Sunday, October 8, 2023

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Isaiah 5:1-7
Psalm 80:7-19
Philippians 3:4b-14
Matthew 21:33-46

Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

When we lived in England, I did much of our produce shopping at the markets in the town squares of villages near where we lived. Each town had their market on a different day of the week, and most of the towns were very close together. I could find very fresh produce on a daily basis. The sellers at the markets also offered some strange but wonderful choices. I first learned about broccoflower in England. Broccoflower is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower with its flavor falling somewhere between the two. It is delicious.

We were back in the United States for several years before we were able to find these vegetables in our grocery stores. They may have been available, but I never saw them. One day I was in one of my favorite grocery stores, just peering over the produce when I discovered a head of broccoflower. I excitedly cooked it for my family who delighted in eating this vegetable that we had come to enjoy. These strange and wonderful vegetables are still hard to find, but I can find them occasionally.

I once stopped by a store that is known for carrying uncommon produce. I was amazed by the variety of fruits and vegetables. I’m used to seeing one type of radish, maybe two. This store had at least seven varieties, including purple! There were five or six types of carrots, one of which was red. The choices of apples, oranges, potatoes, onions, and grapes were so diverse that it was hard to choose. They also had fruits and vegetables I’d never seen before, imported perhaps from exotic places. I’m not terribly adventurous, but I did buy a few things I would never have found in my local grocery store. I probably need to go out of my way to stores like that more often.

It used to be that a grape is a grape is a grape, but now you can choose from a dozen different varieties. Champagne grapes are so tiny that it is hard to imagine how you could eat them. They are smaller than peas but grow in bunches just like regular grapes. There are grapes that don’t even taste like grapes, including one that tastes like cotton candy! Wine producers have long worked with their vines to develop special grapes to create new and different wines. Each grape gives a unique quality to the wine, and combining grapes can make fantastic flavors.

People have been grafting grape vines for a long time, even in the days of Isaiah. The vineyard keeper carefully planted the vines hoping to get an excellent crop to make fine wine for drinking. But in today’s passage we hear that the vineyard brought forth wild grapes. We are reminded by this lesson that we can try to control the circumstances in which we live, but we never know what might grow in our vineyard. I imagine the botanists who developed broccoflower and broccolini probably had some failures along the way.

We have all seen the comedic scene of a substitute teacher trying to take over a class in the absence of the regular teacher. Sit-coms and movies tend to make this a scene of chaos where the substitute has no power to control the students. Their job is often described as one who keeps the children from killing one another or getting harmed in any way. I don’t think most classrooms react so violently and hilariously to a substitute teacher as we see in sit-coms and movies. Yet, there are certainly issues when a teacher is absent. There is often no expectation of teaching or learning when a substitute is in the room; the lesson plan for the day often includes busy work or activities. The substitute teacher is little more than a babysitter, offering merely a presence in a room full of kids when the regular teacher is out.

It is a shame because many substitute teachers are highly trained and capable teachers. Many of them have chosen to work as a substitute because there is more flexibility in time and experiences. They are not incompetent people. They are bright and talented, possibly great teachers whose circumstances have them dealing with diverse and often difficult situations. The trouble is that substitute teachers have little or no authority. Misbehavior can be dealt with by administrators and the regular teacher, but there is rarely a sense of urgency. School authorities know that even the best students will find ways to take advantage of the upheaval in the classroom, so misbehavior with a substitute is addressed differently than the usual infractions on a daily basis.

How can a person really accomplish anything if they have no recognized authority? In last week’s Gospel lesson, we heard the leaders of the temple ask Jesus about His own authority. They did not believe He had the authority to do or say the things He was doing and saying. Jesus was shaking up their world and threatening their position. They needed to find a way to stop Him. He refused to give them the answer they sought and caused them to look at their own obedience to God.

Today’s story goes a little further. Jesus describes a landowner (God) who built a vineyard (Israel) and left the vineyard under the care of tenants (the chief priests and elders). When the landowner came to take possession of the fruit that was rightly his, the tenants killed the servants (the prophets of God). More servants were sent and killed. Then the landowner sent his son (Christ) because He thought the tenants would recognize his authority. They did not give the son the respect due and even killed him, hoping to gain possession of the inheritance.

The chief priests and elders were much like the students in a classroom, refusing to recognize the authority of Jesus. They didn’t recognize the authority of the prophets sent before Him and their self-centeredness and greed led to the same end of all God’s servants: death. Did the tenants (the chief priests and elders) really think that the landowner (God) would leave them to their scheming and violence? Though the story has a sad ending, there is hope. With God there is always hope.

Isaiah shows us that God is the vineyard owner and Israel was like those wild grapes, growing up in the midst of the vineyard that the Lord has planted. We are just like them. We fail. We sin. We go our own way. Despite all that God has done for us, we want to be in control of the world in which we live. In doing so, we often make the wrong choices. Isaiah does not seem to leave us much hope, as God swore to repay His wayward people with justice. Yet, this is not the end of the story. There is hope because the promises of God reach far beyond our failing. For every curse there is a promise and God is faithful.

After telling the parable of the tenants, Jesus addressed the reality of the religious life in Israel in His day. They didn’t see the God who was right in front of their eyes. He quoted Psalm 118.

There is a story that occasionally circulates about Psalm 118. It goes something like this. “Did you know that: Psalm 118 is the middle chapter of the entire Bible? Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible? The Bible has 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after Psalm 118? If you add up all the chapters except Psalm 118, you get a total of 1188 chapters. Psalm 118 verse 8 (1188) is the middle verse of the entire Bible? Should the central verse not have a fairly important message? ‘It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.’ - Psalm 118:8. Is this central verse not also the central theme of the entire Bible?”

A little research on the Internet finds that there are those who disagree with the numbers in this email and its conclusion. Ironically, this sequence requires trusting in a construct of man: the numbering of the verses and chapters in the Bible! The original books and letters were not numbered. The numbering is not the same in all editions of the scriptures. The Hebrew Bible is numbered much differently, and certain Christian translations have changed the numbering. Though different from what we have today, early manuscripts even before the Council of Nicaea had some divisions of text. Versification was a convenience created to help make reading and studying the scriptures easier. It helps when several people are discussing the texts, so that they are on the same page (or in the same verse). It is helpful for us to know exactly where something can be found in the midst of the entire book. When a teacher says turn to Psalm 118:8, it is easier for a group to find that place, especially if they have different Bibles with different page numbers.

However, the chapter and verse numbers are not really part of the scriptures. Is that verse the central theme of the entire Bible? Perhaps, and yet when thinking in terms of Law and Gospel preaching, this verse is wholly Law: it is about the flesh clinging to God, a work of faith. The Gospel, however, is about that which God has done for us. Perhaps we should make the numbers work out so that verse 27 can be the center of the Bible. It says, “The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us.” Now, that is the center of the Bible. That is Gospel.

Psalm 118 is a hymn of thanksgiving for deliverance, perhaps written by David to praise God for saving him from his many enemies. Jesus quoted from this Psalm just as the chief priests and elders were beginning to see Jesus as a real threat to their position and their power. They needed to find a way to stop Him. He refused to give them the answer they sought and caused them to look at their own obedience to God.

The word in the Gospel passage that has been translated “head of the corner” can be translated in a number of different ways. “Head of the corner” is the literal translation of the word, but that translation is outside our modern understanding. What does “head of the corner” mean? Translators have used the words capstone, keystone, and cornerstone. Though these words have similar meanings, they are representative of stones that have slightly different purposes.

A capstone, or coping, is a stone that is used to finish the top of the wall. It is not just decorative; it is also protection for the wall. It helps hold the wall together. Coping stones are larger, or longer, than the bricks and stones used to build the wall, and therefore give strength to the top. Capstones are also used as lintels, on the top of a doorway. The capstone supports everything above the door and also the posts that create the opening. The entrances to ancient tombs were often created by standing two stones side by side and placing a capstone on top of the two standing stones. I saw one of these doorways in England. The only part of the structure to survive was this doorway which was still standing because it was held together by the capstone.

Another type of stone used in building is a keystone, which is used in building an arch. It is the central, uppermost stone, often shaped slightly differently than the other stones to give the arch a decorative touch. I like this translation of the word because of the statement that the builders rejected the stone. The keystone need not be the strongest, largest, or prettiest stone. It offers no support to the arch, but instead locks it together. To build an arch, the builder creates a form that will later be removed. The stones are carefully placed along the form. Finally, the keystone is put into place. The arch would fall if the form was removed before that keystone is in place, but once it is there, the arch stands strong. The builders rejected the stone because it was not big or perfect enough to use in a strong and longstanding building, but it was chosen to be the keystone.

The third translation is cornerstone. There are two types of cornerstones. When the builders began laying the foundation of a building, they place one square stone in the corner of the building site, making sure that the sides are perfectly aligned with where the sides of the building were designed to be. All the other stones are then placed in relation to the cornerstone. These stones were often marked and in ancient societies were given spiritual and superstitious power. We no longer normally lay a stone in the foundation of our buildings, so the cornerstone has become a purely informational and decorative feature of buildings. Inscribed with dates and the names of those responsible for the building, the cornerstone stands as a testament to the work of those people.

We can see Jesus in all these definitions of the phrase “head of the corner.” He is the capstone, not only a physical and tangible manifestation of the highpoint of our faith, but also that which holds us together. Without Him, we will fall. Jesus was not the most powerful man or the one with the political or religious authority. He was in no position to rule. He was the keystone that was cast away by the leaders of the faith, but the Church cannot stand without Him. He locks us together. Jesus is also the cornerstone. Without Him the church would be misaligned, and we would never recognize the God of grace from whom we have faith and hope and peace. Jesus is the “head of the corner” in every way.

I shake my head in complete astonishment that the tenants of the vineyard concluded that they could inherit the vineyard if they killed the son. The religious leaders wanted control, and they were willing to reject the stone that held it all together, the stone that lines everything up according to God’s good and perfect Word. These are people who have twisted justice and righteousness to the point of being upside down. We aren’t much different than they were in Jesus’ day. There are still religious leaders who want control and reject the truth of God.

Ananias was an early disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian Church was just beginning its spread to the four corners of the earth; the followers were not yet called Christians. They were Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah for whom they had waited. They gathered together in homes, sharing fellowship and food, reading the letters of the apostles and the scriptures they knew so well, trying to understand all that was happening to their world, their faith, and their lives.

Not all Jews believed the message of Jesus or that He was the Messiah for whom they were waiting. They began calling the followers of “The Way” Christian as an insult because they had wandered from the true faith and were apostate and traitors. Some Jews were more zealous among the company of religious leaders, and they believed that the new Christians deserved to die, that the new faith had to be stopped at all cost. One of those zealous members of the ruling party was Saul of Tarsus.

Ananias was a devout observer of the law and was highly respected by all the Jews living in Damascus. (Acts 22:12) He had heard that Saul of Tarsus, the zealot who was present at the stoning of Stephen, was headed for Damascus on orders from the chief priests to rid the city of those who believed in Jesus. The Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision and told him to go find Paul to heal his blindness. Imagine how frightened Ananias must have been. Saul had a deadly reputation that made the Christians tremble with fear.

But God had something wonderful planned for Saul whose name was changed to Paul after his conversion. He no longer wanted to be in control, holding on to the power and authority to destroy the Church. He’d had a dramatic moment of clarity as the Lord Jesus Christ came to him on the road to Damascus. He left Jerusalem with the intent of doing more harm to the Christian Church but arrived in Damascus a changed man. Ananias could not have known that. All he knew was that Saul was a Jew’s Jew, zealous for the faith of his fathers.

Paul soon had an entirely different reputation. He began preaching the Gospel to all people, Jews and Gentiles alike. The Jew’s Jews began to question his authority. Many men, like Ananias, continued to live devotedly in the faith of their heritage while also believing in the Gospel message brought and won by Jesus Christ. We don’t know where Ananias might have stood on the issue of Gentile believers, but men like him were disturbed by the way Paul was taking the blessings of this new faith to pagans and foreigners. There were those among the Jewish Christians who believed that the Gentile Christians must first become Jews, through conversion and circumcision. They were against Paul’s evangelism techniques and his expectations of the new non-Jew Christians.

Paul had a hard word for them: he called them dogs and mutilators of the flesh. He said they were evil. They were evil because they put their confidence in the flesh, rather than the Spirit. Paul learned on the road to Damascus that the flesh is not faithful, but God is. His conversion was more than a change from Jew to Christian. Paul’s life was turned upside down as he learned that faith is about living in trust of God and His Work in and through Jesus Christ rather than having faith in the things that he could do to be saved. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul admits that he has not yet reached perfection, but he refuses to turn back to the ways of his old life to live in a faith of the flesh that fails. Instead, Paul continued forward, despite the assault from those Christians who still relied on the flesh for salvation. This was as Jesus promised in the parable for today. The tenants who killed the son would lose the vineyard and it would be given to others. Paul was sent to share the Gospel with those others.

Psalm 80 tells the story of Israel, the vine. God brought His people out of Egypt and planted them in the garden of His choosing. They did not do well. He expected the grapes He planted to grow and prosper, but instead they went wild. Israel’s actions brought bad times upon the land; they suffered the consequences of being disobedient to the Father, but He never left. He heard their cry and restored His relationship with them. They sought His face and He shined it upon them.

This psalm is the cry of God’s people for salvation. “Turn us again, God of Armies. Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.” They knew God’s good works; they didn’t know why they had been abandoned. They didn’t see their own failure, but despite this reality, God did come to their aid. He restored His people and called them to the life He intended for them. Despite His grace, they continued to fail. Despite their failure, He continued to be faithful. He replanted the vineyard and began again.

By the time of Jesus, the faithlessness of God’s people came in the form of self-righteousness. They believed that they were guarded and protected by God, that He would provide all they needed. But they expected this to be true not because God was good but because they thought they were. The watchtower was their own interpretation of the Law, the wall was their heritage. They thought they were good because they relied on their own abilities. They did not see how they had turned from God or how they had rejected Him. The leaders had allowed even the Temple to become corrupt.

In both the Old Testament and Gospel lesson, God is the vineyard owner. In the first, the vineyard is Israel, and it is rejected because the grapes are wild. In the Gospel, the tenants are the leaders of Israel who have rejected God but think they deserve to keep God’s kingdom. In the first, God allowed the vineyard to suffer the consequences of disappointing Him. He took down the hedge of protection and allowed the beasts and the weeds to take over. It is trampled and devoured. When the rain of blessing stopped falling it withered and died. In the second, God put out the unfaithful tenants and gave the vineyard to those who would care for it and give Him His due.

This is the story of Israel. God gave them the world, but they lost sight of Him. They turned to other gods; they did what they wanted to do. They rejected him by ignoring His servants. The prophets were beaten, killed and stoned, because they did not like the messages they shared. We don’t want to hear that times will be tough, that we have to be obedient. There were plenty of false prophets willing to tell the kings that God was on their side and that they would win every battle. There were plenty of prophets willing to tickle their ears with happy promises even if they had nothing to do with God. God’s real prophets spoke the truth, called people to repentance, reminded them of their sin and warned them of what would happen if they did not turn back to God.

The warning from Isaiah was fulfilled when Jesus and the apostles took the story of God into the whole world. Jesus might have come first for the Jews, but God meant for Him to be the shining light for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. The early church fought amongst themselves about how to deal with those who were not Jews but who believed in Jesus, but God made it clear through the prophecies and through evangelists like Paul that His Gospel was for all people.

We aren’t perfect, and we won’t be perfect in this world. We go our own way and think that we deserve the blessings of God based on our work rather than God’s grace. Paul knew that he had not yet reached the goal but knew that he belonged to Jesus and that every day took him closer to the prize, so he pressed on toward that goal. We are called to do the same, to look toward God, to live in faith, and to trust that God will provide all we need. We are to call on God to turn us so that we can see that He was with us all along. He will bless us in His vineyard and give us all we need to continue glorifying Him with praise and by giving Him the fruit He is due.