Stewardship - A Sermon for Sunday October 1 2023

GOSPEL: Matthew 21:23-32 *First Nations Translation

The holy gospel according to Matthew.

Glory to you, O Lord.

After driving the moneychangers out of the temple (21:12), Jesus begins teaching there. His authority is questioned by the religious leaders, who are supposed to be in charge of the temple.

When Creator Sets Free (Jesus) arrived at the lodge (the Temple in Jerusalem), the holy men were waiting for him. They and the ruling elders of the people came to him. “By what right do you do this things?” They challenged him. “Who gave you this right?” “First you must answer one question from me,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) challenged them back, “and then I will tell you what gives me the right. The purification ceremony performed by Gift of Goodwill (John), was it from the spirit-world above, or did it come from human beings?” They pit their heads together and talked it over. “If we say it is from the spirit-world above, he will say to us “Why then did not believe him? But if we say it is from human beings, we fear what this crowd would do, for sure Gift of Goodwill (John) was a prophet.” So they answered him “We do not know.” “So then ,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to them “neither will I tell you what gives me the right to do these things.”

“How do you see it?” He asked them. “A man with two sons came to one of his sons and said “Son, will you work in my vineyard today?” At first the son told him “No”, but later changed his mind and went to work. “Then the man went to his other son and asked the same. He told his father “Yes, I will,” but never went.” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked right at the Spiritual Leaders and asked “Which of the two sons did what his Father wanted?” They said to him, “The first one.” “I speak truth from my heart,” he said to them, “tribal tax collectors and those who sell sexual favours will find their way onto Creator’s good road ahead of you.” Gift of Goodwill (John) came to show the way, but you refused to hear him. You saw how the tribal tax collectors and those who sell sexual favours put their trust in him, but not even this changed your mind to believe him.

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ

Have you ever wondered

why we do some of the things that we do in Church?

Why we might bow at the altar?

Why mark yourself with the sign of the cross?

Why we can’t seem to leave

until we’ve shaken the pastor’s hand?

There are many things that we do each week in worship

that hold great significance,

like Holy Communion,

or sharing the peace.

But there are some things we do because

“that’s what we’ve always done it.”

I heard a story once about a congregation in rural Alberta.

A pastor was visiting them,

and was going to preach for them

for a couple weeks in a row.

Half-way through the service,

without any prompting or anything,

everyone stood up.

The people on the left side,

moved to the right.

The people on the right side

moved to the left.

A little odd, the preacher thought.

This congregation did this every Sunday.

So the pastor asked around,

and the first few people

had no idea why they switched sides.

Finally, the preacher asked a long-time member.

When the building was first built,

there was a wood stove

that heated the church building -

well, almost heated the building.

One side of the sanctuary would be warm,

the other side would be cold.

So, this congregation would change seats

halfway though the service

so that everyone would have a chance

to sit on the warm side of the sanctuary.

It was sweet and kind - it was self giving.

Years later,

with updated forced-air heating,

there was no need for everyone to change seats

halfway through the service anymore,

but they just kept on doing it

because that’s what they’ve always done.

But it was not exactly sweet and kind for those with reduced mobility.

It needed to change.

As a community of faith,

we too need to ask ourselves regularly

why do we do the things that we do.

How do we need to change?

If people of faith didn’t ask “Why do we do this?”,

we might still have a church

with men on one side and women on the other,

or swastikas on a banner,

or children who aren’t allowed Communion,

or a long list of others.

We heard about Jesus teaching in the temple

and having his authority questioned.

This particular event happens the day after

what we we recognize as Palm Sunday.

Jesus enters into Jerusalem triumphantly

to the children’s song - Hosanna!

a counter-parade to Pilate’s grand entrance.

Upon entering the temple,

Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers,

overturned the seats of those who sold doves,

and Jesus drove all those selling and buying

out of the temple.

It does not endear Jesus to the religious elite.

Jesus declares to them, “It is written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’;
    but you are making it a den of robbers.”

We’re not talking about a congregation like ours

selling garlic

or having a youth bake sale fundraiser.

We are talking about a flawed economic system

based on the roots of the Jewish religious cult

that was in turn oppressing people,

particularly the poor.

On the one hand, this system of trade -

money changers and dove sellers,

was legitimate and necessary for pilgrims

who would not have had enough money,

nor in the correct denomination,

to participate in the religious temple worship.

For just a small fee -

foreign currency buys you doves for sacrifice.

Plus, this money-changing system,

helped the Roman Empire get paid taxes

from everyone over 20 years old.

Jesus attacks - overturns if you will -

this economic practice.

Jesus found a creative and memorable way

of engaging people in that question

“why do we do the things that we do?”

for the good of all God’s people.

For Jesus,

It is not just about participating in temple worship,

but HOW you participate, and WHY.

Perhaps it is not a stretch to ask ourselves

the same kind of questions today -

how do we participate in our faith,

in our worship, in church -

and why do we participate in our faith,

in worship, in church.

Do we do church for the lesser trinity of me, myself and I?

Do we do church for the good of the poor,

outcast, widow and alien?

Do we do church for Advent to survive? Or prosper?

or do we do church for the good of those

outside our walls?

Are we like the brother who changes his mind

and gets to work,

or are we like the brother who says or believes one thing

while doing nothing?

One big word we use when we talk about this

is stewardship.

We are freed in Christ to love and serve our neighbours,

and we are invited to respond to God’s grace

by being good stewards

of all the good gifts God has given us.

We steward - we care for - creation,

we steward time, talents, treasures.

While stewardship is a response to God’s love

through our financial contributions,

it is also something that we do with our whole lives.

But have we stopped to ask ourselves that big question

“Why do we do the things that we do”

when it comes to our stewardship?

John Indermark, United Church of Christ minister,

wrote an article called

“The Starting Point of Stewardship”

He identified 4 options for why people like you and I

might engage in stewardship.

Perhaps you’ll find yourself in one of these categories.

Option A:  Stewardship as Investment -

you give because you believe that

God will bless you if you do.

Consequently, you give out of guilt -

like it is something that you have to do.   

This option is not the best because

it is rather demanding of God.

What happens if you hit a financial snag

and can’t afford to give your whole tithe for a while?

Does that mean God stops blessing you?

I hope not.

Option B:  Stewardship as Crisis Management -

this is giving to the church

because the church needs a new roof,

or to pave the parking lot,

or whatever…..

We do this all the time.

We provide financial updates,

and when funds get low,

we ask for help.

But this isn’t enough.

What happens when all the bills are paid?

Is there any motivation to give for next year,

or to perhaps bless people outside our 

community of faith?

I don’t think we can handle coming up with

a new crisis each month.

Option C:  Stewardship as Obligation -

It’s like saying “It is your duty to give to the church.”

Now, it is a very good thing,

and spiritually rewarding as well,

to have a discipline of giving.

Biblical examples of giving a tithe;

giving of your first fruits are excellent examples,

and worthy of doing.

But giving, tithing cannot be expected nor imposed.

What would this community of faith look like

if you were denied Communion

unless you give enough?

Remember that Christ has set us free from

this kind of obligation.

So what does that leave?

Option D:  Stewardship as An Act of Faith -

stewardship is an act of our love

taking form in a tangible way.

Giving as an act of faith is another way of saying

“thank you” to God

with our time,

and our talents,

and our treasures.

We do not give to God in order to earn favour to God,

but rather we give generously back to God

because God already looks upon us

with generous favour.

This way of living,

this generous giving, generous living,

is a way of life that does not end

after the offering is collected,

but it continues

through the weeks and months and years

as we use what God has given us

to bless the world,

particularly the poor,

the outcast,

and the oppressed.

The next day, after Jesus tossed the temple tables,

the temple leaders questioned Jesus’ authority.

“What gives you the right?!?!?!”

It’s another way of saying

“No one messes with the Roman economic system

and gets away with it.”

I guess you could say that not much has changed.

We still question Jesus’ authority,

we question if Jesus’ ways make a difference.

And we do so while we have socio-economic systems

that are causing a greater disparity

between the rich and the poor.

Today’s systems see

the middle class disappearing,

debt on the rise,

and so is the cost of food

and fuel and housing -

even Netflix is getting too expensive!

And if you try and combat this system,

you’re labelled a communist or socialist

or anarchist or terrorist,

or some other kind of ist…

The truth is today’s system is just like 2000 years ago,

designed to keep those with power in power,

designed to keep wealthy those with wealth.

We are learning more and more about this system

as we listen to Indigenous neighbours.

Change is hard. Change is slow.

We might not want to bother.

But what we do with our money is very important.

Living with Jesus as our highest authority is very important,

and life giving.

We display our values,

we show what really matters to us

with our calendars and our Visa bill:

by how we spend our time and our money.

If you’re spending more time at work than you’re paid for

- you’re saying that’s what matters.

The friends you keep,

the activities you engage in.,

the kind of vehicle in your driveway,

the kinds of clothes on your body,

the kind of food on your table -

all are ways of telling the world,

telling yourself,

telling God

what matters to you.

Paul invites us to emulate Jesus.

we heard it in the second reading.

Remember that when we ask that question

“what would Jesus do”

one option could be tossing the tables

of the money changers!

Maybe we too are called to take that leap of faith,

and use our gifts in ways that will,

one person at a time,

make a difference in this world.

In baptism, we are called to seek for justice and peace,

to stand up to oppression and intolerance,

and to do so trusting in the Holy Spirit

to lead and guide and strengthen us.

We do not steward God’s gifts alone.

God enables us to be good stewards

of God’s good creation.

God enables us to live generously -

to live generously as an act of faith,

to make a difference in the world

with our words,

with our footsteps,

with our calendars

and visa bills.

So why do you do the things that you do?

May we be thankful for God’s good creation

that we are entrusted to steward.

May Jesus toss the tables in our hearts and minds

that need upturning.

May God’s Spirit drive us to be good stewards

of all God has given us.

Thanks be to God. Amen