Let Us Be ‘Jesus People’

Mark 8:27-38

“And His Name shall be call-ed, Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace”

The time is drawing near when we will all sing those familiar and beloved words from Handel’s Messiah, describing Jesus as a ‘mighty God’, a royal ‘Prince of Peace’ – underlined with tympany drums and trumpets, exaggerated and joyous rhythms!

We hear in the Gospel that when Jesus asked his disciples who they thought He was, Peter was the first to answer, identifying Jesus as the ‘Messiah’, the Hebrew word referring to the expected ‘Prince of the Chosen’, anointed by God to redeem his people, and foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament. The Jews, who were then under the subjugation of the Romans, looked for a ‘savior’, a ‘Messiah’ to release them from their bondage.

Peter had great hopes for Jesus’ future. If Jesus was the ‘Messiah’, Peter wanted Him to assume the role of God’s Anointed, and become the long-awaited powerful leader of the Jews. Jews believed that

• the ‘Messiah’ would drive out the oppressive Romans through power and war;
• the ‘Messiah’ would defeat all the enemies of the Jews;
• the ‘Messiah would provide justice in the land;
• and the ‘Messiah would restore the general welfare of the Jewish nation;

– meaning, in reality, the Jewish people would at last rule the earth.

Peter envisioned a great and glorious future for Jesus the ‘Messiah’.

But this wasn’t why Jesus had come. Jesus almost immediately began to teach his followers something completely different about the world, the Kingdom of God, and what His real power was. Rather than coming as a triumphant conqueror, Jesus would face great suffering; many prominent leaders of his own people (the Pharisees and Sadducees, the chief priests and scribes) would reject him. Jesus went on to shock His disciples by saying that he would be killed. Yes. Actually slain. They would see him die.

Jesus told Peter, and the rest of the disciples:

“You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” (Mark 8:33)

He reminded them that divine things were not power, domination, wealth, or status, but peace, love, generosity and caring for all of God’s children. Those were stunning, stinging words, but they were words they needed to hear. And they are words that, more than ever, we need to hear. It is human nature to get so caught up in our own desires and wishes, our own agendas for ourselves and our loved ones, that we do not spend much time focusing on divine things, especially the message of God as taught by Jesus. But the truth is that it is only as we seek to know and do the path of God in all things, that we discover happiness in our lives.

Yet, if our main focus is often upon the marvelous dreams and hopes we have for our loved ones and ourselves – what can be wrong with that? An argument can well be made that we should have great hopes and visions for ourselves and our family members and friends. Surely there is nothing wrong and everything right with setting a goal to strive for.

There is only one caveat, one warning we should heed. Our goals and strivings need to be in line with the path God shows us. If they are not, in spite of whatever we might achieve, there will always be a feeling of something missing, something not quite right, in earthly status, power or wealth without inner joy.

It is quite clear that God wants us to choose carefully where we focus our minds and action. When Peter rebuked Jesus, Peter was focusing on his desire that Jesus be the militant and powerful ruler who would set things right in the world. Jesus, however, was intent on following the divine plan, the path to the Kingdom of God wherever that led. Even if the short-term future promised to be frightening and full of pain and suffering; even if a cross was in His future, Jesus taught and lived the path toward God’s Kingdom.

There is a great lesson here. When you and I make the proper choices, when we truly seek the mind of God as we travel down life’s road, we will find that we can handle whatever comes, even death itself.

However, if we decide instead to center on human things — on the temporary rather than the everlasting — we will find ourselves headed toward chaos and disappointment. Sometimes we may discover our life totally out of control and in a desperate condition. Our lives will only be truly fruitful and meaningful as we center on the path to God set out 2,000 years ago by Jesus. As we go from day to day, we would do well to develop a pattern of seeking the mind of God regarding each choice we face.

In his first sermon, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry reminded us:

“God came among us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to show us the Way. He came to show us the Way to life, the Way to love. He came to show us the Way beyond what often can be the nightmares of our own devisings and into the dream of God’s intending.

This is the Jesus Movement, and we are The Episcopal Church, the Episcopal branch of Jesus’ movement in this world.”[1]

Perhaps we would do well to follow something like the guidelines for daily Christian living developed by the Trappist Monks in the Abbey of the Genesee. They remind us:

This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is important because I’m exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, not loss; good, not evil; success, not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it.

You and I are free to live our lives as we please, if we choose. But those who are spiritually wise know that the precious gift of a free will is only truly meaningful and joyous when we surrender completely, day by day, to the One who knows best how our lives are meant to be lived.

Rather than as a powerful ruler, Jesus spent His life as one in service, of humility, of sacrifice. Jesus came to earth to serve, not to be served. His service ultimately cost Him his life. And in so loving and dying – as a humble and loving servant – He showed us the way to find salvation – and joy and meaning in our lives!

“Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29)

That’s the question Jesus asks each one of us. He doesn’t want to know what we would like Him to be, or want Him to be … or even need Him to be. Jesus wants a relationship with us so that we can know “who” He is.

We answer that question each day of our lives with our choices and priorities.

The lyrics of a popular contemporary song, You Raise Me Up, by Brendan Graham and Rolf Lovland communicates what Christ is ready to do for us and through us:

“When I am down and, oh my soul so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Until You come and sit awhile with me.

There is no life, no life without its hunger.
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly,
But when You come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains,
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas,
I am strong when I am on Your shoulders,
You raise me up to more than I can be.”[2]

Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, is here for each of us, his suffering, death, and resurrection has assured us eternal life. We are beloved children of God, all brothers and sisters of Jesus. If we live His way, as His people, our communities, nation and planet will be a brighter, happier place – and our lives will be more full and rich than we ever dreamed possible!

Let us go forth into the world each day, being ‘Jesus People’.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
 
 
[1]      Delivered at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York City, November 2, 2015
[2]      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLzshoYSulI

 
 

Delivered at Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Worthington and Parts Adjacent, Worthington, OH; 19 September 2018

Social Justice is the Love of Jesus in Action

At General Convention 79, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry kicked off the campaign “Becoming the Beloved Community”, The Episcopal Church participation in the larger interreligious ‘Jesus Movement’. There will be a churchwide focus on what we can do to become the ‘beloved community’ and live more fully into the teachings of Jesus; one of the hallmarks of the ‘Jesus Movement’ is ensuring there is a just society for all people.

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary social justice is “justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society”. Aristotle, in The Politics, said ‘justice’ ensured that individuals both fulfilled their societal roles and received what was their due from society. Joseph Joubert, a French moralist and essayist, said it more succinctly, “Justice is truth in action”. Over the years, these benefits and rights have come to include public education, access to health care, social security, the right to organize, and a broader spectrum of other public service: the citizen has the responsibility to vote, pay equitable taxes, defend the country, and work for the common good of all citizens. A progressive tax structure and regulation of markets have been developed to help distribute wealth more equally and give more people access to property ownership and job security.

Who could be against justice? If there’s one thing that the laws and prophets – and especially Jesus –agreed on, it’s justice for all, regardless of a person’s background or social status. Some Christians believe that justice is strictly the punishment of wrongdoing, as in our court systems. They would insist that helping the needy through generous giving should be called mercy, compassion or charity — not justice.

In English, however, the word “charity” conveys a good but ‘elective’ activity. Charity cannot be a requirement, for then it would not be charity. In Matthew 6:1-2, gifts to the poor are called “acts of righteousness”. Not giving generously, then, is not stinginess but unrighteousness, a violation of God’s law. In the book of Job, we see Job call every failure to help the poor a sin, offensive to God’s splendor (Job 31:23) and deserving of judgment and punishment (Job 31:28). Remarkably, Job is asserting that it would be a sin against God to think of one’s goods as belonging to himself alone. To not ‘share his bread’ and assets with the poor would be unrighteous, a sin against God – a violation of God’s justice.

Despite the effort to differentiate between “justice” as legal fairness and sharing as “charity,” numerous Scripture passages make radical generosity necessary to live justly. Just persons live a life of honesty, equity and generosity in every aspect of their life.

If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice is inescapable. We do justice when we give all human beings their due as creations of God. Doing justice includes not only the righting of wrongs, but practicing generosity and an interest in social concern, especially toward the poor and vulnerable.

Again and again in the Gospels, Jesus angrily challenges the religious authorities, mocking them for their self-aggrandizing, self-promoting ways. He alienated the elite by spending time with and showing favor to the poor and marginalized; he talked to women, ate without regard for the dietary rules, he healed those considered unclean and returned them to wholeness. He questioned current laws and challenged the status quo. And as a result, he became the target of those in authority. Ultimately, those authorities killed him.

Nevertheless, Jesus showed us that there are times when we must stand up and express ‘truth to power’ in constructive, meaningful, unyielding ways despite the possible consequences. Consider how often, and in how many ways, Jesus expressed anger in the Gospels. He was clear and direct, bringing about justice or revealing malice or ignorance. He made no personal attacks, but sought to uncover the evil behind the actions. There is no record of Jesus being angered by a personal offense, no matter how wrong, unjust, or violent it may have been. He lived and taught that the one who is persecuting us is also created in the image of God and loved by God, and in that reality, we can love our enemy.

Just as God is righteously angered over oppression and injustice, so we should be. Learning how to balance these teachings and actions is a lifelong process for those who choose to follow in God’s ways. The Good Samaritan wasn’t good because of his origins or because he was traveling. Instead, he looked around him, around where he lived and worked and traveled, saw a human in need, and got involved. He gave up time, money, and most likely status and respect in doing so. As he went about his day, he loved someone and righted an injustice.

There are many ways people of faith can be involved in helping set things right. We can encourage our government to shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, clothe those in need; we can advocate for those suffering from mental illness, work fora fair and rehabilitative prison system; we can work with youth who need an adult mentor, visit the sick or infirmed – the need for the love of Jesus, for real justice are everywhere.

As we near a new ecclesiastical year, it is a good season for each of us to ask ourselves: How can our love of Jesus be channeled into loving action? We, as members of the Diocese of Southern Ohio, have an obligation to work for social justice in the world about us, just as Jesus did. And like Jesus, we should be angry at many instances of injustice that prompt us to speak truth in love to our friends, our neighbors, our legislators, our nation and the world.

We would do well to remember what Micah 6:6-8 says:

With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

The Good Samaritan was one person, one person who made a difference in the life of one man. Think about what a group of Christians could do if they combined their time and energy to right the injustices in the world.

Are you ready to take those steps necessary to carry out the teachings of Jesus?

Are you ready to ‘strive to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God’?
 
 

Written for Connections, Diocese of Southern Ohio, 1 August 2018