August 19, 2007 Sermon Notes

Isaiah 5: 1-7

We start off with a beautiful Hebrew love song in Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard. In its original language, it is a literary masterpiece. Unfortunately, something is lost in translation. It starts off with, “Let me sing for the one I love my love-song concerning his vineyard…” However, it quickly becomes a song of disappointment and unrequited love. All the efforts and investments put into this fertile hill have apparently gone to waste… Instead of good grapes, it yielded wild grapes. The love song, like some of the worst Country & Western songs, speaks of expectation unmet and love not returned. The song then shifts into a courtroom drama, where the audience is asked to provide judgment on the vineyard. Should more energy, time and effort be put into this vineyard? Or, should the owner simply give up on the vineyard? Should he remove the protection and let the vineyard go to waste and harm? Indeed, by the time the listeners get to this point, they must have realized the trap the prophet skillfully has laid for them. Like Nathan who got King David to condemn himself, Isaiah asks his audience to condemn themselves, for they find themselves exposed as the guilty objects of God’s disappointment and judgment.

Theologically, it is interesting to ask the question whether God is capable of being disappointed by human beings. Apparently yes. Even if God is all-knowing and all-powerful, God has expressed disappointment and anger time and time again through the Scriptures.

As for us, we all have experienced different ways of being rejected and disappointed. We all have different stories of how we have been rejected by someone we love, disappointed by our children, betrayed and hurt deeply as a result. Such experience is probably universal in nature, very much part of the human condition, transcending racial, cultural and national boundaries. One way or another, we have played the role of a Judas or that of a victim of betrayal and hurt at different times of our lives.

The Old Testament lesson leaves us hanging, with the Lord condemning the house of Israel and the people of Judah. Not unlike last week’s lesson from the first chapter of Isaiah, it seemingly pronounces bad news. Yet, we know that God did not give up on his people. Though time and time again, they turned and rebelled against God, God has not stopped pursuing them.

In fact, the Scriptures have been depicting God consistently as the One who is in a relentless pursuit, always on the hunt, in the search of those stubborn human beings and reaching out for them. In sending Jesus His Son to us, God again shows the persistence of a loving parent. Ironically, in another parable of a vineyard found in Matthew 21, Jesus explains the ultimate sacrifice he has made in coming to the people who would reject and kill him.

33 ‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ 41They said to him, ‘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.’...

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Indeed, Jesus identifies himself as the one who comes to seek and save the lost. He represents God’s unyielding pursuit of his people, even when they failed to respond to God’s love.

The Book of Isaiah is a very long book, and there are lots of proclamations of Good News to be found later on. In Chapter 62, we find:

11The Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth:Say to daughter Zion, ‘See, your salvation comes;his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.’ 12They shall be called, ‘The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord’;and you shall be called, ‘Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.’

Indeed, the people of God will be called “the Sought After One”, a new name given to the ones redeemed by God. Imagine if we were truly the ones God seeks after, pursued to the end without giving up? How would we feel? How should that change our attitude towards God? Even if human parents have long thrown up their hands and said, “That’s it! I have enough of these ungrateful and spoiled children. I will never let myself be disappointed by them again!” God still comes after us, offering us his love and compassion, mercy and forgiveness.

What would your reactions be? How shall we then live? Shall we continue to disappoint God? Shall we give up on those who have disappointed us? Or, shall we pursue as hard as our persistent God, ready to seek and save the lost, offering our love and forgiveness?

Blessings,
Fr. Victor +

Sunday, August 12, 2007 Sermon

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20. Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16. Luke 12:32-40

Encountering God in Worship (a summary)

1. Worship is a Dangerous Act

God may not like our worship and sacrifices - religion itself is not a guarantee of right relationship with God. As the Prophet proclaims, God may find us unacceptable.

2. Worship is a Cleansing Act

The Prophetic Call to Repentance: "Wash yourself; make yourselves clean; ... seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow". Yet, God promises forgiveness and redemption: "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."

3. Worship is a Reflective/Affirming Act

In worship, God shows us what God sees in us -- his own image -- the image of God reflected in you and me! God sees something better in you and me through a Mirror of Love, affirming that we are the special and beloved children of God.

4. Worship is a Faithful Act

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."

Max Lucado (When God whispers your name) "Faith is trusting what the eye cannot see":

"Eyes see the prowling lions. Faith sees Daniel's angel. Eyes see storms. Faith sees Noah's rainbow... Eyes see giants. Faith sees Canaan."

In Abraham's story: Eyes see old age and barrenness. Faith sees as numerous descendants as the stars in the sky.

5. Worship is an Inspiring Act

As your priest and leader, I am supposed to inspire you and lift up your spirits to worship God -- that's my job! If we get inspired by the act of worship, God will inspire us to act.

6. Worship is a Living Act

"Be dressed for action!" Jesus speaks of readiness in the Gospel lesson. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Worship requires us to check our priorities in life...

Conclusion:

Do you still think coming to worship is not a dangerous act? For it may be a life changing experience, requiring us to seek justice and minister to the disadvantaged and the needy. Worship demands us to be faithful, asks us to be reflective, and requires us to live out what we claim to believe. But through worship, at the same time, God has cleansed us, forgiven us, loved and affirmed us, empowered and inspired us to do all that! Thanks be to God.

May God bless you wherever you are!

Fr. Victor +