Daily Liturgy and Scripture

When we think of the phrase "the fear of God," the parable of the three servants entrusted with silver might be a good place to return. There is a big difference in the reaction of the servants who have someone else's money to hold. The first two make investments. The verse doesn't say what kind, but an investment does usually have the possibility of failing. They were probably taking some level of risk. The third servant, though, takes no risk whatsoever. He is guided only by his fear of the master whose money he holds. This shows a radically different relationship between the master and these three servants. When we trust God, we aren't paralyzed by our fear of failing him. We understand what we have been given, and we work the increase the Kingdom to which we belong, even if it sometimes involves risk.

Jesus envisions a Kingdom that is filled with people who anticipate its coming. When his Kingdom does come, it will not be a dictatorship, or he wouldn't have told the story of the Master who puts his servant in charge of his household. This is because we are training for more than an eternity of floating on clouds, sitting around strumming harps. The Kingdom of Jesus has always been shared. From the first apostle to the last believer before Christ's return, we are training now for a greater Kingdom to come in the future. We will not be mindless drones, because we have already been called sons and daughters.

As the apostles remark on how great the temple is, Jesus immediately pops their bubble. The whole place is coming down, and other people will claim to be the Messiah. That is exactly what happened. In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed the temple. Popular rabbis of the time would proclaim others to be the Messiah. These were foretold to the apostles so that they would be ready, and so that they would not be enticed to leave the way that Jesus taught them for the other options coming down the line. The legacy we have been given by generations before is a testament to the enduring church built by our Savior, built on his solid foundation.

This must have been a really awkward moment to watch. Jesus is tearing into the religious leaders for being blind guides, for keeping people out of the very Kingdom they refuse to enter themselves. What Kingdom is that? His Kingdom. While this would have certainly been rough to watch, it's actually a good pairing with what he said back in Matthew 5 in the Sermon on the Mount. The Kingdom Jesus is preaching isn't only for those who know all the rules and get them right. (Although don't go too far... there will probably still be a few Pharisees in the Kingdom!) It is extended to the downtrodden, the left out, the washed-up. It is extended to all of us, but not on our own terms.

When listening to what Jesus says to the people following the encounter with the Pharisees, remember to take into account the entire section. It starts with Jesus telling the people not to follow the example of the Pharisees, who do not practice what they preach. This is why he follows that mandate with instructions not to call anyone Rabbi, Father, or Teacher. Because we should never use those words? No, because these words were meant as titles of higher social standing, which is exactly what the Pharisees were after. We aren't to seek high titles and high esteem, but we are to humble ourselves and allow God to handle the exalting.

Jesus doesn't dwell a lot on the afterlife, he mostly talks about what life looks like while we're here. This session with the Sadducees is a moment where he decided to talk a bit about life and death. If God weren't the God of the resurrection, how could he remain the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? As Jesus pointed out, God wasn't the god of the dead. For him to be the God of these three (and their descendants), there must be some scenario where they aren't simply gone. One day we will all enjoy a new Heaven and new earth, and resurrection will remake us all. Even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Be careful if you find yourself in opposition to someone you know to be God's representative. If they do their job well, they probably won't always tell us what we want to hear. At times we will be challenged, at times we may find ourselves on the wrong side of things. Sometimes, the other person may experience the same rebuke. The religious leaders weren't particularly fortunate to be up against someone who was wrong, however. The truth was in front of them, and they were in opposition to it. May we never be so blind.

Jesus riding on a donkey was the opposite experience of most parades of the day. If you have ever seen the statues in public squares celebrating great heroes of the past, they are riding a very different animal. Usually it's an enormous horse, because that's the animal used in war. It was almost comical that Jesus chose to ride a donkey, because there was no glory in that choice of rides. Even in this moment of triumph, Jesus continued to challenge our view of a champion.

The upside-down Kingdom of Jesus baffles even his closest followers. It still does today. It's so difficult for us to separate ourselves from the idea of power that we carry as humans, we consistently miss his idea of leadership. It starts from the bottom, never seeking to lord itself over others. This is nothing like what we try to chase: fortune and glory, power and prestige. Those things are no part of Jesus's leadership principle.

Fast, easy answers are not Jesus' style. He seems far more fond of giving people a challenge that's personal to them, something that gives them the opportunity to be transformed if they accept it. This man who has kept all the law but cannot sell his possessions is no exception. Jesus sees him for who he is, sees what stands in the man's way of drawing closer to God, and challenges him with it, and leaves the man speechless. What would he challenge us with? Would it be something as hard as that?