Do you enjoy politics? You might have seen or heard Prime Minister’s Questions, or how to not answer any questions but give your particular relevant soundbite, and so on. It can a lot worse than that. We have politicians who use their position to make swathing statements about groups of individuals, causing them even more fears for their lives – and if they can be, even more alienated.
This is Sanctuary Sunday, a day when we, as the Church, pause to consider those who seek sanctuary with us, amongst us. Do we join in with the negative comments, enjoying playing the aggressor, the one on top, or do we seek to identify with the marginalised – if we can do that; or even take the neutral point of view, watching the ensuing battle. Can we identify with that? Today, we will be looking at some power battles from the viewing platform of one of the Gospels.
Matthew 10:24-39
OK, we are looking at a particular passage from Matthew’s Gospel. But hold on, just like when we receive an email, we need to know the context : where are we in this conversation? Well, Jesus has sent out his chosen 12, his squad with some detailed instructions “Don’t go to the Gentiles nor those Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel”.
Wow that’s quite restrictive. It’s quite specific to those disciples. And perhaps we need to take stock of that. It was an instruction to them, not us. It’s odd as Jesus would often go on a journey through Samaria, or into Gentile territory with the disciples. Perhaps the disciples could only handle a smaller, more local task.
Oh, there may be trouble ahead
Jesus tells them “a brother will betray his brother, a dad betray his child, a child betray their parents, causing them to be killed.” Notice, the lack of women mentioned here. Women did not have any power in law, so a woman raising ‘her voice’ just wouldn’t be heard. The culture of that day – not today, surely?
He advises the disciples not to take a tunic or staff with them. Why? Possibly because it was the symbol of the Cynics, a group prevalent in the day who were particularly dog like (the Greek word kyniokos, meaning doglike, is where we get the word Cynic). Given their numbers, it must have felt like going to out as sheep into the midst of wolves. Bit like today, with falling numbers of those who identify as Christians. So today’s passage could be summarised by …
Matthew 10: 24-39 – The Message – read in parts
Matthew 10:24-25 “A student doesn’t get a better desk than her teacher. A labourer doesn’t make more money than his boss. Be content—pleased, even—when you, my students, my harvest hands, get the same treatment I get. If they call me, the Master, ‘Dungface,’ what can the workers expect?” [Yes, in The Message version, it does say ‘Dungface’; if we were called that, what might we think?]
What did they just say? That’s not very nice. So Matthew is initially seeking a level playing field. So why do people elevate others to such great heights? If we are ministering, serving all, there’s little hierarchy to note. We are called to take the role of the guest than a host: why does status matter so much? To be ‘members of his household, was to be known as with Jesus, and some “criticism” might be expected..but dungface?
In Church we have ministers, but they are only seeking to serve their churches where they are, in their communities. If they stand on a status, let’s call them out.
Matthew 10:26-27 “Don’t be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don’t hesitate to go public now.”
In Matthew’s context, we have had the siege of Jerusalem and the Romans have crushed any rebellion. The religion of the Romans was paramount, and the Jews are struggling. They certainly knew of outward pressure. The difficulties we might consider, as Christians, may be a lot different to them; nontheless, it is still very real. And as Methodists, with our focus upon social justice, we need to hear the voice of the marginalised.
Matthew 10:28-31 “Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands. “What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.”
The Cynics of the time didn’t have any fear of death, nor of gods. Jesus is emphasising that our whole self is important: mind, body and spirit (soul). How can we kill the soul? That verse about canaries (in other Bibles, sparrows are mentioned). In Luke’s Gospel the going rate was 5 sparrows for 2 cents, in Matthew’s it’s now 2 sparrows per cent. Sparrows were the food of the poor. But God values them as well as us – all of us.
If we are all valued, let’s hear what the politics of the world are currently decrying. The refugee is despised but it is the fault of the people smuggler. Nevertheless, the target is the refugee and it is they who are threatened with deportation. It’s not illegal to seek asylum, and neither in the first country they arrive in. If that makes us react, then possibly we need to ask whether humanity, on the move because of war and famine, is worth more than the people fortunately to be born in our country.
In the US, an American pastor recently stated that all “parents of transgender children should be shot”. That was discerned to be biblical… It certainly was a soundbite. As a parent of a transgender child, I wrote to him and asked to discuss this but didn’t receive any response. If 40% of transgender children are disowned by their parents, what influence has there been from society? Society has chosen to focus its ire towards the transgender, non-binary and queer community as they don’t seem to fit the stereotypical model of normality. It’s not killing the person, but removing them from the equation.
Matthew 10:32-33 “Stand up for me against world opinion and I’ll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I’ll cover for you?”
That’s powerful . Stand up for me against world opinion…
This is about the ‘justice of kind’ approach mentioned in 1 Sam 2:30. “Whatever we measure out to others will be measured out to you”. Can we stand back and watch other groups, those we might not even identify with, being further marginalised, or do we join in with the popular voice?
Matthew 10: 34-39 “Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don’t deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don’t deserve me. “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.”
Jesus’ language is provocative but it is part of the way Jews would express something incredible in the negative – it got your attention – like a soundbite of today. Jesus speaks a lot about peace, and is suddenly not going to act like a ninja with a knife flailing.
A Ninja Jesus?…umm
He is emphasising that it isn’t going to be a bowl of cherries. It is all about what makes us tick. In the recent studies with Revelation it was whether they followed Caesar or Christ, in Matthew’s day, it was follow Jesus, or the plethora of other gods that exist on the High Street. And that is not a problem that has changed with us – has it?
So back to the High Street.
When we walk down there – imagine the online version if the High Street isn’t your thing. We can see the glitz, the offers but do we see beyond the shop window. The offers are there to boost the company, the clubcards some shops use, allow them to better understand who we are, what we like to buy, so they can help to direct us to their next offer. The online algorithm that defines what we see online is a way of controlling us, and we can become accustomed to its guidance. When do we take control? When do we seek to be alongside those who are hooked onto what they are shown?
Prayers for others – to know the mind of God:
Holy God, we pause to be with you. When we see the plight of the world, your world, we might come to a conclusion, based upon our thoughts, our experience: and we listen to you now. When we speak of refugees from war torn countries, for countries ravaged by famine, destroyed by earthquake – where am I in your solution? When I reflect upon those who identify differently to me, in terms of sex or gender, and it is so confusing, where is love and respect, understanding – where am I in your solution? When I meet those who appear different to me, immigrants who are now integrated within our country…our country…? How do you wish me to respond – where am I in your solution? And I pause to hear you with all of the burdens upon my heart this day, for the local community, my family and myself. I bring these to you, as we continue to dialogue. Amen
As we continue in prayer, we wonder: for us “as church”, is it the prosperity gospel we seek, or the Gospel of comfort, or Gospel that “we are right?”. We can emphasis that the building is so important as it defines our church, when the church first identified in Acts 9, in Antioch, was a rich mixture of synagogues and houses – it was really the people. What if the image we portrayed was of a community that loved others, spoke up for others? This is counter to the business model of today, that we seek stability when the followers of Christ sought radical change.
What might we look like if we were to re-draw Church using this model?
How might that be? I invite you to write one thing the church might possibly do to redefine itself, to stand up for others. Why not add it in the comments below?
I found the dialogue interesting and I enjoyed it