Pay Attention to What You Pay Attention To

• 25^th Sunday after Pentecost

Matthew 21:23-27 and Hebrews 1:1-4

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• Pay attention to what you pay attention to.

- (Starbucks cups with no snowflakes is not a war on Christians.
It is manufactured privileged offense)

- The bombings in Paris (over 120 killed) attracted American attention and sympathy… but not the ones in Beirut or Baghdad… (40+ in Beirut) (20+ in Baghdad)

Pay attention to what you pay attention to.

• Today’s gospel reading: a scuffle between the priests and Jesus.
Priests maybe figure Jesus is making them look bad…
Jesus is undermining their prestige.

They seek to trap Jesus, they seek to enforce a certain behavior, religiosity.

(I think of ISIS seeking a certain and strict system).

• But God is interested in spiritual fruit
(recall last week’s barren fig tree),
a harvest of righteousness,
and they’re producing sour grapes.

• Where do you get your authority, they ask,
from God or from man?
Jesus doesn’t answer, but I daresay the answer is “Yes.”

From God – through the prophets of old and prophets like John the Baptist.
From people – Sermon on the Mount, Matt 7:28-29, the people were amazed at his teaching because he spoke as one with authority. Also Matt 7:16 you will know them by their fruit.

• Authority is given by people by attraction, and not by force.
God does not force, but wants people to choose God,
therefore God pays attention to people, to the heart.
Pay attention to what you pay attention to.

• Steer with your eyes. Look in the direction you want to go.
If you want to look like Jesus, look AT Jesus,
learn from & follow Jesus.
Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31)
Jesus is Lord. Live attractively.

• Hymn 368 My Hope Is Built

Matthew 21:23-27   Common English Bible (CEB)

²³ When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him as he was teaching. They asked, “What kind of authority do you have for doing these things? Who gave you this authority?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “I have a question for you. If you tell me the answer, I’ll tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things. ²⁵ Where did John get his authority to baptize? Did he get it from heaven or from humans?”

They argued among themselves, “If we say ‘from heaven,’ he’ll say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ²⁶ But we can’t say ‘from humans’ because we’re afraid of the crowd, since everyone thinks John was a prophet.” ²⁷ Then they replied, “We don’t know.”

Jesus also said to them, “Neither will I tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things.

Hebrews 1:1-4   Common English Bible (CEB)

1 In the past, God spoke through the prophets to our ancestors in many times and many ways. ² In these final days, though, he spoke to us through a Son. God made his Son the heir of everything and created the world through him. ³ The Son is the light of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s being. He maintains everything with his powerful message. After he carried out the cleansing of people from their sins, he sat down at the right side of the highest majesty. ⁴ And the Son became so much greater than the other messengers, such as angels, that he received a more important title than theirs.