3 November 2019
Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18; Psalm 149; Ephesians
1:11-23; Luke 6:20-31
What makes a bad reputation a good thing? It
depends on whom we are trying to impress. "Blessed are you
when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on
account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for
surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to
the prophets” (Luke 6:22-23).
Approval-seeking behavior – behavior which
more likely betrays our truest self - is intended to gain approval from others,
but what happens most often is that we risk compromising our integrity, the core
of who we are and what we believe. Some may approve; but if our efforts
betray what they thought they knew about us, they will not respect us.
What people generally respect is integrity. They make not like the person or the beliefs,
but they will respect them.
When people know we are Christians and active
members of the Church – regardless of denomination – they have certain
expectations based on what they know of us outwardly. When we fail to
live up to those expectations, what they generally believe about Christians,
they may like us and may even approve; but when we betray our core beliefs and
sacrifice our own integrity for the sake of people-pleasing, of seeking
popularity, of fitting in, they lose all respect for us and our beliefs.
Why should they respect our beliefs when we don’t?
Even though St. James warns us against getting too
chummy with ‘the world’ (James 4:4), it is not always easy to discern between
being responsible citizens and neighbors - and being disloyal disciples
betraying our Shepherd; because our behavior is never about our Father’s love
for us. Rather, our behavior is a
reflection of our love for our Father.
It’s always easy to say The Lord love us, and it is easier still
to say we love The Lord. Those
are only words, however, and people do not always believe what they hear
– but they will always believe what they see.
Maybe one of the most difficult challenges for
disciples is trying to discern “the world” from which we are to keep a safe
distance. Paul and Peter both encourage
us to be good, respectful citizens; and the fundamental Commandment to “love
our neighbor as ourselves” can never be brushed aside.
It occurs to me, though, that even though Jesus frames
that Commandment as applying to any who are in distress, the distress may not
always be a physical one – as in being beaten and left on the side of the road
(Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37).
For those who clamber for positive attention from,
well, anyone for any reason, there is a profound spiritual distress
which cannot be ignored. Those who try
to play on both sides of the fence to hedge their social bets don’t know who
they really are. And they don’t know who
they are because they, as creatures themselves, have disconnected themselves
from their Creator. It isn’t only a
matter of knowing whether they are condemned or saved; it is entirely about
living the life they are ordained to live, being whom they were created to be.
In the Beatitudes, it must first be understood Jesus
is speaking primarily to Jews. It may be
safe to say there were certainly some Gentiles in the crowd, but they would not
be able to really connect with or relate to the idea of their “ancestors”
who glorified “false prophets” (Luke 6:26). In an appropriate context, this would
have been self-proclaimed prophets who told the people what they wanted
to hear rather than what they needed to hear.
It must also be noted Jesus is speaking to an
exclusive crowd; that is, “I say to you who listen …” (vs
27). While the primary audience remains
unchanged, this is where we Gentiles need to really step up and take to heart
what The Good Shepherd is conveying – because we live in a world in which any
who disagree – whether politically or socially – with “us” is demonized. By definition, then, they become “enemies”
because they won’t go along.
That is the reality of the world we have helped to
create either by not taking a stand or standing in the wrong place. Yet our Shepherd turns our own self-created
narrative on its head: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (vss 27-28).
Then He goes on to tell us we must take their
abuse! This is where He loses many of
us. While we may not literally walk away
from Him at this point, we do still disengage in favor of “self defense”. And that “do unto others”
bit? Our version is “before they do
unto you”.
That is what our world expects from us. That is what our culture requires of us. And this is where it gets really hard for
parents – teaching our children to “turn the other cheek”. What do we teach our children? Quite the opposite. Yet it is written in the so-called “Satanic
Bible” that if someone strikes you on the cheek, crush his cheek.
Yet there is a story about President Lincoln who had
referred to the people of the South as fellow human beings who are in error. A lady chastised him for suggesting such a
thing, preferring to refer to Southerners as enemies to be destroyed. The president responded, “Madam, do I not
destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”
Being and doing all Jesus teaches us to do is very
hard, sometimes seemingly impossible under certain circumstances. What is harder still is being labeled a coward
by our culture, according to our culture’s standards, by refusing to stand up
for and defend ourselves. But what is
most ironic is that we encourage our children to take their school lessons to
heart for the sake of becoming successful, we teach them quite the opposite
when it comes to religion and faithfulness.
In spite of it all, however, our Lord teaches this
above all else: when we strive for faithfulness, we will see reward. Poor in spirit, hungry for righteousness,
weeping for loneliness when the culture we are most comfortable with turns its
back on us because we no longer fit the narrative and are no longer useful to
those who use us only for their own gain.
Our Shepherd knows better than anyone what that feels
like, so He is not speaking from a void.
He, better than anyone, is painfully aware of human nature; but He also
continues to challenge and to strengthen us to rise above it all … “for
surely your reward is great in heaven”.
We can reach “higher” – or we can settle for the here-and-now. That is our choice.
Our reputations may be ruined in the eyes of man, but
the Blessing of Heaven is ours. Now …
and forever. Amen.
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