Loading...I hope this doesn’t surprise you, or that it is news to you:
We live in a society that tends to put people in two categories. Over and over again.
Categories such as:
Athletic - Lazy
Smart - Dumb
Rich - Poor
Female - Male
Wrong - Right
Safe - Dangerous
Refugee - One who belongs
Good - Bad
Cursed - Blessed
As though there are only two options per “category”
(rather than a spectrum).
As though we must be labeled or pigeonholed
to be understood or assessed.
As if we were simplistic and one-dimensional.
As though God had not created us to be
growing, changing, complex, thinking, loving, blessed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blessed, Blest, Blesséd
How you spell and pronounce the word doesn’t matter.
Yet, the world at large would have us believe that “blessings” and a “blessed life” include
good health
family
a home and house
material things
abilities
and things that would give us potential joy.
And the world at large would have us believe
that you are blessed when you have these things
(and if you have these things).
The implication is that you are cursed if you don’t have these things.
Or, at least, you are to be pitied.
My friends, God has never defined blessing (or cursing) in this way, with these markers, despite our distortion and re-casting of the definition (including, sadly, by the Church or by theologians and preachers).
For God, blessing is always about the presence of God with us and about God’s love and mercy.
In this inaugural sermon from Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel,
he begins by speaking to his brand new followers about
how God sees and interacts with the world.
Jesus is declaring how VERY DIFFERENTLY God looks upon
the world and the people in the world
than does society – leaders, culture, media, and laws.
Jesus teaches his disciples (then and now) to see with their eyes and heart
how God calls blessed those who are down and out,
those who are distressed by circumstances,
those who are passionate about promoting righteousness and peace-making,
those who are persecuted for doing the right thing,
those who are refugees,
those who are shunned, rejected, and banned
by the Powers That Be who think they have power.
Jesus calls us all blessed
but reminds all disciples that we are being taught
to see with God’s eyes of love, and
to put aside society’s distorted definition of
blessing, cursing, who’s “in”, and who’s “out”.
Jesus teaches us to look at the world and people in the world differently:
• Not as recipients of charity, but friends we share with.
• Not as ones to pity, but as people to connect with.
• Not in order to judge another’s failings, but to offer forgiveness and life in grace.
• Not to despise weakness, but to see God at work with one of God’s beloved.
• Not as someone to fear, but as someone to trust.
• Not as a person to shun, but someone to love.
The prophet Micah’s call to us from thousands of years ago (found in our Old Testament reading today) is echoed in Jesus’ words:
Don’t use worship or money to try to please God
or show others that you’re on of the “blessed”.
Rather, do justice,
love kindness,
and walk humbly with God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our world is broken.
Even before we began witnessing the restrictions placed upon refugees
or people of other faiths,
or anyone who doesn’t fit into the world’s box of “blessed”,
our world has been broken.
And we are in need of healing. Again and again.
It is good news for us that God always shows up,
even where we least expect God to be - in our brokenness:
in our broken hearts,
despite broken promises or words and actions that break others,
in the midst of broken and hurting bodies and minds.
God always shows up: in Jesus, in bread and wine, in healing
Where the world would reject, shame, and curse,
God gathers up, loves, and blesses.
And God’s mercy, love, and blessing is always the last word.
Amen
