James 2:8-20
Matthew 7:13-27
“Politics
is not the task of a Christian.” Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
Ironically, in light of Bonhoeffer’s observation and
opinion, these past few weeks have seen politics in America sink to levels that
surprised even me – and I’m a political cynic!
The Religious Freedom Restoration debates in Arkansas and Indiana saw
not the worst of humanity but, actually, the worst of Christianity – from both
sides, each claiming to speak in Jesus’ name!
This dark period was capped with a cherry on top by a
self-described “evangelist” from AZ who baited a bakery in FL. When the bakery declined his request for a
particular cake, believing it to be a prank call, this “messenger of the Gospel”
(which is what an “evangelist” is supposed
to be) hit social media to highlight this “godless” bakery that denied him a
certain cake with a certain caption for a certain cause (the “cause” – and his
Christian “credentials” - were lost due to this guy’s vindictiveness!). Soon this man’s followers from all over the
country were calling this bakery, threatening their business, and threatening
their lives - all in the name of Jesus!
I cannot help but to wonder how this bakery must have felt
about this particular “God” whose followers threatened to kill them and their
families, or burn down their business and homes? It is not unlike how we typically question
the “God” of Islam, judging by the very public and barbaric behavior of those
who claim allegiance to “Allah”.
How do you suppose others view our God, judging by our
public behavior? It is a question every
person of faith is compelled to ask … and then answer truthfully. Funny how we believe in grace when we talk about our own sins, but we absolutely believe in
and uphold the Law when it comes to the
sins of others.
Admittedly lately we Christians have been taking it on
the chin and feel like we are being needlessly bullied and taunted and unfairly
treated, which is the sentiment driving this Religious Freedom Restoration. These political initiatives, we are told (by
politicians, incidentally), are designed to protect us from being compelled by secular law to violate the Divine law. It is a political push-back against what we’ve
decided is a political fight – not a moral cause.
Jesus, however, never asked us to push back. Nor did our Lord advise us to go to “Caesar”
whenever we get our noses out of joint.
Actually in our political quest to fight a moral fight we believe to be right,
we seem inclined to go directly to “Caesar”.
And we always expect “them” to be straightened out … because “we” are
not the problem. Right?
Remembering the prophets spoke to Israel, before and
during the Exile, within the context of the only Scripture they would have
known, the Torah, it can be so
written, “[The Lord] has told you, O mortal, what is good [through Torah]; and [according
to the law] what does The Lord require of you but to DO justice, to LOVE
kindness, and to WALK humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
Now it might be our inclination to say, ‘That’s it.
That’s all there is to it; just be nice’. However, this statement is packed with the
entirety of the “royal law according to the Scripture”, as St. James points out
and as Jesus affirms: “In everything, do to others as you
would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets”
(Matthew 7:12).
We are not admonished to merely refrain from evil acts,
although it would be a good start. We
are compelled and commanded toward purposeful acts of justice, deliberate acts of kindness, and intentional acts of humility – all as a reflection of how we understand
our God and our relationship to our God according to The Word (“the Word which
was in the beginning”, the Word which was revealed at Mt. Sinai, the Word “which
became flesh”).
What “evangelism” has become for the church, however,
is a twisted idea of what may be more appropriately classified as “superstition”
rather than faith. Rather than to hear
St. James’ admonition as it is written in its entirety instead of a few select
verses – to a church that should
have known better according to the only Scripture they would have known, the Torah - our sense of “evangelism” has
twisted James’ words. We do not say to
those who are “naked and lacking daily food” to “go in peace and eat your fill”. We are more likely to say, “Get a job, make your own peace, and buy
your own fill”.
OR we may make the necessary doctrinal correction by
saying to those who are “lacking”, “Just accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, and all will be
well with you. Then you can go in peace and
eat your fill”. We have left them just
as we had found them, “naked and hungry”, but we have
convinced ourselves we have fulfilled the Great Commission when, in fact, we’ve
done nothing at all … nothing meaningful to
them, nothing useful for them.
Do you notice how “hate speech” has become so defined
in the politically correct world to include passages from the Bible, especially
the prohibitive passages? When we
rightly stand opposed to what we believe the Scripture is clear about, I wonder
if the reason our objections are not taken seriously is because our own chosen words and efforts lack “Gospel”
substance. We have so busied ourselves
in trying to do spiritual warfare by political means that we have lost any
sense of some fundamental principles of what we, as the Church, are called to actually do.
“Get saved” is not one of them; “save others” is,
however, many of them.
Now I know there are many with an understanding of
“righteousness” in that our “works” will not earn Divine favor; that we are not
justified by what we do – we are justified by what The Lord will do. I get that, and I sincerely hope you do,
also. I think, however, that we are
missing the point when we look at the “royal law” so narrowly as to miss entirely
the fullness of the Gospel. There has to
come a point at which it is no longer about “me”. I frankly wonder if it was ever about “me” at
all – but more about those we will come into contact with after we are
justified and filled with the Holy Spirit and within our knowledge of the written
Word Itself – rather than the words we’ve made up.
For the next few weeks we will explore what are known
as the Seven Virtues. These Virtues were once considered the
essential characteristics of the Christian but are today – especially post-Reformation
- all but forgotten by a Church that seems more familiar with the Seven Deadly
Sins and those who are so guilty.
Considering St. James’ context of the “royal law according to the
Scripture”, if the words and principles of the Bible are indeed
timeless as we like to believe, it is time to reach back to some fundamentals
and add substance to our being as The Body of Christ.
It is maddening and madness to witness what the
so-called “social progressives” are doing to The Word in their feeble attempts
to make The Word relevant to an unbelieving culture, but I cannot say we
so-called “conservatives” are doing The Word much justice ourselves when all we
do is “push back” - angrily. Are we not called
to “counter-act” evil with acts of goodness, grace, and mercy rather than to
respond to evil with evil acts of our own?
An evil act, even by the hands of a righteous person,
is still by its nature an evil act.
I think we can
do better. I know we must do better.
Jesus expressed in the Sermon on the Mount, “Everyone who hears My words AND
acts on them will be like the wise man …” (Mt 7:24), St. Paul expressed
in his epistle to the Romans, “It
is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in The Lord’s sight, but
the DOERS of the law who will be justified”, {ooh, that’s gotta sting!} (Rm
2:13), and St. James affirmed in his epistle, “Be DOERS of the Word and not
merely hearers” (Jas 1:22).
It is time to hear the Word and then respond appropriately, graciously, humbly, and
purposefully rather than to allow the Word to just sit idle. There is no component of the Church – NONE –
not parties, not potlucks, not fundraisers that can exist without an outreach
element and deliberate effort. NOT ONE,
NOT EVER. Everything we do, without
exception, is an expression of what we know about The Word of our God – and that’s
what people see … and believe.
When – and only when – we are true to the Eternal Word
will we find true meaning in The Word in our own lives and in the Life that is
the Church. And we will, according to
that same Word, be richly blessed beyond human measure - but only if we believe and fully trust and act in The Word, the same
Word which “was in the beginning”, the same Word revealed at Mt. Sinai, the
same Word “which became flesh”. The
Eternal – and unchanging – Word.
In the Holy and Eternal Name, and according to the
Living Word, let the people of the Church declare, “Amen” – “let it be so”.
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