Meadowbrook Congregational Church

Oct. 9, 2022 

“Outside In,” by the Rev. Joel K. Boyd

 

Sermon scripture: The Gospel according to Luke 23:32-43

 

When you’re at the end of your rope, the last thing you expect is that something great is just around the corner. The two criminals who were crucified next to Jesus would have had every reason to fear what came next. Pain. Suffering. The unknown minutes, hours, or days leading to death, and…then what?! At the time of Jesus’s crucifixion, we have a pretty good idea that, in addition to perpetrators of heinous crimes, it was a punishment reserved for those who posed a threat to the powers that be. Typically, people who were a political threat or an enemy of the State would be the ones who were crucified. Perhaps partly to make it especially painful and humiliating, but also because it was a deterrent, a disturbing warning to those who might think otherwise and stay in line. In other words, it was a brutal means of maintaining control. Here, at the end of Luke, the outlook is pretty bleak. We might wonder what thoughts were in the minds of those two criminals as they were hung on their crosses next to Jesus. Did they despair? Had they simply gone numb? Were they resigned, or did they fight it every step of the way? And when we feel as though our well has run dry, what thoughts race through our minds? Ok, so we may think it’s too different to relate, as we’re not enemies of the State; but…who is to say that these guys were either? We know they were crucified and called criminals, and that one of them insults Jesus while the other criminal chastises the one who threw out the insults. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

When we’re isolated, living through a time of challenge, a time of darkness, it does not seem like the light is right next to us, waiting to be seen, really seen. While magnified beyond any previous experience during the early COVID-19 lockdowns, human isolation and separation persist today as we continue to wrestle with the virus and become more entrenched in a culture of digital technology and political divisiveness. A short moment ago, we again affirmed our covenant promises with one another, confessing our mutual call to “follow the example of Jesus Christ.” Over the last couple of weeks in our Loved Renewed series, we explored what it looks like for us to promise to one another as a church. We listened to the voices of our youth alongside our own as we considered how we might go about walking with one another in all Christian faith and love. And in doing so, we’ve witnessed in our own words, in our covenant, and in scripture, that we are a people called to make good on our promises, to listen to one another and God, and to help bear the challenges we face side-by-side.

Today, we remember our covenant reminder that we are called to follow the example of Jesus Christ. Note: Not the example that one powerful person expects, nor the example that the broader culture or tradition expects; rather, we are called to follow the example of Jesus Christ himself. In congregationalism, we uphold the freedom of conscience in the believer to discern the scriptures, but we also do so together as the church. This means that where there is great freedom there is also great responsibility. In other words, we, as a congregational church, have a great responsibility to read and study the Bible; we are called to dig deeper and deeper to see what that example might be in the actions of Jesus. And this is challenging! It can be difficult to dig into the scriptures and to see things that charge us with changing our lives. How much more work must we do? How many things should we give up? Why is it so hard to follow Jesus? Well, I’ll tell you one thing, the way of the world has always wanted to give glory to itself. From the riches and power of ancient kings and queens to the bandits and thieves who steal them only to become kings and queens themselves, people have a bad habit of raising their claim to glory above all else, including those who are disenfranchised and need the most help. Because of this habit, we raise those who are on the inside of power and glory, seeing them as natural allies in our desire for the same. Insiders have kept outsiders from entering for millennia and we see this repeatedly reflected in the Bible. However, we also see how God acts and God works through people to reach the people with the least amount of power, influence, or glory. In particular, we see this in the biblical actions of Jesus, who continually reaches out to and includes people who were on the outside.

Jesus takes the lowly child and says we must be humble like this child. He raises widows, tax collectors, the sick, lame, and blind. He even includes people outside of the family of Israel, when He points to the neighborly love of a Samaritan. While the world looks at things inside out, Jesus ministers outside in. Dying on the cross, having no reason (that we know of) to hope or have faith of any kind, that other criminal says to Jesus something amazing, something which seems to reveal more faith than we can imagine, he says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Having come to the end of the line, with quite literally everyone giving up on this criminal, through the darkness, we see the light of faith and hope emerge from the outside in. Jesus answers him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” When it may seem that nothing else matters, that no one cares, Jesus rescues us. No matter what the powers of the world may think, Jesus loves us and includes us; may we not give up on him. Amen.

Meadowbrook Congregational Church

Called to Change, by the Rev. Joel K. Boyd

September 11, 2022

 

SERMON SCRIPTURE

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” 2 He called a child, whom he put among them, 3 and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matt 18:1-5, NRSV).

 

Change is bound to happen. We see it every day. You are one day older now than you were yesterday. When your friends came over for the football game and ate all your snacks, by the end of the game, you were snack-less. Amazingly, we were able to put humans on the moon in the 1960s, while curiously we’ve recently met with challenges to get our rocket off the ground safely. Things change with or without us knowing about or even understanding [how], but they do change. Have you ever had the experience of re-reading a book you read years ago? How about looking through old photographs? It’s shocking to witness how what we feel about past experiences can change, too. And yet, the pictures show the actions of the time they were taken, and the book will display the same words we read through younger eyes. There can be no doubt that change takes place all around no matter how old we are, where we have lived, whom we have loved, and the tragedies and celebrations we’ve endured along the way. 

Yet, while some change can appear to simply happen to us, much more is within our control than we may think. When a hurricane approaches American towns in the Gulf of Mexico, we know that we cannot stop the hurricane. We can’t disable it or push it off course. On the day you learn of the engagement of your first child, perhaps you get excited about the possibility of grandchildren in your future, knowing full well that it’s not we who bring grandkids into existence. And we may have to stare down the eye of that hurricane, preparing our very best, fortifying our windows with strong boards, evacuating as possible. We can make these choices. They are within our control. But we cannot deter the storm itself. If it comes, it comes. So, we will have done our best to survive it, knowing there will be pieces to be picked up in the aftermath. It is possible, however, that given our completely reasonable fear, we might not give much thought to the idea of help coming from others. 

Other human beings, flesh, and blood, like us, may come to or send help when we most need it. They may choose to do that. And by the choice of their selflessness, we may be blessed by change we never could have expected: the love of God shared through people. This change can change everything. In our passage from the Gospel of Matthew this morning, we see the disciples asking Jesus a rather profound question: “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” We could rephrase this question to: “What makes a person truly great in the eyes of God?” The idea here, of course, is to get an answer one can work with—preferably one that shows that one’s already on the right track to that greatness. Sounds good so far, but the answer Jesus provides is not likely to have been what his disciples hoped for or expected. Jesus replies: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” 

Before we think that finding our old backpacks and hitting the schoolyard or asking someone to the school dance, we need to ask what Jesus means when He talks about children here. Surprisingly, we learn that Jesus is talking about social status, true discipleship, and humility. All this in just mentioning kids! When we think about being a kid today, we picture a way of life that is far removed from the culture and customs of ancient Israel and Palestine. Today, kids have access to all kinds of modern opportunities and are held in wholly different esteem than in the days Matthew wrote his Gospel. At that time, children had the lowest status in society. They had little agency, protection, or rights and would have almost exclusively had their identity and future stem from the status of their family, with little chance of improving their station in life from one generation to the next. On the top rung of the “status ladder” would have been Roman families of prestige, the elite, continually bringing honor to themselves and their kin. Today, children may not have all the opportunities as do adults, but there can be no question that they are cared for, encouraged, and granted a significantly increased level of access to opportunity than was offered in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. They also have easier access to a lot of things that are dangerous to their minds, bodies, and emotional health. 

The reason this is all worth knowing is that Jesus provides a challenging answer to the disciples’ question about who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. He doesn’t say that a senator, a Roman family of renown, a high priest, or a military commander is the greatest. Jesus says that whoever becomes humble like a child is the greatest. With children being the lowest and prestigious families the highest on the societal ladder of status, what Jesus is doing here is reversing the order. Jesus says to become like the lowly not like the powerful or proud. And here’s the thing, notice how Jesus does not say simply that the lowly or the children are the greatest. He says those who become like them are the greatest. This means that Jesus’ disciples are called to change. They are called to note the difference in the world and make the necessary changes to be faithful. The disciples were called to forget about prestige or power, and instead to become humble servants to all God’s people, and to include those of lower social status as a priority. And they were called to change within the culture of their own time. 

As a Congregational church, in which the authority is in the members under Christ, we know what it means to experience change. The Bible may be the same, yet we are free to interpret it as we are moved by the Spirit as a free people aiming more and more to live in a free world; a world that continually changes. Some are joining us in worship today who remember when our mother church, Bushnell Congregational Church, prayerfully made the hard decision to plant this church here in Novi. We are further blessed to celebrate today the payoff of the mortgage on this church Meetinghouse, knowing that while we borrowed from ourselves by using some funds from our endowment, we have persevered through decades of faithful financial stewardship in seeing this momentous change come to be. And I pray that it is not lost on any of us, how while most certainly changes have come to the church and its community, the members and friends of Meadowbrook Congregational Church have time and time again chosen to live into the challenges before us. The church has changed. But our story is not completed. There is a new world out there: a world of technology, political divisiveness, and global connection. It can be tiring to change, and it can be unsettling. We might ask ourselves from time to time, why we change anyway. 

At the end of our passage from Matthew, Jesus shares these words to his followers: “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Jesus shows us that we are called to change because in faithfully doing so we welcome Him. We are called to change together as we seek to share the love of Jesus with all God’s people in all our tomorrows. May it be our prayer on this Rally Day that we keep our hearts open and our minds ready to answer Jesus’s call for our church to change as we serve in the next chapters of our story. May it be so. Amen.

Meadowbrook Congregational Church

August 28, 2022

The Guest List, by the Rev. Joel K. Boyd

SERMON SCRIPTURE

On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely. ⁷When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ⁸“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; ⁹and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. ¹⁰But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. ¹¹For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” ¹² He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. ¹³But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Lk 14: 1, 7-14; JANT).¹

 

Making a guest list can be a both fun and stressful experience. Depending on what type of event you’re planning you could have a lot of people or a smaller, more intimate group. You could have a guest list for anything from a retirement party to a baby shower, but one of the biggest ones that come to mind is a wedding. Beyond the big, exciting questions of thinking about who will be in the wedding party for the ceremony, you have the order in which that party enters and stands and anything they do during the ceremony itself. (You also have the reception.)

[I am] not sure when ideas [began] changing around the different ways couples and people would be seated during a wedding reception, but Heidi and I had received some cool recommendations from people in the months leading up to our [2008 wedding]. Many people have a head table at [their] reception. That’s when you have the [newlywed] couple seated in the middle of a long table with their party seated next to them spread on down to the end of the table. The table is usually raised a bit, too, so people can see the couple [and] maybe have a place to look directly at when clinking their glasses for that special kiss the couple is traditionally obliged to share. (Although we know how many folks just love to get that clinking going when the couple is otherwise occupied greeting guests on opposite sides of the room.)

We had someone [give] us a bit of advice about the wedding day itself, encouraging Heidi and me to take mental pictures of the day to help us remember. The idea was to try to slow down just enough to glance over and see [one’s] grandparents and parents talking and smiling, or to see a cousin ask a college friend to dance. Heidi and I liked the idea of the mental picture, and we ended up going with what [is called] a “sweethearts’ table.” It’s a small table [for only the couple] to sit at. The hope was to be able to take mental pictures of everything, including listening to the live band comprised of our music friends; tasting a piece of the amazing cake, [and] opening [one’s] eyes to see the look on one another’s face afterward.

So, there we are enjoying our food, just feeling great that everyone could be there with us for this special day, when my colleague, the drummer, walks right up to our sweetheart table. He’s holding a plate of the food meant for other guests (which as you can understand are made and priced out at an exact count). Chewing and talking at the same time, he quickly looks back and forth, back, and forth, and says, “So, uh, where does the band sit, guys?” We almost fell out of our chairs laughing. As we pointed him back to where our other friends in the band were eating the food specifically labeled “for the band,” he kind of just shrugged his shoulders and returned to the band. Part of my mental picture of that moment will always be: “Was he going to sit with us at the sweethearts’ table?” Maybe you have some wacky guest list stories of your own.

In today’s reading, from the Gospel of Luke, we hear about two things that we might see as being related: humility and hospitality. We first learn that Jesus is eating a meal at the house of one of the Pharisees. Not just any Pharisee, though: [the author of Luke’s gospel] shows that Jesus is at the house of one of the leaders. After healing a sick man outside, we witness Jesus’s response to what he sees at this meal (which is taking place on the Sabbath.) He notices guests choosing places of honor, and this prompts him to tell them all a parable. Jesus offers a story to help them gain insight into what is spiritually at stake. He says: “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host, and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Lk 14:8-11). In so doing, Jesus [teaches] the guests there about humility.

[Whereas] what Jesus says about honor and disgrace certainly makes sense to us, this particular example might be a bit harder to grasp considering our own everyday experiences in the 21^st century. We might ask ourselves if we even remember a time someone honored us well beyond our station [by asking us] to move our seat higher to a place of distinction. This may have occurred in ancient Israel, but it can be tricky for us to fully relate to in the same way today (despite my wacky wedding story before.) We have also seen [repeatedly] how the modest person does not get ahead; how the person who keeps a low profile might often be picked last. So, could there be more to this parable for us than this? I think so.

Jesus may be appealing to the understanding of honor and shame which was so culturally prevalent in the society of that time. We remind ourselves that this was in the days of the Roman Empire. Roman influence loomed largely, but Jesus shows that while we may live in one culture or another, we are invited to see it with the lens God provides us within scripture. Perhaps then the Pharisees present at that meal may have responded to something that [spoke] into the surrounding culture of honor and shame of their own time. In other words, Jesus is speaking the way people in that specific context could relate to. [Or], maybe we can see it in ways that relate to us today—in a different time and culture. Picture the way we glorify those who are popular on social media or who keep themselves before everyone in the news cycle. It’s like someone using all the air in the room: There’s not much space for other people. Jesus goes on to encourage us to serve those who cannot reciprocate and perhaps [need help most]. Yet, we do not do this for our glory in this life but rather we know that nothing is lost on God and that God will reward [anyone] who blesses people in such need in this life with eternal reward in the next.

In what ways do humility and hospitality challenge us in today’s culture? Why is it so difficult to lower ourselves and welcome others without feeling the need to draw attention to ourselves? We may be tripped up by all the pressure to excel or to look better than everyone around us in our culture. And this bleeds over into the way we treat one another as individuals and as groups of people. But what happens when we try to see things the way Jesus invites us to? What about when we approach the idea of the guest list through the lens that Jesus offers us in this parable? When we see it through Jesus’s lens, we begin to see that this list is not simply about who we invite to a party, over to our house, or to grab a meal with. No, this is about much more. Jesus is encouraging us to see others before if not above ourselves and calls on us to welcome people in the greatest need into the realm of our care. And friends, while he makes mention of the great spiritual reward the faithful receive in the afterlife, Jesus does not say that our reward is the primary reason for us to live as he calls us to here; to be humble and hospitable to those in need especially.

Sisters and brothers, we can see how Jesus is not only talking about seats at a table or the wealthy local businessperson being invited to the celebration at our house. Jesus is calling on his followers to lower themselves and to serve and welcome those in need as he calls us to. We are not hostage to the world’s expectations of the past, present, or future. Rather, we are called to serve to the glory of God in any time or place God puts us in. May we take great heart in knowing that God is with us in all the love we’re called to share. Amen.

[1] Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, editors. The Jewish Annotated New Testament: New Revised Standard Version Bible Translation. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.

Meadowbrook Congregational Christian Church

Planter, by the Rev. Joel K. Boyd

August 21, 2022

 

SERMON SCRIPTURE

The word of the LORD came to me: Before I created you in the womb, I selected you; Before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet concerning the nations. I replied: Ah, Lord GOD! I don’t know how to speak, For I am still a boy. And the LORD said to me: Do not say, “I am still a boy,” But go wherever I send you and speak whatever I command you. Have no fear of them, For I am with you to deliver you—declares the LORD. The LORD put out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: Herewith I put My words into your mouth. See, I appoint you this day over nations and kingdoms: To uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant (Jer 1:4-10, JPS).

For countless years, God has called on people of faith to live out the divine charge on their life. We see this stretching back in the Bible and we see it today. In Genesis 12, we see that God called on Abram, not yet known as Abraham, to leave his home and go to the land God was to show him. In Exodus 4, God called to Moses from the burning bush and charged him with the task of leading the enslaved people of Israel out of Egypt. In Jonah 1, God called the prophet Jonah to prophesy to the people of Nineveh. In Luke 2, God’s angel Gabriel calls on the Virgin Mary to give birth and be the mother to the Son of God, who she would name Jesus just as the angel had said. In Acts 8, an angel of the Lord calls the Apostle Philip to head south on a wilderness road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza, and Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch reading aloud from Isaiah. The Holy Spirit calls Philip to engage the Ethiopian and he soon teaches about the connection of the prophecy to Jesus, following which the Ethiopian asks to be and is baptized by Philip. In Acts 9, the risen and ascended Jesus appeared to Saul, when he was still persecuting the church and before he was known as Paul, and Jesus both confronted and called Saul, telling him that he must go to the city where he will be told what to do next. Abram and Sarai would go on to serve as Abraham and Sarah, God’s devoted keepers of the covenant and parents to an amazing lineage of leaders in the faith. God called them and provided for them and their descendants. Moses would, at first, express some doubt about his fitness for the unbelievably difficult job of leading the Israelites to freedom, citing his unease about speaking as a leader. Yet God provided for Moses through the gifts of his brother Aaron and was at work through the liberation of the Israelites from their bondage.

While Jonah tried to run away from a challenging call, God provided and worked through the prophet, turning many Ninevite hearts toward the love of God, perhaps even despite Jonah’s resistance. God’s angel Gabriel encouraged the young, unmarried Mary, but amazingly she didn’t appear to need much encouragement, for she professed her devotion to God in living out her call, and the Gospels and Book of Acts show she did so throughout her life, even after losing her cherished child. God provided and was present in her great strength and witness. God worked through an angel and the Spirit in establishing a cross-cultural connection between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. God worked through God’s scripture in the heart of the Ethiopian, who was moved by Philip’s testimony and sought to be baptized as a follower of Jesus. And following this, Philip is somehow transported by the Holy Spirit, almost as if teleported away, leaving the newly baptized Christian rejoicing. And then we have Saul; note, not Saul the first king of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, but the Saul who would become the Apostle Paul of the New Testament. We always need to remind ourselves that Saul was persecuting the earliest church before his conversion. Granted he no doubt felt he was acting righteously by the law of Moses, but Acts shows us an amazing thing as we witness that it was the resurrected and ascended Jesus who appeared to Saul. Saul literally saw the light and fell. God the Father provided through the Son and the heart of Saul was changed from persecutor of the faith to proclaimer and teacher of the faith in Christ. It is also worth noting how God provided through Paul in blessing many churches into existence and in writing much of the New Testament scriptures by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now, of course, these are only some of the many examples we could identify of how God is present in and provides for, and through God’s people. We should highlight how God works through all kinds of people, too. God provides for and through women, children, men, people of different understandings of gender, the young and old, people of different races and cultures, people within the faith as well as those not yet inside it, the powerful and the disenfranchised; God provides through any who God so desires. In other words, God is not limited in achieving God’s plans. Yet, it’s interesting to point out that God doesn’t necessarily call those who are ready and prepared or those who have special experience or a highlighted talent for the task at hand. As many have witnessed, God does not call the equipped; God equips the called. But that may not be all that clear to us when we’re discerning our next steps in faith daily.

Take Jeremiah. In today’s passage, we meet the young Jeremiah at the very beginning of this book of prophecy. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Wow! That is some serious stuff to say, right? Just imagine yourself hearing something along these lines. How would you reply, at first? Well, Jeremiah is a bit overwhelmed, he says “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” Jeremiah tries to downplay the whole deal. He cites his youth as an excuse for his not being up for the task. It’s like he’s trying to bow out—a “thanks but no thanks” type of thing. Or not. Maybe he is just trying to process the information quickly and this is the best he’s got. And he doesn’t appear to have that much time to dwell on it, because God continues “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” God doesn’t leave much room for the young Jeremiah to object. It’s not like he can say he’s too busy or has a conflict on that night or try to schedule a Zoom meeting to explore the idea maybe next month or so. No, God provides even during God’s reply here. God removes the concern about age and/or experience, and rather than leave him high and dry, God tells Jeremiah that God will be with the young prophet. Yeah, he’s gotta go wherever and say whatever God asks him to but God will be with Jeremiah, the whole time. “Do not be afraid of them,” God tells Jeremiah. And not only will God be present, but God will also deliver him. God will provide.

What does it feel like to be given a big responsibility? How do we try to get out of it? What happens when we live up to it and own it? Sometimes we’re confident that we got this. We feel up to the job. Maybe we’ve had experience doing this before or it just seems intuitive to us, so we don’t have many hang-ups on agreeing to go forward. But other times this can be different. We may be worried for that we are not qualified or that others have more natural talent than we do in this area. Perhaps we’re swamped and just feel that we don’t have the time to commit to anything additional at the moment. Maybe that’s the way we feel our entire lives. Or we might just be afraid. We might fear failure, embarrassment, judgment, or possibly even punishment or more serious repercussions should the whole thing go south or be a direct challenge to authority and power. And you know what, these concerns all make sense. Just as do the ones we hear from different people in the Bible. Sometimes we’re a bit shocked that they have to follow through with such challenging tasks. We might wonder why God puts them all through it.

Now at this point, you’ll have to forgive me, because I am not an expert gardener. No doubt, others in our congregation could speak more about what goes on in appropriately preparing soil, planting seeds, transferring a plant or flowers, and caring for them so that they flourish, maximizing their beauty and many benefits. So rather than attempt to convey a false sense of gardening expertise, I’d like to simply talk about what God says to Jeremiah about his job to do here at the start and what this might speak into the ways we are all called to be planters of various kinds in our own lives as individuals and as the church together. Jeremiah continues in our passage sharing “Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” This is an especially cool passage in the way it depicts God placing the word in the mouth of the prophet. Scholars often refer to prophets as being the mouthpieces of God; not to suggest that they have no freedom or agency, but that they are in direct relationship with God. The Book of Jeremiah is the largest book of prophecy in the entire Bible. All kinds of amazing and tragic things take place in its verses.

Jeremiah himself served as a prophet from the time of the good king Josiah through the next four kings of Judah when the region would be mired in war and destruction. Jeremiah is often considered the weeping prophets, but some suggest that given the rejection of God’s word by the people during this time Jeremiah might more accurately be called the persecuted prophet. Jeremiah would go on to prophesy relentlessly for the hearts of the people to change, for them to praise God and not idols. But they persisted in their brokenness and Israel fell to Assyria and Judah to Egypt. In time, they all fell to Babylon. But here, at the start, we see how God assures Jeremiah that God will be with him. And God gives him a job to do. Jeremiah is charged to actively engage in the world around him “to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” How much of this would one person be able to achieve, we might wonder? Nevertheless, this was God’s charge to the prophet. While the pulling down and destroying bit may sound harsh yet a tad clearer: get rid of false practices and systems that may be deemed unfaithful to God, the building and planting could be maybe a bit more challenging to grasp, let alone to achieve. Even if you can determine what to dismantle and get broad enough support to do so, you still have to plan what actually should be built and adopted in its place. Have you ever noticed how easy it can be to criticize something without having even a shred of a helpful thing to suggest in its place?

Jeremiah descended from a family of priests and was called to proclaim God’s sovereignty to a world bent on praising the idols they liked. He had an extremely difficult time of it and would witness the great downfall of his people. And yet, Jeremiah’s prophecy would come true. God’s word did come to fruition. We might wonder what it was that Jeremiah was hoping to build. What he aimed to plant. And yet, the truth that we stand today as a church speaks into the seeds that this tragic prophet planted. And of course, the people of Israel would return to faithfulness in time, just as they would fall time and time again. Jeremiah did not live to see the seeds of faith he planted grow into all they have blessed. But Jeremiah planted them anyway because the glory is God’s not his own. Sisters and brothers, what seeds of faith might we be called to plant in our relationships, homes, schools, and careers, and what might we be called to address together as the church? What unjust systems may need to be pulled out by the roots and what gentle encouragement might need to be planted in the hearts of God’s people? May we listen closely to the call of the Spirit for the ways we may make the most of what we’ve been given and plant the seeds of faith that will bloom tomorrow. May it be so to the glory of God. AMEN.

Meadowbrook Congregational Christian Church

Jesus is Our Neighbor, by the Rev. Joel Boyd

August 7, 2022

SERMON SCRIPTURE

³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ³⁶Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise” (Lk 10:30-37, NRSV).

 

It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor.

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?…

Won’t you be my neighbor?

That, of course, is a brief excerpt from the famous introductory song to the PBS TV series, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. I know a few of you had hoped to hear it. These last couple of weeks we’ve been taking a bit of a walk alongside Mister Rogers and his modern-day friend Daniel Tiger, with our Bible in hand and our eyes wide open. We’ve been exploring not only what it means to be neighbors to one another, but what happens when we call and treat certain neighborhoods differently from one another, especially when we consider some good and others bad. It’s been amazing, really, hasn’t it, to see how much has changed in our world since Mister Rogers first appeared in the 1960s; and, as we see so clearly both in scripture and in our own present-day lives, other things have changed so shockingly little and that’s not necessarily a positive thing.

We’ve explored what happens when people call a neighborhood ‘bad;’ and how our avoidance and disparaging comments lead to a lack of the neighborly solidarity we are called to even as far back as Leviticus 19, from which Jesus himself quotes in teaching the people about their priorities. Friends, we have also explored the siren song of extravagance in the way affluence and luxury can be blinding to our vocation, as well as to our identity, to the way we understand who we really are as a people. Like Fred Rogers, I, too, am a classically trained musician and composer and an ordained minister.[1] But, I’m afraid, that’s where our similarities cease (at least on a personal level). I’ve always admired the man and his work. I have no doubt that he felt his true calling—his vocation—as a Christian was to engage people through the then-emerging medium of television. And boy did he ever achieve that. The stories and conversations Fred Rogers had on his show were always respectful and insightful, leaning into the welcome of the other person. The focus was primarily on children, literally millions of children, and the message was as direct as it was heartfelt: you matter.

I was swept away when the show shifted off into the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, usually, the place where important questions were asked and loving, affirming answers were given. Who wouldn’t want to live in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe? It always seems so far away, doesn’t it? And yet, the truth of the matter is that the dreams of yesterday may become the everyday reality of today and the hope for tomorrow. Right before our passage from Luke this morning, the lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Feeling as if he gave a satisfactory answer to Jesus’ reply regarding the commandments, the lawyer now asks, “and who is my neighbor?” Some scholars think the lawyer was a showoff, trying to make himself look good, acting as if he knows as much as the teacher.

But there’s a much more serious, disturbing backdrop to this question. Inquiring who one’s neighbor is implies that some are not. In essence, the lawyer is asking who he really needs to be bothered to worry about. Once he’s got that down, perhaps he figures he can just ignore everyone else. He’s done what’s required of him. But Jesus changes the focus of the lawyer’s question. Rather than answer who our neighbor is, Jesus shows how we are a true neighbor to others. Biblical scholars tell us that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was dangerous then. It would have been a common location for robberies and not a very safe place to travel. When we first look at this famous passage, we always find ourselves kind of dismissing the priest and Levite; almost like saying “What’s with those guys? Don’t they care about people?” And then, likely, we remember how many homeless, unhoused, people we have walked by ourselves, and we feel guilty. But there’s a bit more to why these guys respond the way they do. The dead would have been considered unclean, so those who encountered a dead body would want to avoid it so it wouldn’t compromise their ability to be at the Temple (ha-Beit Mikdash). This was likely more so for a priest, someone highly important to Temple worship, or a Levite, someone a little lower in stature than a priest but still someone who’d be concerned about being unclean. This is the reason the two passed by the injured Israelite. Note how Luke refers to the man as being half-dead as opposed to dead. The man may have been in such rough shape that the priest and Levite couldn’t tell the difference and may have assumed he was dead.

Now the big shift takes place when Jesus mentions a Samaritan in this story. Some may remember that Samaritans and Israelites were not on friendly terms with one another. They have had a long history of conflict and would not have understood one another to be good neighbors. So, the fact that Jesus shows a Samaritan to be the one caring for and helping the injured Israelite it’s a bit of a scandal. He’s essentially saying that the outsider, the one you don’t like, is the guy who is helping your buddy here in this story. Bandaging wounds and treating the man with oil and wine show that the Samaritan was not as concerned about being unclean, even though ritual cleanness would have also been a concern of Samaritans as they followed the law of Moses, too. Oil and wine would act as disinfectants, but it’s also interesting to consider for a moment what associations there may be here to anointing and to communion. The Samaritan proceeds to put the man on his own animal. Since Luke doesn’t write about a second animal, we assume the Samaritan is not someone of great means, but is, in fact, someone who places himself in the lowly position of walking with the animal while the injured man rides on it.

Rather than do everything himself, and perhaps botch things, the Samaritan takes the injured Israelite to an inn to be cared for appropriately, essentially getting him what he needs. He gives just enough money to the innkeeper for the care and says that if anything further is really needed, he will pay for that, too, when he returns. This all shows that the Samaritan was giving the injured Israelite precisely what he needed. The Samaritan bridged the gap that was needed to bring the injured man to health. Jesus asked the lawyer, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Some translations say “mercy,” and others “compassion.” Note what they don’t say is to have pity. While pity has to do with our feeling bad that someone must endure suffering, having mercy on them is characterized by action, and being compassionate colors that action to show perhaps a greater sense of intentionality and love for the person being cared for. By having compassion for one who is in need, we acknowledge our responsibility to act, and we do so with purpose. In doing so, we bear witness to the dreams of the past and how they have, at this moment, encouraged and empowered us to make an intentional decision to actively help another person. We can dream into the action of today, and we do so because of the great hope we have that we are not alone, that there is great purpose in our dreams, in our actions, and in our hoping. We can be that neighbor who sacrifices because Jesus has shown us how, not only in this story, but in the way he crosses barriers, welcomes, truly heals, raises up the lowly above the kings, and in the way, he defeated all brokenness for us and for all humankind when he died on the cross for our sake that we may be reconciled, that we may love, hope, that we may dream anew.

Sisters and brothers, our dreams are important because we are important. And we mean everybody. Each one of us is important, not only to our families and friends, our jobs, schools, and the neighborhoods we live in, or the beautiful changes we make into a beautiful tomorrow, but we, all of us, are important to God. And I’d like to suggest here that this is the primary reason for the urgent need for solidarity. For it is by living out our calls by the power of the Holy Spirit as followers of Jesus Christ that we may give glory to God the Father, and today we witness the powerful way we may give glory to God by living in solidarity with one another as God calls us to. No doubt any one of us could be the priest or Levite of Jesus’ story today. We could find that suffering neighbor to be unclean and pass them by. We could think they’re half dead, that perhaps, it’s just not worth our time, our effort, or even a small amount of our energy, to try and help them. We could simply not identify with them, considering them to be other, wholly different from ourselves. We could do that. Or we could hear what Jesus is really calling us to see in the suffering neighbor: we can answer the call to be the neighbor to this person in need. Jesus shows us that a neighborhood is not comprised of people who live across the street from our house. No, Jesus shows us that a neighborhood is made up of real flesh and blood people who are neighbors to one another. We are neighbors because we act like we are together in the same neighborhood. What need is there to call one place bad and another good when we live, love, worship, and dream together?

I don’t know, maybe like some of you, I just got all excited about zipping up that sweater after coming inside to get cozy, sitting down to switch over into those comfy shoes, just like Fred Rogers did. But maybe we’re called to more than that than to just be comfy. Sure, Mister Rogers did all that, but he also lived a life of neighborliness in each show for over 30 years. And just think of all the faithful in Scripture and the everyday saints in the life of the Church Universal, who have devoted their lives to bless others, to bridge the gap if not entirely erase the false barrier between people. Friends, when the call to be neighbor to God’s people in need cries out, even in silent proximity, when it sings to us “won’t you be my neighbor?” may we answer in our faith, in our hope, and in our love; the love of Christ Jesus. May we answer yes! May we be neighbors; just as Jesus is our neighbor. May we be neighbors to the glory of God.

[1] Rogers was an ordained minister in the PCUSA.

Meadowbrook Congregational Christian Church

Shouting Stones, by the Rev. Joel K. Boyd

April 10, 2022 

 

SERMON SCRIPTURE

²⁸After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” ³²So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. ³³As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴They said, “The Lord needs it.” ³⁵Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. ³⁷As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, ³⁸saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” ³⁹Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” ⁴⁰He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out” (Luke 19:28-40, JANT).

 

We often do not want to accept any truth that is an inconvenience to us. Whether as a community or an individual, we find ourselves quickly locating the nearest hiding place when an unwanted truth comes into our orbit. For those of us who, in our minds, feel we already “have it good” in life, perhaps we just don’t want to risk losing anything. If we have a great deal of power or things, maybe we feel we deserve it and want to protect our status. And if we have far less than those around us and the world, we may be mad or defeated. Mad that we have so little—at how unfair it all is. Mad that others won’t share what they should or that we don’t have access to it as we should. Or yet… defeated; that after so many years of trying [to do] the right things, we feel like just giving up. What’s the use?

I’m intentionally oversimplifying here, of course. Likely no one feels as black and white as these examples or the stereotypes they may invoke. And yet, we do see a bit about what they share (if only from a bird’s-eye view): truth can be inconvenient for anybody. In our passage from the Gospel of Luke this morning, we meet the familiar story of that first Palm Sunday, when Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding on the back of a donkey. At the Mount of Olives, Jesus sends two disciples to get a young donkey—one that had never been ridden before. Telling the owner that it’s for the Lord—the Lord needs it—they bring the donkey to Jesus just as he asked.

Entering Jerusalem from Mount Olivet, Jesus is greeted by joyous cheers of praise to God from all the disciples. The people lay down cloaks that Jesus may process on them like royalty, which may not sound like much until you realize that they likely laid down a garment that was of great value to them. No common person would have a closet of these. In essence, they laid down what was theirs before Jesus, paying homage to a king,but a much different king than may have been expected.

Kings would receive glorious receptions, sure, but kings were typically thought of as having and representing great power, wealth, prestige, control, influence, and strength, especially military strength. The people witnessing Jesus’s entry that day would have been expecting a king in armor, one promised by scripture to deliver them and to make things right. Had it been a military general on a horse, perhaps it would have computed more naturally, but what the people instead received was Jesus, humble, without armor, with no show of strength or victory to claim solely for himself, riding on a young donkey. The sheer absurdity of the truth of this certainly could have been gleaned by the people there that day. Yet why did the disciples cheer? Why did they cast down their precious garments and praise God for what was happening [to] Jesus? Aware of the inconvenience of what this meant or not, the disciples did shout praise that day. And they praised God for what God was doing, what was then taking place through Jesus. Maybe they knew enough to know that this was something huge, of great importance, extending far beyond them. But they were not the only ones to see Jesus in Jerusalem that day.

Luke[‘s author] tells us that there were Pharisees in the crowd at Jerusalem. Among them, some spoke to Jesus after the disciples had been shouting their praise. These Pharisees said two very important things in one short statement. They first acknowledge Jesus’s status as a teacher, that he has authority and followers, and then they demand that he rebuke his disciples for their behavior. The NRSV reads “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” The NASB reads “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!” Strong words either way, yet both betray recognition of Jesus’s status as a faith leader, as one who people followed. In saying what they did here, these Pharisees took Jesus seriously. What they witnessed may have been the truth, but it was not one they were willing to permit, so they tried to silence it. Using their authority, these Pharisees demanded that Jesus silence his followers. Luke doesn’t show whether the crowd heard this order from the Pharisees, but we know that Jesus heard them and that he answered them.

There are those who stand to lose a great deal when the truth is revealed, and they do not always respond well to the inconveniences posed by truth. There are also those who may gain the most from the truth, and we equate the justice of their need often with the volume of their voice. But Jesus shows us it isn’t just about what we say, the truth is there for us to experience whether we acknowledge it. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” Why is it a problem for an individual or group to lay sole claim to the truth? Who is most served when such as these have power over the access of others to say the truth?

We remember that Jesus did not come in armor on a battle horse that day in Jerusalem. He came in humility—as God called—for the people. And those people cried out, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” But the Pharisees who spoke out did not like where this was going. Their viewpoint was compromised as was their authority as keepers of the faith. Perhaps they immediately acknowledged the crowd’s quotation of the 118th Psalm and how it was pointing towards Jesus as here coming in the name of God. Or maybe they just didn’t like how Jesus was becoming too much of a threat to their power and influence.

When we revisit the Palm Sunday story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem each year, we bring our whole life into it. We know where we are in the world today and how we feel; who has much; and who has little. We remind ourselves of how we’re supposed to think of Jesus as a king but we’re not sure that we always make a strong connection from this to the cross, let alone the empty tomb.

So, we ask ourselves again, here at the start of Holy Week: who is most in need of a king today? Who needs to be ruled, to have justice, to be delivered? How do we know what is true and who tries to claim power over that truth?

Friends, we all witness God’s truth in our thoughts, our hearts, and in the hands and feet we use to live each day in love. We know how God blesses us to learn the truth from our reason, experience, and heritage or tradition. And we as God’s people in the local church know that God tells us the story of God’s truth in the Bible, where we see chapter after chapter, verse after verse, not only God’s love but the encouragement we have to participate in it. We live in an age of economic disparity, abuse, greed, neglect, misinformation, the bait-and-switch, contagions, wars, and love; the love we’re called to serve God by one another and the one which fights it, gazing deeply into a mirror which says to serve only the one in the reflection.

“Blessed is the king, the One who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!” Jesus replied, “I tell you, if these stop speaking, the stones will shout out!”

God’s truth is sacrifice and it costs something. The disciples here in Luke’s gospel praised God for the miracles they saw Jesus perform. Jesus is the good news. He is the answer God provides for all people. His promise is freedom for the oppressed. Jesus is also unexpected. He’s not the king people think will come to lead them. Jesus is still not what the world expects. It wants money, power, and influence. The world wants to control and glory. But glory is God’s alone. So, we ask ourselves, as followers of Jesus. How is Jesus’s triumphal entry a promise to the disenfranchised, the oppressed today and how are we invited into it as humble servants? How may our love be what is needed and what does it look like for the church to be this now? From humble entry to the cross and empty tomb, this week we witness a most beautiful truth from the One who loves completely. Love is for us all and we are all God’s people. May it be so. Amen.

 

1. Levine AJ, Brettler MZ, eds. The Jewish Annotated New Testament (New Revised Standard Version). 2nd ed. Oxford University Press; 2017.
2. Lockman Foundation. New American Standard Bible. 2020 ed. Zondervan; 2021.
3. Sheinfeld S. Sukkot in the New Testament: From Lulav and Hoshana to Palm Sunday. TheTorah.com. Published online September 28, 2018.
4. Brettler MZ, Levine AJ. Psalm 2: Is the Messiah the Son of God. TheTorah.org. Published online December 29, 2020.

Meadowbrook Congregational Christian Church

Raised in glory, by the Rev. Joel K. Boyd

Edited and formatted for publication by J. E. Tucker, MPH

2/20/2022

I Corinthians 15:35-38 & 42-50 (NRSV)¹

³⁵But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” ³⁶Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. ³⁸But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. ⁴²So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. ⁴⁴It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven. ⁵⁰What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

 

It’s always important to know your audience. Wouldn’t you agree? If you were a standup comedian working the crowd at nightclubs, you’d likely be aware that your jokes will not be received the same way at clubs in various places around the country. And that’s just comedy clubs and comedy audiences. But think about how different it may feel to deliver the same joke to different age groups, urban or suburban venues, or even abroad, from one country to another. How might people react if you said the same jokes in every instance? Most likely in totally different ways. Why? Because people are unique and have different cultural, generational, religious, and political worldviews. We see things through different [lenses], even if our basic priorities may be the same or similar.

I’ll give you an example. But this one has more to do with physical space/location. I once gave a talk on some of the [Hebrew] prophets. The talk was given at two different churches: one large, traditional-looking with a high pulpit, and with pews at quite a distance, much more so than what we have here at Meadowbrook. The second church was more modern, with lots of glass windows, with no pulpit but rather a modest lectern with a contemporary look to it, and with a significantly more intimate setting where you were close to those in attendance seated in chairs instead of pews.

Now, remember this was the same talk. I didn’t change a single word. I didn’t even change attire or the way I delivered the talk.

So, picture me there, at the first, larger church, delivering this talk loudly, cast outward to people at a distance, using grand gestures, and dressed in a jacket and tie. People seemed to hear what I was saying. It appeared that the content was received by all who were present. And to top it off, I felt that the message was received. Kind of nice when we feel heard, right?

And then the second church, the contemporary one. While I knew the church and pastor, I somehow missed the whole casual attire memo and came way overdressed. A little awkward, but hey, no big deal, I’d survive. Then we begin the talk, and I realize how unbelievably close I am to everyone. It’s almost like if I gestured too broadly, I’d have mistakenly bopped somebody on the head. Also, my delivery was far too grand and emphatically projected. You’d think I was at the Coliseum when in reality folks were just a few feet in front of me. Not feeling there were many good options, I just pressed on, nearly tripping over the display behind me, while yelling out my talk, waving my hands around, and generally looking quite silly. The response? Well, people were interested, but I hope it was more about the prophets than the circus performance I just gave.

So, what happened here? What’s the deal? Why couldn’t this have worked out as I had planned? I neglected to consider and know my audience. Of course, the first talk went well. I walked into it fitting smoothly like a glove. While it’s not necessarily the case that the second one was a complete disaster, it seems clear that my misreading and ham-handed preparation failed to include the necessary adaptations that would enable the talk to be more successfully received by a distinctly different audience and setting.

Ok, so I’ll take myself off the hot seat for the moment here, and don’t worry—you don’t need to go in there, though I’d imagine many of you may empathize with such a mishap as I just described. No, I’d like to kick it over to the Apostle Paul.

In today’s reading from 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul is writing some pretty serious yet obscure-sounding stuff. “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” “You do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.” “What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable.” What is Paul talking about?

First, we acknowledge the intended audience. Paul is writing a letter to the church in the city of Corinth. Once a great Greek power, Corinth was subdued by the Romans in 146 [BCE].[a] Julius Caesar would later [reestablish] the city in 44 BCE, making it a Roman colony. With its Greco-Roman culture, Corinth both honored Greek traditions and wanted to deepen connections with the imperial Roman base.

Corinth was a mercantile giant known for its wealth stretching back ages. There was a large gap between the rich and the poor in Corinth. Rome was an honor/shame society, with great honor going to those who had honor and shame staying with those kept out. It was respectable to show mercy to the lower class but shameful to associate with them directly. It is in this culture that Paul writes [his first letter to the] Corinthians.

Paul covers many things in his letter to the church in Corinth, but in today’s passage, he speaks of something he holds high above the rest: resurrection, or the state of one rising from the dead.

At that time in the Church, there was a lot of confusion about the resurrection of those who had died. People believed in Jesus’s resurrection but weren’t sure what to make of how it all related to them. Some assumed that the same, present, body they had then, would be the one resurrected when Jesus returns. Paul dug deep and explained—albeit a challenging one. Our body is like a seed that is planted and then rises in full bloom as God so blesses it. Paul explains what he means further, saying that while our present bodies are of the earth like Adam, our resurrection bodies are heavenly like that of the resurrected Jesus, who is understood as the second Adam. One Adam falls while the other one rises. Our earthly bodies, while imperfect and corruptible, fall away. Yet, our heavenly bodies are uniquely perfected and incorruptible and rise. Each of us, blessed to be who we uniquely are, rises.

Paul speaks into that Greco-Roman honor/shame paradigm which the Corinthians see and recognize, showing how the earthly body would fall in dishonor, and the heavenly one would rise in glory. Again, this was a prestigious church in a culture that kept out the lowly, the disenfranchised. They would understand when Paul referenced dishonor and glory. But they may find themselves a bit caught up short, in having their eyes opened to who or what that dishonor and glory was about or who it was for.

In a time [when] glory is reserved for the emperor, one may expect shame to be with those under the empire. But Paul points again to God, saying how the dishonor is of the brokenness of this world, but the glory… the glory belongs to God. And what’s so interesting about that glory, is that it includes you.

“That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies,” Paul writes, “and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in corruption; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.”

Whose power? Maybe some at the Corinthian church weren’t too sure. They thought about God, about Jesus, and the Church, but maybe there was a part of them—no small part of them—that still thought the power was the Empire’s. But God has a way of flipping expectations on end. The weakness is all that is broken in the world. The power is God’s.

So, you can see that if Paul wrote to that church in Corinth as if they were from somewhere else, or even from a different time, or culture… well, they might not even understand what he means to say. Maybe this is why the Holy Spirit works in us the way it does. For we are—each of us—one of a kind, and we must remember that not only did God bless that, but God made that.

The glory is not for those who seek false power that they may flaunt over others. The glory is God’s, and we are invited into it. All of us. May the Lord bless our hearts as we seek to serve and understand in the name of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

1. Society of Biblical Literature. The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised & Updated. (Meeks WA, Bassler JM, Lemke W, Niditch S, Schuller E, Attridge HW, eds.). HarperCollins; 2006.

 

[a] As corroborated by Polybius in the introduction to his Histories.

Meadowbrook Congregational Church

True love, tough love, by the Rev. Joel K. Boyd

Edited & formatted for publication by J. E. Tucker, MPH

2/13/22

 

 

The Gospel According to Luke 6:17-26 (NRSV)¹

 

¹⁷He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁸They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. ²⁰Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²²Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. ²³Rejoice 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. ²⁴But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ²⁵Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ²⁶Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”

 

In today’s passage from the Gospel [According to] Luke, we witness the beginning of what has often been referred to as Jesus’s Sermon on the Plain or the plateau. Much like the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s [gospel] (Matt. 5-7), Jesus’s Sermon on the Plain includes teaching among crowds and disciples. While the Sermon on the Mount is quite vast, covering three whole chapters in Matthew’s [gospel], Luke’s Sermon on the Plain appears in just twenty-nine verses. In both cases, the sick were healed by Jesus. But it is interesting to note that where [the Matthean author] shows Jesus teaching among the crowd and his disciples, Luke’s [author] shows Jesus teaching among the crowd to the disciples.

Why would that be different? we wonder. Well, it’s worth reminding ourselves that the four Gospels were written to different audiences.^2–5 Perhaps the authors felt it important to stress certain aspects of the good news over others. Not to suggest they were of less value, but because they stood out as something to highlight when engaging one group of people over another. Truth does not change, but the way we say it might. Have you ever tried to tell the same story to two different kinds of people? Then you know what I mean.

Biblical scholars have long studied the intended audiences and purposes of the Gospels. And while they may not always agree, it helps shed some light on our topic today to keep their observations in mind.

Scholars believe that the Gospel of Luke is the first component of a two-part work with the Book of Acts being the second.^6,7 Luke is believed to have been written to engage Gentile Christians living in an urban area.⁸ Its purpose: to challenge and enable believers to be more devoted to the faith, especially its growth among the marginalized.

Where [the Lukan gospel] is intended for a Gentile Christian audience, Matthew’s is believed to have been written primarily for Jewish Christians,[a] though not exclusively.^9,10 It is thought that Matthew’s purpose was to teach a church committed to mission among all people but [which had] internal divisions over Jewish [vs.] Gentile Christianity and [faced] external persecution.

In the passage from the Sermon on the Plain we have today, we witness the inclusion of four beatitudes. Though like those found in Matthew (who lists more than twice as many), Luke’s beatitudes conclude with something quite different: woes. That’s right, woes.

Again, let’s remember that Jesus specifically addresses these words towards his disciples and not to everyone there. So, looking directly at his disciples, he teaches both these beatitudes and these woes. Before we think these were his longtime buddies or childhood friends, we should keep in mind that it was only a few verses prior that Jesus named the Twelve.

While there had been more disciples added over time (yet not much time), Jesus had only just chosen his Twelve Apostles. Luke shows how the apostles, being part of the crowd of his disciples, accompanied Jesus as he healed a great many people from all over. And yet, at the moment of speaking the words of blessing, the beatitudes, he looks at his disciples. He doesn’t look at everyone in the crowd—though we might guess they could hear at least some of what He was saying. Jesus doesn’t even look at his apostles—the Twelve who had only just recently been singled out for their special roles in Jesus’ ministry. No, as curious as it may be to us, Jesus did not direct these beatitudes at everybody, nor did he direct them at only his select few of the faith. What Jesus did was to speak to all his disciples.

Friends, it can, of course, be quite easy to make more of something than there is there. But when it comes to the Gospel, God has a way of inviting us into every detail in every corner of the good news. Each one sparkles with teachings and opportunities to be drawn into God’s word. So, let’s accept that invitation here in our passage from Luke’s [gospel].

Picture yourself there on that day, when Jesus spoke the words, heard the prayers, and healed the pain, the disease. Let’s say you’re a disciple; not part of the crowd that has gathered from all around. Maybe you’re not one of the Twelve, so what. Depending on how close you were and if you could hear all that well, you might have been a little jealous when they were selected, but then again, maybe you were a bit relieved.

So, imagine your surprise when, suddenly, Jesus looks at you and says,

 

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 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.”

 

You may have a moment here to think. Luke doesn’t state how quickly Jesus continues, but perhaps you have been thinking in your head as Jesus was speaking. How does he know I’m poor? Can he truly mean that I belong to God’s kingdom? How is that even possible? Or another disciple you know, just a few feet from where you stand, turns to you, and whispers, my family has had very little to eat since I’ve been gone. We’ve seen Jesus heal. Do you think he could really feed my family? Still, someone stands behind you. You can almost hear him shaking his head as Jesus speaks. Phew! He says as he folds his arms. Starting to walk away, he sneers at you, saying through his teeth, you believe this stuff? How are we blessed when someone hates us? You offer an awkward-yet-nervously-polite Yeah, well…

 

“But woe to you who are rich,” Jesus continues, “for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”

 

You quickly turn back toward Jesus as you hear the rushing footsteps of that disgruntled guy as he runs off, kicking up his dust as he goes.

Couldn’t he deal with it, that guy? He certainly seemed fine until a few minutes ago. He’d come along with your group of disciples as you followed Jesus out here. Anyway, you shake it off and get focused on Jesus, still mulling over what he had said about the blessings all those in need will receive. If he’s right, you think, and I hope he is, then the only one who could do that is God. That’s got to be it. The empire always makes things worse. Look at Herod! They tell us their truth, but it’s all just lies. They don’t care about us. God cares about us. God is the only one who could do this because God loves us like no other.

As a disciple of Jesus, we are followers of Jesus. So, it may not always be the first thing we think about to see that Jesus speaks directly to us in scripture. Sometimes we can focus so much on doing his work that we don’t hear what Jesus is saying to us as his disciples.

In Luke’s beatitudes and woes, we see two sides of the same theological coin. Speaking to his disciples in need directly, Jesus encourages them by teaching that God’s truth is the most real for them, as it is for all of God’s people. Jesus teaches that those who are impoverished, hungry, and full of sorrow, will see their needs met in God’s Kingdom. You see, God does not give, does not love as the world loves. The world gives to any who can afford it, too often to those who don’t need it. It loves only those who buy into its myths, its cultural liturgies. The world also loves only when you can perform to its expectations. As soon as you falter, you’re on the outs. But with God, it’s an entirely different story; practically the opposite. God loves us for who we are; God made us in God’s image after all. God calls us all to share our unique talents, and so God is glorified in our living out our many, diverse calls. God loves us so much that God wants to be with us. This was the case in the Garden [of Eden], and was the case with all the covenants, kings, prophets, and faithful people of Hebrew scripture. And still, while you would think that anyone or anything would just write us off because we’re not useful to them, God persists in love for us, and Jesus became incarnate by the Holy Spirit to dwell among us. While the world leaves us, God always comes to us.

So, God’s love is true. God’s love is lasting. The world’s is false and is fleeting. But true love doesn’t always mean it’s easy.

Still speaking to you, as that contemplative disciple in the crowd, Jesus tells you, firmly, of the harsh, flipside of the coin. While on one side there is a great blessing for those who are marginalized, on the other side there is great woe for those who have all they could ever want yet still oppress others.

What should we expect of all which is false, a lie, a sham? How could any of it possibly lead us where we should go, where God calls us to go? Indeed, these woes may sound harsh, and they may be harsh. But the only way to overturn a lie is with the truth. And the only way to fully bring the truth out is with love. God shares these tough words of woe out of love for us, not out of a need to scare us or to make us feel bad. If God wanted to, God could easily do so, right? So, here we have tough love from our true God.

It may not be the Valentine’s Day present you wanted, but you can be sure, it’s the one that will always last.

So why would Jesus say these words to us as opposed to the whole crowd? Maybe for Luke, it was more important to highlight, given that Gentile Christians would not have considered themselves as being on the inside, not nearly in the way that most of Matthew’s Jewish Christians would have, anyway. Kind of interesting, isn’t it? Here in Luke, it’s almost as if we already see ourselves included among those in the kingdom. We’ve all been invited to the party. Jesus is so happy to see us there that he’s handed out Valentines, just for you. Then he, quick, tosses over some of those candy hearts to you. Like flipping a coin, you read the back: Be Mine.

Amen.

References:

1. Society of Biblical Literature. The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised & Updated. (Meeks WA, Bassler JM, Lemke W, Niditch S, Schuller E, Attridge HW, eds.). HarperCollins; 2006.
2. Collins AY. Mark and His Readers: The Son of God among Jews. Harvard Theological Review. 1999;92(4):393-408. doi:10.1017/S0017816000017740
3. Luz U. Matthew 1-7: A Commentary. (Koester H, ed.). Fortress Press; 2007.
4. Méndez H. Did the Johannine Community Exist? Journal for the Study of the New Testament. 2020;42(3):350-374. doi:10.1177/0142064X19890490
5. Levine AJ. Luke and the Jewish Religion. Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology. 2014;68(4):389-402. doi:10.1177/0020964314540107
6. Bird MF. The Unity of Luke-Acts in Recent Discussion. Journal for the Study of the New Testament. 2007;29(4):425-448.
7. Gregory A. The Reception of Luke and Acts and the Unity of Luke–Acts. Journal for the Study of the New Testament. 2007;29(4):459-472.
8. Smith DA. The Jewishness of Luke–Acts: Locating Lukan Christianity Amidst the parting of the Ways. The Journal of Theological Studies. Published online November 6, 2021. doi:10.1093/jts/flab068
9. Conway-Jones A. The New Testament: Jewish or Gentile? The Expository Times. 2019;130(6):237-242. doi:10.1177/0014524618812672
10. Ehrman B. The Jewish Emphases of Matthew’s Gospel: Part 3. The Bart Ehrman Blog: The History & Literature of Early Christianity. Published online June 13, 2013.
11. Fredriksen P. When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation. Yale University Press; 2019.

 

[a] For a great introduction to Jewish Christianity, I suggest Paula Fredriksen’s When Christians Were Jews.¹¹

Meadowbrook Congregational Church

Released, by the Rev. Joel K. Boyd

Edited & formatted for publication by J. E. Tucker, MPH

January 23, 2022

 

The Gospel According to Luke, 4:14-21 (NRSV)¹         

 

¹⁴Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to (the) Galilee,[A] and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. ¹⁶When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷and the scroll[B] of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: ¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” ²⁰And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

We learn a lot of things about Jesus in the first few chapters in the Gospel [According to] Luke. Curiously, we witness how the story doesn’t even begin by mentioning Jesus—directly, anyway. Rather, we witness two visits by the [arch]angel Gabriel[C], who shares good yet terrifying news of seemingly impossible, miraculous births: first to Elizabeth—in her older years—and second to the youthful Mary. The Holy Spirit is with both the baby John (Luke 1:15) and Jesus, although it is only Jesus who is conceived by the Spirit (Luke 1:35). Why did John get singled out before Jesus? we wonder.

There’s the famous nativity story of Jesus’s birth (Luke 2:1-20; Matt. 1:18-2:12). There’s also the presentation of Jesus at the Temple [in Jerusalem] (Luke 2:22-24), and that time he seemed to be lost in the Temple (Luke 2:46-49). Both times we witness thanks and praise being offered to G-d in connection to the young Jesus. We see that Jesus was unique; that there was something quite special about him.

Now, were we to read these sections of [The Gospel According to] Luke from a cultural view of the centerexclusively (in other words, not from the perspective of those living on the margins of society), then we might be tempted to paint for ourselves easily digestible lessons that do not disrupt our worldview. For example, we might picture docile scenes of delighted parents—except when they lost Jesus in the crowd—who may have even smiled with pride as their child was praised as something special. We might see ourselves as John the Baptizer pointing others to Jesus—as if he couldn’t find them himself as the Son of G-d (Mark 1:1). We might pray to have the devotion of Mary when she prays the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-56). We may laugh at the fumbling foibles of Zechariah, finding ourselves to have fared better than the old priest who was mute (Luke 1:20) from doubt and who could not speak but only write (Luke 1:63) the name of his newborn son.

Reading the Bible from the cultural center alone, maybe we find that we’re as pleased with ourselves as we feel somehow above it all; that we’re able to approach the Gospel without much to lose—or even that much to gain, for that matter. That John the Baptizer viper business (Luke 3:7) does strike us as a bit distasteful and odd, and the baptism of Jesus paints a serene scene of pretty birds and a proud Dad in the clouds (John 1:32; Mark 1:10; Matt. 3:16; & Luke 3:22). The whole names thing (the genealogy?) seems so abstract and weird (Matt 1: 1-17; Luke 3:23-38, for example). Why do we need to know all these names? Can’t we just skip over this part? Well, it’s possible that we do—especially if learning about the names challenges our worldview or when comparing it to the genealogy in Matthew 1, which is different in some ways from the one in Luke (Luke 3:23-38).

Continuing with our cultural specs, we arrive with Jesus in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). Ah, the temptation! The Devil doesn’t know what’s coming to him. Silly question after silly question, Jesus knocks the Devil out, to the point of his just leaving. [It] looks like the Devil is an annoying parasite, so it’s no wonder Jesus didn’t take the bait. Hey, even we think we could have handled that, piece of cake. And here begins Jesus’ worldly ministry in Galilee (Matt. 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 4:14-15), which [the Lukan author] writes for us in today’s Gospel passage. Of course, I’m painting a bit of a caricature, here, right? A simplification of what could easily be anyone’s ‘plain Jane’, milk-white-toast approach to the Bible. Who thinks like this? I don’t know… probably no one. But there is some truth there in the intentional, superficial glossing-over, all of which can happen, or maybe even be encouraged to happen when we read the Bible through only our own eyes. And if we represent the cultural center (of power, influence, and control, that is), then we may end up with a habit of seeing just ourselves or “people like us” in our readings of scripture. And this is dangerous, friends. Because if we only read and think from our perspective, and we are among those with arguably the most power, influence, and control in our city, our state, our nation, our world, well, the most influence will go towards only one group of people, the powerful, barely including, and possiblyexcluding those who live on the margins of society, and by that I mean the margins of American society today.

Still, we might try to justify ourselves, thinking that we mean well or that we pray well, or that we just don’t. want. to. be. made. uncomfortable. But the Bible isn’t directed toward our comfort level (think, the cross). Nor is the Bible about one culture or group of people. The Bible speaks to all people. Just consider how many languages, countries, and different theologies we have in the Church Universal. And not all these faithful are from the cultural center. [The Lord] is praised and sought by countless faithful people living in the margins. And not all of them are White; many are Black.

The [Reformed theologian] John Calvin is often [remembered] as having said that we should view the world through the spectacles of the Bible; to understand and experience the world and our place in it as if using the Bible for glasses.^2,3 Of course, it naturally follows that one should be discouraged to view the Bible through the lens of the world. Many reject this out of hand, seeing it as a gateway to revisionism or as a distortion of scripture. And I think they are correct in this assertion. I do believe that we should be approaching the world through the teaching’s invitations and corrections of the Bible, but I would push back on one point. Now, if John Calvin were here to defend himself, he’d likely crush me theologically, but as he’s blessed us to wrestle with his work alone at this time, I would like to just put forward a different spin on this ‘Bible-as-spectacles’ idea. I kindly borrow it from Miguel A. De La Torre, Ph.D., M.P.A., M.A., M.Div., who has written and taught on the topic. Friends, we may all attempt to live in the world by viewing it through the lens of the Bible, but one significant aspect is missing from this line of reasoning: the Bible can still be faithfully read and lived out in the world by people who are different from us. We don’t own the interpretation of the Bible. It is for all G-d’s people.

In his book Reading the Bible from the Margins,⁴ the Rev. Dr. De La Torre invites members of non-marginalized cultures to consider the ways the Bible is read by members of marginalized [ones]. For example, the invitation here may be for White, affluent, gay men to consider and reflect on the way scripture is read and experienced by Black, impoverished, gay women. What might Black women see in the Bible? What do White men see? How [does one] see the Gospel as one who is advantaged; how [does one] see the Gospel as one who is disadvantaged? How much does who we are impact how we read the Bible? What do we see when we have most all we need, and what do we see when we have next to nothing? I pray that we all can agree that G-d sets people free, that G-d blesses us by faith and by love.

We may thank G-d for the many blessings we have (and it is good and right to do so), but what about when people from marginalized communities do not have access to the same blessings that [we] enjoy—or possibly even take for granted—in communities from the cultural center?

In testifying to G-d’s role as liberator, De La Torre writes how “G-d took the first step in choosing the […] Hebrews so as to tie G-d’s will with the liberation of a politically and socially oppressed people. Just as G-d entrusted the Ten Commandments to this oppressed group so that through them G-d could be revealed to all humanity, so too are the marginalized of society chosen to become the instrument by which G-d the liberator is revealed today.”

While we may feel chosen (or to have chosen ourselves), De La Torre reminds us that it’s not really up to us; it’s G-d who chooses.

In our passage from the [Gospel According to] Luke this morning, we meet Jesus after having become well-known and taught in several synagogues.

Then, Jesus comes to his hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:16). He went to the synagogue on the sabbath there, but we don’t know how long he was in Nazareth before that.

In the synagogue, Jesus stood to read from the scroll of the Israelite prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:17).⁵ [He] read from [the Book of] Isaiah 61: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Is. 61:1-2—the reading’s full Tanakhic context can be found here.)

After this reading, Jesus sat down and, having their undivided attention, spoke to everyone in the synagogue, saying, “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)

Now we won’t get into all that follows this when folks get all upset and toss Jesus out for what he said, though it is worth keeping in mind a bit, isn’t it?

Before coming to Nazareth, Jesus had been brought by the Spirit to face the temptation of the Devil (Luke 4:1-13), and despite the great challenge to his health and stamina, Jesus did not succumb to temptation. Rather than to try to claim the power to himself, which as the Son of G-d he easily could have done, Jesus lifted the glory to the Lord G-d (Luke 4:8; Deut. 6:13). This is important because we soon see that Jesus returns to Galilee, where his hometown of Nazareth is; he returns filled with the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14). So, it is here [in] our passage that Luke shows us the Son pointing to the Father by way of the Spirit[D] and entering the familiar: that which he’d have known all while growing up. And Jesus reads and says what he says about Isaiah’s prophecy, and with the benefit of our reading the unity of our triune G-d—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—Jesus changes the ball game. G-d has come to deliver the oppressed people; perhaps just as should have been expected.

Easy for us to say, though. Many of us haven’t had to be delivered from anything: helped here and there, sure, but delivered or released, what would we need to be released from? Sure, we may say “from our sins,” and I don’t argue that. While we may have different understandings of it, the Bible brings it before us. But what about the conditions in which we have lived, have people from the cultural center ever needed to be released from anything on a grand scale? How about marginalized communities: how have they needed [to be] released?

To be fully released from systemic oppression, there must first be educated about prior enslavement and/or disenfranchisement of those marginalized. And before any reconciliation can be achieved, in any event, there must be justice. In the case of our present series, racial reconciliation can only be “achieved” between Black and White Americans, when justice is both actualized and realized in the hearts and prayers of the Black community.

Yet what constitutes our understanding of reconciliation may be the very thing tripping us up. Remember our cultural lens can often reveal to us understandings that we want to see, not what is there.

In her 2018 book I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness,⁶ Austin Channing Brown writes of several misconceptions we often have about racial reconciliation—specifically, misconceptions we have in White churches. She states that, “a great many people believe reconciliation boils down to dialogue: a conference on race, a lecture, a moving sermon about the diversity we’ll see in heaven. But dialogue is productive toward reconciliation only when it leads to action – when it inverts power and pursues justice for those who are marginalized.”

Brown pleads with us [i.e., the readers] to understand how “reconciliation demands more. Reconciliation is the pursuit of the impossible – an upside-down world where those who are powerful have relinquished that power to the margins. […] Reconciliation is what Jesus does. When sin and brokenness and evil tore us from G-d, it was Jesus who reconciled us, whose body imagined a different relationship, who took upon himself the cross and became peace.”

Sisters and brothers, the Gospels proclaim a Christ who is as much of heaven as he is of this gritty earth. He is born into humility to two parents in need of explaining themselves to the powers that be. Born by the Spirit, with an entire earthly ministry in the Spirit, Christ Jesus throws himself on the line; repeatedly throws himself before us; heals us; gives food for us; cures us; raises us to life; jumps in front of the world’s judgment to take the blow of the stones thrown in hypocrisy… Jesus goes to the cross for us. He goes to the cross for all of us.

When we first picture Jesus at his home synagogue in Nazareth, it can be hard to grasp all that follows. But G-d ordained it, and Jesus became incarnate to deliver G-d’s people. “He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.”

As we approach the topic of racial reconciliation with humility, may we ask ourselves who we’re doing it for. The Bible can be read through lenses of all kinds, and its truth remains for all to witness.

When you require being released there is only one reason for the need: you are being held back against your will.

Friends, may we be more than mindful in considering the role we play in racial reconciliation between Black and White Americans. No one feels free when they say they are not. Assumptions should not be made from the center, anywhere. Jesus came to love his people at the margins, and he released them. We need to keep following him. And we should probably try new glasses. [But] let’s not throw ours away. Keep them; they’re yours. Maybe we can just borrow some other ones from friends we know and from friends we will make.

G-d bless you and may G-d bless us all to be faithful witnesses through Jesus [the] Christ.

Amen.

 

References:

1. Society of Biblical Literature. The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised & Updated. (Meeks WA, Bassler JM, Lemke W, Niditch S, Schuller E, Attridge HW, eds.). HarperCollins; 2006.
2. Calvin J. The need of scripture, as a guide and teacher, in coming to G-d as a creator. In: Beveridge H, ed. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Vol 1. Calvin Translation Society; 1846.
3. Lischer R. The Company of Preachers: Wisdom on Preaching, Augustine to the Present. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; 2002.
4. de La Torre M. Reading the Bible From the Margins. 1st ed. Orbis Books; 2002.
5. de Jong MJ. Isaiah Among The Ancient Near Eastern Prophets: A Comparative Study of the Earliest Stages of the Isaiah Tradition and the Neo-Assyrian Prophecies. In: Vestus Testamentum Supplements. Vol 117. Brill Academic Publishers; 2007:13-17.
6. Brown AC. I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness. 1st ed. Convergent Books; 2018.

 

Endnotes:

[A] That is, the region spanning from modern Lebanon’s southern mountains in the north; to the Jordan River, Golan Heights, and Sea of Galilee in the east; to the west by the Mediterranean; and by the Jezreel Valley in the south.

[B] Traditionally, the Hebrew Bible, of which the book of Isaiah is a member, is written on scrolls.

[C] Heb. גַּבְרִיאֵל; meaning, “Adonai is my strength.” Jewish tradition names Gabriel as one of the two archangels (the other being Michael) charged with defending the Israelites, and his protection is requested in the bedtime Shema liturgy. Gabriel is also credited with interpreting the prophet Daniel’s prophecies (Dan. 8:16) and waging Adonai’s war on the Assyrians (Sanh. 95b).

[D] That is, he indirectly depicts the doctrine of the Trinity. For the philosophical foundations of trinitarianism, see Tuggy’s entry titled Trinity in theStanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Meadowbrook Congregational Church

Wisdom, by the Rev. Joel K. Boyd

Edited and formatted for publication by J. E. Tucker, MPH

January 9, 2022

 

The Gospel According to Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)¹

 

¹In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ²asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” ³When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ⁶‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” ⁷Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” ⁹When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹²And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

 

 

What does it mean to be wise? Is it simply when someone is considered smart and makes informed decisions? Often, we can think of the old as being wise while the young have so much yet to learn. Perhaps the most important thing we should consider here is who defines wisdom. Whereas many see themselves as wise, the [Biblical authors] warn against [doing so]; calling us instead to fear the Lord and to shun evil. In our passage from Matthew 2, we witness the actions of the wise. Maybe we should hold close to scripture then, trying our best to view wisdom through the Bible’s lens.

This morning, we begin a new discussion. It may be a new discussion [to us], but it focuses on a tragically unresolved and long-neglected concern. Yet, not a small concern, nor one which does not include all of us. Doubtless, some may bristle at its mention, and others may fold their arms and think, “what is this pastor talking about?” “This doesn’t involve me; I wasn’t alive back then!” “Everyone is free to do as they please; no one is held back.” “It’s equal, right?!”

When we consider the topic of race in America, it can become emotional. It can put us out of our comfort zone. We either fear being blamed, or we avoid having to take any responsibility. Proverbs 11:30 (NIV)² says that “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.” It [does not] say to make excuses.

Since we’re all made in God’s image, we’ve all been made good. God wants us to continue to be good, to do good; not just for ourselves or for God’s sake, but also one another. So maybe we are busy. Do we need to spend the rest of our lives—every waking moment—on one issue of concern over all [others]? Probably not. The prophets weren’t preaching all the time. The early Church served in many capacities. Even Jesus took time to rest and to just be with his friends. Nobody is asking that we give more time than we have. And no one is expecting that we fix everything.

But racial reconciliation does have a way of grabbing hold of our hearts, doesn’t it? Kind of makes us wonder, what are we spending all our time on? When does Jesus ask us to call it quits and just do whatever we want with the rest of our time on earth? When does Jesus just say we have too much on our plate always, that there is never any time to serve beyond our perceived capacity?

The answer is never, of course, to all these questions. Jesus does, [however,] call on us to make sacrifices, but he doesn’t ask us to be experts on every topic. Scripture shows that we are called to share our unique gifts (1 Pet. 4:10; Rom. 12:6). Yet, above all, Jesus calls us to love God, and to care [and] love one another (Mrk. 12:30-31). And so, I hope you’ll not judge me too harshly, and that you’ll join me on this humble journey as we consider racial reconciliation with this being our first step in this series.

In his book The Color of Compromise,³ Jemar Tisby, PhD, extends an encouraging invitation to join the dance of racial reconciliation, even without knowing all the steps. “So many of us fear that we will get it wrong,” Tisby writes, “we worry that we do not know enough yet, that our good intentions may have unintended consequences, or that the very people we seek to serve will rebuke us for our ignorance or missteps. We know that no one can assure us that such things will not happen. Standing for justice and racial reconciliation involves risk. Like all other skills, we can learn, and we can get better. And we can do this together. We acknowledge that we cannot read our way, listen our way, or watch our way into being faithful servants for racial [reconciliation]. At some point, we must act.”

This morning, we re-hear one of the most memorable passages of the New Testament, the story of the wise men who travel to meet the young Jesus. Before digging into the entire passage and how it speaks into the topic of racial reconciliation (specifically, the reconciliation of Black and white Americans), let’s first consider a few things that can help us live into this great event in the Gospel [According to] Matthew.

For starters, [the Gospel According to] Matthew is the only book of the [New Testament] to share this story. Sure, many passages mention “the wise” [and] “wisdom,” but only [the Matthean author] speaks of “wise men” (Matt. 2:7) as we know them.

In various English translations, the wise men are often referred to as the magi. While it may seem like an unusual word, magi is more faithful to the original Greek μάγοι (from the root μάγος), which, interestingly has several meanings itself. The ancient Greek world understood μάγος to mean a member of the Persian priestly caste whose religious ideas were influenced by philosophy, or a magician among other things.

In Judaism, μάγος is a loan word for magician, which the Hebrew people would have been forbidden to associate with (b. Shabbat 75a).⁴ In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, μάγος is used in the Book of Daniel (Dan. 2:2, 4:4, & 5:15), indicating the possessor of the religious and magical arts of Babylonian mediators between the “higher powers” and mankind. Many modern English translations understand μάγος to be astrologer.

Back in Matthew 2, we witness the challenge of discerning which definition is the most faithful, the most accurate. Were magi [specifically] Babylonian astrologers or astrologers, in general? Magicians or philosophical priests? Were they from Persia or somewhere else? (When I briefly visited the Sultanate of Oman in the Arabian Peninsula a few years ago, I was surprised to learn the history of both myrrh and frankincense there. Frankincense is sap from trees that grow in southern Oman and northern Yemen.) Either way, the magi appear to have come from the east of Jerusalem, and they were widely considered to be smart people of influence.

Matthew shows how magi came to Jerusalem in search of the baby born to be King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2). They followed signs and knew “this” was about the right place. Herod found out about this and was deeply troubled, this would have been a big threat to his power. Sending the magi off to Bethlehem, Herod asked them to let him know where Jesus was (Matt. 2:8), lying through his teeth as to the reason he’d like to visit the child. The magi continue to follow the star, their sign, and they enter the house where Jesus was with joy (Matt 2:9). There they gave Jesus the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and they paid him homage (Matt. 2:11). A dream warned them of Herod, and they left another way (Matt 2:12).

Yet these wise men, these magi, could arguably have gone anywhere else, or have been more interested in someone else. They were intelligent, influential leaders. So why would they travel so far to pay homage to a refugee Hebrew child? To our knowledge, the magi weren’t early Christians, and they weren’t Jews.[A] So how could they have known they should embark on this journey; this unknown journey of a surprising faith? What did any of this have to do with their being wise? Where [was] God in all of this? I would say God was everywhere; God was the reason; and, by reasserting wisdom as God’s own, God sent God’s people on a journey to point the whole world to the love God has for all people and to express how that love not only ends brokenness but also effects authentic reconciliation.

Nikole Hannah-Jones [and The New York Times Magazine] created The 1619 Project, [an anthology of essays] published at the end of 2021.⁵ Subtitled A New Origin Story, 1619 surveys the legacy of slavery and how it has continued to impact the lives of Black Americans. The project takes its title and content from August 1619, the [year] the very first African captives were taken to America, arriving in Virginia on a ship called the White Lion. With poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and photographs, Hannah-Jones and fellow contributors offer a striking, relevant rehearing of the lasting effects which are so pervasive in American culture that they’ve nearly become invisible. Invisible to many white Americans, that is.

With many of the founders being slaveholders in the time of the American Revolution, historians have remarked that “slaveholding Patriots went to war in 1775 and declared independence [against England] in 1776 to defend their rights to own slaves.” While countless white Americans have approached what has all too often been labeled “the Negro problem” or “the Black problem” in the U.S., Hannah-Jones explains how the statistical focus has been primarily on things like “poverty, out-of-wedlock births, crime, and college attendance,” almost as if to dismiss the most important lens with which to view them: that Black people were enslaved in America longer than they have been free. It’s worth pointing out that, depending on how you view the numbers, and what your definition is of “free,” Black Americans have arguably only been free some decades after having been enslaved for centuries. How can that not matter?

Here, just a few days after Epiphany, when we picture the magi who seek the Christ [as a] child, we must wonder what they were looking for. We don’t know where they came from—specifically anyway. We may not even be that sure how much they came together or whether they knew one another or not. But we do they followed the signs to Jesus. Jesus “called” the magi to himself, they gave offerings, and they [received]—perhaps we see no small amount of our worship service here.

Yet the next part, the part we don’t see much about in the magi, is what happens when we are drawn to Jesus. Jesus the Christ would go on to show, in many ways, that all who are called to his love are then sent to live his love into the world. This is the wisdom of God; not in our own eyes, but the words of the Word made flesh, that we are called from wherever we may be to give to Jesus the Christ and to give as he gave.

Sisters and brothers, may we, regardless of our racial [or ethnic] ancestry, be encouraged to join in being witnesses for racial reconciliation and to walk in loving solidarity with all Black Americans. While we may never be prepared or feel strong enough to do so, we may know most certainly that Jesus is and has always been. While the Christ child drew the wise to himself as they bore him gifts and adoration, the risen Christ sent his mourning disciples to be his love to all people, all to the glory of God.

“Arise, shine; for your light has come,” proclaims the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 60:1), “and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” May we always know that Jesus is with his people; and may we live each day like we believe it. Amen.

 

References

 

1. Society of Biblical Literature. The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised & Updated. (Meeks WA, Bassler JM, Lemke W, Niditch S, Schuller E, Attridge HW, eds.). HarperCollins; 2006.
2. Biblica Inc. The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. 4th ed. Zondervan; 2011.
3. Tisby J. The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism. Zondervan; 2020.
4. Jastrow M. A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature. Vol 1. Luzac & Co.; 1903.
5. Hannah-Jones N, The New York Times Magazine. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. (Roper C, Silverman I, Silverstein J, eds.). One World; 2021.
6. Boyce M. Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. 2nd ed. Routledge; 2002.

[A] Most scholars of biblical history agree the three were Zoroastrian priests based on the historical contextual origin of magi.⁶