Be Not Afraid

Gospel: Luke 12: 1-7

People are afraid of many things: snakes, spiders, clowns - the list is endless.  Regardless of the particular item feared, they all have as their root the fear of death.  Throughout our lives this is our greatest fear - that we will die.  As such it is the one topic we do not discuss, we do not think about at all.  We avoid the topic of death in any and every conversation.  Yet, dying is the one thing we will all do at some point.  No one escapes our sister death.

When illness comes to us, even when that illness is terminal, we seek to fight it with everything in our arsenal.  We become religious, bargaining with God and praying for miracles.  Many people were given miracles by Jesus, a few even raised from the dead.  Yet the commonality in all those who received these miracles is that they all died - every single one of them.  Not a man or woman who was healed by Jesus walks this earth today.  

We might well ask ourselves why we are afraid of death.  Do we fear the judgment of God? Do we fear to miss out on things in this life? Jesus invites us not to fear anything, and this is possible by accepting the mercy of God offered to us and to extend mercy to others.  Freedom from that fear of death enables us to see, to walk again, and to be released from the constraints of our demons so that we might live for the love of God and others.   

Empty Memorials

Gospel: Luke 11: 47-54

How often is it the case that religious leaders have taken away the key of knowledge, have not entered into it themselves, and prevent others from doing so!  How much of religion is about the vicarious practices of temple worship and making secondary and of lesser importance the practices of mercy that throughout scripture are said to be the core of faith!  Jesus expresses the same frustration many face in the life of religion, a frustration we ourselves may feel.

Religious leaders love to conduct capital campaigns for ego projects of grand church buildings and schools for affluent suburbanites.  They love to invoke the names of saints who in previous generations were maligned as the ancient prophets.  How little is raised in comparison for the works of mercy and charity! How few sermons devoted to those topics, how few efforts made to recruit people to engage in what is the actual essentials of our faith life.

Jesus never built a house of worship.  His time in such structures were ones of conflict and opposition from others.  In the midst of such institutions he showed us what was important: healing others, liberating them from their demons, feeding people.  While we may be frustrated with the organs of religious institution, we continue to have the example of Jesus to inspire us to look past the empty calories of religion and focus on what is essential - the works of mercy and love.   

An Age Old Tale

Gospel: Luke 11: 42-46

Crisis clergy exist across the religious spectrum.  They go about telling people that said religious institution is in crisis.   They create narratives around their idea of the crisis.  Then they sell people on a solution to the crisis which, surprise, involves following them and supporting their movement to eradicate the crisis.  It is a pattern borrowed from the political world, a place modern Christianity is very comfortable and from which it was given existence.  

Jesus condemns the religious leaders of his own day as well as those of every generation.  They are not about the love and mercy of God extended to others.  They are not about the easing of burdens, the cancelling of debts.  They are about power and control over others.  They love public appearances with the rich and powerful.  They even run for political office themselves, preferring the seats of power to the service of the lowly and humble.  

So it has always been, and so it will always be.  The choice we have is whether we follow the example of the Lord Jesus, living a life in service to the poor and needy through deeds of mercy and loving kindness.  Or, will we become chaplains to power and wealth which is the dominant path of religion in the world.  The way of Jesus is not a popular one.  It does not come with seats of power, fine religious regalia, or wealth.  But it is the only way to the kingdom of God.