Matthew 21:23-32 is the lectionary text for Sunday, September 27.
The Temple Cult leaders of that time were corrupt and in collusion with Rome. They questioned Jesus' authority because they were screwed up about authority. Rome was their authority, but they had to give appearances to be serving God, while serving Rome. They were heartless and cruel, forcing sacrifices of the people (sin offerings), stealing their lands and condemning them with harsh judgments over things that they, themselves were doing. Does any of this sound familiar, yet?
So, when they demanded to know of what authority Jesus spoke, because He and His teachings were a threat to their absolute control over the people, Jesus played them and exposed their hypocrisy. I had a similar experience with an assistant to the Bishop of a church body I was leaving years ago. In anger, he said that if he could, he would take away my ordination. I asked the question about whether our ordinations were of God or of a church body. It did not quell his anger.
Jesus then gave the parable, the teaching, to these religious leaders who settled for an appearance of faithfulness to God while serving themselves and empire. People genuinely struggle at times to live what God calls us to live, and sometimes folk blatantly walk away from the rigors of the faithful walk. Others give lip service to God, pretend to be righteous and give their true devotion to themselves and empire. There is hope for those who are genuine. There is hope for those who truly struggle with their faith. There is little hope at all for the duplicitous who try to serve two masters, those who believe that they are entitled to whatever they can get, to ruthlessly steal position and power, and the wealth that comes with them. There is little hope for those who would beat others down with false expectations, and who themselves do whatever they want to others in order to get what they want. There is little hope for religious leaders who claim to represent God, but serve themselves and empire at the expense of children of God.
Yet, there are those church leaders yet today, appearing righteous and having hearts far from God. There are those church leaders today who look and sound like the real deal, but whose god is the belly, and who spin all manner of false teachings to make others blow in the winds of false doctrine in order that they, themselves might exploit them. There are those church leaders today whose values are in alignment with empire instead of Kingdom, empire instead of God. And there are plenty of folk with itching ears to hear what they want to in order that they might get some prestige above others, power over others and/or greater wealth for themselves by associating with them.
There are those political leaders who give lip service to Jesus and Kingdom, but who do not at all follower what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled because there is too much power and prestige to be gained, and too much money to be made by living empire values. There are political leaders who say the right things about love for country, patriotism and Democracy, and who give their true devotion to the principles of oligarchy or even fascism that will help them get what they want, at the expense of their fellow citizens and others in the world. Since our desolating sacrilege of 1981, when the Religious "Right" and Political "Right" joined in collusion to promote empire, their god has been their bellies at the expense of EVERYONE else. Yet, appearing to be upright, righteous and even reasonable has worked for them in duping the gullible, the desperate and the hateful who love those empire values for which they stand.
Israel was devastated under empire. Much of our nation and many across the world have been devastated by empire again/still. The Greed, Hatred, lust for Power and desire for Status of a few has meant struggle for the rest, even as it is now. It is getting worse. In the midst, we have Jesus, who confronts the disingenuous appearances of those who claim uprightness and faithfulness, and who lifts up those who they have disenfranchised and marginalized. The Good News of Jesus still exposes the evils of empire and reveals the truth, light and hope of the Kingdom.
As long as the people are willing to live under the oppression and occupation of empire, they will. Liberation will come when folk who know Jesus and love Jesus begin to follow Jesus in resisting empire's oppressive systems that are built on the few having all the wealth, power and status, and the hatred that fuels those systems by dividing the people. We have the Good News of Jesus in the midst. My prayer is that we will genuinely learn it, apply it and normalize it in the world around us, so that the children of God are liberated from this evil.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven... For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever. Amen
Pastor Jamie
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