Proper 22, Yr A (2023) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Proper 22, Yr A (2023) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Psalm 19
Matthew 21:33-46
In the name of the one, holy, and living God:
Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifying Spirit. Amen.
The October light has arrived in the Western North Carolina skies!
Ray and I got our first glimpse as we took our dogs for a walk one evening earlier this week.
This particular evening there was a dark gray cloud setting the backdrop
for the silvery light
as it reflected on the backs of the light green maple leaves
and deepened the dark hues of the evergreens nearby.
Golden and brown leaves were fluttering to the ground,
suspended on drafts of wind that were invisible to the eye.
It is hard to describe such light:
there is a clarity and crispness to such luminosity.
It is simply other-worldly,
or at least has the ability to transport the witness to other realms.
Even before the sun rises in the morning,
there is a sharpness about the stars that twinkle
and an unnatural brightness to the light of the moon.
I wonder if perhaps today’s Psalmist had such experiences.
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament shows [God’s] handiwork.
“One day tells its tale to another,
and one night imparts knowledge to another.
“Although they have no words or language,
and their voices are not heard,
“Their sound has gone out into all lands,
and their message to the ends of the world.” (Ps 19:1-4)
Today’s scriptures seem a strange mix.
We have this beautiful love language of God’s creation
commingled with talk about the law.
The psalmist, after speaking about the heavens declaring the glory of God,
immediately shifts to say:
“The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul…
The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes.” (Ps 19:7-8)
The psalmist understands that the law of the Lord brings life!
I wonder if, given our society’s understandings of laws and courts and justice,
this connection might seem a little foreign to our ears?
Rules are important,
and laws seem necessary.
But, reviving the soul?
I need some help with that one!
Perhaps the psalmist is saying that the order God created brings life.
In today’s reading from Exodus, we hear a list of God’s laws:
the 10 Commandments.
You shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, covet your neighbor’s stuff.
Honor your parents, remember the sabbath, make no idols, honor God’s name.
Now, before giving this list of “laws” that God relates to Moses,
God says:
“I am the Lord your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of slavery…”
In other words, God is reminding Moses and all the Israelites
that God is a God who brings freedom and life.
God is a God who lives in a covenant relationship with God’s people,
and this covenant relationship is the basis of every aspect of life.
Perhaps, the “law of the Lord” revives the soul
because the law of the Lord (all 613 laws in Torah)
have one goal: to help God’s people to love God and love neighbor.
That’s it.
If, in following the law of the Lord,
we are ushered into right relationship -- loving relationship --
with God and our neighbors, and thus with ourselves,
then indeed the law of the Lord will revive our souls.
And, I’d suggest, then the law no longer even seems a burden.
In today’s gospel, Jesus tells the story of a landowner and tenants…
the story is often referred to as the “the parable of the wicked tenants.”
And it does seem that the tenants violate at least two of the commandments:
Murder, for one (multiple times).
And they covet the heir’s inheritance, which leads to murder.
They also do not honor the father,
even if he is not their own.
Jesus then turns the story on the chief priests and Pharisees,
telling them that they are not producing the fruits of God’s Kingdom
and thus they will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
They could have taken Jesus’ message to heart
and turned inward to examine their own actions.
But, they don’t do that.
Instead, they want to do away with Jesus by arresting him.
In fact, they really want him dead.
One of the commentators on today’s Scripture said that these texts will serve to either inflame the hearers or convict them.
As hearers of these texts today,
I pray they serve to convict…
and to console and bring us hope!
As the psalmist says:
“The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure
and gives wisdom to the innocent.” (v. 7)
We hear over and over again throughout all our Scriptures that our God is a God of relationship:
a God who loves us and longs to be in relationship with us.
Our God is a God who leads us to living water,
a God who forgives us,
a God who comes after us when we get lost,
a God who provides for us in the wilderness,
a God who offers us life abundant!
Not long after today’s passage a lawyer asks Jesus:
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
And Jesus responds:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your mind.
“This is the greatest and first commandment.
“And a second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Mt 22:35-40)
Love God.
Love your neighbor.
Love yourself.
Herein lies the point of the law of the Lord.
Love will revive our souls
as we bask in the glory of God
and drink from the springs of abundant life.
And through this, the fruits of God’s Kingdom will burst forth. Amen.
