“That Which is God’s” Matthew 22:21
a sermon by Pastor Sonja Dalglish for FPC Weslaco
October 16, 2011
the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Exodus 33:12-23, Psalm 99:1-9, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 12:15-22

Introduction
This week, I enjoyed having my husband here from Monday to Friday. He came to some of the events of my week, the lectionary study, coffee on Wednesday morning. and was able to meet and share time with some of the members of this community as well. He came Wednesday night as we discussed the book What is the Least I Can Believe and Still be a Christian? We talked about priorities in our lives and what that means to us.

To know what is truly important to you, you can ask yourself three questions?
What do I think about most? How do I spend my time? How do I spend my money?

As you examine your life, in light of Jesus’ teachings? What do you see revealed about your priorities? Do you live as though you believe?

New Testament Lesson
Our New Testament reading continues where last week’s reading ended. Jesus refused to tell the religious leaders by whose authority he is teaching in the synagogue. He tells three judgement parables. Now, he is being tested with a trick question. Perhaps you have had one of those trick questions thrown at you as well. The people of Israel do not like the Roman occupiers and do not like to pay the taxes that are exacted from them. Jesus has been teaching about the radical claim that God has on their lives. Perhaps the questioners believe that he will overstep the bounds and advocate not obeying the Roman authorities. First the flattery, “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.” Then, the trick question, “Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?“

And, once again Jesus amazes them. He tells them to pay the taxes that the earthly government requires – knowing full well that people hated taxes. But give to God what belongs to God. And, there is the rub, we know that all things belong to God.

But why would Jesus tell them to pay taxes? There is a scene from the Monte Python movie, “Life of Brian” where the people are complaining about taxes – after all what have the Romans done for them? Just the aqueducts, sanitation, roads, education, the wine, public health, and public order so that it’s safe to walk the streets. In a humorous way, this scene reminds us of our public life. We owe a lot to the government who creates a structure for our lives.

And yet, we owe more to God, who has given us our ability to work and our lives and our breaths. What do we give back?

How much time do we spend in prayer, in reading scripture, in meditating? How much time do we spend in caring for people and the world around us?

Old Testament Lesson
Last week’s Exodus reading was the famous idolatry episode where the people gave over all the gold they brought out of Egypt and made a golden calf. This week, Moses is back on the mountain talking with God. At this point in our history, the people are known as Hebrews. Some people think this comes from “Habiru” which was a class of workers and wanderers. They will wander for a while longer until they have been in the desert for forty years and formed into a people. Their wandering has brought them at this time to a sacred mountain, Mount Sinai, and here they confront the mystery of God.

Moses is waiting for instructions of how to get these people to a place where they can settle and become a nation. And now, because of the actions of the people with the Golden Calf, God has told Moses that God will stay on the mountain and send an angel to guide them to the land that he had given to Abraham.

The most amazing thing happens. Moses talks and bargains with God saying that these are God’s people. And God’s mind changes. God agrees to accompany the people to the land.

And, then, God reveals three things that are as important to us today as they were to Moses.

First, God warns Moses that although God will come with them – and be their God, God is completely free to be merciful to whomever God chooses to be merciful. This means that we do not control God. As one of my seminary professors would say — God is more than just your God.

You have knowledge of who you are and what is expected of you. God will take care of everyone and all of creation. Stand firm in your faith while showing kindness and respect to those who believe differently from you. We may be surprised in the end by whom God has shown mercy.

Second, NO ONE, not Moses or you or me, not even the most holy and righteous of people can see God’s face. Actually, I’m not even sure what that means since God is spirit, not human. I take it to mean the fullness of God. In meditating on this verse this week, I had a mental image of something undoubtedly from a movie, perhaps one of the recent vampire movies where someone was destroyed by sunlight. The light was so powerful as to burn away the person’s clothing and flesh, blowing them away and reducing the person to ash. This would be incredibly frightening, to imagine that God’s power would destroy us if we truly saw God. until we remember that God protected Moses and protects us as well.

Third, Moses saw the back of God — he could see something about where God had been. We, too, can see the presence of where God has been in this world. Wherever there is love and hope, creativity and joy, we know God has been there.

Conclusion
Let us look at how we live and determine if the priorities we see there are the ones we truly value. It is sometimes hard to remember that my relationship with God is more important than my comfort — air conditioning in the heat, a car that runs, connections by phone, email and texting to those I treasure, or than the money that allows this comfort. But this relationship with God is the one that is eternal.

Moses had to go to Mount Sinai and convince God to come with the people. Today, because Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us, God accompanies us. We have comfort and security — and hope – because God is with us. All that we are and all that we have come from God.
Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, October 16, 2011,
the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

First Reading Exodus 33:12-23
12Moses said to the LORD, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. 16For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.”
17The LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” 19And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” 21And the LORD continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

Psalm Psalm 99:1-9
1 The LORD is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name. Holy is he! 4 Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Extol the LORD our God; worship at his footstool. Holy is he!
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They cried to the LORD, and he answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his decrees, and the statutes that he gave them.
8 O LORD our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9 Extol the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy.

Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
2We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
Gospel Matthew 22:15-22
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16So 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. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?“ 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” 21They 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.” 22When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.