Loading...I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “Don’t just talk the talk; walk the walk”.But do you understand it? Know what it’s exhorting us to? (Sure it’s great to know stuff and talk about it, but put those things into practice by DOING them!)
Or, how about the phrase “WWJD”?Or, how about the phrase “WWJD”? What Would Jesus Do? What would Jesus choose to do in a given situation or about a specific issue/problem? This is slightly cheesy and overused, but it can be quite helpful.
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In our Gospel story today, Jesus is talking to the crowds (including his disciples) and tells them:
OK, these religious leaders (Pharisees, Saducees, Scribes, and Elders) – listen to them when they read scripture aloud but when they get into the interpretation of what God is saying,
No, don’t listen to them.
This is pretty scathing for religious leaders and institutions,
because, I think, Jesus is reminding the people that
God and God’s Word frees you for life and for living,
and all too often religious institutions tend to box people in.
The life that God gives you is not about morality,
right behavior, or a checklist of good and bad.
The life that God gives you and invites you into
is about the freedom to serve one another and care for one another.
If religious institutions pull you away from that –
and Judaism in Jesus’ time was doing just that –
then listen to God, not the institution!
We are called to “walk the walk” of faith and life in God,
not to just know in our heads what God says,
or to agree with certain theological statements.
We are baptized into a life that transforms us and changes us
from people from people who either think only for ourselves
and what we can gain from a situation, or,
slightly better – how we can KNOW the Word and what God is about
(e.g. “talking the talk”),
into people who live out of compassion and love for others
because this is what God does and is.
I’ve been watching the somewhat silly show called “The Good Place”
with characters Eleanor, Michael, Chidi, Tehani, and Jyanyu/Jason.
It’s a creative imagining of life after death
If we can put aside the simplistic theological understanding of
good behavior = living in the reward of “the good place”.
In the last couple of episodes of season 1 –
SPOILER ALERT! –
Eleanor, et al realize a couple of things:
• their intentions for behavior (good or bad) really DO make a difference
• our own self-referential (e.g. self-centered) needs can make us end up torturing or hurting others; and
• serving others, giving up what you think you want, & even sacrificing really do transform us into the people we are created to be!
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Servant Leadership
A buzz phrase in the corporate world.
But, corporations didn’t come up with the idea of leading by serving.
The Word of God is full of examples, some from our texts today:
• Micah warns leaders who say they will lead well, but instead pervert justice and who are corrupt and lie to the people. Instead, Micah suggests, trust those who don’t just talk the talk about God and justice, but who live out the righteousness of God in service to others everyday.
• St. Paul in his letter to the Christians in Thessalonika is not boasting or bragging about how great he is. Rather, he is reminding the community that we work together, encouraging each other, and not taking advantage of one another. As followers of Jesus, we live a life of service, caring, intention, and kindness towards each other.
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Our call as people of God is to be disciples –
to practice the disciplines of faith: learning, being formed, curiosity, compassion, serving, giving, and sharing.
Our task as the baptized people of God is to let ourselves be transformed by God
to be in ministry together,
to think beyond ourselves and our own needs,
to – with intention – act in the way of God’s justice that all peoples and all creatures would be included and loved.
Our call through our baptismal vocations is to give ourselves (and yes, this does mean our financial selves, too) to do God’s work in the world and in the community.
What would Jesus do?
He would reach out to, love, show mercy to, forgive, and care for anyone whom he met.
This is the servant leader whom we are following.
This is the Way of transformed life in which the Spirit washes us.
Come, walk together in this Way.
Amen
