Wow!  Jesus sure is subversive!

          In today’s passage from Matthew,

                   which we reverently call “The Beatitudes”,

                             Jesus turns the values of this world on their heads,

                                      reversing everything that the world holds dear.

 

He asserts that the poor in spirit, the meek, the peacemakers

          are the ones who are truly blessed,

                   but as Tom Long reminds us,

                             We live in a world … that pronounces the benediction over the self-

                                    sufficient, the assertive, and the power brokers.  The people whom the

                                    world would see as pitiful – the mournful, the persecuted – are the very

                                    people Jesus claims are truly joyful.  [Thomas G. Long, Matthew, Westminster

                                                John Knox Press, 1997]

 

In Luke’s Gospel, he also includes The Beatitudes,

          but his focus is on the promises to those in need –

                   accompanied by some “woes” for the rich and powerful.

                             Luke includes the literally poor and hungry.

 

Matthew’s emphasis is definitely on warnings for those

          who are not poor in spirit, not meek, not peacemakers;

                   and in his Gospel Jesus refers to the poor in spirit

                             and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

 

This may have more to do with Matthew’s understanding of Jesus’ teachings

          because of the needs of the community in which he lived and worked.               

                  

I’m not sure about the “poor in spirit”,

          but I am certain that, for example, our state and national politics

                   would be very different if more of our lawmakers,

                             judges, and executives were meek and intent on making peace.

                                      Not to mention our commentators and pundits!

 

Now, I don’t know about you,

          but I have a hard time thinking of myself as blessed

                   when I’m being persecuted, whether for righteousness’ sake or not.

 

This is definitely not the way of the world.

          William Willimon puts it this way:

                   Be honest now.  Blessed are the meek?  Try being meek tomorrow at work and

                        see how far you get.  Meekness is fine for church, but in the real world the meek

                        get to go home early with a pink slip and a pat on the back.  Blessed are those

                        who are peacemakers; they shall get done to them what they are loath to do to

                        others.  Blessed are the merciful; they shall get it done to them a second time. 

                        Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; they shall be called

                        fanatics.  [William Willimon, “Looking Like Fools”, Christian Century, March 10, 1982]

 

Mother Theresa said that we, as Christians,

          are not called to be successful;

                   we are called to be faithful.

                             I might add that if we’re “successful” in the ways of the world

                                      we’re probably not very faithful to Jesus as the Christ.

 

To use St. Paul’s language, if we’re wise in the ways of the world

          we’re foolish to the ways of God.

                   Who but God would have chosen as the foundation of a nation

                             a childless nonagenarian couple?

                                      And then told them to name their child Laughter?

 

Floyd Shaffer, the father of modern Christian clowning,

          said that when God said “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”

                   God was really saying “I am the God of the Father of Many,

                             Laughter, and the Crooked One.”

 

Who but God would have chosen to limit divine power

          to come to earth as a tiny helpless baby

                   born to a common laborer, a carpenter and his teen-aged fiancé,

                             to be born in a barn?

 

Edward F. Marquart puts it like this:

          …if God were a respectable God, he would have been born in someplace like the Taj

            Mahal or the Kremlin or the White House or some other grand palace of Europe or

            China.  But God gets himself born in a cow barn.  A dirty old common cow barn.  How

            foolish.  [Edward F. Marquart, “Here Come the Clowns!”, www.sermonsfromseattle.com ]

 

Who but God would have thought to show divine power

          through human weakness, through death on a cross?

 

Paul writes to the Corinthians to chide them

          out of putting too much emphasis on human wisdom

                   and on the erudition and rhetorical gifts of their preachers,

                             the special status they were giving to their leaders.

 

I think that Paul, erudite, well-educated, and rhetorically gifted himself,

          had been astounded and astonished

                   at the differences between his ways and God’s ways.

 

I’m sure that if he hadn’t had that Damascus Road experience,

          or if after Ananais had restored his sight he had gone on

                   to climb the ladder in his synagogue or in Roman society,

                             he would have been heralded by the world as a great man.

 

Instead, he ended up dying for Christ

          after having been incarcerated several times.

                   A fool for Christ.

 

In William Loader’s words,

          What people despise and see as failure and shame, Paul sees as the beginning of wisdom. 

            God’s wisdom shows itself not in winning the speaking games and wowing followers, but

            in love which is prepared to face the worst.  This love-wisdom overturns the ambitious

            success driven models which strive for power.  Indeed true power lies in truly profound

            love.  [William Loader, “First Thoughts on Year A Epistle Passages from the Lectionary”,

                wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au ]

 

The wisdom of this world speaks of love as soft.

          What is revered as powerful is muscle, firepower, size, and stoicism.

                   You may remember politicians ridiculing the idea

                             that our President was looking for a Supreme Court Justice

                                      who practices empathy.

                   Empathy is looked on as weak.

                             Any emotion is looked on as weak.

                   Things of the head are valued higher than those of the heart.

                                                But, Paul says,

                             “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”

 

It is not just the white-face clowns who are called as “fools for Christ.”

          It is all of us who have answered Jesus’ call.

 

Frederick Buechner wrote a sermon called “The Clown in the Belfry”

          for a congregation’s 200^th anniversary celebration.

                   He tells the story of the building in 1831 of a new steeple

                             with a bell in it.

                   The history of the church says that, once it was completed,

                             one agile Lyman Woodard stood on his head in the belfry with his feet

                                    toward heaven.

 

Buechner says he hasn’t been able to find out

          anything else about Lyman Woodard, but that

                   I love him for doing what he did.  It was a crazy thing to do.  It was a risky thing

                        to do.  It ran counter to all standards of New England practicality and prudence.  It

                        stood the whole idea that you’re supposed to be nothing but solemn in church on

                        its head…

 

Buechner posits that if the Lord is our shepherd,

          then everything goes topsy-turvy.  Losing becomes finding and crying becomes laughing. 

            The last become first and the weak become strong… let us never forget Lyman Woodard

            … Let us join him in the belfry with our feet toward heaven like his, because heaven is

            where we are heading. [Frederick Buechner, “The Clown in the Belfry”, Secrets in the Dark:  A Life in

                Sermons, HarperSanFrancisco, 2006]

 

A funny thing happened to me in the writing of this sermon.

          I was working on it on Friday afternoon,

                   and when I was almost finished

                             I did something – I don’t know what – on the computer –

                                      and the whole thing disappeared!

                             I tried everything I could think of to get it back,

                                      but it was gonegonegone!

                             After a few moments of anguish,

                                      I started to laugh.

                                                Oh, YES!  A Fool for Christ!

           

Called to be Fools for Christ.

          How subversive!

 

I have a theo-fantasy – actually I have several – but one is this:

          When God was discussing with Jesus his mission on earth,

                   and Jesus asked

                             “Who is going to do this huge task of transforming the world?

                             Who will take over my mission after I’ve returned to you?”

 

God smiled and with a twinkle in God’s divine eye, said,

          “Jesus!  Send in the Clowns!”

 

To God be the glory.  Amen.