We say there was something in the water growing up. My brother went off to college and was going to study political science and become super-rich. But his love for church camp turned into a call for ministry and he went to seminary.
My sister also traveled across the country to pursue her dreams through college and ended up getting her masters of arts and religion...
As the youngest, I would not be following in their footsteps any longer and would not be going to seminary. And we can see how that turned out.
Anyway, when I was in college, I had a chance to visit my sister at Westminster seminary in Pennsylvania. I don’t remember too many specifics from that trip, but a few things stuck out. One, there was a poster printed on regular paper posted on a door going into a building. It was for a conversation or dialogue of some sort and the prompt was, “Should pastors be held to a higher standard than lay people?” (repeat)
What’s your gut reaction to that question? (pause) “Should pastors be held to a higher standard than lay people?” (pause)
I can tell you my answer. No! Well, yes...but, no. it’s a tricky one. And I’ll tell you why I think so. I thought, “no!” because pastors are part of the priesthood of all believers. We are all given a high standard and should all be held to it. Well, but then I thought about it and not everyone who is a Christian believes they are held to that high standard they don’t live by it….so maybe pastors should be held to that higher standard to set an example... And, they are the leaders in the church, so they should follow a high standard. But, that doesn’t mean the laity shouldn’t have to be faithful and obedient to God’s laws, so, no, the standard shouldn’t be different.
Which one is it? “Should pastors be held to a higher standard than lay people?” Is there a right answer?
Today’s passage isn’t directed at pastors. It’s for the people of the church who are in a tough spot. They are following their faith as Christians. But Christianity was still new on the scene and Rome tended to be skeptical of any “foreign religion” even those that had been around longer, like Judaism. Rome assumed the worst of the Christians and treated them accordingly.
I don’t know if you heard what Lynn said as he introduced the scripture, but scholars say “Christians were treated as likely to cause immorality, insubordination, and sedition against the state.” I kind of giggle a little when I read this because that is not what Christians are about...these assumptions weren’t based on our scriptures or even the specific actions of the people...they were based on a fear of outsiders and new things.
Regardless of the basis, that’s the atmosphere Christians were living in. So their pastor, the apostle, gave them some encouragement about how they must act:
be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing
The apostle didn’t cower to the struggle, he said, “rise above it.” “Give your best self.” “Be like Christ.” In essence, walk in the ways of Christ. What will they say to that? Who could malign you if you are generous, compassionate, loving, inclusive, and forgiving? And if they still speak ill of you...that’s on them, not on you, you’ll be able to hold your head high because you followed Christ and were a revelation of the Good News. You can take pride in that.
The advice that was good 2000 years ago is still solid and good today.
Now, let’s be clear. This does not say, “call yourself a Christian and believe what you want and no one can hold it against you.” This is not carte blanche for us to interpret things however we choose, or to cherry-pick scriptures to fit our agenda. No, there is a call here to follow Christ--to learn and know the teachings of Jesus and follow them--teachings that are based in seeing people as their whole selves, teachings that are based in justice, teachings that thrive on compassion and mercy. Follow Jesus. Do what he did. Love people. Welcome them to the community. Repair and restore relationships. Stand in God’s truth and never forget the grace and forgiveness that have already been granted to you. Be teachable!!! Sometimes we think we have to be right in our faith---thinking we have the prize of the right answer. But the Good News of the Gospel is about transformation...not about being cemented in one single solitary so-called truth. It’s about the growth and development of the person and the community. That doesn’t mean you can’t have conviction. But it does require humility to accept when you may not see the whole picture, and a willingness to grow and learn with others. (Sorry for that little soapbox speech….unyielding rigidity of belief is one of those things that gets to me)
Back to the heart of the message: if you do those things faithfully--love, forgive, care for others, build community, and fight for justice, then you can walk with the assurance of Christ.
So, how do we live this out? What does this look like in real life? I’d say a good start is a self-control. Let’s be honest, in a culture whose pulse can be found on Facebook and social media, we need to practice holding our tongue. I don’t mean not saying anything, I mean thinking before we speak. Being intentional about the words we share and the actions we take. Is what we’re doing and what we’re saying representing the Gospel message? The good news of hope and second chances? The good news that God can make a way out of the impossible and we don’t have to be governed by fear? The Good News that we don’t have to be bound by our past but can be liberated to walk into a new future redeemed by the Son of God? When people read our posts or our comments do they see a follower of Christ? Not because we say we are, but because we emulate him in how we are in the world?
Does our participation in this time of worship or our faith community open us to the transformation that is possible through Christ Jesus? Do people see that in how we care for others? Sharing when we have extra? Sacrificing comfort or indulgence so others might simply have enough? Is Christ reflected in our daily living?
That’s the standard...for us to rise above, for us to hold ourselves to a higher standard. Whether you are clergy or laity, the bar is high...to be like Christ.
Let us pray: O God, we love the Good News of Jesus. We love the grace and the forgiveness, the hope, and the new life it offers. And we are reminded that as recipients of those gifts we are called to be a living witness of what it means to follow Jesus. Focus our thoughts and give us the courage to take the next best step in faithfulness. Give us self restraint to hold our tongues when it only serves to tear down or diminish. Instead, give us the wisdom of what to say and when to say it so that you might be glorified even when we find that we are wrong. Help us to be a light in this world. Through Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.