Seeing the back of God
Gate Pa – October 19th, 2014
(Pentecost 19, 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time)
Readings:
Psalm 99
First Reading:
Exodus 33:12-23
Second Reading: 1
Thess 1:1-10
Gospel: Matthew 22: 15-22
What I want to say:
I want to use the Exodus reading to ask, what does the back
of God look like? Moses was most concerned about how to be a distinctive
people. How does our seeing the back of God help us be distinctive? And using
the gospel reading, how to we as people who are shaped by the back of God live
in such a way that all creation and all that is in it is honoured and treated
as God’s?
What I want to
happen:
People to reflect on how our seeing
the back of God helps us be distinctive? And how we as people shaped by the
back of God live in such a way that all creation and all that is in it is
honoured and treated as God’s?
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Old
Testament and gospel readings are both well known
kind of
stories don’t really need listen to or think about
we know
what they are about
Story of
Moses
one level beautiful story
touches some our deepest
insecurities, longings
well, some peoples
insecurities/longings
ones I
hear as spiritual director
not enough
to be known by God
even in our deepest levels
that’s what knowing name is all
about
(that can be a little freaky)
want, need
to know God
essence
of God as encapsulated in name God
want to be
certain of God
see, hear
God for ourselves
that’s all
Moses wanted
to know God
the essence of God
to be certain of God
In this
way he thought – Hebrew people could become a distinct people
different
from every other people
as their
God was different from all other gods.
wonder how
many here want that?
to know God
the essence of God
to be certain of God
we might be a distinctive people
Moses was
told that he could not
know name God more than he did
I am who I am
I am who I was
I am who I will be
tense
of verb hard nail
kind
of like God really
not see
glory God
-too much
- God is inherently mystery and uncertainty
that is what makes God different
from all other gods
instead covered
in rock as God passed by
he sees
back of God
so much
debate about what that means
actual back
sense presence?
qualities of God abounding where
God has been
what is
back of God for us?
We are
offered Jesus,
who was one of us
yet God Incarnate
reminding
us who we are as people made in image of God
reminding
us what it means to live as people made in the image of God
abounding
with the qualities Jesus lived by.
Jesus is
back of God
and as
people who live with those qualities
in a way
we become the back of God for people of this time?
where
do we see the back of God around us?
how
are we the back of God?
how
does that helps us be distinctive as Moses hoped it would help the Hebrew
people be distinctive?
2. Jesus, the Pharisee and the Herodian.
Jesus was
in the temple
teaching
He had
re-entered Jerusalem the day before and immediately threw out the money changers
He was
back,
teaching
offering
his easy yoke
Temple
leadership – chief priests and elders asked by what authority he did these
things
overturning tables and causing
chaos and hardship for money changers
teaching his yoke?
whose Rabbi’s yoke was it
anyway?
Jesus asks
them question they refuse to answer
and tells
stories of two sons, bad tenants and the absent landowner
and
wedding feast where those should know better didn’t attend – to their cost
and
those not expect to be invited suddenly were on guest list
all too
much
something
needed to be done
so some Jerusalem
leadership –
normally
have nothing to do with each other
these
were extraordinary times
Pharisees
and Herodians
cooked up
really good question
"Teacher,
we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to
popular opinion, and don't pander to your students. 17 So tell
us honestly: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
Nasty
full of
false flattery
unanswerable
question
kind
question never ask –
Some might
wonder by whose law are they talking
Roman law
is very clear – don’t even think about not paying
But Torah
– law of Moses??
is
this bound or loosed by the Law
what
does your yoke say about this Jesus?
if say no
– well Romans will be all over you –
their Herodian lackeys make sure
of that
if say yes
landless
populace driven off land because debts accrued paying tax will lose faith in
you – Roman puppet
win win
for askers
loose
loose for Jesus
3. The Answer
Jesus asks
calmly for a coin
who is wealthy
enough to be carrying around Roman coins?
wealthy
Pharisees and Herodians
people
complicit in the oppressive Roman economy
that’s
who
and whose
image is on it?
Caesar Tiberius
Jesus then
says
"Then give Caesar what is his, and give
God what is Gods."
sounds so
straight forward
over
centuries used by Christians and wealthy and leaders say
church
stays out state affairs
not place
economics
just
concerned with spiritual stuff.
Heard
those comments by a current minister crown in regard to Anglican churches
statements about Treaty Waitangi
on
face it – seems fair enough
so what is
Caesars and what is Gods?
4. O Wait
just two
tiny problems
and can
anyone tell me the first two commandments?
no
other God but me?
not
make any idols?
if I had a
roman coin
quite dodgy
what does it say under the
image?
"Tiberius,
Emperor, son of God."
Where are
we? - Temple?
5. What is Gods?
one other
little problem
what
happens if I turn Jesus answer around
give to God what is God’s
give to Caesar what is Caesars?
what is
God’s
(everything!!!)
and what
is Caesars?
(nothing???!!!)
as an
aside every Jew who heard Jesus answer understood this
no roman
would have
so how
does that change you answers from before?
how does that
change help us be back of God?
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