June 25,
2023
Matthew’s Jesus
must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed on the morning of today’s
gospel.
He says some
things we don’t want our Savior to say ever.
Listen: “Do not
think I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace,
but a sword.
For I have come
to set a man against his father,
And a daughter
against her mother,
And a
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
And one’s foes
will be members of one’s own household.”
He goes on to
say if you love your father or son or daughter more than me ‘is not worthy of
me’.
I’m going to let
us off the hook on all of that.
When Matthew
wrote his gospel—in the late 70’s or early 80’s of the first century—the Christian
church was already dividing families. If one person in a family had become a
Christian, the others would turn their backs on that person or even shun them.
So, Jesus’ dire
warning in today’s Gospel rang true to the early church.
And that was
true even before the Romans began persecuting Christians.
But it’s not
true today in our country.
Only 41% of
Americans consider themselves Christian. Most of Americans—especially young
Americans—are not affiliated with or even identify with Christians.
We are not ‘in
danger’ for being Christians—mostly we are ‘ignored’ and ‘tolerated’.
Now, I’m not
going to suggest that there is something we can do about that.
Only 1.2% of
Americans are Episcopalian.
We’re a rare
breed!
What I want to point
out is that we are on the sidelines of America. There is no way we’re going to
turn that around and become ‘significant’ again. In fact, it’s just going to
get worse as time moves on.
What I do want
to say is that we can use being ‘ignored’ as a way to do the things Jesus told
us to do. We’re ‘under cover’ and can act with integrity and passion.
I see the food
and clothing you bring to the back of the church. I know your work in soup kitchens
and other forms of charity. You bring Christ to the world—whether or not the
world understands that.
Do invite people
to church—but don’t worry if they ever show up.
Let me tell you
about a phone call I had with Sherry Shoblom on Friday. She said she visited 40
churches before she found Trinity and that the care and love she found her has
put an angel that had been missing on her shoulder.
Hear that: you
put an angel on her shoulder.
That’s what
being a Christian is all about.
I humbly applaud
you. Ponder your gift to the world.
Amen.
