Oct 22 2023
Loved & Chosen by God
Oct 22 Podcast: Loved & Chosen by God
The 21st Sunday after Pentecost, Year A
Scriptures:
Isaiah 45:1-7 An earthly ruler as the instrument of God’s will
Psalm 96:1-9 [10-13] Ascribe to the Lord honor and power.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Thanksgiving for the church at Thessalonica
Matthew 22:15-22 A teaching on giving to the emperor and to God
Key verse: Good News
“For we know, all siblings in Christ, you are beloved by God who has chosen you.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4)
Hello, This is Jade.
Welcome to Yi.kigai
A space for all to explore the intersection between faith and daily life.
In this podcast, you will find that the gospel reading is the main context, and the Good News is identified with a chosen biblical text from this week’s readings.
Opening Meditation:
Let us take a moment to prepare our bodies to be refreshed, our hearts and minds to be saturated and nurtured through the Good News from our savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us take a deep breath, breathe in God’s Spirit and breathe out God’s Kingdom. Let us take another deep breath, breathe in God’s love and mercy, and breathe out our worries and fear that drain us. Let us take one more deep breath, breathe in God’s healing power and breathe out God’s peace that grounds us. Thank you, O God, for your holy presence and your holy Word. Amen.
Message:
Today’s gospel reading is like a drama to me. It usually isn’t hard to identify the main lead and the supporting character in movies or TV. In Matthew 22:15-22, who is the main protagonist? And who are the antagonists? What were Jesus’ disciples doing? That’s right! Jesus’ disciples were not even mentioned in this passage.
It seems to me that the Pharisees and the Herodians wanted to play the main lead, the protagonists. In Jesus’ time, the pharisees represented the main Jewish religious party, and the Herodians represented the main Jewish political party who supported the Jewish politician, Herod Antipas. And Herod Antipas had a good relationship with the central Roman government. And Caesar was the emperor of the Roman Empire.
The Pharisees and the Herodians didn’t get along with each other; both parties were hostile to Jesus. Why is that? For the Pharisees, they believed that Jesus' teachings were too loose and didn't align with what they preached. For the Herodians, they believed that Jesus’ identity and his teaching on the coming of God’s Kingdom threatened their political power and stability. To sum it up, Jesus wasn't their ideal leader and savior, for he wasn’t qualified. What God has called and chosen didn't count; what they wanted to believe mattered the most.
What was Jesus' answer when they asked, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?” If Jesus said that it wasn't lawful to pay taxes, the Herodians could charge him with opposing Caesar. If he said that it was lawful to pay taxes, the Pharisees could charge him with opposing the Jewish law and God. Jesus said, “Give to God the things that are God’s and to the Emperor the things that are the Emperor’s.
Jesus called them “hypocrites” for he knew that they intentionally put him to the test. Do you know how many times Jesus used the word “hypocrites”? Eighteen times! In Jesus' time, this word “hypocrites” referred to a stage actor, someone who pretends to be someone that he or she is not. The fact is that Pharisees couldn’t observe all the law themselves, and the Herodians compromised their observance of the law. They either consciously or unconsciously wanted to play the righteous ones but forgot who was the one making them righteous. They might have also forgotten that it was God who chose them out of love and made them righteous.
There is a story about a woman. We can learn from her what it means to honor God and let God be God, be the main lead in our lives together. She was known as a faithful believer and a generous giver by her pastor. She gave all her possessions and all her money away. All she had were her two wedding rings. She prayed to God that no matter what God did please let her keep her two wedding rings and let her die with her wedding rings.
An evangelist came to her town with a plan to collect money to build a church in Iran. When it came time for offering, the woman felt God saying to her, “Put your wedding rings in the offering plate.” And she did since she wasn’t burdened by material and physical things.
After the service, the evangelist and the pastor were sorting out the offerings at the back of the church. Some were cash, some were checks. Then they saw the two wedding rings. The pastor knew exactly whose rings they were. He went outside the church and saw the woman who hadn’t left yet.
He brought the rings to the woman and said, “I know these are yours. I know your situation. I also know how much you have given. And I just can’t let you give these rings.” And she said, “Those are not my rings.” The pastor said, “I saw you wearing these rings.” She said, “No, they aren’t my rings. I gave them to God. You can do anything with God’s rings. But I am not going to take these back.” The evangelist took those rings with him. He shared that story wherever he went. And there is a church in Iran built based on the story of her faithful and generous giving.
When she gave her offering to God, she didn't question how God was going to amplify and use it. She trusted that the purpose and the meaning of that giving are in God’s hands. And once the act of her giving was done, it was done. And it was done by God’s grace through faith for God who is the main lead in her life, the protagonist in the human history.
Now, let’s look back at the story of the Pharisees and the Herodians on giving. What might be their understanding of giving? For them, it seems like the act of giving can prove one’s loyalty to either the government or God. It’s all about themselves, their status, their power, their knowledge, and their reputation by using the name of God. By doing so, they missed the opportunities to trust and honor God who was leading them.
We give because we know that we are loved by God who has chosen us to be the vessels of God’s mission. We give ourselves to God as an offering not to prove how faithful or how good we are, but because of what God has done for us. I encourage you to find someone this week and say to that person, “I know that you are loved by God who has chosen you to amplify the purpose and the meaning of your life that God has given to you.”
Closing Meditation:
Let us take a moment to feel our hearts and our minds that have been saturated and nurtured by the Good News from our savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us take a deep breath, breathe in God’s Spirit and breathe out God’s Kingdom. Let us take another deep breath, breathe in God’s love and mercy, and breathe out our worries and fear that God is going to take care of. Let’s take one more deep breath, breathe in God’s healing power and breathe out God’s peace that grounds us. Thank you, O God, for your holy presence and your holy Word. Amen.
May your coming week be blessed by God’s grace
As together we explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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