October 19, 2014: May God’s words alone be spoken, may God’s words alone be heard. Amen.
“Show me the money!”
“Show me the money!”
Now, you might think that is what every priest says in Stewardship season, but actually, this is from a movie.
Back in 1996, the movie “Jerry Maguire” made that line famous.
“Show me the money!”
The movie starred Tom Cruise as a sports agent who is desperately trying to hang on to a single client as he is being fired from his firm for writing a memo about how his industry needs to change – to get rid of the dishonesty and treat people, particularly those they represent, with decency and respect. That client on the phone with him was a football player named Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding, Jr. And, in this now famous scene, Jerry Maguire asks “tell me what I can do for you?” and Tidwell says, “it is a very personal and a very important thing…are you ready?….Show me the money!” And he makes Maguire say it over and over again – until he is screaming it into the phone – “Show me the money!” “Show me the money!” And, Tidwell responds “Congratulations, you’re still my agent.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is telling these agents of the Pharisees to show him the money – to show him the coin used to pay the taxes they asked about in their attempt to entrap him when they asked if was lawful to pay taxes to the emperor. They knew that if he said no, he could be arrested by the Roman authorities, and that if he said yes, he would be hated by many of the people who now supported him (a bit like politicians today who know that talking about taxes is the deadly third rail of politics).
Instead of just answering them, he tells them to produce a coin used to pay the tax – a denarius. The coin was minted with the image of Caesar. Now if you reach into your pockets or handbags and pull out a coin, you will find a similar image. The coinage then, like today, is created by the government, with an image of a government leader, and with the intent that it will provide tender for the work of the people.
So Jesus, looking at this coin asks them whose image is on it, and when they respond that it is the emperor’s, he tells them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
And they knew that he was speaking truth.
When reading this passage I started to think about my cross-cultural experience when I was a seminarian at Drew Theological School. This was a requirement – that every seminarian goes on a cross-cultural experience – perhaps to Turkey, or to Native American tribes in this country, or to El Salvador. There were many options. The one that I was on was to the US-Mexico border. We met with people on both sides of the immigration issue – the Border Patrol, government agencies, humanitarian groups, and others. And we walked the scorching desert of Arizona where people – men, women, children risk everything, including death, to find a better life. And, my heart ached to find the tattered remains a child’s little pink backpack lying in the desert dust.
While I was there and seeing these things, I kept thinking about this passage of the Gospel. I kept thinking about it because before I had left to go down there, I ran into someone who had been working in a soup kitchen, who had remarked about how many people they had fed that day, adding that there were too many of those “dang illegals” in the line. I asked him “were they not hungry?” And he responded that “they aren’t supposed to be here.”
Really.
That man gave me a gift that day. He gave me a gift because I like to fix things – don’t we all? And when I was down there, my group – we kept trying to figure out how to fix this mess – make a better fence, guest worker programs, open the borders… And I thought, somehow I don’t think Jesus would be concerned about the laws or government fixes in this situation – I think he would respond like this passage – that the issue of border control is of the government, but the care for one’s brothers and sisters in the world is of God.
Now, there is work to be done about this, and so many other issues by the governments of our day – unemployment, violence in our streets, terrorism and war; and, as citizens of our country, we must participate in working toward a better and just society. But as Christians we must act also as citizens of God’s kingdom and care for our brothers and sisters among us who are suffering without regard to who they are, where they came from, or how they ended up in whatever situation we find them, because from the point of view of God – all of it, the land, the sea, the air, the emperors of the world today, us – everything is God’s – there are no borders or governments in God’s world. And, we cannot stand around as Christians and hope the government does something about the problems in our world – we need only look at our history of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and religious intolerance to know that these are problems we must all face – and face them together.
But, there was more to this this gospel story.
You see, Jesus wanted to see the money because he wanted to make it clear that the denarius has the image of the emperor, but each of us are “minted” in the image of God, with the understanding that we must do the work of God in the world.
That is the tax that we pay, doing the work of God. When we do this work, we show the image of God to everyone around us.
And I saw on that trip, in the work of a man named Mike Wilson, the image of God at work in the world. Mike was a native of the Tohono O’odham Nation, a Native American Tribe whose lands cross the US-Mexico border. At his own expense he leaves water out for those crossing the desert, even when some others would go and pour that water out, or worse – poison it – yes, poison it knowing that people, sometimes children, might find it and drink it. I saw the image of God in the people working at the Kino Border Project, a Catholic organization in Nogales, Mexico providing meals and services to those who were recently deported – sent back to Mexico where many had not been in decades, and without a way to reach family.
“Show me the money!”
Now think back for a moment to the fictional story about the sports agent Jerry Maguire and the football player Rod Tidwell. If all Tidwell wanted was money, the other agent on the line, Maquire’s competitor, the one that fired him, could have gotten Tidwell that. But he wasn’t wanting that from Maguire – he wanted to know who Maguire really was, and whether he was ready to commit himself to the work that needed to be done. He wanted Maquire to show himself – his real self. And, this phrase, “show me the money,” has come to mean today – back up what you say. Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk.
Jesus is asking us to “show him the money” – to show our true self – the one created in the image of God….to be God’s agent in the world.
Here at Christ Church, we show everyone the money – images of God doing the work of God in the world. From standing out in the cold to offer busy commuters a moment of grace in the sacrament as part of Ashes to Go, to our youth raising funds for those with neuro-muscular disorders, to opening our doors and our hearts to the youth of the diocese as they grow in faith in Christophany, to collecting food for those who are hungry, and for animals in need, we understand that there is work to be done in the name of Christ – to love and to serve our community and the world.
Those are just some of the donations of time and money made from this parish to ministries that touch those in need far beyond the walls of this church. And, within these walls, our Nursery School looks after the educational needs of children in our community. There is more to do, as we continue to give back to God all that we can – helping others to see themselves as minted in God’s image.
You see, that is the key isn’t it, and everyone of you understand it. That when we give back to God, when we love and serve, we are “Walking the Way” – the title of our Stewardship campaign. We are strengthened and renewed – fed here at Christ Church, at this table, with the spiritual food of the body and blood of Christ, not because that is our work…but because through this community, through this experience of the Eucharist, we are restored in God’s image – nourished, healed and renewed to do the work of Christ, to proclaim God’s love to the world.
The work isn’t coming here, it is what comes out of here.
It is within this community of faith, Christ Church, that we are reminded of who we are, and what we are called to do. It is here that we are able to feast on gratitude, to be thankful for the tax we pay – Walking the Way of Christ to do the work of God in the world.
Have you ever felt that way about paying taxes to the government? I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I fill out all those forms and send a check to the IRS. Maybe that’s why the State of New Jersey has added the option on its’ forms to donate part of your refund, if you are lucky enough to have one coming, to one of a few selected charities… a way to try to get that “feasting on love” feeling going I suppose. Sorry, but that always struck me as a bit like trying to put lipstick on a pig. Now for all the pig lovers out there, I am not meaning to denigrate the noble pig – the government maybe, but not the pig – quite smart animals really… pigs.
“Show me the money!”
Now, unlike some of the other texts we have heard these past few weeks, it doesn’t take a whole leap of faith to think about why this scripture is important during Stewardship season, does it. This is a time when we are asked to think about the work we do together. It is when we step forward and commit of our time, our talent, and our money to ensure that the work of God that springs forward out of this church continues. It is a time when we are reminded to stand in the mirror and see the image of God, and hear the call of Christ to serve as a model of God’s love in the world.
It is when we show God the money – when we show God who we truly are – a congregation committed to “growing in faith – serving our neighbors – and creating community” all in the name of Christ.
So the question is, are we ready to continue to show our real self to God?
Are we ready to continue to back up our statements of belief with our actions in the world – to live our faith?
Are we ready to re-commit to God all that we are in mind, body and spirit to do the work of Christ in the world?
Are we ready to feast with gratitude – on all that God has given to us, and the joy that comes from giving of ourselves in return?
Are we ready to “Walk the Way” of Christ?
Are we ready to render again unto God what is God’s?
From what all that I know us at Christ Church to be, I know the answer to that is a resounding – Yes! Thanks be to God!
Amen
The Rev. Diana Wilcox
Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge
October 19, 2014
Pent 19, Proper 24 – Year A – Track 1
Hebrew – Exodus 33:12-23
Psalm – 99
Christian – 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Gospel – Matthew 22:15-22
