to the permission of God. Ours
is not to complain about its fairness, but to remain faithful through it all.
”And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those
who are last now will be first then.” (Matt. 20:16)
We have a wonderful example from Exodus 16 today where the Israelites were
going on about life not being fair! "Oh, that we were back in Egypt,"
they moaned. "It would have been better if the LORD had killed us there!
At least there we had plenty to eat. But now you have brought us into this
desert to starve us to death." (Ex. 16:3)
“And the Lord said to Moses. ‘I have heard the people’s complaints.
Now tell them, in the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning
you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your
God.’” (Ex. 16:11-12)
This promise to Israel is a promise to us. When life is not fair God is there.
“In the morning we will see his glorious presence…he has heard our
complaints.” (Ex. 16:7)
Life is dealt to us according to the permission of God. Ours is not to complain
about its fairness, but to remain faithful through it all. Remember the words
Paul to the Philippians in the text for today, “. . . that we are going
to be saved, even by God himself.” (Phil. 1:29)
By the way, my salary was eventually raised to be equal with the others. Yes,
life isn’t fair but remain faithful. God is there!
While it may not be clearly obvious, the gospel story is about a question
of belief, the Pharisees refusing and Jesus insisting! “For John the
Baptist came and showed you the way of life, and you didn’t believe him”
(Matt. 21:32). They saw the most unlikely people (tax collectors and prostitutes)
responding to John’s message of repentance and being baptized into a
change life. However, “even when they saw this happening, they refused
to turn from their sins and believe him” (Matt. 21:32). I guess seeing
isn’t always believing.
It is true of the Israelites in the Exodus passage too. "Is the LORD
going to take care of us or not?" (Ex. 17:8) The irony is they had already
seen how God delivered them from the Egyptians, but believing in his ability
to do the same thing in the desert was another thing entirely.
What kept them from believing? Perhaps there are similar issues that many
unbelievers wrestle with today. Like the Pharisees and maybe even the Israelites,
we don’t believe because of our histories, because we’re afraid
of our colleagues, or because we don’t want to be identified with the
“tax collectors and prostitutes” of our day.
I would venture to say that this is not an uncommon challenge that we face
when we preach every Sunday. But we do have the glorious privilege of inviting
people to believe in what they can’t always see, God’s grace that
forgives us of our sin and opens our eyes to see the truth that John proclaimed
-- Jesus Christ; the Way, the Truth and the Life!
Our Lord makes it very plain in this story that he is the Cornerstone of all
of life and that the Pharisees were living contrary to this reality. In fact
there may have been a hint that the Pharisees were missing the point of the
Kingdom and perhaps living contrary to the commands mandated in the Old Testament
lesson of Exodus for today.
The sad part about this is that they were the religious community of the day,
those to whom people were looking for life's answers. Yet at this point in
the gospel the Pharisees were beginning to plot ways to kill the son of the
vineyard owner.
Today people are looking for answers to the hopelessness of their lives, answers
the religious community can provide. Are we giving the right answers? There
is no life without Jesus Christ.
Paul, formerly known as the Pharisee Saul, is the perfect witness. In the
epistle lesson he gives his story of how his life was changed by the Cornerstone
of all life - Christ. What makes this relate to the gospel is that he was
at one time counted among those who would "kill the son" and all
those who would be identified with him. Now he counted his life as nothing
when compared to the life of Jesus Christ! Paul knew, and you can preach it
too, that there is no real life without Jesus Christ!
I wish Paul's words to the Philippians could have been said to the Israelites
in Exodus! Perhaps if they “fixed their thoughts on what is true and
honorable and right…thinking about things that are excellent and worthy
of praise…and putting them into practice” (Phil. 4:8-9) they may
have changed their behavior in the desert when they felt like God had left
them for dead! Their behavior is not what you might expect from God’s
chosen people.
There is a sobering message to be heard today that is portrayed in the behavior
of the Israelites (the chosen) and communicated in the parable from our gospel
story. We can place ourselves alongside those who have been called to the
great wedding feast in heaven, but with the fear that only a few will end
up there. Note that it is not because of a lack of invitation on God's part,
nor a lack of concern for his people as implied by the Israelites, but a failure
to respond to the call.
What good is an invitation (a call) if we fail to RSVP? We miss out on the
celebration for which we have waited so long. We miss the great wedding feast
where the bride is finally reunited with her Groom for all eternity. “If
we do this, we will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful
than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard our hearts and minds
as we live in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)
“You teach about the way of God regardless of the consequences. You are
impartial and don't play favorites” (Matt. 22:17). This verse speaks
directly to the title of this second series. It is the role of the religious
community to teach the way of God regardless of the consequences as indicated
by our Lord in this passage.
Well then, what would be the "way of God" concerning us today? "Give
to Caesar what belongs to him. But everything that belongs to God must be
given to God" (Matt. 22:22).
God doesn't want, nor should the religious community be communicating that
he wants, our "taxes" or that which belongs to this world. That
is not the question. As Christians we are called to live according to the
"laws of the land" as long as they are in keeping with the gospel
of Jesus Christ. For us this is not the issue of life. The greater question
is, “Are we giving to God everything that belongs to God?” And if
so, what are those things?
After reading today's epistle lesson, I wondered if "those things"
that God wants were found in Paul's words, "your faithful work, your
loving deeds, and your continual anticipation of the return of our Lord Jesus
Christ” (1 Thess. 1:3). Of course, but before one can give their faithful
work or loving deeds there is, dare I say, a greater gift to give to God that
is depicted in our Old Testament lesson.
Exodus 33 seems to communicate that the one thing God wants from us is for
us to trust in him. Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me,
'Take these people up to the Promised Land.' But you haven't told me whom
you will send with me. You call me by name and tell me I have found favor
with you. Please, if this is really so, show me your intentions so I will
understand you more fully and do exactly what you want me to do. Besides,
don't forget that this nation is your very own people" (Ex. 33:13).
I admit Moses had a lot to lose. I mean he really put himself out on a limb,
freeing God's people from the Egyptians. All that God ever wanted from him
was to trust Him. Not taxes - trust! When he did the Lord replied, "I
will personally go with you, Moses. I will give you rest--everything will
be fine for you" (Ex. 33:14).
Can you imagine communicating that truth to people? Truly they will respond
as the Pharisees did in today's gospel, "His reply amazed them”
(Matt. 22:23).
Is the religious community communicating the right answers? What are the questions?
According to today's gospel lesson one question is, “What is God's most
important commandment?" (Matt. 22:36).
I think it's important to note that throughout this series Jesus has been
challenging the "answers" that the religious community gave the
people of that day. Today's people are not unlike people in the Bible, wondering
what is important to God. And while Jesus affirmed the answer the religious
leaders had been giving, "love God with all your heart, and all your
soul, and all your mind...", he took it a step further and added, "love
your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:37).
What is the most important commandment? What is the command upon which all
other commandments rest? Love God - love others.
This third and final series is in some ways a deeper reflection on the first
series. There we dealt with life's most difficult dilemmas discovering that
dying to oneself is perhaps the most difficult dilemma we will ever have in
this life. What about preparing for the life to come? How does one begin to
deal with life's inevitable end? How can we now prepare for life's next step?
This series is dedicated to that discovery.
When I was doing my doctoral work at Asbury Seminary, my preaching professor
would stress the necessity of a strong sermon title. I quickly discovered
how difficult it is to describe an entire sermon with one sentence or phrase
that people can readily recall long after the sermon has ended. Today’s
title, more than any other in the three series describes the sermon to a tee.
In the end, “last place is the only place that matters.”
Jesus begins to describe the life one lives in relation to the religious community
(note the connection to the previous sermon series), by "practicing and
obeying whatever they say to you, but don't follow their example. For they
don't practice what they teach. They crush you with impossible religious demands
and never lift a finger to help ease the burden…Everything they do is
for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses
inside, and they wear extra long tassels on their robes. And how they love
to sit at the head table at banquets and in the most prominent seats in the
synagogue! They enjoy the attention they get on the streets..." (Matt.
23:4-7).
Instead what life in Christ ought to look like now in preparation for the
life to come is that "the greatest among you must be a servant (Matt.
23:12).
This is the life that the Apostle Paul "pleaded with us, encouraged us,
and urged us to live our lives in a way that God would consider worthy because
in the end he called us into his kingdom to share in the glory of heaven."
(1 Thess. 2:12).
Her name was Kathie and she was battling cancer. After all possible treatments
were exhausted she decided to go home having been given just a few short months
to live. During one of her hospital stays I sat at her bed side, took her
hand, anointed her with oil and we began to pray. That day Kathie put her
trust in Jesus knowing that she would not be long in this life and she wanted
to be with him in the next.
She left the hospital prepared for hospice care and looked forward to the
few months ahead. Even with the knowledge of her impending death the words
of Jesus in today’s gospel burn in our ears, because Kathie never needed
the hospice care. Within a week she left this earth and had gone home to be
with her Lord! She was prepared. Although I was not there when she died, I
was told by her daughter and son-in-law that it was the most spiritual experience
they had ever witnessed. While lying on her bed, Kathie calmly called her
daughter over to her side and said, “He’s come for me. He’s
here. It’s time for me to go. Don’t worry it’s beautiful. I
love you.”
A possible preaching point in this passage is the need to be prepared because
you never know when death will come knocking at the door and we will stand
before the Lord.
“And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to
the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people
who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life
again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus
all the Christians who have died. I can tell you this directly from the Lord:
We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead
of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself will come down from
heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the
trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from
their graves. The, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on
the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and
remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words”
(I Thess. 4:13-18).
I can still remember growing up in the church being exposed to religious tracts
like the “Chic” tract, This is Your Life. It animated the story
of a man who had amassed for himself significant wealth. He was rejoicing
over that fact when death came knocking at his door. I believe his response
was something along the lines from Luke’s gospel, “I have plenty
of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”
But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded
from you. The who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” “This
is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not
rich toward God” (Matt. 12:19-21). The tract then goes on to paint a
picture of a man who squandered his life away in women and wild living.
Although the point is poignant and somewhat of a scare tactic, its truth is
none the less relevant for today’s gospel lesson and supported further
in the epistle lesson.
God has entrusted us to be good stewards of all that he gives us no matter
how small or great that may be. Our lives here on earth are not to be spent
with the focus on ourselves, but rather invested in Kingdom purposes. (Note
the emphasis of Kingdom language throughout the series).
God is the Owner of all of life including what we are tempted to hoard for
ourselves, our wealth. Our job as “trustees” is to invest wisely.
I don’t like this story – at least when it comes to preaching it!
No one likes having to be confronted with what is going to happen at the final
judgment. Let’s face it, we don’t want to think about let alone
accept this idea of eternal separation form God. Who would?
Yet, there’s no getting around it. In the end God will judge us according
to our love for him and our service to others, much like what was portrayed
in the “This is Your Life” tract. Perhaps the sermon could be built
more on the authority of Jesus to judge using the gospel to paint a picture
of what it might look like. In other words, use the reading from Ephesians
to serve as the exegetical text and the gospel as illustrative material.
For example: what gives Jesus the right to make the call? “I pray that
you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us
who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the
dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the
heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader
or anything else in this world or in the world to come. And God has put all
things under the authority of Christ” (Eph. 1:19-22). Then begin to use
the gospel to describe how Jesus chooses to exercise his God-given authority.
It might be nice to do so dramatically. Enjoy the journey.
*All Scripture quotations in this series, unless indicated, are taken from the New Living Translation.
