What is the hardest thing for you to do or not to do as a Christian? Maybe it is to love your enemies, or to be my witnesses, or to pray without ceasing, or to be quick to listen. Let me suggest that the hardest thing might be to be still. On this Reformation Sunday we are reminded that the very centre of our faith is to be still. Be still and know that I am God … Come and see what the Lord has done. To help us to do this we will unpack these four points.
1. Don’t look at Yourself.
2. Look at the Lord and get to know the Lord.
3. Look at the Lord and what the Lord has done for you.
4. Look at the Lord and “Thank, Praise, Serve and Obey Him.”
Tax can be a tricky issue. And debates around tax have been going for millennia. In Jesus’ day, the big question was around whether or not the Tribute tax to Caesar should be paid. In today’s message, we hear how two groups who are diametrically opposed to each other join forces to attempt to trap Jesus on this issue. And with the crowds gathering around him to hear how he responds, we come to see how Jesus is masterful under pressure. His response is not only one that knocks away his opponents but is full of instructions for how we are to live out our faith today and pay tribute to the only person who can give us all we need.
Today’s gospel is based on the story Jesus told in the Temple in the presence of the Pharisees and the Chief Priests. It was not long after he had entered Jerusalem in humble triumph on a donkey before upturning the tables of the money changers and traders in the temple court. Then he told stories. In our Gospel readings for the past month we’ve listened to a number of these provocative parables - the disrespectful older son, the entitled workers in the vineyard, the murderous tenants. The stories hit home. Matthew points out that Jesus knew the Pharisees and teachers of the Law were looking for a way to arrest him. Today we reflect on the story of the Wedding Feast. It’s a well-known and well-loved story. We delight in being invited to a wedding. However, Jesus finished his storytelling with a hint at its deeper intent by saying somewhat mysteriously “For many are invited, but few are chosen” Maybe things are not as simple as they seem.
Today we hear the Apostle Paul say –‘I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. Paul mentions previously that if anyone had reason for placing confidence in the flesh he had more and he lists an impressive list of attributes such as his family origins, ethnic status, religious order (he was a Pharisee) and his good works. Yet he now considers them worthless in comparison to knowing Jesus.
In the business of our lives, there are many things that vie for our attention and these can become more of a focus than our spiritual life. It is also possible for these things to be where we place our confidence. Jesus said in John 10.10 that he came that we might have life and have life more abundantly. That is here and now. By taking the time to ask where we place our confidence and refocussing our lives, this could lead to having a closer relationship with God and a more abundant life.
Unfortunately due to a technical issue, there is no audio recording of this sermon.
Today we hear the parable of the Two Sons. One shirked his father’s request to do chores, but later changed his mind and did the work. The other, keen to be seen to please his father on the outside by his response, but secretly despising his father’s request, later skulked away without doing the work. Jesus finishes the story with a question: Which of the two did as his father wanted? Clearly the answer to Jesus’ question points to the son who eventually changed his mind and went to work. His initial refusal would have been a great offence, maybe even a slap in the face of a father who was the son’s provider. But deep down he had a change of heart and mind. The family of God is made up of all kinds of people. Its easy to think the scallywags among us don’t belong to a communion of saints. Jesus broke down this common perception. He demonstrated in word and deed the broad and radical extent of God’s love for all. If anything can create a change of heart and mind in us, it is divine love.
It’s just not fair, a phrase which I would be very surprised if you all hadn’t used. Probably from kindergarten or before. In life we would like things to be fair, but they aren’t fair very often. Our parable today has some workers complaining bitterly about their wages not being fair. But God isn’t fair. He allowed His only son to be humiliated, beaten and crucified. But grace isn’t fair, life isn’t about deserving, that is what makes grace so amazing.
NOTE: The video sermon is presented by Kathryn Schulze (Lay Reader), and the audio sermon is presented by Mark Rathjen (Chaplain, Concordia St John's Campus)
‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself’ Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome. Reconciliation is always hard—often the journey is divisive, painful and lengthy. Think Russians and Ukrainians, Israelis and Palestinians. Think Australia. Where do we see the face of God showing us the way? Today we work through three case studies. Isaac and Rebecca had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Family life was an ongoing struggle—Esau a hairy chested outdoor hunter was dad’s boy. Jacob doted on by his mother. When Esau discovered Jacob had cheated him of what was rightfully his he was furious, ‘After our father dies I will kill Jacob’ he muttered. John Schwerdt shares a family story of reconciliation. And the third case study?
“I owe, I owe, it’s off to work I go.” Is that how you feel? You might have a mortgage, a car loan, or a credit card debt. None of us like the feeling of being beholden to a bank. We long to be free of debt. Today Paul talks about a debt that we owe one another. It’s the debt of loving one another. This debt comes about because of the gratitude we owe our Father in heaven for cancelling the debt of our sin at the cost of his Son Jesus’ life. Filled with God’s Spirit and his grace, we are full of love, which is to be shared with others, starting with the Christian community. Jesus gives us practical advice about how to show love in the face of conflict. It’s not easy, but God’s love has the power to cover a multitude of sins, and we have the privilege of being agents of this love.
Have you ever received a letter from a loved one? They can be a great way to keep in touch with what's happening as well as reading about the love others have for you. St Paul wrote many letters to people around the Mediterranean region. He writes about love in action - with family, among other Christians and through hospitality towards others, especially strangers. Today, on Father's Day, we recognise the changing role of fathers in society and celebrate the love that fathers can share with their children across different family situations.