October 4, 2026                  Pentecost 19/Lectionary 27                  Matthew 21:33-46

It’s Monday on the final week of Jesus’ life and he is still addressing the temple leaders after they had asked him “by what authority he is doing these things.” Our passage begins with the Parable of the Tenants. When we read this parable we quickly surmise that Jesus is referring to the ways that the prophets were rejected throughout the history of the Hebrew people culminating in the temple leaders’ rejection of Jesus as the Son of God.

The passage starts immediately with Jesus saying, “Listen to another parable.” Notice that Jesus uses parables, stories to describe God’s reign in the world vis a vis precisely defining the reign of God. This practice is more experiential than rational. Within the post-enlightenment culture in which we find ourselves, often we seek scientific fact rather than experiential truth. Parables draw us into a truth that can only be actualized through real-life experience. Jesus isn’t teaching “concepts” about God, but describing the essence or being of God in relationship with the creation. In these parables, Jesus is seeking to draw people into an awareness of how human culture/society has divorced itself from God’s vision. The Christ, who is the source of all life, strives to lead us back to life in alignment with God’s dream which is conducive to the perpetuation of life into the ages. 

The key point of this parable is that the tenants of the vineyard began to believe that they were the owners and could use the vineyard any way they desired. Their “delusion” became so extreme that the tenants killed the landowner’s messengers and finally killed the landowner’s son so they could keep the “inheritance” for themselves. After delivering the parable, Jesus asked the chief priests and elders in the Temple, “Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” The Temple leaders said, “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.” We need to recognize that while many of us would agree with such a response, that would be the human solution and not the God solution. Certainly within a human court system, such a verdict and sentence would be prescribed. But such action would not align with God’s justice of seeking reconciliation, healing, restoration, and oneness with all. 

Jesus then draws the leaders’ attention to Psalm 118:22-23, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes. Jesus then says that the reign of God “will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” The leaders’ were very aware at this moment that Jesus was speaking about them and they wanted to kill him on the spot but they were afraid of his followers. 

Key preaching points:

Again, it’s critically important that we do not interpret this text to mean that “some are in while others are out” of God’s reign. The focus is on allowing the Spirit to guide us in generating fruit for God’s reign. It’s not that the Christ would “expel” the religious leaders from God’s reign, it’s that he is proclaiming to them that they are not living according to or advancing God’s reign of oneness throughout the world. Jesus is telling them, and us, that the Spirit seeks to draw all of us into alignment with God’s vision. If we reject the Spirit (like the tenants in the vineyard), then the Spirit will find others who will accept the call to live in oneness with all because there is much work to be done. Make no mistake, the vision is for oneness with ALL and God will not rest until all are one!!! And that includes those who currently miss the mark. We cannot use this passage to condemn or dehumanize those who are not living according to God’s reign. It’s our responsibility as children of God to love everyone, even when they attack us. We must recognize that we and the creation are in a perpetual process of transformation where sometimes we get it and sometimes we don’t.

By telling this parable, Jesus named that he knew that the religious leaders would eventually have him killed. Notice (according to the parable) that killing the Son does not give the tenants ultimate control of the vineyard. It still belongs to the owner. The killing of Christ will not transfer ownership of the creation from God to humanity. All things belong to God now and forever. We, as children of God, are blessed to enjoy the fruits of the creation but must not delude ourselves into believing that we own it. All that we are and all that we have belongs to God. Therefore, just as Jesus gave his life in obedience to the Father, we are called to share and give all that we have toward God’s mission of life in the world. When God raised Jesus from the dead, God declared once and for all that God would never abandon nor forsake humanity or the creation. We now have a choice, a decision. Do we live as evil tenants and act as though we are in control of our lives? Or, do we live as Christ, filled with the Spirit living generously and serving God’s mission in all that we are and do?

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

October 11, 2026                  Pentecost 20/Lectionary 28                    Matthew 22:1-14

This week’s text flows out of the preceding weeks with Jesus in the Temple during the last week of his life engaging in an exchange with the chief priests and elders. Again, he tells a parable (see last week’s commentary for a brief description regarding “parables”). In this parable, a king gave a wedding banquet for his son but many of the invited guests refused to attend for a variety of reasons. Some even mistreated and killed the slaves of the king who were sent to bring in the invited guests. In response, the king sent his troops “to kill those murderers and destroy their city.” (Please resist the urge to make the story descriptive of what God would do in a similar situation. We know that when humanity killed God’s son, God did NOT send in armies of angels to wipe out “the murderers.” Jesus tells parables to help people to see how we live apart from God’s vision, create chaos, and how humanity deals with division. This is all necessary in the process of helping people to differentiate between God’s ways and the world’s ways.) 

The king then sends his slaves out into the streets to gather people for the wedding banquet, anyone who is willing to come, “both good and bad.” This is a radical statement recognizing that our place in the banquet is not dependent on us but on the grace of God. We simply say “yes” to attending. We don’t deserve it, earn it, or bring ourselves to it. God invites us and we get to accept or decline. That, I believe, is the point of verses 11-14 where, still within the parable, the king interacts with the guests and sees that there is a man not wearing the wedding robe. Remember that people were being pulled in directly from the streets. Surely, no one had a wedding robe. So when they arrived at the banquet, the king would have been providing wedding robes for everyone. Apparently, this one man must have said, “No thanks. I’m fine the way I am.” Returning to the concept of God’s grace, any time we claim that we are self-made, self-accomplished, self-sustained, self-worthy we deny our identity and purpose as children of God. Our value does not come from anything that we do or produce. Our value is inherently from God. In that regard, verse 13 reads as particularly harsh: Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Please do not interpret this to be a passage referencing eternal damnation in hell. That would be a grossly errant eisegesis of this text. The point is that when we choose to live as though we are in power or control, we find ourselves experiencing the paralysis of darkness, fear, and anxiety. But when we accept God’s grace and invitation to the banquet, only then do we experience true freedom and liberation. 

Verse 14 has also been used inappropriately to imply that some go to heaven and others go to hell. Again, that is a grossly errant eisegesis of this text. A literal translation from the Greek is, For many are called, but few selected. The Greek word for “chosen or selected” is eklektos which derives from eklegomai (to speak out of or differentiate from). The point is that the Word of God, the grace of God is broadcast into the world. God seeks to draw all into intimate relationship with God, creation, and humanity. However, not all hear the call. Not all heed the call. The “few” who hear and respond don’t receive individual accolades (reward in heaven) but greater responsibility to serve God’s mission of oneness here and now. 

Key preaching points: 

This passage has been wrongly interpreted to be primarily about eternal salvation or condemnation. This misunderstanding must be addressed by reminding the worshippers that Jesus is concerned with what happens here within God’s reign on earth. Hence, we must turn off the “old tapes” about reward and punishment so that we can hear the true call of Jesus to participate in God’s reign of oneness with all. The Spirit calls us to “the banquet” where we dine not only with those we know and love but with all who are part of God’s family. It’s appropriate to draw upon other meal narratives within scripture, especially Isaiah 25:1-9 (the Eschatological Feast) and Psalm 23 which are other assigned texts for this weekend. 

The Spirit calls us away from our very myopic, selfish viewpoints of what is truly important in life. We fall into the malaise of thinking that life is about our routines or schedules or bank accounts or jobs or personal success. We fail to remember that life is about living in alignment with our true identity and purpose as children of God. We are called to make God’s mission the top priority for our lives. That doesn’t mean that we are to neglect ourselves or our families. Quite the contrary. We are to align our lives and our family’s lives in accordance to who God says we are and needs us to be. When we put ourselves or other things ahead of God, we find ourselves in the “outer darkness.” It’s not that God puts us there, it’s that our misaligned lives create a crisis in the same way that an eagle refusing to fly would be in crisis. God provides all that we need and we are called to put God’s blessings to use in generating more blessings for others. Jesus understood that his gifts weren’t simply to remain in him but were intended to be shared with the world. Jesus gave all, including his life on the cross, because he lived with a constant awareness that he existed to serve God’s mission of life for all. God raised Jesus from the dead to reveal once and for all that God will never stop generating new life. It’s now our turn in the course of history to participate in the perpetuation of life through generously sharing what God has given us so that all may experience real life.

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

October 18, 2026              Pentecost 21/Lectionary 29                     Matthew 22:15-22

Again we remain within the flow of Jesus’ encounter at the Temple with the religious leaders during the last week of Jesus’ life. After the chief priests and elders were unsuccessful in trapping Jesus, the Pharisees take their shot. They sent some of their disciples along with the Herodians (people serving under King Herod) to ask a question that would potentially alienate Jesus from some of his followers based on how he answered.

The question is certainly slick and one that would require great wisdom to answer well. It’s a good thing Jesus was the one fielding such a potentially divisive query. Even the way that the question is posed immediately comes across as patronizing and disingenuous. Read these words with a bit of a sickening sweet sing-song tone: Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Now that’s an attempt to appeal to Jesus’ pride and ego if ever there was one. But Jesus is no fool and has had loads of experience with such people and so he’s prepared for the slippery question they’re about to ask.

They continue: Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? There it is. That’s the trap. By “lawful,” they mean according to the laws of Moses as prescribed in the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures. They are not referring to the laws of Rome. In fact, there were often debates around what the Jews were to do when the laws of Moses clashed with the laws of Rome. If they disobey Rome, there will be dire consequences. However, disobeying God would result in even greater retribution. It’s truly being between a rock and a hard place. Furthermore, there were some who felt that giving money to Rome was against the laws of Moses because it kept Israel enslaved to the Roman Empire. While others felt strongly that they needed to obey Rome so that the empire didn’t come and destroy Jerusalem. 

So Jesus, quite astutely, asked someone to show him a Roman coin and they brought him a denarius, a small coin worth about one day’s wage. Jesus asked, “Whose head is this, and whose title? They responded, “The emperor’s.” Then Jesus said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” What a brilliant response! The religious leaders never saw that one coming. That group of inquisitors were so shocked that they simply went away without a reply.

Key preaching points:

Jesus’ answer to the question implies far more than information regarding the coin. When he says, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s,” we know immediately that Jesus is speaking of the things that have the emperor’s image and title on them, like the denarius. But then Jesus adds, “Give to God the things that are God’s,” which begs the question, “What is it that has God’s image and title on it?” Every Jewish leader in the Temple is very aware that the creation narrative of Genesis 1 states, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness…So God created humankind in God’s image, in the image of God they were created.” Jesus didn’t need to unpack this with the religious leaders for they all would have realized immediately that he was suggesting that they and all human beings were to present ourselves fully to God, which is a much more significant issue than the paying of taxes. 

If we want to see what it looks like to present ourselves fully to God, we are to look to Jesus. Often we focus primarily on the cross and resurrection but throughout Jesus’ life he was offering himself to God. When he faced adversity and struggle, he didn’t cower thinking only of himself. He stood tall and continued to proclaim truth. When even his own disciples misunderstood him and tried to derail his mission, he stood tall and continued to proclaim truth. Even when the leaders were attempting to trap him in the Temple, he stood tall and continued to proclaim truth. Jesus recognized that his life was not his own, that he existed to serve God’s mission in the world. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus sets for us an exemplar for our lives. No, we probably won’t die on a cross. However, standing tall for God’s mission of inclusion, healing, reconciliation will draw us into times and places where we may be attacked, ridiculed, or ostracized. In those moments, do we choose safety or truth? We scare ourselves when we think with mindsets of scarcity that there isn’t or won’t be enough for us which causes us to become stingy and selfish. When we recognize that through the waters of baptism God’s name is affixed upon us and that we bear God’s image in our very being, we are empowered to live as generously as Jesus, pouring out our lives as an offering to God. The Spirit fills us with the courage and confidence we need to truly trust God and live as the children of God that we are created to be.

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill  

October 25, 2026                               Reformation                             John 8:31-36

The legend is that on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany to protest the misguided theology of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the abuse of “indulgences” against the poor. It’s important that we understand that while the tool of Luther’s protest was theology, the focus of his protest was justice. Luther was greatly angered as he watched the very poor stand in long lines to buy, what he called, “useless pieces of paper” with their children’s bread money. The church was teaching that persons could purchase forgiveness from the heavenly storehouse of the good deeds of the saints. Luther pointed out that there was nothing in scripture to support such a theology or practice and he called for a transformation. 

The teachings of the church stemmed from the doctrine of the 4th and 5th Centuries that essentially stated that human beings are flawed from conception (Augustine’s Doctrine of Original Sin) which alienates us from God and thus we are in need of some form of cleansing (justification) in order to dwell with God. The horrors of the Early and Late Middle Ages including wars, famine, plagues, etc. cemented the notion that God was indeed angered at humanity and thus bestowed perpetual agony upon human beings. By the time of Luther, humans were willing to do anything to gain God’s forgiveness and get on God’s good side, even if it meant buying “useless pieces of paper.” 

Unfortunately, although Luther could see the injustices perpetrated by the Church, he could not see the fundamental problems created by the Doctrine of Original Sin. Luther was an Augustinian monk who was leashed to Augustinian theology. Luther’s reforming merely shifted the formula of justification away from works toward faith. In other words, humans don’t receive forgiveness from God by what we do, but by trusting in the death and resurrection of Christ as the ultimate atoning sacrifice. From this thinking derived the misguided “substitutionary atonement theory” which holds that humans are fundamentally flawed and in need of healing in order to dwell with God. According to such thinking, when we “believe in” Jesus, our sins are imputed onto him and his righteousness is imputed onto us and we get to live in heaven after we die. 

This thinking perpetuates the notion of an angry, punitive God who requires appeasing through a blood sacrifice. Much of western Christianity has operated out of this mindset for the past 500 years. We now recognize that scripture does not support such doctrinal thinking and are instead seeking to read and interpret scripture prior to the generation of the 4th and 5th Century doctrine. This new, or should I say, “original” hermeneutical lens is helping us to recognize and return to the focus of the early church which had nothing to do with helping individuals become cleansed so that they can go to heaven after they die, but instead aimed at creating a culture of vitality for all people through love in this world today and every day. God’s concern is not what happens to humans after we die but the perpetuation of life from generation to generation within the cosmos. That’s the true meaning of “eternal life” which is better translated as “life into the ages.” 

While we can now recognize the flaws of Luther and the Reformation as it related to certain doctrine, we must also recognize that several relevant and important theological themes derived from the Reformation:

• • Priesthood of all believers
  • Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus
  • Worship in the vernacular through the “work of the people” (Liturgy)
  • Focus on Word and Sacrament
  • The marrying of clergy

The formula of “justification by grace through faith apart from works” needs a bit of translation tweaking to truly be understood. This formula is based in Ephesians 2:8-9 which states, “For by grace you have been made whole through trust; and this is not out of you, the gift of God; not out of works, so no one may boast.” This passage has been used to demonize “works” because of Luther’s emphatic stance that we cannot “earn” God’s grace or forgiveness. It must come as gift. However, when we read Ephesians 2:10, we discover that works most definitely matter: “For this we have been made, created in Christ Jesus upon good works which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” You can see from the translation of Ephesians 2:8-10 that the author is not writing about human beings becoming “justified” by God so that we can go to heaven. On the contrary, the passage tells us that from the beginning when all things were created in Christ, God’s vision was that human beings would conduct “good works” that generate a culture of wholeness/oneness for the entire creation. The goal is NOT getting people to heaven after they die, but generating real life right now, right here for all people.

Although Ephesians 2 is not an assigned passage this weekend, breaking it down helps us to differentiate between “old school” Lutheran theology and the emerging theology that shapes our thinking today. As we examine this week’s Gospel text, we discover the emergence of three particular themes:

• • Remaining in the Logos (Word) of the Christ
  • Knowing the Truth
  • Being Made Free

 The Logos/The Cosmic Christ identified in John 1:1-18 is the original idea in the mind of God for the Creation. We could say, then, that the first Christ is the Creation. When humanity “missed the mark” and lost sight of our true-identity and purpose, the undefiled, uncorrupted, pure Logos became enfleshed in the person of Jesus. Jesus did not come to be a blood sacrifice to appease an angry God. Jesus came to return and restore humanity to our true-identity and purpose which is living as children of God to create and sustain a just culture for all. When we see Jesus, we see the Truth of what it means to be fully human, both in identity and in mission (purpose). When Jesus calls for us to “remain” in his Word, he’s calling for us to remain in the Truth of our identity as children of God and in our purpose to work to draw all things to God. When we live the Truth, we actualize our freedom to be fully human. Everything falls away that holds us back from being the people God created us to be. Sin (hamartia) means to “miss the mark” in our humanity. That fallacious thing or way of being to which we sacrifice the Truth of our humanity becomes our master and we its slave. For instance, when we medicate our fears with addictions we also mask our true selves, hiding our shadow-side and robbing the world from the blessing of the full human we are created to be. However, when we dwell in the Logos, we bask in the unconditional love and grace of God which in turn sets us free to be transparent and authentic about our whole selves thus unleashing us to use all of who we are through worship, relationships, service, and generosity for the sake of all. Jesus went to the cross, not to appease God, but to reveal once and for all that God will never quit on humanity or the creation. Love and life always win!

 Key preaching points: 

The point of our Reformation celebration is to embrace the ethos of perpetual theological discourse in pursuit of discovering what it means to live in relationship with God and humanity. Reformation is to be understood as a continual process as opposed to a singular event occurring 502 years ago. What makes one Lutheran is our constant passion for an evolving discovery of God and self, to dwell in the Logos/Christ, to live out of the Truth for what it means to be new human beings, and to utilize our freedom (Christian Liberty) by setting others free from whatever has them enslaved. We see this exact behavior in the person of Jesus who remained faithful to being the enfleshed Logos, stayed grounded in being the Son of God, and used his whole being in setting all of humanity free, even to the point of death on the cross. Through his resurrection from the dead, Jesus inaugurated the new humanity by breathing his Spirit into us and commissioning us to go and serve (“as the Father sent me so now I send you”). This way of life is what makes us Christian and Lutheran. We view both terms as verbs, not nouns, for we are never to become complacent in our faith but always reforming so as to grow closer all the time to our Logos identity and mission. 

As this is an important week in our series Spirit, it’s important that we draw the focus of the worshipers back to living as generous servants amid the world’s chaos. It’s not enough that we “believe in God.” In fact, that’s actually not the point at all. The question is: Will we live as children of God pouring ourselves out for the sake of the world? Beliefs change. Ideas change. Perspectives change. What doesn’t change is that God is counting on us to be God’s delivery system of justice for the world. God is counting on us to love, serve, give until every human and all of creation is unleashed to experience real life. We are to call the worshipers into intentional contemplation that leads to action that aligns with God’s mission of life for the world so that all may experience real life in Jesus’ name.

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

November 1, 2026                          All Saints                                       Matthew 5:1-12

The first event to be celebrated annually by the newly formed first century Jesus community was the Resurrection of our Lord, commonly known today as Easter. The second annual event recognized by the Jesus community was All Saints Day celebrated on November 1 of each year. Whereas Easter commemorated the inauguration of the new humanity through the crucified and risen Jesus, All Saints’ Day commemorates the promise that love and life transcend even death. All Saints’ Day celebrates the contributions that the followers of Jesus have contributed throughout their lives toward the transformation of human culture from the world’s reign into God’s reign. At the time of the inception of this holy day, Christians were being persecuted and martyred for their trust in God’s vision of oneness as revealed through Jesus. While the Romans tolerated lots of various religions within the empire, they required everyone to bow to the divinity of Caesar. Christians refused to do so because the hierarchical position of Caesar defies God’s vision that there is “no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female for we are all one in Christ Jesus.” The God of Jesus is not a God of the elite and powerful, as represented by Caesar, but a God which includes all and stands with the weak, the poor, the powerless, and the disenfranchised. By refusing to bow to Caesar, the early church was taking a stand for and with the weak and oppressed of the world, even to the point of bringing oppression onto themselves, a way of life consistent with the person of Jesus. All Saints’ Day announces that the oppression and violence perpetrated against Christ’s Church will not have the last word. Life and love will win!

This weekend’s text is the Beatitudes of Matthew’s Gospel which has been interpreted in countless ways throughout the millennia. Some have viewed these “blessings” as rewards for practicing certain virtues. Others see them as Jesus’ counter-cultural proclamation at the beginning of his ministry of a radical reversal toward those who have suffered at the hands of injustice. It is relevant for us to recognize that this passage begins Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus describes the reign of God in the midst of the world’s culture of division, violence, and death. Each blessing begins with “makarioi oi” which literally means “Blessed Ones”. Within the classical Greek culture this is a specific title that was reserved for the gods of Olympus who bore the privilege of dwelling above and beyond the fray of poverty, disease, persecution, and death. By using the title reserved for Olympus, Jesus flips the script to demonstrate the value of each and every human life. In fact, Jesus makes the point that in our weakness and adversity we have the opportunity to experience the fullness of our humanity because we need God and we need each other. The Beatitudes demonstrate God’s vision of oneness for all of humanity. In other words, or as St. Paul would say, in our weakness God is strong. 

Mark Allan Powell provides a fresh insight into the flow of the Beatitudes by dividing them into two sub-groups: those who receive blessing because of “who they are”, and those who receive blessing because of “what they do.” Both groups are blessed because of the indwelling of God’s reign in the world. When people suffer, the Church is called to bring comfort, peace and mercy to those in need. In doing so, both the suffering and the caring receive blessing as they dwell together within God’s reign. Even when the world misunderstands and persecutes the Church’s mission of life for all, blessing still prevails as we are grounded in the certain hope that life and love win as assured through the persecuted, crucified, and risen Jesus.

Key preaching points: 

One tradition for opening All Saints’ worship is to read the names of those who have died as both a celebration of their lives with us and a promise that nothing can destroy love and life. We must guard against making All Saints’ Day about going to heaven after we die. Jesus’ concern was not for what is commonly understood to be “eternal salvation” after death. His concern was for generating a culture here in this time and place that perpetuates life for all people into the ages. The All Saints’ sermon should be very similar to an Easter sermon in that it focuses on the death and resurrection of Jesus and the in-breaking of the reign of God through new human beings called to bring new life to all the world. It’s an opportunity to help people to grasp the missio dei of living in intimate relationship with God and with all people, to reach and serve the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the persecuted. As a wealthy, suburban, primarily white, highly educated, American congregation, we have much privilege to confess in order to live authentically in solidarity with our poor and disempowered siblings. Jesus is counting on us to teach the world how to live as children of God and to actualize our full humanity through oneness with God and all people. 

The celebration of All Saints’ Day and the Beatitudes provide a great foundation to invite people to participate in God’s reign through the sharing of blessings. All that we are and all that we have belongs to God. God has entrusted us with blessings not so that we can keep them for ourselves but so they might flow freely through us toward the vision that all may experience real life. God is counting on us to participate in the flow of blessing by being radically generous with our time, our gifts, and our resources. This is a key component of equipping all to be the heart, hands, and feet of Jesus in the world. 

           ©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

November 8, 2026             Pentecost 24/Lectionary 32            Matthew 25:1-13

This week’s passage takes place on Tuesday of Holy Week, the final week of Jesus’ life. On Sunday, Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-17) after which he immediately drives the money changers out of the Temple. On Monday, Jesus engages in a long and combative dialogue with the Temple leaders (Matthew 21:18-26:16). This week’s parable is delivered to the disciples. After leaving the Temple, Jesus retreats to the Mount of Olives to pray when his disciples approach him to ask for clarification about things that he had been saying regarding the destruction of the Temple (Matthew 24:1-2). Jesus discusses the in-breaking of God’s reign with the disciples throughout the remainder of Matthew 24 and warns them that “no one knows the day or the hour, not the angels nor the Son, only the Father.” The relevant points that Jesus is making are that humanity doesn’t need to know everything about God’s plan. We, as new human beings, are simply called to participate actively in God’s mission of drawing all into full communion with God and one another. We must also stay alert and keep our eyes peeled for where we see God’s reign breaking into the world so that we can participate with God in this mission. 

In order to solidify his points about the in-breaking of God’s reign and our need to be prepared to participate, Jesus tells the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids in which five are wise and bring more oil for their lamps because they have no idea when God’s reign will arrive fully while five are foolish and don’t bring extra oil. The Bridegroom (representing God’s reign) appears at midnight, the exact moment of the birth of a “new day”, and is announced through a shout, a proclamation. The role of the bridesmaids is to greet the Bridegroom and to light his path so that all may see and be aware of his arrival. However, the five foolish bridesmaids cannot fulfill their call because they have run out of oil. They ask the wise bridesmaids if they can borrow oil in order to light their lamps, but the wise bridesmaids decline to share because then there would not be enough oil for anyone to light the path of the Bridegroom. Someone must, even if it’s only five, provide the light for the Bridegroom and point to his arrival. The foolish bridesmaids are then forced to leave in order to find oil. When they return, they find that they’ve missed their opportunity to participate in the in-breaking of God’s reign. When they knock, they cry out, “Lord, Lord, open to us.” But the Bridegroom refuses saying, “I do not know you.” 

At first glance, it appears that this is another passage about who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. We must resist such an interpretation which is birthed out of misdirected doctrine that is not faithful to the whole of Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus is speaking to the in-breaking of God’s reign here in this world and our call to participate in God’s reign, not to what might happen after we die. The reign of God is not a location and is not static. It’s fluid and momentous in nature, breaking into the darkness and chaos of the world through incidents of love, inclusion, and justice for all. As children of God, we must continually contemplate and discern where we see God showing up in, through, and around us so that we can decide to participate in God’s activity. Very often we seek to get God involved in our goals or activities. This is backwards. We’re called to be spiritually grounded through prayer, contemplation, and reflective conversations that lead us to actively dedicating our time, gifts, and resources to participate in what God is doing. 

Key preaching points: 

If we were to ask people, what do you pray for or about, the vast majority of people will respond that prayer is a way to ask God for things: healing, forgiveness, mercy, blessings. However, prayer is better suited toward listening to God, discerning what it is that God needs from us, not what we need from God. We must draw people into contemplative practices that lead to action:

1. 1. Being present to self and context
   2. Discerning where God is showing up to self and context
   3. Deciding to participate in God’s activity
   4. Surrendering all outcomes to God

 Very often we treat God as though God works for us. That’s backwards and upside down. As new human beings, children of God, we exist to serve God’s mission of life and love for the world. Yes, God’s reign emerges and breaks in as a God event or activity. The Spirit unleashed seeks to aid us in our journey of becoming our true-selves so that we can actively participate in God’s reign. Our role is to have eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts and minds to discern where and when God’s reign is emerging so that we can point to it, shine light on it, and participate in it through love and generosity.

When Jesus died, he brought an end to the old moral order of the world dominated by hierarchy, division, violence, fear, and death. In his resurrection, he inaugurated the new humanity and the new moral order governed by love, oneness, healing, hope, and life. The essence of God’s reign is full communion with God and all humanity, it is the restoration of the Creation and the call for humanity to live out of our true-identities as children of God. The reign of God can occur in any and all situations and always involves the death of the old and the birth of the new. As the church our role is to “shine light” on God’s reign by helping people to both comprehend and participate in what God is doing. We immerse people into worship, relationships, service, and generosity as the process by which to be put to death to the world’s lies and rebirthed as children of God. We must always be alert and awake to such opportunities so that we and all people might experience real life.

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

November 15, 2026                  Pentecost 25/Lectionary 33              Matthew 25:14-30

Once again the context of this week’s parable deeply matters as Jesus continues describing for the disciples the role of new human beings within the reign of God. On the surface, the Parable of the Talents appears to be quite harsh, however, one cannot miss the sense of urgency that Jesus describes in utilizing the property of the Master in order to expand its reach. A man summons three slaves to whom he entrusts different amounts of his property. To the first he gives five talents (a talent is one year’s worth of wages), to the second he gives two, and to the third he gives one talent. He puts the slaves in charge of his property with the expectation that they will care for it in the same way that he does. The first two slaves get to work immediately and are able to double the value or reach of the property. However, the third slave becomes afraid that he might lose the one talent that he’d been given and so he buries it for safe keeping. When the Master returns and demands an accounting of his property, he is delighted by the goodness and trustworthiness of the first two slaves. But when he discovers that the third slave simply safeguarded his property, he was enraged. The Master could have buried the talents himself if he had simply wanted to preserve them. He wanted his property to continue to grow and evolve during his absence which is why he gave his slaves authority over it. Again, he expected them to deal with his property the way he would. 

Upon discovering the success of the first two slaves, the Master invites them into “the joy of your Lord.” This phrase is not to be understood as a reference to going to heaven after we die. The “joy of the Lord” is the oneness, wholeness, and wellness of the Creation (which is the missio dei and the very definition of God’s reign). God rejoices when human beings live out of our true-identity as children of God by living in intimate relationship with God and one another. We also experience great joy when our lives align with our God-defined identity and purpose. God not only invites us to participate in the in-breaking of God’s reign within the world, God NEEDS human beings to love, serve, and live generously as the means by which God’s reign of justice for all is truly actualized. 

The third slave is vilified NOT for squandering the Master’s property but for being afraid to even try to participate in multiplying it. Doing nothing is worse than trying something and failing. We aren’t created to sit on the sidelines and watch the world go by. We are created to be servants in God’s garden, tilling, watering, fertilizing, pruning, so that the Creator can bring forth the fruit of God’s reign which is life and love for all. This untrustworthy slave is cast into the “outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Again, this is not to be interpreted to mean that he is sent to hell for all eternity but a reference to the world’s culture that divides, destroys, violates, and kills. When we choose not to live out of our true-identities and participate in the in-breaking of God’s reign, we perpetuate the “sin-filled” world culture that devours the Creation, including ourselves. The final judgment in the parable isn’t inflicted upon the third slave, it is the necessary consequence for when human beings live out of false identities as prescribed by the world. 

Key preaching points: 

Preachers often choose to use this text to address issues related to the Care of Creation. Certainly this can be an aspect of the focus for this weekend, however, it’s important that we recognize and communicate that Jesus is talking about all aspects of participating within the in-breaking of God’s reign through executing God’s justice for all. 

Human beings are leashed in countless ways to false identities that rob us of the “joy of the Lord” because we don’t live into the fullness of who God created us to be. Caring for the Creation is definitely a core component of what it means to be children of God, however, this involves far more than planting trees or recycling. True care for the Creation must be driven by a deep love for the Creator and for all the creatures which includes humanity. We don’t care for the earth, the water, the air for its own sake, we care for it because it is necessary and essential for the very existence of the creatures. When we plant trees or recycle, we are loving humanity today and tomorrow. At the same time, we also love humanity today and tomorrow by actively participating in generating a human culture of love and life for all, which is the reign of God. Such a culture begins through the practice of authentic worship, intentional relationships, sacrificial service, and radical generosity. Jesus is calling us to decisively commit to such a way of life so that all may experience real life within God’s reign. 

In the life of Jesus we see a person who was given five talents and multiplied them into an infinite amount, but it cost him his life. Jesus, filled with the Spirit, consistently worked to unleash human beings from whatever it was that mis-defined them: sinner, victim, sickly, poor, abused, demoniac, foreigner, male/female, wealthy, powerful, elitist, hypocrite. He sought for each person to know themselves and one another simply as children of God and to be liberated to serve God and humanity in all things. But again, such an orientation and focus cost him his life as the powers-that-be did not take kindly to the notion of dying to their “false identities” in order to be “one” with all, especially the lowly. Those who enjoy the benefits of the world’s injustice are often reluctant to want to see things change. However, in the death of Jesus we see God’s heart to enter into oneness with all, even and especially the least (see next week’s text). Jesus takes onto himself the world-prescribed false-identities of sinner, victim, sickly, poor, abused, demoniac, foreigner and by dying, puts them to death so that in his resurrection the only thing that exists is Child of God! In the resurrection of Jesus, we experience the fullness of God’s reign in that all that divides and destroys has been overcome so that all that exists is love, light, and life. As the Jesus community and through the waters of baptism, we are liberated to live our true-identity as children of God at home, work, school, neighborhood, and across the globe to invite all into God’s reign to experience real life.

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill

November 22, 2026                         Reign of Christ                        Matthew 25:31-46

This weekend is commonly known as “The Reign of Christ”, formerly “Christ the King” weekend which was established in the 1920’s and 1930’s by Pope Pius XI in response to the rise of fascism in Europe. The intent was to draw focus back onto God’s vision for humanity as revealed through the person of Jesus. This weekend also is the final weekend of the church’s liturgical calendar and the last time that we will utilize Matthew’s Gospel in worship for the next two years (Matthew will be reintroduced the first week of Advent 2025). 

Jesus’ Parable of the Sheep and Goats stands as his final teaching to the disciples prior to the celebration of the Passover and his arrest and execution. As this passage stands as a sort of “last will and testament” for Jesus, it carries extra significance and importance. Jesus is casting a strong vision for God’s reign in which his followers are expected to serve and care for “the least” of his siblings which begs the question: Who are the least of Jesus’ siblings? In order to answer this question we must consider the whole of Matthew’s Gospel and how we experience Jesus throughout the book. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus calls the disciples the “light of the world” and calls them even to love their enemies. Jesus continually breaks down barriers to feed everyone who is hungry, heal any who are sick, serve any who are in need. Even at the beginning of this passage it says that the Son of the Human Being will gather “all nations” before him. The final verses of Matthew 28:18-20 commission the disciples to make disciples of “all nations.” Therefore, we must conclude that Jesus considers all human beings to be his “siblings” as we all are children of God. 

But what are we to make of the sheep and goats reference with some on his right who go into “life of the ages” (eternal life) while others on his left go into “punishment of the ages” (eternal punishment). First of all, as Jesus tells the parable he says, “What you did or didn’t do for ONE, you did or didn’t do for me.” In other words, when we serve one person we experience the fullness of God’s reign. However, when we do not serve one, when we miss one, when we overlook one, we perpetuate the world’s culture of division, violence, and death. The translation of zoen aionion as “eternal life” carries with it the connotation of what happens to us after we die. However, if we can think about the phrase as a “life of the ages,” we are able to recognize that this is to be experienced here and now because it perpetuates life, all life, from generation to generation, age to age. The same is true for kolasin aionion which is translated as “eternal punishment” instead of “punishment of the ages.” “Eternal punishment” carries the connotation of judgment after we die or being sent to hell, whereas “punishment of the ages” helps us to recognize that Jesus is talking about the perpetuation of the world’s culture of death, division, and destruction from generation to generation, age to age. If we want to participate in creating a world of life for the ages, then we need to care for the least. 

To further aid this conversation, the curse pronounced upon those on “the left” to be cast into the “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” requires us to do a close read within Matthew’s Gospel regarding the use of the word fire. The first place that we encounter the word “fire” (pyr) is in 3:10-12 when John the Baptizer is prophesying about the one who is coming who will baptize with “the Holy Spirit and fire.” There is also a reference to trees that do not bear fruit being cut down and thrown into the “fire” as well as “the coming one” separating the “wheat from the chaff” and casting the chaff into the “unquenchable fire.” These verses in Matthew 3 are a reference to Malachi 3 in which God purifies God’s people with a “refining fire” which is a good thing and not to be interpreted as a vindictive eternal damnation. We must apply this understanding of “fire” to our passage in Matthew 25 and understand that Jesus is not saying that people will be punished in hell for all eternity, but that God will continually work to refine humanity through the “unquenchable fire” in the hope that a day will come when not one person, not any of “the least” will be left on the outside looking in. God’s vision is for all to experience real life in God’s reign through Jesus and his human “family.”

Key preaching points: 

As has been typical throughout much of Matthew’s Gospel, the preacher needs to intentionally unpack the common connotations of this passage related to the notion of eternal judgment upon humans after we die. Such a thought will cross every worshipper’s mind and thus needs to be addressed. After informing folks that this is not the intent of the text, we can then dive deeply into Jesus’ call to the church to strive to include all within God’s reign, and particularly those that the world has deemed to be “the least.” There are so many examples for who might qualify as the least: the poor and hungry, teens who have been bullied, single parents, refugees, the elderly, the list is long. This “last will and testament” of Jesus is intended to keep us focused on what it means to be the Jesus community who, empowered by the Spirit, are called to participate toward the in-breaking of God’s reign at home, work, school, neighborhood, and everywhere! 

In his betrayal, arrest, and execution, Jesus becomes the least and the one who needs to be served (see 25:44, “diakonia”). And thus, whenever we serve or care for anyone in need, we are in fact serving and caring for the Christ. In his resurrection, Jesus assures us that life and love will ultimately win and so we are called to live proleptically as though the future and final state of oneness is indeed our present reality. We love and serve others because all will be loved and served. We forgive others because all will be forgiven. We include others because all will be included. We treat others as though they are part of us because all will be one! To take this even a step further, we live as one because all IS one. Without even one person, neither we nor God is whole. God yearns for the creation to live in intimate communion with God and one another which is our true reality and thus the missio dei and the mission of the church are to draw all things back to God so that all may experience real life. This is most certainly true!

©Rev. Dr. Doug Hill