On Circumstantial Hatred

Genesis 45:1-15

Matthew 15:10-20

If anyone had reason to be bitter and vengeful, it would have been Joseph.  Though he was favored by his father Jacob (Israel), his brothers hated him.  Recall that from an early age, Joseph had dreams; dreams he probably did not fully understand and so should have kept to himself … at least among his siblings, because these dreams foretold of a time when his older brothers and even his parents would bow down to him (Genesis 37:7). 

Little did Joseph know what he would be forced to endure before this would take place!  He knew he was “favored”, but he had no idea what The Lord may ask of those who have found favor with Him.  Like the “beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”.  Remember Him?

His brothers had conspired to kill Joseph, so deep was their hatred for him.  It was his brother, Reuben, who had convinced the brothers to spare his life (Genesis 37:21-22).  Yet it was also Reuben who had the idea to throw him into a pit. 

We don’t know why the pit seemed a good idea but when a caravan of traveling merchants came by, it was his brother Judah who proposed the idea to sell Joseph to these traders to be rid of him once and for all.  Even if they had no idea what would become of Joseph, they had to know that they were about to break their father’s heart.  But they did it anyway.

Joseph had plenty to be angry and resentful about, and he had every reason to use his substantial power and influence to make his brothers pay for their crime against him.  For a time it looked as though he would have done that very thing but, as the saying goes, all’s well that ends well!  It wasn’t “fate”, however, that turned the tables; it was Joseph’s unflinching faith!

There are a couple of things for us to bear in mind in reading this passage.  First is to listen to Joseph as he testifies it was The Lord who sold him rather than his brothers; second is to hear Joseph reveal why this thing had been done: “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth” (45:7).  This “remnant” is important for the sake of the Covenant The Lord had long before made with Abraham.  The “remnant” would keep the Promise alive.

Let us also consider, however, that it was not The Lord who threw Joseph into the pit and it was not The Lord who sold Joseph into slavery; it was his brothers who did this horrible thing and lied to their father about Joseph’s fate.  It was The Lord who turned the story around by way of one agent – Joseph – who refused to submit to the dominant culture, who refused to renounce his faith, who refused to give up hope!

We know there are those who have learned to resent The Father because life has been unfair to them.  Things have not worked out the way they had hoped or intended, so it must be God’s fault in directly causing the harm, or God’s non-existence or unwillingness to intervene for His “favored”.  Either way we slice it, The Lord takes a pretty big hit.  And because He is not physically present to sit down with us to help us to work through whatever it is, it becomes easier still to blame Him for all the misfortune in our lives.

We must always bear in mind this kind of “genie-god” only exists on the lips of some certain TV preachers whose end game is money, not making disciples.  Even in the early centuries of the church’s history when there were conflicts about the nature of God and the very being of Jesus, there was no “prosperity gospel” that offered material wealth and perpetual happiness in exchange for real faith.

But because we have learned to make this God into our own image and discovering it does not quite work that way, we develop the very angry and bitter heart which not only defines us but also defiles us, as Jesus points out.  We might like to believe we have every right and reason to be angry and bitter, and there are some worldly (even Christian) remnants that would tell us it’s ok, but Jesus also points out that when the blind follows the blind, both will nevertheless fall into the same pit (Matthew 15:14).  In other words, our anger and bitterness may be understandable under certain circumstances, but it is never ok.

This is important for us to understand because even though we might like to believe someone else is at fault for whatever misery may befall us and should pay the price, the reality is if we follow a narrative that goes along with what we’ve already made up our minds about, the fault will have to be shared – by the “blind guides” as well as the blind who follow them.

A lot has been written about what happened in Charlottesville VA last weekend, but most of what I’ve read so far is trying to create an exclusive narrative of racism and our legitimate need to confront this particular evil.  I do not suggest racism does not exist and did not play a part; but when the dust settled and a young woman lay dead, it became extremely difficult to confine the narrative to a single issue – unless that issue is ultimately hatred borne of a lack of hope – spawned by defiled hearts and brought about by profound spiritual blindness and a perverse need to be defensive.

The very essence of the character of the Holy Church is our mission to make disciples.  In the name of “social justice”, however, we seem unconcerned with making disciples and more concerned with identifying enemies.  The manner in which we conduct ourselves while angrily shouting in the streets or cursing the president or ANTIFA or white supremacists on social media reveals we are doing the very thing Jesus warns us against.  While cursing those whom we seem to believe are already defiled, we ourselves become defiled.

It has long been said Christians are better known for what we stand against rather than what we stand for.  Can we really stand with anarchists toward the same cause?  By being anti-racist, are we being pro-Gospel?  How is fighting by any means promoting the Good News of The Lord and making disciples?  As if we have even a right to be angry and bitter as Joseph truly did.

So many on both sides of this culture war are claiming to be angry and bitter and resentful for what has been heaped on us, but where can we show direct harm and, ultimately, direct offense?  Unlike Joseph, we have not been thrown into a pit or sold off against our will – by our own siblings, no less!! - and yet we seem eager to freely jump into the pit of defilement rather than to offer to help someone out of that pit.

Our cause is Christ, the Eternal Word which became flesh.  Our cause is the Good News that speaks to the Hope we share in our redemption and adoption.  Our curse, however, comes upon us when we choose to “return evil for evil” as our Lord prohibits instead of “praying for our enemies” as our Lord commands His followers.  Our false bravado impresses only the weak-minded who are equally ignorant of what our Lord expects and demands of all who are baptized into His Covenant.

So if we live in hope rather than to dwell in darkness, we can expect to be like Joseph.  Through the ashes of our despair and refusing to become defiled and defined by our circumstances but trusting fully in The Lord and His Word, we can be sure we will be raised up! 

Sooner or later The Lord will save His people – but only those who play by His Rules and not by the rules of this self-destructive culture.  “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but The Lord rescues them from [all those afflictions]” (Psalm 34:18-19).

Trust in this, dear friends, and He will deliver us from our own anger and afflictions.  Believe and live into this assurance, and we will also be looking down on our enemies who tried to crush us.  But let it come in The Lord’s time and not our own, for it will come soon enough.  Amen.

Leave it alone

"As you enter a house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your worlds, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town." Matthew 10:12-14

The twelve disciples had been given "authority over unclean spirits ... and to cure every disease and every sickness" (vs 1) and were instructed on exactly how they must go about announcing the Good News that "the kingdom of heaven has come near". They were also specifically instructed to "go nowhere among the Gentiles".

What's more, Jesus also instructed them; "Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave".

I suppose we can turn this passage any way it suits us, but it is careless to suppose Jesus has sent these men out to confront social ills. What was the charge? "Announce that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near". And what is the instruction? "If they will not hear you, shake the dust from your feet" ... and move along.

Jesus has not asked His followers to get involved in useless arguments and shouting matches. Discipleship is dangerous enough without deliberately walking into a volatile situation and asking for trouble. In fact, He further says, "If you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next" (vs 23).

It's not always easy to know what to do in today's political climate in The Lord's Name, but stoking an already burning fire is not a good choice. Trouble is around every turn but Jesus seems pretty clear that if emotions are already stoked to the point of irrationality, it is best to move on. Irrational mobs cannot be reasoned with, and we should know this by now. People who come looking for trouble are not going to settle for less than the trouble they were seeking in the first place!

What can we do? Appeal to those who know The Lord (hence Jesus' call to "go nowhere among the Gentiles") and encourage them to remove themselves from the situation. If we can thin out the crowd, we can not only perhaps calm the situation, we can also prevent someone from getting hurt needlessly.

This is not about refusing to speak for Good in the face of evil; it is about creating an environment conducive to rational thought. There are some hate groups that will not hear us, no matter what we say. "Leave them alone", Jesus seems to say. And why must we "flee to the next town"? Because there is perhaps someone there who wants to hear the Good News! And we should not waste our time, breath, or energy trying to shout down those who will not hear us in the first place!!

The Good News is only for those willing to hear it. We must not waste our time getting into shouting matches with those who will not hear it under the best of circumstances. Proclaim the Good News; and if you are told to go jump in a lake, move along. "Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town" (vs 15).

Imagine what The Church might look like if we would actually heed Jesus' words and follow His instructions ... to ... the ... letter. Surely if the Word of The Lord is powerful enough to save us, it is good enough to guide us. Yes?

Blessings,
Michael

Charlottesville and the Truth

I am not quite sure what to make of what happened in Charlottesville VA over the weekend.  Since I was not there I have to depend on the news media.  The problem with the media is the facts are not quite clear even though many insist there are clear facts.  More than getting to facts, however, I would prefer the Truth.  What was (is) at the heart of the conflict?

Some say it boils down to race.  White Nationalists were there to protest a city decision to dismantle a statue of Robert E. Lee, the statue presumably being city property.  Since Dylann Roof mercilessly gunned down those nine innocent black persons in Charleston SC in 2015, there has been a movement to remove any and all monuments to the long-dead Confederacy.  Sadly, it was Roof’s stated desire to start a race war.  Sadder still, he apparently succeeded.

The truth goes much deeper than race, however.  Various Antifa groups converged on the protest – some armed (there are photos) – to counter-protest in an effort to prevent a “normalization” of a white supremacy narrative.  In other words, it was the stated intent of Antifa to deny the White Nationalists their 1^st Amendment right to protest a government action.

President Trump condemned the violence wrought by all; but because he did not single out the White Nationalists, many condemned his response as “tepid”, even “racist”.  Two days later the president condemned the actions of all white supremacy groups, but the condemnation was rejected and judged as insincere.  Because President Trump is blamed for the rise in white nationalism, there would be no words he could have possibly spoken that would have been accepted by any.

Aside from facts, however, the Truth may be more disturbing.  According to the New York Times, a Charlottesville-based network of activists and clergy members called ‘Solidarity Cville’ called attention to the “Unite the Right” rally and urged people to show their opposition. The group includes ministers from local churches. 

Violence was expected.  Brittany Caine-Conley, a minister at Sojourners United Church of Christ in Charlottesville who is part of Solidarity Cville, sent a warning message in advance of the rally. “There is an extremely high potential for physical violence and brutality directed at our community,” she wrote. “We need your help — we don’t have the numbers to stand up to this on our own.”  Note she did not discourage attendance nor encourage peaceful persons to avoid the area; she invited and encouraged a bigger crowd.

Could the Truth be that the only threat of violence was the determined presence of counter-protesters?  Would the White Nationalists have had anyone toward which violence could be directed?  They were not, to my knowledge, threatening to blow up government buildings or shoot anyone; they were protesting the planned destruction of government property.  When they were confronted with angry counter-protesters, however, the threat of violence escalated with words.

It may seem as though I am defending the White Nationalists.  In a manner of speaking, I suppose I am only in that I am not ok with tearing down historical markers of any kind.  At the same time, I am not ok with idealizing and sanitizing the Confederacy on any level.  It is undeniable history, but idealizing it does bring legitimate offense to some.  Yet angry confrontation with that offense – in an offensive manner – does not justify violence, though it will inevitably invite and incite violence.  It’s the “mob mentality”, an angry mob always being perhaps the most dangerous and irrational animal on the face of the planet.

It is said the White Nationalists had a permit to be there, and it must be said the Solidarity Cville group had every right to be there.  Having a right to do something, however, does not mean it is always prudent to do so.  Walking into a volatile situation with a confrontational attitude is a lot like walking into a hay barn with an open flame – damage is imminent.  Confronting any kind of protest with a counter-protest will always be counter-productive.  Trying to shout down a voice with which we may disagree only makes us look foolish and afraid.

That is what happened in Charlottesville.  “The prayers of both could not be answered.  That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. ‘Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh’." (Abraham Lincoln, 4 March 1865).

Both sides were asking for trouble, yet both sides were demanding to be heard at the expense of the other side.  And a young woman is dead.  I cannot help but to wonder if her family believes her counter-protest was worth the cost.  I wonder if the clergy person who put out a call to action for help – knowing there was the “potential for violence” – may rethink her chosen language in encouraging someone to bring matches and gasoline to a powder-keg situation. 

I do not know the mind of the White Nationalist movement though I can probably guess.  Whether I disagree with them, however, does not necessitate my presence and protest each time they make headlines.  The Gospel of The Lord requires wisdom and prudence; and “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that … town” (Matthew 10:14).  Note that Jesus did not say, “Press harder and call in reinforcements”.

There is a moral issue at the heart of it all, to be sure, but I don’t think it can be boiled down to race.  It seems to go much deeper.  I pray we figure it out before someone else gets hurt.

Mistaken Identity: a sermon for 13 August 2017

Matthew 14:22-33

Dr. Tom Caneta has spent the last nine years sequestered in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan in northern Africa.  Because he is the very last doctor left in a war-torn region marked by starvation, disease, death, and rocket attacks, he alone treats up to 500 persons per day.

Dr. Caneta summarized his life’s work to the 2015 graduating class at his alma mater, Brown University: ‘Everyone is searching for happiness.  Everyone is searching for fulfillment.  I think if you really want fulfillment in this life, what I would suggest to you is go and get rid of everything you have.  Sell everything you have.  Get rid of all your baggage and go live a life of full and total service to other people.  If you do that, you will find that the rewards are incredible.  You will find that you have fulfillment more than you could ever have imagined.  So I throw that challenge out to you’.  “Good News” magazine, July/August 2017, pg 37

Can we get so busy with doing or having whatever it is we do or have that we forget who we are?  Is it possible to lose our sense of identity when we accumulate too much “stuff”?  This, I think, must be at the heart of Dr. Caneta’s observation as well as Jesus’ own lesson about becoming “perfect”; whole, holy, “perfect” (Matthew 19:21).

I think it is entirely possible, even likely, that we can get so caught up in what we do for the Church that we forget we should always be not just representing The Lord but, rather, revealing Him.  It is easy to forget, especially when we receive personal recognition, maybe get our picture in the paper, or community service credit for school or the courts.  Sometimes a genuine desire to serve can be obscured by our own need to feel good about ourselves, to make our lives count for something. 

In the name of religion or in a personal quest to ‘save souls’, what we do for others can often become confused if we take on the mantle of ‘crusader’ rather than the identity of ‘servant’.  ‘Crusader’ is what we choose to do; ‘servant’ is what Jesus was, is, and has called His Church to be (“I came not to be served but to serve”, Matthew 20:28).

I cannot help but to wonder if this may have been at least part of Peter’s great challenge, the same challenge we often face ourselves when we lose sight of Who not only gives our lives real and everlasting meaning but is our True Identity, bearing the Image in which we are created.  But when we are more aware of the world around us and our uncertain place in that world than we are aware of the One who calls us out of that world of obscurity and distraction, we become afraid.  And we become afraid, I think, because we begin to lose sight of who we really are.  Not who we think we are, but who we are created to be.

Think about it like this.  We strive to get a good education, get good jobs, find a mate, get married, have children, buy a home; in all this, we are making a life for ourselves.  It is normal, it is expected.  It is, in fact, the American Dream. 

Aside from the education, however, all these other things – even persons – will absolutely be lost.  None of this will last beyond its own time, including those we love.  We’ve all been to funerals; we know how every life story ends.  So if what we acquire can be so easily lost – and we lose ourselves in trying to keep all we’ve acquired – how can any of this be our true identity?  Stuff that can be lost, stolen, or can rust and rot?  Other persons with their own identities?  Where is our own, unique, individual identity if we are only someone’s husband or wife?  Someone’s father/mother/brother/sister, employee, employer, etc?

On the other hand, if we seek to be connected first to the One who created us “fearfully and wonderfully”, the One who redeemed us, claimed us, and adopted us, the One who gifted us and calls us into the Life He has already established – if we go there first, then all the other things, all the other persons, all the other jobs will fall into place.  Then we can know who we really are – which is much more than who or what the world expects us to be.  Think of it; the world expects us to be generous, to give a little; but to give it all, the world would call “foolish”. 

We must also bear in mind that perhaps Peter’s first mistake was in “testing” The Lord.  Could this be construed as a means of testing our own identity?  Remember what Moses had affirmed to the Israelites in the wilderness; trust The Lord, but do not test Him.  Do not test His mercy.  Do not test His power.  Do not test His determination that we can only be – for all eternity! – what He has created us to be from the very beginning. 

Absent that, like Peter, we will lose sight of The Lord at the first sign of trouble because The Lord was incidental to begin with.  We even teach our children this way, do we not??  Think about it.  We will fight with and encourage our children to get them to school, to do their homework, to become involved in extracurricular activities, to excel and succeed … but we do not put that same energy into getting them to Sunday school.  Worse, we fail to teach them why this is important in the first place.  From the beginning!

They may be prepared to find a place in this world which demands all that and more, but they – like we – will one day struggle to find out who they really are, who they were “fearfully and wonderfully made” to be from the very beginning.  They will know only what the world expects and demands from them.  And at the first crisis point, whatever that crisis may be, they will be lost – as many of us have been.

Then when they, like Peter and like we, “notice the strong wind” and the waves of the sea lapping over their feet and getting what we refer to as “that strong, sinking feeling”, we “test” The Lord to see if He’s still there – mindful of our own will rather than His.  Or, like Peter and the others in the boat, whether we can even recognize Him – especially if The Lord was the last One we expected to see!

We can spare ourselves and our loved ones a lot of anxiety if we will take the means of grace at our disposal more seriously than we take our jobs and our education.  Those means of grace – worship, study of Scriptures, fasting, praying, the Sacraments, even fellowship with other Christians – are offered to us so we can not only discover who we are in The Lord but grow more faithfully into that role. 

Then, like Dr. Caneta (Mother Teresa, MLK) and so many others who have come before us, we will have no doubts, no worries.  The “strong winds” of human culture will not disorient us – because we will know who we are in Him.  The case of ‘mistaken identity’ can only apply when we worry more about what the world thinks of us and what we do than what The Lord has created and called us to be before we were even conceived by human means!

He knows us, all of us as The Body, each of us as individuals.  And He wants us to know Him … first.  Only n that Identity will we find peace and calm and confidence.  Even in the face of life’s storms, adversity, and our own doubts.  This is what He wants for us all.  Let us together find the courage and the identity to live into that.  Amen.