Paul Walker, “Earthly Things/Heavenly Things”
It is interesting to note St. Paul’s response to political and social tension. Of course, his time was rife with difficulties, just like every other era of every place on earth since the expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Paul was in conflict with not only the Roman Imperialists but also the Jewish authorities. These tensions with authority resulted in countless beatings, imprisonments, trials, and ultimately, his death. So, what was his response?
He did not urge his churches to “speak truth to power” (except, of course, for the bold proclamation of the gospel) or make a public statement. My guess is that he would have eschewed social media as a bizarre, disembodied and ultimately vapid and impotent way of communicating truth as profound as the gospel. He did not organize marches, or counter marches, or hang banners, or counter banners. He did not, like His Lord, believe in meeting hate with hate. He did not put a bumper sticker on his horse with any kind of message.
Quick caveat. As Christians, we live in this world. This world is a gift. Creation is a gift; we are fellow creatures with everything and everyone whom God has created. When Luther was asked what he’d do if the world was coming to an end, he said he would plant a tree – so He could be found living as a creature caring for and tending to creation, just like Adam and Eve in the Garden.
Justice is important. Equity is important. Fair political systems are important. They are all important to the extent that the structures of the world are meant serve and uplift all people – to, as we say in our baptismal vows – “respect the dignity of every human being.” Engagement in the life around us in important. If you feel the need to march, then march away! What I am pointing out in this sermon introduction is St. Paul’s response to political structure illustrated in today’s reading from 1 Timothy.
As we just heard, “First of all, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions.” The long and the short of it is that Paul wants the church in Ephesus – of whom Timothy is the leader – to pray. We believe in a living and active God who loves His world and, for whatever reason, asks us to pray to Him about this world. Sometimes we say something like, “well, it’s out of our hands now, all we can do is pray.” That’s looking at it backwards. The truth is that it never was in our hands to begin with and praying is not a last option, but the best option, even the most efficacious option.
This is one of the reasons why we include prayers for our political leaders in our Prayers of the People each Sunday. Pray, pray, pray. (Parenthetically, remember NEVER to read or listen to or watch ANY news before you read your bible and have your prayer time in the morning. That is a bad way to start any day. Why would you do that to yourself? If bible reading and praying is hard for you, I’ve heard there is a half-way decent Almost Daily Devotional on the market.)
There is an end game to the praying that Paul has in mind. He says to pray for our leaders, “so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” That sounds really good to me right now – living a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. But as nice as that sounds, that is not Paul’s end game. What he really wants is what he says God wants: for “everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” In Paul’s time and in our time, there is nothing more important than that. That is what our collect of the day means, as we pray to “not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure.”
In a very early 1981 U2 song called “October”, Bono sings/prays in a kind of ethereal voice, “October, the trees are stripped bare of all they wear. What do I care? October, And kingdoms rise, and kingdoms fall, but You go on, and on, You go on.” Hold fast to that which shall endure.
And what is that which shall endure? The question is not what, but Whom. And that Whom is God’s response to the world He so loves and His desire for everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. As Paul says, “there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all.” As we read in the book of Acts, “there is one name under heaven by which we are saved.”
Jesus of Nazareth, who was born in a stable, preached about forgiving others and loving your enemies, healed people of their diseases, was a friend to sinners, who died on a cross, who was raised from the dead on the third day is the one Mediator between God and humankind. Without Him, we can know nothing of God. Luther once said that when left to our own devices – our reason and experience – God is indiscernible from Satan. In other words, we can’t reason out why terrible things happen or even begin to make sense of the world or even ourselves. The only way we know who God is and the only we are saved from Sin and Death and Satan and ourselves is by knowing Jesus Christ and His saving work on the cross for the world God so loves.
Dave Zahl was a guest lecturer at a UVA media class last week – his topic was the best television show ever: Friday Night Lights. It’s a show about football that isn’t really about football. It’s about life. Dave talked about the way God’s grace is revealed in the show. When I student asked if he could just go to a football game instead of going to church, Dave said, “Football is great. But why not let football be football. And church be church. Because football can’t forgive you. Church can.”
He meant of course that church is where you are sure to hear about the one thing you desperately need: forgiveness. God’s news cycle never changes; you always hear the same news. On the cross, the one Mediator between God and humankind forgives you. He forgives you for being a sinner. He forgives the world for being the world. All of us. One fell-swoop and it’s done by our Mediator. because we can’t do it for ourselves and because He desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
Amen.