June 22, 2014
Family Values
- Matthew 10:24-39
- Dr. Teri Thomas
Jesus is crazy!
He says- I have come to set son against father,
I have come to set daughter against mother,
I have come to tear your family apart.
What is he? Nuts?
What about all the love and forgiveness we always hear in the gospels
One’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Where does that come from?
Well, when Jesus spoke these words the world was a different place
and the family was different as well.
In Jesus’ day the father was the head of the house- the boss of all
And the head of the household’s faith.
Whatever faith the man chose- the entire household had to follow-
The wife, the kids, even the servants.
So Jesus came into that world with new teachings.
He challenged people to a new faith
That faith required a new way of living.
If I person chose to follow Jesus they had to really follow
They had to change their understanding of the world
They had to alter their opinions
They had to share all they had
They had to eat with outcasts- people who may have been “beneath them”
If a family member chose to follow in the way of Jesus they would be kicked out of the family.
Disowned, Rejected, Denied
If you chose to follow Jesus you had to know it meant making foes of your family.
Harsh words.
But today one household may have three or more different faith’s represented.
Even more likely, it has none.
So being a Christian does not make us enemies of our family- usually.
So what does it mean for us?
We need to recognize here that Jesus is asking folks to give up something important.
Families were a source of support- protection- education- career
If you left a family you left your financial security,
your assurance of care in old age, your sense of safety and security.
So Jesus was not saying- you will hate something bad
or something you should give up anyway.
Jesus was saying- I will make you foes with people you love,
people who care for you, people who are good and important in your life.
It is one thing to say give up cigarettes or chocolate or alcohol
It is something altogether different to give up love, security, happiness.
Last week I had the opportunity to attend a few days of our denomination’s family reunion.
We call it the General Assembly and commissioners are sent from all over the church to set policy, to debate issues, and to set direction for our denomination.
In many ways we are family-
we share the same father,
we have the same name (Presbyterian).
We are also similar to family in that we are all different
and therefore we tend to squabble and fight and pick on one another.
Our hope and our prayer is that we do that in love.
Jesus’ hope and prayer is that we do it because we are trying to follow him.
But like families-
we sometimes find ourselves divided over issues.
We don’t agree on the right path for following Jesus.
So sometimes we end up becoming foes.
But in my experience we only become foes
when our adherence is to the issue or a position, rather than to Christ.
We become foes when we cling so hard to what we know, where we feel safe,
what gives us a personal sense of security, we cling so tightly that we cannot cling to our God.
Our General Assembly is one that says- please stay at the table
You are an important part of this family
We love you
But we want you to let go- be open
Let go of what you have always believed, known, held as truth
Open yourself to the voices in the family
to the voice of God.
Listen, learn, wonder,
The General Assembly is much like the parent of an adult child
It says- this is what I think, this is what I believe, this is what I hope you will do.
We, the members, are the adult children.
We say thank you, I will.
Or- Thanks but no thanks
Or no way dad- you are wrong.
None of those responses change your relationship to the family.
We do not have to agree with the positions of the church
in order to call ourselves Presbyterian.
Your family took many actions last week.
Some routine. Some controversial. Some long over-due and some too soon.
By an overwhelming vote the first step was taken to add a new confession to the Book of Confessions. This has not happened for 30 years. The committee said- We believe the Confession of Belhar, a profound statement on unity, reconciliation, and justice in the church,
comes to us as a word from God for this particular time and place for the PC(USA).
What we believe and the way we say it changes through history.
This is a tribute to the reformed nature of the Presbyterian Church.
After years of debate and study the Assembly voted to grant pastors the ability to conduct same-gender marriages in civil jurisdictions where such marriages are legal.
Another recommendation- to change the constitutional definition of marriage in our Book of Order from “between and man and a woman” to “between two people, traditionally between a man and a woman.”
That action must be ratified by the 172 local Presbyteries.
Following those actions a pastoral letter was sent to the entire denomination
reminding us that our primary mission in this world is one of reconciliation
and even in our disagreements we must bestow God’s grace and love on one another.
The most controversial action of the Assembly was approved by a vote of 310-303.
It calls for voluntary divestment in three companies some allege
are engaged in “non-peaceful pursuits” in Israel and Palestine.
The closeness of the votes shows our family is not of one mind.
The Assembly made clear this is not alignment
with any boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
It also reaffirmed its support of a two state resolution in the Middle East
and a commitment to positive investment in the area.
Other areas of discussion included gun violence, abortion, and tax reform.
The commissioners who were voting did not all agree.
The observers (including me) did not all agree.
The congregations in the denomination will never all agree
and the members are not going to be in agreement.
What is important is that we remember
Our General Assembly is one that says- please stay at the table
You are an important part of this family
We love you
But we want you to let go- be open
Let go of what you have always believed, known, held as truth
Open yourself to the voices in the family
open yourself to the voice of God
Listen, learn, wonder,
When the conversation is over
you may still believe the same thing. That is OK.
You may change your mind.
That is OK too.
I think Jesus would say
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth;
Or peace of mind.
I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set family members against one another
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own denomination.
Whoever loves an issue, a position,
a point of view more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves their side of the debate
more than me is not worthy of me;
whoever values being right
more than being faithful
is not worthy of me
and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me
is not worthy of me.
Those who find their life will lose it,
and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
We are Presbyterians
We are reformed.
And by the grace of God we are always reforming.
Amen.