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DonateOctober 30, 2005 |
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Micah 3:5-12
Psalm 43
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
Matthew 23:1-12
With the end of the Church year looming large, and its attendant themes of judgment and ultimacy increasingly evident in the lectionary texts, today’s Hebrew scripture and gospel lessons focus on judgment of those in authority. These are words to make any religious or lay leader squirm. Whether couched in the scathing harangue of an eighth century BCE prophet or the gentler, but no less direct, condemnation by Jesus, the message is clear: those leaders who ignore God’s call to act for the common good do indeed suffer the consequences. No one escapes judgment.
Micah 3:5-12
To read Micah’s blistering attack on the established leaders of his day is to experience a remarkable degree of deja vu. With no editing or updating of the text, his words ring true for today. We recognize and can name those politicians or judges or religious leaders who claim that God is on their side. They justify their actions and silence their critics by “leaning on the Lord.” Whether nominating a Supreme Court justice or enacting church polity that excludes gays and lesbians from ministry, the establishment claims, “Surely the Lord is with us!”
It would be easy to preach this text by pointing fingers at all those corrupt and inept leaders, but the preacher, in addressing this text, needs to remember that the text is also addressing the preacher. Much like the targets of Micah’s criticisms, we, too, can find ourselves preaching words of unrealistic comfort and telling our parishioners what they want to hear. We give them what they pay for. Words of accountability and judgment are never comfortable; nevertheless, words of well-timed warning can be persuasive and much kinder than silence.
Psalm 43
Although presented in the lectionary as a complete psalm, Psalm 43 is best understood as the continuation and culmination of Psalm 42. The three stanzas of the combined psalms are in the form of lament (42:1-4), lament (42:5c-10), and prayer (43:1-4), each followed by the identical refrain (42:5b, 42:11, and 43:5). Only when they are taken together do Psalms 42-43 reveal the transformative power of God through the psalmist’s progression from internal despair to God-directed confidence.
This movement from despair to confidence is most poignantly illustrated by reading the two psalms aloud. The emotional content of the stanzas color how the reader will interpret the refrain in each successive reading. The psalmist’s voice shifts from self-absorbed despondency to hope based on the memory of God’s past agency to the final confident, even triumphant, experience of a dialogue with the living and present God. Consequently, the refrains, although identical, express three different stages of the psalmist’s conversion.
To the person in the pew, these experiences of despair and longing for the “good old days” are not unfamiliar. It is a condition of the human soul to yearn for an earlier time of comfort and security, even if it never existed. Parishioners who hear these words today can identify with the psalmist’s laments in Psalm 42, but it is the lure of the text of Psalm 43 that can bring the listener to the psalmist’s surging belief in the creative possibilities of the moment.
Introducing Psalm 43 into the sermon as a prayer of exuberant confidence is a valid way to use this text, and it can certainly stand on its own as such. However, if the preacher can inject at least some of the Psalm 42 “backstory” into the sermon as well, then the full depth of transformation will be much more evident.
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
We continue reading from Thessalonians this week. Today’s epistle is the first half of a larger subunit comprising 1 Thessalonians 2:9 through 3. (The second half continues next week.) Effectively a counterpoint to Micah and Matthew, this passage stresses the qualities of an appropriate leader.
Paul asserts that his approach with the converts in Thessalonica was not coercive but persuasive: like a father with his children, Paul urged and encouraged and pleaded with the believers. He is quick to connect his method with God’s lure to them to come into God’s “kingdom and glory.” Paul recognizes that his preaching comes through himself and not from himself. It is not a human word but God’s word that elicits the hearer’s positive response.
Again, these words seem more pointed for the preacher than for the parishioner. Perhaps one of the ways to preach this text without dwelling on one’s own style is to explore Paul’s understanding of the persuasive power of God (that “little incident” on the road to Damascus notwithstanding!). Since lightning bolts are so few and far between, we must attune ourselves to God’s almost imperceptible nudges.
Matthew 23:1-12
With today’s gospel reading we begin a four-week series of passages taken from Matthew’s “judgment discourse” (Matthew 23:1-25:46). Set in the context of Jesus’ confrontations and teachings in the Temple at Jerusalem just days before his death, the judgment discourse is the last of The Gospel of Matthew’s five great discourses. It brings to a close Jesus’ earthly ministry, and in the lectionary it signals the end of the “year of Matthew.” The eschatological flavor of these readings is unmistakable.
Jesus’ words in today’s passage are addressed to those sympathetic to him. (The word crowds is to be understood as signifying at least potential followers.) These are the people who remained with Jesus in the Temple after the scribes and Pharisees departed. Having debated with the opposition, Jesus now has words expressly for his supporters. In today’s passage, Jesus offers a word of judgment, a word of warning, and a word of assurance.
It is interesting to note that the passage begins with Jesus affirming the teachings of those in authority and leadership in the synagogue (they “sit on Moses’ seat” -- they occupy his “office”). The very scribes and Pharisees that Jesus debated are the ones entrusted with teaching the people. It is clear from the reading that it is not the substance of their teaching that is in question. Rather, this is a classic case of “do as they say, not as they do.”
The judgment expressed is against those whose behavior belies their beliefs. More than garden-variety hypocrisy, it is a deep rooted faithlessness (perhaps cynicism?) that attracts Jesus’ ire. God’s presence has been rendered impotent in the lives of those who strive for human aims: social status, celebrity, and privilege. They disregard God’s pull toward an egalitarian, family form of community.
Verses 8 through 10 shift the focus directly to the hearers. Undoubtedly Jesus was addressing them from the beginning of this discourse, but here he uses the word you repeatedly. It is a word of warning to his friends. He tells them to resist the temptation to succumb to the very human desires for self-importance, acceptance, and social conformity. Belonging to the kingdom of God requires an attitude and understanding quite different from that of belonging to human groups.
The final verses of this gospel passage can be heard either as words of assurance or as a further warning. It depends on whether you’re the ”humbled” or the “exalted.” The teachings of Jesus are encapsulated in these two lines. They depict a social order turned upside down and a style of management we now call servant leadership.
Preaching this text offers more options than can be used in any one sermon, so the preacher should be comforted that on this Sunday there will be no loss for words. Setting the lesson in its context may be helpful, and it may be useful to point out the situation in Matthew’s church at the time of this writing (churches today still contend with clericalism, the use of titles, and outward signs of piety). Another tact is to emphasize the unpredictability of Jesus’ teachings – he rarely says what we want to hear; he really does turn the world upside down. (This would be a good day to work in the Magnificat in the liturgy, perhaps sung by the choir. Mary’s song at Jesus’ conception (Luke 1:46 -55) foreshadows his ministry that in today’s lesson is nearing its end.)
Using the lessons to view current world and American events and leaders is a fruitful way to employ the text. Rather than denouncing the easily-denounced, however, the preacher can turn the text around. How do we make decisions that allow such leaders to flourish? If an organization or culture is oppressive, to what degree do we participate in its continuation? Is silence to be construed as assent? How can our choices appropriate God’s initial aim? What is our responsibility to the common good?
Regardless of how the preacher presents this material, its content speaks directly to the people in the pew. The repeated use of you in the reading can’t be ignored—it is addressed to those who choose to follow Jesus and to those who are considering the possibility. The preacher who dares to speak the harsh words of judgment as well as the cozy words of comfort can claim a faithfulness to the gospel that will serve the people well.
The
Rev. Gretchen Weller is the rector of St. Bartholomew Church, Mayfield
Village, Ohio. She may be reached at: rector@saintbartohio.com
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