Faithful Conversations #21

Introduction to Readers:
The American Revolution drew me into history more than 50 years ago and I have spent countless hours studying our fascinating founding period and what followed. This week’s celebration of our national birth is a good reminder that as Christians, we are challenged to continually reexamine the political world within the context of our faith (and yes, we should discuss religion and politics, even though we are often warned against doing so!). My reflections will primarily be drawn from Zechariah and the Gospel this week, although Paul’s commentary on sin in the Romans passage is relevant as well. As a heads-up, I have provided several links (more than usual) if you want to go further with the information — you will note those as italicized text (referencing paragraph 2 of the Declaration, the evolution of the Pledge of Allegiance, the Babylonian Captivity, Cyrus the Great, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer — quite the mix!). 

Thanks for your continued interest in studying the Bible and reflecting on how God’s word impacts our lives day to day!       

Readings for Pentecost 6:
Zechariah 9:9-12
Psalm 145:8-14
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

The First Reading: Zechariah 9:9-12
⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
¹⁰ He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
¹¹ As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
¹² Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.

 The Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
¹⁶ “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
¹⁷ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.’
¹⁸ “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; ¹⁹ the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; ²⁶ yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

This Week’s Reflection: 
Patriotism has been on my mind this week as we celebrate our national founding 247 years ago. I was raised with an authentic love and respect for our nation and its story, tempered by an awareness of its flaws — proud, yet humble. I have spent more than four decades trying to help emerging citizens to see their lives within that story. The beautiful promise of America embodied in paragraph 2 of the Declaration — that all people are equal in the eyes of the creator, remains an unfinished story. And may we remain committed to that goal of “liberty and justice for all,” as voiced in our Pledge of Allegiance. 

That confounding sibling of patriotism — politics — has also been on my mind this week, prompted in part, by the ancient poetry found in the reading from Zechariah. First, some background. Recall that the Old Testament prophets lived at a time of great political upheaval and their messages of dire warnings and restoration centered on the events of the Babylonian Captivity (c. 598-538 BCE) and beyond. The prophet Zechariah wrote during the post-exile period, after the benevolent Persian King Cyrus the Great permitted the Jewish people to return to their ancestral land. Not all chose to return, in part, because Jerusalem was in ruins and the future was uncertain. For some, staying in Babylon seemed the smarter choice. To those who did return, Zechariah’s prediction of the resurgence of the Jewish state and the coming Messiah (verses 9-10) must have seemed ridiculous. Imagine a king, at some future date, coming into Jerusalem not with a show of strength, but rather in humility, riding a donkey and commanding “peace to the nations!”  This is clearly not what they envisioned for their future! They were caught up, as we are, with the world’s version of power, as executed through the political struggle, which certainly lacks grace or humility! Jesus radically upends that version of power (see Matthew 21:2-7 or John 12:14-15).      

During my college years, I was introduced to the writings of Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) in one of my religion classes (we were studying the courageous Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was a student of Niebuhr’s at Union Theological Seminary in New York in the early 1930s).  Niebuhr is associated with the philosophy of Christian Realism, and offered a critique of politics that seems especially relevant to me in 2023.  His writing was especially popular during World War II and into the Cold War years and deeply influenced my father’s generation. His observation that “The sad duty of politics is to establish justice in a sinful world,” reminds us of our flawed nature and the perilous journey of pursuing political power. Further, it runs counter to the “my way or the highway” mentality that permeates our political environment today, and the hubris that nations, and often their leaders, assume (this seems especially outlandish in America during campaign seasons!). Niebuhr, by the way, also offered this bit of wisdom concerning our system of government, a good reminder of our need for humility and a willingness to work together for the common good: “Democracy is finding proximate solutions to insoluble problems.” Rest assured, there are no easy answers to many of our vexing issues.   

Though politics is often terribly frustrating, it is important for us to remember that Jesus navigated a complicated political environment during his ministry. The Roman Empire was the big player, but he also dealt with both local leaders representing that empire and religious authorities. In this week’s Gospel, one can sense our Lord’s frustration with politics and especially those powerful Pharisees who were so hard to please. He chastises them for criticizing John the Baptist and him, for opposite reasons (Matthew 11:16-19). With a hint of exasperation, he thanks God for denying enlightenment regarding his truth to the “wise and intelligent,” while making it apparent to infants through “his gracious will” (verses 25-26). And then, those beautiful words in verses 27-29 (worth reading more than once!), words that we all need to hear over and over again. Jesus continually reveals himself to us, at times boldly, at times quietly, providing rest for our souls, amidst the turmoil of this life. May we all stay the course.         

Soli Deo Gloria.

Prayer (inspired by Psalm 145:8-14): 
Lord, your love for us is steadfast, and your compassion, boundless. You uphold us when we fall, and promise an everlasting kingdom. May we continually speak of your glory. Amen. 

And, one more thought about God’s revelation of faith to children . . . . 

Would you all agree how terrific it is to see children within our worship spaces? They remind us of that simple and pure faith. Their uninhibited joy, perhaps, helps us get back to the basics. Speaking as part of the “elder crowd,” we need their uninhibited joy and they need our wisdom. Let’s keep doing everything we can to encourage their presence, along with young families! This is a picture of our youngest grandchild experiencing that first plunge into a lake this summer.