Preaching the Scriptures

  The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 22:34-46   The Greatest Commandment is Love   The question Jesus is asked in today’s Gospel passage is hardly an easy one.   Jewish tradition holds that there are 613 laws in the Hebrew Scriptures.   Jesus is asked to pick just one.   It is like when someone asks you to identify your favorite hymn, your favorite Paul Rudd film, your favorite child.   It’s not easy.   And as always the stakes are high.   The Pharisees have been engaged in a war of words with Jesus for much of his public ministry.   They have been setting verbal traps in the hope that they might, once and for all, discredit this popular provocateur.   Once again, as he has in previous passages, including last week’s, the Gospel writer identifies this question, not as a mere curiosity, but as a test.     If the Pharisees were the ones grading this particular test, Jesus would have passed with flying colors.   His answer was both predictable and deeply traditional.  

  The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 22:15-22   To Whom do You Belong?   Jesus does not have to answer your questions.   He is Jesus.   Throughout the Gospels he makes this abundantly clear.   Often the religious leaders confront him with tricky questions, always hoping to put Jesus in a precarious position, always hoping that his answer will erode his popular support or justify his arrest.   Today is no exception.   Once again the religious leaders scheme up a very difficult question.   Today’s is an especially rich query.   It combines the trifecta of trickiness: politics, money, and religion.   It is not difficult to imagine the Pharisees and the Herodians suppressing gleeful smiles and shaking with the buzz of excitement as they set up the ask.   Finally, after many unsatisfactory showdowns, many embarrassing encounters, they are going to force Jesus to reveal his partisan leanings.   The strange alliance that spawned this clever question would have immediately

  The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 21:33-46   The Violent Tenants   Jesus said, “Listen to another parable.”   And we trained our ears, instead, for a simple allegory.   But Jesus said, “Listen to another parable.”   And we quickly sifted through his words for a glimpse of God, a hint that might help us solve the divine mystery.   But Jesus’ parables only give a path further into mystery.   These strange stories always defy our narrow focus and our easy answers.   Parables are not simply theological talk made interesting.   They are odd stories that are unclear enough to help us see a bit more clearly.   Parables are not puzzles for us to solve; they are puzzles that help us solve ourselves.   This Gospel story is a strange story – although it begins in an ordinary way.   A landowner plants and equips a vineyard.   Once it is ready to be tended, he leases it to others who will do the work required to produce a harvest.   It is his land and his vineyard and therefore t