"DO THE INSIDES OF YOUR LIFE MATCH THE OUTSIDES?"

Why are their pictures on our money? They are presidents of the US… Not much has changed, we still put the faces of powerful men on our currency.

In the time of Jesus, Roman rule meant that Jews had to use coins with the faces of their oppressors on them. It was a physical reality of living under Rome’s government.

Some might argue that the situation is no different for a lot of people here in the US. People of Color, G/L/B/T folks, women all use money with the faces of white men of power, faces of men who have systematically denied them rights.

The topic of taxation was a hot one among the Jews. The great question was, “Can one be a faithful first century Jew and still pay tribute to Caesar, the Roman ruler?”

The debate among Jews was very heated and so, the Pharisees were trying to draw Jesus in and entrap him.

If Jesus said, “No, don’t pay taxes to Caesar,” then the Romans would arrest him for advocating tax evasion.

But, if he said, “Yes, pay taxes to Caesar,” then all of his talk about God being his ruler would be discredited.

Jesus, being a smart one, knew not to answer the question in a way that would jeopardize his ministry or credibility. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.”

Jesus points to the heart of the matter – Taxes are an external sign that a particular group has power. Jesus is concerned with power from within, power from God, not people.

Living at a deeper spiritual level automatically includes right relationship with others. There is no place for power trips among the followers of Jesus.

He will not buy into false displays of power and that is why he calls the Pharisees “hypocrites.”

Jesus is calling us to an examination of our own conscience with his answer to the Pharisees. He is not providing easy answers but leaving room for individual interpretation and struggle.

Throughout the book of Matthew, Jesus is in a debate with Jewish authorities over interpretation of the law. Christ emphasizes the spirit of the law and the Pharisees emphasize the letter of the law.

Legalism, often taught by Fundamentalist churches, gives us a simple formula for salvation. If you do "X" you will be saved and conversely, if you don’t do "X" you won’t.

Jesus calls us to a deeper understanding of God. God does not base our rewards on the proper behaviors as dictated by our church. God is not of this world. God shakes God’s head at the restrictions and rules we have arbitrarily applied to God’s gift of grace.

Jesus is not removed from the human experience but, rather, immersed in it. Yes, Jesus faces the same moral dilemmas that we all do and MORE.

Donald Kraybill, theologian, (there you go my cursory reference to biblical scholarship…still have to justify the loan checks) states that Jesus is God who is “uncredentialed in the empire, unknown in the courts, and unwelcome in the temples.”

The struggle between Jesus and the Pharisees/Rome is a struggle, at root, about whether we are live entrenched in earthly power or we live in touch with heavenly power.

Jesus is not saying that this life does not matter. For now, we are spirits, divine sparks of Christ, on this planet and in these bodies. How we treat other people and the earth, for that matter, is important because it reflects our acknowledgement of the holiness of another. Jesus does not provide easy answers for the Pharisees and for us. I truly believe that the spiritual journey of an individual soul towards God is about questions and not answers.

God is within the fully human/fully divine heart of Jesus and yet, it is through the humanity of Jesus that we see the heart of God. We see God’s grace and compassion as Jesus reaches out to those on the margins. We see God in each other when we offer one another a listening ear, a warm embrace or in the sharing of a meal.

Being human is no simple act. It requires a great deal of blood, sweat and tears. It is a process of turmoil, chaos, indecision, decision, hard work and resolution.

Jesus experienced all of the difficulties that we do. Jesus knew the pain of one’s insides not matching one’s outsides. He knew what it was to place your life in God’s hands, despite the earthly consequences. In his heart, Jesus was a healer yet, on earth he was beaten and crucified. He was a teacher, yet they rejected and despised his teachings of Torah. Jesus is a light shining towards God, a path by which we are healed and saved. Yet, on earth he died in the darkness of day, wondering momentarily if God had forsaken him.

Do the insides of your life match the outsides? If not, why? What would you change? Are you living as a person in touch with your divine purpose? The spiritual journey that Christ calls us to is about being an integrated person living in peace.

Christ wants us to experience peace on earth. I am not talking about the threat of war, although, if we all pursued the kind of peace I am talking about, there could be no war. I am talking about that sense deep inside of you that your life is in order, you are in right relationship with those around you, you have a job that reflects the gifts that you have to offer the world. Your soul is fed.

What does it mean to “give to God what is God’s?” Prayer is a gift from God. It is a gift because each of prayed our first heart-felt prayer out of a deep need to connect with our Creator. We were moved by a force outside of ourselves to come into communication with God.

The need to connect with one’s creator is a universal need. There is not a single culture on earth that doesn’t acknowledge the human need for a divine presence.

I am talking about prayer in broad terms. Maybe you don’t sit and have chats with God like I do…surprising… me talking. Maybe you paint or draw, walk animals and soak in God’s presence, maybe you pray through singing or playing an instrument.

When is the moment when you know that your soul has been fed? That is the connection with God that I am talking about. Whatever form your prayer takes, think of that when I say prayer. Quality time together is a way that we show our love for other people. It is also how we show our love for God.

Prayer changes us. It helps us to understand our own needs better. Prayer beckons us to examine our behavior, our attitudes, and our decisions. Prayer points to those places deep inside of us that still need healing. Prayer helps us mark triumphs and trials.

There is a rich interior life in each of God’s children. God gave us prayer as a means to explore that unique interior life that is yours alone. Some of you are frightened by what you might find inside your own heart. Others can’t wait to get started …opening themselves up to God like children open Christmas presents. God is looking to call you home either way…home to God’s loving arms. I don't mean death but rather living in loving relationship with God.

Words express internal experiences. There is a Hebrew word “nephesh” that best articulates my thoughts about the “what is God’s” question. “Nephesh” means the entire self, the essence of our being, totality of the individual – thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and all that we have ever been, all that we are and all that we will ever be.

Prayer seems to me to be one of the most interesting ways that God molds our individuality. Just as each of us has fingerprints that belong only to us, so, too, do we have prayers in our hearts that belong only to us! Prayer is an unfolding of our truest selves, the place where we meet God without pretense or defense.

It is this unbroken bond with the God within each one of us, which defines our experience of prayer. We see beyond our finite selves into the eyes of the infinite one. It is an inside job. Healing begins within a single human heart.

I have nothing against political action. Sometimes, it is our duty as followers of Christ to stand up to injustice. Any meaningful revolution or change of the social order is grounded in prayer. We are, simply, God’s instruments of change.

I am not saying that we shouldn’t spend energy changing unjust policies and actions. I can’t think of single social movement in US history in which people of faith and prayer were not the foundation. Abolition, suffrage, civil rights, peace, the women’s movement, and the struggle for legislative protection for L/G/B/T people all have been supported and, often, led by followers of Christ.

Prayer is an interactive process between God and us. We tell God the story and God points out some new perspectives or ideas about the situation. We act or think differently about the situation and the cycle begins again. One of the most important things that we can give God is our prayers. For in giving God our prayers we offer up ourselves. We become willing to be directed and corrected by the one that has carried us this far. We say, “Lord I am willing to change.”

God wants you, not your money, not your belongings, not your title, but you. The eternal life that lies ahead does, indeed, begin for us every day if we live our lives connected to God through prayer. When we return to God’s loving arms, it will be greeting an old friend, not facing a stranger in a strange land. Washington, Lincoln, OH In GOD we trust…it’s pretty hard to trust in someone you have never met. God is waiting Saints!

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