Sermon

What Do You Value? (Sermon October 22, 2017)

 

The Question about Paying Taxes 

 

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. ¹⁶ So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. ¹⁷ Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” ¹⁸ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. ²⁰ Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” ²¹ They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²² When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.[1]

Fredericks, M. (1958). Spirit of Detroit. Detroit, MI: Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.

The more I read the gospels the more I love Jesus. The teachings he gives through his parables continue to enlighten my thinking. It seems that each time I read them they hit me with something new. Maybe it is because I understand a bit more, maybe it is because the events surrounding me at that moment are such that it garners a unique perspective, or maybe I am just easily amused. No matter what it is, I love Jesus more today than I did a year ago.

The past few weeks we have encountered parables that Jesus spoke at the temple the last week of his ministry. He came into to Jerusalem and the crowds surrounding him began to shout and cheer, they grabbed palm branches and removed their coats and laid them on the ground before Jesus who was riding into town on a donkey. They shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!^[2]” The crowds were jubilant and uncontainable, causing the religious leaders to beg Jesus to quiet them down.

Jesus did not quiet them down, instead he walked into the temple courts and began to throw tables, and release animals. He began to scold the religious leaders, telling them that they had made his Father’s house a den of robbers. After which he proceeded to teach the crowds with parables and healing those who needed divine encouragement.

For nearly a week the religious leaders had listened to Jesus’ parables, all the while they stewed and fretted in the background. Jesus compared the Kingdom, the kingdom they all longed for in ways they had not considered. They envisioned a kingdom like the kingdom they recalled from the annual of history. A great and mighty king who would bring economic prosperity to the land, one that would bring military victory, and a restoration of the palace and temple government. The kingdom Jesus says is like a vineyard, what? The kingdom is like a landowner? No, they are thinking, that is not the kingdom. The kingdom is power and domination, not a vineyard. The kingdom is not a land owner with mouthy kids.

Jesus then tells them another parable, “the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a wedding banquet a king has prepared for his son.” We might remember this from last week. The king threw this massive party with fat calves, and oxen. Remember these are plural, a fat calf can feed a family for a year and there are multiple calves plus oxen. Tons of meat. This is a party larger than anything any of us have ever attended. Well maybe you have attended something like that but the largest party I have attended was a hog roast with two hogs, and that fed an entire county. But let us remember this banquet, invitations were sent out and those that were invited said they would attend but when the time came they had excuses. The king sent servants out two times and these invited dignitaries made light of the refusal and others treated the messengers with violence and murder. The resulting actions was that the king annihilated the community, burning the city to the ground. He then sent servants out to gather the common people from the streets.

I want us to consider this parable again this week, because it ties into the question posed to Jesus by the Pharisees. Who is invited to royal weddings? Those that were invited would be the elite of a nation, the most well-connected government officials, and many leaders from other nations. To attend a royal wedding would be an honor. To be invited to such an even would be a testimony of the power and influence you had within a nation. To be invited to any wedding is a testimony of the importance you or your family has in the lives of an individual, and to restrict any person from the mailing list is a painstaking endeavor.

The king invited everyone he thought was important to this event, and each of them accepted at first, but then rejected the king. This is more than a simple something came up and I cannot attend. This was an all-out rejection of the power and authority of the king. We might think Jesus was being a bit dramatic when the king sent out his army, but this parabolical kingdom was on the brink of a civil war. They were rejecting their king, they rejected his authority. Not only the people of his own nation but those outside the allies and enemies alike viewed this king with little or no importance to them. This dynasty was facing extinction and the king did what he thought was required to preserve his nation.

We live in a world of nations and we live in our own nation. We take pride in our heritage and what that means to us and to the world. We are concerned with anything that might threaten our national honor. We might consider that parable as a simple story but consider the outrage many have over football players kneeling during the national anthem? Many perceive dishonor and they shut out any discussion or debate. Yet Jesus in this story has taken it even deeper, it is not just a perception of dishonor but a reality. They looked at the king’s servants and they laughed and even killed the messengers. This would not be football players sitting during the anthem but every senator, every representative, every governor, every state representative and senator in every state, and the prime minister of Canada not even taking the time to show up.

Let that sink in while we listen to the question of the Pharisees again. “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. ¹⁷ Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?^[3]”

What are they really asking? These religious leaders and the crowds, were looking forward to the restoration of an independent nation of Israel, under the linage of David. For a brief period following the return from exile and after the conquest of Alexander the Great, they were free from overlords. But with the rising threats from their neighbors they asked Rome for help, they willingly entered an alliance with the Emperor with the promise of protection. They gave away their freedom for security. Now after a lifetime living within this alliance, they decided that maybe it is not working out as well as they had hoped. Unfortunately for them they no longer have any say. Rome had efficiently moved into this nation and gained dominance. Portions of the nation were given to them by the family of Herod and other portion were annexed outright because of the inability of the king to keep order. Rome did not conquer Israel until after Jesus’ life, until the Jewish wars which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the relationship between Rome and Judea was basically like that of the European Union, except to be included in this alliance there were certain tributes that would need to be collected and paid.

Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor? The nation of Israel had benefited from the protection and economic security of the empire. They had moved from a tiny nearly powerless nation under the constant threat of defeat and exile, to be a semi stable tribute state. If they were to stop paying the taxes to Rome they would lose their protection, they would lose their economic stability and would again face the threat of imperial conquest. At times ideology does not see the picture clearly. Jesus prophetically spoke in the parable what would happen if they did the very thing this question implied. The king would come in and level the city and place others in the seats of power that the religious leaders currently enjoyed.

Jesus calls them out. He calls them hypocrites. Because they like to sit around enjoying the benefits of the empire yet are asking can we some how religiously justify evasion. Rome had built road, aqueducts, provided security forces all at the request of the people. And now they ask Jesus can we stop paying the taxes. They knew full well that if they stopped they would be signing their nation’s death. But could they get rid of this thorn in their side by saying that he was the one that was calling for this revolution?

Let us look again at their question. They begin by saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.^[4]” They recognize that Jesus is sincere, and speaks truth. They themselves cannot argue with the words that he speaks. They just do not like what he said because it does not give them any prestige. Jesus calls them hypocrites because he can see they are trying to trap him. He knows that they could care less about the religious ramifications of their question and have no real intent on doing anything but profit from any unpaid taxes. Jesus asks them to give him a coin for the tax, so the give it to him. Whose face is it on that coin and whose title? Why does this matter? The coin was minted under the direction of the Emperor, the metal from which the coin was minted belonged to the emperor. The very source of their wealth and profit was under the system and currency of the emperor. They are standing in the temple courts with over a day’s worth of wages in their pockets asking can we get away with not paying the emperor taxes. Jesus tells them this money this tool of the economy is the emperor’s it is his money, if he wants it give it to him.

If the government wants our money they have every right to it. It is theirs their name is printed on it. It does not have my name or your name on it, and it we were to write our name on the currency we have committed a crime. We might say but it is our money, we earned it. But the reality is that the actual currency is the property of the government. The actual value of the currency is not the number printed but the amount of energy it produces when it is burned. Which is approximately 12.44 BTU per bill, and if it is converted to electricity it would run a hair dryer for a couple of seconds[5]. Jesus says give the Emperor what is the emperor’s give to God what is God’s.

What are the things that a government cannot take from you? They cannot take your mind, they cannot without force take your labor. They can value or devalue the currency all they want but we are still human, we are not made in the image of a dollar, we are not made in the image of a government, but we are made in the image of God. Humanity is God’s. Every human being on the face of this earth has value because they are made in the image of God. God transcends all governments because he created the very land which they lay claim, he created the resources that they value, and he created the people who utilize and manipulate those resources for mutual profit of all. Money the currency we pay taxes with is merely a tool. When we value the tool more than those that wield the tool we have become a lover of money and have placed that tool above God.

The church at one time had to come to an understanding of this. At a time in our history no one could use currency within the empire without giving the emperor honor and worship. Those that followed Jesus refused to worship a man, so they could not buy or sell good, they did not have access to the tools of the economy. Yet during that time they survived. Those that had land to grow food offered their produce to the church for the good of the people within it. They shared what they had each offering their labor and gaining their bread. They used the abilities that they had the things that God had gifted them with to serve each other. And they survived and even grew in number and influence.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were asking can we use our faith to deny the government what it requires to function while still benefiting from it’s services? Jesus says shut up you hypocrites. They easily produced on a coin worth a day’s labor, a coin that would be used to pay the tax, they readily had available to them in a purse and abundance of currency. Currency the obtained under the system they enjoyed and profited from yet they are asking can we keep more for ourselves, and by doing so bringing the threat of war to the entire nation. The question they should be asking is how can we honor the image of our God, those around us? How can we through this tool the empire gives us access to love God, embrace the Holy Spirit and live the love he shows us to others more fully.

There is much to consider in just one question. A question that is just as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. A question that causes us to consider what and who we truly live for. It is one where the answer we give can lead to vastly different conclusions but one thing remains humanity. If we do not pay the taxes are we willing to provide the services to those in our household along with all the employees that serve us? Are we willing to honor all people as bearers of God’s image if they come into our community with no partiality? Will we use all the gifts God has given us to benefit the kingdom? And are we willing to enable those around us to use their gifts more fully? It is easy to answer some of these questions, but like most they compound. But what remains is will we love God, embrace the Holy Spirit and live the love of Christ with others no matter what our circumstances may be.

[1]The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Mt 22:15-22). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[2]The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Mt 21:9). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[3]The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Mt 22:16–17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

^[4]The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Mt 22:16). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

[5] Whitcombe, Todd (2005, November 3). Re: How many btu are there in a dollar bill? (Or a piece of paper?). Retrieved from http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2005-11/1131041118.Ph.r.html

Sermon by Jared Warner

presented at Willow Creek Friends Church

Come! (Sermon October 15, 2017)

Matthew 22:1–14 (NRSV)

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

(Lk 14:15–24)

22 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. ⁴ Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ ⁵ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. ⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. ⁹ Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ ¹⁰ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, ¹² and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The past few weeks we have been looking a bit deeper into the series of parables that Jesus used while teaching in the last week of his earthly ministry. In Matthew chapter twenty-one, we see what we now call Jesus’ triumphal entry which is followed shortly after by Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. Where Jesus basically becomes the incredible Hulk raging against the worship/business complex. After this Jesus teaches in the courts of the temple each day and while he teaches he performs many healings for those in need. The religious leaders confront Jesus demanding to know who gave him the right to challenge their accepted traditions. And at that moment Jesus begins to define the truth about religion and true obedience.

The first teaching was about the man with two sons who were asked to work in the vineyard. The first refused and the second said sure thing dad. The second said the right words but did not put the words into actions where the first initially refused but later obeyed the will of his father. The next lesson, again about a vineyard, Jesus spoke about a man who planted a vineyard building a wall and watch tower to protect his investment and then leased the land to tenets. When the harvest came the landowner send a representative to collect his portion of the produce only to have them face repeated rejection ultimately resulting in the death of his son.

The Pharisees rightly interpreted these stories as a direct challenge to their teachings with the accusation being that the religious leaders of that era were missing the purpose and divine call. Their response was not to take ownership of their own short comings but to seek the removal of prophet that was shining a light on their failures.

I can identify with the Pharisees. One of the most difficult things for a human to face is their own personal weaknesses especially if the individual is a leader of human kind. It is uncomfortable, a threat to your identity, and has a potential to disrupt your livelihood.

Yet Jesus does not back down. He persists by telling another parable. This time He says, “the kingdom of heaven is like a king throwing a wedding banquet for his son.” The wedding in ancient Judea was very important. It was not just an event that lasted a day, but often a full day of festivities. It was a tangible reminder of the covenant God had made with the people of Israel tracing the roots all the way to their father Abraham. It symbolized the continued fulfillment of the promise of land and nationhood for the people and the continued presence of God and his blessing. The very first miracle that Jesus performed, the first event where Jesus shows his divine appointment was during a wedding feast of a friend.

Jesus begins the story by saying that invitations were sent out but those invited refused to attend. There is a bit of a cultural understanding that we might miss. An invitation to a wedding has two parts. The first is the announcement of intention, which means the guests are informed of the coming celebration and they either accept or deny the invitation. The servants would then carry the response back to their master and the meal would then be prepared for the guests. This first part is like our current wedding announcements with a form to be returned telling the host how many people would be attending.

The second part to the invitation is where Jesus starts the parable. When the food is being prepared the host would send the servants back out into the community to inform the guests that it is now time to come enjoy the celebration. This second invitation only goes out to those within the community that had accepted the first invitation. They informed the host that they would be in attendance. So, the king sent out the servants because the food was being cooked at that moment and that the invited guests should begin their journey to participate the festivities. It is important to know that tradition because it give us a reference to why the king might have gotten upset.

The servants go out they tell the people come eat, come drink, come share in the joy. These people had informed the king that they were coming yet when the time came they rejected the invitation. The food was being cooked yet one by one the invitation is being rejected. These people are basically saying we reject you king and we could care less if your inheritance will be passed down to the next generation. They in all reality are saying we reject the king.

The king again sends out the servant telling them to deliver the message again, the meat has been slaughtered and the fires are burning. Again, the invitation is rejected. The people laugh at the servants and return to their farms and businesses while some violently oppose the king by abusing those that carried the message. This is a full-on rejection of the king’s authority, and in response to this rejection the king sends out his men of arms. These men annihilate these traitors and he even has them burn the city to the ground.

This parable is telling the Pharisees that they not only have rejected Jesus and his teachings, but they are rejecting the very God they claim to follow. In place of true faith, they place their focus instead on their own selfish desires. They were invited, they were the chosen ones, yet in their pursuit of religion they had left their God and his way and instead focus on the things of the world.

Imagine your son or daughter, your niece or nephew is the one being wed, you have helped prepare the meal and it is now ready. Enough food to feed an army and the chairs are sitting empty. You have just spent a fortune on this event, and it is about to go to waste. Everyone you regard as a friend has rejected you and in that rejection, they state that you and your family are worthless. Every one of your friends. Imagine how you would feel.

The religious leaders of that day closed their ears to the voice of God and placed their trust in their own goodness and abilities. Jesus continues his story, “the king then tells his servants to go out and gather everyone from the countryside. Bring the beggars to the table, bring the poor tenet farmers bring anyone you can find to fill the seat at the king’s table. Bring them all do not worry about their social status or education just fill the seat and let us celebrate.

This second group comes and the halls are filled. The king then looks out at the crowd and he sees something that unnerves him, amid the celebration someone still rejects him a man among the celebrating masses who were refused a gift and was not wearing the wedding robe. Those at the feast we the marginalized segments of their society. They were poor and did not have the garments that should be worn at a royal wedding, so the king provided the guests with clothing fit for a king.

These garments are offered to the guest freely just as the grace of God is offered to each of us. The robe is offered yet this one individual refused to put on the covering. What Jesus is saying is that the religious have rejected but even among the marginalized of our culture there are those that can be just as sinful. They can sneak into the church and act as if they belong but fail to put on the lifestyle of Christ.

Who do we identify with in this story? At times I can fall into a trap going through the motions of religion yet my mind is off somewhere else. Instead of focusing on my relationship with God or mankind I am consumed by the maintaining a façade. At times the faith I claim is empty and I seek to make my own way through the journey of life rejecting the gift of grace freely given through Christ. It is hard for me to admit it but it is true. I like everyone else can be broken, unwilling to admit that I might be wrong and often failing. I can find myself being legalistic and judgmental, I can find myself being haughty instead of being honest with myself or others. I can easily get trapped in a prison of my own creation.

 When I get trapped where is grace? Where is hope? Where is mercy or justice? Where is the ministry that reflects the joy and life of Christ? Where is the celebration and worship? With who do we identify? The religious who focus on their own merit and their own desires are lost and consumed in the fires of the king’s judgement because they reject mercy and focus on the ritual instead of reality. The one who does recognize their failures yet reject the gift of grace are equally bad. They too like the Pharisee strive to become perfect in themselves, only to find themselves in bondage.

Jesus sends his servant out to find the good and the bad to bring them in. The servants then offer all who come the garments of Christ. Both the sinner and the saint are clothed in Christ. Do we believe that? Do we believe that people can be changed? As we enter this time of open worship and communion as Friends consider your place in this story. Who are you? And does that bring or reflect the joy of God?

Whose Authority? (Sermon October 1, 2017)

Matthew 21:23–32 (NRSV)

Elizabeth Fry

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

(Mk 11:27–33; Lk 20:1–8)

²³ When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” ²⁴ Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵ Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” ²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Have you ever been in a confrontation that you knew was a trap no matter what you said? Working in retail there is usually at least one customer a day that will corner either me or a coworker, they will specifically ask for an item that is not on the shelf, when we tell them it is out they immediately fly off making demands that have no basis, and ask to speak with a supervisor when we are unable to meet the demand. I honestly must say this happens less now that I have changed companies but it is a phenomenon of retail none the less. No matter what you say, you will face the wrath of the annoyed customer who came only to purchase that one item and now they are never going to shop at that store again and it is all your fault. The funny thing is that they are usually there the next day.

Today we find Jesus in just such a trap. If we were to read the verses between last week and this we would find that Jesus made his way to Jerusalem. When he came to the temple he became angry. He threw people selling goods out and began to upend tables at which money changers were conducting business. I imagine he then began to scream as he quoted scripture as to what made him so angry. Take a moment to imagine that scene. Jesus basically HULKed out on the enterprising temple/business complex. The temple of the first century was a finely tuned marketplace. They had everything that you could possibly imagine making your worship experience memorable and effective. Everything that you would need was right there, no longer did you have to go out and find an animal among your flocks, or go to a neighbor to negotiate a trade. You no longer had to make the effort of feeding and transporting an animal from your home to the temple because you could conveniently purchase all you needed right there on the spot. Imagine how easy that could be. Imagine how corrupt that could become. Imagine the deals that could potentially be made between the priest and the businessmen offering a percentage of the profits if they happen to refer a customer to their stall. Imagine how many animals would be found unacceptable if the animal was not purchased from a recommended agent. Imagine just how corrupt this system could become. It is not really that difficult to imagine, because it happens in every business. A school needs a new scoreboard for their football field and suddenly the only beverage you can purchase on the school grounds are from a certain company. We call it sponsorship today, nothing innately wrong with that except for the fact that they have a brokered monopoly within a closed market. If your school has Pepsi for a sponsor you will not be purchasing a Coke from the concession stand at the end of the half while you watch the time click down on the newly purchased scoreboard with the bright Pepsi logo.

Imagine the potential corruption that could occur at the temple with vendors within its court walls. A poor family brings a lamb from home, one of their own. It is a beautiful animal, they come to the priest and it is found to be unworthy. They are then forced to go to a vendor, and somehow figure out how to make a trade. Their prize lamb the best of their flock is grossly undervalued and they purchase a replacement at a significant markup. They leave the temple felling cheated. And then there are those that put no effort in the finding and sacrificing their own herd for God they simply keep their best for profit and purchase one on site without the hassle. Can you imagine why Jesus would be a bit irritated? People come to the temple to worship God and they are exploited. This is not even including the fact that the temple would only accept monetary contributions in authorized forms which was not the currency of the empire so everyone that wanted to do business in the temple would have to convert their money before any business could be conducted. I have had to make money conversions a few times. In Odessa, Ukraine we could convert our money at an exchange rate of 5 to 1, but when we traveled to Yalta in Crimea the rate was 2 to 1. Why the drastic change you know the basic laws of economics Yalta had more tourists wanting to make purchases so they the service fee of the exchange was greater. I did not buy much from Yalta.

After Jesus became the Incredible Hulk in the temple, he then began to teach and heal those that were coming to worship. All the while the religious leaders were watching him and contemplating what they could do to restore what they had built. That night Jesus left town and we meet him the next day in today’s passage.

The religious leaders were still upset from the day previous, likely because they lost a great deal of money. They approach this troublesome teacher with a question. “By whose authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority?” It is a legitimate question when you look at things from a cultural and social point of view. Jesus had just disrupted the accepted norms of temple worship the day before, he had prevented the people from participating in the accepted practices of the era and in some cases prevented them access to God’s grace, at least from their perspective. Now he is sitting again early in the day teaching again while the various vendors are hesitant to do business with him sitting there. Are they going to be harassed again? As a former security manager, I would have been duty bound to escort him off the premises and if he refused involve law enforcement. But the teachers of the day had other problems, they knew that what he said was not exactly wrong, it just was not accepted.

By whose authority do you do these things? Jesus turns the question back on them saying in essence, “I will tell you if you answer one question of mine. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” Think about this for a moment. We could get into the theological implications of the sacrament of baptism, but that is not what Jesus is asking. John was basically telling the people of Israel the they were not worthy to even call themselves Israel. The implication of the baptism that John promoted was telling them all that they were not worthy to even place a foot in the land of promise let alone worship in the temple. They from the greatest religious leader to the most common and lowly peasant needed to repent and be washed clean because they were all unclean in the eyes of God. John had caused a great deal of trouble for the teachers, because again his teachings were not wrong they just were not convenient.

The leaders withdrew and talked amongst themselves concluding that they did not know. The trap that they had set for Jesus was then turned from him and placed in front of them. They had to say they did not know because to say anything different would admit that they willingly opposed God, and in that admission, they were unworthy of occupying their position.

There are times where admitting that we do not know is the actual answer we should give. We are not able to fully know everything. Scripture specifically deems that we will never know the exact time the second coming of Christ will be, though so often people try to predict it. We are also unable to fully comprehend the fullness of God. This is why after two thousand years we still have theology classes taught in universities, and that at times a new idea emerges from those universities that causes great upheaval in the churches. Why after centuries are churches still arguing over theological issues? Why after so many centuries are we still forming new denominations? It is because people cannot admit to themselves that at times we may not know.

All of us from in some way have both divine and human influences in our spirituality. I shudder to even admit that but it is true. At times my culture is very much a part of how I interpret scripture. The more I study the more I recognize this and change my views, but it is difficult. It is difficult to say I have been wrong, it is difficult to say I do not know certain things, because we should have answers.

Jesus could tell that at that moment the religious leaders were open to some teaching. They recognized that at times they had to admit they did not know so it left them vulnerable. In this vulnerability Jesus provides the truth that we seek. He provided it in a parable. A man had two sons and he told the first to go and work in the vineyard. The son told him, “No Way.” But later he changed his mind and went to work. The father also went to the second and asked him to work as well, and this son replied, “I go, sir”. He said he would go but he did not. Jesus then asked them which of these sons did the will of his father?

In the context of the larger story, this is a powerful parable because it speaks to so many of us on a very personal level, just as it spoke to the religious leaders two thousand years ago. Jesus asked them which of the sons did the will of the father, and they quickly responded by saying that the first. Jesus by telling this parable is pointing out the hypocritical nature of mankind within a religious system. We can say many things, we can even participate in religious acts and be far from God. And then there can be rebellious people among us that have participated in lifestyles far from holy, that repent and become children of Light.

This is the very activity that the early Friends protested when they started our religious society. They looked at the church and saw an exceptional performance but when the pious left the steeple houses, they acted as if they were possessed by a devil and not Christ. They saw priests politicking for a nicer church as if it were an inheritance and not a ministry. They saw people confessing to beliefs yet living contrary to their confessions in their daily life. The church in their eyes were like the second son on the parable, saying all the right things to please the father, yet not walking anywhere close to the vineyard.

Fox and the other early Friends decided that if that was the church it was not something they wanted to be involved in. They wanted to follow Christ, they wanted to know Christ and to hear the voice of the divine and listen not only with their souls but their actions. So, they left the church, and they met together in silence. They waited with a holy expectancy knowing that Christ was the ever-present teacher and would direct us if we only listen. They in their waiting became passionate in their faith, so passionate that they found that they could not swear allegiance to any kingdom other than the kingdom of the Lamb, and any kingdom that acted contrary to the will of God they raised a protest to correct an injustice. They became involved in prison reform. Why prison reform? Because many of their number found themselves in prison for not swearing oaths of allegiance, and they refused to pay tithes to priest that did not promote Christlike lives.

They got involved not only with their words but their actions. They took this message of wholistic faith out to their towns, into their regions, into the nation at large and to the world. Living their faith out in every aspect of their lives. Their lifestyle caused such a disruption to the nation that England finally stopped persecuting them because their faithfulness in the workplace as well as in the meetinghouses was threatening the very economy. Meaning Quakers were becoming too successful. These early Friends listened to the call, and though they might have been hesitant they did the will of the Father anyway.

But what about now? What about the state of the Church today? Jesus listened to the religious leaders’ answer that day in the temple, and he said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.” The religious leaders saw that the message that John preached caused change in people. Those that listened to John repented and turned to God in a new way. They began thinking about their actions and how they might be exploiting a situation. He told the tax collectors to only take what was needed and to refrain from extortion. He told the Soldiers not to be brutal in their applications of justice. And the people listened, but the religious leaders rejected not only John but those that followed him. And now they question Jesus.

From where and who does his authority come? If he is from heaven then we should listen because his lifestyle is the lifestyle God demands. If he comes from human origin then his teachings can be questioned but there is a multitude of people out there that claim him to be king. Maybe we like the leaders just don’t know what to think. Maybe we like the religious leaders of the ancient temple prefer the massive complex that can generate revenue at the expense of faith. From where is His authority? For us to be sitting here today we affirm that we believe that Jesus’ authority is from Heaven.

As we enter this time of Holy expectancy like our spiritual ancestors did centuries ago, let us consider how that authority should be lived out in our own lives. Are we willing to stand up and hulk out for injustices surrounding us or are we willing to turn a blind eye to preserve the status quo? Are we willing to encourage and help those of questionable reputation to find faith or will we only encourage those like us? Are we willing to follow Christ in action, or only confess in word?