josephholubsermons


 

November 21, 2010   Last Sunday After Pentecost
Matthew 25:31-46 

Faith As World View

“I was… and you…”   - Matthew 25

Last week I described three expressions of faith based on a passage in the letter of James, “Be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.”  I described three Latin words all of which mean faith, but each word reveals a different dimension of or aspect to faith.  The three words are assensus, fiducia and fidelitas.   Assensus means faith as belief in doctrines and propositions.  Fiducia means trust.  It is a relationship word, so it means trust in a person, the person being Jesus.  The third word is fidelitas, and it means fidelity or commitment.  When James implored his congregation to be “doers of the word and not merely hearers”, he was challenging them into a relationship of trust and commitment with the living word, Jesus Christ.  When Jesus invited and called his disciples with the simple invitation, “follow me,” he was calling them into a relationship of trust and commitment-into his way living, being and doing. For the earliest communities that formed around Jesus faith had less to do with belief, and much more to do with trust and commitment to Jesus and his way. 

Last week I promised I would introduce one more word that describes faith.  Before I do (I will keep you in suspense), I need to say a thing or two about this gospel passage for today.

I would dare say there are few biblical passages that have had a greater impact and transformed more lives than this story from Matthew 25.  Jim Wallis, founder and president of Sojourners-a large domestic faith-based peace and social justice organization, attributes his chosen life path to this passage.  This was also a core passage for Mother Teresa, and she referred to it frequently as she ministered to the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the sick in Calcutta, India. 

This story only appears in Matthew.  Mark, Luke and John make no reference to it whatsoever.  Many biblical scholars agree that the story may not even go back to Jesus, but is the product of the followers of Jesus in Matthew's community of faith.  But that in no way diminishes the power of the story, but rather causes us to read the story ever more closely in the context of Matthew's gospel and Matthew's faith community some 50+ years after Jesus.  This story reflects the Jesus they had come to know and follow.  

It is also important to note there was great diversity within Matthew’s community - even conflict.    They didn't all think alike, live the same lifestyle, or express their faith in a like manner.   A close reading of Matthew's gospel reveals there were at least two distinct groups that had an impact on the way Matthew shaped his gospel and told the story of Jesus.  On one side, there were those whose religious lives were rigidly legalistic. They continued to shape their lives around the Torah, and some in a very legalistic fashion, to the point of emphasizing the letter and minutia of the law.  

On the other end of the spectrum, Matthew's community also had an element of what is called antinomianism.   Antinomianism is the opposite of legalism.  Antinomianism is the idea that a person is under no obligation to obey certain laws of ethics as prescribed by a religious authority.   Christian antinomians of Matthew's time said that grace exempted them from following Torah law and ethical mandates.  My point is, there was diversity of viewpoint and lifestyle in Matthew's community that created tension.

What I perceive Matthew doing is charting a different course from those in his community of faith who were either legalistic or antinomian.  We could say that Matthew and his Jesus offered an alternative way that, for Matthew, was faithful to his experience of the risen, living Lord Jesus.  It was a different way that was not legalistic and not antinomian.  The result was one of the most engaging VISIONS every put forth by Christianity – a VISION that has the power to transform a human life, transform human relationships, transform community and even transform the world.

Notice I twice used the word “vision.”  That is the fourth word for faith.  The Latin term is “visio” – it means VISION, or better yet, world view.  To put it as simply as I can, as a result of his relationship of trust and commitment with Jesus, Matthew looked at the world with a new set of eyes – adopted a new world view – the world view of Jesus. 

What Matthew experienced in Jesus is God’s total solidarity with the poor and marginalized.  Matthew would no longer allow his community to look at the poor and marginalized around them in an abstract way.   He made it profoundly personal when he suggested that looking into the faces of those who are considered the last and least of their culture was no different than looking smack dab into the face and eyes and heart and soul of Jesus.  The world view of Jesus moves us from the abstract to the specific; from the impersonal to the deeply personal.

ABC news has a program called “What Would You Do.”  Perhaps you have seen it.  Using actors and actresses it “stages” situations in public and uses hidden cameras  to show the reaction of those  nearby.  One episode featured a well-dressed actress laying stricken on a busy downtown sidewalk.    Another actor came by and tried to get people to help.  Almost immediately people were willing to help.     

Scenario 2:  Another actor looking scruffy, dirty, smelly and homeless played the role of the person stricken down on the sidewalk.  Like the first scenario, another actor tried to get people passing by to help.  Many people either didn’t help or intentionally passed by on the other side of the sidewalk.  It wasn’t until the actor put a name to the man down saying something like, “Please, Larry needs your help,” that people took notice and were willing to help.  Just the mention of his name was transformative.  Suddenly he was no longer a worthless, faceless, anonymous, homeless man laying alongside the sidewalk, but he had a name – he was a human being.

Over the decades of my ministry, I have many times found myself in a room of people whether it be a social gathering or a church committee meeting or some other kind of assembly where the topic of conversation was about our responsibility to seek social justice and compassion for the poor and the oppressed of our culture.  Many times I have been struck by the fact that we find it so much easier to talk about the poor and oppressed than be with them – really know them – and connect with them personally.

How easily we forget that Jesus didn’t merely talk about ministering to the poor and oppressed, but he himself was one of the poor.  His ministry was among the poor and those who were victimized by the domination systems of his day.  He shared bread around an inclusive table of poor and marginalized peoples.  Jesus lived in solidarity with the poor and oppressed, and he challenged and even chastised the powerful wealthy elites  to change their world view and way of living, being and doing in the world. 

We are very near to launching a new effort at Lord of the Mountains in the next month or so.  We will call it something like a “Day Resource Center” centered downstairs two afternoons a week.  It is for persons who perhaps are living in the forest or out of their cars or have otherwise very few resources.  We will provide a couple of computers for people to fill out job applications or use email.  A phone will be available.   The showers downstairs have been restored to functionality and a washer and dryer are being installed behind the kitchenette.   Of course, there will be stated policies and FIRC will be the referring agency.  Why are we doing this?  We perceive there is a need and Matthew’s Jesus said, “I was hungry and you gave me food… thirsty… a stranger… naked… sick… in prison…  and you…”  Matthew’s list is not exhaustive but descriptive of his culture.  Our list would include many more including the jobless and homeless or those without the access to resources that many of us take for granted.   It will be staffed by trained volunteers, perhaps some of you.  

As I think about it, the greatest risk involved for a volunteer is that you will be moved from the abstract to the specific; from the impersonal to the personal and perhaps even get a glimpse of  the face of Jesus in the faces of those who use the center.  

I know that many of you already are connected with organizations, agencies and efforts that give you the opportunity to move from the abstract to the specific; from the impersonal to the personal; from seeing someone as a category or wearing a label to engaging them as a human being-to seeing the face of Jesus in the faces of others:  mentoring programs, tutoring programs, the Community Dinner, or volunteering in any number of Summit County efforts.  I know of LOTM people  who drive to Denver every week to serve at soup kitchens and community meals in the Front Range. 

“I was,” says Matthew’s Jesus, “and you…”  This passage is a challenge to move from detachment to engagement, and when that happens the end result is always in some way, personal and communal transformation, the building of community and the empowerment of others.

When we look at the massive problems in the world that are deeply rooted in poverty related issues, the easy way out is to simply abdicate and detach into the attitude that there is nothing I can do.   But then we, who still name ourselves if even in a feeble way after Jesus, are still left with this passage and Matthew’s Jesus who keeps looking at us through the eyes of the poor, oppressed and marginalized.  It is if he is saying, “Here I am-over here-in this life. Come to me.” 

Christians have always made a huge deal out of incarnation – that in Jesus we experience the fullness of God in the depths of life.  I would suggest to you that for Matthew that was not a doctrine of belief, but a transformative world view of where we meet and experience God in the world.   If you place yourself at risk and muster the courage to look deeply into the eyes of someone you have categorized or marginalized and caught a glimpse of the face of Jesus, I warn you that you may never be the same again. 

If you are a person of abundant  resource you may find yourself giving a whole bunch of it away and perhaps even risking becoming more poor yourself.  Seeing Jesus in the faces of others may change the places you spend time, the schedule you live by, the people you hang out with, the lifestyle you assume, and the priorities you consider sacred.  For some it may mean owning up to the fact that by virtue of your gender, economic status, or your given race, or the country you were born in, or your ethnicity, the opportunities that came your way put you in position of advantage that many others on this planet do not have or enjoy.   

As a person who intentionally names himself a follower of Jesus, this story changes everything for me.  Jesus calls me into a depth and level of faith that I can only describe as a life-altering world-view.  For it means that every face on this planet is sacred; that I cannot ever look into a face again and see it as just an ordinary face; or see it merely as the face of an adversary; or an enemy; or someone I dislike; or a member of a category, or a label I stick on, or a face I turn away from because I do not want to acknowledge their pain.  For if I dare look deep enough, and I dare look long enough, I risk seeing the face of Jesus - and that changes everything – even me - and if it changes me, and you, and whole bunch of us, then it will ultimately change the world.