Entitlement

Tags

election, Gentiles, hubris, humility, Jesus, Kingdom, Matthew, money, politician, rulers, servant, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Zebedee

We’re at the beginning in our country of a political election cycle that is unusual in the number of people who have declared their candidacy for President of the United States. There are, at last count, 17 people who have entered the race. This number will be winnowed shortly as televised debates and state primaries are held – and then there is the question of money. It is impossible to win an election here these days (even to lesser positions in state and local elections) unless you have what has come to be known as a substantial “war chest” – in other words, a lot of money. One comes to wonder about the motivation of candidates; is their overarching desire for power or service? It’s never as simple as that, of course, but it’s necessary to listen deeply to not only the messages but also the actions of candidates throughout their lives in making decisions about the values they hold and their fitness for office. The witness of key people in the life of a candidate can also give a sense of who the person has been in life re: authenticity and humility – two qualities harder to determine as “the race heats up.”

The mother of the sons of Zebedee was a politician – direct and to the point. In today’s gospel (MT 20:20-28) she approaches Jesus wanting to ask him something. She obviously has not been listening very well to his preaching about humility and service because when Jesus asks her what she wants she replies: “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.” Jesus assures her that she has no idea what she’s asking; his “kingdom” is not about worldly power first of all. He turns to her sons (who should have been mortified at the request, I think) and asks if they “can drink the cup” that he is going to drink. They have no idea either of what he’s talking about but, feeling the sense of entitlement that they have obviously grown up with, they respond, “We can.” The other apostles are predictably indignant at this display of hubris and Jesus delivers a wonderful cautionary speech that could be instructive today for all of those seeking public office (or leadership position of any kind) and for all of us. He tells them:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

 

The Process

Tags

Acts of the Apostles, Gentiles, Peter, testing God

Yesterday I spoke of discernment as a way to come to unanimity in decision-making. This morning’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles (15:7-21) follows the steps exactly and is a good example for us.

After much debate, Peter reminded them of God’s process: 1. God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the voice of the Gospel and believe. 2. God who knows the heart bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit just as he did us. 3. God made no distinction between us and them. Next, Peter posed the question for discernments:  Why then are you now putting God to the test by placing on their shoulders a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? Following that the whole assembly fell silent and listened  while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders that God had worked among the Gentiles through them. James added evidence by offering during the silence a word of remembrance from the prophets that strengthened the argument of Peter and the others.

While we wait until tomorrow for the conclusion, put yourself in the sandals of one of the disciples listening to this exposition as if they were talking about openness to new ways of ritualizing in Christianity. Listen for reasons for widening your heart. Are you able to see new ways into the future?

Time Is Short

Tags

beatitudes, Corinthians, Gentiles, hungry, Luke, Matthew, poor, Sermon on the Mount, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wake up call

Chapter 6 of Luke’s gospel is the alternative reading of the famous Beatitudes in Matthew 5: the “Sermon on the Plain” rather than “the Sermon on the Mount” which is perhaps an indicator of the content as well as a location since Luke speaks in a more “down to earth” way – about the “poor” rather than the “poor in spirit” and the “hungry” rather than those who “hunger and thirst for justice.” Luke’s gospel was written for the Gentiles, not those for whom Matthew wrote. Matthew’s audience was the “chosen people, a royal priesthood…” those waiting for the Messiah who would restore “the throne of David.” Luke was concerned about everybody else.

As I think of our world today I’m unable to separate the poor in Africa from those in the United States – or people in war-torn countries from myself. Because we have the benefit of knowing about anything we can Google, it’s difficult to exclude anyone from our circle of concern. It would be easier to be ignorant (which doesn’t really mean “stupid” but simply “unknowing”). There would be less to worry about, fewer issues to be considered.

The reason my thoughts went this way this morning, I’m sure, is the last line from Paul’s message to the Corinthians (1Cor 7:31) where he predicts that “the world in its present form is passing away.” There are many implications – hopeful as well as dire – in that one line that cause me to reflect on my place and responsibility as a world citizen. It sounds like a “wake up call” to me. Prayer, concern, education and action are all words that come to mind. I’d better get busy…

 

Short Story

Tags

everyone, faith, Gentiles, God's vision, praise, psalm 67, story, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

My father’s version of “to make a long story short” was more expressive. He would just say, “short stories” and we knew to summarize. I feel that today’s readings call for the same. The first reading has Isaiah telling the people God’s vision of a world where foreigners are welcomed making “God’s house a house of prayer for all peoples.” In the second text, Paul speaks the same message to the Gentiles. In the gospel, Jesus was accosted by the Canaanite woman who challenged his statement that he had been sent only to “the lost children of Israel.” She kept at him when he told her it wasn’t right to “take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” with the line, “Even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the master’s table” so, in the end, Jesus was converted to the fact that everyone belongs to God. It is faith that saves us.

That summary about who belongs is expressed most clearly for me this morning in Ps. 67: 5-7 which proclaims: Let every creature, every person, then, be an instrument of praise, and earth itself abound with a fullness yet unknown, as you alone become “our God” for everyone. Your blessings fill us full, and cover us and earth with awe from edge to edge.

Everyone. Everything. No exceptions. Amen to that!