Good Morning Friends,
Well maybe God does not change, but we do and sometimes that is a very good thing for it is in the character of God to be merciful. And we do so need mercy. But do not think for a moment that you or I have this figured out even when we understand that mercy and repentance are connected to a humble transformation. I know some people like consistency, but reversals of priorities and values may be a healthy thing and not a setback or problem if we see with the eyes of faith and continue to fight the good fight. This theme is prevalent in the writings of Paul and in the Book Luke/ Acts. And Luke knew the challenge in a personal way for he was from affluence as he wrote to those with affluence and education about the blessings of seeing in a new way. So, to see more clearly the specifics of today’s scripture and a whole that is larger than the sum of the parts, we grapple with these Gospel reversals in the story of a repentant tax collector and a passage from 2 Timothy about finishing well. For the issue addressed is something that concerns Jesus beyond the writings of a specific Gospel writer and should concern us all and so prompts today’s question ultimately about how we live our lives. So, How Do We Nurture A Heart Of Mercy And Hope In A Topsy-Turvy World?
Scripture: He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9-14 (NRSV)
As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 (NRSV)
“Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13 (NRSV)
Message: Among the unique characteristics of Luke’s Gospel, one of the most persuasive challenges to engrained complacency in both social and ecclesial systems, is the deliberate way the author highlights individuals and groups typically treated as social outcasts. From the prophetic proclamation of Mary’s Magnificat to the disciples on the Emmaus road, Luke identifies and elevates Samaritans, foreigners, tax collectors, lepers, women, widows, and poor folk. In Luke’s account, these normally untouchable, castigated and categorized groups are celebrated, named, and known. Several specifically Lukan stories, parables and protagonists colorfully illustrate the revolutionary reversal promised in the reign inaugurated by Jesus. The story of the Prodigal Son is one of my favorites. And for us to nurture such mercy in our lives we need to realize the priority with God is people and indeed vulnerable people, despised people that might otherwise be ignored. The message here is about those who admit that they have a broken heart that needs healing. You see, God wants us to have a heart that is tender and merciful toward other people, not just a tool of a religious or political system that keeps certain rules and regulations. We need to realize that the purpose of the commandments is to guide us in understanding how to love and that legalism can distort the significance of the things God wants us to embrace. The thing is that Jesus had a different mindset toward people. And with this priority in mind, of setting the captives free, if you will, Jesus wants us to join him in taking care of the weighty matters of justice and mercy in our dealings with each other. It is not wrong to discriminate between good and evil, but the overarching desire is to develop a heart that loves others in need in a way that honors God. So, understand that most people’s emotions are terribly broken, and the thing is that people do not even realize it. I am not writing about people with post-traumatic stress or mental illness but the sickness of the average person on the street who ignores people in need, walks past them and does not know how broken they have become by choosing such a course of action. We need to understand that God seeks our collective wellbeing. And that is why we are to acknowledge our own need for mercy and finally realize that God’s nature is one of love that we are to emulate. So, friends, we need to understand that God’s priorities are about people not rules. We are to be about a radical and game changing love. And that is the Great Reversal in the Gospel message that is designed to change us all. And we also see this reversal of thinking in Paul’s letter to Timothy. I want you to notice that Paul appears to be all alone in today’s passage, and I think he realizes that others experience this separation too. He says that no one came to his support, and everyone deserted him. But what is interesting is that Paul does not blame these people at all. Most of his friends who we read about like Timothy are far away. We have to remember that it is not like they can jump in their cars and drive a day or two to get there for help. They are weeks away as they have to walk or take a boat. Indeed, Paul realizes that he is not the only one who has been or will be persecuted for his faith in Jesus Christ. He is trying to tell his readers in one of his last writings that all is well despite this reality. He is saying, he has fought the good fight and the Lord has been with him every step of the way. His readers all know this as this is part of their learning and training. So here is one of their leaders going through a terrible time and still he is not afraid and is happy as to where he is going. Paul is in jail or house arrest, and he probably has been told that he will be executed. I think that it is pretty clear that Paul knows that the end is near in his world. But he faces it with calmness. He is all alone but he knows that he will never be truly alone, and that God will deliver him from every evil attack and physical ailment as he goes to the promised place, heaven. His message is a reversal in thinking. It is that we are not in the land of the living going to the land of the dying. We are in the land of the dying trying to get to the land of the living.
And So, friends, the Kingdom of God in its fullness, will confound all our expectations and will overturn our experiences if we have a heart of mercy with a foundation of love. In fact, in the Kingdom of God everything will be turned upside down when we love. This description of a reality being reversed is in Pauls’ letter to Timothy and is a hallmark of Luke’s Gospel. In the book of Luke we have Mary representing the most powerless and insignificant people in her society: young, female, poor. Yet God has chosen her—of all people—to be the mother of the long-awaited Messiah. In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, insensitivity to the plight of the poor man is aggravated by arrogance and a sense of entitlement. But the poor, hungry, mourning and hated people receive from Jesus a great consolation: One day things will be different. So too in today’s selection of scripture about the Pharisee and the tax collector we see an example of the Great Reversal in the Gospel. The message is that despite the insistence of our religious tradition that the well-off must have compassion for the poor, that our affluence and power and comfort and satisfaction with life can make us deaf to God’s word. And so, if we fail at offering mercy and love our fate is sealed and fortunes reversed in the Kingdom. The question of wealth and possessions comes up time and again both in scripture and emphasizes God’s enduring love for every person. So, the relationship of material well being to discipleship is to be an issue for serious minded Christians. But know that the only revolution that Luke is calling for is not orchestrated social upheaval by humans, but one led by God to bring healing and liberation in this world and the next through Jesus. The radical love and mercy of God present in our lives is the revolution of the Kingdom of God. Poverty is not a blessing in and of itself. The poor, the vulnerable, the marginalized—all those who count for nothing in this world—count very much in the Kingdom of God. Love and mercy turn everything around. Here wealth and power are spiritually dangerous, always threatening to lull us into complacency and insensitivity to the needs of others. But in the Kingdom to come, the future holds great promise for outcasts because God cares deeply for them, and we must too. The fighting of the good fight is born out of love.
Pray we are not complacently pleased with ourselves. Pray our prayers are not vain words but cries of tears that clear the lumber from our eyes. Pray we realize that God is going to set things right and it starts with each of us being set right. Pray therefore we turn to God and discover the joy of becoming more generous to others in need as part of God’s plan. Pray God declares the power of grace and love in our lives by granting us a heart that shows forth mercy. Pray we discover the divine nature of forgiveness…even discovering it when it comes to forgiving ourselves in a world turned upside down. Pray we admit our guilt and thirst for the grace of a living God in the Kingdom of God. Pray we realize that love is not some sloppy emotion but is mercy put into action. Pray that our success in life does not make us so proud that we rely on our own resources and fail to recognize our ultimate dependency on God. Pray therefore we work actively to bring about economic justice for all people. Pray we be like Mary and are open to the call of God. Pray we recognize our dependence on God and be humble enough to hear Jesus’ invitation into the Kingdom of God where the last in this world will be first and the proud, the arrogant, the satisfied of this world will be last. Pray we take an honest look at ourselves and realize that the way to be respectable in the Kingdom of God is to love everyone. Pray we relate our own wellbeing to the needs of others. Pray we nail the door shut on all our fears. Pray we finish well. Pray we love.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 