“Let me
see your retribution/vengeance upon them…” (Jeremiah 11:20)
“save me / defend me / vindicate me…render evil… destroy them” (Psalm 54:1, 5)
We can
relate, no? Who among us hasn’t wished
that someone more powerful than us would step in and defend us against those
who seek to do us harm?
Indeed,
in cases of outright violence against us, pleading for protection makes sense.
But
what about this notion of pleading with God for vengeance, retribution, evil, and
harm against are enemies?
Does Jesus
encourage us to feel and pray that way?
No; of
course not. Jesus tells us to love our
enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt 5:34-48)… and to put away our
swords, do not seek to return violence for violence (Matt 26:52; John 18:11).
So much
easier said that done.
Why?
Because
as the author of James says succinctly, conflicts and disputes among us come
from cravings that are at war within us.… that we have devilish envy and
selfish ambitions within us that lead to disorder and wickedness of every kind (James
3:14-16, 4:1-2).
In our
Gospel lesson, Jesus has exemplified unbelievable feats of charitable love and
generous grace… so unbelievable and provocative, perhaps, that his disciples
are having a hard time really getting what this means to them personally and
the mission that they are each called to.
They seem to be instead defaulting to an easier question among
themselves that is rooted not in concern and sacrificial love for others, but in love of
self – who among them is greatest… more religious than… smarter than… better
than… etc.
We can
get relate, no? How often do we have moments
of spiritual insight about God really wants from us… only to find ourselves by
the end of the day shaking our heads and wondering how we ended up so caught up
in worldly stresses about what we don’t have and anxieties about
self-preservation?
What
about what we notice going on in the world around us? What about arguments and conflicts in our
country right now?
Eugene Peterson paraphrases of these verses (in The Message), “Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come
from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you
want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what
you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and
will risk violence to get your hands on it.”
Whew
[wiping brow]… is it hopeless? What’s
the good news today? What does the Holy
Spirit want us to hear?
The author of James calls us to focus on
wisdom from above that is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of
mercy and good fruits… explaining that a righteousness is reaped by those who make peace [not just talk
about it]. (James 3:17-18)
Or, as Eugene Peterson says it, “You can develop a healthy, robust
community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you
do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with
dignity and honor."
In
today’s Gospel lesson (Mark 9:30-37) Jesus pulls an innocent child from the
crowd, puts it among his followers who are arguing about something
non-essential and selfish, and says essentially, whoever welcomes and embraces
the innocent, those vulnerable and without standing, also welcomes God.
Jesus even
says that if we want to be first of all, we should intentionally take last
place and be servant of all.
That’s
good news?!
That I
should willingly give up my privilege and standing and go sit in the back of
the bus, the end of the line, the seats in the back with the worst view…
That I
should serve others, even those boastful, proud, and arrogantly entitled people
who I both loath and sometimes secretly envy… even those who are so difficult
and so dirty that if I touch them, or am even seen with them, I might become
unclean myself?
Ummm…. Yes!
Two of
the verses from James that are skipped over in today’s lectionary selection are
verses 4:5-6 which say, “…do you suppose that it is for nothing that the
scripture says, ‘God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell
in us’? But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, ‘God opposes
the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ [quoting from Proverbs 3:34]
Jesus has
shown us this way of humility in sacrificial service.
I
invite you to close your eyes and seek, with me, to draw nearer to God in prayer…
God, we have seen what your love looks like in action through the actions of Jesus Christ. [imagine a scene in the ministry of Jesus that has always spoken to you about God's love for us]
It was
shocking then, and it’s still troubling to us now, that you, the creator of
all that is, humbled yourself to the point of serving us, even those who didn’t
seem to deserve it… and that your counter-cultural, loving actions and lessons
of radical hospitality and justice generating such resentment and bitterness
among us that we couldn’t stand it and had to get rid of you. We’re sorry our ancestors did that… and we’re
sorry that we still do it every time we turn away from you and our neighbors,
and focus only on ourselves.
Help us
each day get more of a glimpse of the social order and type of society that you
desire for us - helping us hold that vision in
bright contrast to the darkness we so often see taking place around us.
In our
own lives – in the actions and opinions that we can influence among our family
and friends – give us the strength and courage to speak about your will, even
when that reduces our popularity / social-standing or causes others to want to
silence us.
Protect
and defend us as we speak of your Word and act toward others with unreasonable
love in your name.
Today,
we’ve heard Jesus say to us:
1)
Whoever
wants to be first [in God’s eyes] must be last of all and servant of all. [Note that focusing on the needs of others
more than self-serving aims is represented in all three synoptic Gospels: Matt
19:30, 20:16; Mark 10:31, 44-45; Luke
13:30]
and
2)
whoever
welcomes one such as this – a lowly, worthless, otherwise un-valued and
invisible person – also welcomes Christ himself. [Note also in Matt 25:40]
Today, James
has reminded us, “draw near to God and God will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)
“God,
who draws near, who comes to our level, whose nature is revealed in lordship
laid aside: give us grace to welcome you in the one who tests the bounds of our
community: in the child, the outcast, the one who comes with no power, save
that of remaking our heart…”
(Shakespeare,
Steven. Prayers for An Inclusive Church
(NY: Church Publishing, 2009) p.71)
AMEN
No comments:
Post a Comment