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Proper 6 B
Ezekiel 31:1-6,
10-14 Death, Taxes and Judgment For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ . . . (2 Cor. 5:10) Some of us have all but forgotten the hoopla that surrounded the turning of the Millennium from the twentieth century to the twenty-first century. I barely remember all the details, but I do recall that some people thought that would be the end of the world. They were expecting Jesus Christ to return to earth and sit in judgment over us. In celebration, some of my friends and I attended a party at our church. It was a quiet, yet joyous occasion. A couple in our contemplative prayer group announced their engagement to be married, and at midnight we all walked the labyrinth into the next century. A few days later I got a wake-up call that felt like a type of judgment day. I was inching toward my workplace in bumper to bumper traffic when I saw those blue lights rotating on the car behind me. You know what that means. “Wow,” I thought. “I’m going 35 miles an hour under the speed limit. Does she have the right car?” As it turned out, she did have the right car. My birthday was two days before the Millennium change and my car was still sporting last year’s license tag. I protested that I had not received a bill from the Tax Commissioner. The officer said, “You need to get your car licensed today. Then you can either pay this ticket or go to court.” So, I chose to go to court. I also chose to serve as my own lawyer. As lawyers will tell you, that means I had a fool for a client. Judgment day came and the courtroom was crowded when I arrived at 7:30 a.m. It was one of those “take a number take a seat” sorts of deals. When my number came up my heart was in my throat. Everyone in front of me who had appeared before this unsmiling judge had gotten fined for some traffic violation -- no matter what they claimed as defense. When I went to stand before the judge, the police officer, my accuser, was standing at my elbow. I was part of her quota for that day and she wasn’t going to give me up. The Judge said, “How do you plead?” I replied, “Not guilty, Your Honor, and may I speak?” Whew! That was scary. I couldn’t believe he let me plead my case. I said, “Your Honor, I did not receive a bill from the Tax Commissioner, and when the officer stopped me, I went that very morning and got my car inspected, bought my tag, and paid the late fee.” The Judge said, “Have you moved?” I said, “No, Your Honor, I have lived there for several years.” To my great shock and amazement, he said, “The tax office has recently been late sending out its bills. I’m dismissing your case.” The officer who gave me the ticket huffed under her breath. I didn’t look at her, but vacated the premises as quickly as the law allowed. When I got back to work I was able to brag to my lawyer friends that I had already won a case that day and it wasn’t even nine o’clock in the morning. And yet, as a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen, I should have realized in December that I had not received a bill for my car tag. I should have marked my calendar to go to the Tax Commissioner’s office to pay it before my birthday regardless. It had simply slipped by me, what with Christmas and the new millennium. Looking back, I know I received mercy and not justice. The officer was right to give me a ticket. My dear old dad, may he rest in peace, used to say that there is nothing so certain as death and taxes. St. Paul would agree but would probably say that there is nothing so certain as death, taxes and judgment. We hear a lot these days about death and taxes, and about death taxes, but rarely do we hear very much about the judgment of our souls. That seems to be the last taboo, and yet, our scriptures say that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. As St. Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians, he was preparing for his own death. He was working out his theology of what it would be like to die and go to heaven. Paul knew he was not long for this world. He had been in and out of jail for his belief in Christ Jesus. He had been beaten, shipwrecked, pelted with stones and left for dead. He had appeared before various tribunals and judges – even Caesar himself. Paul longed for the judgment of the Righteous Judge, Jesus Christ. Christ would judge Paul strictly on his own knowledge of Paul’s life. Paul would not be hauled into court by Roman soldiers. Paul would not be wrongfully jailed. No one would be looking for a bribe. Jesus is the righteous judge. Because of this, Paul had confidence that the “tent” — the temporary dwelling of this earthly body — would soon be replaced by a permanent “house” in which to dwell with God eternally. As for his sins, Paul was obviously relying on the forgiveness that would come from his trust in the grace of Jesus Christ. Jesus had experienced every temptation we have experienced, yet he did not sin. Jesus had lived in an earthly body, a “tent” as it were. John’s Gospel says this of Jesus: “The Word became flesh and dwelt – literally - ‘tented’ among us.” [Jn 1:14] Jesus knows whereof we are made. Jesus is the righteous judge. I think that Paul’s metaphor of the tent versus the house is a good one for us to think about. If you have ever camped out, you know the difference between a sleeping bag and a real bed. You know the difference between the temporary and the permanent. We have been baptized into Christ. In baptism we have turned to Jesus Christ and accepted him as our savior. We have put our whole trust in his grace and love. Since he judges us in righteousness and compassion, we in turn can treat our fellow human beings in the same way. This is part of how we will be judged. All things eventually come to an end. Some day, it will be my turn to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. I will plead for mercy and not justice. If my accusers have given me a ticket, I hope that Jesus will throw it out. |
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St. Margarets Church, Moultrie, Georgia