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.

I want trumps I need or does it

 One of the quirks, if you will, about living in South Africa was the ability to hire labour on the street corner. You had to be careful as to who you obtained. If you were lucky or competent and fair in your negotiations the probability existed that you could come away with a good worker. To me this is very reminiscent of the parable that is told in Matthew's gospel (20:1-16). At the end of the day the process was about ascertaining the needs and wants of those looking for employment. Some may have needed to work and were not that fussed as to what they obtained. These were the first ones often to hop on board the tradies ute for the day knowing that they would obtain some money at the end of the day. Others wanted to find a more permanent arrangement and were content to sit back and wait for opportunity to come their way.

We are often to focused on our needs rather than on those things we think are beyond us but that which we want. Obviously, our needs often or should often come before those things we want. Yet when we look at Maslow's pyramid we can see that the next step is moving towards our wants because in reality what we want or desire is at the top of the hierarchy. In Jonah, the prophet wanted something but the needs of Ninevah's population were paramount in the Lord's eyes (Jonah 3.10-4.11). It can also be seen in better perspective in the Exodus story, set for today, as the Israelites move further and further into the wilderness. Their daily needs are being met but they yearn for what they had and therefore want more. God has given and fulfilled their basic desire that of being free but because they have been used to a certain level of comfort and fulfilment in Egypt they now complain that they are not getting the food. God overlooks their complaints and through grace God gifts them with manna and quails, bread and meat (Ex. 16:2-13). These are the basic staples of our initial needs when starting out from bigotry, persecution and slavery: freedom, food and shelter. These are the fundamentals of hospitality as we care for the other. In looking beyond our initial needs we move towards our desires and wants, hopefully with gratitude to those who have provided our initial requirements.

Is it just a question of our need or is it a result of the others need being fulfilled first?

However, our desire to get more than what we thought was adequate is an old part of human nature that sits at the pit of our hearts waiting to come forth. The first laborers were having their needs met with an ironclad contract to work for wages. This is often sufficient for most people as our daily need is being fulfilled. However, when we see others gaining from, in our view, benefits that we have also been contracted for we see that as unjust and wish to complain. In a similar way Jonah makes his complaints against God's actions rather than seeing beyond his own desires (Jonah 3.10-4.11). We then begin to want what the other has for it is the next step beyond our needs. The desire and jealous rage, which arises within our hearts, turns our thoughts away from what we have actually promised to undertake. We grasp for what we initially thought was beyond us but now find is unavailable. Often in the African situation the same thing occurred so that when you went back to pick up the contracted labourer you would find others trying desperately to displace him. It is only when we see that our wants can be catered for that we begin to loose what we have asked for. Yes, there is the sense of generosity from the landowner who hires the labourers in the first place but there is more then generosity here over and above the obvious needs and wants debate.

The landowner has seen something beyond the individual. We constantly see the individual here as the beneficiaries of the generosity of the landowner but what of the community? At the heart of the story is not the compassion and grace of the landowner for the individual but the understanding that these are the needy within the community who are receiving justly according to their needs. We do not see the backstory of each of those who are looking for work, we assume laziness rather than seeking alternative possibilities. In a rural community households who are just holding it together often have additional duties / chores that need to be undertaken that are more important than work for these are needs beyond finance. We forget that often other's needs come first such as the old and infirm, the sick and the desperate, the young and the widow. In our modern world we pack them of to institutions to look after so that we can forget them and cater for our own needs and wants. Who fulfilled these duties in an impoverished community other than the single wage owner or the healthy individual who then comes late looking for resources to care for the other. The landowner sees this and rewards them according to their deeds not just on the farm and in the harvest but in building the relationships of community.

Forgiveness - a process not an instant

We all know what forgiveness looks like, even if we do not wish to entertain it when things go against us. Peter asks how many times to forgive and Christ ripostes with a parable (Matt. 18.21-35). This hard response is what we consider to be forgiveness. The ability to give a person the benefit of the doubt and to ignore the hurt to ourselves. Or at least subsume it in a way that will not effect our own psyche. To reach out in a loving manner knowing that it hurts to embrace someone who has wronged us and is capable of re-offending, time and time and time again. What about the person who has done the wrong thing or voiced the wrong concerns or demeaned the other and thus requires forgiveness? Is there something here in this action of this person that requires us to rethink ourselves, for it is us we are referring to when we are in the wrong as much as the other? Forgiveness also has to rise within our own selves when we are that person who is acting so against Christ and not loving as we should.

We are so guilty, especially in the small things in life, let alone the greater. How many times I wonder do people complain about others, in a faith setting, when it comes to the contribution that they are making? or perhaps when things do not go quite the way we want them to and we lash out at authority simply to rid ourselves of our own frustrations? We are so judgemental of those around us that we forget to look closely at ourselves. Paul in his letter to the Romans makes this clear (Rom. 14.1-14) and yet we are still so dreadful at fulfilling our obedience in Christ that we blame everyone else. We are asked to give of ourselves. We are not asked to make a judgement on whether others are doing the right or wrong thing in the eyes of God. Yet, we so often do, we make judgement calls on what everyone around us should or should not be doing. We do not respect other's decisions with regard to what God has asked of them but wish to impose what we think they ought to do. Or more often what we think God wants them to do. We often make decisions for others because 'we know them' rather than allowing them to make their own decisions. We often assume a response rather than allowing others to express a response. Even a negative response is a response that needs to be taken seriously.

When we begin to forgive ourselves we shatter the chains that bind us

Once we begin to look closely at our actions we then need to actually begin the process of forgiveness by loving ourselves. In the acknowledgement of our judgementalism we begin to see our own interactions in the light of God's love. We begin to understand that God has called us out of our own slavery to the hubris, pride and sin of thinking that we are up there with God. In beginning to understand our own faults and loving ourselves we begin the process of redemption. Just as the Joseph's family had to trust in God fully and understand that Joseph did not desire retribution but understood God's purposes of forgiveness by seeing the long trajectory of God's plans (Gen. 50.15-21). Only when we truly surrender to what God requires of us we will be able to give to the extent that God requires. By giving way our judgements we allow God to judge. By allowing God to flow into our lives we are able to allow our love to flow into the things we give.

In asking how many times to forgive we forget that each time it means that we have to (for)give our selves. We also need to be strong enough to stand up and state the truth of our forgiveness / God's demands even if we are afraid of reprisal from those around us. We need to have the humility to accept God's wishes and give ourselves fully.  It is we who are so often on the wrong side of Christ that need to learn how to forgive our own selves before we begin to turn to others in hope of their forgiveness.

Sacrificing for God

 The passage from Romans (Rom 13.1-10) has Paul telling us to be submissive to the authority of governments and those who have a valid authority over us.  This is a fine sentiment but when it comes in a time when our authorities appear to have no sense of justice or enabling peace we doubt the wisdom of this course of action. Yet, for us this is a point that we need to ponder especially when that authority asks us to give taxes, financial support, etc to the rule of law. As Christians are we right to withhold such things if the financial offerings are not going towards the cause of justice and righteousness?  We may say yes and others would say but hang on we all live in this world and some of the money is being used correctly and so we should go with the benefit of the doubt. What pertains to the wider community also pertains to the smaller communities that make up our society. How can we ensure that justice and righteousness prevails within our faith community if we are not brave enough to stand up for what God wants?

In Matthew's gospel Christ speaks about going after the one rather than the many (Matt. 18.12-14). We have a greater tendency in our lives at both the societal level and the faith level to turn towards the majority rather than going out of our way for the minority or even the embattled singleton. Either that or we overlook the faults in one rather than looking to those who suffer as a result of power. In the one case we render to the will of a large group what may be undeserving and in the latter we submit in fear to the implied power of a minority, which is the reverse of what following Christ implies. Quite often our decision is based on fear which has been provoked by those with power who stoke that fear for their own purposes as we can see in the current dialogue around the Voice referendum. We are asked to render to those in need not to those who have or to a status quo.  Our sacrifice in terms of money, power, time, etc is for the benefit of those who are unworthy in our eyes but are worthy in the eyes of God. It means going out of our way to respond to those in need over and above our own.

Opening ourselves up to God allows a small ripple on the face of creation

In making our wants into the wants of God we are not submitting ourselves before God but rather placing ourselves on the pedestal to try and emulate God. We know best. In coming to render to Caesar within our parish or faith lives we surrender to those whom we believe have power and not to God. In submitting, we should submit to what God is asking of us not what others are asking. God takes our lives and asks us to reach out in compassion and justice to those around us. But it means submitting to God's asking.  In rendering our obligations both financial and service we render them to God and ask God to do with them as God wills not as we will. God asks us to lay our lives on the line and go out of our way to assist those who are weaker and more lost then ourselves. God does not ask us to look after the 99. We reach out our hands here today to receive the sacrament of God's flesh and blood to strengthen us so that we may give to God that which God asks for. So what obligations are placed upon us at this moment of receiving?

It means a burden that is more than we think we can bear. It means losing those things that we want and allowing those things that God wants. It means fulfilling the obligations that are laid upon us, through our faith in God and our belonging to a faith community. It means that the community of God comes before our own needs and it means sacrificing our ideals for the ideals of God. Only then can we truly say that we have fulfilled what Paul would have us do and what Christ commands us to do, so that there may be rejoicing in God's presence and here in our lives. At the end of the day it means that our small decision to reach across the divide has a ripple effect on our community and our society.

God - permanent and impermanent

 Jeremiah (15.15-21) laments his relationship to God and his ongoing suffering as part and parcel of this uncertain understanding of God's presence. In the Exodus reading set for today the classic interpretational issue which has been debated in both Jewish and Christian scripture, God's response to Moses, "I am / I shall be what / that I am / shall be" (Ex. 3:14). What does God's response in terms of name mean let alone the uncertainty of Jeremiah?  This interpretive conundrum is not really one that can be answered, I suspect, in any form of certainty as all responses have a validity when it comes to God. However, we can make our own interpretive guesses both as theologians and as ordinary people, depending on our interest and education. In the midrashes there are a number of interesting points that can be raised both psychological and spiritual that have an effect on the ongoing interpretation of the Exodus story. Perhaps the most important, at least of equal importance to other interpretations, is the underlying understanding of permanence that is created in the translation of the Hebrew words at this point.

It is important for us to remember that translation and interpretation are not one and the same. It is also important to note that these initial settings come at the start of a dialogue that frames both Jeremiah's ongoing relationship with God as a person who is sitting in suffering and Moses' ongoing relationship with God as a person. God's relationship with Moses, in some sources Moses is the writer/represented by, is deepened in the book of Job which in turn relates in a profounder way to Jeremiah's situation. Whilst there is an understanding of permanence to God's presence there is also an understanding that this is based on trial and not just peace. It is the constancy of God's presence in the face of an ongoing presence of slavery and imprisonment, disaster and exclusion implicit in the wording and the request. This is the burden we bear (Matt. 16:24) as it is often our own selves that creates the burden which is ours in these often uncertain times. Our self doubts prevent us from discovering God in the midst of adversity much like the Israelites and Moses and even Jeremiah. In taking up the cross we take up Christ's burden for the other and we look not at ourselves but at the other in community. In doing so we begin to feel God's presence with us easing the burdens that we have or are laying down. This enables us to do what Paul asks his recipients to do in the letter to the Romans (12:9-21).

In the impermanence of  life we see seeds of the permanence of love

The practicality of our ministry to others in times of adversity is often something we struggle with in our lives. We are assailed by our own uncertainties, which cause us to enable, rather than dis-able, the destruction of our communities through bias, hatred and our own prejudices of those who are different to our self understanding. Paul, at the start of the Romans' passage (12:10b), states the obvious but necessary way forward. The norm for society is to suggest that we are better than the other and to look down upon those who do not subscribe to our own pet desires and understandings. Whether we are the Shreveport shooter, Indigenous person or a regional farmer we each believe that we are better in our lives than those around us. The culture we live in brings us to this belief through our normal jokes, sly remarks and disparaging of those from outside the community. Whether those are age old Irish put downs or more recent remarks about Russians or Muslims. We need to remind ourselves that each person is created in the image of God. Speaking in terms of the legacy of formalised prejudice the "Arch" (Archbishop Tutu) suggests that in accepting someone for something they can do nothing about, being a woman, whilst at the same time not accepting someone for the same reason, skin colour, ethnicity, etc, then we are extreme hypocrites. If we cannot accept the other from outside the community than how can we accept the other because they have lived in the community. We love each person for who they are, even in the worst of circumstances, with respect and gratitude. 

Impermanence is often a constant in today's world as we are constantly evolving and changing but in our understanding of God we should see the permanence of the presence of love. We draw alongside those who are in difficulty and struggle just as God drew alongside the people of Israel in the midst of slavery and exile. This is not a temporary measure, something that is given away once they are free from their struggle, but a permanent understanding much as God's presence is permanent in our continued struggles. Too many times in recent years and months the Church has offered God's love with one hand but then turned its back on those that are in fear and suffering in the long term. If we are to mirror God's presence then we as a faith community in the impermanence of today's society with its constant call to go beyond that which we are comfortable with must remain consistent and permanent in the lives of our communities. Just as God is permanent and consistent in the life of the faith community. Treating everyone with a mind turned towards justice, love and acceptance rather than one dependant upon our own prejudices and ideas borne out of an earlier generations' fear.