Everyone is "IN" before Anyone is "OUT"

Matthew 25:14-30

“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. At once the one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

What I just read is called a “Parable of Judgement”.  

They’re called that because they all end with someone weeping and gnashing their teeth in outer darkness.  

It’s because these parables end that way, that people are forever reading into them a “you better get right with Jesus or he’ll send you to hell” kind of message.  

But if we can set aside that kind of theological malpractice, there is really Good News in these so-called Parables of Judgement.   

The first bit of Good News is that everyone is “IN” before anyone is “OUT”.  

“IN” is where every character, in every parable of judgement begins.  

Why?  Because “IN” is where God created each of us to be!  God’s preferred place for all of creation is “IN”… not out!  

That is Good News. 

The next thing to notice is that in each of the Parables of Judgement there is a time where the main character is absent, 

BUT… they all show up again eventually!  

There’s the king who had not yet come down to his guests, 

There’s a bridegroom who hadn’t yet arrived at the reception, 

and there’s an investment banker who goes on a trip.  

There are times, this parable seems to be telling us, when God feels absent, but as Maya Angelou reminds us, “every storm runs out of rain” and we will once again feel God with us again. 

That too is Good News.

The third thing to notice is that in each parable of judgement there is either a culturally understood WAY that folks are supposed to wait for the main character to return, OR 

there are explicit instructions given for waiting.  

At the King’s son’s wedding, the culturally understood way to wait is in the proper attire.  

With the bridesmaids, it is having sufficient oil for their lamps.  

And in today’s parable, each slave is told explicitly, that they are to do with the Master’s money while she is away, what the Master herself does with her money when she is at home.   

So to recap:  

Everyone starts “IN” before anyone is “OUT”.  

There are times when the Big Cheese feels physically absent, BUT, 

there are either culturally understood, OR explicitly told, ways we’ve been given to wait for the Grand Fromage to return, 

AND the Queso Grande always returns!  

Good News so far?  Right?  Good!

Now, in today’s parable two slaves took the Master at her Word and waited for her by living the way she told them to live, and it was living that way that lead both of them “Into the Joy of their Master.” 

The third slave did not take her at her word or wait as he was instructed to wait.  He believed she was lying to him.  So he chose to wait his own way, live his own way, and in so doing he buried himself in the same kind of darkness in which he buried the coin.  

So!  What does all this mean?  

It means that:  You and I… begin this life “IN” as far as God is concerned.  Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, was in part, meant to make our “IN” status with God abundantly clear to us!  There is nothing… not even death itself… that will put us “OUT”.  

It means that You and I… we live in a time where it sometimes feels like our Master (that’s Jesus by the way) has not yet come down to the royal feast, or has been delayed arriving at the wedding reception, or is on a multi-millennial long business trip.  

BUT… You and I have been told HOW we are to wait and that means we don’t have to guess!   

You and I are meant to wait like the prophet Micah says, “You know, O mortal” how to wait.  Wait by doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God.  

It means You and I are meant to wait like Jesus himself told us to wait.  

We are to wait caring for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger.  

We are to wait healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked.  

We are to wait by being peacemakers, being merciful, and being pure of heart.  

We are to wait forgiving others, not just seven times, but 70 times 7 times.  

We are to wait, loving God and loving neighbor.  

And remember…  Jesus has told us how to wait, NOT so that he can send us to hell when we don’t, but because Jesus knows that when we wait the Jesus Way we experience a

joyful,                    abundant,                 and meaning-filled life!  

We are told to wait the Jesus way, not because God will GET US if we don’t, but because waiting the Jesus Way is THE Way to get God’s eternal party started… right now, even while we wait!  

There’s one last thing we need to notice about these Parables of Judgement and that is, while it IS God’s preference that everyone be “IN" the party, 

God does not MAKE anyone party against their will.  

If anyone wants to wait another way, as the third slave wanted, God will not stop anybody from dragging their grumpy butts out of God’s eternal party to have a good, long, snot-filled cry in the outer darkness, if that is what they really want.  

And while this last bit isn’t explicitly in the text, I very much suspect, that for those who choose a dark and snot-filled waiting, God will perpetually crack the door open to see if they’ve had enough weeping and gnashing AND REMIND THEM, that when they are done with all the tears, and all the snot, and all the darkness, they are still very welcome “IN” at the party.  

Because after all, “IN” is where God created all of us to be…

and “IN” is where God has decided each of us truly belongs.  Amen.

Here I Stand

“Here I stand. 

I cannot do otherwise. 

God help me.                     Amen.”  

That was the summary statement delivered by Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms.  

Now, for those to whom a “diet of worms” sounds high in protein, but extremely unappetizing, rest assured that in this particular context a “diet” is the term for a church trial... 

and “Worms” is the city in which the trial was held, just South of Frankfurt, in Germany.   

At that trial, Luther stood behind his sermons, books, and writings.  

He stood by his principle of Sola Scriptura… that SCRIPTURE ALONE was the sole authority for the Christian Faith.  

He stood by the principle of Sola Fide… that we are made right with God by FAITH ALONE and not by any works, penance, or human achievement, but by the gift of... 

Sola Gratia… GRACE ALONE…  a completely free gift given to us by the Holy Spirit, independent of any human merit or cooperation.  

For those of you who were raised in the Lutheran Church… particularly those who endured “Old School” confirmation, memorizing all the things, sometimes in multiple languages!  I see you!  YOU know what Luther stood for!  You know!  

But today, rather than diving more deeply into WHAT Luther stood for, 

I want us to focus more on the WAY Luther stood.  

Luther was not one to hold up his moistened finger for 9 days or more to see how the winds were blowing before he spoke out.  

When his reformation partner, Philip Melanchthon, expressed a reluctance to be vocal, fearing he might be  “getting it wrong” Luther encouraged him to boldly preach what he believed the Holy Spirit had led him to preach.  

Luther told him to “Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.” 

This, of course, was not meant to be a license to go out and commit crimes or act immorally.

It was encouragement to boldly and vocally follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, even while knowing that, as flawed human beings, there would always be things we unconsciously twist or get wrong along the way.  

Luther encouraged Melanchthon to speak boldly and with conviction, secure in the knowledge that where he inevitably got it wrong there would always be Divine Grace to make it right.  

There will always be Divine Grace to make it right… 

for all of us.  

Always.  

That assurance is not just meant to help us sleep at night.  

It’s also meant to free us… to embolden us.  

That assurance is meant to give us the courage to stand up, stand firm, and speak out, even in the hardest and most terrifying times… boldly saying what needs to be said and courageously doing what needs to be done, regardless of what doing that might cost.  

And as we all know, standing up, standing firm, and speaking out can cost… well… EVERYTHING.  

Luther knew that and experienced it.  

Niemöller knew that and experienced it.  

Certainly Bonhoeffer knew that and experienced it to the ultimate end!  

All of them knew that in spite of what we might face in this lifetime, Divine Grace will see us through all of it, up to, and including seeing us through death itself.  

None of us, I hope, will ever face the sorts of consequences that Luther faced for standing up and speaking out.  

None of us, I hope, will ever face what Martin Niemöller faced for standing up and speaking out, 

and I certainly hope that none of us will ever face the Cost of Discipleship as high as that which Bonhoeffer paid for standing up and speaking out.  

But Reformation Sunday is here to remind each of us today that no matter the Cost… standing up and speaking out is what our Faith demands!  

From Presiding Bishops to local bishops, from pastors to priests, from Sunday regulars to Holly/Lilly Christians… all of us know in our bones what is right and what is wrong… all of us know what is good and what is evil.  

And all of us understand that “Knowing it” isn’t the hard part!  

The hard part for all of us, from Presiding Bishops to local bishops, from priests to pastors, from Sunday regulars to Holly/Lilly Christians… 

the HARD PART is in making the choice to stand up.  

The hard part is in making the choice to speak boldly.  

The hard part is not waiting to see if someone else will lead the way, but to boldly speak without any other sort of net than Divine Grace.  

The hard part is choosing not to remain silent when all around us we hear only crickets.  

The hard part… and the part that each Reformation Sunday calls us to, is the part that calls us to stand up and boldly declare, 

“Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.” 

Rock or Roll

 Amos 5:18-24

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
    Why do you want the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, not light,
    as if someone fled from a lion
    and was met by a bear
or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall
    and was bitten by a snake.
Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
    and gloom with no brightness in it?

I hate, I despise your festivals,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them,
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
    I will not look upon.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like water
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Amos didn’t want to be a prophet.  He wanted to be a farmer.  

His rants were not, however, those of a disconnected country bumpkin.  

It’s clear from what he wrote that he knew, with a high degree of geopolitical sophistication, EXACTLY what was happening in his country.  

Maybe he understood the situation TOO well… and THAT’S what drove him out to the farm? 

I mean, can you even begin to imagine how it would feel to be a smart, educated, well read individual whose been forced to helplessly watch the country that you love be taken over by opportunistic, hypocritical, halfwits who openly steal from the widow and the orphan to line their own pockets and who dress up their entire criminal enterprise with gold painted doo-dads, blasphemous God language and heretical rallies… and then… and THEN… have the nerve to say their wealth is proof of God’s approval?

  

I know… almost impossible to imagine.  I know. 

  

Whatever it was that drove Amos out into the country, 

it was God who pulled him back and set him down, 

right into downtown Bethel, the dark heart of both the political and religious life of Israel at that time.

  

It was there, right in the middle of it all, that God had Amos tell the obscenely wealthy ruling elites one word they were not used to hearing.  

“No”! 

You know, understanding Scripture is often difficult.

Thousands of years separate then from now.  

Enormous differences in culture and language.  

Understanding Scripture, is at times, very… VERY difficult.  

This, however, is not one of those times.  

What Amos faced and what we face today is only different in the way that West Side Story is different from Romeo and Juliet 

or The Lion King is different than Hamlet.  

Different names, different cultural and geographic settings, sure.  But the overarching plot of the Book of Amos is EXACTLY the same overarching plot in which we live NOW! 

Listen how few words need to change for this passage from Amos to hit us in our day and time, right between the eyes:

Are you really saying, “I look forward to the Lord’s return?”  

I don't think you’re going to like THAT day at all!  

Why are you looking forward to your own end?

That day will be darkness for you, not light.

That day will will feel like you’ve just outrun a lion

only to find you've run into the mouth of a tiger.  

It will be like hiding behind a wall thinking you're safe,

only to be bitten the snake who lives there.

  

You!!  The ones who scorn justice and righteousness, 

the day of the Lord will be the darkest day of your life!  

Darkness and gloom without even a pinprick of light.

I hate, I despise your Christian Nationalism, 

and I take no delight in your rallies.

You offer me commandments posted in schools, 

you offer me the trans community as scapegoats,

you offer me a ginned up fear of people from other faiths… 

I DON'T WANT ANY OF THAT!

I am revolted by those blasphemies.

Take away from me your bible-bro noise;

I am not listening to any of it! 

 

What do I want?  I'll tell you what I want...

It's the only thing I want… 

I want to see justice rolling down like water, 

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Amos came to tell them that neither their twisting of religion in the Temple, nor their heartless exploitation of the poor in the market, nor their manipulation of the legal system was pleasing to God.

 

What Amos knew was needed way back then is exactly what is needed in our country and in our world right now.  And that… 

is Justice.  

Justice is different than charity.  Think of it like this:  The path into town has one spot where a rock sticks up maybe just half an inch above the path.  It’s the same color as the path and everyone who walks that path eventually trips on it and skins their knee.

  

Charity puts a first aid kit by the rock with antiseptic and bandages.  It is deeply kind and is just what people need when they trip on that rock.  Charity is necessary.  Charity is good.  

Justice on the other hand, goes at the problem from a different angle.  Justice digs up that rock, tosses it off the trail, fills in the hole, tamps down the earth and makes the path straight and level.  

Both are absolutely necessary.  

But doing justice in a place will eventually change the landscape so dramatically that charity will hardly ever be needed in that place again.

You and I have landed, in the later part of this week, in a place I could not have imagined when the week began.

  

But this landing spot comes with real questions for us, for our country, and for our world.

  

Will we return to addressing the darkness and gloom of our world with charity alone?

Or are we now ready to challenge the systems that make charity necessary…  with justice?

  

Will we return to only providing bandages for skinned knees or will we decide that THIS is the time to do Justice… 

real Justice… 

to dig out the ROCK 

and have Justice ROLL...  roll down like water?  

The choice is ours to make.  Amen.