Jesus' Inaugural Address
Sermon
The Home Stretch
Matthew's Vision Of Servanthood In The End-Time
Commotion At The Communion Rail
Tommy didn't budge.
When everyone else got up to leave the communion rail, he stayed kneeling. His folded hands were perched on the rail, and his little head was bowed so far down that his forehead was squinched against his thumb knuckles. His eyes were closed hopefully, as if he were waiting for a big present.
His mother gently touched his shoulder to nudge him along, but he just shook his head insistently. He wasn't going anywhere. Somehow the visiting pastor had forgotten about blessing the younger children when she went down the row giving communion, and he was still waiting.
The next group of people came up and knelt around him, and his embarrassed parents stepped off to the side. He waited with bowed head and closed eyes as the pastor came down the row again. Again, no blessing. Tommy stayed kneeling when the second group got up to leave.
People in their seats started wondering what was wrong. The communion servers were whispering to each other about what to do. Again his parents tried to get him to leave the rail, but he whispered loudly to them, "I didn't get blessed yet!" He wasn't going anywhere without his blessing.
The pastor heard him. She came over, placed both hands firmly on the little fellow's head, and blessed him. He looked up at her, beamed, and then skipped all the way back to his seat.
Tommy had come to the rail with hopes high and head bowed. He wanted to be blessed, and he wasn't going anywhere without it. That blessing lit up his face, lightened his step, and sent him happily on his way.
Commotion On The Mountainside
The same thing happened centuries ago on the side of a mountain.
Hopes were running high. Jesus was traveling through Galilee, curing people and preaching in their synagogues. He was gaining quite a following. His fame was spreading like wildfire.
People were coming from all over to hear him. When Jesus saw the crowds, he decided it was time for outdoor church. So he went up the mountain, sat down, and began preaching.
I can just imagine what happened as the crowd settled down on the mountainside to hear him. I can see people hurrying, pushing, and jockeying for the front--row seats nearest Jesus - aspiring leaders, prominent skeptics, and curiosity seekers. I can see the front rows closing in on Jesus, everyone hoping to make eye contact with him while he is speaking.
Behind these front--runners were "the rest of the people." Crowds of them.
Jesus' Inaugural Address
Jesus begins. "Blessed are the poor in spirit ... blessed are those who mourn ... blessed are the meek...." This is his great inaugural address for the kingdom that he is bringing. He carefully lays out what life is like under God's reign and summarizes the essence of his whole ministry. Line after line, he weaves together centuries of Jewish hope and prophecy, drawing them together in fulfillment.1
He meets the eyes of the front row with compassion and vision. They strategize for the front rows. They claw to the top. They step on the toes and dreams of others for their own advancement. In God's kingdom, it shall not be so. There is deliverance for them.
But Jesus doesn't stop there. His loving gaze and words of grace reach beyond the front rows, to the crowds behind.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit ..." A broken--spirited couple, who don't know if their children will eat tonight, look up.
"Blessed are those who mourn ..." The tear--streamed faces of widows and orphans look up.
Dozens of people in the cheap seats have come with hopes high and heads bowed. They have come wanting to be blessed, uncertain about life going anywhere from here. Person by person, Jesus lifts the heads and the hearts of those who can't - or don't dare - look up on their own. When Jesus speaks a blessing, they look up: the non--violent, gentle ones in the very back; those who hunger and thirst to see right prevail; those who give compassionately to the poor; those who have come out of heart--felt devotion to God; those who peacefully work for "shalom"; those ridiculed for taking a faith--filled stand on moral issues. There are no back--row seats in Jesus' kingdom. We are all drawn in, lifted up by grace, and blessed.
Inaugural address over, Jesus dismisses the crowds. The front rows vacate quickly. Some disperse into the crowds behind and others scurry away indignantly. Among the rest of the crowd, the air is filled with light--hearted chatter and excitement. People are walking with their heads held high and their steps lighter, maybe even skipping on their way back home. Hearts are bursting to tell cousins or neighbors that it's all true, everything they've heard about this Jesus.
And I imagine Jesus' gaze wandering from this hilly spot to another hill, looming on the horizon. Today it all begins on a hill and it will end on a hill, Golgotha. He knew he would die for them.
"Your Kingdom Come!"
Tommy had come to the communion rail with hopes high and head bowed. He wanted to be blessed, and he wasn't going anywhere without it. That blessing lit up his face, lightened his step, and sent him happily on his way.
The Beatitudes do the same for us.
Jesus has good news for those in the back: There are still no back--row seats in Jesus' kingdom. Listen, all of you who are branded "weak," or "naive," or "soft," or "foolish" by the world's standard bearers! The ridicule and disregard for you are mistaken. Lift up your heads! Jesus gives you a new label, "blessed." Wear it for all to see! The world's judgments have been overturned and replaced.
Jesus also has good news for those who always take the front--row seats: Your high--handed power plays and low--down maneu--verings, your polish and prestige, are killing you. This fickle world holds you as its pawn. Look around and see that there are no back--row seats in the kingdom of God. Then you, too, will be truly "blessed." Jesus opens up a new path to you.
Jesus alone could topple the powers of this world and inaugurate such a kingdom as this. Not even the likes of James and John could assist, even though they offered (Mark 10:35ff). But he enlists us all for a spot in his cabinet. "Go, make disciples of all nations!" Spread this Good News to those who are downhearted and downtrodden, and to those who wield the world's power and authority.
Today is All Saints' Sunday in the church, and we remember those we love who have died and joined all the saints in glory. For them, this kingdom has come to fulfillment. But we need not, we cannot, we will not wait until heaven! The Beatitudes are just as much about earthly justice as they are about heavenly fulfillment.
On this side of glory, we keep vigil and continue to pray, "Your kingdom come."
´ Until every child is fed, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until every mourner is comforted, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until the tyrants of this world no longer possess and exploit God's land and people, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until God's justice prevails, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until God's compassion guides us to acts of mercy, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until we are single--mindedly devoted to God, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until God's shalom helps us build bridges instead of walls, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ And until the prophets of all time are vindicated, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until each of these Beatitudes is fulfilled among us, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
Like Tommy, we come with hopes high and heads bowed. We want to be blessed and we're not going anywhere in life without it. The Beatitudes lift us to a new vision and send us on our way with a mission: the good news that this kingdom is drawing near.
"Your kingdom come, O Lord!"
____________
1. Douglas R. A. Hare, Matthew, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary For Teaching And Preaching (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1993), pp. 33--35.
Tommy didn't budge.
When everyone else got up to leave the communion rail, he stayed kneeling. His folded hands were perched on the rail, and his little head was bowed so far down that his forehead was squinched against his thumb knuckles. His eyes were closed hopefully, as if he were waiting for a big present.
His mother gently touched his shoulder to nudge him along, but he just shook his head insistently. He wasn't going anywhere. Somehow the visiting pastor had forgotten about blessing the younger children when she went down the row giving communion, and he was still waiting.
The next group of people came up and knelt around him, and his embarrassed parents stepped off to the side. He waited with bowed head and closed eyes as the pastor came down the row again. Again, no blessing. Tommy stayed kneeling when the second group got up to leave.
People in their seats started wondering what was wrong. The communion servers were whispering to each other about what to do. Again his parents tried to get him to leave the rail, but he whispered loudly to them, "I didn't get blessed yet!" He wasn't going anywhere without his blessing.
The pastor heard him. She came over, placed both hands firmly on the little fellow's head, and blessed him. He looked up at her, beamed, and then skipped all the way back to his seat.
Tommy had come to the rail with hopes high and head bowed. He wanted to be blessed, and he wasn't going anywhere without it. That blessing lit up his face, lightened his step, and sent him happily on his way.
Commotion On The Mountainside
The same thing happened centuries ago on the side of a mountain.
Hopes were running high. Jesus was traveling through Galilee, curing people and preaching in their synagogues. He was gaining quite a following. His fame was spreading like wildfire.
People were coming from all over to hear him. When Jesus saw the crowds, he decided it was time for outdoor church. So he went up the mountain, sat down, and began preaching.
I can just imagine what happened as the crowd settled down on the mountainside to hear him. I can see people hurrying, pushing, and jockeying for the front--row seats nearest Jesus - aspiring leaders, prominent skeptics, and curiosity seekers. I can see the front rows closing in on Jesus, everyone hoping to make eye contact with him while he is speaking.
Behind these front--runners were "the rest of the people." Crowds of them.
Jesus' Inaugural Address
Jesus begins. "Blessed are the poor in spirit ... blessed are those who mourn ... blessed are the meek...." This is his great inaugural address for the kingdom that he is bringing. He carefully lays out what life is like under God's reign and summarizes the essence of his whole ministry. Line after line, he weaves together centuries of Jewish hope and prophecy, drawing them together in fulfillment.1
He meets the eyes of the front row with compassion and vision. They strategize for the front rows. They claw to the top. They step on the toes and dreams of others for their own advancement. In God's kingdom, it shall not be so. There is deliverance for them.
But Jesus doesn't stop there. His loving gaze and words of grace reach beyond the front rows, to the crowds behind.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit ..." A broken--spirited couple, who don't know if their children will eat tonight, look up.
"Blessed are those who mourn ..." The tear--streamed faces of widows and orphans look up.
Dozens of people in the cheap seats have come with hopes high and heads bowed. They have come wanting to be blessed, uncertain about life going anywhere from here. Person by person, Jesus lifts the heads and the hearts of those who can't - or don't dare - look up on their own. When Jesus speaks a blessing, they look up: the non--violent, gentle ones in the very back; those who hunger and thirst to see right prevail; those who give compassionately to the poor; those who have come out of heart--felt devotion to God; those who peacefully work for "shalom"; those ridiculed for taking a faith--filled stand on moral issues. There are no back--row seats in Jesus' kingdom. We are all drawn in, lifted up by grace, and blessed.
Inaugural address over, Jesus dismisses the crowds. The front rows vacate quickly. Some disperse into the crowds behind and others scurry away indignantly. Among the rest of the crowd, the air is filled with light--hearted chatter and excitement. People are walking with their heads held high and their steps lighter, maybe even skipping on their way back home. Hearts are bursting to tell cousins or neighbors that it's all true, everything they've heard about this Jesus.
And I imagine Jesus' gaze wandering from this hilly spot to another hill, looming on the horizon. Today it all begins on a hill and it will end on a hill, Golgotha. He knew he would die for them.
"Your Kingdom Come!"
Tommy had come to the communion rail with hopes high and head bowed. He wanted to be blessed, and he wasn't going anywhere without it. That blessing lit up his face, lightened his step, and sent him happily on his way.
The Beatitudes do the same for us.
Jesus has good news for those in the back: There are still no back--row seats in Jesus' kingdom. Listen, all of you who are branded "weak," or "naive," or "soft," or "foolish" by the world's standard bearers! The ridicule and disregard for you are mistaken. Lift up your heads! Jesus gives you a new label, "blessed." Wear it for all to see! The world's judgments have been overturned and replaced.
Jesus also has good news for those who always take the front--row seats: Your high--handed power plays and low--down maneu--verings, your polish and prestige, are killing you. This fickle world holds you as its pawn. Look around and see that there are no back--row seats in the kingdom of God. Then you, too, will be truly "blessed." Jesus opens up a new path to you.
Jesus alone could topple the powers of this world and inaugurate such a kingdom as this. Not even the likes of James and John could assist, even though they offered (Mark 10:35ff). But he enlists us all for a spot in his cabinet. "Go, make disciples of all nations!" Spread this Good News to those who are downhearted and downtrodden, and to those who wield the world's power and authority.
Today is All Saints' Sunday in the church, and we remember those we love who have died and joined all the saints in glory. For them, this kingdom has come to fulfillment. But we need not, we cannot, we will not wait until heaven! The Beatitudes are just as much about earthly justice as they are about heavenly fulfillment.
On this side of glory, we keep vigil and continue to pray, "Your kingdom come."
´ Until every child is fed, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until every mourner is comforted, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until the tyrants of this world no longer possess and exploit God's land and people, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until God's justice prevails, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until God's compassion guides us to acts of mercy, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until we are single--mindedly devoted to God, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until God's shalom helps us build bridges instead of walls, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ And until the prophets of all time are vindicated, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
´ Until each of these Beatitudes is fulfilled among us, we will pray, "Your kingdom come!"
Like Tommy, we come with hopes high and heads bowed. We want to be blessed and we're not going anywhere in life without it. The Beatitudes lift us to a new vision and send us on our way with a mission: the good news that this kingdom is drawing near.
"Your kingdom come, O Lord!"
____________
1. Douglas R. A. Hare, Matthew, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary For Teaching And Preaching (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1993), pp. 33--35.
