Genesis 21: 8-21 (Common English Bible)
Matthew 10: 24-39 (Common English Bible)
The gospel of Matthew was written in a post-war era, sometime between 80-85 AD. The war between the Jewish defenders of Jerusalem and the Roman Empire (66-70 AD) was over and Rome had triumphed. More than one million Jewish men, women and children were killed and more than 97,000 were enslaved. The Temple at Jerusalem was burnt to the ground. It was the end of the world for many devout Jewish people.
During and after the war, large numbers of the residents of Jerusalem fled to the northern regions of Galilee and Syria to escape the Roman siege of Jerusalem. In the north, the Pharisees tended to dominate and took the lead in organizing and settling these war-time refugees. And with the Temple gone, the Sadducees were put out of business. You remember that group, the same that put Jesus on trial for heresy, used religion for personal wealth and collaborated with the Roman occupations. Ironic the co-collaborators with the Sadducees, the Romans, ended the Sadduccess’ great political power when they destroyed the Temple. As the old saying goes, “the chickens have come home to roost!”
Matthew was trying to hold together a Jewish-Christian community in a very difficult situation. The Apostle Paul’s mission to the gentiles was having some success. But Jewish Christianity was steadily losing ground. The division between the Jewish leaders and followers of Jesus had reached a tipping point by the late 1st century. It was during this period the followers of Jesus were being exiled from the synagogues in northern Israel.
The opening sentences of this gospel reading does begin with some optimism. Jesus delegates authority to the 12 disciples. He gives them the power to do miracles and provides them with a message to proclaim. But Jesus does tell them that difficult days are ahead. Division will happen and in verse 34, that is what the word “sword” means in that verse, “division.” That was an Aramaic idiom that Jesus used, not for violence, but to mean strife and division. Jesus was a person of peace and not war. Read what Jesus said in real time in Matthew 26:52 when he was being arrested, “those who live by the sword, will die by the sword.” The only thing close to violence that Jesus ever did, was when he ran the greedy merchants out of the Temple.
Jesus told his disciples if they are roughed up in a certain town, just move on to the next village. The disciples are to be gentle and loving messengers of the gospel. Their very attitude must mirror God’s love.
But the rest of the reading turns to some pessimism and warnings. Despite all the compassion the disciples show, they will be assaulted, arrested and even killed. And their words about Jesus will bring about the division of families because of his gospel. One example is that if you don’t love Jesus more than your father, mother and children, your faith is bogus.
It might come as a surprise to many American Christians, that Jesus was not a “family values” preacher. Read Mark 3: 33-35. This might come as a shock to many churches who have based their entire ministry and curriculum on “family values.” And everytime I hear a politician say they're a “family values” candidate, a red flag comes up to me. Those candidates are reliving the “Leave It To Beaver” and “Father Knows Best” days. Not today’s reality.
But why is the gospel sometimes hated? We do have to admit because the so-called messengers of the gospel have in many cases been the opposite of Jesus. Throughout history the Church at times has tried to convert people by force and violence. Read about Charlemagne’s violent conversion of the Saxons in the early 9th century. Certain medieval popes were little better than Mafia bosses who had their rivals assassinated. Eventually, it was the Christians putting people into prison because of their disbelief or believing the wrong Christian doctrine. The first 300 years of the Jesus faith, was when it was truly the authentic message of Jesus. With a few exceptions, it was downhill after that. Yes, the Church continued to grow and flourish throughout Europe and elsewhere, but the actual message of Jesus did not.
In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus assumes the disciples will be faithful to his message. And they were. Jesus operates from the idea they will be innocent doves and sheep who will proclaim the Good News. But Jesus does warn them of persecution, rejection and hatred. It is not just the Church at its worst that will be rejected, but sometimes the Church at its very best. There is something very near the heart of the gospel that doesn’t sit well with many good people. What is that something?
The heartbeat of the gospel is love, grace, forgiveness, renewal, hope and joy. Rejecting the gospel would be similar to someone hating the sight of adorable kittens and puppies. How can someone not like puppies? We’ve raised three generations of Pomeranians and they were part of our family. So, how can someone not like the gospel? It drips with love, grace and hope.
But what lies behind the love, grace and hope that disturbs people? First of all it means acknowledging you have missed the mark. A common word for that is sin. It’s a separation from God, which many people don’t even think about. Another word is grace. Who could not like grace? Maybe someone who refuses to believe they need outside help. Maybe anyone who is convinced that human cunning, personal skill and achievement and a successful life should be enough to get a passing grade from God. And there is a word for that mindset - hubris.
Accepting grace gives the freedom that many face when admitting feeling helpless and inadequate. Many people have a hard time admitting they need Prozac to hold depression down or need SNAP benefits and federal assistance to exist. Shame often follows people in such situations. However, when grace is embraced, you are accepted, the shame and guilt is gone. It was a sea-captain on a ship delivering slaves, who saw that slavery was evil, and repented and wrote one of the most beloved hymns ever composed, “Amazing Grace.”
The story of Hagar and her son Ishmael by Abraham, is about love, grace and mercy. When Sarah and Abraham decide to exile Hagar and Ishmael because of Sarah’s jealousy, God shows compassion to Hagar and her son. Hagar is the only person in the Bible to name God, a powerful act in the ancient world. The name she chooses is El-Roi “the Living One Who Sees Me” and that is from Genesis 16: 13-14. In other words, God sees, loves and exalts those whom the privileged try to ignore and exclude.
The story of Hagar has long been seen by women descended from enslaved women from Africa, as a story they can relate to. Hagar was from Egypt and there was a good probability she was Black. Hagar’s experience has a similarity to the enslaved women in the South prior to the Civil War. They often gave birth to the children of their white owner. But they had no rights.
God continues to reassure women who are marginalized, that they are seen. The question is, do we hear them? I would ask those who call themselves “pro-life” to advocate for greater equity in the health-care system where women of color have much higher rates of maternal mortality than their white counterparts. And can we hear the weeping of the mothers of Black and brown boys and girls when their children are victims of police brutality?
If we hear them, then we must not remain silent, but act accordingly. We must not only listen, but truly hear and act, living out our faith in the world. This too is the Gospel.
AMEN
