Holy Dichotomies
Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost
1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10
Matthew 22: 15-22
My good friend Gary DeMore, pastor of Saint John’s United Methodist Church in Augusta, Georgia, is beginning his sermon this morning with these words he was so gracious to allow me to use:
“Let me ask you a few questions this morning: Did you put on shoes this morning, or did you come to church in a car? Did you eat cereal fro breakfast, or don’t you like football? Are you Methodist, or do you live in America? Will you obey God, or will you pay your taxes to Caesar?
“Welcome to the world of false dichotomies — things that are wrongly set against each other — ‘either/or’s’ that really are not. Can you wear shoes and come to church in a car? Can you eat your cereal and enjoy football? Can you be a Methodist and live in America? Of course you can. In fact, you can be an American Methodist who wears shoes and eats cereal while enjoying football after you’ve traveled to and from church in a car
“You see, none of these things are mutually exclusive. Beware of the one who asks such questions, because there may be an agenda behind them. At the same time rejoice! For such scheming is no match for the crucified and risen Christ!
“It wasn’t about money, you know. What it was about was that the Pharisees knew Jesus had their number. “
Whenever we encounter the false dichotomies of life it very seldom about what it seems to be about on the surface.
Our religious is so often characterized by false dichotomies. Take this one for instance. “Can a church follow Christ and spend all its money on things besides the church?”
Here’s an interesting story for you. Long, long ago as the calendar turned into the thirteenth century lived two men. The first man was declared Pope without a dissenting vote in 1198. At his ordination as Pope he selected the name by which he would be known during his Pontificate, Innocent. As was the custom he selected a Biblical verse to be used in his ordination. The verse was Jeremiah 1: 20, which reads “See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
During his time as Pope he lived that verse. Whenever he was challenged either by priest or king on any issue he threatened the challenger with excommunication. In many ways he was the most powerful Pope that ever sat upon the throne of Saint Peter, but had I not told you about him this morning you’d not have remembered him.
Contemporaneously with Pope Innocent there lived another man. This one was also a Catholic priest. Born in a little town the son of wealthy parents he was never forced to do without. Two things interrupted his life of ease. One was a devastating illness. The other was that while serving in the military he was taken prisoner and was jailed for a year. During these times he came to know Jesus. He gave his life to the Christ and set upon a course to bring the love of Christ to the poverty stricken. This was when he became a priest. He ministered to lepers, to the outcast and the unclean. When he was ordained a priest he also selected an ordination verse. His verse was taken from the tenth chapter of Matthew, verses 7-10: “As you preach this message: ‘The kingdom of God is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.” Francis, the child of plenty who was raised in the village of Assisi, never hand any power.
But Francis wanted to establish an order of priests who would carry out this ministry to the outcasts. He went to Rome to get approval from Pope Innocent. Innocent mocked Francis. He told him to go “roll in the mud with the pigs.” Francis did. He went away from the Pope and found the nearest pig sty. There he rolled in the mud. He got up and immediately petitioned the Pope for his blessing on Francis’ calling. Innocent was so taken by the dedication and the humility of Francis of Assisi he gave his blessing.
Today, no one speaks of Innocent. But the ministry of Saint Francis of Assisi continues, providing evidence of God’s healing in hospitals and schools and hundreds of service ministries.
Two men, one had power; one had influence. Innocent had power. Francis had influence. Saint Paul had no power. But he had influence.
Can a church with no power become a church with immeasurable influence?
Once upon a time in a place called Thessalonica there gathered a group of followers of Jesus Christ. They gathered for worship and prayer and to care for one another and those about them in need. It was not a place all that hospitable to the new religion. After all, it was here that Paul and Silas got themselves into trouble.
And now Paul is writing to these same people and praising them; he says: “We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.” Now listen particularly to the next words: “We continually remember before our God and Father you work produced by faith, your labor produced by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Here that? He speaks of them being empowered by faith, hope and love. Interesting. When he wrote to the church at Corinth he said, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Can a city known to persecute disciples become the reflection of the essentials of the faith?
A newspaper article a some years ago told of a woman whose palms suddenly started bleeding. After being examined by medical people the conclusion was she must be suffering from a stigmata that sometimes occurs in extremely religious people. In these people the palms often start bleeding, especially around Good Friday, a simulation of the bleeding of Christ on the cross. The lady from Iowa City obviously, said many medical personnel, was suffering from this affliction. But then another doctor asked some additional questions. The woman he discovered was suffering not from any identification with Christ but from the fact she’d recently spent twenty-six straight hours playing video games that made use of a joy stick. Amazingly when she quit playing the game the bleeding stopped.
Doesn’t that sound like our modern life. How many people today think they are being like Christ when all they are doing is playing games?
A Gallop poll conducted near the same time as the Iowa woman’s story confirmed what many already suspected . The poll showed that people living in the United States are strong on religion but weal on morality. And here’s the sadness of the situation: The way a Christian church member conducts himself or herself can not be distinguished from that of the general population. The world in going to hell in a basket and we have scars on our hands from playing video games.
A sociology experiment was conducted by a university. Students were given a dime. The students were told that people were starving in India. Disease was rampant in that country. They also were informed that there was a family that lived close to the university that were extremely poor, so poor they had no groceries and their children were hungry. The students were also told of another need. The university was considering purchasing a photocopier for the use of students but funding was not available. The students were then told they could give their dime to any of these causes. All they had to do was place the dime in an envelope and write on the envelope either “India” or “Family” or “Copier.” Eighty percent of the students designated the dime be used for the purchase of the copier. [The above illustrations were derived from King Duncan’s sermon “Bearing the Right Fruit” at sermons.com. The third is attributed to Leo Buscaglia, Living, Loving and Learning, (New York: Ballentine Books, 1982)]
We can shake our heads at that, but we’d best be careful. We’d better take a good look at our palms to see if we’re bleeding from too much video games.
In the Gospel lesson today, the Pharisees try to trap Jesus. They ask him “Tell us, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” We know the answer, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God what is God’s.”
When we render to God that which is God’s we and Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and we are completely clear on the difference, we step into another dimension.
So can a church be a church and have influence in a powerful, powerful way?
You had better believe it. But how about this one:
Can this congregation be a church and be influential?
Paul said to the Thessalonians, they had work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope.
So what do you think empowers us? Is it faith, hope and love? Or is it that offering plate?
You know, you can be an American Methodist who wears shoes and eats cereal while enjoying football after you’ve traveled to and from church in a car.
But we can also be more than that. We can be a church the disciples always give thanks for and always remember in their prayers. We can be a church that serves Jesus.
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