The last two weeks I have reflected on the powers and principalities in the sermons I have preached. First it was in the shadow of Herod and the slaughter of innocents. This past week it was in the light of Epiphany. Power language can be found throughout the New Testament and is an integral topic for the life of the church and the followers of Jesus.
This post is in response of an earlier post of Dr. David Creech in which he reflected on privilege. The “5 Minute Post” - a title I borrow out of respect - can be read here:
Dr. David Creech - 5 Mintue Post: Wrestling with Privilege
I too struggle with privilege. I am a white, straight, educated (two degrees), Protestant (Lutheran, ELCA), male, pastor. I live in the most powerful nation in the world. I hold power, that I still do not fully understand, in my role as a pastor. I have a great advantage over others and I cannot say, without significant qualifications, that I can claim responsibility for any of them.
The last few years of my life and my time in seminary have greatly altered my world view. A few years ago I could not have articulated my privilege. I had no clue. I have no concept of my privilege or the power that I had in my context. The last two years of my education have contained a significant amount of time in the study of power language in the Bible. In my initial response to Dr. Creech I tried to equate power and privilege. I am not sure that they are exact equivalents, but there is some cross over.
For instance. To his question of how I respond to privilege I perceive a great deal of overlap.
Here is how I respond.
Privilege, just like power, has to be named, unmasked, and engaged. I take this triad from the late Walter Wink who wrote a brilliant trilogy on the powers and principalities that needs to be required reading in seminaries effective immediately. Here is the third book;
Wink: Engaging the Powers
The triad works like this:
1) Privilege, like power, needs to be named. This literally means calling a thing what it is. For example - racism,
sexism, or any of the other -isms that get thrown around and dismissed.
Once it is named (acknowledged) it is no longer shrouded in mystery or hidden - both tend to leave things ignored.
2) Once named, privilege needs to be unmasked. What are the underlying factors? What creates the privilege? What are the moving pieces/contributing factors that build and maintain privilege. It’s a web and it’s complex.
3) Once unmasked, privilege needs to be engaged. This part of the process can be simple or complicated, and it requires action. Not earth moving action, but small steps. Simply calling out language (racist, sexist) in conversation (something I fail to do over and over again) is a way to engage privilege and power.
Regardless of the system of power or privilege, this is one means of taking that power or privilege on and working to change it.
What about you? Do you think this works?
Showing posts with label Powers and Principalities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Powers and Principalities. Show all posts
Monday, January 6, 2014
Epiphany: A Revelation and a Revolution.
Epiphany Blessings!
We have moved into a new year and we celebrate this transition by remembering the light of Christ that breaks into the world. The following is a manuscript from the sermon preached on the celebration of Epiphany.
This sermon continues the discussion of the powers and principalities from the previous week. This concept is important as we engage the new testament. My hope is that we will undertake an in-depth study of this integral concept in the coming months - outside of the pulpit. Look for more details in the coming weeks.
"Epiphany: A Revelation and a Revolution"
Based on Ephesians 3:1-12 (ESV)
Ephesians 3:1-12
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
The life of Jesus changes everything. This is the message we proclaim with the story of Christmas. In recent days we have remembered the stories that surround the birth of Jesus. We put together the postcard picture manger scene. The birth in Bethlehem after a long journey for an imperial census. The army of angels who bring words of “peace on earth” to startled shepherds keeping watch over their flocks in the hills outside of Bethlehem. The gathering of those same shepherds around the manger. The nativity complete - almost
Today we hear the story that completes our nativity scene. The shepherds arrive on their own time with dazzling gifts, bearing the story of a star and the search for the new born king of the Jews. They witnessed a new star in the night sky and discerned that something significant had taken place - that something had changed. So they journeyed to seek out and celebrate the one who had brought new light into the world.
Indeed, the life of Jesus changes things, changes everything. His epiphany, from the Greek “epiphaneia” - that means “striking appearance” - is an event that changes the course of our lives. We celebrate the Epiphany of Jesus by retelling the visit of the wise men, the magi from the east. This story, so familiar, points to something much deeper about the appearance of Christ in our world, reminding us that everything has indeed changed with the life of Jesus.
The writer of Ephesians celebrates this change with their letter, writing with great joy and passion about what the life of Jesus Christ means for the world. Today we read a part of that letter in which the author (here attributed to Paul) talks about receiving the mystery of Christ and sharing that mystery with those he encounters. This mystery is quite simple in statement, yet earth shattering in result. Through Christ the “Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” While this might not seem like a momentous statement to us, for the early followers of Jesus and early days of the church, this issue was almost a breaking point.
The great debate of the early church in the decades after the resurrection of Jesus was who exactly had a share in the good news of Jesus Christ. There was a great dividing line between the Jews and the Gentiles. The jews were the people of God, they were people of the covenant. Delivered from Egypt and Babylon, redeemed and brought back into relationship with God. The gentiles, those who were not jewish, were unclean and apart from the gifts of the covenant. The jews had long expected the Messiah of God, the one who would deliver the people and be a light for the world. The messiah did come in the form of Jesus, a jew, and his movement began as a jewish movement. This all changed with Paul and his call to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the gentiles. Paul’s aggressive evangelism practices did not sit too well with the leaders of the church who did not believe that the gentiles were included in the story of Jesus. There was a clear dividing line and the debate over who was included in the good news of Jesus almost tore the early church apart. Acts chapter 15 gives a summary of the council in Jerusalem that settled the matter and allowed for the mission to the Gentiles to continue. The church has never been the same.
Epiphany is about this great mystery, the welcoming of gentiles into the story of Jesus. Epiphany is about the light of Christ breaking into the world. It shines new light on a person’s life or even an entire community. Epiphany shows us how God understands the divine-human relationship. It’s about the revelation of the good news of Jesus Christ to all peoples - to which the magi are a testament. The magi, the so called wise men from the east are, simply put, gentiles. They represent the rest of the world, those outside of the covenant. They recognize something about Jesus that Jesus’ own people do not see or understand. They are a foil to King Herod’s rage and fear. While he seeks the baby Jesus, the king of the Jews, a threat to his thrown, to destroy him, the magi seek out Jesus to honor him and give him gifts, celebrating his life for the whole world. The magi represent all the peoples of the world, peoples drawn to God through the good news of Jesus Christ. They represent us who long to discover God at work in our own lives, and who have witnesses the depths of God’s love - or are perhaps in need of a reminder.
Epiphany is about revelation - God’s revealing the light of Christ to the world. Epiphany reminds us that the world is still in need of the light of Christ. Though God can work through power unimaginable to us, God has chosen to work through us to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. That’s the message of Ephesians today. Tucked away in verse ten we get our call - “so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made know to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” We, the church, have been empowered to proclaim the wisdom of God to the world. And here the writer gets specific, and in an unexpected way. The flow of the letter would lead us to believe that we are to proclaim God’s wisdom to the Gentiles, but that’s not the case. In fact, we are the very Gentiles that are drawn to God through Christ. Our call is to proclaim God’s wisdom to the powers and principalities.
Last week I spoke briefly about the powers and principalities. The last few years of my life have led me into an encounter with the powers language present in the New Testament, and my hope is to share this part of my journey with you some time this spring in a focused study. For the moment, let us keep the talk of the power simple. We can understand the powers and principalities as an image. The presidency is an image. The office of the president is bigger than one person. The office is bigger than George W. Bush, it’s bigger than Barack Obama. Once elected, one must play by the rules of the president. The image of the president is an image of power.
Or we can look at the powers as institutions. Banks are institutions, seats of power. Churches are institutions, seats of powers.
We can look at the powers as ideologies. The “american dream” is an ideology. This sense of rugged individualism - we can pull ourselves up by the boot straps - “have gun will travel” - “git’er done”- attitude that seems to permeate our culture. This attitude is a concept of power.
This triad of image, institution, ideology is a glimpse of how we encounter the powers in the world. If we follow the logic of the New Testament authors, we find that these powers are similar to our own existence. The powers, just like us, were created by God to serve God and God’s people. They are fallen from their calling (Vocation) to serve God and serve God’s people. They can be redeemed and reclaim their calling to serve.
Our call is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the powers. In a sense, Epiphany is not just about revelation, it’s about revolution. It’s about a fundamental change in power. It’s about God revealing light to the world through Christ. It’s about God being the ultimate power in this world. Not kings or rulers or presidents or nations or banks or armies. God is the one who sets things in motion and holds the ultimate authority. The powers, in their fallen state, have forgotten their call to serve God and to serve God’s people. The light of Epiphany is a bold reminder of whom the powers are to serve, and a call for us to remind the powers of their task.
But how? Here is a humble offering for the new year. It’s no secret that money has everything to do with power. How we invest, where we spend, point to the places and things that hold power in our lives. But money is not evil. It is a blessing from God that was always meant to serve the good of the community. How we spent our money can be a way of preaching the power of God in this world. When we use our gifts to support others, when we poor out our gifts for the benefit of the community, we reclaim God’s power in this world. This is one way we can reveal Christ to the world.
Epiphany is about revelation. God reveals Christ as good news for the whole world, and through Christ draws all people into a relationship grounded in love and forgiveness. Christ is the light of the world, and no matter how dark, the world cannot overcome the light and hope of Christ Jesus who changes everything.
Epiphany is about revolution. It’s about being reminded of God’s power and joining into God’s kingdom that is already breaking into our world. We are called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the world and to the powers, claiming God as the ultimate sovereign of the world. So preach people of God - preach to the world and to the powers with your words, your actions, and your very lives. Demonstrate God’s power with the way you use your blessings in this new year. May our lives be the light of Christ in this world.
We have moved into a new year and we celebrate this transition by remembering the light of Christ that breaks into the world. The following is a manuscript from the sermon preached on the celebration of Epiphany.
This sermon continues the discussion of the powers and principalities from the previous week. This concept is important as we engage the new testament. My hope is that we will undertake an in-depth study of this integral concept in the coming months - outside of the pulpit. Look for more details in the coming weeks.
"Epiphany: A Revelation and a Revolution"
Based on Ephesians 3:1-12 (ESV)
Ephesians 3:1-12
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.
The life of Jesus changes everything. This is the message we proclaim with the story of Christmas. In recent days we have remembered the stories that surround the birth of Jesus. We put together the postcard picture manger scene. The birth in Bethlehem after a long journey for an imperial census. The army of angels who bring words of “peace on earth” to startled shepherds keeping watch over their flocks in the hills outside of Bethlehem. The gathering of those same shepherds around the manger. The nativity complete - almost
Today we hear the story that completes our nativity scene. The shepherds arrive on their own time with dazzling gifts, bearing the story of a star and the search for the new born king of the Jews. They witnessed a new star in the night sky and discerned that something significant had taken place - that something had changed. So they journeyed to seek out and celebrate the one who had brought new light into the world.
Indeed, the life of Jesus changes things, changes everything. His epiphany, from the Greek “epiphaneia” - that means “striking appearance” - is an event that changes the course of our lives. We celebrate the Epiphany of Jesus by retelling the visit of the wise men, the magi from the east. This story, so familiar, points to something much deeper about the appearance of Christ in our world, reminding us that everything has indeed changed with the life of Jesus.
The writer of Ephesians celebrates this change with their letter, writing with great joy and passion about what the life of Jesus Christ means for the world. Today we read a part of that letter in which the author (here attributed to Paul) talks about receiving the mystery of Christ and sharing that mystery with those he encounters. This mystery is quite simple in statement, yet earth shattering in result. Through Christ the “Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel.” While this might not seem like a momentous statement to us, for the early followers of Jesus and early days of the church, this issue was almost a breaking point.
The great debate of the early church in the decades after the resurrection of Jesus was who exactly had a share in the good news of Jesus Christ. There was a great dividing line between the Jews and the Gentiles. The jews were the people of God, they were people of the covenant. Delivered from Egypt and Babylon, redeemed and brought back into relationship with God. The gentiles, those who were not jewish, were unclean and apart from the gifts of the covenant. The jews had long expected the Messiah of God, the one who would deliver the people and be a light for the world. The messiah did come in the form of Jesus, a jew, and his movement began as a jewish movement. This all changed with Paul and his call to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the gentiles. Paul’s aggressive evangelism practices did not sit too well with the leaders of the church who did not believe that the gentiles were included in the story of Jesus. There was a clear dividing line and the debate over who was included in the good news of Jesus almost tore the early church apart. Acts chapter 15 gives a summary of the council in Jerusalem that settled the matter and allowed for the mission to the Gentiles to continue. The church has never been the same.
Epiphany is about this great mystery, the welcoming of gentiles into the story of Jesus. Epiphany is about the light of Christ breaking into the world. It shines new light on a person’s life or even an entire community. Epiphany shows us how God understands the divine-human relationship. It’s about the revelation of the good news of Jesus Christ to all peoples - to which the magi are a testament. The magi, the so called wise men from the east are, simply put, gentiles. They represent the rest of the world, those outside of the covenant. They recognize something about Jesus that Jesus’ own people do not see or understand. They are a foil to King Herod’s rage and fear. While he seeks the baby Jesus, the king of the Jews, a threat to his thrown, to destroy him, the magi seek out Jesus to honor him and give him gifts, celebrating his life for the whole world. The magi represent all the peoples of the world, peoples drawn to God through the good news of Jesus Christ. They represent us who long to discover God at work in our own lives, and who have witnesses the depths of God’s love - or are perhaps in need of a reminder.
Epiphany is about revelation - God’s revealing the light of Christ to the world. Epiphany reminds us that the world is still in need of the light of Christ. Though God can work through power unimaginable to us, God has chosen to work through us to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. That’s the message of Ephesians today. Tucked away in verse ten we get our call - “so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made know to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” We, the church, have been empowered to proclaim the wisdom of God to the world. And here the writer gets specific, and in an unexpected way. The flow of the letter would lead us to believe that we are to proclaim God’s wisdom to the Gentiles, but that’s not the case. In fact, we are the very Gentiles that are drawn to God through Christ. Our call is to proclaim God’s wisdom to the powers and principalities.
Last week I spoke briefly about the powers and principalities. The last few years of my life have led me into an encounter with the powers language present in the New Testament, and my hope is to share this part of my journey with you some time this spring in a focused study. For the moment, let us keep the talk of the power simple. We can understand the powers and principalities as an image. The presidency is an image. The office of the president is bigger than one person. The office is bigger than George W. Bush, it’s bigger than Barack Obama. Once elected, one must play by the rules of the president. The image of the president is an image of power.
Or we can look at the powers as institutions. Banks are institutions, seats of power. Churches are institutions, seats of powers.
We can look at the powers as ideologies. The “american dream” is an ideology. This sense of rugged individualism - we can pull ourselves up by the boot straps - “have gun will travel” - “git’er done”- attitude that seems to permeate our culture. This attitude is a concept of power.
This triad of image, institution, ideology is a glimpse of how we encounter the powers in the world. If we follow the logic of the New Testament authors, we find that these powers are similar to our own existence. The powers, just like us, were created by God to serve God and God’s people. They are fallen from their calling (Vocation) to serve God and serve God’s people. They can be redeemed and reclaim their calling to serve.
Our call is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the powers. In a sense, Epiphany is not just about revelation, it’s about revolution. It’s about a fundamental change in power. It’s about God revealing light to the world through Christ. It’s about God being the ultimate power in this world. Not kings or rulers or presidents or nations or banks or armies. God is the one who sets things in motion and holds the ultimate authority. The powers, in their fallen state, have forgotten their call to serve God and to serve God’s people. The light of Epiphany is a bold reminder of whom the powers are to serve, and a call for us to remind the powers of their task.
But how? Here is a humble offering for the new year. It’s no secret that money has everything to do with power. How we invest, where we spend, point to the places and things that hold power in our lives. But money is not evil. It is a blessing from God that was always meant to serve the good of the community. How we spent our money can be a way of preaching the power of God in this world. When we use our gifts to support others, when we poor out our gifts for the benefit of the community, we reclaim God’s power in this world. This is one way we can reveal Christ to the world.
Epiphany is about revelation. God reveals Christ as good news for the whole world, and through Christ draws all people into a relationship grounded in love and forgiveness. Christ is the light of the world, and no matter how dark, the world cannot overcome the light and hope of Christ Jesus who changes everything.
Epiphany is about revolution. It’s about being reminded of God’s power and joining into God’s kingdom that is already breaking into our world. We are called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the world and to the powers, claiming God as the ultimate sovereign of the world. So preach people of God - preach to the world and to the powers with your words, your actions, and your very lives. Demonstrate God’s power with the way you use your blessings in this new year. May our lives be the light of Christ in this world.
Monday, December 30, 2013
Jesus changes things...forever. A Challenge to the Powers.
Merry Christmas! Peace and blessings to you in this season of celebration.
As we approach the New Year, Matthew's Gospel takes us right back to how harsh this world can be at times. But God works even in the darkness. The life of Jesus comes as a challenge to the worldly powers. Here is the manuscript from the sermon preached on December 29, 2013 - the first Sunday after Christmas.
Matthew 2:13-23
13Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."
16When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18"A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead. 21Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."
“Jesus changes things…forever”
The rage of Herod and the death of children are not the way to celebrate Christmas. Here we are just days from the wonder of the manger and the joy of the birth of Jesus - the celebratory hymns, the reflective candlelight, the peace of Christmas Eve. Today’s story from Matthew comes as a rude awakening. It arrives too soon.
Without our permission we are rushed back to reality where death and madness creep along in the shadows of life. Even small-town Fredericksburg cannot remain untouched by violence. The boarded-up windows of the shot-out Valero station on Adams street stands as sharp reminder that we are not immune to how harsh the world can be at times. We return to our newspapers and to the evening news on TV where the first segment is normally filled with bad news. Back to the grind. The soft light of Christmas seems to have faded away into another life.
Matthew does not waste any time in his Gospel returning to the brutal reality of his day. While we do not know how much time actually passes between the birth of Jesus and the visit of the Magi - Matthew estimates that it was a couple of years - the narrative time moves quickly. The magi come looking for the new born king. Herod, troubled by this news, tries to find the child by means of deceit. The gifts are given. Dreams and warnings come to Joseph and the magi. Both parties slip quietly out of town. Herod explodes in a fit of rage.
What follows is a brutal story. Matthew tells us that Herod gives an order to slaughter any male child in Bethlehem and the surrounding region who were two years old and younger. While terrible, this act is not out of character for Herod. He is known for other such despicable acts as killing three of his sons. Caesar Augustus himself is rumored to have said, “"It is safer to be a pig in a parent's household than to be a son in Herod's court.” Not very high praise. But Herod did not seem to care about this bit of bad press. Herod was interested in maintaining his control. And he did so at all costs.
Herod was a puppet king for Rome. He was given permission by the empire to rule the people of Judea. He took the title king for himself when he came into power. Though Herod practiced Judaism, he was not considered a Jew by most Jews of his day, and was an outsider to the people he ruled. Herod ruled with an iron fist and did all he could to protect his self-claimed kingship. And this is why he reacts so violently to the birth of Jesus.
When Herod catches wind of the birth of Jesus, hailed the king of the Jews, he is greatly troubled. Anyone who would dared to call themselves king was a threat to Herod’s power. It mattered not to Herod that the king was only a child, the threat was real and Herod’s power was in jeopardy. So Herod does what those in power do, he attempted to eliminate the threat. That’s how power works. Once you gain power, there is a relentless need to maintain that power. And it comes at all costs.
While this violent story may be a turn-off in this season of Christmas, it is critical for us to listen to and acknowledge. Herod is just an example of how the powers of this world react to a challenge of their power, of which Jesus is the ultimate. Here I speak of what the New Testaments writers called the “powers and principalities.” While I cannot give a full treatment of the subject here, a brief summary would help.
We can think of the powers in terms of an image or an institution. A king is an image of power. Kingship is bigger than one man. Herod was a king, but the image of king survives his reign. Once he claimed the title of King, Herod had to play by the rules of king - he had to look and act like a king - or suffer the consequences. The presidency is an image. The office of the president is bigger than one person. The office is bigger than George W. Bush, it’s bigger than Barack Obama. Once elected, one must play by the rules of the president. Our elected officials are a great example of the exhausting cycle of protecting power - they work for a few days and spend the rest of their terms campaigning for the next election. That’s why we have campaign that last three years. This is how worldly power works. And it’s fallen and broken because it does not recognize its vocation to serve God and God’s creation. This is why the life of Jesus is so important.
Matthew shows us that Jesus changes things. His life changes everything.
What unfolds in Matthew’s story of Jesus is how the life and ministry of Jesus is a challenge those in power. If the story were about the death of Jesus, solely about his death, then Matthew could have ended the story here. If the death of Jesus was all that was needed, then Herod could have saved Matthew a great deal of time and paper. He could have saved the followers of Jesus a great deal of pain and anxiety. But this story is not about the death of Jesus, it’s about how he lived - how he still lives in us. The life of Jesus, the love of God incarnate, is a challenge to the powers of this world. And his life belongs to us who follow in his footsteps.
The life of Jesus was about engaging the broken power structures of his day. His acts of healing reached beyond the corrupt temple complex and those who were in charge. Jesus dared to heal on the sabbath, eat with those labeled as unclean, and forgive sins. He was labeled as a glutton, drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and sinners by those in power. He showed the world what following God’s call to community life really looked. A life of wholeness for all people. His life shocked those he encountered and offended those who were comfortable with the ways things were - the status quo. His life lead to the cross, to the only way that earthly power knows how to deal with a threat. The life of Jesus, ultimately leads to his death. But even in death, God’s power cannot be defeated. Jesus is raised as a statement to those in power that their unchallenged reign has ended. God’s new life for the world through Christ works in us and through us to usher in God’s kingdom of mercy and forgiveness. This is the life we are called to as followers of Jesus.
We are no strangers to the reality that Matthew points us to this morning, the violence in our world. the “new normal” of gun violence in schools is a constant reminder that the most vulnerable in our midst are still our children. Those of power in this world still argue endlessly about the proper way to govern, but when we peal back the thin veil of critical words we find Herod’s slaughter all over again. It seems that those who lead would rather kill each other with words than address the hunger, poverty, violence, and death that threaten to overwhelm us all. In a sense, not all that much has changed when it comes to power in this world. Nothing has changed except Jesus still changes everything with his love. The example of his life is still a beacon of hope to all who sojourn through this world.
The life of Jesus shows us true power. Power that loves, sacrifices, heals, and reaches beyond itself for the good of another. This way of life continually calls us into the promised future of God’s kingdom. Through Christ we are given the ultimate display of how power was and is always meant to work on the behalf of the other, and not for selfish gain.
As we approach a new year there are many possibilities that entice us from the horizon. Our call as children of God and followers of Christ point to a clear way to engage the world. Let us humbly go forward in love. Let us leave the fear of Herod where it belongs, on a broken thrown. Let us move out into the world with the power of God. The power of peace, mercy, and love.
Be assured, people of God, that God goes with us into the future. As we begin a new year let move out into our community with the confidence that God is already at work here among us. Let us be a witness to the powers of what God’s kingdom can look like in this world.
As we approach the New Year, Matthew's Gospel takes us right back to how harsh this world can be at times. But God works even in the darkness. The life of Jesus comes as a challenge to the worldly powers. Here is the manuscript from the sermon preached on December 29, 2013 - the first Sunday after Christmas.
Matthew 2:13-23
13Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."
16When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18"A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
19When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead. 21Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."
“Jesus changes things…forever”
The rage of Herod and the death of children are not the way to celebrate Christmas. Here we are just days from the wonder of the manger and the joy of the birth of Jesus - the celebratory hymns, the reflective candlelight, the peace of Christmas Eve. Today’s story from Matthew comes as a rude awakening. It arrives too soon.
Without our permission we are rushed back to reality where death and madness creep along in the shadows of life. Even small-town Fredericksburg cannot remain untouched by violence. The boarded-up windows of the shot-out Valero station on Adams street stands as sharp reminder that we are not immune to how harsh the world can be at times. We return to our newspapers and to the evening news on TV where the first segment is normally filled with bad news. Back to the grind. The soft light of Christmas seems to have faded away into another life.
Matthew does not waste any time in his Gospel returning to the brutal reality of his day. While we do not know how much time actually passes between the birth of Jesus and the visit of the Magi - Matthew estimates that it was a couple of years - the narrative time moves quickly. The magi come looking for the new born king. Herod, troubled by this news, tries to find the child by means of deceit. The gifts are given. Dreams and warnings come to Joseph and the magi. Both parties slip quietly out of town. Herod explodes in a fit of rage.
What follows is a brutal story. Matthew tells us that Herod gives an order to slaughter any male child in Bethlehem and the surrounding region who were two years old and younger. While terrible, this act is not out of character for Herod. He is known for other such despicable acts as killing three of his sons. Caesar Augustus himself is rumored to have said, “"It is safer to be a pig in a parent's household than to be a son in Herod's court.” Not very high praise. But Herod did not seem to care about this bit of bad press. Herod was interested in maintaining his control. And he did so at all costs.
Herod was a puppet king for Rome. He was given permission by the empire to rule the people of Judea. He took the title king for himself when he came into power. Though Herod practiced Judaism, he was not considered a Jew by most Jews of his day, and was an outsider to the people he ruled. Herod ruled with an iron fist and did all he could to protect his self-claimed kingship. And this is why he reacts so violently to the birth of Jesus.
When Herod catches wind of the birth of Jesus, hailed the king of the Jews, he is greatly troubled. Anyone who would dared to call themselves king was a threat to Herod’s power. It mattered not to Herod that the king was only a child, the threat was real and Herod’s power was in jeopardy. So Herod does what those in power do, he attempted to eliminate the threat. That’s how power works. Once you gain power, there is a relentless need to maintain that power. And it comes at all costs.
While this violent story may be a turn-off in this season of Christmas, it is critical for us to listen to and acknowledge. Herod is just an example of how the powers of this world react to a challenge of their power, of which Jesus is the ultimate. Here I speak of what the New Testaments writers called the “powers and principalities.” While I cannot give a full treatment of the subject here, a brief summary would help.
We can think of the powers in terms of an image or an institution. A king is an image of power. Kingship is bigger than one man. Herod was a king, but the image of king survives his reign. Once he claimed the title of King, Herod had to play by the rules of king - he had to look and act like a king - or suffer the consequences. The presidency is an image. The office of the president is bigger than one person. The office is bigger than George W. Bush, it’s bigger than Barack Obama. Once elected, one must play by the rules of the president. Our elected officials are a great example of the exhausting cycle of protecting power - they work for a few days and spend the rest of their terms campaigning for the next election. That’s why we have campaign that last three years. This is how worldly power works. And it’s fallen and broken because it does not recognize its vocation to serve God and God’s creation. This is why the life of Jesus is so important.
Matthew shows us that Jesus changes things. His life changes everything.
What unfolds in Matthew’s story of Jesus is how the life and ministry of Jesus is a challenge those in power. If the story were about the death of Jesus, solely about his death, then Matthew could have ended the story here. If the death of Jesus was all that was needed, then Herod could have saved Matthew a great deal of time and paper. He could have saved the followers of Jesus a great deal of pain and anxiety. But this story is not about the death of Jesus, it’s about how he lived - how he still lives in us. The life of Jesus, the love of God incarnate, is a challenge to the powers of this world. And his life belongs to us who follow in his footsteps.
The life of Jesus was about engaging the broken power structures of his day. His acts of healing reached beyond the corrupt temple complex and those who were in charge. Jesus dared to heal on the sabbath, eat with those labeled as unclean, and forgive sins. He was labeled as a glutton, drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and sinners by those in power. He showed the world what following God’s call to community life really looked. A life of wholeness for all people. His life shocked those he encountered and offended those who were comfortable with the ways things were - the status quo. His life lead to the cross, to the only way that earthly power knows how to deal with a threat. The life of Jesus, ultimately leads to his death. But even in death, God’s power cannot be defeated. Jesus is raised as a statement to those in power that their unchallenged reign has ended. God’s new life for the world through Christ works in us and through us to usher in God’s kingdom of mercy and forgiveness. This is the life we are called to as followers of Jesus.
We are no strangers to the reality that Matthew points us to this morning, the violence in our world. the “new normal” of gun violence in schools is a constant reminder that the most vulnerable in our midst are still our children. Those of power in this world still argue endlessly about the proper way to govern, but when we peal back the thin veil of critical words we find Herod’s slaughter all over again. It seems that those who lead would rather kill each other with words than address the hunger, poverty, violence, and death that threaten to overwhelm us all. In a sense, not all that much has changed when it comes to power in this world. Nothing has changed except Jesus still changes everything with his love. The example of his life is still a beacon of hope to all who sojourn through this world.
The life of Jesus shows us true power. Power that loves, sacrifices, heals, and reaches beyond itself for the good of another. This way of life continually calls us into the promised future of God’s kingdom. Through Christ we are given the ultimate display of how power was and is always meant to work on the behalf of the other, and not for selfish gain.
As we approach a new year there are many possibilities that entice us from the horizon. Our call as children of God and followers of Christ point to a clear way to engage the world. Let us humbly go forward in love. Let us leave the fear of Herod where it belongs, on a broken thrown. Let us move out into the world with the power of God. The power of peace, mercy, and love.
Be assured, people of God, that God goes with us into the future. As we begin a new year let move out into our community with the confidence that God is already at work here among us. Let us be a witness to the powers of what God’s kingdom can look like in this world.
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