Matthew 22:18-22

“They 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.’” vs. 21

Just when the Pharisees thought their “gotcha” was going to work, Jesus turned the tables on them again. His response to their question was brilliant, and they could do nothing but creep away shaking their heads. Later, as they reconvened they may have wondered what his enigmatic statement meant. The words imply a simple division of allegiances: give to the emperor the things of the emperor and to God the things of God. 

We don’t know if the Pharisees ever figured out what Jesus meant. But believers long ago figured out that the second part of his statement raises an important question. Just what are the things that are God’s? To put it in another way, is there anything that does not belong to God? While answers to that question can vary, people of faith will be bound to answer that all they are and all that they have belongs to God, and there are no exceptions. 

Since that’s the only possible answer for the faithful, it’s stunning to observe how many believers act as though everything that they have belongs to them and them alone. They resist taxes and avoid contributions, as though one day they are going to be judged by how much they have amassed in their financial portfolios. It’s as though they have never learned what it means to be a good and faithful steward.

Thought for the Day: What is the basis of my stewardship?

Matthew 22:15-17

“Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” vs. 17

The Pharisees and the Herodians were likely quite pleased with themselves. Ever since Jesus had started teaching on the Temple Mount his parables had honed in on them and left them on the defensive, and they were tired of it. As they schemed together they came up with a “gotcha” question. These are the seemingly innocuous questions that are asked of witnesses, either at a trial or at a congressional hearing, that are designed to trick a person into giving a self-incriminating answer. When well designed they can be extremely effective, the turning point in a courtroom drama.

For Jesus they chose a question related to taxes, a topic that has stirred passions for millenia. They were wanting a “yes” or a “no” answer, with a “yes” infuriating the people, and a “no” being offensive to the emperor. Their question had political ramifications and they wanted Jesus to declare himself. Whose side was he on?

We know a lot about these kinds of situations in the current political situation. The country is polarized and some people like nothing better than to suck us into “gotcha” situations. They want us to declare ourselves, and if we do, they’re ready to attack. But it’s all a trap and a kind of power struggle and if we get sucked in, there’s no good way to get out.

It’s important to have political convictions, but seldom are they worth more than a good friend.

Thought for the Day: How do I deal with political issues?

1 Thessalonians 1:6-10

“And 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, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” vss. 6-7

During his ministry in Macedonia Paul and his companions knew that they were being watched carefully, not only by their opponents but by those who had come to believe in their message. At this time there was no accepted protocol for being a follower of Jesus, and Paul had been heavily dependent on the direction he was receiving from the Holy Spirit. So to get an idea about how to live as a Christian, believers simply imitated Paul, and it seemed to work pretty well. Not only did they learn how to deal with persecution, but they learned to lean on the Holy Spirit in their daily living.

Imitation continues to be the most effective way to begin walking in the footsteps of Jesus. In fact it’s probably even better than reading the bible or studying scripture. Somehow as we watch another person on the journey, their habits become our habits, and we actually become the presence of Christ. And sometimes we will even become examples of faithfulness for other believers. That’s why it’s so important for us to always remember that we are on display to those around us. People are watching whether we want them to or not–and for better or worse, they will always be learning!

Thought for the Day: Who is watching me?

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

“We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” vss. 2-3

So far as we know this is the first line of Paul’s first letter to any of the congregations that he had ever visited. It’s touching that the first thing he says is that he is praying for each of them by name. What an example! Paul knew that there was nothing more important than lifting up the names of his loving and faithful friends, and remembering them before God.

Many believers continue that same practice in their lives. We often will say to others that we will pray for them, or assure hurting folks that they are in our prayers. But what a blessing it is when we actually do this! Some people have hundreds in their prayer lists and they go through that list every single day, whether it’s written on a sheet of paper or etched in their memories. 

And it makes a difference! We can’t prove that there is some measurable linkage between us and those for whom we pray, and perhaps there isn’t such a thing, but our prayers reflect our conviction that we are not alone in this world. Life itself is communal and we are connected to one another in a multitude of ways. Our prayers are a connecting point, and serve to keep our loved ones close. 

Thought for the Day: Who was on my very first prayer list?

Psalm 96:1-9

“For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” vss. 4-5

The psalmist was aware of all the other gods that were worshipped in his area of the world, every city had a multitude of temples, and hundreds of priests. But the psalmist knew that this was all just a show–all these gods had been crafted from stone or wood, and their priests made a good living off all the offerings brought by the people.

The Lord didn’t live in a temple made by human hands. The Lord had brought the entire universe into existence and had breathed life into all living things. No wonder there were priests and Levites in the temple day and night offering praise and thanksgiving on behalf of all the people. There was no place in the heavens or on the earth where God was not.

We continue to worship the Lord of the universe, and now, with our advanced knowledge of its age and composition, our awe is only increasing. Our God is greater than can even be imagined, and the more we know, the greater is our adoration of God’s presence. No wonder we keep on singing hymns and songs and gathering for worship. Awesome is not a word to be used lightly or superficially, but surely we will have to confess that the Lord our God is an Awesome God!

Thought for the Day: What words do I use to describe God?

Isaiah 45:5-7

“I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe; I the Lord do all these things.” vs. 7

This prophet has already said that Cyrus, the Persian king, was God’s anointed, the one chosen by God to let the exiles return from exile and rebuild Jerusalem’s temple and walls. Now he goes a step further and says that the Lord forms light and creates darkness.  And then he even adds that the Lord makes weal (a state of being good or happy) and creates woe. This is mind-blowing stuff!

We regularly attribute good to God. It’s no stretch to say that the Lord is the source of all good. But Isaiah is saying that all things have their origin in God, including darkness and woe. There’s no dualism here. This is a strictly monotheistic view of the universe. All things have their origin in God. While this may sound strange to us, it is actually quite comforting. We don’t live in a world where good and evil forces are fighting to have their way with us. Everything is of God, and all things are connected. Light and darkness are dependent on each other, and they are always going to be a part of our existence. In the same way, weal and woe are partners in our experience of life. 

If things were always good we wouldn’t even know it! We don’t have any idea of what good is unless we have brushed up against woe, and vice versa. That’s why people of faith give thanks to God for everything, everyday!

Thought for the Day: How can woe be a blessing?

Isaiah 45:1-4

“Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their robes,to open doors before him—and the gates shall not be closed:” vs. 1 

In one of the most fascinating passages in the book of Isaiah the Persian king, Cyrus, is  named as the Lord’s messiah, his anointed one. Obviously Cyrus is not Jewish, but he was the ruler who conquered Babylon and who graciously allowed the exiled Jews to return to their land. Because of his great act of mercy the prophet believes that he was God’s instrument in setting the captives free.

This is a huge shift in understanding on the part of the Jews. They now realized and celebrated that God could use any nation to accomplish the divine plan. Even though Cyrus was not a believer in any sense of the word, the Lord had chosen him as the deliverer of Israel. With his specific permission, Ezra and Nehemiah were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls and the temple.

This wasn’t the first time God had used foreigners for the good of the people of Israel, and it’s certainly not been the last.  All people can be used by God for good. Some of us have had that experience with non-Christians in our communities. Maybe we’ve even been surprised by non-believers in our neighborhood who turn out to be kinder than folks in our congregations. It’s important to remember that some atheists are actually God’s choice servants.

Thought for the Day: Why would God use atheists as servants?

Matthew 22:11-14

“Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

The allegory of the wedding banquet comes to a joyous and happy conclusion with the  news that the hall was completely filled with newly invited guests, both good and bad. But somewhere along the line as the gospel of Mattew was edited in the early days of the church, a little parable was added describing the unhappy ouster of the guest without a wedding garment.

This is obviously not a message to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day but to the first century Christian community, especially in those parts of the Church where people were reveling in the good news that everyone was included, that there was no distinction between the good and the bad. We see from Paul’s letters how people reacted to the death of the Law and the new life of forgiveness and mercy that was theirs in Christ Jesus. 

Some had concluded that they might as well continue in sin so that grace might abound, and Paul was incensed. We can imagine him using this parable in his congregations and saying that the robe of righteousness was required at the banquet. Even though the garment was free for the good and the bad, it was not optional! The kingdom of heaven was not the land of “anything goes!”

Thought for the Day: How shall we treat those who turn their backs on grace?

Matthew 22:1-10

“Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.” vs. 10

Typically a parable is a metaphor or a story with one main point, and Jesus used them regularly in the course of his teaching ministry. Sometimes the meaning was apparent and at other times, even the disciples had trouble figuring them out. In Matthew’s gospel, after the cleansing of the temple, Jesus spent each day teaching in the temple precincts. Frequently his audience included a number of the priests and scribes, and Jesus wasn’t pulling any punches. He told some allegorical parables that were directed at his opponents and they knew it. Deeply offended they began to look for ways to trap him in his words. So he told yet another allegory about the kingdom of heaven, comparing it to a king who had prepared a wedding banquet for his son. His point is clear. The religious legalists had missed out; they had killed the prophets of old! Now the invitation is sent to the street people, both good and bad, and the wedding hall is filled. Insiders miss out, and the outsiders are seated at the banqueting table. 

Later interpreters used this parable to describe the Church. Those who were gathered by the Spirit were both good and bad, sinners and righteous, and each week they sat down to eat and drink together. Theirs was the kingdom of heaven.

Thought for the Day: Why did Christians get so fussy about who could eat and drink?

Philippians 4:7-9

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” vs. 8

As the election season stumbles into its final week in the midst of a remarkable run of slanderous, misleading, and lying campaign commercials and mailings, the anonymous billionaire influencers are getting ready to double and triple their contributions. That additional money will allow candidates to pull out all the stops as they increase their mindnumbing ads. All this nonsense only fuels the division that is growing and even threatening to tear us apart.

In the midst of all the turmoil some believers have discovered that this spirit of acrimony is even affecting their families and friendships. Even congregations have been divided by friction among their members. Many have decided that the words of Paul to the Philippians give them direction in their conversation and reflections. Read them again, “whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Those who take those words seriously, and who have maybe even made them their mantra in these troubled times have discovered that they are a way to preserve precious relationships. This doesn’t mean abandoning principles or positions, it simply means that there are more important things in life than being right in a political argument.

Thought for the Day:  How have political divisions affected me?