Moses, Jesus, Luther, and me
- Rev. Diana Wright
- Nov 2, 2017
- 5 min read
21 A PENTECOST
29 OCT 2017
One thing I know for sure: Horatio Alger did not write Deuteronomy. Moses would have had great reward for constantly doing the right thing and God would not have allowed him to die, but rather live in an upscale home in the Promised Land. As stupid as that sounds, it somehow mirrors the American myth, or maybe a more universal myth about God. I think we believe that if we only work hard and avoid golden calves, riches will come our way (or at least material comfort). But Moses, the greatest of the prophets, is not even allowed into the promised land and he isn’t even upset over it. Not once does he complain that he got a raw deal. Why? Because he has his eye on the prize. He knows that faithful obedience to God is the lifeline between us and God and that that promise is both now, for he sees the promised land, and not quite yet. He loses his life for the sake of God and, as we know in the Christian faith, finds his life.
You can look at that story and say, “Look what happens when you disobey God; God will exact punishment as he did to Moses for his sin.” But really, who was more faithful to God than Moses (except Jesus)? If that is the reason that Moses was not allowed into the promised land it is time for me, at least, to pack up my stole and head out of here. I do not believe in a God bent on revenge or punishment but on a God who wants to be in relationship with us. Moses talked to God face to face we are told. Jesus tells us over and over that God wants relationship with us but it requires giving up our desire for control. God is not my co-pilot; God is my pilot. I think, if Moses knew about the 12 step program, he would have said to the Israelites, “Let go and let God.” What happens when we are baptized? Do we not die to our old ways and find new life in Christ. Let go and let God and see a glimpse of the promised land!!
At convention we talked a lot about Revival. First we talked about all the baggage that comes with the word itself. But if you can get passed all of that, at least for a few minutes, I want to you think about Revival as the Jesus Movement, Episcopal branch. It is “the ongoing community of people centered on following Jesus into loving, liberating, and life-giving relationship with God, each other, and creation.” I am going to repeat that and let it sink in for a moment. ……..
I think that is exactly what Moses was trying to do with the people he led and with whom he was so often at odds. Just substitute the word “God” for Jesus.
Look at what Jesus says to us today in the scripture. How many times have you heard those words that we call the Great Commandment? I have no doubt that each one of you could answer the question if I put it to you and in fact I am putting it to you: what is the greatest commandment?..
My friends the words are so simple and easy to understand; it is in the execution we stumble. Sometimes we confuse love of self with self-centeredness or narcissism. Sometimes we confuse love of God with attending a worship service. We promise in our Baptismal Covenant to believe in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and then we answer a series of questions that all have the same response: I will with God's help.
This baptismal covenant is the Jesus movement; this is what it is like to live in the Way, all-encompassing and life affirming. The Way is how early Christians lived with each breath in and out.
Think what it would be like to have relationships that are loving, liberating, and life-giving. Look insider yourself. When is the last time you felt beloved? If you do not feel that way about yourself, it is hard to share love with another. If we are not sharing that belovedness with one another we have work to do among ourselves. We cannot love God if we do not love ourselves or one another.
I am beloved by God. Is that something you can say? Can you say it out loud?
When is that last time you felt curious? Without curiosity it is hard to be open to the other. Think what Alice would have missed had she not gone into the rabbit hole!!
And how about joy, sheer joy? None of us operates under the illusion that life is going to be one constant string of successes and happy moments. Life is messy and life is ugly, but it is also full of awe and wonder. What brings you joy? God has given you the capacity to feel such wonder and if you can feel it for yourself you cannot but help to share it!!
The Jesus movement does not want you to stand on the corner with a sign that says “Repent, the end is near”. It is really a call to do what is so much at the heart of what makes us Anglican: a willingness to accept that every human being has the Holy within them and that we need to cultivate the holy within ourselves and in turn reach out. We do it as Episcopalians by a belief in the mystery of the Eucharist, that which tells us we are holy people and that God shares God’s own self with us. We don’t need a long list of believes!!
Martin Luther was searching for grace. Grace found him. He realized the generosity of God and of God’s desire to be in relationship with us. We did not have to work to earn that grace. Salvation comes to us not by a series of beliefs but by Love, Love made flesh and by our abiding in that love. Luther gave us a resounding answer to the question, “How do I know if I am good enough”. The answer was and is you are good enough by faith, by abiding in Love.
We owe a big debt to Luther, although he would cringe at the idea of having a debt to pay to him or to God. He helped Christianity to free itself.
And now it is time for us once again to become free people. Christianity in Europe and the United States, perhaps everywhere but the Global South, is losing believers. Yet the world outside these church doors is full of people who are hurting and for whom the message of the Gospel would be really Good News. Maybe, on this 500th anniversary of nailing the 95 thesis to the door of the church in Wittenberg, we need to start our own reformation by which I mean recovery and reclaiming the Good News and sharing it with others. Sharing the Gospel was and is an essential component of being who we are.
What is The Jesus Movement?
Say it again!!
It is “the ongoing community of people centered on following Jesus into loving, liberating, and life-giving relationship with God, each other, and creation.”
