The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 10, 2018
I Samuel 8:4-20
Psalm 138
II Corinthians 4:13-5:1
Mark 3:20-35
Today’s readings center around power and authority. Who or what is our ultimate concern – the One True God or the gods of our own creation? These days, the adulation of political leaders, even among Christians, is widespread. False has become true, and truth has become false, as partisans affirm their own alternative facts. Christian leaders disregard character and truth for political access. Although they may achieve policy goals, it is at the cost of their spiritual lives and the credibility of their faith to non-Christians. The path of Jesus has been subordinated to the rule of Caesar.
The reading from I Samuel might come with the motto, “the government that governs least governs best.” Dissatisfied with their current political situation, the people demand a king. Both God and Samuel object to their desire to place human authority before God’s. Following a more theocratic and libertarian approach, both Samuel and God object to the people’s desire for an intermediary, a human leader, rather than God or a spiritual leader. The consequences of secular rule, even in a godly society, are power plays and self-interest among leaders, taxes, and loss of personal control. People’s best interests will be subordinated for the potentate’s gain. Tithes will go to the king rather than God.
Perhaps, Samuel recognizes that temptation of political leaders and governments to claim an ultimacy they don’t possess. All the behaviors Samuel and God cite characterize most governments, even good ones. But would we want a theocracy today, given the fanaticism and self-interest of those who claim to follow God, whether in Christian and Islamic communities? Throughout history, the unholy alliance of religion and government has led to violence, idolatry, and investing penultimate values with ultimate authority. It does today as many church leaders seek free range for their causes, whether in terms of wedding cakes, science classes, and prayer in school, and subordination of those who follow other pathways.
Secular political leadership is inevitable and often positive. Still, ultimately we need to trust God’s care for us above all earthly rulers. We also need to be aware of God’s judgment of injustice. Governments are best when they recognize their penultimate status and, accordingly, recognize a variety of viewpoints, including those held by non-religious persons. At their best, rulers and the rule of law are not to be placed above God and conscience. Accordingly, the reading from I Samuel is an invitation to follow God’s ways not just the patterns of government and society. The church is at its best when it is countercultural, that is, when it has a critical edge, judging governmental policies, even from politicians we support, in light of God’s vision of Shalom. The passage from I Samuel argues for a “one kingdom,” rather than “two kingdom” political approach. This “one kingdom” is not a theocracy but the recognition that our faith shapes every aspect of our lives, including our political decisions as citizens.
Psalm 138 also addresses divine power and sees God’s power in moral rather than coercive terms. God’s power is revealed in steadfast love. The kings of the earth are subservient to God and rule best when they listen to divine wisdom in the promotion of their political and social policies. God cares for the poor and vulnerable. Those who seek to be faithful must put God first and honor God’s power made manifest in love; love not coercion should characterize their own political involvement. Our actions, accordingly, are inspired by God’s care for the least of these.
Paul invites his Corinthian listeners to trust in God’s everlasting promise. He wants them to trust that they are resurrection people, growing in grace despite life’s setbacks. In the midst of life’s personal and political challenges, our hope is in the unseen, in God’s vision for our lives. The resurrection transforms everything: failure cannot defeat God, imprisonment cannot defeat God, and aging cannot defeat God. Deeper spiritual growth is possible despite the limitations of age and illness. This is a life-transforming promise especially in our aging congregations. We are invited trust in God in all the seasons of life and to look for God’s movements in our lives. Whether we live or die, we belong to God; God’s eternity is our greatest hope. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. This does not turn us away from the world but gives us a foundation for social and political involvement and for patience with processes whose fruition may come to pass in years rather than days.
The Gospel reading describes Jesus in conflict with his family. Jesus places his loyalty to God above familial loyalty. No doubt, Jesus’ family has good intentions: they want to protect him; they are concerned that he has gone too far and will be hurt. Their prudence is justified, but misguided. The religious leaders also challenge Jesus’ spiritual wellness, suggesting that he is demon-possessed. In contrast to his family and the religious leaders, Jesus establishes his bona fides; he is speaking for God, he is not possessed by an evil spirit. In words that must have hurt his parents, Jesus asserts that his true family is made up of those who follow his pathway. He is claiming that a new kind of community is on the horizon, one that lives in accordance with God’s vision. This spiritual family includes the nuisances and nobodies, tax collectors and sinners, and not just the wise and righteous. In God’s realm, biological family is important but also penultimate and may be destructive when it becomes an ultimate concern. Following Gods’ way trumps all secondary values, and ultimately places our family loyalties in their appropriate place.
While love the creator by loving the creatures, our love for creatures needs to be placed in light of our fidelity to God. Attentiveness to God’s vision enables us to have life-giving attitudes not only toward the powers that be, but also toward the necessary losses accompanying aging and events beyond our control.
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Bruce Epperly is Senior Pastor of South Congregational Church, UCC, in Centerville, MA, and a D.Min. professor at Wesley Theological Seminary, and the author of over 45 books including “The Mystic in You: Discovering a God-filled World,” “The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh,” and “Healing Marks: Healing and Spirituality in Mark’s Gospel.” He can be reached for lectures and retreats at [email protected].
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