Weekly Liturgy : September 21-27
Matthew 21:23-32
23After this Jesus went into the temple courts and taught the people. The leading priests and Jewish elders approached him and interrupted him and asked, “By what power do you do these things, and who granted you the authority to teach here?”
24-25Jesus answered them, “I too have a question to ask you. If you can answer this question, then I will tell you by what power I do these things. Where did John’s authority to baptize come from? From heaven or from people?”
26They stepped away and debated among themselves, saying, “How should we answer this? If we say from heaven, he will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you respond to John and believe what he said?’ But if we deny that God gave John his authority, we’ll be mobbed by the people, for they’re convinced that John was God’s prophet.”
27So they finally answered, “We don’t know.”
“Then neither will I tell you from where my power comes to do these things!” he replied.
28-31Jesus said to his critics, “Tell me what you think of this parable:
“There once was a man with two sons. The father came to the first and said, ‘Son, I want you to go and work in the vineyard today.’ The son replied, ‘I’d rather not.’ But afterward, he deeply regretted what he said to his father, changed his mind, and decided to go to the vineyard. The father approached the second son and said the same thing to him. The son replied, ‘Father, I will go and do as you said.’ But he never did—he didn’t go to the vineyard. Tell me now, which of these two sons did the will of his father?”
They answered him, “The first one.”
32Jesus said, “You’re right. For many sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes are going into God’s kingdom realm ahead of you! John came to show you the path of righteousness, yet the despised and outcasts believed in him, but you did not. When you saw them turn, you neither repented of your ways nor believed his words.”
REFLECTION
from Matt
What keeps you from doing what God wants you to do? In verse 26, the religious leaders huddled up and highlighted two reasons that still bubble up for many of us today:
Failure to respond and believe
Fear of what other people will do
In many ways, the outcast and disenfranchised among us — the sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes in Jesus' day — are on the right track. When we believe that God is good and intends good for us, we go and do what he asks. When we care less about what other people think or might do, we hesitate less. When we are resolute in mission and undaunted in action, we have all the authority we need.
"Wherever his spirit appears, the oppressed gather fresh courage; for he announced the good news that fear, hypocrisy, and hatred, the three hounds of hell that track the trail of the disinherited, need have no dominion over them” (Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited).
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Think about someone in opposition to you or what you're doing? In what ways can you look at them with invitation instead of judgment?
Non-Violent Communication Application
Do you have a negative story in your head about someone else’s intentions? Check yourself by asking them if you are correct. Start your reflection toward them with the language: my interpretation of your behavior is…
Pay attention to how they respond to you. Do you notice anything unexpected that might be attributed to your own gracious approach?
Pathway Toward Center
Tradition (Loving God through Ritual and Symbol):
Try fasting — giving up something for period of time. This could be food or drink, social media, TV, etc. Start small. This is a way of addressing excessive attachments or appetites and the entitlements behind them and partnering with God for changed habits.
Questions for Reflection
What keeps you from doing the next right thing? Where do you find encouragement to keep going, whether personally or professionally?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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