Proper 18: September 5, 2004.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Psalm 1

Philemon 1-21

Luke 14:45-33

First Reading

Allegiance seems to be our common thread in these readings. Deuteronomy advocates for allegiance to the commandments, the psalm to the law, Philemon to "the duty," and Luke to Christ in faith. Each reading markets this allegiance by identifying the quite unattractive alternatives: death, adversity, curse (Deuteronomy); being wicked, chaff, scoffers (psalm); an implied betrayal of authority, though the appeal is made in love (Philippians); not being a disciple, embarrassment, ridicule, and defeat (Luke). All the readings present these seemingly Frostian "two roads diverged in a yellow wood" to the readers, with the invitation to "choose this day whom you will serve."

If allegiance is the theme, the task for today's disciples to discern is how exactly we are to pledge our allegiance to this God. "Delight in the law--meditate on it day and night," is the psalmist's response. "Love the Lord your God, walk in his ways and observe his commandments.... Obey the Lord and hold fast to him," Moses cries to the people. "Live and share the faith; welcome and forgive," offers Paul. And Jesus urges us to keep our relationship with God as the highest priority, to carry the cross, and most simply "Follow me!"

Pastoral Reflection

The first reading of these lessons in public worship will generate confusion and wonder over what appears to be Jesus encouraging hatred of family members. People can easily take this text out of its context and way too far. They may wonder: Must I hate my parents? Doesn't Jesus care about my marriage, or my kids? Suicidal thoughts are good? Whatever the congregation may be wondering, preachers can be certain that they have everyone's attention as they begin the sermon this day. Most biblical scholars agree that Jesus' discourse on discipleship is not intended literally but rather as a sort of hyperbole. Jesus employs a literary technique for showing importance of love for God--the absolute most important relationship in one's life! "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind"--love God so much that by comparison it would be as if you hated those people to whom you are closest, those you honor, those you love.

The Greek word used to convey Jesus' teaching here, miseo, does not convey the same violent emotions as the English word hate but more closely aligns with our word conflict. Knowing the Greek helps me to rationalize these abrasive words, and I suppose the literary-technique explanation is understandable. Yet, I have a nagging feeling that Jesus' words should not be softened or explained away in this manner. We all need the harshness of this lesson. When the Holy Spirit transforms us we cannot help but live the radical Good News. The love of God alters our lives, changes our perspectives, realigns our priorities. People will not like it; change is always resisted. Be prepared to face resistance, and understand the costs of discipleship, Jesus warns in this text. Such conflict is not to be invited, but calculated; not to be solicited, but expected.

Conflict shows itself in the spouse who resents increasing the tithe the family makes to the church or becomes upset when asked to make a special offering. It's revealed in the kids who put up a fight screaming, "Why do we have to go to church every Sunday?" There's the high-school student who is teased or criticized by her friends for spending more time at church than with them. There is the child who wants to stay for a midweek Lenten service, but her father drags her out of the church. Imagine some families' reaction when their daughter brings home a homeless person for dinner. Consider some families' resistance to going to church on a holiday weekend (like this one). Reflect on the struggle to practice grace and forgiveness in the workplace when competition and revenge is expected. Yes, this miseo/conflict will take on many and various forms.

But the conflict does not contradict God's law. "Honor your father and your mother" is commandment number 4. No, Jesus came "not to abolish [the law], but to fulfill." Jesus' warning is only to keep it straight! The protection of the nuclear family unit and the respect of elders in commandment number 4 is just that, number 4. We must not forget what comes before that! Our highest calling is to our God, the One God, before whom we have no other gods, whose name we do not take in vain, and whose sabbath day we keep sacred.

God must come first in our life, heart, mind, schedule, and budget. The scriptural context becomes important here, as we recognize where this teaching lies in Luke's Gospel. Just before this text, we have the Parable of the Great Dinner, where the invitation is refused because of land, oxen, and marriage. Not too much has changed in these two centuries. A new house, new wheels, or a new relationship remain what the survey says are our top three excuses and false idols. "We have a lot going on right now; just as soon as things settle down we'll come back to church." What do we put before God's name, before Christ's invitation, before the Spirit's movement?

The Good News for us is that, regardless of our proficiency in pledging our allegiance to God, God has allegiance to us! The greatest pledge of God's allegiance to humanity happened on a hill called Calvary. It is because Jesus took up a cross for us that we are not afraid to take up our crosses and follow him. Conflicts considered, ramifications recognized, consequences calculated, and implications identified, we follow. We follow the God who so loved the world ... the Christ who gave himself for our forgiveness and salvation ... the Spirit who transforms us into disciples ... oh yeah, we follow, all right. Experiencing God's amazing, radical love in Christ Jesus our Lord, we want to show this Good News with our lives!

"The table over there has picked up your tab," the waitress said. This random act of kindness seemed to me a great way to live out one's allegiance and faith, especially as I tallied the cost of our dinners. "Charge it to my account," Saint Paul writes to Philemon. Whatever it is that he has done wrong, whatever he owes, put it on my card. Paul makes this appeal in love, on behalf of a slave, now new believer, Onesimus. This is no small story. Onesimus' story might help to illuminate the whole salvation story, for we are the runaway slave that has done wrong, broken the law, and deserves death. Our Owner/Creator is no doubt angry with us. But Jesus' intervening, loving action allows us to become beloved children, and we have the promise of being welcomed home. As we fathom from what God's love in Christ has rescued us, we consider how we, in faith, could intervene for others. In the legal system, in the workplace, in our family, in our community, and in the world there are Onesimus-like folk for whom we should "do our duty"--our intervening, faithful, loving, Christian duty. The kind of dedication, sacrifice, love, allegiance, and devotion with which God challenges us through these texts--can we even imagine it? Hardly, but God can! God does! God loves! SKB