“In God We Trust” – really?!

Today we remain on that hillside along the northern part of the Sea of Galilee somewhere near Capernaum, listening to our rabbi deliver his ‘sermon from the mount’ to us, giving us the preamble to the constitution of a new church, a new covenant that he brings as the Word of God incarnate. 

In the portion of his sermon that we heard last week, our Lord challenges us with his game-changing use of love in the face of fear – compelling us to opt out of a spiral of retributive violence and into redeeming process of restorative love.  Rather than worrying about self-preservation, Jesus commands us to perfectly love each other as God love us, exhibiting a charitable and sacrificial love to everyone, including strangers and enemies… even if it costs us our own life, as it did him.

This week, the challenge from our Lord is no less provocative… he’s challenging us again to faithfully examine our relationship to God and to Mammon.

1909 painting The Worship of Mammon by Evelyn De Morgan

The Greek work mamonas (μαμμωνάς) calls to mind more than just wealth, the term is connotes greedy pursuits and concern with worldly riches.  Indeed, our relationship with money and riches is often the subject of our Lord’s lessons – he has more to say about it than many other topics.  This is not surprising since money represents value and power and Christ’s kingdom is established on counter-cultural notions about what and who is valued and how power is to be used and shared.

Recommended blog read (http://www.godmammon.com/2007/04/welcome-to-god-mammon.html).  “According to Jesus, God and Mammon are 2 masters. You can't serve both. But, Jesus praises the shrewd money manager, and lauds those who grow their wealth in his parables. Huh?... This blog seeks to make sense of what the Bible says about money and wealth.”

Some of you already know that Jesus doesn’t preach against money or wealth itself as if it’s inherently a problem.  What he’s constantly calling our attention to is how materialism seduces our affections and attention away from charitable and self-sacrificing love toward God and neighbor, and how wealth is to be shared in our common life together. 

Surely, Jesus was preaching to many people who had very little… if fact, it’s likely that a good number of them actually grappled daily with the realities of finding food for their families and struggling to maintain dignity in the moment, much less hope in a better day.  We could, this morning, continue to explore how this sermon/message might have been heard by people in such dire circumstances back then, as well as how people in similar circumstances today – in developing countries, in rural or inner city poverty, etc. – hear good news in this part of his sermon. 

However, this morning, know that ‘people of means’ also were hearing Jesus’ message.  In the Gospel lesson today, by talking about adornment with clothing while invoking Solomon’s grandeur as well as contrasting service to God with service to our pursuit of wealth, the Spirit is clearly speaking to us who live with material abundance all around us, yet often suffer from a sense of scarcity.

(image from United Methodeviations blog: http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/in-god-we-trust-in-church-we-dont/)

In God we trust

We need look no further than the money on our pocket right now to remind ourselves of our often convoluted relationship with Mammon.  On the very currency that we carry and covet is printed “In God We Trust.”  Really?! 

“In God We Trust”  You might expect this powerful statement of faith to appear on large, symbolic monuments or church buildings… but we’ve chosen to weave it into the very fabric of our daily concerns, having it revealed every time we transact business/commerce, as if to suggest that each exchange of monetary value we engage in is also interconnected with our faith or religious values.  Really?!

In a more critical mood, I might wonder if the printed motto should more accurately say, “in God we want to trust… but in the gold standard we really believe.”  Or, “because we believe God is on our side, we expect we should be rich.”

If you look into the history of how this motto migrated from a phrase in our national anthem in the 19^th Century to being imprinted in the mid-20^th Century on the most basic commodity that is traded and shared among us, you’ll discover that the placement of this statement of faith on our money was not without controversy.  And, whatever religious convictions this symbolic act might have originally been meant to reinforce, it has certainly come to represent a troubling struggle for most of us – how to truly trust in God’s providence while also focusing so much on our own desires toward gaining more worldly wealth.

Our individual desires for more power, control, and comfort in our lives can seduce us away from our Christian call to care for our neighbors, especially the ‘least of these.’  Through the temporal distractions that wealth can provide, we can be tempted into believing that we’ve somehow ‘earned’ the right to be self-indulgent or that we’re in charge of our own destiny. 

And, more insidiously, worship of Mammon can become an addiction that spirals us to very dark places of desperation when we begin falsely believing that our deepest well-being and satisfaction can be achieved if we only possess ‘more.’  Jesus warns us against being possessed of this hopeless state of being.  We can’t be devoted to truly serving God while also worshipping the illusory promises of wealth.

So, it’s not really the wealth or money that’s the issue, it’s the character of our habitual attitudes and priorities – how and why we ‘spend’ our time and talent.  Are we participating with Christ in the growing of our true family under God based on charitable and self-sacrificing love, or are we seeking to establish our own kingdoms?

Recall again the motto on this dollar bill – In God We Trust.  Really?!  Do we really trust God?  Do we have faith that God is ultimately in control and that we can safely offer/surrender all of who we are and our needs to God’s mission? 

 

My own lack of trust…

Examining my own life, some of my habitual priorities and behaviors certainly don’t suggest that I truly believe that God is trustworthy.

I’ve been tempted and seduced into putting myself into the center of the garden, believing that because I’ve eaten from the tree of knowledge I’m somehow more wise or capable that I really am – like I’m the only one who is keeping it all together and making things happen. 

If it’s gonna get done right, or done at all, I need to do it.  No one is looking out for me except me.  In the end, it’s up to me.  “God’s not going to pay my mortgage or put food on my table,” says the doubting, self-centered inner voice.  As if that justifies my willingness to turn away from trust in what God does provide and expect in return.

I worry about money – how much to I ‘need’, where more is going to come from, will it be enough… now and in retirement.

I prioritize pleasing myself more than pleasing God in how I use time and treasure.

I get anxious trying to manipulate and control time… wrestling and bargaining with my calendar and the clock to fit in everything that I believe needs to get done in a logical, efficient order… again, seeking to satisfy my own needs more than serving our Lord.

And, so, you start to see the problem that Jesus is addressing in his sermon.  What begins with some simple realities about basic responsibilities can turn into worship of idols other than God and worries about things that are ultimately unsatisfying and beyond my control anyway.

And where are you?  Several verses before what we heard this morning, our Lord points out that “where our treasurer is, there our heart will be also.”  If we were to make your calendar/schedule public… if we were to publish your bank records and credit card statements… what would they reveal about your priorities, which master you’re serving, and where do you place your trust?

Recalibrating

Our other lessons today can help us recalibrate our attitude and attention.

The Psalmist today calls me / us to humble serenity – don’t try to be more than we really are… keep our feet on the ground and our soul content with a quiet heart with hope in God. (Psalm 131)

Paul, in what we heard from one of his letters to the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:1-5), sings a similar tune of humility and focus: we’re servants Christ and stewards of God’s wisdom, not Masters of our own fortunes, nor judges of others.

The prophet Isaiah has God reminding us that even when we wonder where God is amid our mortal concerns, God is always with us, looking out for us like a compassionate parent… who even has our names tattooed on the back of his own hands.

And, in his popular Bible paraphrase called The Message, Eugene Peterson renders part of the Gospel lesson this way, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes…. What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. … Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”

If you’re putting cash in the offering plate today,

or the next time you have paper currency in your hand,

pause and remember our Lord’s life.

Re-read the motto we’ve put our symbol of wealth

“In God We Trust”

Jesus is challenging us to believe that.

Examine how we’re focusing our attention and utilizing our resources.

Worship more than worry.

And, be awake and alert in our relationships with others.

Whose goals do we have in mind?

What love is motivating us?

In whom do we place our trust?

AMEN

Love, not perfection

a 'perfect' red rose budding through

the January snow on the side of my home

In the readings we’ve heard this morning – some of God’s instructions to Moses as recounted in Leviticus as well as Jesus’ instructions to disciples as recalled by the author of Matthew – our calls to love and perfection seem clear.  

Love and Perfection as divine dance partners might seem folly upon initial consideration.  If perceived of as a pure virtue or idea, love might seem perfect… but the reality of how most of us experience love is more emotionally messy and prone to imperfection.  And, perfection, if imagined as a static state of being that is without flaw doesn’t really leave mortals much room to operate.

God says to Moses, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”. (Lev 19:1-2, 18)

Jesus says to his disciples, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” and “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”. (Matt 5:48, 44).

Indeed, it would seem that we’re being told that we ought to be holy and perfect, and that we must love everyone.  If we don’t take a more critical examination of what is meant by this, we might be tempted to dismiss it as unrealistic sentimentalism – sounds great, but I’ll never be perfect… and I surely can’t love everyone.

What we should consider this morning is that the Hebrew and Greek words translated as holy/perfect and love in these passages are less about actually achieving a flawless state of being and more about maturing through a process of justification or sanctification through the continual expression of a special sort of affection toward our sisters and brothers, joined as we are in God’s family through and with Christ.

HOLY / PERFECT

In Leviticus, this passage we’ve heard is from a section of this book of law known as the Holiness Code.  Contain herein, including a recap of some of the most well-known biblical ‘commandments,’ are ethical instructions to the people of God about how to live toward God’s own holiness, a more perfect union that God intends for/with us – a reunion of relationship with God and with our neighbors as one holy family. 

The word herein that is translated as “holy” refers to differentiation or separation from the profane, movement away from conditions and situations that are considered unclean (things that taint our perspectives and threaten to separate us from faithful and loving relationship with God and our neighbors), and towards the purity of the divine. 

And, in the context of the Gospel reading from Matthew, the word translated as ”perfect” might more comprehensively be read as meaning to be mature, complete, or inclusive in steadfast faith and love.  Also note that in Luke’s version of this sermon, he has Jesus saying, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

In other words, we can hear that to “be holy” or to “be perfect” is to be faithful in moving away from situations that separate us from God and towards conditions that cultivate more inclusive, mature relationships with our blessed kindred in Christ. 

‘Holy’ and ‘perfect’ speak about a process more than a product… a way of becoming, not a finished state of being.

Ok, so what does it really mean to be more holy and perfect like our God?  This is where the instructions about special affection – love – toward our neighbors are illustrative.

LOVE

In their contexts - in the time of Moses being told to love neighbors and in the time of Jesus telling his followers to love their enemies – as well as in our own time, the idea that we should actively and affirmatively ‘love’ strangers or people who seek to do us harm is provocative to say the least. 

First, let’s be clear what type of ‘love’ we’re dealing with.  The words translated as “love” (Hebrew: אהב  Greek: ἀγάπη) in both of the readings today are neither referring to sensual or erotic affections, nor to merely civil or virtuous friendship.  In Greek, the type of love being referred to here is known as agape, which is describing an intimate bond that inspires charity and sacrifice, often in familial relationships.

So, we’re not just being called to be nice to people.  We’re being told to be sacrificial and charitable in our bonding with strangers and enemies just as we would for the loved ones in our own family… because this is the sort of love that God has for all of God’s beloved family.

What does expressing this sort of love toward others actually look and sound like in action? 

In context of the Holiness Code from Leviticus, it might initially sound a little like we’re simply to be nice – we’re told not show favor to any one sort of person, nor be slanderous, hateful, or begrudging.  But there’s more to exemplifying this sort of holy agape.  We’re also instructed not to hoard our resources selfishly, but to be charitable and share some of them with those in need.  We’re told to be honest in our transactions and not to swindle others for our own gain or take advantage of the weaknesses of others for our advancement.  In short, being loving to neighbors and strangers is an active process, not just a passive state of mind or heart.  Our actions toward others should be characterized by an unbiased altruism, mercy, compassion, and truthfulness.

In the context of Jesus’ sermon [from the mount] to his followers, to express agape toward your enemies is an even taller order than the ethical commands in Leviticus.  First, he makes it clear that it’s not sufficient to simply return love in-kind to those who express love to you – that’s easy.  And, Jesus moves beyond previously held notions about who was worthy or clean enough for God’s love by proclaiming that God’s love rests upon the good and bad alike.  Let me repeat that.  God’s redeeming love is offered to everyone under the sun; therefore, so should our charitable and sacrificial affection be offered to everyone - the good and bad, the pure and unclean alike. 

Second, Jesus also calls us to something even more profound than ethical behavior in his instructions about how we are to express agape toward our enemies and those who aim to hurt us.  Rather than return violence with any form violence (and eye for an eye), he instructs us not to cooperate with harm of any kind and, in fact, to wield our love in a way that neutralizes or reverses any spiral of violence. 

To be clear, he’s not telling us to roll-over and passively surrender to or accept harm or abuse.  Neither is he telling us to defend ourselves in a traditional way.  Rather, he’s telling us to affirmatively and assertively return love when confronted with anger, hate, and persecution… not just to stand up stoically in the face of opposition; but to actively become even more humane to those who attempt to dominate us or strip us of dignity or humanity. 

Some have called this “non-adversarial defiance” or non-violent resistance.  And, it’s more than that.  More than just resisting underlying patterns of dominance and hostility in win-lose paradigm, Jesus is calling us to move beyond any tit-for-tat temptations based on retribution or retaliation (Exodus 21, Leviticus 24, and Deut 19) into a way of being – a perfect and holy process – that redeems humanity and restores goodness through a radical giving of ourselves with the faith that we’re loving more perfectly with Christ.

This is about far more than being nice those who are mean to you.  Jesus’ call to love our enemy is a provocative, alternative way of living in which preservation of our own life does not take precedent over growing toward holy and perfect love.  This about opting out of worldly wisdom based in self-preservation and into divine wisdom about redemption and salvation through self-giving love, even in the face of violent death.  Even when nailed to the cross and hung up in naked humiliation before his tormenters, Jesus prayed for those who did this to him – “forgive them Father, they don’t know what they’re doing.” (Luke 23:43)

(pause)

Clearly, I’ve spent more time on the topic of love than on perfection. I believe the Word of God does to.  I don’t believe we’re being called to perfection in the way we traditionally hear that term.  This isn’t about eventually getting everything ‘right’ or being flawlessly ‘right’ – our call is to be in holy, right relationship with God and others through a process of loving that is actively seeking to repair what is broken, especially in the midst of countervailing forces that want to keep us apart and break us down.

So what do you leave this morning hearing in your heart?  Reflect on who you enemies are – who seeks to do you harm.  What would it look or sound like for you to move out of having to defend yourself against them and to move into actions that will change the game – moving us toward hope instead of fear?  If Jesus were to walk with you this next week, where would he point you toward more love, rather than perfection? 

I close with author Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of part of today’s Gospel lesson:

You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

AMEN.