More on "Jesus and the Kingdom of God" by Stanley Hauerwas. (sorry for not sending this on Monday...so...this is Tuesday's devotion)
Jesus' openness to the "unclean,"...is but one of the ways we see how his understanding of God's sovereignty was a challenge to that of the Pharisees. Such openness denotes that the community created by that kingdom cannot shield itself from the outsider. It must have confidence that God is present even in the unclean - a confidence that God is present even in the unclean - a community made possible only because the community itself was formed by the presence of the ultimate stranger, Jesus Christ.
The community of the followers of Jesus "must have confidence that God is present even in the unclean." Wow...that would change the whole image of the church in the world today. Just yesterday someone was telling me about how the church has such a negative view among so many people because we appear to be in the condemning business. Too often the "unclean" are noted and criticized and asked to leave in one way or another. This demonstrates the lack of confidence we are encouraged to have as part of God's Reign in which God is "present even in the unclean." Unfortunately, it is too easy to overlook the fact of God's presence because our plans and our opinions and our fears usually rule us. Thus, the church is caught up in the powers of brokenness that are not willing to hold up to the world the world a vision of God's Reign on the loose and available to all.
Connection: Somehow we have to get over the way we thrust others out of the Reign of God. We may not do it so abruptly...but we do it in many ways as we wander through the day.
Deliver us, O God, from the ways we would go to keep our world and our lives broken into compartments so that one part does not touch the other. We are so willing to judge and then we do not hear your judgement that those around us - just like us - are your beloved. Open our hearts to your Reign. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment