In our Gospel lesson for the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost Jesus was asked, “By what authority do you teach these things?”  Jesus masterfully sidestepped the question and never answered.  Christ did not want to reveal who he was to the public yet.

This week we see a change in seasons from summer to autumn.  It is also a time when the summer gay pride festivals come to an end.  A growing number of cities around the world now host gay pride festivals, which started as a protest of discrimination against gays in New York City, and the harassment of gay people at Stonewall Inn, in 1969.  That was the year that sexual minorities began to say enough is enough and started to push for equality.

Gay pride parades and festivals generally take place in July but some cities have hosted the events at other times throughout the summer.  This week is the North Carolina Pride Festival, here on the campus of Duke University.  The Pride Committee moved the festival to September a few years ago.  We have several major universities in this area, and having the event when school is in session allows some young people to participate who may not be able to so in their home communities.

It took me many years to come out of the closet as a gay man.  Just like Jesus, I had a secret that I didn’t want others to know.  I hid in fear for about eighteen years between the end of puberty and when I finally admit who I am.  The church promoted and assisted me in keeping my secret.  Since I was a minister, I wasn’t expected to hit on women or be overtly sexual.  Therefore, I could easily keep my identity secret.  I also had the opportunity to express certain traits that are often thought of as feminine; like empathy, compassion and nurture.  These were all characteristics expected of a minister.  It was also easy to show affection in the church.  I was allowed to hug and hold everyone, men and women without being suspect. 

It took many years of prayer and Bible study for me to reach the conclusion that God was not going to change me and I should be free to be the person God designed me to be.  I first had to be willing to admit these things to myself, which had some fairly significant emotional consequences.  Then I had to find a way to admit my identity to others, which had an entirely different set of consequences.  The social stigma against homosexuals and overt prejudice remains powerful.

I found people who accepted and helped me.  Those who were the most accepting were not always the ones I expected to be accepting.  My mother was elderly when I came out, so she was at a point when her attitude was that the only thing that mattered was loving and being happy.  I have often found that elderly folks in church have fewer problems with gay people than those my own age.  Those who have learned to be confident in who they are tend to be able to accept the differences of others without fear.

The most exciting thing of all was to learn that, contrary to what much of the church believes, Jesus was radically inclusive.  While the church has persecuted those who are different, Jesus always defended the outcasts of society.  Two groups who were greatly despised by religious leaders of Christ’s day were tax collectors and prostitutes.  Today’s Gospel lesson quotes Jesus as saying to the religious leaders, “Truly, I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.”

I am not claiming that the secrets are even close to the same, but Jesus knew what it was like to have a secret identity that he was hesitant to let the public know about.  He was the messiah, the Christ, the chosen one of God.  There were times in his ministry of itinerant teaching when, if he had revealed his identity, the people may have revolted against Rome and used him as a rallying point for political revolution.  Jesus didn’t want to lead a populist political revolt, but during the period of time when he was popular, this very well could have happened if he had revealed his identity.  At other times, If Christ had revealed his identity people would have thought of him as a heretic and stoned him to death. 

He waited until just the right time in his life to reveal his identity.  Christians believe that the result of Christ’s coming out of the closet as the messiah was the fulfillment of his mission on earth.  Christ’s purpose was to give his life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.  I don’t think the sacrifice was to appease an angry God, but to be the perfect example of selflessness for us to follow, as well as proclaim without question the overwhelming acceptance of humanity by God.

Our epistle lesson from Philippians explains that Christ purposely did not exploit his equality with God, but instead he gave himself as a humble servant. Because he humbled himself and was obedient, the end result is that Christ is exalted as the Savior of the entire world for all time.  The lesson challenges us to humble ourselves and follow in his footsteps.

Like Jesus, those who are different must choose when to reveal our true nature to others.  It must be at a time when we have the courage to face the consequences.  Yet, there is no emotional or spiritual comparison to the wonderful freedom of truly being one’s self and accepting ourselves the way we are.  There are allies when we come out.  There are also those who continue to choose to persecute. 

The advantage to being out of the closet is that we put a human face with our minority status.  It is easy for many to condemn a concept or an unknown person, but when we live, work, and celebrate alongside someone different than ourselves, we come to learn that God has designed a wonderful panorama of humanity.  We can and should reach the place that we not only tolerate and accept the differences of others, but that we appreciate and celebrate those differences as well.  We are not quite there yet, but as more people find the courage to stop hiding in the closet there will be that many other people who will learn the ability to thank God for every unique person God has made.

Exodus 17:1-7

Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32

I had the thought this week that I will probably live at the same house I am in now for the rest of my life. Obviously I can’t predict the future and it is an unusual thought because I have already lived in this house with my husband longer than anywhere else I have ever lived.  I don’t know if I have moved more often than most other people.  As a child, we lived in various places, mostly in the City of Chicago, due to economic pressures.  My parents provided the best they could, and we lived in the places they could afford to rent.

As an adult, I moved every few years.  My more recent moves have been for various reasons.  I have moved because I couldn’t afford to stay in my current apartment.  I have moved because of relationship changes and because of job changes.  I have often moved thinking it was the direct will of God that I move to a new place.  Since Mark and I have been together, we have basically settled into a small house in an older neighborhood of Durham, North Carolina.

We’ve talked about moving before.  Sometimes we think we need more space because we have too much stuff stored in the attic.  At other times, we have felt a bit embarrassed because so many people we know live in larger homes in what are perceived to be nicer neighborhoods.  For the most part we always come back to the idea that we don’t need anything different than what we have, so we stay right where we are.

The reason I had the thought that I would likely never move is because I clicked on a web site that invited me to see how much of a mortgage I can afford.  It doesn’t surprise me that banks are in a great deal of trouble these days since the web site said I could afford twice the mortgage my checking account says I can afford.  Thus, I’ll just stay right where I am, with my comfortable mortgage, small house, and older neighborhood.

This week two of the United State’s largest financial institutions fell.  One was purchased by another bank, and the other declared bankruptcy.  The stock market followed with a huge drop in the average price of stocks, and the result is that the value of investments many of us have put away for retirement has diminished.  Yet another reason for us to just stay put, right where we are.

Jesus used everyday examples to teach timeless messages about God. Today’s Gospel lesson, for the nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, is the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard.   At first glance it is a parable about economics.  A landowner went out to hire day laborers to work his vineyard.  He hired some very early in the morning and others at two separate times during the day.  The landowner was very generous, so at the end of the day he paid everyone a full day’s wage, whether they had worked all day or not.

Some folks like to argue about the injustice of some people being paid more than others.  Critics have gone to the point of saying that this parable doesn’t belong in Scripture because it doesn’t fit with the concept of equality that the New Testament supports.  Others take the opposite view and say that Jesus supported injustice and therefore employers can pay their workers anything they want without concern about what is fair, equitable, or just. 

We need to remember that this was a parable.  It is a story used to reveal a truth.  It isn’t designed to be dogma about economics.  I believe that those who make these arguments are focused on the wrong character in the parable.  The most interesting issue here is the expectation of the workers.  Some thought they deserved more than others. They may have had this expectation for good reason, but the point of the parable is not justice, it is generosity. 

We make a great deal of social distinctions.  Many people like to measure themselves against others in various ways.  Yet, God is not limited to our sense of justice, for God is gracious and generous.  There are many who think they are very close to God, and measure God’s blessing by the wealth or power they have.  Some believe that they deserve more from God than others for one reason or another.  Perhaps they are very religious, or are very devoted to their doctrine.  Maybe they even think they are special because they persecute others they perceive to be “sinners.” Yet, God decides to be generous, above measure, to everyone.  Everything in life is a gift of God, and whether we have much or little we are still valuable to God. 

This parable is about a contrast between two sets of people. Some people feel that life and salvation are a pure and undeserved gift. Other people feel that life and salvation are earned by their good behavior and their right theology.  Some think that only heterosexuals can belong to God and there is no room in the church for sexual minorities.  In an unforgettable way, Jesus taught that everything in life is a gift. We, Christ’s followers, are to live with that awareness.

The fact that God generously loves us all means that we can have hope for the future.  Our Old Testament lesson reminds us that when the descendants of Israel complained about not having enough food God gave them bread and meat.  Our epistle lesson tells us that whether we live or die, we belong to God.  We cannot place our hope in belonging to the right church, believing the right doctrine, or having the best investments.  We can firmly place our hope in the generosity of God who will not leave us nor forsake us. 

Jesus turns the world upside down. “The exalted will be humbled and the humble will be exalted.” “The rich will be turned away and the poor will have good news preached to them.” “He has pulled down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up those of low degree.”  God persistently chooses the humble people of low degree rather than those who exalt themselves.  The eyes of God… are on those whose hope is in God’s unfailing love. (Psalm 33:18)

Exodus 16:2-15

Philippians 1:21-30
Matthew 20:1-16

Human history is filled with violence and blood. Many people appear to have the awful tendency toward acts that are not easy to forgive.  Not only do acts of treachery and violence come from those in power or those seeking it, sometimes the most debilitating of human offenses come from those within our own households. In the novel, Brethren Raised by Wolves,  W.A. Hoffman shares a story about an English Lord who exposes his young son to night after night of being beaten and raped by an older stronger cousin in order to help turn the boy away from his attraction to other boys.  The plan failed miserably and caused a lifetime of suffering and pain for all concerned.

What can we possibly do with the Pol-Pat’s, Hitlers, and Idi Amins of the world?  How can address the rapist who waits to pounce on his prey, or the child molester who watches the patterns of young children around him to decide which might be ripe for the taking.  The world can be an evil place.  How about the parent who betrays their young by putting them out on the street because they are gay or lesbian?  Or even the teacher who looks the other way while adolescents in the classroom are bullied and mistreated because of some perceived difference.  There appears to be no limit to the extent of human evil.

Jesus provides a response in the Gospel lesson for this eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost.  Jesus is asked the simple question, “If another sins against me, how often should I forgive, as many as seven times?”  Christ’s response was direct.  “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.”  Some translations read seventy seven times.  How often should we forgive? We forgive as often as we are offended.

Forgiveness is not a simple thing to do.  Often we may think we are forgiving, yet we harbor feelings within that cry out for vengeance.  My father and I didn’t get along well, to say the least.  As a teenager, He once told me, “You are a fat faggot.  Guys who like faggots don’t like fat ones, so I can’t wait until you’re eighteen so you have to leave the house and you’ll know what it is like to be alone.”  He was hateful.  He knew where to hit me the hardest.  The two things that challenged my identity the most as an adolescent was the fact that I was overweight and that I was queer.  He took them both on at the same time.  I didn’t wait until I was eighteen to leave his house; I was able to escape a couple years sooner.

Some time in my twenties I thought I had forgiven him.  We had a few civil conversations.  I visited my parents; once I traveled all night to help them when their home had burnt.  But I still had a great deal of strong feelings toward him.  I didn’t necessarily wish him harm, but I didn’t truly wish him well either.  When he died, I wanted to piss on his grave.  I didn’t.  Perhaps that is what forgiveness meant at that time.

It has taken years of help to overcome much that has its roots in my father.  Perhaps he is still much of the reason I can get a bit cynical and leery of authority figures. But, I think I understand more about him now.  In many cases he was simply doing the best he could with what he knew.  I’m not sure he had ever experienced love growing up.  Often, he was out of his mind with alcohol and couldn’t admit that his addiction had control of his life.  We are all limited to what nature and nurture have granted us.

Jesus asks us to forgive others.  It is interesting that he does not say that we should only forgive those who repent first.  Human nature tends to want others to show contrition and sorrow before we grant them forgiveness.  Jesus simply tells us to forgive.  We are not to expect that people do penance or make restitution, we are simply to forgive.  Forgiveness means giving up our feelings of indignation, resentment and anger toward those who may have hurt or offended us.

I don’t think that forgiveness is a one time event.  It isn’t something we simply decide or say and that makes it true forever.  Forgiveness is a lifestyle.  It means not keeping a list of the wrongs of others.  It means overlooking the faults of those who are selfish and self-centered.  It means we no longer ask for repayment.  There is no eye for an eye.  Instead we offer patience, acceptance and mercy to those around us.

God forgives us the same way.  God chooses to view humanity not as depraved, wicked, or evil, but as beloved, pure, and holy.   God continually offers grace and forgiveness, over and over again.  God chooses to judge us by the lovely attributes of humanity rather than the despicable attributes.

What happens if we fail to forgive?  When we do not practice forgiveness we pay the price ourselves.  It hurts to be unforgiving.  When we fail to forgive we open up emotional wounds within ourselves that can fester into lasting feelings of anger, bitterness, and even vengeance.  The failure to forgive keeps us bound and enslaved to the horrible wrongs that have been committed against us.  Forgiveness allows us to untie ourselves from the thoughts and feelings that keep us bound to the offenses we have suffered.

Forgiving is not the same thing as forgetting.  It is not condoning poor behavior.  It does not minimize or justify the wrong.  We do not remember the offense against someone, but we certainly do remember that the offense has taken place in order to protect ourselves and others from allowing the offense to be repeated.  Sometimes forgiveness means allowing the offender to be held accountable and removing ourselves from the situation.  This is particularly true of domestic violence.  Forgiveness does not mean staying with an abusive person.  It means holding that person responsible and loving one’s self enough to take appropriate care that it doesn’t happen again.

Jesus expects us to forgive, and it is a demanding expectation.  What do we do with those times when we are weak?  Our lesson from Romans provides the answer to that question.  Accept those who are weak, including our selves. God is able to take care of us as we are.

Exodus 12:1-14
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus told us to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44)  When we think of enemies, we often think of those we want to fight with.  On a national level, enemies are usually other nations or groups that have attacked our country or our allies.  Unfortunately, the response to violence is often violence.  Human beings have not yet learned the futility of war that Jesus preached. 

Jesus told us to love our enemies.  The rest of the world does not often see rich western nations as only going to war when attacked.  Instead, the history of empire building and colonialism brings an entirely different perspective to the use of military power over others.  Although I am a citizen of the United States, I am not blind to the fact that we have made many mistakes as a nation that have caused great harm and distress in the world.  I cannot rationalize the use of military force in Iraq.  I cannot justify how leaders can claim to be followers of Jesus and yet attack another country without provocation or apparent just cause.

Jesus told us to love our enemies.  We live in a world where enemies may be hard to define.  There are many reasons for division in the world.  Leaders make every excuse imaginable to consider certain people an enemy and others our friend, yet there is no clear indication as to how those decisions are made.   

Jesus told us to love our enemies. Enemies are not simply nations and groups.  Whether we like it or not, there are people around us who would like to have what we have.  Our society creates competition for jobs, wealth and even individual freedom.  While we may think our society is based on the ideal of everyone being equal, that is far from the truth.  In fact individuals and groups are manipulated to be at odds with one another so that the status quo is maintained.  Those who have wealth and power want to keep what they have and gain more wealth and power.  Often, this is done at the expense of others.

Jesus told us to love our enemies.  Our Epistle lesson from Romans chapter twelve shares what Paul considered to be practical ways of expressing love in our lives.  Be devoted to one another.  Love one another with mutual affection.  Honor one another above yourselves. Practice hospitality.  Share with one another.  Do not think of yourself too highly.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Jesus told us to love our enemies.  It is ironic that the followers of Jesus have not accepted this idea yet.  While Paul reminded us to bless our enemies; bless and do not curse, there are those who regularly curse those they disagree with.  I’m reminded of times when two people are celebrating their love toward one another by getting married and some who call themselves Christians decide to picket outside the event and curse them to hell, because the couple is the same sex.  How about funerals?  Surely that is a time when compassion can be displayed for the families of those who have lost a loved one.  Yet funerals of gay and lesbian people have had people outside screaming curses at those attending.  You might think a church service would be sacred, but I have gone to church and had people outside saying that the church is an abomination and cursing with words like, “God hates fags.” 

Jesus told us to love our enemies.  I often wonder what an individual is thinking when he stands on the street and condemns by shouting curses.  I asked one such minister at a Pride Rally last year what he thought he was accomplishing.  His only response was that God had told him to come and say what he was saying.  We were able to have reasonable discourse for a few minutes, but when he felt like he may not keep control of the conversation and others were listening, he immediately went back to yelling curses at the person next to me to the extent that the police had to escort him away.

Jesus told us to love our enemies.  Not long ago I attended the NC Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.  Once again, there were some of those who call themselves Christian outside with a large sign reading “Turn or Burn”.  Several others had signs with various words of condemnation.  One man stood there holding a Bible and screaming to those walking into the theatre that they were bound for Hell.  I’m not sure who he thought he might convince, or what kind of benefit he received from such disgraceful behavior.

Jesus told us to love our enemies.  It is amazing how easy it is to forget the commandment to love.  Many people perceive Christians to be cruel and selfish rather than kind and loving.  The same people who say the U.S. is a Christian nation are the ones who call for us to attack other countries without provocation.  Those who claim they love God often show hatred for those who are different. 

Jesus told us to Love our enemies.  Today’s lesson from Matthew reminds us to take up our cross and follow Christ.  I don’t think that means putting on a necklace shaped like a cross.  I also don’t think Matthew meant that everyone is called to be physically crucified.  Matthew does call us to give of ourselves to others.  To take up our cross means to sacrifice our selfishness for the sake of those around us.  We can be spiritually crucified with Christ by refusing to give in to our human nature which wants to curse rather than bless. 

Jesus told us to love our enemies.  I don’t always know what it means to love our enemies.  I don’t think we should repay evil for evil, but it is not always easy to repay evil with good.  When I have been cursed by others I have at times been able to have a reasonable discourse about our disagreement.  At other times, I have tried to be reasonable, but was not successful in getting the other person to join the conversation.  Often the very best I can do is keep my mouth shut and not respond at all.  Not to mention all the times when I have miserably failed to be gracious.

We must cling what is good and refuse to accept evil.  We do not have to agree on everything, nor do we have to tolerate injustice without response.  Instead, we can love our enemies by having peaceful and respectful discourse, while at the same time praying and advocating for the love of God to overcome the hate.    

Exodus 3:1-15

Romans 12:9-21
Matthew 16:21-28