Ramblings

eBay Power – 7/24/2011

Matthew 13: 31-33; 44-52

 

What do you think … would Jesus love eBay or Craigslist? As you may know, eBay and Craigslist are kind of like online garage sales where you can advertize, bid upon --- in the case of eBay --- and buy virtually anything you can think of. Treasures can be found!

Now, to be clear, Jesus is not an avid collector of Star Wars memorabilia or a seller of knock-off Gucci purses or interested in used furniture. Rather in today's gospel our first impression from at least 2 of the parables could be that Jesus loves a good deal, like the deal found by Morace Park. Mr. Park is a British antiques dealer who, after paying $5 for an old film container on eBay, found inside a never-released seven-minute movie featuring Charlie Chaplin valued at $60,000. Or perhaps Jesus is talking about the deal found by Philip Gura, an American literature professor, who after paying $481 for a photograph of poet Emily Dickinson came to find out that it is just the second photo of Dickinson known to exist, which by the way, makes Gura's discovery priceless.

It seems that way does it not; Jesus is all about the joy that comes from discovering something valuable --- possibly priceless---while perusing piles of seemingly ordinary items.

But yet, I wonder if that is what Jesus means in today's gospel? In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus tells us of a man who stumbles across a pile of treasure buried in a field. This man is so taken with his discovery, so overwhelmed at its value, that he sells off every other item in his possession to purchase the land and make the treasure his own. You might call it overkill. You may even wonder why this man cannot share it with the original landowner. But Jesus says, "This is a great deal."

We also hear about a merchant who makes his living buying and selling pearls and spends his days scouring the markets for the best of the best. Upon finally finding it, the man mortgages his home and sells his cars on Craigslist all to purchase a single, sparkling pearl. We might think it a waste, and an unsound financial investment but not at all in the eyes of Jesus. For him, such sacrifice for such treasure is well worth the investment.

So, is that what this lesson is about? Life is all about shopping around until we find what we are looking for? In the parables Jesus tells us that the very reign and rule of God, the loving and life-changing activity of God in heaven, has broken into our world and is available now. It is here to be discovered and embraced. Yet, like a Honus Wagner baseball card sitting in a shoebox at some grandmother's garage sale, the kingdom of heaven is found in unassuming places and encountered in unlikely ways. Furthermore, Jesus is suggesting, whatever it costs you to "get" it is well worth it.

Nevertheless a clear danger is to think that somehow Jesus is suggesting that we are to be constant religious shoppers trying to discern the presence of the tiny bit of Kingdom, and when we think we see it, sell everything in order to "have" it. Do you see where that is dangerous? It seems that we think Jesus is saying that we all need to set out on another quest to have something else.

But that is not quite right because what, though, is the quality of the Kingdom? When found, as we see in the parable, no one has to tell the pearl merchant or the finder of the treasure to sell everything to buy the field, or the pearl. Rather they cannot help themselves. In fact, the Kingdom is something that, when found, it owns us, not the other way around. That's why no one who "puts hand to the plow and then turns back is fit for the Kingdom of God." If we can turn back, if we can walk away from the field, if we can walk away from the pearl, if we keep going back looking for more, then what we have found is not the Kingdom.

Rather the question may be in what unlikely places do we find God's power and presence? Some think the key to discovering God is in getting mystical and otherworldly. They might espouse some process of escaping the trappings of flesh and world and ascending to some higher plane where God abides. Yet, that doesn't seem to jibe with Jesus' teaching of the kingdom being uncovered in the ordinary, now does it?

And of course there are others who might argue that the key to connecting with the kingdom is being good enough to gain admittance. You know, help enough old ladies across the street, donate enough money to charity, make a lot of people smile, make very few people cry and when your days are done boom --- you are in the kingdom. But that seems at odds with Jesus' own description of the kingdom as treasure being stumbled upon in a field as if it's something freely given.

No, encountering God, experiencing God's power and being caught up in God's love, being caught up in the Kingdom of God is not stumbled upon while shopping on eBay or Craigslist. It must be things we can encounter in the ordinary, and access easily.

So what is the most ordinary place that we can access easily? What about here? Is this the place where we encounter the kingdom? Think about it for a moment. Jesus' ultimate point in the parable is that he himself was the means by which the kingdom had come to Earth. It was in Jesus that the love of God, the power of God and a reconciled, right relationship with God could all be received. Christ and his work on the cross are the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price. And this is the place where that very same Jesus is to be encountered today.

Do we believe that when we gather here, in this unassuming place, that the greatest treasure in the history of God's universe is here for the taking? Do we believe that when God's Word is read here, preached and sung here, that Jesus is speaking here? Do we believe that when we hear, "We are forgiven," "We are forever a member of God's family" or "Take and eat this bread that is body, take and drink this wine that is blood" that the power and promises of Jesus Christ are taking hold in us and doing something miraculous in us?

To be honest with you I have traveled the world and seen many beautiful churches, more gorgeous than this one --- maybe you have, too. We have seen sights in nature, beaches, mountains, fields and valleys that are more beautiful and spiritual uplifting than we can find on the other side of Highways 410 and 1604. And again to be honest with you this place --- like any other --- is filled to the brim with imperfect people and the message of forgiveness and hope to all people we are trying to share to an unbelieving world sounds like absolute insanity. The apostle Paul said as much himself. "...the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18).

So I admit finding the Kingdom of God in the ordinary like the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd may seem crazy. But let me ask you something else, what if the work of the kingdom of God is not only found here but is also found in us? We are baptized, believing followers of Jesus Christ, then the Scriptures tell us that we are now a living, breathing "field," filled with the priceless treasures of Jesus.

Yes, we with all of our past mistakes and present problems. We are filled with the truth of Christ that can change someone else's eternity. We are filled with the Holy Spirit who has given us the same compassion as Christ and a desire, like Christ, to bless others. Yes, we are now part of a royal priesthood whose very presence has the power to "...proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9).

Yes, we as a community and each of us individually as believers are the unlikely, ordinary and easily accessible places where the greatest treasure in the world can be found and encountered. We --- you--- are the online auction where a hurting world can bid on trash and receive untold treasure in the form of forgiveness, unlimited and life-unending. But realize that with that comes an incredible responsibility for yes, it comes at a cost. Taking ownership of all that God has in store for us through Jesus Christ will come at the cost of confessing our brokenness and our need for a savior. It means saying goodbye to a life of wandering, a life of shopping around, and living a life of worshiping Jesus. It will mean that our days of searching are done and finding peace in the fact that we have arrived in God's family.

May this be a place where the treasure of Christ is easily encountered. May the treasure of Christ be accessible for the world, in us the field of Christ. May you and I, wanderer and seeker, find this treasure, be possessed by it, use what we have learned and remind the world, that it is not to be found in expected places; and no matter what the price tag seems to be, it is free and it is definitely, undeniably worth the cost. Amen.

Weedy – 7-17-2011

Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43

The St. Louis Cardinals didn't win the World Series last year --- or the year before. If you remember, the Cardinals were not even in the World Series. Over a year ago however Tony La Russa the manager for the team was mad. He was not yelling at the home-plate or first-base umpire, he was yelling in court. He had filed a lawsuit against the social network and micro-blogging web site "Twitter." You see, La Russa was suing Twitter for allowing someone to "twitterjack" his name; to "twitterjack" is to create a Twitter account in someone else name. Well it seems that someone had "twitterjacked" Tony La Russa and said some really nasty things about some of the Cardinals players. News Article

Or to put this in the language of Jesus from today's gospel, we are going to have to put up with the weeds among the wheat, the false among the true, the fake among the genuine. And sometimes just like the weeds among the wheat, the problem is not that we cannot spot the fakes, the twitterjackers, and the phonies. Sure sometimes, we can, it's just that it's a real problem.

Jesus' remarkable parable similar to last week the Parable of the Sowers at first its meaning seems obvious. Jesus says the "wheat" are the children of God; the "weeds" are like fake children of God. And there are ones pretending to be wheat, as though by growing up in the middle of a field they will be mistaken for wheat, just like someone using Tony La Russa's name will be mistaken for him. Nevertheless, there will come a time, a time of harvest, when all accounts will be settled.

Well is that it? I don't know about you, but the whole thing about wheat and weeds caught my eye. I know that sometimes wheat and weeds pretty much all look the same. The word used for a weed in Biblical Greek is zizania, which in modern botanical terms refers to the genus of wild rice grasses. More than likely the word refers to darnel or cockle, a noxious weed that closely resembles wheat and is plentiful in Israel. The difference between darnel and real wheat is evident only when the plants mature and the ears appear. The ears of the real wheat are heavy and will droop, while the ears of the darnel stand up straight.

But still this weed in wheat thing is hard for me! Let's be honest, who among us has not questioned why God allows evil to grow and thrive? Who among us has not wanted to take matters into our own hands and root out the evil in our midst? At least Tony La Russa could go to court; we can't even do that. It should seem obvious that we should be able to get rid of some of the weeds. Ever look across a field of wheat? Usually, you can see the weeds quite clearly. Furthermore, weeds are not all the same for some are completely different. Some are like vines. They cluster and grow along the top of the ground. Some weeds have pretty flowers. Some weeds grow tall and are clumped into bushes.

Cannot we do something about weeds other than wait for a future harvest time? A very natural way of preventing weeds is to have such a strong and thick wheat crop, it will outgrow any weeds. Sure there will be some weeds but it is all right to have some weeds because that strengthens the wheat as well. Can't we be the strong Christian community --- the field --- that is a beacon to world, a light to all nations?J Well as some you know that belief can become as corrupt inside as the supposed weeds around them.

Or we can learn a couple of techniques from modern farming something perhaps Jesus did not know about. A first line of defense in dealing with weeds is to cultivate the fields before the wheat is planted. The ground is left fallow during the summer months. This way, although the weeds grow when there is moisture, as soon as the ground is dry and before the weeds are big, the farmer can go out into the field and cultivate the ground, while at the same time enriching the ground with fresh oxygen and natural fertilizer. Can't we do the same, somehow work on our soil? Well, that doesn't always work because in working so hard on the soil, we can overwork to the point of making it worse than it was before.

But there are other modern ways to remove or control weeds. These methods involve the use of herbicides. So what if spraying can be very harmful to natural predators such as ladybugs, moths, bees and birds. Also chemicals can seep into the ground and harm the natural organisms there, such as the bacteria that make fertilizer, break down the weed stubble and make mulch, thus leaving the ground much more fertile and organic. Can't we have a Christian form of Roundup? Well that might not work because we may kill the good with the weeds.

Or Jesus is suggesting that we are supposed to get rid of those easy weeds and let God tackle the big stuff, became some weeds are worse than others. Wheat farmers will tell you that bindweed or morning glory is at the top of the most-wanted list of bad weeds. It has a very deep root system that multiplies and grows like a tubular plant. It is a vine weed, so it grows close to the ground and cannot be seen in a tall wheat field. Right behind bindweed is the Canadian Thistle. It too is almost impossible to kill. And there are so many types of weeds that can infiltrate a healthy field of wheat, such as kochia, pigweed, wild lettuce, tumbleweeds, and even sunflowers. So, can' we take care of the easy stuff and let God take care of the really difficult weeds?

Furthermore, some weeds are easy to spot: the killers who maim and destroy the innocent, the greedy who grab and dash with the savings and retirement plans of those who work hard and the wicked that prey upon children by gaining their trust and then mis-using it. And there are those weeds that may look "religious," but their actions range from misguided to despicable like the pastor in Florida who wanted to burn Islamic holy books, or the congregation who shows up at military funerals to denounce those that are gay and lesbian, or those religious leaders who use their position of power abusing men, women and children. Can't we weed out the easy and let God handle the tuff stuff?

And there is the fact that the weeds affect the quality of the crop. If weeds are allowed to grow and multiply, they will suck out all of the precious water needed to grow a wheat crop. When the wheat is deprived of water and nutrients, it produces a smaller head, and the kernels will not only be small but lack nutrients. Wheat is sold by the bushel and quality of the seed. Can't we develop a measure based on how well some people live out the Christian faith; can't we measure by how much someone gives?

We could keep going on but the picture become pretty obvious. We are far worse at telling what are wheat and weeds. Just review our own local history. For example, as many of you know less than a hundred years ago, on the streets of San Antonio, if you were white on a side walk and you came upon someone of Hispanic descent, they would have to get off the sidewalk with the other weeds until you passed. It kind of reminds me of dandelions. I remember living in a suburb of Wisconsin where some neighbors would work so hard to make sure there was not a single dandelion in their yard. At that same time there are people who grow dandelions as a crop for salads, oil and wine. Did you notice that Jesus does not, however, say whom the slaves represent? So truth be told, we are not very good about telling what is wheat and weed and would rather put anybody that does fit our picture into weeds.

And there is something else.

In today's gospel Jesus says that at the end of the age the angels will "collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and will throw them into the furnace of fire" (13:41). Jesus use a word in Biblical Greek skandala to remind us that God will collect all "causes of sin." Have you heard that word before? Later in Matthew 16:23, Jesus tells Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block (skandalon – a cause of sin) to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." Does that mean that Peter is a weed? Yet, in spite of these strong words and Peter's repeated failings, Jesus does not give up on Peter; rather, he entrusts the future of his mission to him and the rest of his bumbling disciples.

So we should not press the logic of the parable too literally in our zeal to choose between wheat and weeds. In the world we know, weeds do not become wheat. Instead that is another reason we should not be too eager to choose who part of the wheat is --- because we all may be a little "weedy!"

Is there anything that will help us other than having a great deal of patience as evil grows with us? Is there anything else from this parable that we can learn other than to realize we cannot be certain who is "in" and who is "out"?

It was for all those reasons and more why Jesus does not offer his followers a grand plan for getting rid of the weeds that plague the field of wheat. There are no rules of engagement about marching into a field of wheat to root out the weeds. In fact, Jesus says that we should go about our business. We're not called to be the farmer. Rooting up weeds is not part of our job description. It is the angels -- not any human beings -- who are authorized to pluck out the weeds from the wheat. We'd like to rain down hellfire and brimstone, but Jesus counsels us otherwise.

And there is one more important note that we can glean from today's parable. One fact to point out is that Jesus describes this field, which is the "world" (v. 38), as a field of wheat, not as a field of weeds. When Jesus sees the world, he looks out across not a field of weeds in which there is wheat growing, but a field of wheat in which there are weeds growing. I think that is an important point because it runs counter too much of what we hear; Jesus sees a field of wheat in which there are some weeds growing not the other way around.

This is encouraging news. It is so easy to be discouraged and to believe that evil is all around us, about to overwhelm us. Or to give up hope for we are the weeds! But in fact, Jesus reminds us that there are more of the faithful, more of those who have not bowed the knee to idols, more of those whose core values are of love and grace, than we sometimes realize. Yes, the "children of evil" exist and they do damage to the crop, but they exist in a field that is predominantly a field of wheat, not weeds.

So, when it is all said in done, let us grow were we have been planted. Let us grow tall and strong. Let us be stalks not as islands in a field by ourselves, but let us grow with others in a community. And finally, let us not worry about the weeds nearby, or even if we are weeds ourselves, not only because we are not good at always telling what is a weed and what is wheat, but also we may not realize God's field of wheat might be bigger than we think. Amen.

Rebranding – 7/10/2011

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

So, which do you prefer the name "Dried plums" or "Prunes?" Do you prefer the name "Microwave" or "Radar Oven?" How about the name "Backrub" or its other name "Google?" Or how about the frozen meals called "Diet Deluxe" or the other name for them "Healthy Choice."

Of course those are all examples of what is termed "rebranding." For whatever reason a particular name is not doing well, so companies will take a package of a particular product, perhaps change its color and size and sometimes even the name. Rebranding sometimes works like Microwave from Radar Oven but sometimes rebranding does not work, remember "New Coke."

Perhaps then, it may be helpful to consider "rebranding" the stories and episodes from the Bible. For example, today, we have what is usually known as the Parable of the Sower. As you may remember, Jesus shares 37 parables, simple stories that convey a message. Yet although these 37 parables are simple, the messages they covey are deep. Today's parable is further unique in that it is one of two where Jesus also provides an interpretation. Nevertheless although Jesus provides an interpretation, it, too, could be considered a parable because it only deepens the message of the parable.

So, today let us try to rebrand this parable and see if any new insights arise.

First, we could dub today's parable the parable of the careless sower. This extravagant farmer does not plant his seeds in a nice clean line or in a specific field, rather the sower is indiscriminate. This lavish sowing leads to three failures: the seed on the path is devoured (v. 4); the seed sown on rocky ground is scorched by the sun (vv. 5-6); and the seed sown among thorns is choked (v. 7). Furthermore, some of the seeds fall on good soil and bring forth a range at harvest, some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty (v. 8). So, from that rebranding we could venture to ask is Jesus the sower and the seeds his teachings? Is Jesus a careless, extravagant sower and why would Jesus let his teachings fall on the path, on rocky and thorny ground? That would mean that for us his followers we are to model our own sowing after this sower, sharing Jesus' teaching extravagantly and indiscriminately, not judging which people and places are worthy of them and which are not. In other words we are not to be concerned about soil at all. Again and again in the midst of a thorny and rocky and good world, God sows the life-giving Word. We hear the story again and again as it works in us, and despite ourselves it even bears fruit.

Another way to sort this parable is to call it the Parable of the Miraculous Harvest. In this view, we recognize that the sower is mentioned only briefly. The sower does not return to rejoice in the harvest or even to harvest it. Rather, the miracle that counts is not so much the size of the harvest but the fact that it happens at all. However big or small the harvest itself is a miracle. Just like God's grace the harvest is a complete, unexpected surprise to remind us of the Kingdom of God. In other words we are not to be concerned about the harvest, or the environment, because like grace, it is as wonderful and unique as each one of us his followers. For example, in baseball, home plate is both the beginning and destination of our journey. We go from base to base, with perils in each base path---pickoffs, rundowns, force-outs, double plays, strike-outs. We are finally safe only when we get back to our roots--home plate. We rejoice in where we are.

A third way to brand this parable is to call it the Parable of the Helpless, Ill fated Seeds. Think about it with me. The seeds the sower so haphazardly throws around have no choice whether they flourish or not. Rather it is all in the quality of where they land. The environment determines the seeds' ability to grow and survive and to bear fruit. If a bird eats you, you are done for. If the ground you are on is rocky, you wither. If the ground you are on is thorny, you are choked. If conditions are not ideal, you cannot yield a harvest. In other words, you cannot do anything by yourself, no matter where you and I are in life, we are completely dependent on God. We need to recognize that it is the dense complexity of God's grace that provides us with the solid ground we stand on and the enzymes and nourishment that enable us to grow.

Yet, another way to brand this parable to is to view it as the Parable of the Good Soil. I think this is the second most popular name after the Parable of the Sower. The success of the seeds depends on the quality of the soil where they land. That means that everybody has the ability and potential because we may be on good soil. In this view, seeds--- ourselves --- can grow without our instigation, and often, even without our knowledge. In other words, we are to be completely open to the work of God wherever we are in life. There is nothing we can do except trust in the grace of God that comes in, with and through Jesus Christ. We do not control our destiny, or where we are in life. We are to be "do"-ers of the word, only God brings forth a harvest.

A fifth way we can name this parable is to call it the Parable of the "Secret"
Savior. In chapter 12, Jesus has been under assault by his opponents. Two such incidents are when the Pharisees object when the disciples pluck grain to eat on a Sabbath and when Jesus heals the withered hand of a man (chapter 12: 1-14). However, in Chapter 13, the divinity of Jesus is affirmed. Jesus not only teaches about the Kingdom of Heaven in simple but deeply meaningful parables, but embodies the mystery "hidden from the foundation of the world" (13: 35) but is now revealed in Jesus. In other words, this parable is reminding us, that it all points to Jesus, our savior.

Finally, we could call this the Purposely Confusing Parable. In this parable, Jesus turns from addressing the large crowd while sitting in boat by the shore of the lake to speaking to a more intimate group of his disciples. Jesus gives an intentionally confusing parable and provides an interpretation in order to tell them the strategy of speaking in parables (10-17). Jesus is sharing this parable as a statement that Jesus will now use parables intentionally so that he can reach some and not others. Jesus is saying that some will see and hear, but will not, at a deeper level, understand and take his words to heart. In other words, Jesus is reminding his disciples of the exceeding value of the kingdom and the necessity of total commitment to it.

Well what do you think? The Parable of the Careless Sower, the Miraculous Harvest, the Helpless, Ill-fated Seeds, the Parable of the Good Soil, the Parable of the Secret Savior or purposely Confusing Parable; which brand name(s) do you prefer? Whichever one or ones you pick, following Jesus Christ is not a simple process but a complex discipleship struggling to learn and grow. We all have different realities, different soils, with which to contend. We are all seeds, uniquely shaped and created by God yet humanity. And we each will have fruit that can be measured in many different ways. Nevertheless, for the Christian, life's 'realities' we find we are living --- our realities do not excuse us from choice or responsibility. Thus, as hearers and doers it is the reality of Jesus whose power was hidden on cross, glimpsed in the resurrection that is now growing all around us. Amen.

Generations – 7/3/2011

Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30

Franklin Roosevelt, the 32^nd President of the United States from 1933-1945, said "This generation has a rendezvous with destiny." Really? What generation are we talking about?

For some it may be an easy answer, because it's always been a national pastime of older generations --- ragging on the younger generation and complaining about their lack of this, that or something or other. For example listen to this quote: "The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers." That quote is from the Athenian classical Greek Philosopher Socrates recorded by his student Plato from over 2400 years ago.

So complaints of others aside, which generation has a rendezvous with destiny? Is it not the generation between the Boomers and Generation X, those born in 1961, my generation --- the generation of President Barack Obama --- is it not our time? Or is another generation entirely?

Well as some of you know, the quote that I shared from Franklin Roosevelt is the opening to the 1998 book by former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw, who comes flat-out and tells us who gets the nod as "The Greatest Generation." In the book by the same title, Brokaw argues that it is the young GI Generation that stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II, that went to work in American factories, that farmed fence post to fence post, that had a garden in every yard, that saved scrap metal, lived with rationing, bought bonds to support the war effort -- that this is the greatest generation.

These are the ones, women and men, the living and the dead, who willingly gave their lives, who gave their limbs, to the enduring nightmare of real war --- World War II --- the war that saved the world from fascism, the war that protected the home of the brave, the land of the free so we might grow up in safety, democracy and prosperity.

But you know what, with all due respect on this 4^th of July weekend, I believe that we need to be reminded that the GI generation is not the greatest generation.

Although Brokaw argues that the young generation of 20 to 30 year old of World War II not only won the War but also changed things. For example, Brokaw points out that women 's opportunities got started when Rosie the Riveter went to work 30 years before they thought of calling it "Women's Liberation." Women serving in military units in Iraq and Afghanistan are a direct and traceable result of women serving in the WAVES and WACS and the front-line nurses of WW II. Brokaw quotes a woman by the name of Margaret Ray Ringenberg saying, "My father said, 'I didn't get to serve and I don't have any boys, so I guess you'll have to do it'"(page 163). Margaret took her father's words to heart and went out to fly all sorts of aircraft. Ringenberg, Brokaw suggests, was typical of ordinary patriotic women of her day. The country was in trouble, there was a need, there was a job to do, and so the men and women stood up and did it. And when these boys and girls came home from the war, they were not necessarily eager to stay put -- having seen the world.

Nevertheless they are not the greatest generation.

Did you know or have you every realized that most congregations have a range of five generations. So which was, is or will be the greatest? Which generation stands out in distinction?

Actually, Brokaw's book aside, it's not that it's so difficult to answer, because it is a bad question. Not only is it a bad question it is the wrong question, because from a Christian point of view, the greatest generation is not people born between a given set of years, but the people re-born in any age, at any age. The question is not of generational greatness, but re-generational importance.

"To what shall I compare this generation?" asks Jesus in today's gospel. The problem with "this generation," Jesus says, is that they listen neither to John the Baptist nor to Jesus. On one hand, John's austere lifestyle led people to accuse him of having a demon; while on the other hand, Jesus' habit of eating and drinking with sinners earned him a bad reputation. So this generation, Jesus says, finds reason to take offense at both John and Jesus and thus to evade the call of both. They are like children in the marketplace who cannot decide whether they want to play wedding games or funeral games and end up playing neither. So Jesus, in utter frustration bemoans the stubbornness of their hearts "Woe" he says. It is not a word many of us in this generation would use; still, "woe" to that generation that tries to trivialize or make God irrelevant.

Nevertheless, there were some in that generation and every one that has followed, some that listened and heard. That means that it is not the GI Generation against Generation X; it is not Boomers against Builders or Millennial against all.

It is every person from every generation who submits to the constant regeneration of their lives by God's Holy Spirit. Who pick themselves up and try again. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Jesus responds to those of every generation who look around themselves and see that all is not right, that the world is ripe to hear the message of love, forgiveness and grace. For example, those who stand up and say the burdens of the poor are being ignored while the wealthy discuss tax breaks. That's the greatest generation. That's the generations of the past and the future and those here.

What is the yoke Jesus offers to each generation? As I said the average congregation has five generations. That means that we are the inter-generational church of God; marked not by the year of our birth or death, but by the anniversary of our Baptism, fed at this table, living out our faith in this corner of the world. Together we serve, strive, grieve, and die. To take his yoke upon oneself is to be yoked to the one in whom God's kingdom of justice, mercy, and compassion is breaking into this world, and to find the rest for which the soul longs.

So, to call one generation the greatest or the opposite that a particular generation is least of these, immediately diminishes all generations who preceded it and all generations who follow it. It distracts us from the Christian truth that, before the Presence of God, we are but one equal people, a single generation, a human generation yoked in Jesus Christ to be God's people yesterday, today and tomorrow. Amen.