Sunday’s Sermon with the Rev. Michael Mayor - Christ Episcopal Church of Puyallup

Fr. Mike’s sermon invites the listener to consider Jesus’ greatest commandments as a call to love through deliberate commitment rather than fleeting emotion. To love God is to love what God loves, revealed in Jesus’ life. In a world fractured by war, polarization, oppression, and retribution, Christians are called to defend victims without dehumanizing others, pursue peace with justice, hold wrongdoing accountable while making room for forgiveness, and embody Christ as repairers of division. In this countercultural vocation, faith rests not in safety or avoidance of conflict, but in God’s presence and the hope of resurrection.

In this homily, Fr. Mike traces Jesus’ response to the question of paying Roman taxes, showing that his words, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s,” concern more than divided civic and religious duties. Jesus calls us to give our ultimate allegiance to God’s kingdom (a vision of peace, justice, forgiveness, love, and dignity for all) while responsibly supporting civil institutions when they serve the common good. Christians must bring their moral convictions into public life, faithfully holding both society and themselves accountable to the way of Jesus.

While the parable of the wedding banquet found in Matthew 22:1-14 confronts us with troubling images of violence, exclusion, and judgment, its underlying message speaks of a God who invites all into the banquet regardless of where they are on the journey. The question is whether we will receive that gift fully and join in God’s life of hope, joy, purpose, peace and love.

In a time of deep polarization and normalized violence, Jesus’ parable of the vineyard found in Matthew 21:33-46 warns that violence only begets violence. The rejected cornerstone points toward another way: producing the fruits of God’s kingdom through love, compassion, mercy, justice, integrity, and faithfulness. Fr. Mike reminds us that Christians are called to resist fear and demonization, choose reconciliation and relationship, and courageously become agents of God’s peace, joy, and justice.

In Luke 14:1-11, Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath and his teaching about taking the lowest seat reveal a deeper call to humility. In this homily Fr. Mike invites us to consider how followers of Jesus are invited to set aside pride and social status, respond compassionately to those in need, and place the dignity of others before themselves. By welcoming others into community, offering healing, and sharing love, we experience God’s transforming love in our own lives.

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus’ parable shows a landowner paying all workers a full day’s wage, even when they have not worked a full day. Fr. Mike explores how this challenges merit-based fairness and reframes compensation as generosity, affirming equal dignity and basic needs. In such a reality, envy and comparison hinder God’s kingdom, which calls for justice and gratitude.

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus teaches forgiveness through a parable of a master forgiving a slave’s debt, only for the slave to refuse forgiveness to another. In this sermon Fr. Mike points out that this highlights, among other things, the importance of forgiveness and accountability within the community of faith, and that forgiveness should create space for repentance and renewal, while also holding one another accountable.

Read beyond the call for discipline, Matthew 18:15-20 emphasizes the importance of community and the call to be a community of care and love. It highlights the need for patience, forgiveness, and engagement, even when it is difficult, to build a strong and loving community. In this sermon Fr. Mike reminds us that community is where we encounter God, and through our willingness to love and serve, we can grow into the image of God and the community of Christ.

Jesus’ call for self-denial and taking up one’s cross is a challenge to live in the world in a different way. In this sermon Fr. Mike invites us to see this challenge as an invitation to embrace a radical realignment of values, recognizing the impermanence of worldly things and practicing non-attachment. Through this often difficult journey we are lead to a profound transformation, that results in nothing less than the discovery of the sacred in our lives.

Peter’s proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God, highlights the importance of faith and faithfulness in building the community of the faithful. Fr. Mike explores how the flaws of Peter are of less importance than his faith in Jesus and how the Church is called to be a community of authenticity, love, and reconciliation, transforming lives and embodying God’s redemption.