All Saints

When we use the term saints we often picture the great saints of the Christian faith: St Francis of Assisi or one of the apostles, or a great bishop or evangelist, for example. We rarely think of ourselves in that category: I certainly don't. However, when we pay a little more attention to the New Testament we realise that the saints that are mentioned there are just simple followers of Jesus. The New Testament understands the 'holy ones' to be people just like you and me who are doing their best to be true to their Christian callings.

When I reflect on this week's Gospel reading, Matthew 5: 1 - 12, I realize that most of the things mentioned in the list of beatitudes are things we rarely choose in lives: poverty, death, starvation, mercy, purity, peacemaking, persecution, and being bullied. These things can come to us, but they are rarely sought. I think that is right, too. Who would really like to be poor and hungry, or mourning and bullied? None of us, and we wouldn't want that for others, either. Being blessed, being holy, being a saint, means being supported by God's grace. It is by God's graciousness that there is special place in the kingdom for those whose lives seem to be without blessing.

Looking at the world around us with kingdom eyes we see then that those who appear to be the least are in fact those who will be 'great in heaven', and those who think themselves to be great will be the 'least'. The challenge before you and me is to just simply follow Jesus, and to follow Jesus simply.

Chris

Give to Caesar

This Sunday at connecT we are spending some time talking around Matthew 22: 21: 'Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's'. Some argue that this text is about separating church and state, or excluding faith perspectives in political discussion. It has been used to try and exclude Christians from sharing a Christian perspective on issues such as asylum seekers, poverty and greed, war, and other moral and ethical issues. Some argue that people of faith should leave their faith behind, and speak solely from a secular perspective on political issues. There is in the modern mindset the myth that we can separate things, such as faith and politics, in a bi-polar fashion. It is called dualism, and Jesus is not advocating dualism here, I believe.

The foundational issue for the Pharisees and Herodians was about paying taxes. Paying taxes to Caesar was seen as an insult to them; especially so, when it included the image of an alternative deity to God: Caesar 1). Jesus' simple question/answer: whose head is on it? Caesar's: well give it back to him, then. My take on this: put God first, and then everything else falls into place. Money has its place, paying taxes has its place, being engaged in politics, certainly, has its place. In fact, putting God first enables us to make sure all the other things are put in their rightful place. It isn't about separation, but inclusion. Including what we call the 'secular' into the broader vision of God's Kingdom, which is inclusive of all things. It is also about not be distracted away from the bigger task of proclaiming by word and action God's reign on earth.

Now: your thoughts?

Chris

Tom Wright, 2012, Twelve Months of Sundays: Biblical meditations on the Christian year, Year A Proper 24, (SPCK, London) p. 115