I came across a story this week as I was preparing my sermon for today. It takes place before the fall of segregation in South Africa. On a flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged, well-off white South African Lady had found herself sitting next to a black man. She called the cabin crew attendant over to complain about her seating. "What seems to be the problem Madam?" asked the attendant.
"Can’t you see?" she said. "You’ve sat me next to a kaffir. I can’t possibly sit next to this disgusting human. Find me another seat!" "Please calm down Madam." the stewardess replied. "The flight is very full today, but I’ll tell you what I’ll do- I’ll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class." The woman cocks a snooty look at the outraged black man beside her (not to mention at many of the surrounding passengers also).
A few minutes later the stewardess returns with the good news, which she delivers to the lady, who cannot help but look at the people around her with a smug and self satisfied grin: "Madam, unfortunately, as I suspected, economy is full. I’ve spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class".
Before the lady has a chance to answer, the stewardess continues, "It is most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, given the circumstances, the captain felt that it was outrageous that someone be forced to sit next to such an obnoxious person." With which, she turned to the black man sitting next to her, and said: "So if you’d like to get your things, sir, I have your seat ready for you in first class up at the front..." At which point, apparently the surrounding passengers stood and gave a standing ovation while the black guy walks up to first class in the front of the plane.
Can you imagine what that lady felt like when the stewardess took the man to his new seat in first class? Can you imagine what that lady felt when the surrounding passengers stood up and applauded the stewardess and the captain for taking someone she considered inferior and giving him a higher place? Can you imagine what went through her head at that moment? How do you think she felt when she was figuratively kicked in the teeth?
Perhaps, if you can identify with this woman just a tad, you can identify with the Pharisees in today’s gospel
lesson from the 21st chapter of the book of Matthew. Immediately before telling this parable, the Pharisees tried to get Jesus to reveal the source of his authority. "Who gave you the authority to teach as you are teaching and do the things you are doing?" they asked.
Jesus responded by asking them to tell him the source of John the Baptist’s authority. When the leaders balked, Jesus told them he would not reveal the source of his authority, instead Jesus told them two parables about working in a vineyard. The first parable served to upset the Pharisees. Jesus told of a man who called his two sons and ordered them to go work in the vineyard. The first said, "No." and then went and did the work. The second said, "Yes." but did not go. Jesus asked, "Which did the will of his father." The Pharisees answered, "The first." This, of course, is the right answer, and then Jesus riled up the Pharisees. Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him."
Oh, I am sure this caused some grumbling amongst the Pharisees, but Jesus was just getting started. Jesus jumped right into another parable. This time, Jesus spoke of a landowner who built a vineyard. He spent copious amounts of time and money fixing it up and taking care of it. He hired a bunch of tenants to work in it. Everything went along relatively well until it was time for the owner to collect the harvest. The owner sent his servants, and the tenants beat one, stoned another, and killed another. The owner was more than patient with the tenants, and he sent another set of servants. The tenants did the same thing. Finally, the landowner sent his own son thinking they would respect his son.
Well, the tenants had other ideas. They, for some odd reason, believed that if they killed the son, they would somehow inherit the vineyard. Apparently, these tenants thought the landowner was quite the pushover. The tenants threw the son out of the vineyard and killed him. They thought they had it all sewed up.
But everyone who heard the story knew better. They knew what the landowner would do to those tenants. Jesus allowed everyone to voice their understanding by asking, "40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
They replied, right on cue, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time." This, of course, is the right answer. The tenants were deluding themselves thinking the landowner would somehow allow them to keep the vineyard when they had behaved so wrongly and so unjustly.
The Pharisees probably thought they had answered well and that Jesus would reward them, but Jesus does no such thing. Jesus kicks them in the teeth by saying, ""Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’? 43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls."
We are told right then and there, the Pharisees understand. They see these parables are directed at them, and they are none too happy about it. They find themselves very much in the same place that woman in the airplane found herself: embarrassed, humiliated, angry and upset. No one is happy about getting kicked in the teeth.
What I find most intriguing in the Pharisees, however is their reaction to Jesus’ words. Obviously, Jesus’ parable is a warning to the tenants. If indeed Jesus is the son in the parable–which it doesn’t take much to figure out–he hasn’t been kicked out of the vineyard and killed yet. But Jesus is letting everyone know what will happen if the son is rejected. There is still time to change. There is still time to repent. There is still time for those who hear the parable to react in another way. But, they don’t. We are told the Pharisees become angry and begin seeking a way to have Jesus arrested. They might understand the parable, but they don’t get it.
Makes me wonder if the woman on the airplane gets it either? Will her embarrassment, will her humiliation, will the actions of the stewardess and captain cause her to take a good long look at herself and change her actions and demeanor? Or will she sue the airline for what they did?
Now, asking such questions is all well and good, but the real issue isn’t really centered on that woman or those Pharisees. The real question centers on you and me: what happens when we get kicked in the teeth in the same way? What happens when we get confronted with our own behavior, our own obnoxiousness, our own self-righteousness, our own failure to live up to God’s call in our lives? Do we react in anger and frustration seeking to damage those who reveal such things to us or do we react in humility?
For, you know as well as I do that getting kicked in the teeth hurts. I’ve been there recently. I read a book called Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller. It hurt. It showed me my own shortcomings as a Christian and as a pastor. Keller hit me where I live and showed me my own false gods that I was seeking and clamoring after. Then I read another book by Dallas Willard called the Great Omission, and once again, WHAM another kick in the teeth. Willard revealed to me my own inadequacies in striving to become a disciple of Jesus. Neither book was quite fun to read, but after finishing, I realized I had a choice. I could ignore Keller. I could ignore Willard. I could say they were off base. I could have walked away and held to my own sense of dignity. Or, I could change my ways. I could seek to walk away from my counterfeit gods and seek the one True God.
And that is all of our choice as well. For if we are true to our calling in this faith, we will be kicked in the teeth. We will be confronted with our own sinfulness. We will be confronted with the fact we put many counterfeit gods in front of our relationship with the one True God. Someone or something will put us on the spot, just like that woman, and just like the Pharisees. It will not be pleasant. It will make us very uncomfortable. It might even make us angry. But the question is: how will we respond? Will we seek to hurt the messenger or will we humble ourselves and move toward repentance? Will we seek to become angry with God, or will we move toward a closer relationship with Him? How will you and I respond when we get kicked in the teeth? That is the question. Amen.
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