Year A Proper 20 21 September 2014
Exodus 16: 2-15 Psalm 105: 1-6, 37-45 Philippians 1: 21-30 Matthew 20: 1-16
Shakespeare, in my opinion, was an amazing philosopher. He wrote through his characters some amazing statements that convey a truth quoted and noted down through the ages. There is one such quote that comes to mind in the light of this week’s scripture readings. In the character of Hamlet in act 3, scene 1, we discover the question, “To be, or not to be: that is the question:”
Hamlet has discovered the family skeletons in the closet and they are playing havoc with his mind and emotions. He ponders suicide, and while he begins with this question about living or dying, he has the insightfulness and forethought to recognize that to die may not be the end of his troubles, and so he ponders, “To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause:”
I’d like to suggest that in this week’s readings we look at attitudes and resources for resilience in the face of troubles. This is something that Hamlet needed and something we all need.
Most of us have constants in our lives and these constants give us a sense of security. It may be family or work, hobbies or interests and any combination, but these form our understanding of morality, justice, goodness and what life actually is about, what is important and why. These things shape our understanding of what is “normal”, real and true. When these constants are shown to us to be faulty, or they stop being in our lives, we are left feeling lost, to say the least.
In our readings for this week we find the Israelites in this condition. They’ve left the slavery and oppression of Egypt and now they want to go back there. How could this be?
Exodus 16:3-5 “The Israelites said to them, “We wish the LORD had put us to death in Egypt. There we sat around pots of meat. We ate all of the food we wanted. But you have brought us out into this desert. You must want this entire community to die of hunger.”
They were not happy in Egypt… but Egypt was home. They had lived there long enough that it was all that they knew and novelty of living in the desert and relying on God had worn off. They didn’t have their “normal”, and they didn’t know what to make of things and they wanted “home”. In many ways Egypt had crept into their souls, and their understanding about life was based on that reality. Their understanding about reality, truth goodness was grounded in Egypt and the idea of a new home was hard to take in. But God gives them another miracle and gives them bread from heaven;
Exodus 16:4-5 “Then the LORD spoke to Moses. He said, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people must go out each day. Have them gather enough bread for that day. Here is how I will put them to the test. I will see if they will follow my directions.
“On the sixth day they must prepare what they bring in. On that day they must gather twice as much as on the other days.”
We too often live with or grow up with things that are not healthy, but these are “home” and as adults who can think and ration, we can find it difficult to accept the truth about many things because often the truth is not comfortable. The most important question that we all need to answer is, do we want the truth?
In our Gospel we find another truth that people may find hard to accept. It is a parable about the kingdom of heaven. In summary, there are many workers in a vineyard and some worked all day, others were hired at various times through the day, some only working a short time and yet all of them were paid the same amount. It seems unfair, but the owner justifies himself saying that it is his prerogative to be generous to all.
Why are you a believer? Why are you a Christian? Or if you are not…. What purpose do you think you or other people might become Christian?
I would suggest that if you are a Christian because it gives you a sense of being something special and better than others or if you are a Christian because you will get a reward in heaven, or if you are a Christian who goes the extra mile because it means you will be a leader in God’s kingdom of heaven, then you don’t know God at all.
The Israelites had a sense of being the chosen race. They belonged to God and he had proven himself by fighting for them, but they didn’t understand His ways at all. This same people but many generations later are who Jesus was talking to and they also didn’t really know God. When I say this, I mean that they knew about God… they knew things he’d done and had the theory about him, but it was much like learning about a person of celebrity status or an historical figure. Often we can have an educated understanding about a person and be somewhat on the money, but we can also get it oh so very wrong unless we know the person personally. If we don’t know that person personally, the next best would be to listen to people who do…. But have you noticed that people can have very differing opinions about the same person?
This maybe one of those moments of discomfort…. Do we really know God, or have we a comfortable image that someone has painted hanging on the wall of our soul?
Now, this seems to be the opposite of where I started. I started by saying that this week’s readings are about resilience in the face of trials and so far all I’ve done is chip away at many possible comforts. The message that God gave to the Israelites about their comfort was to provide them with food. He also gave them meat and had provided them with water. He comes through. None of the workers in the vineyard of our Gospel reading went without… all were rewarded. Why were they upset? I’d suggest that it was due to an assumption about how things were meant to be according to their understanding of how things work.
In our reading from St. Paul we find the exact opposite of Hamlet.
Philippians 1:21-25 “For me, life finds all of its meaning in Christ. Death also has its benefits. Suppose I go on living in my body. Then I will be able to carry on my work. It will bear a lot of fruit. But what should I choose? I don’t know. I can’t decide between the two. I long to leave this world and be with Christ. That is better by far. But it is more important for you that I stay alive. I’m sure of that. So I know I will remain with you. And I will continue with all of you to help you grow and be joyful in what you have been taught.”
Saint Paul has had an experience of God that showed him who God is. He understood the concept of the Trinity and more from just that experience. He KNEW God and he knew his humanity, his love and his divinity. Having this relationship with God gave Paul resilience for life that saw him press on through persecution, floggings and jail. For the one who has experienced God in this way there is no need to find his sense of reality and truth… Saint Paul found it and it was truly like a very hard and uncomfortable slap, but once he’d accepted it, it became the unshakeable rock upon which his whole life took shape.
Philippians 1:27 “No matter what happens, live in a way that brings honour to the good news about Christ. Then I will know that you stand firm with one purpose. I may come and see you or only hear about you. But I will know that you work together as one person. And I will know that you work to spread the teachings of the good news.
So don’t be afraid in any way of those who oppose you. That will show them that they will be destroyed and that you will be saved. That’s what God will do.
Here is what he has given you to do for Christ. You must not only believe in him. You must also suffer for him.
You are going through the same struggle you saw me go through. As you have heard, I am still struggling.”
Saint Paul doesn’t escape suffering or hardship and neither will we, but will we face it with the resilience of Saint Paul or the deliberations of Hamlet? It all depends on our personal relationship with Christ which he desires for all of us. He wants us to know him personally. Will we accept him as he is, thorns, nail wounds and all or will you be content with that painted image hanging in the corner of your soul?
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