I doubt that any of Jesus’ new disciples expected the words they heard that morning. This portion of the Gospel according to Luke takes place shortly after Jesus finishes naming those who will be closest to him. He has called these people into his ministry and now he comes down from the heights and into their midst. He comes down to the level plain, among large numbers of people of all conditions of life, and he gives his first address to his chosen twelve who will be his apostles and to the rest of his gathered disciples.
And these words—his inaugural message, if you will—fly in the face of everything the disciples have ever been taught. Since the beginning of the story-telling of the Hebrew people, it’s been easy to figure out whom God is blessing. In the stories of the Hebrew people, beginning with Adam and Eve, moving through Noah, continuing with Abram and Sarai and Hagar and all their children, then going on to Moses and the prophets, it’s easy to see where God’s favor lies.
Moses says it very clearly and expectantly as he prepares to lead God’s
people through the wilderness: He tells God: “Show me a sign so that I’ll
know that I find favor in your sight.”
And Moses expected God’s blessing would be revealed in tangible signs
of God’s favor. All the people of his age and the ages to follow were
certain that people’s lives were reflections of God’s pleasure or
displeasure. Those who were righteous and therefore found favor in God’s
sight—those who were blessed by God—had lives that reflected that
blessing. They were rich in material goods—remember all the cattle Abraham
collected in his wanderings—their families grew large and were healthy
and prospered, they lived long lives filled with the all the goodness life can
bring. In short, the people believed that God acts very much as people tend
to act—God does good things for the people who please God and visits calamity
on the people who don’t please God and that it’s very easy to see
which group is which.
But Jesus turns the teaching of the generations upside down. He tells the people that God blesses the poor—that God blesses the hungry—that God blesses those who weep and that God blesses those who are hated. He tells the apostles that the sign of their blessing will be their own poverty and hunger, sorrow and alienation. Jesus explains to those who have given all they have and turned away from all they have known to follow him that they should not expect that God’s blessing will result in an easy life. He tells them that God has called them to live in the midst of struggle.
Some time ago, I attended a meeting of the Interfaith Council on Religion, Race, Economic and Social Justice. Rabbi Melanie Aron of Congregation Shir Hadash, who at that time was president of the council, spoke to us about the history of Interfaith Council’s work, including successful support for the living wage and for children’s health initiatives. She also told us about a Jewish prayer, a grace after meals that’s prayed throughout the world. One part of the prayer in praise of God says:
“I have been young and I have been old, and never have I seen the righteous abandoned and their children hungry.”
Now it’s clear that any one who has lived long enough to be old—anywhere in the world—has indeed seen the righteous abandoned and their children hungry. So you can imagine that these lines of the prayer have presented a difficulty. As Rabbi Melanie says, lying in a prayer doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. However, Jews—like Episcopalians—are not eager to make changes in traditional matters. But despite reluctance to change, the tension couldn’t be left as it was, and over time—perhaps centuries—a solution was reached: It has become tradition that when people speak this part of the prayer, they whisper. They whisper these words. They whisper until they can be part of making these words come true.
You may not be familiar with the full range of the MDGs. They are:
These are huge goals. Eradicate poverty and hunger. Achieve universal primary
education.
They are huge, but I have no doubt that these goals can be met. I have no doubt
that three things will make achieving these goals happen: compassion, commitment
and courage. Compassion for those who are suffering. Commitment not only to treat
the symptoms of our world economy but to transform systems with an eye to social
justice. Courage in the face of opposition to continue to press for justice for
all God’s people.
Over the years, I’ve asked you to look into your hearts, to identify the ways God is calling you to ministry, to listen for the ways God is calling you to action. What I am asking you to do this morning is to notice what is happening in your own life. Jesus is still calling us to live in the midst of struggle. And those struggles come in all sizes. I'm asking you to notice what is happening in your own life. Notice the stirrings of your heart. Notice the times you whisper the words you would rather speak out loud to God. Notice what part of the struggle we live in leads you to compassion. Notice where you don’t want to go. And notice what happens to you when you get there. Notice what calls forth your courage—even a little bit. And ask God what you are called to do so that we can shout those words:
“I have been young and I have been old, and never have I seen the righteous abandoned and their children hungry.”