Loving God, you call us to grow up into Christ by the power of your Holy Spirit. Make that same Spirit active among us this day, teaching us to think and to do what is right, and renewing our hearts and our spirits; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Imagine, for just a moment, that you are a chief priest, or a scribe, or an elder in Jerusalem. You are in charge of the temple and are in a position of respect and authority. You uphold the law - the Torah - and make sure that worship and sacrifices at the temple happen in an orderly fashion.

Then along comes Jesus - some kind of rabbi from a little place called Nazareth. He rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, and allows people to sing his praises, crying "Hosanna to the Son of David!" (Mt. 21) Then he comes into the temple and throws everything into an uproar. He drives out the moneychangers and the people selling doves for sacrifices. Whenever he's challenged he responds with the words of Scripture. He heals the blind and the lame in the temple - people who have never been allowed into the temple, ever since the time of David (2 Sam. 5:8; Lev. 21:16-20). He even allows children to cry out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David" - and then defends them with Scripture!

Here you are - a religious leader - and seemingly powerless to do anything about this Jesus. Of course you're going to ask Jesus where he gets his authority from! "Who gave you permission to do these things in God's temple?" However, the way in which Jesus answers this question damages your credibility even further. He answers your question with a question (typical rabbi!) and asks you where the baptism of John came from. Was it of human origin, or from God?

No matter which answer you give, you're going to lose face. If you say it was of human origin, you're in danger of starting a riot. If you say it was from God, then you're already a hypocrite, because of course you didn't feel any need to be baptized by John. And even if you say you don't know, what kind of a religious leader doesn't know if somebody's authority comes from God or not? Jesus has just trampled on your authority once again.

It's not that Jesus sets out to intentionally trample on anybody. It's simply that keeping the religious leaders happy isn't very high on Jesus' priority list. If he has to choose between people shouting out the truth as he rides into Jerusalem or keeping a low profile so as not to trample on anybody's ego, he's going to choose shouting out the truth. If he has to choose between following the laws about keeping blind and lame people out of the temple or bringing them into God's house in order to heal them, he's going to choose to heal those people and bring them into God's presence. If he has to choose between keeping children quiet in the temple or allowing them to shout out the truth, he's going to choose shouting out their praises!

What is important to Jesus is not keeping everybody happy, but living out his identity as Son of God and Son of Man. As he does so, he breaks down a lot of barriers, welcoming people who have always been considered to be unacceptable, and ignoring the religious laws that are of human origin, and not from God. This brings us to the parable that Jesus tells in today's gospel about the two sons, which also asks what is most important.

The basic question seems to be which is more important: what we say or what we do. However, ultimately the two things need to go together. The truth is that neither of the sons in the parable does the will of his father. The first son publicly shames his father by refusing to obey him. Then privately he goes and does exactly what he was asked to do. The second son puts on a good show and publicly honours his father's request. However, privately he doesn't follow through on what he said he was going to do. Wouldn't the father have been angry about the conduct of both sons?

Yet, those who have been listening to this parable are of the opinion that the first son came closest to doing the will of his father. Of course, then the connection is made to the tax collectors and the prostitutes, who initially said "no" to God but have had a change of heart. The religious leaders, on the other hand, still need this change of heart, for they have seen what has happened both with John the Baptist and with Jesus, and yet refuse to believe.

The recurring theme in today's readings is a change of heart - a change of mind - a new spirit - a change in what we care about (Mt. 21:32; Ezek. 18:31; Phil. 2:5). Really, is there anybody who doesn't need this change of heart? It is true that we might not see ourselves as very similar to the tax collectors and the prostitutes whom Jesus speaks about. We also might not feel that we are much like the religious leaders. Yet, have any of us been fully transformed so that we now have the mind of Christ? Or do we continue to grow up into Christ?

From today's gospel and the events that happened just before it, we can ask ourselves if we would be particularly upset by miracles interrupting our worship and children shouting out praises to God. Jesus wasn't. Would we be upset by people with physical disabilities coming into the church or by former prostitutes or thieves or traitors in our midst? Jesus wasn't. Would we be more concerned about saying the right thing, doing the right thing, or totally changing what we care about the most?

Of course, we also have a description in Philippians of what it means to have the mind of Christ. Humility, a willingness to serve, and obedience to the will of God are lifted up as the primary characteristics of Jesus. Those who emulate his example will also have encouragement, compassion, sympathy and love for the people around them. If we have the mind of Christ there is no room for conceited behaviour or for putting our own interests ahead of the interests of others. Our job is not to say what's wrong with others, but to look in others for what is better than ourselves. This is what it means to have the mind of Christ.

I don't know about you, but I'm still growing. My sinful human nature still creeps in and opposes the Spirit of God. This is why there is a constant need for renewal, and for confession and forgiveness, and for a new heart and a new spirit. Yet, God is at work in me. I have been made his very own in baptism, and God has given me the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is by the power of that same Spirit that God enables me both to will and to do what is right (Phil. 2:13). It is by the power of that same Spirit that I continue to grow up into Christ and to be renewed in mind and in heart.

The call of God that is extended to each of us today is to continue to change what we care about - to change what we are most concerned about. Do we value the treasures of this world, or the heavenly treasures? Do we belong first to our own families or to the family of God? Do we value looking good, or actually being good? Do we look to our own righteousness for our salvation, or do we know that we are saved only by the grace of God? Do we spend our time looking out for number one, or looking out for the welfare of others? Do we build up our own egos, or approach both others and God with the humility that says that we don't know everything about everything?

In the words of Ezekiel 18:31, "get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!" May it be the mind of Christ that is found in us, as we continue to learn and to grow in God's way. Amen.

Proper 21(A) Matthew 21:23-32
September 25, 2005 Philippians 2:1-13
St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore
? 2005 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved