A taxing question
Commentary
Will it ever end! Just when Moses thinks the Israelites have made a long-term commitment to be loyal, they disappoint him. Now he learns that God is so disgusted with them that the future is under a bleak cloud. Yes, God will see that they get to the land of promise, but God will not go with them (33:1-3). Once more Moses faces a crisis, and once more Moses must have a face-to-face confrontation with God. Moses finds himself again in the role of mediator.
As we saw a week ago, Moses has learned how to "bargain" with God. Though he continues to carry a heavy burden of responsibility, Moses reminds God again that "this nation is your people." He will not let God off the hook!
For his candor and persistence Moses is once more given a promise. But what unfolds is not so much a promise to the whole people as it is a word of comfort and reassurance to Moses. "My presence will go with you" is intended to lift his spirit. Surely the effect of such a blessing will extend to the whole people. But this is first and foremost a personal word.
If Moses was tending through all of this to become quite comfortable and even accustomed to familiarity with God, he is soon reminded that the One who is "wholly other" will remain so. The theophany that follows is the basis for Augustus Toplady's familiar hymn, "Rock Of Ages," arguably the most popular hymn in Christian hymnody. Written not long before his death and intended to accent our unworthiness of God's grace and love, the hymn lifts up for a Christian the experience of Moses. Phrases such as "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee"; "Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling"; and "Thou must save, and thou alone" -- all underscore the experience of Moses. God is one whom we dare to approach with boldness; yet, God remains the "One there is above all others."
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
It is generally agreed that this is not only Paul's first letter, but the first writing of any New Testament literature. Paul had departed Thessalonica in a hurry and had sent Timothy back to check on the fledgling congregation. To his delight, the report is mostly good. That gives Paul good reason for the extended word of commendation -- longer than in any of his other letters. The contrast with Galatians is especially sharp. In that case, Paul can hardly get his brief greeting out of the way before launching into a sharp word of criticism. And in contrast to the Israelites, who disappointed Moses again and again, these believers have not only responded positively to the Gospel, but their witness has already had an impact far beyond Thessalonica. Like a pastor who looks back over a long ministry and finds one congregation to have been a special delight, so Paul will see these believers.
Paul's ministry in all of the congregations he founded did not stop when he left town. Here and in several other epistles Paul assures them that they are in his intercessory prayers. Like Moses, his heart beats for those he serves. In my own ministry -- as parish pastor, college professor, and bishop -- I found it helpful to pray by name for those for whom I was responsible. Praying for several persons each day, for example, reminds one of their unique needs and of the relationship one has with them. Paul also sets a worthy example in that he is not hesitant to tell the Thessalonians that he prays for them. This forms a bond that cements the relationship.
In subsequent parts of his letters Paul will have to deal with difficult issues that plague the congregation at Thessalonica. But that does not keep him from beginning with this word of strong commendation. It is easy to overlook all the reasons we have to be thankful for what God is doing in a congregation. When we hear complaints from a few folks or find ourselves disappointed with the way some fail to respond to the Gospel, it is tempting to project our dismay on the entire congregation. Paul reminds us to look for all the good things that are happening and to keep in focus all the reasons we have for gratitude.
Verses 9b-10 may be a formula for missionary preaching in the early church. We have in these verses the most simple, straightforward outline for a sermon that can be found anywhere:
*Repentance -- "turn to God from idols"
*Resurrection -- "wait for his Son ... whom he raised from the dead"
*Hope -- "Jesus ... rescues us from the wrath that is coming"
We see again that though Paul preached a full Gospel, the heart of it was always centered in the resurrection.
Matthew 22:15-22
For the past three Sundays we have considered parables aimed at Jesus' opponents. Now his encounters with them continue, but in the form of direct conversation. The conflict intensifies. The cross looms.
The dialogue with the Pharisees has been called a "pronouncement story." There are three elements: the situation, the action, and the lesson -- "pronouncement." In this case it is the familiar maxim: "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." The Pharisees are trying to trap, embarrass, and discredit Jesus by drawing him into one of the hottest social issues of this time -- taxation. The Jews were deeply and intensely divided over it. The majority probably favored paying taxes. Though they hated their alien rulers, many benefited to one degree or another from the tax, and many held appointed positions. And though Jesus seems to avoid a direct answer, he was thought to be a part of the faction that opposed paying taxes. (Cf. Luke 22:2.)
The text is difficult to interpret. And for that reason it has been used variously through the years. Those of a more conservative bent lean toward what is called "throne and altar theology." For them, this is a text that encourages loyalty to the state, recognizing that even an evil ruler is in office only at the permission of God. These would cite Romans 13 in support of their position. At the other extreme are those who would use the word of Jesus to support a view that one should give as little as possible to Caesar and everything else to God.
Most have come down between these two extremes, recognizing that the kingdoms of this world do indeed have their place. We need law and order, just as the people of Israel needed them. Without respect for authority chaos soon takes hold. But there is an ultimate allegiance that overrides all other allegiances -- our recognition that "we must obey God rather than man." When combined with other lessons, such as Luke 23:2 and Matthew 17:24-17 it could be argued that the overall thrust of Jesus' remarks is that, yes, one should pay one's taxes and fulfill one's obligations to society. But one must remember all the while that all things belong to God and ultimate accountability is to God alone.
Suggestions For Preaching
Given the proximity of major elections at all levels, this may be a good Sunday for the brave to venture into some reflections on the relationship of a Christian to society and of our responsibility as citizens. Jesus' seemingly evasive answer to the question posed by the Pharisees may hold a clue to the role of the preacher. Our hot button issues are different, yet the same. Abortion, capital punishment, welfare, health insurance -- all evoke intense debate, and candidates for office tend to play to the passions that will bring the most votes.
What can the preacher do? There may be times when the issue is so sharply framed that we can preach with clear conviction, saying to our people, "Thus says the Lord." And there may even be times when one candidate is so obviously speaking for truth and justice that he or she deserves our vocal support. Both instances, however, are so rare that the preacher who ventures into either arena may soon be discredited.
We will almost always find that our most effective approach is to speak to the principles that undergird the message of the Gospel. That will mean a strong word on behalf of the poor, the disenfranchised, the minority, and the needy. We can and must preach against any proposal that widens the gap between rich and poor. We can encourage the state to fulfill its proper functions, while, at the same time, calling ourselves and others to accountability.
Few persons in this century have wrestled with this issue more than Reinhold Niebuhr. Larry Rasmussen summarizes Niebuhr's approach in these words: "It is ... the power and wisdom of God which make decisions in history possible and which point to proximate goals in history which are usually observed either by optimistic illusions or by the despair which followed upon the dissipation of these illusions." (Reinhold Niebuhr: Theologian of Public Life, Larry Rasmussen, editor, Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991, p. 18.) The preacher's task is to speak that message which saves us from both illusion and despair.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By James A. Nestingen
Exodus 33:12-23
"Moses asked to see God's face, and he showed him his [hindermost parts]," Luther joked, using a more colorful colloquialism. It is risky business to get that close to the good Lord. But God bears it with surprisingly good humor.
The Scripture has a low tolerance for heroes. On the one side, it recognizes the great achievements of the human spirit. So we see Abraham and Sarah keeping the faith long after all possibility had withered away; Jacob wrestling with the angel; Miriam leading Israel in celebration at the Red Sea. And we have seen Moses charged with virtually superhuman responsibilities, carrying them out with some difficulty but faithful to his calling, nevertheless. There is no point in debasing human potential to exalt God's graciousness.
But on the other side, the Scripture is too deeply anchored in everyday life to put up with the public relations of self-transcendence which sweeps foibles and foolishness under the cloud of unknowing. To save his own hide, Abraham passed Sarah off as his sister; Jacob lived by fraud; Miriam will be expelled from the camp as a leper.
And Moses? He comes about as close as anybody in the Old Testament to cultic status. There is a biblical tradition that he talked to God, face to face, on Mount Sinai, for example. For centuries, he will be remembered as the great lawgiver and model for all the prophets, especially by the Deuteronomic historians.
But not even his cultic admirers in their unswerving confidence in the law can save Moses from this story. At one point, he is consumed with righteous indignation, swinging down the mountain like some pre-incarnation of Charlton Heston to wade into the idolatrous orgy below him. Just a little while later he is sniveling before the Lord, trying to wheedle his way into God's intimacies, begging for just a look, just an itty-bitty glimpse of the divine face.
Normally, the Lord doesn't put up with this nonsense. God knows that Moses wants to move from his ears to his eyes, from faith to sight. Just as he asked God's name at the burning bush, he now asks for sight so that seeing, he will know in fuller, human terms the one with whom he is dealing. When Zechariah challenged the angel in Luke 2, making a similar move, God struck him mute.
But this time, apparently enjoying the humor as much as anybody, God plays along. Hindsight is 20-20, after all. And the Lord does have the grace to keep moving. Given biblical humor, God could have stopped and given Moses more of an opportunity for study!
As we saw a week ago, Moses has learned how to "bargain" with God. Though he continues to carry a heavy burden of responsibility, Moses reminds God again that "this nation is your people." He will not let God off the hook!
For his candor and persistence Moses is once more given a promise. But what unfolds is not so much a promise to the whole people as it is a word of comfort and reassurance to Moses. "My presence will go with you" is intended to lift his spirit. Surely the effect of such a blessing will extend to the whole people. But this is first and foremost a personal word.
If Moses was tending through all of this to become quite comfortable and even accustomed to familiarity with God, he is soon reminded that the One who is "wholly other" will remain so. The theophany that follows is the basis for Augustus Toplady's familiar hymn, "Rock Of Ages," arguably the most popular hymn in Christian hymnody. Written not long before his death and intended to accent our unworthiness of God's grace and love, the hymn lifts up for a Christian the experience of Moses. Phrases such as "Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee"; "Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling"; and "Thou must save, and thou alone" -- all underscore the experience of Moses. God is one whom we dare to approach with boldness; yet, God remains the "One there is above all others."
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
It is generally agreed that this is not only Paul's first letter, but the first writing of any New Testament literature. Paul had departed Thessalonica in a hurry and had sent Timothy back to check on the fledgling congregation. To his delight, the report is mostly good. That gives Paul good reason for the extended word of commendation -- longer than in any of his other letters. The contrast with Galatians is especially sharp. In that case, Paul can hardly get his brief greeting out of the way before launching into a sharp word of criticism. And in contrast to the Israelites, who disappointed Moses again and again, these believers have not only responded positively to the Gospel, but their witness has already had an impact far beyond Thessalonica. Like a pastor who looks back over a long ministry and finds one congregation to have been a special delight, so Paul will see these believers.
Paul's ministry in all of the congregations he founded did not stop when he left town. Here and in several other epistles Paul assures them that they are in his intercessory prayers. Like Moses, his heart beats for those he serves. In my own ministry -- as parish pastor, college professor, and bishop -- I found it helpful to pray by name for those for whom I was responsible. Praying for several persons each day, for example, reminds one of their unique needs and of the relationship one has with them. Paul also sets a worthy example in that he is not hesitant to tell the Thessalonians that he prays for them. This forms a bond that cements the relationship.
In subsequent parts of his letters Paul will have to deal with difficult issues that plague the congregation at Thessalonica. But that does not keep him from beginning with this word of strong commendation. It is easy to overlook all the reasons we have to be thankful for what God is doing in a congregation. When we hear complaints from a few folks or find ourselves disappointed with the way some fail to respond to the Gospel, it is tempting to project our dismay on the entire congregation. Paul reminds us to look for all the good things that are happening and to keep in focus all the reasons we have for gratitude.
Verses 9b-10 may be a formula for missionary preaching in the early church. We have in these verses the most simple, straightforward outline for a sermon that can be found anywhere:
*Repentance -- "turn to God from idols"
*Resurrection -- "wait for his Son ... whom he raised from the dead"
*Hope -- "Jesus ... rescues us from the wrath that is coming"
We see again that though Paul preached a full Gospel, the heart of it was always centered in the resurrection.
Matthew 22:15-22
For the past three Sundays we have considered parables aimed at Jesus' opponents. Now his encounters with them continue, but in the form of direct conversation. The conflict intensifies. The cross looms.
The dialogue with the Pharisees has been called a "pronouncement story." There are three elements: the situation, the action, and the lesson -- "pronouncement." In this case it is the familiar maxim: "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." The Pharisees are trying to trap, embarrass, and discredit Jesus by drawing him into one of the hottest social issues of this time -- taxation. The Jews were deeply and intensely divided over it. The majority probably favored paying taxes. Though they hated their alien rulers, many benefited to one degree or another from the tax, and many held appointed positions. And though Jesus seems to avoid a direct answer, he was thought to be a part of the faction that opposed paying taxes. (Cf. Luke 22:2.)
The text is difficult to interpret. And for that reason it has been used variously through the years. Those of a more conservative bent lean toward what is called "throne and altar theology." For them, this is a text that encourages loyalty to the state, recognizing that even an evil ruler is in office only at the permission of God. These would cite Romans 13 in support of their position. At the other extreme are those who would use the word of Jesus to support a view that one should give as little as possible to Caesar and everything else to God.
Most have come down between these two extremes, recognizing that the kingdoms of this world do indeed have their place. We need law and order, just as the people of Israel needed them. Without respect for authority chaos soon takes hold. But there is an ultimate allegiance that overrides all other allegiances -- our recognition that "we must obey God rather than man." When combined with other lessons, such as Luke 23:2 and Matthew 17:24-17 it could be argued that the overall thrust of Jesus' remarks is that, yes, one should pay one's taxes and fulfill one's obligations to society. But one must remember all the while that all things belong to God and ultimate accountability is to God alone.
Suggestions For Preaching
Given the proximity of major elections at all levels, this may be a good Sunday for the brave to venture into some reflections on the relationship of a Christian to society and of our responsibility as citizens. Jesus' seemingly evasive answer to the question posed by the Pharisees may hold a clue to the role of the preacher. Our hot button issues are different, yet the same. Abortion, capital punishment, welfare, health insurance -- all evoke intense debate, and candidates for office tend to play to the passions that will bring the most votes.
What can the preacher do? There may be times when the issue is so sharply framed that we can preach with clear conviction, saying to our people, "Thus says the Lord." And there may even be times when one candidate is so obviously speaking for truth and justice that he or she deserves our vocal support. Both instances, however, are so rare that the preacher who ventures into either arena may soon be discredited.
We will almost always find that our most effective approach is to speak to the principles that undergird the message of the Gospel. That will mean a strong word on behalf of the poor, the disenfranchised, the minority, and the needy. We can and must preach against any proposal that widens the gap between rich and poor. We can encourage the state to fulfill its proper functions, while, at the same time, calling ourselves and others to accountability.
Few persons in this century have wrestled with this issue more than Reinhold Niebuhr. Larry Rasmussen summarizes Niebuhr's approach in these words: "It is ... the power and wisdom of God which make decisions in history possible and which point to proximate goals in history which are usually observed either by optimistic illusions or by the despair which followed upon the dissipation of these illusions." (Reinhold Niebuhr: Theologian of Public Life, Larry Rasmussen, editor, Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991, p. 18.) The preacher's task is to speak that message which saves us from both illusion and despair.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By James A. Nestingen
Exodus 33:12-23
"Moses asked to see God's face, and he showed him his [hindermost parts]," Luther joked, using a more colorful colloquialism. It is risky business to get that close to the good Lord. But God bears it with surprisingly good humor.
The Scripture has a low tolerance for heroes. On the one side, it recognizes the great achievements of the human spirit. So we see Abraham and Sarah keeping the faith long after all possibility had withered away; Jacob wrestling with the angel; Miriam leading Israel in celebration at the Red Sea. And we have seen Moses charged with virtually superhuman responsibilities, carrying them out with some difficulty but faithful to his calling, nevertheless. There is no point in debasing human potential to exalt God's graciousness.
But on the other side, the Scripture is too deeply anchored in everyday life to put up with the public relations of self-transcendence which sweeps foibles and foolishness under the cloud of unknowing. To save his own hide, Abraham passed Sarah off as his sister; Jacob lived by fraud; Miriam will be expelled from the camp as a leper.
And Moses? He comes about as close as anybody in the Old Testament to cultic status. There is a biblical tradition that he talked to God, face to face, on Mount Sinai, for example. For centuries, he will be remembered as the great lawgiver and model for all the prophets, especially by the Deuteronomic historians.
But not even his cultic admirers in their unswerving confidence in the law can save Moses from this story. At one point, he is consumed with righteous indignation, swinging down the mountain like some pre-incarnation of Charlton Heston to wade into the idolatrous orgy below him. Just a little while later he is sniveling before the Lord, trying to wheedle his way into God's intimacies, begging for just a look, just an itty-bitty glimpse of the divine face.
Normally, the Lord doesn't put up with this nonsense. God knows that Moses wants to move from his ears to his eyes, from faith to sight. Just as he asked God's name at the burning bush, he now asks for sight so that seeing, he will know in fuller, human terms the one with whom he is dealing. When Zechariah challenged the angel in Luke 2, making a similar move, God struck him mute.
But this time, apparently enjoying the humor as much as anybody, God plays along. Hindsight is 20-20, after all. And the Lord does have the grace to keep moving. Given biblical humor, God could have stopped and given Moses more of an opportunity for study!
