ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
January 20, 2022
A month ago, we talked about Mary’s Song or what is called the Magnificat. If it was a song, I’ve always wondered what the tune sounded like as it has some pretty harsh stuff. Mary sings about the Lord scattering the arrogant and pulling down the powerful from their thrones. This all happens while the lowly are lifted up. The hungry are filled with good things and the rich are sent away empty-handed. It is a leveling of the playing field. For instance, the rich who are sent away empty-handed still have plenty back home, but those who had nothing were given enough. I was once told that I should not preach on this text because it sounded like communism. To me, it sounds like Jubilee; sounds like the Kin(g)dom of God; sounds like heaven coming to earth. The idea of Jubilee was critical to the Jewish faith, a radical concept found in the Book of Leviticus. This Sunday, we will be talking about Jubilee and the unsettling suggestions that are made. And even more troubling will be Jesus announcing in Luke 4 how the day of Jubilee has been fulfilled. There are all kinds of crazy economic implications and societal ramifications to the concept of Jubilee. Do we just write it all off because we have been told such ideas are impossible or do we allow ourselves to struggle and be pushed by what it is being suggested? How often has the church been told by outside forces that something was impossible? How often has the church allowed itself to be shaped by those outside forces?
I do not wish to suggest living faithfully will be easy. I do not want to pretend to know the consequences of living into some of the more challenging parts of scripture. What I do believe, O Lord, is your loving presence forever at my side amidst all the struggles that come with choosing to follow Jesus when it is uncomfortable. Amen.
