Year A Proper 21 2023 Self-Worth

Year A Proper 21, 1 October 2023

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Self-Worth”

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.

There are things that shape how we see and value ourselves. We all find a way to “rank”

ourselves socially. Some give little or no interest in that activity, but they still have a gauge of

where they are and where they are in comparison with the folks in their world.

One character stands out for me who falls in the “doesn’t care but goes along with it” category

is Dolphus Raymond, in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird. He walks around town with a brown paper bag, allowing everyone to

believe he was a raging alcoholic. When the kids, Scout and Dill, have a chance to talk with

him they learn it is only a bottle of Coca-Cola. It is easier for people to believe he is a drunk,

than that he prefers the company of African-Americans. So he gives them a social fiction.

While not caring about where he is ranked, he does know his place and plays along with the

social fiction.

Most of us think of ourselves as “normal,” no matter how irregular we may be. Jeffrey

Dahmer, the cannibal, probably saw himself as normal, but he knew to hide and keep secret

from others his disturbing and dysfunctional side.

There was a line from last week’s Gospel reading that fits what I am talking about so well,

and sets up this week also. Dawn did a great job unpacking the Parable of Vineyard where

some were paid a day’s wage for a full day, and some for the same for just an hour. I was struck

by their complaint:

‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’

The all-day workers found it “unfair” that some got something that they did not get. But it was

not just the money, it struck them hard on their own value.

“YOU HAVE MADE THEM EQUAL TO US!”

That generosity of the landowner made them question their worth. They felt devalued from

his choices.

In today’s text, the value of the person is the foundational conversation of the matter. The

Pharisees questioned Jesus’ worth, his value to the nation, and showed their dismissal of him.

“Who are you to say and do these things?!?!?” Or, in today’s slant, “Jesus, what are you worth?”

Instead of stating the answer to their question, he brings up John the Baptizer, Jesus’ own

cousin who had just caused rumbles throughout the religious environment. By whose

authority had John baptized?

The Pharisees were in a fix. If they said he had religious value, then they should have listened.

If they said he had no value, the people who valued him would have been deeply upset. Like

the workers in the Vineyard, they did not want to be “equal” with John, nor with Jesus for that

matter. So they chose to remain ignorant, and said as much. “We do not know.”

The Pharisees in today’s Gospel found their value in their own identity. Not in whose they

were, but in who they were. It must remain unquestioned. And Jesus brought that question to

them.

Friends, we do it too. We often value ourselves on things we do not control. Where we were

born. The groups that we belong to, as well as those we do not belong to.

Jesus said to find value in how we obey, something we can control.

To make it simple, he puts forward a simple story to make a point.

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.”

The value was in the one who obeyed, no matter what was said. The one who only said yes

and did nothing had no value. Everyone can see this clear and concise argument. It is clear

and plain.

But then Jesus throws down the gauntlet, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the

prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.”

This was explosively scandalous, ESPECIALLY to the SELF-RIGHTEOUS Pharisees.

Jesus was saying, “Notorious sinners are more valued than you!”

Explosive is not a strong enough word. The Pharisees were put in a worse situation than the

complainers in the Vineyard. It was not, “You have made them equal to us!” It was “You

have made THEM," and the THEM needs to be dripping with contempt and scorn. “You have made THEM better than us!”

Insert here ripping of garments and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus was schooling the Pharisees, it was not about being self-righteous, but in the right. And

only God can bring us round right. Now, and back then.

Friends, it is in humility that we come to God. It is in humility that we are saved. We have to

trust not in who we are, but whose. Not in what we know, but in who we believe. Not in what

we say, but in how we live out our obedience to God. As Jesus said of his cousin John,

"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.” 

Humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. We find our worth

beyond ourselves, in who we are in Christ. This is a hard thing to do, but thankfully Jesus,

yes Jesus, did it first. In our Philippians reading, Paul quotes a hymn to Jesus saying as much…

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. 

Obedience, devoted, sacrificial obedience. This is where we find our value. It is in giving that

we are valued. The world does not understand this. 

“Celebrate me! Celebrate me! Celebrate me!” the world cries.

Humble yourself and be obedient like Christ, and it will take the world’s breath away. Grace,

when given, cannot be ignored.

Dismissed. Dishonored. Rejected. Maybe. But not ignored.

For in our heart of hearts we still find it rare as much as we find it amazing, still.

When asked what the greatest commandment was, we all mostly know what Jesus said. “Love

the Lord with all that you are, and love your neighbor as much as yourself.” We have to love

neighbor, and God, and yes, self for that formula to work out.

We love our neighbors and work for their good. 

We love God and obey God’s commands. 

We love ourselves enough to do the hard work of becoming more and more like Christ each

and every day. That type of hard work requires a strong and deep devotion.

Is our neighbor worth it, though? 

Am I worth it, though?

Is God worth it?

Friends, the answer to that question is how you will shape the rest of your life. If they are

not, if you are not, then none of this God stuff means anything, and we are wasting our time.

But the story we tell is this. Each and every one of us, friend, neighbor, lover, or stranger is

made in the image of God. We are each and every one of us fearfully and wonderfully made

by more than a craftsman, but by God. God’s fingerprints are all over you, and you, and you,

and me. And God loved you enough to send Jesus to tell us this, so that it was and is

abundantly clear. If there was any doubt, in Jesus we see, God loves you to death.

Prophetically. Metaphorically. Literally. And there is nothing that you can do to keep God

from loving you. And in the depths humanity sinks to at times, personally and collectively, we

often need to be reminded of all of this, and brought back into the fold. And when that

happens, there is much rejoicing, down here and up there, because that is the point of all of

this. It always has been. And if you cannot find your worth in that, you are not trying.

As we said in the prayer we started the day with:

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. Amen