Executive Orders - from Jesus

 

Above is the video of my homily from this morning, February 1.  Here are the three scriptures I preached on - and below you'll find the text of my homily.

 

Imagine if the question of granting immigrants and refugees entrance to our country - were actually as simple as the two sides in the current debate would suggest. 

One side, in the name of law, order, and economic fairness, wants to build walls to keep out the many - and to tighten the process by which the few might be welcomed in.

 

The other side, in the name of mercy, compassion, and justice would welcome all - and provide for their housing, health, and education.

 

What gets easily lost in this debate is the truth that law, justice, order, compassion, economic fairness, and mercy are not only (all of them) the proper categories to consider -- but indeed, each of them compliments, modifies, enhances, and enables the others.

 

The various categories proposed by each side in the debate do not stand in opposition to one another. In fact, considered together, they provide a firm basis for making sound judgments and policy - both for immigrants and refugees, and, for those whose borders they seek to cross.

 

And these are categories that can be considered by anyone in puzzling out today's crisis: anyone with a sense of justice and a spirit of humane good will - anyone.

 

But what about us? We are not just anyone, you and I.  We go by the name Christian - and our faith in Christ draws us beyond the terms of blind justice. Our faith calls us to a sacrificial love deeper than simple neighborly concern.

 

While all of the categories I've mentioned are more than worthy of our attention - anyone's attention - we Christians follow Jesus, who introduces his own categories. In the gospel this morning, we heard Jesus preach what we call “the beatitudes” - the “blessed are those” sayings.

 

The beatitudes are the Lord's Executive Orders -  signed in the ink of his blood. And so they are our - marching orders - for living our lives as Christians. And those orders are these. You heard them.

• Blessed are the poor in spirit - for theirs is the kingdom.

• Blessed are they who mourn - they will be comforted.

• Blessed are the meek - they will inherit the land.

• Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice - they will be satisfied.

• Blessed are the merciful - for they will be shown mercy.

• Blessed the clean of heart - they will see God.

• Blessed are the peacemakers - they will be called children of God.

• Blessed are they who are falsely accused and persecuted for the sake of justice - for they will have the first places in the kingdom of heaven.

 

Now, let's not - even for a moment - suggest that Jesus meant all of this only in some spiritual way. Look at his language here: his categories, his nitty-gritty vocabulary: poverty; loss and comfort; rights to the ownership of land; hunger for justice; thirst for mercy; persecution; false testimony; the hard work of making peace…

 

That's the real stuff. It's not pious fluff.

 

Nor should we - even for a moment - pretend that the beatitudes are legislative solutions to the pain and problems of our time.

 

Well, then, what IS Jesus saying when he preaches like this?

 

What he's doing is shaping and molding and orienting our hearts to provide a firm foundation on which we might stand. He's giving us his perspective on life's realities - the perspective from which we are called to reflect on, to discern, respond to the issues of our day and the burdens our neighbors carry.

 

Christians are those who begin their deliberation on the news of the day - not with the text of the Constitution - as worthy a text as that is. Christians begin with the word of Jesus and begin by bringing that word to bear on the grittiest of life's circumstances.

 

Now, like the chosen people in today's first scripture, we are called to be that faithful remnant: those who hold onto, who announce and live, the wisdom and the truth of God's Word - in a society that may speak a different language, a society, a culture that may define reality by different standards.

 

Neither can we be like the Corinthians, the folks Paul addressed in today's second scripture. We can't be those who simply subscribe to the conventional wisdom. We're called to be those who first consult the wisdom of Jesus - and lean on his word as the standard for our moral decision making.

 

I can't tell you where that wisdom will lead you - or how it will shape your words and deeds, your choices, your decisions. All I can tell you, and what I'm commissioned, what I'm bound to tell you - is that for us Christians, the only beginning place is the wisdom, the truth, the word of Jesus. We can't skip over it or run through it quickly to other categories. We're called to be the people who take Jesus seriously - take him seriously when he turns upside down and inside out all the things that we presume.

 

Jesus says it's the poor who are blessed. It's the meek to whom the land belongs. It's the hungry and thirsty who should be satisfied first. It's to those who are persecuted and falsely accused - for acting mercifully and working for peace - it's to them that the kingdom of God belongs.

 

It's not easy.

It's hard.

It demands personal sacrifice to take on the mind and heart of Jesus.

 

As we think through the complex issues of our day, we certainly need the Lord's own help in even trying to do this. And I believe it's the kind of help that comes from prayer. So in that spirit, I'm going to invite you to pray with me here. If it helps, you might close your eyes…

 

What have we to offer you, Lord?

How shall we pray?

• Shall we lift up our hands in angry gestures?

• Shall we send up prayers laced with vulgarity?

• Shall we hate those who disagree with us? Shall we hate those you love - regardless of where they stand?

• Shall we bless your name on Sunday and curse our opponent on Monday? • Shall we open our hearts to you on the Sabbath - and the rest of the week, close them to those in need?

• Shall we pretend to give you the glory while we swagger in our pride?

• Shall we pray for relief and deny it to others?

• Shall we put our faith in human persons, political opinions, in the power of wealth and institutions - forgetting that only you can save us?

 

So help us, Lord, help us to pray what you would have us pray…

 

Help us to pray for the mending of a divided America;

• for the healing of our nation's soul;

• for the calming of our country's spirit;

• for justice done as you would have it;

• for freedom tempered with sacrifice;

• for liberty crowned with self-restraint;

• for compassion in those who govern us and in our own hearts too;

• for integrity in our words and deeds;

• for the courage of our convictions;

• for solidarity with all, and for hearts wide open to serve your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.

 

Help us, Lord, to be instruments of your peace and channels of your mercy.

Help us to be, to become people after your own heart.

Help us to be those who are blessed, those who rejoice, who are glad - those whose reward will be great in heaven.

 

Help us, Lord, to pray.

 

Amen.

   

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