Isaiah 49:8-16, Matthew 6:24-34
Methodist Covenant United Service, West Camel, 29 January 2017
‘No one can serve two masters,’ said Jesus. ‘For he will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.’
I’ve just been reading a challenging book by the Christian writer Keith Giles. It’s called Jesus Untangled, and what he is saying seems to be totally against the spirit of the age we’re living in, especially in his part of the world, North America. [1] Jesus Untangled argues that Christians should separate ourselves completely from politics. Which might be news to the gospel singer Vicki Yohe who last week suggested that with Donald Trump as President, Jesus is back in the White House. [2] And might be news to those who for similar reasons, celebrate an Anglican vicar’s daughter being in 10 Downing Street. [3]
Ever since the Roman emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the year 312AD, Christianity has taken up the flag along with the cross, Christians have trusted politicians of each and every persuasion to do God’s work for them in the world, assuming that worldly rulers are divinely appointed to deliver justice and mercy for God on our behalf. We have put our trust in the rulers of the earth. Forgetting that Jesus once taught his followers,
‘No one can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.’
So Keith Giles is saying, if we disentangle ourselves from our faith in politicians, and focus completely on our faith in Jesus Christ, then we will be more truly able to make a difference in the world, by living as Jesus taught and showed us, as the gospels record. As he says,
The Gospel of Jesus is still the most effective weapon against evil, corruption, violence, hate, fear, and every other sin known to mankind. If you really believe that, don’t give in to the fear-based rhetoric that threatens to distract you. Instead, start sharing the Good News of the Kingdom. Let everyone know that Jesus is the best Leader anyone could ever have. [4]
What’s the alternative? That we continue to put our trust in politicians who fail to deliver on their promises to do the right things - in America the Christian Moral Majority put all its weight behind presidents who promised to deliver on abortion, but who once in office, never did; here in the UK I spent much of the 1990s campaigning with Church Action on Poverty and warmly welcomed the stated intention of Tony Blair’s New Labour government to end child poverty, in which, again, they and subsequent governments absolutely failed.
I’m minded of the great book by C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, in which Screwtape, a senior devil, writes to his apprentice Wormwood, letters of encouragement about how to keep the Christians from living out their faith effectively. One letter goes like this:
My Dear Wormwood,
Be sure that the patient remains completely fixated on politics. Arguments, political gossip, and obsessing on the faults of people they have never met serves as an excellent distraction from advancing in personal virtue, character, and the things the patient can control. Make sure to keep the patient in a constant state of angst, frustration and general disdain towards the rest of the human race in order to avoid any kind of charity or inner peace from further developing. Ensure that the patient continues to believe that the problem is “out there” in the “broken system” rather than recognizing there is a problem with himself.
Keep up the good work,
Uncle Screwtape. [5]
So Jesus Untangled is not suggesting that Christians should absolute separate ourselves from political life and action, not advocating that Christians should retreat from the hard realities of living in a pagan empire, and not be involved in programmes and protests for change. But rather the book is addressing what Jesus himself always addressees: the question of what is in our heart - what is our deepest motivation for our actions in the world. Is it our desire for political influence or our desire to follow Christ? This is challenging at the deepest level - whether to a Christian ‘social activist’ or to anyone daring to vote or wave a flag whilst also claiming to be following Christ. But it is completely in tune with what Jesus himself taught:
‘No one can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.’
I think this is a fitting verse for us to contemplate as we renew our Covenant vow today. [6] It raises the question for us of how do we best serve Jesus in our world today - serve him, and him alone. One direction in which we might consider going is for each of us to become a Red Letter Christian.
What is a Red Letter Christian? Well, I wonder if you have a bible like this one [demonstrates] - one in which the words which Jesus spoke are all printed in red?
A Red Letter Christian is quite simply one who most of all, before anything else, takes Jesus seriously by trying to live out His teachings as set forth in Scripture, and especially embracing the lifestyle which prescribed in the Sermon on the Mount.
Red Letter Christians commit themselves first and foremost to doing what Jesus said. Jesus calls us away from the consumerist values that dominate our society (remember that when Jesus spoke about serving two masters he went on to say, ‘you cannot serve God and money’). Instead, he calls us to meet the needs of the poor. He also calls us to be merciful, which has strong implications in terms of war and punishment. After all, when Jesus tells us to love our enemies, he probably means we shouldn’t kill them. [7]
Now, if you commit to being a Red Letter Christian you’re released from so many of life’s anxieties and tensions. Remember those Red Letter words we just heard, from the Sermon on the Mount:
‘Do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.’
As The Father feeds the birds of the air, so He feeds us. And as The Father clothes the lilies of the field, so He clothes us. So we don’t need to listen to those voices demanding that we consume more and more, that we keep on looking for the perfect outfit, for we will be given all we need by God. Neither do we need to support politicians who make promises to improve our well-being, for The Father’s promise is sufficient; nor do we need to defend politicians who will exploit the earth’s resources or take up arms against other peoples in the cause of material gain, for all we need The Father gives us. So Jesus’ words teach us.
There is a network of people calling themselves Red Letter Christians. They are simply Christians committed to first and foremost following the teachings of our Lord. Anyone can join them. This is what they say:
The words of Jesus are authoritative and compel us to believe:
1 All people are made in the likeness and image of God.
2 Jesus is the lens through which we understand the Bible… and through which we understand the world in which we live.
3 Doing Jesus’ work leads to personal growth and greater understanding.
4 Freedom comes through serving others - not power, politics or materialism.
5 Diversity and collaboration make us stronger, not weaker.
6 Wherever your power and influence might lie, it is magnified when shared and held by those who are poor, oppressed and looked over by society.
7 Questioning cultural norms is healthy and can lead to wholeness.
8 We respect and fight for the well-being of all people as children of God - especially those with whom we differ.
9 We embrace and work alongside people of different faiths, erasing the lines of ‘us vs. them.’ [8]
It’s a challenge, living as a Red Letter Christian. But isn’t it just the challenge Jesus gave us when he said,
‘No one can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.’
It’s a challenge, living as a Red Letter Christian. But it isn’t just a challenge, it’s the way which leads to joy, and eternal life.
Notes
[1] Keith Giles, Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics to Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb.
[2] Charity Gibson, Singer Vicki Yohe Apologizes for Pro-Donald Trump, Jesus in White House Post, The Christian Post (online), 23 January 2017.
[3] Sam Hailes, 3 ways Theresa May's private Christian faith impacts her public politics, Premier Christianity blog, 11 July 2016.
[4] Keith Giles, Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics to Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb, p.185.
[5] C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters: Letters from a Senior to a Junior Devil.
[6] The Methodist Covenant Prayer: “I am no longer my own but yours. Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you or laid aside for you, exalted for you or brought low for you. Let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours. So be it. And the covenant made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.” The Methodist Church in Britain: The Covenant Service.
[7] Red Letter Christians: What is RLC? Adapted.
[8] Red Letter Christians: What is RLC?
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