November 2, 2008

Matthew 23: 1-12

 

How to Live in the Kingdom of God.

 

            The Christian year is ending, and in three more weeks Advent will begin. So our scripture readings in worship have been about Jesus’ last few days before his arrest and crucifixion. There was a violent and deadly conflict with the religious leaders.  They questioned him, perceiving him to be a threat, and sought to entrap him so that they could either minimize his message or kill him. Jesus responded to their questions very carefully and eventually denounced these leaders to his disciples. Let us listen in.

 

Read Matthew 23:1-12

 

Several summers ago I was a rabbi of a synagogue in our VBS program and met with children in our tent room to give them instruction. On one of the days I strapped a small box on my forehead that contained a scripture. This was a phylactery. Sometimes long ago it was worn under the arms also, but I just wore it on my forehead. I did not wear any fringes, because I was not sure how to do it. Anyway, I was a humble rabbi, and the children thought I was weird wearing this box on my forehead. I promise you I put on only a short phylactery and I did not wear any fringes.  I passed up the banquet meal on the last day, and I had no seat of honor. 

 

Now I am poking a little fun here at myself, but there is a little Pharisee in me. I enjoy preaching and teaching. I like talking about our faith and the scriptures. I am sure that you who attend the Wednesday evening lectionary class can testify to this. It is my calling and I enjoy doing it.

 

However, I do listen and ask a lot of questions. I really do more listening sometimes than talking because I need to learn. But there is a little Pharisee in all of us, right?  Have you ever critiqued the behavior of another and felt really good about yourself that you were better than them? Have you ever told your child, “Do as I say, and not as I do?”  Isn’t that what Jesus tells his followers when they listened to the Pharisees? Do as they say and not as they do because they make God’s laws burdensome and do nothing to help people bear them. For example, they take the commandment of keeping the Sabbath holy and created dozens of dos and don’ts in order to keep it holy. One law Jesus talked about was wearing a pin in your clothing on Sunday was “work” and therefore forbidden for the Jewish people. And, of course, you all remember Jesus being accused of breaking this Sabbath holy law by plucking corn and healing on the Sabbath.

 

And in the second place, the Pharisees are all about show and appearances. They do deeds to be seen by others and get the best seats at the baseball games. OK, kids, if your parents have said to you, “Do as I say, and not as I do,” sit down with them and talk about it; but don’t accuse them of being a Pharisee and, uh, please do not tell them you heard it here.

 

This is not a difficult scripture reading to understand unless you feel you are superior to others and have an honored place already in God’s kingdom. If so, please listen carefully to what Jesus has to say.  

 

The kingdom of God that Jesus tells us about is one where we live as equals - brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ where God is our Father and Jesus is our teacher. No one of us is greater or better or superior or inferior or purer than another. Matthew says throughout his gospel that our lives in God’s kingdom are defined by God’s love for us. We are to live in a relationship of love with God, our creator and Father, and let God’s love flow through us to others. As God’s children we are connected as brothers and sisters and are to live in service with one another. It is in being a servant that we find real joy. Jesus tells us, “The greatest among you will be your servant.” Now just willing humbleness is not possible. However, being a servant of others helps us to experience that we are in the same lifeboat together and depend on one another. When we serve one another, our faith has integrity as our deeds match our words.

 

Jesus is himself an example of this life of service. On his last night as a free man, he greets his disciples before the Last Supper and sits them down and washes their smelly, sweaty, dirty feet. A host does not do that – only servants. After they complain Jesus tells them, “…if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you.”  Jesus turns the hierarchy of power upside down. We have no power over another in God’s kingdom. We accept our vulnerability and serve others because God loves us and we place Him at the center of our lives. But when God’s love is not central, then our faith practice becomes hypocritical, oppressive, and arrogant. When we are the important one and the sun rotates around us. then God is moved out to the edges of our lives and religion becomes a spiritual disaster. History abounds with examples of this disaster.  

 

Yesterday Pat Johnston led us in a devotional at the men’s breakfast, asking us to assess our many blessings, many of them small, and to live in thankfulness to God for them. We have so much we don’t deserve, and we depend so much on one another for our lives. As children of God there is joy in sharing these blessings with one another and passing them on. Making God our first love enables everything else work in our relationship with one another. We are the beloved children of a generous God, but do we live like it? Is sharing our treasure with one another an unavoidable duty and just one more obligation that you have to do? Is our religion a burden and just one more thing I have to do? I pray not. There is no joy in that.

 

It is a privilege to be a part of some of the amazing things that God is doing in our midst right here. May you simply be overwhelmed with gratitude to God for his gifts to you and joyfully share your blessings serving one another as brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ. For this is how to live in God’s kingdom.