The Unusual Path to Greatness

4th Sunday in Lent

The Unusual Path to Greatness

Text:  Matthew 20:17-28

Reality TV is ruining our country. That’s probably not a surprising or controversial statement. It seems pretty obvious that Reality TV is causing a lot of problems.

The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are ruining the way Americans think about dating and love and marriage. There is very little on those shows that would be considered God-pleasing love or relationships.

Celebrity reality shows are ruining the way we think about our lives. When we see the homes and cars celebrities have and the carefree, lawless lives that celebrities live, all we do is crave things we cannot and will not ever have.

Reality game shows are ruining our work ethic. People think that they can just sing in front of a famous judge on American Idol or X-Factor or The Voice, or dance on So You Think You Can Dance, or present your business on Shark Tank and you’ll get the golden ticket to fame and fortune. Rather than putting in all the blood, sweat, and tears to work toward your dreams, people think they can get in front of someone famous and take the easy way to success.

Now it is certainly nice that certain people “get a shot” in life, like the small town Texas girl that might win American Idol. But for that one person that wins a reality show there are tens of thousands that do not win. It’s always humorous, yet somewhat annoying, to watch people’s pride on these TV shows when they don’t win. Most contestants feel like they deserve to win. They’ve been waiting. Their life has been tough. They need this. Then it’s even more humorous, and more annoying, to watch the people who can’t sing or can’t dance but think they really can. They get cut from the show and they blow up in anger because they really are great and they really deserve a chance and they really should be winners. Really?

That’s Not Fair!

17th Sunday after Pentecost

That’s Not Fair!

Text: Matthew 20:1-16

I.

That’s Not Fair!  We’ve been slaving away all day long!  We started working at the break of dawn at 6:00 am.  We’ve put in over 10 hours of work.  We poured out sweat as the sun beat down on our bodies.  Our hands and our joints are aching from grueling work.  Our hands and our feet are stained with grape juice.  We did our job faithfully and dutifully.  We worked hard.  We smell like dirty tunics and we look like filthy pigs.  And you’re telling us that you’re going to pay them the same amount that you pay us?  That guy didn’t even start until 9:00am!  That guy started after lunch!  And that guy only worked one hour today!  You’re going to pay us all the same?  That’s Not Fair!

The outrage of the workers in Jesus’ parable is understandable.  Working a vineyard was no cake-job.  It was out in the scorching Middle Eastern sun.  It was tedious work.  It was tiring work.  It was slave work.  That’s likely why the landowner was hiring day laborers to do the work. 

Serve!

4th Sunday in Lent

Serve!

1. With Jesus as your motivation

2. With Jesus as your model

Text:  Matthew 20:17-28

Intro

“Oh!  There they go again.  The ‘dynamic duo,’ the ‘fearsome twosome,’ the ‘braggart brothers’ are at it again.  They always get to be in on the private conversations.  They always get to see the special events.  They are always first in line at the loaves and fish potluck.  They act like they are his best friends.  They act like they know more.  They think they are so special.  And they have to get their mommy to help them out!  ‘Boanerges.’  ‘Sons of Thunder.’  Bah!  What arrogant jerks!  Who do James and John think they are?!”

We can imagine what kinds of thoughts were going through the minds of the other disciples.  The mother of James and John came with her two boys to Jesus with a request.  The English rightly reflects that she didn’t really ask a question.  Jesus asked, “What is it you want?” Her response wasn’t, “Could you please,” or “Pretty please.”  Her response was a sort of command to Jesus, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” We can imagine what the disciples thought about this, but the Bible succinctly summarizes and says, “When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.”

Maybe you’ve seen this before in a church.  Those people that think they are so important.  They think their thoughts are so important.  They have to give their input on everything.  They think their way is always right.  They think they are never wrong.  They act like they are more important because they are on all the committees.  They hang out with the cool people.  They would never do the “dirty work” around the church, and they would never hang out with people beneath them.  These people think their sin doesn’t stink.

The sin of pride has been around since the Garden of Eden, and it plagues Christ’s followers as much now as it did back with the original twelve.  Today we listen to Jesus as he teaches his disciples and us.  Quite simply he tells us Serve!