1030am Sunday 10-4-2020

I invite you now to if you have a Bible or you can open it up or turn it on whichever of those items you have. We're going to be meeting out of the Gospel of Matthew. The 21st chapter would be starting at verse 33. Jesus is in Jerusalem. He's speaking to is kind of giving a whirlwind confrontation with the Pharisees Sadducees that describes that the spiritual leaders of the temple at the time and Jesus is continuing if you were here last week of Jesus confronted them and that confrontation continues we pick right where we left off last week. begins with the 33

Listen to another Parable you just imagine like the Pharisees like oh my gosh. Another one. This guy is Relentless. Listen to another it was a landowner who planted a Vineyard he put a fence around it. Jug of wine Preston, it build Watchtower and then leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the Harvest Time had come he sent his since your slaves it's for the nrsv version a better translation to be servants. It's it's not that kind of slave-master relationship is more of a servant. He sent his servant to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and beat one killed another endstone another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first and they treated them in the same way, finally. He sent his son to them saying they will respect my son. But when the tenants saw the sun they said to themselves. This is the air come let us kill him and get his inheritance. So they say he's the son threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. now when the owner of the Vineyard comes The Jesus the shipping is talking to the people the Pharisees now posing a question them after everything. They just heard.

Now when the owner of the Vineyard comes what will he do to those tenants? And they answered Jesus. He will put those rushes to a miserable death and Lease The Vineyard to other tenants who will give him a the produce at the Harvest Time. Jesus said to them the Pharisees and the Sadducees. I do never read in the scriptures. The stone that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing and it is amazing in our eyes. Therefore. I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to the people that produce the fruits of the Kingdom. The one who falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces and it will crush anyone on whom it falls. When the chief priests to the Pharisees heard this Parable they realize that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd because they regarded Jesus as a prophet. This is the gospel of Our Lord. Please be seated.

I invite you to pray with me.

Change be broken lives be healed. In This Moment Christ be revealed in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit I'm in Well, our scripture today is pretty intense. Jesus is further escalating the conflict with the religious leaders. He's not speaking to Jewish people as a category. He speaking specifically to the people who are in charge of the temple to people who are have the responsibility of leading and shaping informing this Jewish Community into the kingdom of God. And Jesus has been just hammering home. He's going to have one more Parable after this one. We just again hammers at home. And after every one of these Parables where Jesus basically confronts and and and just initiate conflict the Pharisees keep wanting to arrest him arrest in the rest of them. But the people they knew it would be a bloodbath if they tried that I'm so you hear your Jesus's insults you like to imagine like theirs if they had this back then they just kind of pearl clutching of the Pharisees, right? They suddenly they don't realize they're being insulted by Jesus, right? He does this to the the Bible scholars right there at the Jewish Bible the Tanakh and of course we have were very smart intelligent the Illusions and then when they realize that they're being insulted, it's like, oh my gosh, I didn't realize he was talking about us gas and Jesus does this continuously but but are terrible today is a further escalation of that conflict that Jesus is instigating with intention is a purpose behind it, but he is actually quoting for them another story that came much earlier. And if you don't have your Bible going to invite you to turn to the book of Isaiah, we're going to be in chapter 5 verses 1 through 7. So I'm going to read for you real quick, If you have your Bibles with you, I'd like you to turn there. If not, I'll read it for you chapter 5 verse 1 through 7. It's it's Nuance you may or may not hear it. I bet you will that was sarcasm where Jesus Is Lifting Isaiah's poem which is what it is this poem right out of Isaiah and just putting it right in front of the Pharisees and the the rabbis in the leaders. It says this way. Does Isaiah chapter 5 verse 1? Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his Vineyard. My beloved had a Vineyard on a very fertile Hill. Do Doggett included of stones and planted with planted it with Choice Vines Beatles a watchtower in the midst of it? And Hugh doubt a wine vat in it.

Expected it to you grapes, but it yielded wild grapes are the translation. That would be bad fruit. Right not things you cannot work with.

I know inhabitants of Jerusalem. The people of Judah judge me between me judge me judge between me and my Vineyard what more was there to do for my Vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to you old Grinch, why didn't you eat wild grapes? Why didn't you bad fruit? I know I will tell you. What I will do to my Vineyard, I will remove a tench. And it shall be devoured. I will break down its wall and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste. It shall not be prune or hold and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns.

I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain rain. No rain upon it for the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel. This is he giving you this imagery of this Parable this poem for the vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel. The people of Judah are the are the are his Pleasant planting ducted Justice. But he saw Bloodshed expected righteousness. But he heard distress. This is the the the parable that Jesus has is almost played Rising right out of pulling it right out of the book of Isaiah with image of this vineyard with a watchtower and fruit and grapes and all these things. And it's actually really really clever that it's an amazing literary P Smith important that we pay attention here because this is what Jesus is alluding to Jesus gives you these images and just a speck that you know, the story he expects that, you know, the new one for the detail when we don't. Much as evidence as 21st century Christian, so I'm going to help unpack for you what Jesus is doing here, then we're going to just real quick as quickly as we can really move on. So this last section vs. 7018 really focusing here.

The Lord planted this Vineyard and expected good things out of it, but he got what he got bad fruit affected good fruit.. So, what does that the person do it? Keep basically destroyed it. Why? Why did he destroy? What what's the details behind the verse 7 he expected Justice, right and he expected. Expected righteousness Justice and righteousness. That's what he expected. That's the fruit that he expected from The Vineyard but what did what was the reason why he removed the hedging and let it be trampled than all these things because instead of finding Justice and righteousness, which righteousness a good translation. Would that it's a very big lofty theological word. It's simply right relationship right dumbest in the word righteousness right relationship. He's about to define justice or people are treating each other well and Equitable in Fairly and expected to find right relationship with people we love each other and we care about each other and we are loyal to one another but what did he find instead? What was the fruit that he got instead those of the good fruit instead he found blood shed. And distress I want to show for you real quick. I'll ask doctor kind of zoom in here for me. Let me know when you feel like you got it. Give me a give me a heads up. When you feel like you got it.

What about their? Okay great. So if you look here you've got Justice, right? He came expecting justice, but he found what Bloodshed he came expecting righteousness profound distress. Now for us. Those are just basic English word for the translation actually loses a lot of the literary Brilliance of this Justice Hebrew is Miss Pat. He came expecting to find me spot justice, but what did he find bloodshed mishpokhe? Respond, right intentional word there. They're very similar but a letter or two and it's a completely different meaning. And then he came expecting righteousness. Estetica the translation of Hebrews a very guttural language But instead he found what the stress he found set object a car. Set a car to a different literally a different one letter missing and you get distressed for my Christmas night game expecting the spa when he found miss papa. And he came specting dedicar righteousness. They got set. distress

it's a very powerful story that Jesus is alluding to he's bringing these religious leaders knew that story well. And it's always amazed me that. The line between Justice and righteousness and bloodshed and distress are like a letter difference the very thin line between those two things even even for the chosen people of Israel. God is making clear through Isaiah. And then Jesus to the Pharisees eluding back to the story that you're not special you two are vulnerable to this to this Bloodshed in this distress. You are not protected from it. So he tells the story just as Isaiah did Lee tells it all differently. Migos on

so he basically list Isaias opening about The Vineyards right out. And then he beats his tenants. Do you need to send it to harvest and produce? Does here?

He eventually sent his servants to collect on his property on his grapes on his fruit The Vineyard that he owns that he entered into a lawful contract with them to care for and produce but it's a very weird sudden reversal. You're not expecting this. Because what did the what do the tenants do they see the servants coming in and they seize them they seize them and they they beat one. They kill another they stole another.

And then the landowners like okay well unexpected. I'll send more so he sends more servants to collect in the same thing happens to them.

And it's just this very weird escalation out of nowhere. I mean what is happening here? How many of us who are entrusted with the responsibility to care for something that does not belong to us that we aren't that we are stewards of and then suddenly we get this idea that if we if we kill these people or mistreat them or go through some legal maneuver will get to keep it. It's just it's really weird obscure bizarre mentality that takes root in these tenants. an insult

Jesus then tells them that the the landowner then said, okay. So those two groups of servants didn't work. So then I'm going to send my son because surely they will respect him the sun has he's basically the embodiment of the owner right? He's a he's a reflection of the owner. He carries the same weight and word as the guy who owns the place. And and what are they doing? This is skin if we kill the sun then we'll get to keep this thing will get to Owned Vineyard will get to make the grapes and make the food and and and make the prophets. So they take the Sunday season is that language again, and they kill him? This is image of seizing is goes back. Hopefully if you if you read your Bible, it goes back to the Book of Genesis Adam and Eve. How did they take the fruit of knowledge of good need to do they just kinda like this looks nice, but the imagery in the the word there is the same word. Here's teasing this aggressive selfish arrogant this belongs to me now.

And so they kill the son that kill all the servants and then Jesus poses a question to the people who he speaking to what you got is not it's not his disciples. It's not the Jewish people. It's who it's It's the leadership the people who have been charged with this responsibility in this commission to transform this people into a righteous. Justified people right people who practice Seneca and mitts popped by Justice and righteousness, but he poses it to them and he said what will they do? Which what should the landowner do with these rebellious and they said well put them to death and then give it to somebody else who will treat the vineyard rightly. And then Jesus says to them verse 42.

Jesus said to them how do you never read? The scriptures always says that it's it's always this kind of subtle Barb right? Like have you do you know, what's in the universe in the Bible? You really don't do you like Jesus is just keep smoking these belt Bible scholars, and he just doesn't let go. He says the stone the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone. This was a Lord's doing and it's amazing in our eyes now for us that's obscure and random and has no through line for the scripture. But Jesus actually quoting. I saw he's pulling it right from Assam. He's pulling it from Psalm 118 now 2018 Psalm 118 going to be there for you. You're welcome. Oh great song comes directly from a section of the Psalms called the Great Halal and the great was actually a grouping of five poems of Psalms. 113-118 end in this. Of Jesus is doing all this teaching is when is the Passover? The Great Hall was recited daily in this season in the during this Festival in the temple. This was a regular daily recitation. And so yeah, we've heard it. We just said it like 20 minutes ago. Like we know the song Jesus and end in this song. It's a story about this disturbance, but we don't know who it is. It's not given a name or anybody like that. But it's this person who is mistreated by his enemies and and what happens is God vindicates him in this moment and he uses this imagery that the the psalmist uses imagery this character and he he talks about his Vindication through the use of stones and rocks enquiries this idea of the stones that are these massive massive stones in Jesus says to them He goes on to say from this from this phone.

Well, he can see the flames in this phone that the the the stone that the builders rejected has now become the Cornerstone and what the Cornerstone is. I know most of you are not Masons, right? None of you really work with us stones and rocks and and those that maybe you had a rock tumbler when you were a kid I did this is not the same thing but a Cornerstone is by far the largest stone in a building and this is all spoken and and this this confrontation happens in the temple on the Temple Mount which is this massive massive 4 story tall foundational square. And then on top of that Foundation is the temple itself and Jesus is talking to them in this place where all of these stones have been carved. And he says the stone which the builders refused has become the Cornerstone. Cornerstone has to be the most beautiful stone because of Cornerstone as you'd imagine is on the corner. There's more volume more more space of that stone is seen by people because of the nature of where it's it's it's it's at the corner of us Cornerstone. And so it has to be smooth have to be sturdy has to be the choice choicest of stones. And he explains that this stone that you rejected is now become the Cornerstone out. The the this relay follow me here. In the parable that Jesus gave about the the the bad tenants who would kill the servants and then that the landowner sent his son and Shirley the respect my son and then he killed his son. The Hebrew word for that for Hebrew word for son is Ben Ben in English been. So if you ever have a friend named Ben congratulations, you know Hebrew that's the Hebrew word for sun. And then Jesus gives this Parable continues in this Parable and recites a part of Psalm 118 talking about this stone that has been rejected and turned away. And and that God's no no. No, that's the one that you thought was no good. That's the stone. That's the stone. I'm going to use and and the funny thing is here that the word for stone. Can I ask if the zoom in again? Let me know when you get there Doug. All right. Good job. Thank you sir. But the Hebrew word for stone is Tibetan. one letter difference Evan Benson Evan Stone Jesus is like Isaiah using his best literary Billy's here. What was the difference between? righteousness in distress Seneca Seth actor one letter difference one letter difference thin line between righteousness and Justice distress and bloodshed one letter difference between Sun and stone the Sun the been with killed by The Vineyard workers and the stone the Evan was rejected. Jesus is a literary Master if you ask me. What's the point of all this? stop fruit stop fruit stop producing fruit. But if you Garden if you have ever held a garden or owned a Vineyard or Farm, you know that the slightest difference in the pH balance or the slightest invitation of of a of a insect or past even one can ruin the entire crop.

The invitation or the the Renaissance pronunciation of a single letter of a word like justice can turn it to Bloodshed the single removal of a of a of a letter from the word righteous can turn it into distress.

This is

complex but powerful it's something that we all need to wrestle with this this image of these tenants. Somehow believing at some point in their tenant ship of the vineyard. There was a switch that happened small one, but it led directly to Bloodshed and murder and that shift happened when they stopped remembering that the vineyard was not theirs. And the bank began to believe that what was theirs to Steward and a care for and to oversee was actually something that they were owed and it belongs to them. I don't know about you, but that's happened to me at times as well. It's a small shift a letter or two with inline that gets pierced and suddenly Everything Changes. this idea of ownership this idea that our stewardship is actually an ownership issue. The dangerous thing and it leads to that leads to distress it leads to bloodshed.

We're at a time in our nation. We are more fighting than ever that we will lose everything we have. That we will lose our work that we will lose our friends that we will lose our democracy that we will lose the fundamentals of who we are as a people and it just creeps. small changes tweaks to letters in Words abdication of our rolls forgetting Who We Are

In this season of our nation in the season of your life.

God is still calling you to set a car you still calling you the right relationship. He still calling you to miss pot. He's still calling you to Justice the thing you do when set a car fails when right relationship fails. You do Miss pot. You do justice you seek Justice.

In this world in this nation in this time that we live in the words that Christ gives us call us to remember that fruit is still the command. That we must not forget that what we are given is a gift that what we are given does not belong to us. It doesn't belong to you. The church doesn't belong to anybody. The churches are destroyed when we forget that it doesn't belong to any person. Countries are destroyed when the leaders forget that it doesn't belong to them. The world is destroyed When leaders forget. But it doesn't belong to us and we choose. You know oil prices in stock markets over the economy and Ecology of the world.

I know that these small letters in Hebrew words to take no sense, but all of it works together with a very unavoidable truth. That is this is not belong to us. The Vineyard of the world the vineyard of our hearts Vineyard of our family The Vineyard of our church does not belong to us and when we forget that we move away from his pot instead of car and move in and say acha Small shift but what does God do? When we forget who we are when we forget our role in the story that we are given by God and love he sends his Ebon his defense his Ben. He sends his son. To become the Ebon the stone on which life will grow again.

May we not reject that heaven may we know that that stone that the builders have rejected is the stone that will be our salvation and it will get us back onto the track of tzedakah in the spot that begins with you and with me and it begins with us remembering but nothing we have belongs to us. It is all a gift. I mean it or live at each other as such left brain

gracious God we are grateful today for your gifts. We asked you to help us remember and refocus our spiritual bifocals to remember that what we have and who we are or not ours. Help us gods and call us back to Seneca and Miss Potts call us back to righteousness right relationship and treating one another with respect and dignity. And Justice seeking to create and expand the borders of your kingdom. God help us to do these things for the sake of your kingdom not for ourselves, but for that we ask this in the name of the one who is the stone who is the resurrection who is the life that we are given Jesus Christ Our Savior and Lord on that invite you to stand as you