The Light on the Ridge
The Light on the Ridge
Sermons on Matthew
Any building that is important to us will provide shelter. Safety, warmth. A place to sit and rest. Eat. Talk. Share. A place to work. To play. To make things and to make memories. This building is no exception. But this building has an additional purpose: to be the light of God in this place.…
In today’s gospel, at the end of Jesus’ teaching, he gives a pop quiz. Well, he doesn’t actually give the pop quiz. He announces the scores of the pop quiz that has already been given – when the test-ees didn’t even know they were being tested.
The Day of the Lord – to be feared? To be desired? In today’s gospel, Jesus addresses his disciples privately; this is not a public teaching of Jesus. He tells the disciples a story about great treasure. It is one of three stories he tells them to prepare them for the day he wouldn’t be with them any more.
We are all saints. It is not just the dead who qualify as saints. It is every Christian, those dead and those still living. We are all the saints, just as those who are clothed in white, standing before the throne of God, singing God’s praises, worshipping God together.
We have a heavenly Parent who has provided for us. And for the world. In the Psalm we prayed, “May God’s face shine upon us, that Your way may be known upon earth, and your saving power among all nations.” The psalmist knew that when God’s face shined, blessings abounded.
The word “gospel” means “good news.” But today’s gospel does not sound like good news. The parable in this gospel features murders and retribution in the middle and ends with a wedding guest being kicked out of the banquet into “the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” To get the good news out of today’s gospel will…
Not every humbling may be God’s will. I think of the humbling of those who have survived the recent hurricanes. They have been humbled, losing homes, belongings; roads, water, and power. But sometimes God does bring about the humbling. Like the humbling of the vineyard in the first reading, with the walls torn down by the owner (!), allowing weeds and thorns…