Proper 6B, June 17, 2018
1 Samuel 15:34-16:13; Psalm 20
2 Corinthians 5:6-17; Mark 4:26-34
St Thomas the Apostle
The Rev’d Leo Loyola
Some might argue that Christianity is a faith of violence, corruption, and bigotry. After this week, I can’t blame them.
On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended an immigration policy that began in early 2017.
Essentially the policy says that if a family were apprehended entering the country illegally, the children would be separated from their parents at the border.
Zero tolerance. No ifs, ands, or buts.
It is the nuclear option to our country’s immigration problem.
But if current policy isn’t disturbing enough, consider the fact that Sessions cited, of all things, the authority of Scripture to defend it.
He said:
I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13 to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order. Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves and protect the weak and lawful.1
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders later stated that “it is very biblical to enforce the law.”2
To be clear, this is the passage both Sessions (Here I include just verses 1 and 2, but read through 7) referred to:
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
But what Sessions ignored was Paul’s summation (verse 10), that: Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Beyond the fact that an unnecessarily cruel policy exists, what should bother us Christians is the fact that Sessions is blatantly saying that God authorizes it.
As a people gathered together under our Baptismal Covenant, we should be disturbed by this.
After all, with God’s help, we faithfully strive:
- To continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers;
- To persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord;
- To proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ;
- To seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as ourselves; and
- To strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being
When a message of divine love is, instead, wielded as one’s personal tool for hate and fear-mongering, no good can come from it.
When we allow it, our faith becomes a mirror of the state of our world today.
As we turn to our readings, Paul and the church at Corinth find themselves at a similar crossroad.
A couple Sundays ago, I spoke about how the Corinthians interpreted Paul’s loving guidance as a personal attack against how they practiced their faith.
And so they rebelled.
They picked-picked-picked at perceived inconsistencies in Paul’s remarks. They questioned his motives.
And even when they knew they were wrong, they ignored Paul anyway.
Using Sessions’ interpretation of Scripture, Paul would be justified to use his apostolic authority against the Corinthians. It would be as if he’s saying: You either listen to me, or you have no part of in my — I mean, Christ’s — Church.
When we begin our reading from 2 Corinthians, it seems as if Paul is speaking as if he sees himself in the right:
We are always confident; for we walk by faith, not by sight. Whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Cor 5:6-10)
Paul seems to come across as a Mr. Know-It-All Christian, providing more fodder for the Corinthians to chew on.
But, despite whatever right to power Paul might claim, hear how he chooses to exercise his authority.
Not through title or autocratic power.
Not with slick persuasion. Nor crafty logic. Instead, he chooses to model the humility of Christ.
We try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you (vv. 11-13)
If people can’t see be convinced of Christ through the love and humility in our words and deeds, then what value does our faith truly carry?
If people can’t see Christ in how we live our lives, then how can people truly see God?
May we remind ourselves that God doesn’t justify our human will and behavior, no matter how good we see ourselves.
May we, with help from the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ, strive to be justified in God’s eyes.
1 Zauzmer, J., & McMillan, K. (2018, June 15). Sessions cites Bible passage used to defend slavery in defense of separating immigrant families. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/06/14/jeff-sessions-points-to-the-bible-in-defense-of-separating-immigrant-families/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2df3d2b27eec
2 Jones, E. (2018, June 15). ‘It is Very Biblical to Enforce the Law’: Sarah Sanders, Jeff Sessions Cite Bible in Controversial Border Policy. Retrieved from http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2018/june/it-is-very-biblical-to-enforce-the-law-rsquo-sarah-huckabee-sanders-cites-the-bible-to-defend-controversial-immigration-policy
