Sermon: The Little Things

Lectionary: Epiphany 6A

Text: Matthew 5:21-37

Introduction – Global Concerns

On Monday [Feb. 6, 2023] a violent and catastrophic earthquake hit the region of Turkey and Syria, causing major devastation and thousands of lost lives. Global aid has been quick to respond, but the magnitude of the destruction and difficulties with the terrain and logistics have made it difficult for aid workers.

Later this month will mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war continues and the best analysis is that Russia will try to escalate the conflict. Several million residents have fled their homes; many thousands, both military and civilian, have been killed. Cities and villages have been destroyed, and those who remain suffer from lack of sufficient infrastructure, lack of basic necessities, and the cold. Aid from many quarters and organizations continue to pour in, yet there is still no end in sight.

These are, but just two of the more recent catastrophic global incidents that take up our attention. It doesn’t take much effort to come up with other incidents that vie for our attention and concern. Go to a site like Global Giving and one can find scores of needs around the globe: from disaster response, climate action, educational needs, food security, and more.

In this kind of present-day context, we encounter the text for today. To be frank, I struggled with this text’s relevance for me in February 2023. What relevance does Jesus’ midrash, or commentary, on Jewish law have for any of us right now? How does a stricter interpretation of ancient laws relate to the 21^st century?

Sermon on the Mount, an Overview

Today’s text is from a portion of Matthew’s gospel frequently referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. When the entirety of the Sermon is examined, it addresses mostly relationships within the kingdom of heaven that is being inaugurated by Jesus. It has almost nothing directly concerned with larger global, or even national affairs. It is mostly about how citizens of this new society or community are to live.

I will be taking a somewhat different approach today. Instead of focusing this time specifically on today’s text, I want to get a higher altitude look at the overall Sermon on the Mount and in doing so, perhaps better understand how all the pieces fit together.

The Sermon as Vision-Casting

I’m sure that most of us are familiar with vision and mission statements. If you’ve worked or volunteered for any kind of an organization, including churches, you probably have seen them. And I suspect many of you have been involved in forming or revising such statements. And some of you may even have taken the initiative to form personal vision and mission statements. These vision and mission statements are supposed to act as guides in forming organizational policies and personal behaviors.

I see in the Sermon on the Mount some similarities. The Beatitudes, which form the very beginning of the Sermon, could be likened to the vision statement of the kingdom of heaven, the new society, the community that Jesus is forming. The Beatitudes describe the characteristics that those who are part of this community will display.

At this point this community is still tiny. The Sermon is addressed directly to Jesus’ disciples, and at this point only four have been named explicitly (in Matthew 4:18-22).

Mission Statement for the Kingdom of Heaven

The next section of the Sermon is where Jesus equates the community to salt and light. I see this as the mission statement of the kingdom of heaven. The mission is not for the community to go and try to change the world, but to simply display the characteristics of the new society and by doing so perhaps those outside might be attracted into the community.

An Ideal Vision of Kingdom Life

The next section, which is not part of this year’s lectionary sequence, reveals that Jesus is not replacing the Law and the Prophets, but he is expanding on already established authorities and providing his stricter interpretations of them. Beginning with this section and the rest of the Sermon could be seen as how the vision and mission takes on more concrete forms of relational behaviors within the kingdom of heaven. These offer examples of and an aspirational look at what “love for another” looks like in action. In modern corporate-speak, these statements might be called policy statements. Our gospel text this morning forms the first few such statements.

The rest of the Sermon deals with specific topics on personal piety and how that ought to be practiced, how prayer ought to be offered, the pitfalls of wealth and what genuine treasure is, dealing with anxiety, the tendency to be judgmental, taking care of one another in the community, and what it means to live as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven.

The Sermon as a Gospel Framework and Pattern

The Sermon provides the major themes and framework for the entire gospel of Matthew. In Matthew, Jesus is meant to be seen as a new Moses. Hence just as Moses went up Mt. Sinai to receive the Law, Jesus is seen going up a mountain to offer a new interpretation of the Law for his new kingdom. The portion of Matthew preceding the Sermon offer foreshadowing of themes that will be revealed in the Sermon. The rest of the gospel account after the Sermon offer examples of how Jesus lives out the Sermon.  

Seen in its entirety, the Sermon is about how member of the new kingdom, the new society, the community, relate to one another. The community consists of those who make it a priority to look after one another’s needs. For those who have the means, to pay it forward to those who are unable. A community where authority is not lorded over another, but rather where authority is accompanied by responsibility to care for those under authority. Where justice and mercy are found in balance. A community where none strive for fame, power, or status. Where all are willing to sacrifice their own self-interest for the good of another and the community. Where each member values their own integrity and honesty such that the community has no reason to doubt the integrity of one another.

“Big” Things vs. “Little” Things

I want to return to the questions I posed toward the beginning of my sermon. Restating them with some of what I have mentioned so far: considering the huge, global concerns and needs, what relevance does the instructions for the kingdom of heaven, with its focus on relationships in the immediate community, have for me? For us?

As I thought about this question, I began to realize that in many ways it is much easier to be concerned about far-off places, about groups of people I don’t personally know and will never interact with. It’s easy to write a check and offer a prayer about a big, global concern.

But what about our family, neighbors, those with whom we work alongside, our bosses, our employees, our fellow church members?

A few verses near the end of the Sermon on the Mount grabbed my attention.

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly.’ (Mathew 7:21-23 NRSVue)

This text is frequently interpreted in terms of self-righteousness; i.e., those who loudly and visibly profess to be Christian, may be leaders in Christian ministries and churches, but are only performing good works to be praised and admired by others or to fatten their wallets. None of us would ever be tempted to do that, would we?

But as I pondered the warning, I found another line of thought running through it. Perhaps it is also a warning for the rest of us against placing too much priority on working toward making a big impact on the world at the expense of taking care of those things and people that are right in front of us every day. Perhaps it is a warning against temptation to use our concern for making a big impact as a distraction and an excuse from taking care of the more immediate, little things.

The Kingdom is Relational

The Sermon on the Mount is about how members of the kingdom are to live and get along with one another, each and every day. The ones closest to us are often the ones that irritate and anger us the most. How we relate with those in our immediate circles, whether good or bad, likely won’t have a huge impact on a global scale, but it matters to God. And how we treat one another, how we handle the difficulties of relationships and differences of personalities and opinions will be seen by a slightly wider circle of those on the periphery. And that is how being salt and light works. Our mission is not to be the Great Salt Lake or a bank of searchlights. We are just a few grains of salt and perhaps a flame or a single light bulb. But that is how the relational gospel of Jesus spreads and attracts people to take a closer look.

Holding Things in Balance

I’m not saying we shouldn’t be concerned about bigger things and dismiss global needs. But what the world may view as little things – our individual relationships with one another – are as important as what the world sees as the big, important things. This is another reversal that is found in the kingdom of heaven – what the world considers less important, may be more important in God’s kingdom.

Here is how I might rewrite Matthew 7:21-23 considering today’s thoughts:

“Lord, Lord. I gave to relief organizations. I gave to missions. I tried to make a difference in the world for you.” And the Lord will answer, “But how were your relationships with family, those you worked with daily, and with others who are part of my family, the church?”

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains that the principles of shalom, that is relational wholeness and peace, are timeless. He quotes selections from the Torah and refers to long-held Jewish traditions around the Law and explains how there are essential principles that carry into the new kingdom of heaven.

Let us be vigilant about tending to our close-in relational needs with as much vigor, care, and generosity as we are about caring for global needs.

Sermon: An Epiphany of Christ

Lectionary: Year A, First Sunday after Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord

Texts: Isaiah 42:1-9, Matthew 3:13-17

Introduction

Baptism – an action that ought to unite Christians, but like many other facets in Christianity – is a source of controversy and division. Usually not within a denomination, but typically between them. Literally life and blood have been shed in arguing the proper time and form of baptism.[1]

I am not here this morning arguing whether one form is better than another, or if there is an age criterion, or anything along those lines. Because that argument ends up sounding quite like the argument about the necessity of circumcision among the early Christians. The Apostle Paul wrote an entire letter to the Galatian Christians on this topic. A good summary of where Paul and where he believes Jesus stands on the issue is summarized in Galatians 5:6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.”[2] Therefore, I  think that is a good position to take in regards to the mechanics of baptism: that whether one is baptized as an infant, a child, or an adult, and whether one is sprinkled, poured over, or fully immersed, that the act is symbolic of something that is far deeper that is of greater importance. And that is where I would like to take this sermon this morning.

Jesus’ Baptism

Today’s gospel narrative begins with a “Where is Jesus 30 (or so) years[3] after we last heard about him?” From the miraculous birth of Jesus and the flight to Egypt and return, we jump to a mature, adult Jesus. And we find him in the wilderness, at the Jordan, asking to be baptized by John, who is the latest prophetic sensation that has shown up among the Jews.

In the text that comes right before what was read this morning, we read that John was baptizing people as they confessed their sins and committed to repentance. Even some of the leadership of the Jews came to him, but he accused them of hypocrisy, commanding them to show actual results of repentance, beyond merely going through motions. John then predicts that another individual will show up that is far more prestigious and powerful.

It is in this context that Jesus shows up, asking to be baptized. John recognizes Jesus immediately (after all, they are relations, and both had probably heard about their respective miraculous birth stories). It is a surprise that Jesus shows up and asks to be baptized, and therefore, knowing who Jesus is, it is no surprise that John is reluctant to go through with it.

Jesus responds, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15)

Meaning of “Righteousness”

This is another of Jesus’ sayings whose meaning isn’t obvious, and where scholars have suggested several possibilities. The problem word here is “righteousness.” We are accustomed to hearing and using it in terms of morals and ethics. We use “righteousness” as the antonym for “sin.” But Jesus is without sin, so he could not have been baptized to be cleansed of sin or of any need to repent. So, in this respect, what Jesus said makes no sense.

“Righteousness” has a somewhat different usage and meaning in Matthew. It is still related to ethics, but “In the OT and early Jewish literature, when used for human character and behavior, ‘righteousness’ and related words refer to one’s ethical response to God: obeying and doing God’s will.”[4]

The author of the letter to the Hebrews notes that Jesus “learned obedience…” (Hebrews 5:8)

So, we now must ask, what is it about baptism of Jesus that fulfilled and placed him in obedience to God’s will? Why did God respond, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased?” (Matthew 3:17)

For us, repentance and baptism are conceived as primarily individual actions. Certainly, baptism is symbolic of new birth into a new, spiritual family. But in our cultural setting, there usually isn’t much emphasis on how baptism relates to larger groups.

Fulfillment of Righteousness

In contrast, Jesus’ baptism is all about the larger group; specifically, all of humanity. Christmas was certainly God becoming incarnate into humanity, but Jesus’ baptism is the revealing, or epiphany, of this God-becoming-human to the world.

Matthew’s gospel portrays Jesus as representing new Israel. That is why Matthew is so careful to describe specific echoes and parallels between historical Israel and Jesus: a miraculous birth, a sojourn in Egypt, a return to Israel, and now a baptism. Within this pattern perspective, the baptism has parallels to Israel walking through the Red Sea and through the parted Jordan River. It also has echoes to the anointing of kings.

It is here again that our distance to when monarchy was the norm may be an obstacle to understanding what monarchs represented. Yes, they ruled over subjects, but they were also mediators between their subjects and their deity or deities. Monarchs embodied the entirety of their subjects.

Although Moses was not a king, his actions reveal some of the expectations of ideal ancient monarchs as they related to their subjects. At Sinai, when the people craft and worship the golden calf, God tells Moses that God will destroy the people and instead make Moses a great nation. But Moses intercedes on behalf of the people, and God relents.[5]

Josiah, king of Judah, is another example. He is recorded as being one of the righteous kings. He ordered the restoration of the temple, and in the process the Book of the Law is found. As the book is read to him, Josiah tears his robes because “our ancestors did not obey the words of this book…” (2 Kings 22:13b) Their sin is understood as having accumulated over time and over the entire people. Even though Josiah himself is not responsible, he identifies with and takes responsibility for the past and for all his subjects and repents. As a result, God delays the judgment that will eventually fall. Josiah continues to lead a reign of reformation and repentance, and the period of his reign is relatively peaceful and uneventful.[6]

I am now quoting two extended paragraphs by Timothy Beach-Verhey, in a commentary on Matthew 3:13-17:

Kings have always claimed to have a special relationship to God. Part of their legitimacy comes from being God’s representative among the people… On the other hand, monarchs have always seen themselves as the representation, in one person, of the whole people. This has been the other source of their legitimacy. Monarchs exist as mediators between God and the people, presenting God to the people and the people to God…[7]

In his baptism, Jesus shows himself to be the one true king, who represents God to humanity and humanity to God. He is invested with divine authority and power through the descent of the Holy Spirit and God’s proclamation to the whole world… He also embodies and represents lost humanity, by appropriating the human responsibility to repent and turn toward God in the face of the impending kingdom of heaven. In his baptism by John, Jesus identifies himself with the human condition and represents them in his right relationship with God. This baptism, therefore, not only bestows upon him the mantle of divinity; it also marks his kenosis (self-emptying) on behalf of humanity. He is the king, the true and only mediator between God and humanity.[8]

Representing God

If Jesus represents God, and if we are baptized into Christ, and if our lives and characters are to reflect that of Jesus Christ, what does that look like? Today’s text from Isaiah offers some suggestions.

It is the first of the four sections in Isaiah known as “Servant Songs”. These four sections, in Christian tradition, are interpreted as prophetic texts identifying Jesus as Messiah. The connection between God’s response to Jesus’ baptism and the opening of the Isaiah text cannot be missed:

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1)

But that is not the only plausible interpretation for these texts. The identity of the servant has been debated among Jewish and Christian scholars, and multiple potential identities have been suggested.

The penultimate king of Judah, Jehoiachin (or Jeconiah), is one individual that is suggested as the servant referred to in Isaiah.[9] Many of us might find that identification surprising, but there is some fit when rabbinic sources are considered where Jehoiachin repents and becomes an example and leader of righteousness and obedience to the Torah for the exiled Jews.[10]

Another identification is in the Second Servant Song and names Israel itself as the servant.[11]

Others have suggested that these texts don’t point to any specific entity but portray an ideal response from those called by God.[12]

There are likely others, but here is the list of identifications just given: Jesus, Jehoiachin, Israel, and an ideal response. We have individuals and communities offered as possible entities that could fill the role of the Servant. Richard Ward, commenting on today’s Isaiah passage writes:

If the church opens only that part of Israel’s gift that defines its understanding of Jesus, then it misses its wider blessing. There is the portrait of the church’s Christ here, but there is so much more. Why confine the reach of this Song to one individual or even one servant community? It is a portrait, but it is also a silhouette. Anyone who “brings light and (God’s) promise of hope to the nations” (v. 6) stands in the place of the Servant.[13]

We Are an Epiphany

I think that the ambiguity is appropriate. We can read the Servant Songs and see multiple applications. Traditionally we have probably limited the application to Jesus and stopped there. But today, I would like us to re-read at first song as something that Jesus left as an example for us to follow in, as individuals and as a community.

42 But [you are] my servant, the one I uphold;
    my chosen, who brings me delight.
I’ve put my spirit upon [you];
    [you] will bring justice to the nations.
² [You won’t bring attention to yourself
    with loud speeches or gaudy parades].[14]
³ [You] won’t break a bruised reed;
    [you] won’t extinguish a faint wick,
    but [you] will surely bring justice.
⁴ [You] won’t be extinguished or broken
    until [you have] established justice in the land.
The coastlands await [your gospel] teaching.

⁵ God the Lord says—
    the one who created the heavens,
    the one who stretched them out,
    the one who spread out the earth and its offspring,
    the one who gave breath to its people
    and life to those who walk on it—
⁶ I, the Lord, have called you for a good reason.
    I will grasp your hand and guard you,
    and give you as a covenant [representing me] to the people,
    as a light to the nations,
⁷     to open blind eyes, to lead the prisoners from prison,
    and those who sit in darkness from the dungeon.
⁸ I am the Lord;
    that is my name;
    I don’t hand out my glory to others
        or my praise to idols.
⁹ The things announced in the past—look—they’ve already happened,
    but I’m declaring new things.
    Before they even appear,
    I tell you about them.[15]

Today, as many among us are reminded about our baptism into Christ and his body, and as others potentially consider their steps to baptism, let us ponder the fullness and revelation of Christ and what it means to be his disciples, following his path and becoming his ambassadors in this present life. What does it mean for us and the church to be an epiphany of Christ in this world today?

---

[1] Anabaptism - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabaptism)

[2] All texts from New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition, unless otherwise noted.

[3] Luke 3:23a, “Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work.”

[4] Feasting on the Gospels: Matthew, Volume 1, page 141 (Kindle location around 1686).

[5] Exodus 33.

[6] 2 Kings 22-23.

[7] Feasting on the Gospels: Matthew, Volume 1, p. 135 (Kindle approximate location 1605).

[8] Ibid. (continuing)

[9] Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 1, approximate Kindle location 8301. “It would seem to the present writer that the person assigned the role of the Suffering Servant was most likely the exiled King Jehoiachin and his fellow exiles carried to Babylon in 597 BCE.”

[10] JEHOIACHIN - JewishEncyclopedia.com (https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8560-jehoiachin)

[11] Isaiah 49:3. “You are my servant, Israel…”

[12] Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 1, approximate Kindle location 7421. “Biblical scholar Paul Hanson finds in this passage not a reference to a historical figure or community but ‘a catalyst for reflection on the nature of the response demanded of those who have received a call from God.” [quoted from Isaiah 40-66, Interpretation series, p. 41.]

[13] Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 1, approximate Kindle location 7540.

[14] The re-writing of this verse based on The Message.

[15] Common English Bible, Isaiah 42:1-9, with my edits.

Sermon: New Year 2023

Lectionary: Year A - First Sunday After Christmas, Holy Name of Jesus, New Year's Day

Texts –

• Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
• Revelation 21:1-6a
• Luke 2:15-21

Happy(?) New Year

·       After all the anticipations and celebrations of the past few weeks, New Year’s Day is almost anticlimactic. Sure, in the Christian calendar, at least for those that follow it, it is the eighth day of Christmas: it is also celebrated as the day when Jesus was presented at the temple and circumcised and was formally named “Jesus.”

For most of the world, and perhaps for many of us here, New Year’s Day is a day to get our minds and bodies finally away from the holidays and back into our regular routines of daily work and living.

The New Year is also a time when many people around the world use as a starting point for self-improvement, life changes, and new projects. Some of it may stick, while many others eventually revert to old habits. But there is always another New Year to try again and start over.

Time

That’s the thing about time. Although time is linear, it also has circular properties. We live life according to the 24-hour day, the 7-day week, 30-or so days per month, and 12-months each cycle around the sun. We mark decades of our own lives, and we place special emphasis on changing of decades. If we are lucky enough to live at the turn of the century, that is an even more seemingly significant marker. We group history by decades, centuries, and millennia.

As we look back into human history, we see trajectories of progress, but we also see patterns. It is often said that “history repeats”, but more recent historians would say that “history rhymes”. In other words, the details of historical periods and events are not identical, but there are similarities of patterns that appear frequently in history.

Examples include long-term view of human civilization from nomadic to agrarian to urban, and then as one civilization falls another rises, often following a similar pattern. On a shorter scale, nations may undergo cycles of prosperity and decline. Between nations there are cycles of conflict, war, and peace. History shows the development of democracies, followed by corruption, a fall into authoritarianism, and then a collapse or a revolution that begins the cycle again. We see cycles in business. We see cycles in religion. We have cycles in our personal lives.

Today’s reading from Ecclesiastes chapter 3 can be interpreted as the author looking at life and seeing the same patterns repeat. These words even made their way into a rock song by The Byrds in the 1960’s, “Turn, Turn, Turn,” bemoaning the repetitive nature of war and violence and calling for peace to break in and remain.[1]^,[i]

The author of Ecclesiastes, too, sees no end to the repetitive nature of life, at least as far as he can see. Yet he has a sense that maybe that’s not all there is to all of history. He writes, “[God] has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”[2] (3:11b) The author holds out hope that there could have been a beginning and that there will be an end; but he can’t see it, because of his limited perspective.

In the meantime, the author’s conclusion and advice is “¹² I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; ¹³ moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.” (3:12-13)

This has often been interpreted as hedonism and merely a response to resignation at life’s futility. But perhaps it is also something that should be considered as wisdom. After all, no one is guaranteed tomorrow, however healthy you might be and how safe you think your environment is.

Too many in the modern, industrialized world spend too much time working hard for a future retirement when they will finally be able to enjoy the fruit of their labors. In the process many wreck their health and relationships, and when retirement comes, they find little to enjoy. Instead of placing so much into a future nest that may never materialize, why not learn to be content and enjoy the present, as much as possible with the friends and family that are around you now?

Cycles or Linear?

Is there a beginning and an end? Modern physical cosmology suggests that there might be, at least as far as this universe is concerned. It began (most probably) with the Big Bang.[3] The ultimate end of the universe is unknown; however, various hypotheses exist from a universe that becomes cold and dead (or hot and dead), to a singularity, or to a cycling into a new universe.[4]

Ancient cosmologies presupposed that there was no beginning; that something always existed. This is true even of Hebrew cosmology.[5] Although we read “In the beginning,” in the opening of Genesis, this applies strictly to the visible world. It does not communicate that something was created out of nothing. Genesis 1:2 reads, “The earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep [i.e., ‘sea’], while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” When the Flood comes in Genesis 7, the world is destroyed by its reversion to the pre-creation state of chaotic and deep sea, and then it is re-created in chapter 8.

New Creation

It is not until well into the writings of the Christian New Testament that the idea that history has a distinct beginning and an end finds form. An articulation is found in the text from Revelation 21 that was read today. From this text the author makes clear that the cycles of physical cosmology, religious cosmology, and history will finally come to an end, and that an ideal world and history will be created, never to end. God is declared to be the Beginning and End itself.

³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them and be their God;
⁴ he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”

⁵ And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. (Rev. 21:3-6a)

For Christians, although what we observe and experience may appear and feel cyclical, we believe that there is a beginning and end found in God, and that the flow of time is moving purposefully toward God’s ultimate conclusion.

God Enters Time and History

The biblical Christmas story is our evidence and guarantee that history will not cycle forever. God has intervened in history. Not only that but God became one of us. God came to dwell with us. God entered human history.

The shepherds, Mary, and Joseph, however, probably did not comprehend the full significance of Jesus’ birth. When they were told that Jesus was to be Savior and Messiah, their understanding was probably limited to what they already hoped those terms meant. And so,

²¹ When the eighth day came, it was time to circumcise the child, and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21)

Even naming a child “Jesus” was not that significant. It was a common name. “Jesus” is the English form of Yeshua/Joshua.[6] It can mean “God saves,” “God is my help,” and other similar meanings.

It is only in hindsight, taking all of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection into account, that we realize and understand the significance of this one human’s entry into history. When we accept the name “Christian” as part of our identity, we are agreeing to adopt the ways of Jesus and how he lived and related to people, God, and to structures and institutions.

Three Resolutions

On this New Year’s Day, I propose three resolutions.

1. Our individual histories have no guarantees, so let us resolve to find more joy and enjoyment, whenever and wherever we can.

2. While not dismissing the realities of the difficulties and setbacks in life, let us resolve to maintain a hopeful outlook as much as we can, because we trust that God will bring present history to a just close, and that all will be recreated anew to an ideal, eternal world.

3. Let us resolve to not just identify as “Christian” but to live the full depth and being of what that name means, as exemplified by Jesus.

---

[1] Turn! Turn! Turn! - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn!_Turn!_Turn!)

[2] Unless otherwise noted, texts are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition.

[3] Chronology of the universe - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_universe)

[4] Ultimate fate of the universe - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_fate_of_the_universe)

[5] Biblical cosmology - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_cosmology)

[6] Jesus (name) - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_(name))

---

[i] I ended up referring to Wikipedia quite a bit for this sermon. Not that I consider it authoritative, but it is a decent check on my assumptions. And it is a good place to find a list of more authoritative references, if that is needed.

Sermon: The Significance of "Name"

Text: Luke(20:45-21:1-4), 21:5-19

Lectionary: Proper 28(C)

Where’s the Good News?

Today’s reading from Luke’s gospel doesn’t seem to have very much gospel – good news – found in it. At least it sure feels like there isn’t. This passage is the first half of a text that is sometimes called “The Little Apocalypse.” There are parallel passages in Matthew and Mark. It seems to be predicting mostly bad news for those who follow Jesus.

Jesus speaks these prophetic words when he is in the temple, surrounded by a crowd. Luke does not specify whose words prompt Jesus’, but they are prompted when he hears some of the crowd oohing and ahh-ing over the magnificent, opulent, and grand temple buildings and its decorations and ornamentations.

In response, Jesus tells those around him that the temple will be utterly destroyed. It can be difficult for those of us here to relate to the kind of magnitude of destruction that would have been felt by those who heard Jesus’ words. For us in the United States, it would be akin to having the entire nation fall into the hands of a foreign adversary. But something like that is nearly impossible given the geographical size and the population number of the nation. It was much easier for Rome to destroy Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, given their respective size and power.

But perhaps we could more readily imagine an internal collapse of systems and structure of the nation, much like what the Roman Empire experienced that led to her collapse. We might more easily imagine the chaos and fear that such an event would bring about.

The people see the temple and assume it will stand forever. After all, it is dedicated to God. Would God allow something to happen to God’s temple?

Yet Jesus tells them that indeed, the temple will be destroyed.

Warnings from Jesus

I can imagine the shock and incredulity of the people who hear this. And they ask, “When will this happen, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”

Neither question is really answered in the portion of Jesus’ response that was read this morning. What Jesus offers first is a prelude of things to expect before the destruction itself is imminent.

False Christs

The first thing that Jesus warns about are people that will claim to be delivering messages from him; messages that purportedly offer assurances of certainty and explanations for the chaos and confusion that are being experienced. Jesus says they will “come in my name,” but he warns, do not follow after them.

Global Chaos

Jesus then notes that there will be upheavals among and within nations, sometimes violently. But to not be alarmed or terrified, because these are things that happen. But these are not the signs of an impending end.

Jesus says the natural world will also experience upheavals. But these too, are not signs of the end.

Persecutions

Jesus goes on to detail persecutions that his followers can expect to face. But these will take place even prior to the upheavals just spoken of. Why are Jesus’ followers persecuted? Why are they sent before political and religious authorities? Why are they betrayed by family? Why might some be martyred? Why would Jesus’ followers be hated?

What’s in a Name?

According to Jesus, it is “because of my name”. "My name" is noted twice in this short section.

These two, with the use of “in my name” found in the first warning section, brings to three the mention and use of the phrase “my name”. And that piqued my curiosity. What is the significance and meaning of “my name”?

For most of us, end a prayer “in Jesus’ name” is perhaps our most familiar use of Jesus’ name. But what does that signify and mean? Other than rote habit and tradition, I don’t think we put much thought into it.

In some Christian traditions, a practice found during worship and prayer might include repetitions of calling out “Jesus.” This might be related to the saying that “there is power in Jesus’ name.” But what exactly is meant by that?

For most of us moderns living in the Western civilization, a name is an identifier and not much more. In a few cases names may harken to a noted family member that the child is named after.

We, therefore, have a broadly understood concept of “name” that has little to do with what seems to be the use of names in the Bible.

Ancient Significance of Names

A Jewish scholar, Professor Elinoar Bareket, in an article he writes,

The act of naming someone was a matter of great consequence in the Bible and in the ancient Near East. Indeed, it was widely believed that the name of a thing reflected its essence and very being; in other words, in some sense, the act of naming something meant creating it…

From time immemorial, naming someone demonstrates sovereignty or mastery. Even now, parents name their children, and people name their pets. It is understood in biblical texts that names are generally given by parents. When Pharaoh’s daughter finds Moses in the Nile, she names him; this is a sign that she is planning to keep him and adopt him.[1]

Loren Graham, at MIT and Harvard University, writes about a few ancient beliefs surrounding the use of names:

A common concept in history is that knowing the name of something or someone gives one power over that thing or person. This concept occurs in many different forms, in numerous cultures—in ancient and primitive tribes, as well as in Islamic, Jewish, Egyptian, Vedic, Hindu, and Christian traditions…

The ancient Egyptians similarly believed that one gained power over a god if one knew his name. According to the Jewish religion, the name of God was so holy that it was not to be said out loud. A likely reason for this prohibition was that naming God might be seen as an attempt to assert dominion over him, to duplicate illegitimately a power that God uniquely possessed.[2]

Name and Power

The two key understandings about ancient beliefs about names that are applicable to our reading today is: 1) that the use of a name is associated with power of the named entity, and 2) that the essence and very being of an entity is associated with its name.

When Jesus warns his listeners to be on guard for those who will come in his name, I think that this use of Jesus’ name is related to the idea that names have power, and that the wielder of the name has the power of the being that is named. It is very much magical thinking, but for people who lived in a time where this was the very air they breathed, for those who were following Jesus, it wouldn’t have been at all far-fetched to go after someone offering assurances and certainty in Jesus’ name.

We might want to believe that we would not be so naïve as to succumb to that kind of ploy. But the historical record shows otherwise. There have been many proclaimers of an imminent end whose proclamations have not come to pass. Some have been sincere but who have misunderstood scripture. But others have been far more nefarious, using the Bible and Jesus to satisfy their own egocentric desires, to manipulate and defraud, and even kill. At this very time in our history there are many who are using the name of Christ to advance a false gospel of security and certainty that is believed to be possible through accumulation of power, and power over others.

Name and Being

Genuine followers of Jesus will face persecution “because of” Jesus’ name. And here I think that the second understanding of “name” is finding application. Genuine followers of Jesus don’t use his name. Instead, their actions and very nature toward the world reflect Jesus’ actions and attitude toward the world.

Today we call ourselves “Christian”, but the earliest followers did not. In fact, “Christian” was an insulting name that was coined by outsiders to call those who followed Jesus.[3]

What are some of these actions and attitudes that Jesus demonstrated? A couple of short episodes immediately preceding this morning’s reading offers some examples.

^20:45 In the hearing of all the people he said to the disciples, ⁴⁶ “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and who love respectful greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁷ They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

^21:1 He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; ² he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. ³ He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them, ⁴ for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 20:45-21:4 NRSVue)

First, Jesus is against self-aggrandizement and the use of wealth and power to create division and excuse oppression. Second, he notices people and their actions that don’t seem much in the world’s eyes, people and actions that are overlooked and even dismissed as irrelevant and unworthy. These are actions and attitudes that go against all prevailing powers of the world. They disrupt the social order. If wealth and power are not respected, if they are in fact disdained, entire power structures will be destroyed; those who benefit from them will lose their place and privilege.

This is the very essence and being of Jesus. It is also the very essence and being of God. One of the early Christ-hymns recorded is found in Philippians chapter 2, part of which reads:

⁵ Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
⁶ who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
⁷ but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
⁸ he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 NRSVue)

This is what it means to live a life where others can accuse you of having Jesus’ name.

Assurance and Security

Earlier in his gospel text, Luke recorded Jesus saying,

Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. (Luke 17:33 NRSVue)

When the world around us is chaotic and uncertain, it is tempting to look for someone or something offering security and certainty. Jesus tells his followers that it is not through wealth and temporal power, even if some may attempt to align it with the name of Jesus Christ.

What Jesus seems to be telling us is that the world will always appear to be chaotic and the future uncertain. What Jesus seems to be telling us is that instead of trying to find stability in this world, we should use the opportunity to speak out against the evils that wealth and power bring, to speak out against oppression, and to notice and lift up those that the world dismisses as unworthy and inconsequential.

We will not attain worldly influence or power through such means, but the God who noticed the widow giving all that she had will keep us secure, such that even though we may die, we will gain a life greater than what we experience today.

---

[1] Bareket, Elinoar. What’s in a Name?: The Bible vs. the Middle Ages - TheTorah.com (https://www.thetorah.com/article/whats-in-a-name-the-bible-vs-the-middle-ages)

[2] Graham, Loren. Philoctetes - The Power of Names: Religion & Mathematics (http://philoctetes.org/news/the_power_of_names_religion_mathematics)

[3] IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament; 2^nd ed. Acts 11:26. “Christians” occurs in the New Testament only here, as a nickname given by outsiders, and in 1 Peter 4:16, as something like a legal charge. The title is formed on the analogy of adherents to a political party: the “Caesarians,” the “Herodians,” the “Pompeians” and so forth. Had it been interpreted politically (“partisans of the executed Judean king”) it could have stirred persecution, but here it apparently functions merely as derision. At least by a later period, Antiochans were known for making fun of people. By the early second century, however, Jesus’ followers had welcomed the title.