2-10-22 - Where's the Love?

You can listen to this reflection here.

Next Monday is Valentines Day, but it’s hard to find the love in Jesus’ "sermon on the plain."

"Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets…
"Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets."

It can be awfully tempting to take these words and say, “If everybody hates me, I must be doing something right!” Many a clergyperson (or despot…) wielding his or her will over a community has employed such false logic to justify themselves. “I’m just like Jesus, persecuted and holy!”

Let’s assume that is not what Jesus meant. Remember, this whole teaching is directed to his disciples, those who have already committed themselves to following him and the way of life and love he was teaching. That Way ran profoundly counter to the ways of culture, not to mention human nature. He is warning them that people don’t respond well to having their assumptions challenged, their power threatened, their worldview turned upside down. In his service, they will encounter exclusion, derision, persecution and worse. He cautions them not to let their value be determined by what others think about them, nor to adjust their teaching or actions according to their popularity.

Jesus wisely sets the rejection his followers would face into the framework of what happened to the prophets of old, many of whom persisted, despite persecution and punishment, in giving dire warnings that kings did not want to hear. Jesus wanted his followers to know that if they claim to speak for God, they should expect trouble.

And, of course, those who claim to speak for God better be certain that’s what they are doing. How can we know? We can always check our preaching and teaching against what we find in Scripture, the whole sweep of Scripture, that is, not just individual passages. And we need to ground our missional life in prayer, in that relationship into which God invites us daily. And we need to look for good fruit.

If people are coming to faith through our ministries, lives being transformed, and energy being released for mission, we know God is with us. We can withstand the discontent of those who disagree or feel left behind, and continually invite them to join in. But if the only fruit resulting from our teaching or actions is discord and hurt, it’s likely the Holy Spirit is not with us in what we’re doing.

The Holy Spirit is the key. Jesus did nothing without the Spirit, and neither should we. Not only does the Spirit empower our ministries and inspire our preaching, the Spirit is also called Advocate, one who stands with us against our accusers. Whether people speak ill of us or well is not all that important. If we are moving on the winds of the Spirit, we are aligned with God. And God delights in us.

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