Sermon: Jesus blessed whom??

Epiphany 4A

January 29, 2017

Matthew 5:1-12

Micah 6:1-8

            If you watched the Presidential Inauguration last Friday, you may have noticed that one of the texts chosen as an invocation, read by the Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, was the same as our Gospel lesson this morning: the Beatitudes, the beginning of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. I admit I found it an unlikely choice for the inauguration, with its blessing of meekness and humility. On the other hand, perhaps it was just the right choice for that very reason.

"Kingdom Attitudes" by Elenore Dyck and Pat van Nes

Whatever the case, it is certainly a well-loved text. But I think over time it has lost its punch, as it is often reduced to a list of Christian platitudes describing a Christian life. I think that works for some of them – Christians should be merciful and pure of heart, for example, and they should seek peace. Some of them, though, fall far short of the warm, fuzzy filter we’ve put on them. Some of them, I think, can be downright confusing, even discouraging, and I bet Jesus’ 1^st century audience would agree. You see, people in the first century were seeking exactly what people in this century seek: a strong, bold leader who will save them from the oppression they are experiencing. Someone who will rally the crowds and stand up to the authorities and get the people out of this mess! But now here is Jesus, in his first major sermon, and instead of making the big promises of grandeur that they crave, he says, “Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the grieving. Blessed are the humble. Blessed are those who are poor, hungry, thirsty, who seek justice.” Why didn’t someone interrupted him to say, “Uhm, Jesus, I think you missed the point. We don’t want to be those things anymore – meek, sad, broken. We were hoping you would save us from those things. How can you say we are blessed?? We sure don’t feel blessed!”

Yeah, these allegedly blessed groups of people are not the ones we are used to seeing as

"Blessed are the refugees..."

blessed. When do we usually say that, “I’m so blessed”? It’s when we have good things happen to us, right? Or maybe when we have come through something tough, made it to the other side. Saying someone is blessed when they are mourning, persecuted, meek, hungry, thirsty, etc. is so counter to our worldview, especially our American dream. That’s why I thought it a strange choice for the inauguration. President Trump’s speech was all about how America is going to come out on top, and be the winners, finishing his speech as all presidents finish speeches, “God bless America.” It’s what we love to hear, no? Yet in Jesus’ sermon, he names as blessed not the winners, not those on top, but rather, those on the very bottom, the very vulnerable, the weak, the oppressed, those who have lost something or someone.

Why on earth would Jesus do that? Why would he side with this bunch of, shall we say, losers?

If ever there was a text in the gospel that shows Jesus’ priorities, this is it: it turns out, Jesus didn’t come to stand with the winners. I have always read this text as Jesus lifting up those who are downtrodden, preferring to focus on his use of future tense: “They will be filled. They shall obtain mercy.” I saw it as a text of hope for the future, like, “Wait it out, your turn will come.” This week

Blessed are the Native Americans...

when I read it, I saw something different: I saw that just by mentioning them, Jesus is already blessing those groups of people, right here, right now.

My mom shared a story this week about a conversation she just had with her friend – we’ll call her Andie. Andie’s mom, Dee, is suffering from dementia. In a recent visit, Dee recognized Andie, but did not recognize her own husband, to whom she’s been married 70 years. “He says he’s my husband,” she told Andie. “Who is he?” At one point in the conversation, Dee said to Andie, “I feel like I’m losing my marbles.” Andie’s compassionate response was, “That must be scary.” And that’s true, isn’t it? When we are in those uncertain places – mourning, hungry, confused, persecuted – it is scary. We do not feel blessed. We feel alone, and scared, even helpless.

In the wake of this encounter, Andie’s family had a conversation with Dee about the state of things. The gist of the conversation was to assure her: you are safe, and you are not alone. You are safe, and you are not alone. Now that is a word of blessing. And that is the word that I hear today in Jesus’ sermon. Not, “It’ll get better, just wait and see.” Not, “It’s really not so bad.” But rather, “You are safe with me. I am standing with you and holding you in my arms. You are not alone. You are mine, and I am with you always, and especially right now. You are blessed. I love you.”

Blessed are the women...

My dad is currently in the Holy Land, and each day we get an email from him telling us what famous sites he saw, where Jesus did this or that. The stories and pictures he sends have really gotten me thinking about context. The people around Jesus for this sermon had a particular set of burdens they carried. They had particular concerns, many of which had to do with their political situation, being under Roman rule as they were. When they heard these words, whom were they picturing?

And whom are you picturing, in your context? If Jesus were to stand on a mount today and say these words, who would need to hear, “You are safe, you are not alone, you are blessed”?

            Blessed are those suffering from dementia, for they are not alone.

            Blessed are the refugees, for they will feel safe again.

            Blessed are the immigrants, for they will find home.

            Blessed are the women, for they will know life.

            Blessed are the workers, for they will receive recompense.

            Blessed are the Native Americans, for their land and water will be safe.

            Blessed are the children, for they will get what they need.

            Blessed are the elderly, for they will not be forgotten.

            Blessed are those who are persecuted for fighting for justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

            Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

            We heard from one of those “prophets who were before you” this morning as well: Micah. This is certainly the best-known passage from the prophet Micah. Prophets, you remember, were

Blessed are the elderly...
(this is my beautiful Grandma June!)

people called by God to speak God’s message to the world. Usually, they were calling out people’s bad behavior, and calling them back toward faithful living. They often have a social justice bent, that is, a particular interest in the poor or oppressed. In today’s text, God has reminded Micah of all the ways God has saved the Israelites throughout time, and Micah wonders what he should do in return for God’s graciousness. God responds with this famous line: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” I have often seen these words on banners in church sanctuaries and fellowship halls – and why not! It is our call as Christians in a nutshell. Do justice: stand with and speak for those in need, seeing to it that they get what they need to thrive. Love kindness: the response when we truly try to understand the plight of another and are moved to compassion.

And finally, walk humbly with your God. This is the kicker. How will we do this, today? What does it look like to walk humbly with our God in 2017? Does it look like walking humbly

Blessed are the workers...

toward the capitol with 5 million others to make your needs and hopes known? Does it look like walking over to a nearby retirement home and visiting with the residents? Does it look like walking humbly into your local mosque and learning more about Islam? Does it look like walking along the border to welcome people seeking refuge from unspeakable violence, or the airport to protest their detainment? Does it look like walking to the phone to call your legislator? Does it look like walking to your local school and volunteering to tutor at-risk kids? Does it look like walking through your house looking for donations for places like Willow Domestic Violence Center in Rochester? Does it look like walking more in general and driving less to reduce you carbon emissions?

However it may look for you and your particular interests, values, beliefs, and capabilities, know this: that wherever you walk, Jesus walks with you. Jesus walked for you all the way to the cross, and walked out of the tomb to bring us new life, so that we might continue the walk toward and for those in need – for those who are already blessed, but are even more so by us bringing the light of Christ into the darkness.

Let us pray… Holy God, blessed is your name in all the earth. You have promised to stand with the weakest and lowliest of your children, and you have called us to do the same. Walk with us as we strive also to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Welcome and the Bible

"Be cautious in welcoming the stranger. Love your Christian neighbor as yourself. I was a stranger, and you ran me through an extensive vetting process, and then you welcomed me, but also made sure to record any misstep I took. Extend hospitality to strangers, as long as it poses no risk to you. Blessed are those who are merciful within limits, for they will be safe," said Jesus.

No, he didn't.

Not even close.

Less than a week in office, President Trump made an executive order that flies in the face of a core Judeo-Christian teaching, and the values that America holds dear, values that have made America already great: he banned any refugees from entering the country for 120 days (and Syrian refugees indefinitely), and limited immigration from countries predominantly Muslim.

There are so many things wrong with this, both patriotically and theologically, as church leaders from multiple faiths have pointed out. As a pastor, I'm especially concerned about how inconsistent this is with scripture. So, here is what God actually tells us about welcoming the stranger:

"When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt." (Leviticus 19:33-34)

"For the Lord you God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Deuteronomy 10:17-19)

"You must not oppress a resident alien; you know the heart of an alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt." (Exodus 23:9)

Noticing a theme here? God continually reminds the Israelites that they were once strangers in a strange land - a reminder than applies to all but the Native Americans as well. "Remember that this was you once," God says, again and again. "So you should understand."

But maybe you want more than the Torah. Here are some prophets:

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor." (Zechariah 7:9-10)

"If you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow... then I will dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your ancestors for ever and ever." (Jeremiah 7:6-7)

Or maybe you prefer the New Testament:

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:1)

"How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?" (1 John 3:17)

Or maybe you're the type that just wants to look at Jesus' life and teachings. Here are a couple:

"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.' Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod." (Matthew 2:13-15)

"'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you?, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me.'" (Matthew 25:34-45)

Plus of course there is all that stuff about loving your neighbor as yourself, which Christians understand to extend beyond the neighbor next door, and all the way to the neighbor in the next country, the next continent, etc., and stories like the Good Samaritan, in which Jesus teaches us to extend love and care to those in need, even when they are a different race, and their religious belief and practice is different from your own.

That God... what a radical.

Five weeks of "laughter" and delight

January 14, 2017

Dear Isaac Karl,

As I write this, you are lying next to me on the couch, leaned up against my leg, wiggling and looking around. You are eagerly sucking on a pacifier, even as you endure hiccups, and the front of your dark hair is sticking straight up. We have now known each other for 5 and a half weeks, and what a joy those weeks have been! I have cuddled you just as much as I possibly can during that time, only putting you down when I need both hands and my back is aching from wearing you. I just love cuddling you – and you don’t seem to mind it either!

The first weeks of a baby’s life are so amazing, because every day he visibly changes and develops. This has certainly been the case with you. We have watched you open your eyes more each day, and look around the room and take it all in. We have watched your little limbs uncurl, getting used to having much more space than was in the womb, and have helped you discover your strength as you work on pushing with your legs, holding your head up, and even looking around. The greatest joy of all has been watching your little smile emerge. You spent the first 5 weeks of life looking like a grumpy, skeptical (but still very handsome!) old man. But at 5 weeks, we saw for the first time your dear little smile, which softens your face almost as much as it softens our hearts to melting. You first offered this smile in earnest to your dad, but then when I came over to see, you presented me with an equally wonderful grin. Your favorite time to smile is in the mornings, so we soak up as many then as we possibly can!

You continue to be a very easy-going, content, patient little boy – remarkably so even with your sister, who is so eager to help us take care of you! When she comes downstairs in the morning, the first thing she does is run over to your little rocker and see if you are there. If you are, she will sometimes lean over to give you a kiss. When you cry, we will sometimes come into the room to see that Grace is already offering you a pacifier – though she isn’t very adept at getting it in your mouth and keeping it there, so it is often a game of her poking your face with it until she gets it in your mouth, and when she finally does, she sometimes yanks it back out to try again. You patiently endure her efforts! We have also seen her offer you a small stuffed animal to make you feel better, and she enjoys helping us to burp you, and just this week she has been learning how to give you a bottle. Again, she isn’t always entirely successful (she as often causes you to choke as she does actually feed you), but you are so kind in letting her try. She loves you very much, Isaac – I hope you will always remember that, even in the future when you are arguing!

Being 1 month old is exhausting!

You don’t cry very much, though as you get more active you are crying and fussing a little more. When you are hungry, you’ll let us know with your hands and breathing, then finally if we don’t respond, you let out a cry for a few moments, then wait for us to respond before you continue. You sometimes struggle to eat, usually due to gas (which also causes you to cry). A quick burp and you’re right back on track. Most recently, you are crying when you want to be held. It takes only a moment to please you in this case, as you snuggle quickly into our arms, once again content. (In my days at home with you, my various baby carriers have come in very useful in this way! I can do the dishes, and you can snuggle up to Mama. Everyone wins.) One of our favorite things you do is when you sneeze, you punctuate it with a sighing, "Awwww!" or sometimes a more adament, "Owwhhh!" Adorable, every time. You eat pretty well, as much as 5oz at a time, and every 2 hours. You are sleeping well – if not yet through the night, at least on a schedule. We put you to bed around 10, you wake to eat between 1am and 2am, then again about 4am, going right back to sleep after each, then again at 7am, after which you are up and ready to engage with the world. I told a pediatrician this, and she was very impressed that you are already on a schedule! Way to go, kid!

Sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ

Your first month of life has also had a couple of exciting things (aside from holidays with your grandparents, aunt and uncle, and cousin!) – one good, one bad, both on New Years Day. First the good – that morning was your baptism! It was, of course, a joyous event, which took place at one of my churches where I am the pastor, St. Martin Lutheran Church. Your Grandpa Dick baptized you, your Grandma Lois held you, and you wore your daddy’s baptismal gown, which your Grammy MayMay brought for you. Neither of your godmothers

Getting ready to go home from
the hospital

could be there, but they were present in other ways: Jen had a very special candle made with your name on it, and Victoria wrote the prayers of intercession for the day, with you in mind. It was a very special service, and you were an angel through it. You were awake the whole service, and didn’t cry at all!

The not so good part came later. We noticed you were feeling a little warm that night, and took your

Hanging out with mom

temperature. It was a low grade fever, 100.4, but for one so wee as you (less than a month), this can turn very serious, so we were told to go to the ER. They decided to admit you for observation. Poor little guy, not even a month old and you had your first IV. But you were very brave through it all. I stayed the night with you, and even in that strange place you slept pretty well and were very tolerant of all the poking and prodding. I was so proud of you, my brave little man! But let’s make that the last hospital stay for a while, okay?

All in all, I have adored these 5 weeks with you, my sweet Isaac. Already I am in awe of you, I admire you, and my affection for you is so deep. You’ve made my heart melt and grow and burst, all at once! I can’t imagine loving you any more, but of course, each day, I do! We can’t wait to see your personality continue to blossom, even as we want you to stay this way forever. I love you, my dear, sweet little boy, my Laughter, my Isaac!

                                                                                                Love,

                                                                                                Your Mama