And Justice for All

The Wall Street Journal is reporting on “the generation gap over church at Christmas.” The subheading explains: “Strains surface when millennial children who rarely attend religious services visit baby-boomer parents who do.” The article cites a report that 52 percent of Boomers see Christmas as a religious holiday, compared to 32 percent of millennials. The last statistic explains Pope Francis’ statement to Vatican officials that “we are no longer under a Christian regime because the faith—especially in Europe, but also in much of the West—no longer constitutes an obvious premise of common life. On the contrary, it is even often denied, derided, marginalized and ridiculed.” Dr. Jim Dennison The Dennison Report--Dec.23, 2019 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.” John 12:31-33 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. I Cor.2:6-8 The Victory of the Cross And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Col.2:13-15 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Eph.3:10 We must embrace the gospel; not of evacuation, but restoration Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven ‘God’s “The Divine Conspiracy” is to overcome the human kingdoms of this world with love, justice, and truth. This includes the whole world and all of human society—at the individual, corporate, and governmental levels. “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). This is what Handel proclaims again and again in his famous “Hallelujah Chorus.” This is reality. We could even say an eternal reality. The kingdom of God has indeed come; it has a past, it is with us now, and it has an unending future. The scriptures describe this future as the “day of the Lord,” when God will have his turn at bat.’ Dallas Willard The Divine Conspiracy Continued Jesus sermon on the mount is not instructions on how to be religious or how to be Jewish or Christian; they are instructions on how to be human. Jesus is revealing to the human race the narrow way that leads to life (as a human made in the image of God), not heaven “Salvation—an entirely new way of being human.” Maximus the Confessor And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:8-10 On the cross, Jesus was recreating the world, a world revolving a around a new axis—an axis of love rather than power and violence A salvation that does not bring us into an axis of love is no salvation at all. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. I John 2:8-9 A kingdom minded church will excel in these eight things: • • • • • • • • Welcoming the poor in spirit Comforting those who mourn Esteeming the meek Hungering for justice Extending mercy Having a pure heart Being peacemakers Enduring persecution # 1 Blessed are the impoverished “Standing around Jesus, as he speaks, are people with no spiritual qualifications or abilities at all. You would never call on them when ‘spiritual work’ is to be done.” Dallas Willard Blessed are those who don’t have it together…. Jesus meets us at our point of poverty, not our place of strength. What is the greatest danger of affluence? You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Rev.3:17 For our churches to be shelters from the storm, we must welcome the marginalized, but first we must be willing to see them # 2 Blessed are those who mourn and grieve for they shall create space to encounter comfort from another. “Sorrow is a necessary consequence of loving others and being fully engaged with humanity. If our plan is to go through life minimizing pain and avoiding as much sorrow as possible, we will do so as shallow people, and Jesus has nothing to announce to us in the second beatitude-he simply leaves us in our prosaic self contentment.” Brian Zahnd He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isa.53:3 The first 39 chapters of Isaiah—pre-exile Zion stretches out her hands, but there is none to comfort her Lamentations 1:17 The next 27 chapters--written in exile Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Isa.40:1 We tend to read the Psalms looking for the ones where the author expresses how we feel. We need to learn to read the Psalms feeling what they express #3 “ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Blessed are the quiet and content, the humble and unassuming, the gentle and trusting who are not grasping and clutching, for God will personally guarantee their share when heaven and earth become one. The world’s view: “Blessed are the meek, for even if he comes in last, he’ll be called a nice guy, receive a certificate of participation, and be named ‘Miss Congeniality.” God’s message to His people—radical trust The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. Psalm 37:39-40 The way of violence and aggression is the way of Caesar/Satan. The way of meekness and trust is the way of Christ A Shelter in the StormReexamining the Mission of the Church …and justice for all #4 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Mt.5:6 Blessed are those who ache for the world to be made right, for them the government of God is a dream come true The Beatitudes are a direct challenge to the way the world is run and if you’re a citizen of a country that is “large and in-charge” you’re probably not going (at least initially) to feel blessed by them. You’ll most likely feel disinterested and then progressively challenged to examine your life and then begin to make changes. Righteousness (dikaiosynē) Justice We tend to think of righteousness as having to do with our personal relationship with God and justice with setting things right with the wider world. God is interested in both our spiritual and social condition. We cannot chose either the personal righteousness Jesus or the social justice Jesus. No, he has told you what he wants, and this is all it is: to be fair, just, merciful, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (Living Bible) “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. Mal.3:5 The fourth beatitude is a very political beatitude. The kingdom Jesus proclaimed had profound political consequences. Jesus challenged the politics of Roman imperialism and the politics of Jewish nationalism. He did so with his own politics—the politics of love, which define the kingdom of God By today’s standards Jesus was neither left or right As we look at the world on a global scale… 16% of the world lives on less than $1/ day 40% of the world lives on less than $2/day 80% of the world lives on less than $10/day 17,000 children die from hunger every day The nations of the world spend $3 billion/day on defense (56 % by the United States) Putting it in perspective… Each day, for every child who dies of hunger, the nations of the world spend $176,000 on security (which means defending themselves from one another). $176,000 per dead child on defense Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27 (NASB) This is pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father— to be looking-after orphans and widows in their affliction; to be keeping oneself unspotted by the world. James 1:27 (DLNT) Prayer of Saint Francis Lord, make me an instrument of your peace Where there is hatred, let me sow love Where there is injury, pardon Where there is doubt, faith Where there is despair, hope Where there is darkness, light And where there is sadness, joy O Divine Master, grant that I may Not so much seek to be consoled as to console To be understood, as to understand To be loved, as to love For it is in giving that we receive And it's in pardoning that we are pardoned And it's in dying that we are born to Eternal Life Amen