Sunday, January 29, 2023 - Epiphany

Preliminary

Micah - God reminds people what God has done for them, how they were treated with justice and kindness -> God does not requires sacrifices, but rather to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.

Matthew 5:1–12 NRSV

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

-Context: Jesus begins his ministry with fishermen/apostles, his fame spreading through All Syria, they recognized him as a healer and followed him around to perhaps witness all the miracles.

Then, in Matthew at least, he gets on a hill/mountain and delivers a first recorded teaching:

Poor (in spirit) - blessed, theirs is kingdom

Mourners - blessed, their will experience comfort

Thirsting and hungry for righteousness - blessed, will be filled

Meek - blessed, they will inherit earth

Merciful - blessed, they will receive mercy

Pure in heart - blessed, they will see God

etc.

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Good morning church!

We are continuing onward through this season and we are only about one month from Lent! It's hard to believe, really.

And our journey through Matthew also continues. Last week, we could see the beginning of his ministry that was triggered by the arrest of John The Baptizer which led to a withdrawal back to his home turf, moving out of parent's basement and starting his ministry for real after finding himself some helpers, fishermen. His fame was spreading all throughout Syria, they recognized him as a healer and followed him around to perhaps witness to all the miracles. He gathered the people and earned their trust as a step one.

Then, at least in Matthew, we have the first big teaching/speech of Jesus on the Mount:

Poor in the spirit (pneuma) are blessed, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Mourners are blessed, because they will experience comfort

Thirsting and hungry for righteousness are blessed, because they will be filled

Meek are blessed, because they will inherit earth....And so on and so forth, even beyond our text today

It is a part of the upside down vision that Jesus brings, it is a reversal - those already provided for in the world have their reward, but those who experience lack and/or have longing in their heart, those will be rewarded by God for their struggle in the appointed time. Not necessarily soon or just as they imagine, but according to God's wisdom. Not quite how the world at large works, is it. More often than not, it is the strong, dominant, ruthless, or loudest that reap rewards and even gain praise!

But in God's economy, as you may have already noticed or at least I hope you did, the metrics are different, often counter-logical to our world.

In Paul's words:

Revised Common Lectionary 1-29-2023: Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Many things do not make sense without a higher purpose and law like faith can give. It is no longer about mere conformity, reward x punishment, but rather having "a new law written on our hearts" and thus acting according to that, strengthened by the Word, sacraments, and the community we belong to. The world may tell us - grab what you can, experience what you can, look to your interests first, and do not think about the long term effects of your actions. And many do, even as we gain a clearer picture and understanding that things like human-affected climate change, generational trauma, or systemic oppression exist and have profound influence well....on EVERYTHING (wave around).

And there is the other extreme, where fundamentalists of various religions will tell you that you have to deny yourself and the body of yours, live plainly, and watch your every little thought or there will be a big punishment from the big powerful deity in the sky. I bet most of us know something about this.

In my opinion, neither is entirely true - I believe it is good to experience life and what it has to offer to a point, but we need to think about how it affects others and what legacy we leave and how it may benefit those coming after us. On the other hand, not giving in to all of our desires and impulses, discerning what and whom to follow is also a good thing, but at the same time, complete withdrawal from the world is perhaps a calling for the very select few. In any case, fear is a terrible and ultimately pathetic motivator that doesn't make future moral and compassionate people doing good deeds out of conviction, just very scared and anxious ones living in a survival mindset. God's ethics are different from world's ethics or even religious ethics that often also devolve into a carrot and a stick mindset just as Martin Luther pointed out about half a century ago.

Of course, we do live in a broken world - we are yet to hammer down swords into ploughshares as the war in Ukraine continues to show us - next month, just before Ash Wednesday, will be the anniversary of Russian invasion into Ukraine and the war rages on. We are also far from the kind of neighborliness we are supposed to live up to as mass shootings continue around the country such as the one in Monterey, California, where the joyous and hopeful celebrations of the Lunar New Year turned to mourning and shock. And so many more examples just this week like yet another traffic stop turned deadly as Tyre Nichols is beaten to death by officers of the law in Memphis.

In some way, the messaging we may receive benefit from the turmoil - look around you, life is short and bad things happen to many people, so want more, grow sharper elbows, and perhaps embellish a few facts....and then you are promised to claim what is "rightfully yours." Just notice how many ads play on the note:

"you work so hard... here, you deserve this or that." And the credit card debt goes up once again.

I still remember that when I had enough abstract thinking and I grasped the truth that some financial institutions might actually prefer you not being able to pay down your debt - interest can rack up, collections and repossessions kick in, and well, they can always sell your debt or write it off their taxes in the end. And why wouldn't they? They just want to get "what is rightfully theirs."

I am sure the times Jesus lived in had more than enough mechanisms and people that pretend to help people, but ultimately just enrich themselves on the poverty of others and I am sure that is why Jesus was so well received, for he truly cared and wanted to help for God is truly interested in our ability to have dominion and good stewardship over our lives. Jesus primarily focused on those that are not provided by the society - those that always pick the shortest straw and receive a kick in the backside once their usefulness is up.

Today, Jesus is down there in bomb shelters with Ukrainian children and marches with the Asian communities everywhere raising awareness to the nationwide plague of racially motivated hatred and violence. And it is also why Jesus was disliked by the authorities in charge - he wasn’t sucking up to them, he even challenged them as if saying: you have all this privilege, power, and resources…and what do you do with it? Hoard some more and live your plush life, while others are in need and suffer, all the while employing ruthless brutes to carry out your bidding. That is not what a powerful person wants to hear - it brings guilt and uncomfortable pang of the consciousness and that must be extinguished, for there is so much at stake! And it is easier to silence a prophetic voice and his followers than to actually commit to change.

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For the rest of us, this is good news! God cares for those in need, the downtrodden, impoverished, marginalized… God cares for the everyperson, even if that person has nothing to give back. Jesus wasn’t building a multi-million business with multiple campuses, paid staff, and elaborate fundraising schemes. Rather, he simply traveled place to place, sent his disciples far and wide, taught and performed miracles. He wouldn’t shy away from staying at someone’s house or accepting food, but it wasn’t the point and the sermon on the mount points to that. He wasn’t here to pat on the back the well off and make sure they keep being well off. No, he came to shake things up and to tell and show that God wants people to be well and whole, especially those that are not. In some way, I see the Sermon on the Mount serving a dual purpose - on one hand, it is a comfort to those that need it, assuring them that they will receive what they lack....and on the other hand, it is supposed to rouse in us the desire to make it so! Some have greater ability for it than others, but we all have currencies that can make the world better. Not just money, but also truth, wellness, time and place, leadership, or relationship. Some may give money, others may volunteer for a worthy cause, yet another speaks about their unique experience as a marginalized person, or perhaps a community can open up their building for vaccinations or distribute food, and so on. Through Christ and in Christ, we are in a position to both receive and give, working one step at a time, so that hungry can be fed, merciful receive mercy, mourners receive comfort, and the poor of all kinds receive the kingdom. Let us continue this work, imitating Jesus and all his teachings. Amen.