Year A Proper 21 2020 Overcoming the Quagmire

 Year A Proper 21, 27 September 2020

Video and Live Services from St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Overcoming the Quagmire”

Collect: O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Philippians 2:1-13

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death--

even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Matthew 21:23-32

When Jesus 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?” 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. 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?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 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.

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 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. 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.

Good morning. Today we are worshiping outside, having our first Eucharist in over 6 months. I know that many of you, like me, have been eagerly wanting this day, waiting for this day. Thank you for your faithful patience.

We had to wait for a lot of reasons. People with medical authority with years of training and expertise advised us to give space and distance. They have authority from their knowledge and from their positions to name things advisable or not. Even today, we are taking multiple precautions to be as safe as we can possibly be. We would never want gathering in God’s name to be life threatening.

The Governor used his authority to limit the numbers of people who could gather inside or out, and he came by his authority through our form of government. An election by the people for him to serve us as Governor for the years of his term. We pray for Governor Northam and his wife as they both have tested positive for COVID-19, and we wish them well. 

Our Bishop, along with bishops all over the country, are using the best knowledge and information available to allow gatherings (or not) depending on the risks involved in different areas. I know that I am very thankful that we have a bishop who has access to much more information and is privy to authorities that I can tap. I know she has been on conference calls with Dr. Fauci and other experts making the wisest decisions for us as she can. We pray for Bishop Goff as well, who is not only dealing with all the stresses she (and all of us) have these days, but she is also finishing treatment for her breast cancer. God be with her and her continued recovery!

We live in an age where authority is in question. Forces are at work undermining authority around our globe. It makes it easier to not question anything as acceptable if we trust nothing. Or as the old adage goes: “If we don’t stand for something, we’ll fall for anything.”

Friends, we are having to go to these extraordinary measures these days for the simple fact that a novel, never-before-seen virus emerged in late 2019. Around the world close to 1 million people have died. In our country we mourn over 200,000 of those. Those numbers are authoritative. They dictate the actions we take because of Jesus’ mandate to care for the least of these. 

And questioning authority, and trying to strip it from others is nothing new. That is what our Gospel reading is all about today. The religious leaders were trying to make him look bad. Trying, notice that. He saw what they were up to, and turned the tables on them. They were seeking opportunity, Jesus was seeking Truth. 

In context, this is just after Jesus cleansed the Temple courtyard in the final week of his life, upturning the money changers’ tables and wreaking havoc to the way things had [wrongly] been done for years and years. This went against the authority of the religious leaders, a semi-autonomy within the walls of the Temple compound, a space away from the dreaded Romans. 

So when they are asking Jesus about his authority, it is more than just here at this moment with his teaching. They have a laundry list of him upsetting their apple cart. 

And even in their confrontation, they cannot see how Jesus shows they are powerless and self-oriented. They cannot even give a straight answer to a simple question. They bring politics into it. If I say this, then these people are upset. If I say the opposite, then others are upset. So the religious leaders took the non-committal middle. So Jesus used his authority to not respond. But then he does, in his own way.

We get into his story that really is his response. Some will not say what they should, but then do the right thing. Some will say the right thing, and then not do it. Which is better? Then one who actually does the right instead of just lip service. Of course!

Now the religious leaders knew what he was speaking about, and so did everyone else. They could see the Emperor had on no clothes. (From the fairy tale, not the Roman Emperor.) They could see that he was saying the worst of the worst, the tax collectors and the prostitutes were more righteous than the religious leaders were.

Friends, especially in the coming weeks, we will be confronted on every side as to who and what to believe. I would urge all of us, myself included, to slow, reframe, and step above the quagmire that we seem to be careening toward.

I have a lot of authority, especially here at St. James the Less, and when I am out and about representing this parish. My authority comes from the Bishop. It does not come from the vestments I wear, or the collar I wrap around my neck. The Bishop’s authority, and mine from her, come from Christ Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

That is what Paul was urging the Church in Philippi to do. To look to Jesus, and conform to him. That is where I, that is where you, will gain authority. Paul even quoted one of the earliest hymns recorded in the church, I hear him singing it to them as the scribe wrote it out. I hear them singing it out loud as his letter is read to them. Friends, when the days get dark and you do not know where to turn, sing. This hymn or another, whatever draws your mind to Christ. I know it would sound better in the Greek, but think on this, and have faith…

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Je-sus

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploi-ted,

but emptied him-self,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human like-ness.

And being found in human fo-rm,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death--

even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Je-sus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should con-fess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father. A-men

Let your light shine in the Darkness, and it will not be overcome! Amen.