October 5th, 2008

 

POWER – MONEY – SEX

 

SERMON PREACHED BY FR. TONY NOBLE ON OCTOBER 5^th, 2008

                                                  

Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

 

Power, money, sex!

 

At our Friday Bible study when we looked at the Sunday readings, I said to the group that if I began my sermon with these words – I would have your attention immediately!   And I see that I have J

 

You may be wondering, of course, what on earth were the Bible study group discussing, to mention these three things. It was because I stated that these were the three great temptations of the clergy.

 

Of course not only clergy are tempted by them. But these are the three things that undermine the witness and integrity of a priest or bishop, and do so much harm to the image of Christ and his Church. And we can see each of them in today’s readings.

 

The first reading (Isaiah 5:1-7) is the love song of the vineyard, also taken up by the Psalm. The Old Testament portrays the covenant in images of love. Isaiah says that Israel rejected God’s love – and in an extreme way. “He looked for justice, but, behold bloodshed.”   They forsook God’s Laws – just as a husband might be unfaithful to his wife.

 

In the second reading (Philippians 3: 14-21) Saint Paul criticizes the members of that Church. Here we have an image of the second temptation – money. ”Their God is the belly”, he says, “with minds set on earthly things.”   The things of this world – material possessions and having a good time – had tempted them away from Christ.

 

Finally, in our Gospel reading (Matt 21: 33-43) we have a parable about power.   When we look at this story we see an obvious meaning.

 

A house-holder plants a vineyard. In keeping with Isaiah 5, the vineyard is obviously Israel. The tenants are the leaders and the servants sent to the vineyard are the Old Testament Prophets.

 

The tenants wanted the vineyard for themselves – wanted the power that it gave.   More servants were sent – more Old Testament Prophets – who were beaten, or stoned, or killed.   Finally he sent his son.

 

This is the story of how the Old Testament is taken over by the New Testament.   As Saint Paul says in Galatians 4.4, “In the fullness of time, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law”.

 

But the tenants do not respect him. They kill him, thinking they can have his inheritance. Now we don’t want to take this story too literally – but Jesus is obviously the owner’s son, killed by the authorities.

 

This is underlined by the reference to Psalm 118.22-23: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes”.

 

This refrain is used all through Easter as a proclamation of the Resurrection.   Jesus was rejected and crucified, but then he rose from the dead and became the cornerstone of a living temple.

 

This same message of things being turned upside down is the message of new life from death – of Jesus’ triumph and victory.

 

The parable is also a warning of the dangers of power.

 

Those who rejected the son and killed him are the same as those who rejected Jesus and killed him. And they were the Ecclesiastical authorities – the guardians of the faith – the keepers of the flame.

 

We can see this as a parable of our own times. Every Rector, every Bishop, every Church convention, every member of the hierarchy and Church machinery, must beware of the temptation of power.

 

But not only in the Church.  

 

In the elections for a new president in four weeks all the candidates have to heed this warning. To hold power in the most powerful nation on earth is to be powerful indeed.

 

As always, it is how power is used that is important.   It applies to the president, the congress, the mayor, the bishop, and your Rector.

 

Indeed those three deadly temptations of power, money, and sex, are ONLY temptations.  The point is how we use them.

 

As Saint Paul says to the Philippians, when they become OUR god – then we are enemies of the Cross of Christ. 

 

This is an extreme phrase from Saint Paul.

 

The Cross of Christ is at the centre of the Christian faith – why would we want to be enemies of that?

 

As the Gospel story illustrates, the Cross was a great sacrifice at a solemn cost. But through it Jesus won the victory over sin and death.

 

The Cross is now the means of reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace.  

 

Who would want to be an enemy of that?