Luke 19:1-10 (for the lectionary on November 3)
Zacchaeus was a product of empire.
He turned his back on his own community in order to represent empire and exploit them for empire and his own, personal gain.
He gained status with Rome, wealth off the backs of his own community and power over others.
He had it good... very good.
So people of all sides grumbled when Jesus recognized Zacchaeus.
He was a sinner to those of his community.
He was a mere servant to those of empire.
He was potential to Jesus.
Zacchaeus encountered Jesus and repented.
He changed his thinking, his values and his direction.
Zacchaeus promised Jesus to give away half of his possessions, specifically for the poor, many of whom he perhaps helped create.
I can hear the snickers and see Jesus' raised eyebrow when he said, "IF I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." IF? That was his business. It was the norm for tax collectors to use their power, position and status from Rome to exploit others. I am not sure Zacchaeus knew what he was saying. I trust he found out quickly.
Salvation. Restoration to rightness with God. Perhaps restoration to his community. He found wholeness, completeness and well-being in Jesus' Way. He found Shalom, which was something Rome had destroyed for him and all those hurt by him.
There is hope.
For the wealthy who believe they are entitled to wealth by any means and at the expense of anyone else necessary.
For the powerful who abuse their power to control others for their own gain and position.
For those of high status who flaunt their entitlement and seek more of it for their own recognition.
Repent.
Laissez-faire Capitalism is empire.
Any economic system built on the few having much while the many struggle to survive is empire.
Any system that reserves healthcare for the few while the many die is empire.
Any system that exercises two justice systems, one for the white and wealthy and the other for the
poor and minority, is empire.
Any system that exploits its own people and people around the world is empire.
Any system that lavishes good education on the few and de-funds education for the rest is empire.
Any system that rewards the elites with wealth and works the rest to death for subsistence level
income is empire.
The Military Industrial Complex is empire. The occupation of other nations and presence of
destructive armaments across the world is empire. The exorbitant spending on military power
at the expense of people's needs is empire. Corporate Imperialism is empire, as companies move
into lands to exploit the workers, waste their resources and destroy their environments.
Government that only represents the powerful and wealthy is empire.
Giving credibility to the famous for just being famous is empire, or to athletes over scholars, or to
billionaires over servants of humanity.
The pilfering of natural resources, polluting the environment and use of toxic substances for our
convenience that is killing people for the profit of a few, is empire.
The denial of equal rights, equitable treatment and equal justice for all is empire.
There is hope.
Resist. Do not participate in empire's normative values. Promote Kingdom values instead.
Repent. Re-think. Re-direct.
If Zacchaeus, who gained much from his life under empire could do it, so can you.
Salvation came to him because of it.
There is hope.
Be restored to a faithful relationship with God and Neighbor.
Be restored to community and work toward the good of all, instead of the isolation of personal gain.
Be renewed in a hope for a different way, a better way, a sustainable way - Jesus' Way of Agape
Love and Grace.
Encounter Jesus - Jesus' Way of Agape Love and Grace. Be transformed because of it.
Perhaps salvation will come to your house.
Pastor Jamie
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Reform-ation
When the Roman Empire made Christianity the Empire's Religion, it institutionalized the faith and made it an apologist for the Roman Empire. The movement of the followers of Jesus' Way all but died because of it, as the movement of servants of Jesus became institution to be served. Christianity was born in opposition to empire. Kingdom values do not include wealth, power and status, but are born of Agape Love and Grace, Humility and Community.
When the Roman Catholic church as "Holy Roman Empire" was at its height, Luther among others challenged the empire values manifested in the sale of indulgences for personal salvation, the veneration of relics as an expression of faith, the buying of bishoprics and the church itself as the authority to be revered, rather than Christ Jesus and Jesus' Good News as the center of the movement and the living of Agape Love and Grace as its doctrine.
Since 1981, the church has fallen back into the corruptions of false leaders who have captivated believers with false theologies around personal salvation through praise and tithes, prosperity and church growth as the only mission of the church. It has ignored Jesus' mandates as we have them in the Gospels and living of Kingdom values. It has adopted empire values around wealth, power and status yet again.
Where are the Reformers?
Where are the Prophets who are teaching Jesus' Way of resistance to empire?
Where are the true teachers of Jesus' Way of being children of God?
Not in the media.
Not visibly in the world.
Not visibly in THE Church universal.
The ones who have spoken have been silenced.
The ones who do stand in the light of the Gospel of Jesus are in isolated conclaves.
The ones who do resist empire are rejected in our laissez-faire, Capitalistic society.
The ones who speak truth to power are fired or discredited as being "too radical."
Where are you?
When the Roman Catholic church as "Holy Roman Empire" was at its height, Luther among others challenged the empire values manifested in the sale of indulgences for personal salvation, the veneration of relics as an expression of faith, the buying of bishoprics and the church itself as the authority to be revered, rather than Christ Jesus and Jesus' Good News as the center of the movement and the living of Agape Love and Grace as its doctrine.
Since 1981, the church has fallen back into the corruptions of false leaders who have captivated believers with false theologies around personal salvation through praise and tithes, prosperity and church growth as the only mission of the church. It has ignored Jesus' mandates as we have them in the Gospels and living of Kingdom values. It has adopted empire values around wealth, power and status yet again.
Where are the Reformers?
Where are the Prophets who are teaching Jesus' Way of resistance to empire?
Where are the true teachers of Jesus' Way of being children of God?
Not in the media.
Not visibly in the world.
Not visibly in THE Church universal.
The ones who have spoken have been silenced.
The ones who do stand in the light of the Gospel of Jesus are in isolated conclaves.
The ones who do resist empire are rejected in our laissez-faire, Capitalistic society.
The ones who speak truth to power are fired or discredited as being "too radical."
Where are you?
Sunday, October 20, 2019
genuine hubris
Luke 18:9-14 (for the lectionary on October 27)
So much of the Gospel messages of Jesus - the Good News for God's children - is how NOT to participate in empire, how to resist empire's values, norms and ideologies. Empire divides, disenfranchises, marginalizes and destroys the lives of many for the sake of the very few. God's Kingdom values lift up everyone, equally and unites people in Shalom community. The Good News for children of God is that they can RESIST participation and thus hasten the end of empire systems that are not sustainable for the good of all.
Here, a Pharisee, one of the Temple Cult Leaders who benefitted from collusion with Rome, came to value hubris over humility because empire values status. Being all about appearances in his position, he had to go to the Temple to give lip service to God and had to appear to be "righteous". Always seeking to be seen as "better than" someone else, this promoter of empire values gave thanks for being "superior" to a tax collector who was hated by the masses for representing Rome and empire through dishonest practices in collecting taxes. The Pharisee touted his legalistic and pietistic practices and contrasted himself with others less "righteous" in attempt to make himself appear to be superior. His status depended on it.
Re-defining morality and "righteousness" is necessary for people who give lip service to God but give their true devotion to empire. Purity and holiness, strict pietistic practices and spectacular displays of faith practice are offered in the place of true devotion to God. Pointing out the sins of others, particularly sexual sins, in order to obscure one's own greed, lust for power and desire for personal status help toward the justification of unconscionable practices that hurt others and help establish immorality as the new norm of acceptable behavior. It was quite effective then, and is quite effective now. Prosperity preachers, church growth leaders and personal salvation purveyors have re-defined faithfulness so as to benefit from the perks of empire in the last thirty-eight years or more. Shaming folk over purity and holiness, and lifting up the values of worship and praise with tithes over building community in justice has effectively re-defined "Christianity" in America.
On the other hand, Jesus lifted up the tax collector who stood in the margins and humbly acknowledged his sin of collusion with Rome and empire. The tax collector recognized the damage of it and asked for mercy. Jesus recognized him as the faithful one, the justified one. In this genuine expression of repentance regarding empire, the tax collector rejected the value of personal status, gave up his abusive power over others and certainly gave up ill-gotten wealth gained at their expense. This Jesus lifted up as faithfulness. It would restore the tax collector to equal standing in the community and thus restore the tax collector to a genuine, loving relationship with God.
Those who embrace the empire values of more wealth, more power and more status than others, thus exalting themselves over others, shall be humbled, says Jesus. Hubris is an empire value. Humility is a Kingdom one. Those who reject empire values for humble and equal, loving relationship with others in community shall be exalted in the Kingdom of God, because it builds Shalom for all.
Pastor Jamie
So much of the Gospel messages of Jesus - the Good News for God's children - is how NOT to participate in empire, how to resist empire's values, norms and ideologies. Empire divides, disenfranchises, marginalizes and destroys the lives of many for the sake of the very few. God's Kingdom values lift up everyone, equally and unites people in Shalom community. The Good News for children of God is that they can RESIST participation and thus hasten the end of empire systems that are not sustainable for the good of all.
Here, a Pharisee, one of the Temple Cult Leaders who benefitted from collusion with Rome, came to value hubris over humility because empire values status. Being all about appearances in his position, he had to go to the Temple to give lip service to God and had to appear to be "righteous". Always seeking to be seen as "better than" someone else, this promoter of empire values gave thanks for being "superior" to a tax collector who was hated by the masses for representing Rome and empire through dishonest practices in collecting taxes. The Pharisee touted his legalistic and pietistic practices and contrasted himself with others less "righteous" in attempt to make himself appear to be superior. His status depended on it.
Re-defining morality and "righteousness" is necessary for people who give lip service to God but give their true devotion to empire. Purity and holiness, strict pietistic practices and spectacular displays of faith practice are offered in the place of true devotion to God. Pointing out the sins of others, particularly sexual sins, in order to obscure one's own greed, lust for power and desire for personal status help toward the justification of unconscionable practices that hurt others and help establish immorality as the new norm of acceptable behavior. It was quite effective then, and is quite effective now. Prosperity preachers, church growth leaders and personal salvation purveyors have re-defined faithfulness so as to benefit from the perks of empire in the last thirty-eight years or more. Shaming folk over purity and holiness, and lifting up the values of worship and praise with tithes over building community in justice has effectively re-defined "Christianity" in America.
On the other hand, Jesus lifted up the tax collector who stood in the margins and humbly acknowledged his sin of collusion with Rome and empire. The tax collector recognized the damage of it and asked for mercy. Jesus recognized him as the faithful one, the justified one. In this genuine expression of repentance regarding empire, the tax collector rejected the value of personal status, gave up his abusive power over others and certainly gave up ill-gotten wealth gained at their expense. This Jesus lifted up as faithfulness. It would restore the tax collector to equal standing in the community and thus restore the tax collector to a genuine, loving relationship with God.
Those who embrace the empire values of more wealth, more power and more status than others, thus exalting themselves over others, shall be humbled, says Jesus. Hubris is an empire value. Humility is a Kingdom one. Those who reject empire values for humble and equal, loving relationship with others in community shall be exalted in the Kingdom of God, because it builds Shalom for all.
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, October 13, 2019
the injustice system
Luke 18:1-8 (lectionary text for Oct. 20)
Along with a lesson to persistently pester God for what one needs, I believe there is a lesson here about faith and how to approach a judge - both just and unjust.
The judge had no fear of God and no respect for people. There were many judges like that in the time of empire, for how they judged worked to promote empire and themselves, rather than working to make justice thrive in the lives of those under empire. People understood this story well, for there were many judges who feared only a loss of wealth, power or status for themselves and who had no love or respect for anyone else and ignored God. I believe we live in such an age now, under empire.
What one can do in the face of such an unjust judge, is to demand justice - persistently, consistently, constantly, publicly - to pester the judge in public and expose the works of injustice, call it what it is and thus demand justice. Like a widow, you may feel powerless over an unjust system. You are not. Exposing, shaming and demanding that justice be restored are powerful actions, especially when sisters and brothers come together to face the unjust powers. Do the right thing for the right reasons - that ALL may have justice and thus have Shalom.
Rest assured, God is the God of justice. Cry out to God persistently. Pester God when suffering because of injustice. Lift it up. Actively address the judge(s) publicly and ask God for help in the face of injustice. Invoke God's name on those who would like to forget what God (in Jesus) has commanded, taught and modeled for us.
And remember, when the Son of Man comes back, He will judge the living and the dead. The Son will judge and the judgment given will be just. There will be justice and with it there will be accountability. And will the Son of Man find people of faith who have been active in the pursuit of justice under unjust systems, faithful to the resistance that Jesus modeled and taught?
Do not suffer injustice silently. Actively address the injustice, publicly.
Do not give up, but persistently and publicly expose the injustice.
Lift it up to the judge of all the living and dead, the judge of all things, who is just.
Empire is unjust.
If we are to be a just people, we must be people of the Kingdom of God and its values.
Resist the ways of empire and even the benefits you may receive from them, for the sake if justice and peace - Shalom.
Demand justice, publicly. And not just for yourself - stand with others who are suffering injustice -
loudly, proudly and regularly... it is the ONLY way to challenge the injustices of empire.
And Pray to the God of justice and peace, who provides Shalom, and who will listen and walk with you in that resistance.
Pastor Jamie
Along with a lesson to persistently pester God for what one needs, I believe there is a lesson here about faith and how to approach a judge - both just and unjust.
The judge had no fear of God and no respect for people. There were many judges like that in the time of empire, for how they judged worked to promote empire and themselves, rather than working to make justice thrive in the lives of those under empire. People understood this story well, for there were many judges who feared only a loss of wealth, power or status for themselves and who had no love or respect for anyone else and ignored God. I believe we live in such an age now, under empire.
What one can do in the face of such an unjust judge, is to demand justice - persistently, consistently, constantly, publicly - to pester the judge in public and expose the works of injustice, call it what it is and thus demand justice. Like a widow, you may feel powerless over an unjust system. You are not. Exposing, shaming and demanding that justice be restored are powerful actions, especially when sisters and brothers come together to face the unjust powers. Do the right thing for the right reasons - that ALL may have justice and thus have Shalom.
Rest assured, God is the God of justice. Cry out to God persistently. Pester God when suffering because of injustice. Lift it up. Actively address the judge(s) publicly and ask God for help in the face of injustice. Invoke God's name on those who would like to forget what God (in Jesus) has commanded, taught and modeled for us.
And remember, when the Son of Man comes back, He will judge the living and the dead. The Son will judge and the judgment given will be just. There will be justice and with it there will be accountability. And will the Son of Man find people of faith who have been active in the pursuit of justice under unjust systems, faithful to the resistance that Jesus modeled and taught?
Do not suffer injustice silently. Actively address the injustice, publicly.
Do not give up, but persistently and publicly expose the injustice.
Lift it up to the judge of all the living and dead, the judge of all things, who is just.
Empire is unjust.
If we are to be a just people, we must be people of the Kingdom of God and its values.
Resist the ways of empire and even the benefits you may receive from them, for the sake if justice and peace - Shalom.
Demand justice, publicly. And not just for yourself - stand with others who are suffering injustice -
loudly, proudly and regularly... it is the ONLY way to challenge the injustices of empire.
And Pray to the God of justice and peace, who provides Shalom, and who will listen and walk with you in that resistance.
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, October 6, 2019
genuine gratitude in Agape
Luke 17:11-19 (text for October 13 lectionary)
The Samaritan, whose visit to a priest would make no sense, realized he was healed and went back to thank the one who thanked him. It did not matter that they were of a different faith, that they were rivals/enemies because of their history of faith practice and heritage or that this Rabbi had commanded him to go to see the priest so that he could be restored to life within his community. He first had to express his gratitude.
He would be considered the lowest of the low. He was not only a Samaritan, but a leper, which meant, in the wrong thinking of the time, that he was cursed by God. He could not be around other people, out of fear that his "unrighteousness" might rub off on them, or worse, their "righteousness" might be tainted by contact with him. He had to announce his presence as a warning to anyone who might come close, even to Jesus.
None of that mattered to Jesus. He healed the man like the other nine, Israelite lepers. He had a need and Jesus, consistent with His command to live Agape Love, actively committed on his behalf to restore him to Shalom.
The other nine Israelites, who practiced the established, majority faith, took the gift and went to get their restoration to their lives from the priest. They followed instructions. The Samaritan, who had no natural or chosen connection to Jesus, other than their common humanity, was healed by Jesus and went back to give thanks out of gratitude. THIS ONE Jesus made an example of faith. He paused to give thanks to God for the healing and restoration of his life. Jesus noticed that this one acted out of genuine gratitude and that the other nine did not.
Genuine relationship with God requires genuine gratitude. Following the law has its place, certainly, but what we have is a relationship with God built on Agape Love and Grace. It is not a mechanism. It is not a formula. It is not a piety. It is not a series of canonical actions. It is a relationship based on Agape Love. The Samaritan Leper disobeyed Jesus, but also did not disobey. The Samaritan Leper alone recognized Jesus as his Great High Priest, showed himself to the priest, expressed His praise and thanks and was restored to Shalom. What he gained was not only healing from his leprosy, but Shalom in life because of his connection with Jesus, all because he expressed his Agape for Jesus in doing the right thing out of genuine gratitude in genuine relationship.
Note that the other nine lepers did not lose their gift of healing or restoration to their communities according to the Law of Moses. It was not taken away. Agape is unconditional. What they lost was a connection with the fulfiller of Law and Prophets, a genuine relationship and not just the gift of a benefactor. They missed the Shalom (completeness, wholeness and well-being) that they could have had in genuine relationship with Jesus in Agape Love and Grace.
The Samaritan Leper, deemed stranger and enemy, even unrighteous among those who practiced the established, majority faith, found a connection with God through the living of Agape Love with Jesus. In the next verses (20-21: for some reason not included in this lectionary text), we find that the Kingdom is within/among us. It is in the living of genuine Agape Love that we are in participation with the Kingdom of God, here and now. Not found in tangible things that can be observed (like the Law), or diminished to be a thing of Law or practice of piety, it is in the living of Agape Love within and among us as commanded by Jesus that we find the Kingdom of God. It is in genuine relationship built on the living of Agape Love and Grace with one another that we encounter God and find Shalom.
Acknowledging the Agape Love and Grace of God in our lives calls for a genuine response of gratitude in the same Agape Love, with God and with one another. It is in this relationship based on Agape and Grace that we truly find Shalom.
Pastor Jamie
The Samaritan, whose visit to a priest would make no sense, realized he was healed and went back to thank the one who thanked him. It did not matter that they were of a different faith, that they were rivals/enemies because of their history of faith practice and heritage or that this Rabbi had commanded him to go to see the priest so that he could be restored to life within his community. He first had to express his gratitude.
He would be considered the lowest of the low. He was not only a Samaritan, but a leper, which meant, in the wrong thinking of the time, that he was cursed by God. He could not be around other people, out of fear that his "unrighteousness" might rub off on them, or worse, their "righteousness" might be tainted by contact with him. He had to announce his presence as a warning to anyone who might come close, even to Jesus.
None of that mattered to Jesus. He healed the man like the other nine, Israelite lepers. He had a need and Jesus, consistent with His command to live Agape Love, actively committed on his behalf to restore him to Shalom.
The other nine Israelites, who practiced the established, majority faith, took the gift and went to get their restoration to their lives from the priest. They followed instructions. The Samaritan, who had no natural or chosen connection to Jesus, other than their common humanity, was healed by Jesus and went back to give thanks out of gratitude. THIS ONE Jesus made an example of faith. He paused to give thanks to God for the healing and restoration of his life. Jesus noticed that this one acted out of genuine gratitude and that the other nine did not.
Genuine relationship with God requires genuine gratitude. Following the law has its place, certainly, but what we have is a relationship with God built on Agape Love and Grace. It is not a mechanism. It is not a formula. It is not a piety. It is not a series of canonical actions. It is a relationship based on Agape Love. The Samaritan Leper disobeyed Jesus, but also did not disobey. The Samaritan Leper alone recognized Jesus as his Great High Priest, showed himself to the priest, expressed His praise and thanks and was restored to Shalom. What he gained was not only healing from his leprosy, but Shalom in life because of his connection with Jesus, all because he expressed his Agape for Jesus in doing the right thing out of genuine gratitude in genuine relationship.
Note that the other nine lepers did not lose their gift of healing or restoration to their communities according to the Law of Moses. It was not taken away. Agape is unconditional. What they lost was a connection with the fulfiller of Law and Prophets, a genuine relationship and not just the gift of a benefactor. They missed the Shalom (completeness, wholeness and well-being) that they could have had in genuine relationship with Jesus in Agape Love and Grace.
The Samaritan Leper, deemed stranger and enemy, even unrighteous among those who practiced the established, majority faith, found a connection with God through the living of Agape Love with Jesus. In the next verses (20-21: for some reason not included in this lectionary text), we find that the Kingdom is within/among us. It is in the living of genuine Agape Love that we are in participation with the Kingdom of God, here and now. Not found in tangible things that can be observed (like the Law), or diminished to be a thing of Law or practice of piety, it is in the living of Agape Love within and among us as commanded by Jesus that we find the Kingdom of God. It is in genuine relationship built on the living of Agape Love and Grace with one another that we encounter God and find Shalom.
Acknowledging the Agape Love and Grace of God in our lives calls for a genuine response of gratitude in the same Agape Love, with God and with one another. It is in this relationship based on Agape and Grace that we truly find Shalom.
Pastor Jamie
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