A look at the gaps in the lectionary.
This week: the gap between Proper 23A and 24A
The text: None [see Matthew 19, 20, 21, and 22:1-14]
This coming week, we get a gospel passage that seems to set its own context well. Even jumping straight in, we find the Pharisees respond to the previous weeks’ humiliation by planning to trap Jesus.
But if we have the wider context in mind, we can understand just how untrustworthy these interlopers are. Not because we need more proof, but we actually do need more weight on this.
Why? Because the question they ask Jesus is a trap. And many Christians treat it like it’s a fair question Jesus answers straight. The story is about a trap and most Christians focus on the details.
None of this is on the up and up. And Jesus doesn’t respond like it is.
Every fiber of our beings should be questioning the situation, not taking Jesus’s response like a defense of the separation of church and state. It’s not.
Remembering why Jesus would challenge the teaching of the Temple authorities and why those same authorities think Jesus is a heretic is important. And further, to not reduce it to right and wrong or political binaries, but for the purpose of redeeming Israel, paints a different picture of the previous encounters. And this one.
Jesus is trying to recenter their hearts and the institution’s heart to the Way of Love. Not by separating it from God, but reminding us how tied we all are to God. Even those trying to kill him.