Sermon Archive Cliff Notes from the eve of national elections of November 2008
Readings from Matthew 23.1-12 & 1 Thessalonians 2.1-13
Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites. The word ‘hypocrite’ comes from the Greek word hupokrisis, meaning the ‘acting of a theatrical part’. In other words, a hypocrite, someone we understand to pretend to have higher standards or beliefs than they really do, is an actor, someone who is pretending, someone who is wearing a mask.
Now we’ve talked before about the masks we wear – but then we were thinking about the masks we put on to hide our sorrows from the world . . . now that is pretending, but it’s a different kind of pretending than we’re hearing about today.
When I put on my mask to pretend I’m okay, I’m not humbling myself enough to believe that you might really care about me. But the mask Jesus refers to is the one I put on to hide that I really don’t care about you. The first is the mask of the follower; the second, the mask of the leader. It is to the leader in all of us that these texts speak.
This week, all over the country, candidates of one side will pack their bags and go home when the other side steps into the victor’s seat. The keys to the earthly ‘kingdom’ will be passed along. And life will go on.
But if we follow our usual pattern, the ink won’t be dry on the page before we’re crying foul or criticizing the new leaders, before they’ve even gotten the chair warm.
Before we get too righteous in our indignation, let us remember that we too are leaders, that we too are setting an example, that we too are called to be in the burden sharing as well as the burden bearing business of life . . .
Husbands and wives, sons and daughters, grandchildren, family and friends, younger sisters and brothers, neighbors and strangers, all are led by you . . .
What Paul understood, what is central to his message to the Thessalonians, is that how you lead is determined by whom you follow . . . and we all follow someone or something . . .
So like Paul, remember always that God is your leader . . .
The word ‘cynical’ is defined as believing the worst about human beings and their nature. There is no room for the cynical in the kingdom . . . and cynicism, like a disease, is contagious . . .
So here’s a challenge particularly suited to this time in our nation . . . drop the cynicism . . . try believing the best rather than the worst about the candidates . . . all of them . . .
Pray the best for all of them . . .
And who knows, maybe, just maybe, they will become the leaders we need.
But the real miracle is that maybe, just maybe, we will become the leaders we’ve been looking for . .
CHARGE:
On this eve of elections, I charge you in the words of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist tradition, "Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences”.
Readings from Matthew 23.1-12 & 1 Thessalonians 2.1-13
Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites. The word ‘hypocrite’ comes from the Greek word hupokrisis, meaning the ‘acting of a theatrical part’. In other words, a hypocrite, someone we understand to pretend to have higher standards or beliefs than they really do, is an actor, someone who is pretending, someone who is wearing a mask.
Now we’ve talked before about the masks we wear – but then we were thinking about the masks we put on to hide our sorrows from the world . . . now that is pretending, but it’s a different kind of pretending than we’re hearing about today.
When I put on my mask to pretend I’m okay, I’m not humbling myself enough to believe that you might really care about me. But the mask Jesus refers to is the one I put on to hide that I really don’t care about you. The first is the mask of the follower; the second, the mask of the leader. It is to the leader in all of us that these texts speak.
This week, all over the country, candidates of one side will pack their bags and go home when the other side steps into the victor’s seat. The keys to the earthly ‘kingdom’ will be passed along. And life will go on.
But if we follow our usual pattern, the ink won’t be dry on the page before we’re crying foul or criticizing the new leaders, before they’ve even gotten the chair warm.
Before we get too righteous in our indignation, let us remember that we too are leaders, that we too are setting an example, that we too are called to be in the burden sharing as well as the burden bearing business of life . . .
Husbands and wives, sons and daughters, grandchildren, family and friends, younger sisters and brothers, neighbors and strangers, all are led by you . . .
What Paul understood, what is central to his message to the Thessalonians, is that how you lead is determined by whom you follow . . . and we all follow someone or something . . .
So like Paul, remember always that God is your leader . . .
The word ‘cynical’ is defined as believing the worst about human beings and their nature. There is no room for the cynical in the kingdom . . . and cynicism, like a disease, is contagious . . .
So here’s a challenge particularly suited to this time in our nation . . . drop the cynicism . . . try believing the best rather than the worst about the candidates . . . all of them . . .
Pray the best for all of them . . .
And who knows, maybe, just maybe, they will become the leaders we need.
But the real miracle is that maybe, just maybe, we will become the leaders we’ve been looking for . .
CHARGE:
On this eve of elections, I charge you in the words of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist tradition, "Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences”.
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