Jesus shows concern for others. Out of concern for others he is willing to lead a dangerous life. He intentionally challenges the world’s political, financial, and theological status quo. That status quo is devised by Militarists; supremacists who abuse and violate common people. It needs to be challenged. Jesus first starts gathering common people together for common care and concern. Next, as they are ready, they broaden their concern in such a way as to challenge Militarism’s entire status quo system. In part, they begin to diminish concern for immediate family so to expand concern for their human family. He advises them to not “love father and mother,” but to step out beyond immediate family and the safety family provides. To do so is to lead a dangerous life out in the world. How then did a brave man who commissioned brave disciples to go out into a dangerous world on behalf of others, get tangled up in a theology concerned with personal salvation?
Jesus’ brave commissioning of brave disciples gets changed, distorted early on. Paul begins to distort it. Paul starts diverting people backward toward self-concern – because that is Paul’s concern. Paul shows concern for his standing among the twelve as they are devising an institutional church (Gal 2:6-9). He shows concern about being a sinner concerned for his own personal salvation (1 Cor 9:26-27; 1 Tim 1:13). Paul is then guilty of projecting these concerns for self onto others and onto institutional christianity (Rom 3:23 & 5:9; Phil 2:12; Acts 16:30-31; 1 Cor 15:1-2) Influenced by Paul’s self-concern, people become his obedient self-concerned pupils and no longer brave people commissioned by Jesus to change the world. Three hundred years later Augustine credits his personal conversion, in part, to Paul. Augustine displays Paul’s same self-concern. Augustine has been a sinner and, like Paul, projects his sinner identity onto others. Augustine becomes a famous and prolific theologian. He develops a massively influential but distorted theology called original sin that targets all humanity as sinners who need to be saved. Again, Jesus’ commissioning of brave people is ignored in favor of personal salvation fears. Theologians over a thousand years continue the distortion. Augustinian priest Martin Luther continues the distortion. Like Paul and Augustine who greatly influence him, Luther is concerned about his standing within the institutional church and his fears for personal salvation. Luther thus perpetuates a highly influential but distorted theology about personal salvation concentrated on sin and the cross. These three learned but misguided personalities distorted a revolution to change the world into a small matter of close and self concern. Centuries sped by of a colluding institutional christianity concerned for learned lore but unconcerned for Jesus’ dangerous changing of the status quo. Concern for Jesus and Jesus’ loving concern for the world resulted in earlier brave people transforming the Roman Empire. It is that same social concern with similarly brave people that can transform this U.S. Empire.
“A life was mine, full of the close concern… The world sped fast; Behind me, ever rolled a pregnant past. A present came equipped with lore to learn. Art, science, letters, in their turn, Each one allured me with its treasures vast; And I staked all … till at last Thou cam’st and taught my soul anew to yearn.” (Love – P.L. Dunbar)
Prayer: Holy Spirit, in you we are en-couraged to lovingly challenge and change the status quo.
Question: By whom and in what ways have I been misguided toward concern for my personal salvation?
July 2, 2017 Gospel Matthew 10:37-42 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time