Welcome (Matthew 10:40-42)

 I saw this image on social media last week. It shows two different types of macaroni and cheese.

The one labeled “Juneteenth” shows a baked macaroni and cheese, with the edges golden and crispy.

The one labeled “July 4th” shows a creamier, less crispy mac and cheese, one that was probably made on the stovetop, and not in the oven.

I don’t know where this meme originated. I don’t know who created it. And I don’t know the message they were intending.

Some have said it is racist, implying that the baked version is favored by Black Americans, while the creamy version is favored by white Americans; yet I haven’t seen any commentary saying which version of mac and cheese is the better version.

To me, they both look good.

But people do have their preferences. And some will take a meme like this, that appears on social media, and use it as a way to divide us from one another.

They’ll say: “there’s only one right way to make mac and cheese.”

They’ll say: “anyone who makes their mac and cheese the wrong way is just, well, wrong.”

Well, let’s imagine that, in honor of the 250th birthday of the United States, that we’re having a Great American picnic. The question is: Which type of mac and cheese will we serve?

But maybe that’s the wrong question. Because isn’t there room at our Great American picnic for both? 

Of course there is! But only if we make room for both.

I’ve been to chili cookoffs, where there were dozens of different types of chili present. Everyone has their own preference. Some like it spicy. Some like it mild. Some like it with beans. Some like it without beans. Some like it with a little bit of cumin. Some like it with other spices.

There’s room for all different types of chili at the cookoff.

So why would we ever insist that there is only one right way to make mac and cheese?

There is room at our Great American Picnic for both.

******

For the early Christians, one of the most pressing questions was whether there was room in the movement for both Jews and Gentiles.

We know that the Jesus movement began with Jews. Jesus was a Jew; the twelve disciples were Jews. In fact, the reason there were 12 disciples is probably because there were 12 tribes of Israel. 

This was a Jewish movement.

But Jesus also interacted with and welcomed non-Jews as well as those who were “sorta” Jews, those who maybe considered themselves part of the Jewish people, but whose practices and ideas differed to some degree from the Judaism practiced and taught at the temple in Jerusalem.

Then, on Pentecost, the Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak in many different languages, the languages of Jewish and non-Jewish people; and the movement began to spread around the world.

And soon, among the disciples and other early Jewish followers of Jesus, the question arose: is there room for everyone in the movement?

Those non-Jewish followers: they were different. They made the Jewish followers uncomfortable. Their customs were different. They spoke in different accents and different languages. 

How do we welcome those who are different, whose ways we don’t understand, whose presence and lifestyle and customs make us uncomfortable?

Some of the Jews believed that non-Jews should be welcomed into the movement only if they became Jews. They needed to leave behind those ways that made them uncomfortable.

They needed to make their mac and cheese the right way.

Last week, we heard a reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans. One of the prominent themes in Romans is the tension between Jews and non-Jews.

Paul urged Jews to welcome non-Jews wholeheartedly. Paul insisted that non-Jews did not need to become like Jews and adopt Jewish ways in order to be followers of Jesus. They didn’t need to be circumcised. They didn’t need to follow Jewish customs. They could follow Jesus, and be part of the movement, just as they were.

In today’s short scripture reading from Matthew, the word “welcome” appears six times. But because we heard a reading from Romans last week, and because I’m currently reading a book on Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul’s emphasis on welcome is echoing in my mind. 

 ****** “Welcome one another,” Paul wrote, “As Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

The welcome Jesus talks about in today’s scripture, from Matthew, is a little different. Jesus is talking to his disciples, giving them instructions for the mission they are to carry out.

And when, in Matthew 10, Jesus talks about welcome, he’s talking about those who welcome them, and those who refuse to welcome them. 

But even though the context is a little different here in Matthew than in Romans, the idea of welcome and hospitality remains central.

******

Earlier in this same chapter (Matthew 10), Jesus makes a reference to Sodom and Gomorrah, cities that were famous for their lack of welcome. 

Jesus says to his disciples, “If anyone welcomes you and offers you peace, great! But if anyone refuses to welcome you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for those who refuse to welcome you.”

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is, itself, about welcome. Two strangers, visitors from another land, come to Sodom. 

They are different. They are foreigners. Some would say they are the ones who make their mac and cheese the wrong way.

And yet, a man named Lot welcomes them into his home. He follows the code of hospitality by giving them a safe place to stay, and offering them his protection.

But a group of citizens from that town arrive at Lot’s door, and demand that he turn these two visitors over to them. 

They don’t like these two visitors. They don’t like the way they make their mac and cheese. It makes them uncomfortable. 

And so they seek to humiliate and punish these strangers in order to differentiate themselves from them, and to make them feel unwelcome.

******

And every time Sodom is mentioned in scripture after that, it is to show an example of a city that did not provide hospitality or protection to those who were vulnerable; a city that did not welcome those who were different, those who were poor and needy.

I know; you may have been told that that’s not what the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is about. You may have been told that the whole point of that story is something else entirely.

Because the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is often used (or misused) to show that homosexuality is a sin.

But the fact that people are making this false claim actually helps emphasize the point I’m trying to make.

For some, the presence, the mere existence, of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender makes them uncomfortable.

They don’t like the way they make their mac and cheese (one might say).

And so, ironically, they will take a story from the Bible—a story that is about welcoming and providing hospitality and offering protection—and they’ll tell you that it’s a story that justifies exclusion and condemnation; and they’ll then use their own misguided interpretation as a weapon to demonize those whose existence makes them uncomfortable.

In other words, they’ll use the story to justify their own behavior, even though their own behavior is exactly the behavior that the story condemns.

And this practice continues today.

But not here. Not at First Christian Church. And not at the dozen or so other churches here in Bloomington-Normal, and countless congregations in our denomination and in many other denominations, who all understand that, central to the gospel message, is the message of welcome. The message of inclusion.

They understand that the welcome we are called to extend must be extended especially to those who are vulnerable, to those who are different from us… even if we need to overcome our discomfort in order to do so.

This is an ongoing process. Yes, we are an open and affirming congregation; but that doesn’t mean we have perfected the art of welcoming others.

In fact, there may be someone here who, in your head, you know should be welcomed, but in your heart, you have to admit—if you’re being honest—that that’s challenging for you, that their presence makes you at least a little uncomfortable.

I have no shame in admitting that it took me a long time to get over my discomfort of people who are different—people who make their mac and cheese different—and that I’m still examining my own biases and prejudices in an effort to overcome those biases and prejudices.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember that, even though some people make their mac and cheese differently, that doesn’t mean it isn’t good.

And maybe for you there are people who you tolerate and accept, but to whom you have been less than 100% welcoming. People about whom you may think, “Well, they can worship here, but I’m not going to go out of my way to greet them or welcome them.”

Yet that is precisely what the gospel calls on us to do. Welcome one another, as Christ has welcomed you…

How would Christ welcome them? How would Christ let them know that they are welcome here, that they are wanted here, that this is their home as much as it is anyone else’s home? ………

I’m proud of the welcome we at FCC offer. Visitors report feeling truly welcome.

But we can do better. We can always do better. 

So if there is someone you’ve been avoiding, someone to whom you’ve shown a less-than-enthusiastic welcome, I would encourage you to pray about that, and to ask God to show you how you can do better, how you can grow in this area, in the way you welcome one another.

******

You may not know it, but the passing of the peace we do toward the beginning of each worship service… the scriptural precedent for that is Jesus’ instruction that if you are angry or have some sort of grudge against a fellow worshiper, you are to go and be reconciled to that person before you come to worship, before you offer up your praise to God or your offering to God.

And in a similar way, the apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, admonishes the believers for gathering for the Lord’s Supper while doing nothing to overcome the divisions among them. Paul’s instructions are to seek reconciliation and unity with one another before partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

That’s why we do a passing of the peace.

So if there is someone with whom you need reconciliation, someone from whom you feel divided, someone who you have not been enthusiastic about loving and welcoming and embracing as a sibling in Christ, 

…I invite you to pray about that. Ask God to show you how your love can be more genuine toward that person, how you can be more welcoming, how you can let that person know that you are glad they are a part of our church family.

******

Let them know that their mac and cheese is delicious just the way it is, that you love their mac and cheese even if it’s not the same as your mac and cheese.

And together, we will grow in unity; and our love for one another, and our love for all who seek to join us, will be a sign to the world that truly we are followers of Christ.

They’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Jesus First (Matthew 10:37-42)

On May 22, a suicide bombing took place at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. A total of twenty-three adults and children were killed and 116 were injured, some critically.

A few days after the attack, I was scrolling through social media when I saw a three-paragraph commentary that caught my attention. I read it and then moved on with my life…

Or so I thought.

Over the following days, I realized, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had read.

I went back and found the commentary, and read it again. Here is what it said:

“If the Manchester Arena bombing had happened in the United States, every family with a dead or injured member would begin receiving bills in the coming days. Parents who lost their children would get a detailed and unadorned list of services provided by the medics that tried to save their relations’ lives. And they would be expected to start making payments immediately.

“While they mourned heartbreaking losses, American families would be billed for the ambulance rides, morphine, CPR, anaesthesia. They would be expected to pony up for surgeries that were unsuccessful, medication that didn’t work, and the time the anaesthesiologist spent trying to keep their children comfortable during major procedures. They would continue to receive those bills for month upon month after the death of their children.

“Many families would set up GoFundMe accounts to pay for the medical expenses of their deceased child. The bills would run into the hundreds of thousands, so even the best-funded account would only pay a fraction. The parents might have to sell their homes while trying to wrap their minds around the needless loss of their children. Ultimately, many would declare bankruptcy.”

These words haunted me. They haunt me still. They make me sad and angry.

And the reason is that they have made me aware that the USA is not as good as it can be. I love my country. But it could be better.

I have long known that in the USA, we take the idea of personal liberty and freedom to the extreme. We are a very individualistic society. We’re a “me-first” society, as opposed to a “we-first” (or “us-first”) society.

In more-developed countries than ours, people don’t have to worry about going bankrupt if they get sick or injured. In more-developed countries than ours, people believe it’s important to care for one another.

In the US - if the way our society is structured is any indication - we believe it’s more important to care for companies and businesses and their profits than it is to care for ordinary people.

I love the USA. I love being an American. But I am not blind to America’s faults. And in these times, our country’s faults are being exposed.

We’re seeing civil rights being taken away. Voting rights are being denied to African Americans. In many states, especially in the south, a person sent to prison loses voting rights for life. After they have paid the penalty and served their time, they still are not allowed to vote.

Racist lawmakers then pass laws that target African Americans. They seek harsh prison sentences for crimes primarily committed by African Americans, like using certain types of drugs; but they work for extremely lenient penalties - or no penalties at all - for crimes committed primarily by white citizens, like embezzlement, insider trading, and other financial crimes. In the banking scandals we have seen that these types of crimes can destroy thousands of innocent lives, but because those who commit them are primarily white, few are prosecuted.

I love the USA. But I am not blind to its faults.

We refuse to take the lead on Climate Change. The USA is more to blame for the destruction of the environment, but we are leaving it to others to take the lead on protecting the earth and climate.

I love the USA, but I am not blind to its faults.

There is an effort to take away health care from millions of people. Our government is trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and in case it is unsuccessful at that, it is also taking the Affordable Care Act apart piece by piece. It is being sabotaged, and then the very people doing the sabotaging claim that it isn’t working. Well, it’s not working because they’re sabotaging it. The Affordable Care Act is far from perfect, and it could certainly be made better, but they are intentionally making it worse, and then they’re saying “look how bad it is.”

The situation described in the commentary that grabbed my attention is a situation that could take place even with the ACA. Like I said, it isn’t perfect. It’s an improvement over the situation we had before. The number of people without health insurance is at record lows right now. But too many still cannot afford health care. We need to improve health care, make it more accessible, more universal… not destroy it and deny health care to millions of Americans.

I love the USA. But as a preacher of the gospel - as a Christian - it is not for me to place country over God. Love of God is my priority. Jesus says followers are to love him more than they love their own family. You heard that in the scripture reading, right? It’s startling, I know. Jesus first. The way of Jesus is to take precedence over any other way,... including the American way of life, no matter how that is defined.

I love my country. But my love for Jesus comes first, as it must for anyone who claims to be a Christian. America is a lot closer to the kingdom of God than the Roman Empire was, but it would be sinful to say that America and the kingdom of God are the same, that America is the kingdom of God.

But there is still a lot of good in America.

Look closely at this picture. This is the group that I spent most of my time with while I was in Hawaii. We worked together, we played together, we cooked and ate meals together. And we were loaned a car for the week to get from one place to another.

On Sunday, June 18, we went to the Convention Center in Honolulu to visit the World Youth Congress. We got to step on board the Hokulea, the canoe I wrote about in the Fellowship News. We got to attend a seminar in which Auli'i Cravalho - the voice of Moana - as well as the directors of that film, were present and spoke.

When we left, I was in the driver’s seat, and I pulled out of the parking garage and handed the attendant my parking stub. She took it, looked in the car at all five of us, and said to me, “Happy Father’s Day.”

And why not? This is America. We could be a family. For one week in Hawaii, we were a family.
A beautiful American family.

America is not the kingdom of God, but I do celebrate that many of the ideals that we claim as founding principles for America are also ideals that Jesus instructed us to follow. Things like liberty. Freedom. Justice for all.

The Declaration of Independence claims that all men are created equal. That was - literally - a revolutionary concept back then. And even today, it still challenges us. All people are created equal. We are a long way from perfect equality in this country, but the banner of equality hangs over us and calls us to pursue equality every day of this great country’s existence.

To deny people equality goes against the values of this country... and it goes against the values of Jesus. Equality is a founding principle of both our country and Christianity.

Whenever Jesus encountered a person of lesser status, he welcomed them and treated them as an equal. Most people didn’t, but Jesus welcomed and embraced and affirmed the dignity and worth and value of lepers, women, children, Samaritans, the unclean, tax collectors, and others who were considered inferior. Even those who were labelled “sinners.” Jesus’ mission - he stated - was to bring good news to the poor and freedom to the oppressed.

Equality for all.

Caring for others is another founding principle of both our country and our faith.

The U.S. Constitution declares its purpose in the preamble, and that purpose includes promoting the general welfare. That means taking care of the people of the United States. All of them; that’s what “general” means. In a few weeks our church will hold its General Assembly in Indianapolis. That means it’s an assembly for the whole church. Everyone. The general welfare means the welfare of everyone.

You already know how this was important to Jesus as well. His concern wasn’t just the Jews. His concern wasn’t just one nation. It was everyone. The whole world. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”

The United States of America is not a Christian nation. The founders of our nation saw how religion in the hands of lawmakers too often becomes a weapon of oppression rather than a path to freedom. So they kept all religion, including Christianity, out of politics.

But we can still celebrate that principles such as equality and caring for the common good - the general welfare - are principles that both Christianity and our nation have in common. If ever there is a conflict between following God and following country, we must choose following God. Fortunately, on these things, God and country agree: we are to recognize and treat all people equally, and we are to guard and protect and care for all people.

And when either the church or our nation strays from these guiding principles, we must speak out with a loud, unified voice. We must stand firm and boldly declare that we still believe that all people are created equal and must be treated so. We must stand firm and boldly declare that providing for the general welfare of the people is a value we hold dear. We must stand firm and boldly declare that anything less is unacceptable, for we are Americans, and - more importantly - we are followers of Jesus.

So Demanding (Matthew 10: 5-14)

Life is so demanding!

Some of the demands in life, you place on yourself. Goals you have set, achievements you are striving for.

Some of them are demands placed on you by those closest to you: your family members.

Some of them are demands placed on you by causes you care about. Yes, the church places demands on you, as well as other organizations you might be a part of.

All your chores are demands placed on you; and so are bills that need to be paid. Anything that requires your time, energy, or money...

And then there are demands placed on you by society at large. Society’s demands are harder to identify, because they are more subtle, and go straight to the subconscious, so let me give you some examples:  the demand to own a nice car or a nice house, the demand to have sparkling white teeth or flawless skin, the demand to conform to established categories, the demand to dress a certain way, eat a certain way, buy certain brands, the demand to have a certain appearance or body type. Every day, we are exposed to thousands of ads that implant these demands into our minds.

 Let me tell you about one of the many demands I noticed last week in my life. Last Sunday evening, my family decided to watch a movie on TV. And as we were watching, I felt the demand to get a bigger TV, one that had a better picture and better sound.  Now, maybe this had something to do with the ad I saw earlier that day for a really nice TV that was on sale for only $800. The TV we have now is only about two years old, but the one I saw on sale was nicer. 

Insanity took over as I seriously contemplated buying a new TV. I have $800!  I could buy a new TV!

It really was a moment of insanity. When sanity returned, I realized that we don’t really watch TV all that often; in fact, our quality of life would probably be better if we didn’t even have a TV at all, and if a new TV wouldn’t add to our quality of life, why did I want one?

Insanity.

After World War I, corporate America worried that Americans might become satisfied with what they had - wouldn't that be horrible! - and stop buying things. Paul Mazur, a Lehman Brothers banker, said: "We must shift America from a needs to a desires culture. People must be trained to desire, to want new things, even before the old things have been entirely consumed."

The corporations hired Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, who began a public relations campaign to make people want things they don't need.  Edward Bernays was so successful that Life magazine later named him one of the most influential Americans of the 20th century.

Today, we continue to feel the pressure, the demand, to want and acquire things we don't need, because we feel perpetually dissatisfied and unhappy.
Thanks a lot, Edward Bernays!

Anyway, that $800 that I was thinking of spending is actually some money I’ve been saving for two things: one, a trip to the Grand Canyon my family hopes to take over spring break, and two, a trip to Ohio for next summer’s General Assembly.  Those quality family experiences are worth far more to me and my family than a new TV. 

And yet the demand that I get a new TV was one that I felt strongly.

Life certainly is demanding.

We will never be completely rid of the demands life places upon us. Nor should we desire to be completely rid of demands. Not all these demands are bad. Many of them are good.

Demands to follow Jesus, demands to care for our families, demands that we set goals for ourselves and work to achieve those goals, these are good. They can help us live a better life, and help us help others live better lives.

And then there are the other demands…

The scripture today is one of demands. The most significant demand is the demand Jesus places on his followers to go out and bear witness to the kingdom of God.

It’s probably there, somewhere, but I can’t see it because there are so many other demands in the way…

Yes, faith is demanding. Jesus demands much from his followers. “I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves,” he says. It’s not an easy task.

So imagine you’re heading out on this journey. As you leave your home and start walking, you pass by all these vendors. And they call out to you: “Oh, I see you are heading out to bear witness to God’s kingdom. Well, here; no one doing such a demanding task should be without a new purse or a new bag. And look at these sandals! These will make the journey easier for you, I highly recommend them. Besides, they are on sale, today only!

“An extra tunic or two would be advisable, as well as a good staff to help you.  And while you’re at it, here’s a new belt that no traveler should be without…”

All of a sudden, your journey just got a lot more complicated. In fact, all these extra expectations and demands make it likely that you will never actually start your journey at all.

And the ironic thing is that each of these things that you just have to have are described to you as something that will make your journey easier. But really, all they do is weigh you down.

Many years ago, I spent a week volunteering on a replica of James Cook’s sailing ship the Endeavour. It was sailing around the world, but for one week it was docked and open for tours, and I was a guide that helped show people around the ship.

One of the things I learned is that James Cook was accompanied on his first voyage, in 1768, by a naturalist named Joseph Banks.

After their first voyage, the two were hailed as heroes, and they began planning for a second voyage. Apparently fame went to Joseph Banks’ head. He insisted that an extra deck be added to the Endeavour in order to accommodate all the scientific and personal gear that he determined was necessary.

An entire extra deck!

Well, the extra deck made the ship top heavy and wobbly, and James Cook ordered it to be removed.  Joseph Banks was outraged, and refused to go on that voyage.

But it was just too much stuff; too much of a burden for the ship.

When it comes to the work that God calls us to do, and the life God calls us to live, Jesus says that you don’t need much. In fact, the Good News Bible paraphrases his instructions to those he sends out like this:

“You don’t need any equipment. You ARE the equipment.”

Essentially, Jesus is saying, “Life is demanding enough. The task that I have set before you is demanding enough. Why do you add all these other demands that do nothing to help you along?”

Isaiah 55 says: “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”

Why do you chase after a bigger TV, a shinier new car, whiter teeth? Why do you spend so much energy and so much money keeping up with the latest fashions? Why do you allow the ads to tell you which brands you should buy? Has buying the “right” brand ever brought true, lasting happiness to your life?

The prophet says, “Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” Stop chasing after everything else.

God wants you to be happy. God wants you to enjoy the things that satisfy.

And yes, God does expect you to work, to bear witness to the kingdom that is at hand. But working for the kingdom, and being filled with joy and satisfaction, do not have to be mutually exclusive of each other.

When we add in all the unnecessary expectations and demands, we are overwhelmed. It becomes too much. The ship becomes overloaded, and cannot sail.

I’ve often wondered how it is that so many people around the world can be happy with so little, while in the United States – arguably the richest country on earth – so many people are unhappy.  All the stuff we have hasn’t made us happy. Why?

I think it’s because we have drilled into us the message that it’s not enough. Advertising is a big part of this. The way advertising works is to make you think your life is incomplete unless you have what the ads are trying to sell.  The typical American sees thousands of ads every week, all with the same message: your life is not complete unless you buy this product. And there’s always a new product, which means:

We are perpetually unsatisfied.

It is a true spiritual practice to be able to find contentment no matter what your circumstance. Buddhists believe that the circumstances one finds oneself in are made either good or bad not by the circumstances themselves, but by the attitude one has.

Learning to practice a good attitude no matter what is a practice that helps me.

Just like the apostle Paul, who wrote a letter to the Philippians in which he said: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” And then he goes on to write, “I rejoice in the Lord greatly… I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength…I am fully satisfied.”

Paul wrote this while he was in prison!

I’m sure that being thrown in prison was a huge burden, a distraction, for Paul. The demand it placed on him was ultimate; it demanded his freedom!

And yet, he was content, and focused on the only real demand that was important to him: the demand to bear witness to the gospel. As long as he could do that, he was content. No other demand mattered.

After Jesus sends out his followers in Matthew 10, he says this in chapter 11: “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Following Jesus means getting rid of all unnecessary burdens. All the demands that do little for us are taken away, and we are then free to take care of the demands that really do matter. If I stop worrying about things like a new TV, then I will have more time and money for some quality experiences with my family. If I allow the demands of what clothes to wear, what brands to buy, and so on, to be lifted from me, then I can direct my life to the more important demand of bearing witness to the kingdom of God.

If Paul can let go of the pressures and demands of prison life, then surely I can let go of some of the demands and expectations in my life, the ones that get in the way of what’s truly important. And in the end, I will be a better person, a better father and husband, a better follower of Christ.

After all, I don’t need all that extra equipment, because I am the equipment.