Sunday, October 4, 2020 (Proper 22)
Exodus 20:1–4, 7–9, 12–20
Psalm 19
Philippians 3:4b–14
Matthew 21:33–46
Let The words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
David ended his meditation of praise for the law in this week’s Psalm with this humble prayer: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Margaret always began her sermons with these humble words. A prayer that asked God to bless the preacher, while she humbly stands at the pulpit, reflecting on scripture. For me, this prayer respectfully asks God to vet the accuracy and intention of my words. Jim asked me one time why preaching makes me so nervous. He commented that otherwise I appeared intelligent and confident but seem to tremble when I am preaching. I think about this comment often. I think I am just so in awe of this responsibility.
Often as I am putting together these thoughts, I hear a voice in my head whose judgmental tone is honestly more like Larry David’s than the loving tone of Jesus, “Well, Not really. That’s not exactly what I meant. But ok, whatever. They can probably sort it out” So, you can understand my trepidation.
Which brings me to Moses. Before Moses was called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he was not at all sure this was the right fit for him. He understood and believed in the mission, but he was humble in his honest question of whether he was the best choice to lead. I think at this time in history we can all agree that Arron seemed like the one with the better leadership qualities. But God did choose Moses. And Moses led the people on a 40-year meander through the wilderness, all the way south to the bottom of the Sinai Peninsula.
Now there was a much more direct route. They could have traveled due East out of Egypt to the Promised Land. In fact, it was an established trade route at the time. But no, they wandered south to Mt. Sinai. And this is where God provided some well needed assistance.
Speaking for myself, I have been metaphorically lost in the desert. Have you? As a person of faith, I can say God has rescued me a few times. With each rescue I am called to live differently, better than before. I am asked to examine my values and behaviors, and how I live my faith. I ask you to meditate on this as you go about your week. How has God called you back?
God provided structure and solid helpful rules in these 10 commandments. We are shown how to be in community with each other and how God wants to be acknowledged and followed.
The psalm today is David’s flowing gratitude for God’s law. Good laws provide freedom and generate peace. Whether you follow the law simply because it is the law and you don’t want to get in trouble, which is frankly enough; or If you follow the law because the law reflects your values and convictions that doing so makes us all truly free. Regardless of your intentions, there is safety and peace for all people when God’s law is followed. God’s law is just. Human laws are sometimes less pure, but that is for another day.
Which brings us to Paul. Paul declares that he was the worst of the worst. No one could hold a candle to the absolute badness confessed by Paul. And in the same breath Paul declares that he was a man of the law and from the moment of his circumcision, adhered piously to the law.
Hmm!
The Golden thread of the lectionary leads us to Matthew’s account of Jesus’s parable of the Landowner who sent his servants to the tenants to collect rent only to learn that the tenants killed his servants. So, in the end he sent his son and the tenets killed him as well.
So, the landowner shouts in anger, “I will throw out these tenants and replace them with my own faithful tenants. And the stone that was rejected will be the cornerstone of my church.”
Jesus is preaching about a greater good, a greater law.
There is so much to unpack here. But, for today I want to focus on this simple Golden thread about how God has led us from place to place, from culture to culture, from concrete laws to the resurrection.
Today God has led Corby and I to stand before empty pews in front of an iPhone camera, recording a morning prayer service for you. In honor of St Francis, there are two dogs running around the sanctuary following their own doggy laws (and hopefully some of ours).
Like Moses, David, and Paul, we are called to be here at this moment. This strange moment in time. We do our best to follow the rules, especially rules in our hearts that guide our moral conscience. We are God’s church, and we carry the awesome and joyful responsibility to love our neighbors and to remember the importance of who we are in the eyes of God. Amen