Taxes and tithes

 We all complain about the taxes that we are required to pay. We all complain about the amount of money that the local council demands from us in rates. After all even Christ suggests that we should give to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar (Mtt. 22.17-22). We all give generously to the needs of our clubs and societies to which we belong whether it be the Embroider's Guild, the Art Appreciation Society, Rotary or some other group such as the Golf Club, etc. The difference being the fact that we want to do those things that we belong to and we moan about anything imposed on us by "authority". Let us just think about this in a different manner. What would happen if we did not pay our taxes as a collective, our rates and our club dues? What difference would it make to anything if we did not give?

In looking at the situation from this viewpoint we automatically see that things would start to become significantly problematical for us. Let's use the council rates as an example. If I was the Council and did not receive what was asked what would happen. Well perhaps, one could start by withdrawing services, no rubbish collection for that household. Any repairs to roadways outside the house be put off. Perhaps spend a little less on the upkeep of the local park, the local services (library, sport venue, etc). We soon see that there is an inconvenience placed on the householder that begins to affect the neighbour and then ultimately the community as resources keep on being diverted away from the area in which the house is situated. We can obviously take the implications of this on to the larger problematic of taxes to the Federal government with the resultant consequences. I am sure that Christ was equally aware of these same consequences in his era and the time. Our society and our community does not depend purely and simply on goodwill. At some point in the complexity of society there has to be a means of ensuring that essential works are undertaken. By choice we make this an issue of financial return.

Are we paying tax or tithing or both?

It can be seen that we would also be breaking the commandment of love of neighbour should we be so neglectful in our duties. The same applies at the lower level of clubs and social societies as these would inevitably fold should there be a lack of income to pay for their modest upkeep and continuance. This situation equally applies to the Church as without income there is a challenge in terms of material continuance in a specific place. In the absence of such income there would necessarily be a downgrading of services and structure in any locality. However, for the Christian church there is a further obligation (Mtt. 22.21b). Here, Christ is referencing the tithe that goes back to Abram's interaction with Melchizedek (Gen. 14.20) that amounts to 10 percent. A tithe that was to be made for the making of wholeness (Holy) in ones life (Deut. 12.5-6). This tithe was used for doing God's will making justice, righteousness and peace something that in times past was undertaken by the Church not the government. So what is our response. Usually towards those structures that move towards justice and relief of poverty which is not always the Church. It is towards making life holy and in conformance with God's love.

So we have two obligations as members of the faith community to which we belong the tithe that must go towards making our lives and the lives of our community. Restoring justice, alleviating poverty, care for the aged and the vulnerable and creating communities of peace. This can be through our faith community or through our actions. This is our obligation to God. Our second responsibility is towards our structures, our services and our faith home; this is the obligation to Caesar. We forget either and we forget that we are a community. We either forget our holiness or we forget our need to build community.

Accepting the invitation

 I remember when my daughter was younger, she had an invitation to go to a get together with "mates".  She was not sure whether they were going or had pulled out, did not want to bother her Dad if it was going to be a non-event, had no way of contacting the others (surprising in this day and age of instant comms) and all the other incipient anxieties that many of us have experienced one way or the other. Who hasn't? The invitation says 6.00 for 6.30 and no one is outside at 6.05. Do we dress or do we go casual? Anxieties that are so common place for some that they are really only irritants. We boldly go with what we think is the correct response. So what if we are early. Perhaps we can ask to look inside if our friends cannot be seen outside. These are easy response to soothe the troubled mind. What if the questions are of a bigger or rather greater nature? The Israelites were waiting for Moses and were filled with the same fears (Ex. 32.1-14) and in Isaiah there is a sense of this waiting and expectancy (Is. 25.6-9). The Israelites had an invitation from God but were waiting for him. Their fears were expressed in the form of an alternative to God, the golden calf, as God did not appear to be with them at the time.

Those that were invited in Christ's parable (Matt. 22.1-14) find themselves trying desperately to get out of going. If we worry about the minor details we are also prone to saying yes as a matter of politeness knowing that we will not turn up for the event in any case. We have no qualms about this. We want the person to know that we are friends but are really not wishing to be put out. It is we that matter not anything else. We are invited by Christ to form a relationship with Christ and with God and just like those other invitations we accept out of politeness. To be honest means that we have to change our lives and centre God above everything else. It is like changing our clothes to go out to that gathering to which we have been invited. Indeed, changing our clothes is perhaps easier than changing our lives for Christ.  Often we pretend, as its easier to wear an appearance than it is to make an inward change.

Is it an invitation you can refuse?

The invitation we accept but have no intention of going to. The social grace of the appearance of intentionality in attending rather than the actuality of attending. If we were to truly accept then our lives may actually be changed. The invitation that we actually accept and participate in is the one that changes our lives totally. Even when we have our last minute doubts outside the venue or whether our friends are actually going to be there. In loosing heart at the last minute we condemn ourselves just as much as when we chicken out with a polite acceptance that means nothing. We find other things to attract our attention and divert them away from God / Christ, just like the golden calf. If we are to be honest with ourselves our whole life should be different to the one we have accepted as we pretend to live as Christ has invited us to do. The abundant life that is Christ has been subverted by structure that is in place for our convenience. We have had innumerable opportunities through out the ages to make changes in how we live our lives in Christ. Each time we have been invited out of our own lives and out of the lives we have made for ourselves we become frightened. We are like those that sit outside the venue debating as to whether anyone else is going to turn up. If we do not see our friends we turn away.  We use any excuse to drive away and do it ourselves. We find any excuse, rules, regulations, societal pressures to not attend or accept the invitation honestly. Australia has refused the invitation to change itself and has allowed the fear to come in so that it can build its own golden calf of shame to worship.

We are invited into abundant life in Christ. We are invited to love God and our neighbours (the other whom we often fear) as our selves. At what point are we going to see that acceptance means change. It means a move away from our own self indulgences into a more permanent life that is filled with the abundance that comes with the grace of God. It means a move away from petty cruelty of lost invitations and moments to a life filled with God's presence and opportunities. It means a fulfilment of our desires without the worry and struggle that comes with the task of doing it ourselves. So when will you truly accept Christ's invitation?

Obedience to authority

 Promise keeping in today's world does not rate that highly. The old adage that you are as good as your word does not resonate well in business circles with its unending demand for contracts and legally binding clauses to keep everyone doing the things that they promise to do. Looking at Christ's parable of the two sons (Matt. 21.28-32) seems to indicate that this was the case even way back then. The Prophet Ezekiel brings this out when God promises a change in the way sin works (Ez. 18.1-4). What promises do we find hard to complete and what promises do we find easy? It really depends on our attitude as does everything we do in terms of our Christian walk. The attitude is brought out in Christ's parable supremely well. It is not just about doing but also about doing for the right reasons and in obeyance of God.

Our promise keeping is desultory at best non existent at worst. We require of ourselves written contracts to maintain the promises we keep. Even when we are considering our bond to a person for life we hesitate and hesitate until we become content in a less formal relationship. We are unable to make the commitment of a promise to a person we wish to live our lives with. Either because of legality or because we are too scared to make that commitment. We promise our children the earth but force them to undertake a style of education that is better suited to 100 years ago than to a world that has changed.  We make a commitment to our faith at baptism and again at confirmation only to find ourselves breaking those very promises each time we turn around. We are happy to make voluntary commitments if it does not inconvenience our life style or what we believe should be the manner in which we live.  The leaders of the temple were the same they had a viewpoint that was from a theological perspective, which was in keeping with how things were buried in the past and not a view of God's promise and future. Christ challenges them to have an alternative view of God and not being able to in their pride and ambition they condemn and judge. This seems to be a perennial problem for us as we pride ourselves on our own knowledge and have ambitions about surpassing others that means we look for opportunities to further ourselves. Our own self esteem is more important to us then any other thing. Education is about ensuring that others achieve knowledge so that they can assist and help others not to empower themselves. We enable others in their faith journey by opening their eyes not to our understanding but to the presence of God in their midst. It is not sufficient for us as Christians to be ambitious for ourselves but rather we need to be ambitious for our neighbours so that we can enable them in the path towards God.

Are we obedient and good at promise keeping?  Which dog are we?

We break our promise to God each and every time we fail to stand up for someone who is less fortunate then ourselves. Like the first son who promises to work the fields and then goes to his pleasures we often neglect that which God demands of us.  We place our own selfish desires before the obedience to a promise we have made in our baptism and confirmation. We often do this in small things, neglect of our community, for our own pride and vanity. Unlike more indigenous cultures who are brought up to place community first we who pride ourselves in following Christ place ourselves first.  It is the humbleness of heart that allows us to give to the other that which we want that sets us apart from everyone else.  Christ shows us the way by stating the position of the second son.  We can renege, if we are honest, but that very honesty allows us to turn around to find the grace and assist. In acknowledging Christ in our hearts we mirror his giving in our lives.

Part of our promise keeping and obedience to God is to be honest in all our undertakings in God's name.  Christ critiqued the institutional church much to their chagrin in many ways.  In doing so Christ enabled others to see the true face of a compassionate God in their lives.  Whilst we strive to do God's will within our structures it is often more important to be honest with our own obedience.  This means that we may be at odds with what is perceived to be unwarranted promise breaking within our own structures.  Yet, in order to fulfil God's commands we need to ensure that our own promises and our own commitments are true.  We need to be involved with and committed in our time, our giving and our obedience to God's will.