Proper 17 (A) + Think Different + 9.3.17
M.
Campbell-Langdell
All Saints,
Oxnard
(Exodus 3:1–15; Ps.
105:1–6, 23–26, 45b; Romans 12:9–21; Matthew 16:21–28)
An advertisement from
Apple’s “Think Different” campaign of the 1990s featured a picture of Mark
Twain (Samuel Clemens) and a quote: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of
the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
Think different. I think
it could be a catchphrase for today’s readings, too, especially the gospel
reading.
Here is Jesus talking with the core group of disciples and Peter is there and he is amped. He has just had the spiritual high of recognizing just who Jesus is. He is the Messiah! And Jesus has affirmed in the scripture we heard last week that this is God’s revelation to Peter. And then wham! Comes this conversation. At first it begins in a reasonable way. Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah of the Jewish people, will go to Jerusalem, the holy city. Makes sense, right. We are following you so far Jesus. But then the story takes a strange turn. He is going to meet with elders and chief priests and scribes and annoy them—well that’s a bit weird, wouldn’t they accept the Messiah they have longed for all of these years? But you are right, they do tend to like the power they have with the people, so perhaps you will suffer with them. But wait, you’re saying they will actually kill you? I mean, Jesus, they are nice religious people, why would they do a thing like that? I think you are starting to lose your audience, Jesus, Peter must be thinking, because to me this thing has gone off the deep end. And yet, you manage to take it further… you are going to die and be resurrected? What? That is the kind of crazy talk that religious loonies and outsiders in the desert are talking, about the resurrection of the body and all that. Not practical stuff like you have been teaching us. I mean, I have to admit I was willing to accept any Messiah – a peaceful one or a warrior – pretty much any Messiah you want to be, Jesus. You do you. Except a dead Messiah.[1] I mean, what kind of sense does that make? And now you are saying you will come back to life? Like I said, I think you are going to lose these people if you talk like that!
Here is Jesus talking with the core group of disciples and Peter is there and he is amped. He has just had the spiritual high of recognizing just who Jesus is. He is the Messiah! And Jesus has affirmed in the scripture we heard last week that this is God’s revelation to Peter. And then wham! Comes this conversation. At first it begins in a reasonable way. Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah of the Jewish people, will go to Jerusalem, the holy city. Makes sense, right. We are following you so far Jesus. But then the story takes a strange turn. He is going to meet with elders and chief priests and scribes and annoy them—well that’s a bit weird, wouldn’t they accept the Messiah they have longed for all of these years? But you are right, they do tend to like the power they have with the people, so perhaps you will suffer with them. But wait, you’re saying they will actually kill you? I mean, Jesus, they are nice religious people, why would they do a thing like that? I think you are starting to lose your audience, Jesus, Peter must be thinking, because to me this thing has gone off the deep end. And yet, you manage to take it further… you are going to die and be resurrected? What? That is the kind of crazy talk that religious loonies and outsiders in the desert are talking, about the resurrection of the body and all that. Not practical stuff like you have been teaching us. I mean, I have to admit I was willing to accept any Messiah – a peaceful one or a warrior – pretty much any Messiah you want to be, Jesus. You do you. Except a dead Messiah.[1] I mean, what kind of sense does that make? And now you are saying you will come back to life? Like I said, I think you are going to lose these people if you talk like that!
So Peter takes Jesus
aside and gives him a piece of his mind. It may have sounded a bit different
than my imagined internal monologue for him. But the long and short of it is he
tells Jesus he can’t be talking like that.
And Jesus says, Hell, no! You can’t talk to me that way. Because denying the truth I am trying to impart is shutting down the gospel. Is negating my mission. I love you Peter, but I hate those words. They are like devil-speak to me, because the devil is the father of lies. And shutting down my truth is asking me to comfort you with lies. I can’t do it.
And Jesus says, Hell, no! You can’t talk to me that way. Because denying the truth I am trying to impart is shutting down the gospel. Is negating my mission. I love you Peter, but I hate those words. They are like devil-speak to me, because the devil is the father of lies. And shutting down my truth is asking me to comfort you with lies. I can’t do it.
In other words, Jesus
tells Peter he has to think different to be a disciple. And he goes even
farther. He says not only is he going to die, but his followers must be willing
to pick up an instrument of torture and death, namely the cross, and follow
him. Why? Because he is saying that if we lay aside our very real human need
for self-preservation, God can use us.
This brings me to Moses.
Now, what logical person goes closer to a burning bush in the desert? I mean,
you might get burnt! And what smart human being leaves a relatively safe
existence to go lead a people out of slavery? That’s just crazy-talk. But Moses
goes to that bush, and God knows he has the perfect fool and the perfect
religious genius at once. This is someone who thinks differently and is not
afraid to help God fight for God’s people. First he needs to lay aside
self-preservation. If you think about it, the rest of his life was not that
easy—certainly not a great retirement plan, wandering in the desert and dying
right before you get to pass into the promised land—but he does so. Because God
says to Think Different. To think as God does. And his gift is eternity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
had a sermon called “Transformed Nonconformist” which picked up on last week’s
passage in Romans about not being conformed to this world but being transformed
by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). And his point was along these
lines. He pointed out that society loves to encourage us into little boxes.
Being associated with the majority is safe. Unless you personally are hurt by
something, you might not want to voice an unpopular opinion. He described this
as the “anesthetizing security of being identified with the majority.”[2]
But he calls us to a higher calling. We
are called not to be allegiant to the colony or civilization in which we live
but to act as if we are a little colony of heaven in the midst of our culture.
As he says it: “Living in the colony of time we are ultimately responsible to
the empire of eternity.”[3]
And the way to do that
is to become a transformed nonconformist in our society. Not immediately
accepting what the powers that be say but wondering what Christ would do.
And this is
uncomfortable. And sometimes dangerous.
I talked to a pastor the other day who was in tears about the potential reversal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, thinking of all the young adults it would affect. I felt myself tearing up with her, and fearing for the welfare of many promising young adults in my life. She even mentioned, imagine all the Dreamers in Houston who are flooded out right now and then they get slapped with this!
As a person of European-American descent and of lighter skin color, I could sit on the sidelines and say this doesn’t affect me. But that would be a lie. From the father of lies. Because it does affect me. My quality of life is no good if others are suffering for being the target group right now. I must think different. Like Jesus, like Peter. I must take up whatever cross that means.
I talked to a pastor the other day who was in tears about the potential reversal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, thinking of all the young adults it would affect. I felt myself tearing up with her, and fearing for the welfare of many promising young adults in my life. She even mentioned, imagine all the Dreamers in Houston who are flooded out right now and then they get slapped with this!
As a person of European-American descent and of lighter skin color, I could sit on the sidelines and say this doesn’t affect me. But that would be a lie. From the father of lies. Because it does affect me. My quality of life is no good if others are suffering for being the target group right now. I must think different. Like Jesus, like Peter. I must take up whatever cross that means.
So that’s why Jade, the
youth and I were at the rally in support of the Dreamers on Friday. And we got
to see the Devine family there! That is why the youth and Jade are organizing
outreach to those affected by the Hurricane in Houston.
But you can also think of others and reach out to lawmakers on their behalf. And by reaching out and seeing how I can be of moral support. By giving to the hurricane response via Episcopal Relief and Development or in other ways because that too is how we share love with our fellow humans. By, like some of our parishioners, being willing to give up sleep or share financial and other resources as necessary to be a part of the solution. And not to stand on the sidelines as others are mistreated. We must treat others well even when they appear to be our enemies, as we hear from Paul today. In doing so, as Martin Luther King, Jr said so well, we can “listen to the beat of a more distant drum” and march not just to the music of time but to “the soul-saving music of eternity.”[4]
But you can also think of others and reach out to lawmakers on their behalf. And by reaching out and seeing how I can be of moral support. By giving to the hurricane response via Episcopal Relief and Development or in other ways because that too is how we share love with our fellow humans. By, like some of our parishioners, being willing to give up sleep or share financial and other resources as necessary to be a part of the solution. And not to stand on the sidelines as others are mistreated. We must treat others well even when they appear to be our enemies, as we hear from Paul today. In doing so, as Martin Luther King, Jr said so well, we can “listen to the beat of a more distant drum” and march not just to the music of time but to “the soul-saving music of eternity.”[4]
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment