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The freedom of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is under fire today. This statement is already becoming old in the developing graceless wilderness of the last frontier, here in America. For what can we do when we have allowed an empire to be built around everything BUT Christ Jesus’ Gospel? Am I a politician preaching the Word of God? Certainly NOT! I am a 46 year old child of God, child of Grace, an artist and survivor called by God to preach and teach the Good News. But maybe soon, evil people will take that right, away from not only me but a multitude of voices. After all, we must have “freedom” from religion, freedom from others’ rights or opinions!
For
the last number of years I have sat on the sidelines of hearing ridiculous
battles abroad from people who focus as said again in echo... on everything BUT
what Jesus’ Gospel truly means! Our
self-righteousness has become a black hole of depravity for the sake of POWER
and CONTROL. The Gospel should never
become a “gruel-line” of cafeteria-style cheap grace. The Gospel of Jesus is supposed to be LIVING
and feeding a multitude!
Yes,
this sermon is starting out in a “blaze of fiery words” but even St. Paul
ironically says what our dilemma is currently: “1I
am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by
the Holy Spirit— 2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my
heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off
from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh.”
You cannot and should not deny your
conscience... especially when it is reflecting fleeting moments of the spiritual
fruits of the Gospel incorporated in the heart such as compassion, kindness,
mercy, love, etc. Just the other day on
the news, there was a very sad story of a woman driving on the highway who saw
a mother duck and some of her ducklings getting run over. She, feeling compassion for God’s creatures
pulls over immediately and rescues the remaining ducklings. In the meantime, she is being written a hefty
ticket for breaking the law. She
willingly paid it. But was she supposed
to follow the “American mindset” and turn an indifferent eye because there is
some rule against it?
Many people would do that, just like
we more often than not allow the atheists, militant Muslims, and various other
groups persecute and condemn Christianity, our faith in action... Crosses are removed—dare they offend, people
are scolded, removed or banned for daring to pray. Since when has it ever been ok or “institutionalized”
that we are NOT allowed to BE?! The
separation of church and state is a complete lie. It is merely a filter to restraining,
eliminating the Gospel of Christ for the world of sin and depravity to be the
Evil One’s victory!
Martin Luther himself, had to stand
in a courtroom of people ready and willing to convict him because he stood in
the way of their control and power. His
infamous speech is something we should consider a timeless message of
encouragement for us to be that unstoppable voice from behind the pulpit and out
in the streets! He says in several statements
at the Diet of Worms hearing: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the
Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in
councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and
contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my
conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant
anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God
help me.... Here I stand; I can do no otherwise. God help me. Amen!”
God indeed, helped Luther to among
many things, translate the Latin Bible into German and spread the “forbidden,”
scriptures to the public eye and ear... the Living Word, Bread from Heaven out
and about to the known world at the time.
The Gospel of Grace was once again freed for the world to hear, see,
experience and most importantly truly LIVE!
Today’s Gospel has amazing
revelations for us in our current dilemma—This is what makes the Word Living as
well as our discipleship Manna! Twice in
the beginning verses of the story of the feeding of the 5,000, the Word
deserted is mentioned. Jesus wanted to
withdraw and be at a deserted place but the crowds sought Him out. They purposely sought him out to be healed,
to hear His Words and unknowingly be fed in more ways than one.
In a deserted place not only the
crowds grew but the radiance of the Gospel brought forth life to the area and
all in its path. This is the reality of
the Gospel! But perhaps today if Jesus
were in the world trying to do the exact same thing, he’d need permits, pay
fees, ask for permission, press conferences and face the tyranny of our
obsession with power and control even more so than ever faced with the Romans
and the Sanhedrin.
Just this morning on the news, there
was an awful story about the IRS and a special interest atheist group—“Freedom
from religion” seeking to condemn, punish and control the religious freedoms of
the Christian faith. The gentleman
interviewed, Jay Christian Adams, a former justice attorney, said that
basically this group among others is trying to “rebrand theology as politics”
and he also makes a truthful statement that “churches, people of faith are
supposed to be FREE whether you like it or not!” Yikes, then what on earth has happened?
Essentially if we were to see today’s
government involved in this Gospel’s story they would be the police and
bouncers forcing away the crowds from gathering? Maybe they would be forcing those gathering
to be monitored and perhaps investigated for their interests and intentions of
having faith?! But perhaps they are
seeing it through a society and current culture that has advanced in
selfishness, greed, indifference and self-righteousness where the
Judeo-Christian ethic has long been deteriorating to what they deem as the
perfected structure: Political ideology—idolatry.
These illustrations shared are
darkness in contrast to the Light and beauty of the Gospel, and perhaps they
are too strong to hear but if we recall Jesus’ own herald—John the Baptist was
that voice crying out in the wilderness to prepare the Way of the Lord. He as well, was unrelenting in beginning to
appeal to his captor, Herod to feel remorse for the crime he committed. As we know, his voice was silenced by
sin.
Nothing much has changed in our
charge to herald the Gospel, it is still a real call for us to be held
accountable to if indeed we are or consider ourselves, disciples of
Christ! The world we have allowed the
Evil One to build up through our indifference, sin is spiritually starving
itself to death—becoming the desolate, graceless wilderness that would rather
silence the Living Word than live into it.
What I am left in asking especially
in light of all these awful news stories of “neo-persecutions...” Are you
really Free? Are you really free to be
and become a freely-responsible servant to the Gospel of Christ Jesus?! Or are you allowing yourself to be “marshalled”
by the Evil One’s empty promises—a nihilistic dictatorship promising death,
depravity and desolation!
AMEN
August 3rd, 2014; 8th
Sunday after Pentecost; Year A; SOLA Lectionary Nicole Collins
Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26; Isaiah
55:1-5; Romans 9:1-13 & Matthew 14:13-21
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