"The Upside Down Kingdom of God"

If you were in worship last week, you may recall that after John the Baptist has been arrested, Jesus, who's been divinely commissioned and spiritually prepared to manifest God's saving presence, takes up his cousin's prophetic mantel. Matthew the Evangelist tells us, "From that time on, Jesus began to proclaim, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near "'

Again, if you were here last week, you may also remember my saying that the word "repent" essentially means "pay attention." Here Jesus is urging his disciples - including you and me -- to pay attention because the kingdom of heaven has come near, or, as other translations render the phrase, because the kingdom of heaven is "at hand." Jesus wants us to pay attention and not be distracted by other things, because when we're distracted, there's a good chance we'll fail to see the signs of God's kingdom, which is, as Jesus tells us elsewhere, already "among us" or "within us'¹ -  depending on which Bible translation we use  I'm reminded of the words of the prophet Isaiah, who spoke God's Word to the people, saying, "I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?"²

Immediately after his inaugural sermon, Jesus begins the work for which God has sent him - the work for which he's been prepared through his baptism in the Jordan and through 40 days in the wilderness: Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, begins to manifest God's saving presence by proclaiming the Word and healing people who are sick and suffering. Matthew tells us that Jesus' saving work attracts great crowds of people from throughout the region, including both Jews and Gentiles. These are the people who go up the mountaintop to listen to Jesus, along with the four fishermen Jesus has called to serve among his closest disciples: Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

So, I mention this bit of background for two reasons: 1. Any time we're interpreting a passage of Scripture, context matters; and 2. In my sermon prep this week, the phrase "from that time on, Jesus began to proclaim..." jumped out at me, and I realized - not for the first time, mind you, though perhaps at a deeper level -- that Jesus' one-sentence sermon, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near," the core message that he'll repeat throughout his life of ministry.

Another thing that intrigued me during my sermon prep was this observation by New Testament scholar Warren Carter: "To manifest God's saving presence is to manifest-the empire, or rule, of God." I think the reason it made me sit up and take notice is that instead of the word "kingdom," Carter uses the word "empire" in relation to God  Most of the time, biblical scholars tend to use the word "empire" in reference to the powers of this world, which are diametrically opposed to the kingdom of God.

Friends, I think most of us are aware that the Beatitudes in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount comprise one of the most familiar, best-loved passages in all of Scripture. Reading this passage, it's not hard to understand why it's so beloved because here Jesus sets forth a vision of the wonderfully upside-down Kingdom of God, in which the most unexpected people -- the poor and oppressed, the grieving, the humble, the justice seekers, the merciful, the spiritually curious, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for their faith -- will receive the abundant life promised by God.

And just so there's no misunderstanding, this beautiful, hope-filled passage of Scripture isn't just about "pie in the sky when you die" -- that is, it's not only about the reward the faithful will receive in the next life, although that IS part of the promise  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also lays out our identity as his disciples, teaching us how we are to live here and now. In short, because the Kingdom of God is already at hand, we are to live in the Way of Jesus, manifesting God's saving love for each other and for all our neighbors because God deeply loves the whole world.³ To say it another way, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to live in light of the upside-down, inclusive Kingdom of God, which stands in stark contrast to all the top-down, exclusive empires of this world. Indeed, in reading the Beatitudes, one of the first things we notice is that Jesus' blessings do NOT privilege the privileged. On the contrary! Later on, as Jesus journeys toward the cross in chapter 23 of Matthew's gospel, he pronounces a series of "woes" upon greedy, self-indulgent leaders who neglect justice and mercy and faith. Never one to mince words, Jesus flat out calls them "hypocrites."⁴

Speaking of the upside-down, inclusive Kingdom of God where all the misfits and outcasts are welcome, I'm reminded that back in the day-- some 2000 years ago - the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, pointing out that in the eyes of the world, the gospel of Jesus Christ is considered "foolishness" or "weakness."⁵ Sadly, Paul's words still ring true in our day. In fact, these days some church leaders have even declared Jesus' message of compassion and mercy to be "weak." For example, two years ago, I came across an interview with Russell Moore, editor-in-chief of Christianity Today magazine and formerly a top official in the Southern Baptist Convention. Moore was being interviewed about a new book he'd written, in which he described what he sees as the crisis of Christianity in America today. He explains,

[My book} was the result of having multiple pastors tell me essentially the same story about quoting the Sermon on the Mount parenthetically in their preaching -[you know:] "turn the other cheek" [etc.] - [only] to have someone come up after[ward] and say, "Where did you get those liberal talking points?" And what was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, "I'm literally quoting Jesus Christ," the response would not be, "I apologize." The response would be, "Yes, but that doesn't work anymore. That's weak... " And when we get to the point where the teachings of Jesus himself are seen as subversive to us, then we're in a crisis.... ⁶

Newsflash: We're definitely in a crisis!... I was appalled when I first heard that interview two years ago. I mean, yeah, there's been an "unholy alliance" between some Christians and certain political leaders for many years now, but for Christians to say that Jesus' fundamental teaching is "weak" and "doesn't work anymore?! ..." Wow. Unbelievable ...and yet in the two years since Russell Moore gave that interview, things have gone from bad to worse. Indeed, you and I don't have to look very far to see how a fake gospel -- the gospel of prosperity and domination -- has hijacked the gospel of Jesus Christ....

A few days ago, Intern Pastor Katie and I were at a conference listening to a powerful. sermon preached by Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee, who serves the Northwest Washington Synod of our own Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Bishop Shelley was preaching on this text, Matthew 5:1-12, and she began by citing an example of how Scripture is being weaponized in dangerous ways in our time. She described a recent ICE recruitment video put out by the Department of Homeland Security, which begins by showing agents dressed in camouflage, wearing face masks and carrying tactical gear and military assault weapons. They're seen jumping out of Blackhawk helicopters and rappelling down into an apartment building. The dark, grainy images look like a video game -- except they're not..... The video goes on to show agents roughly

grabbing and handcuffing people and shoving them into vehicles. Then a message appears on the screen in old-fashioned script: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God...."

I was horrified, and I felt sick when I heard this. After Bishop Shelley had finished her sermon, I turned to Intern Pastor Katie and said, "Did you know about that video -- about them using that verse from the Beatitudes?!" Intern Pastor Katie nodded, "Oh yeah. I've seen it. It's awful!..." Later, when I got back to my hotel room, I forced myself to find the video and watch it. The 1.5 minute-video was just as horrifying as Bishop Shelley had described.... And when I realized that this simulated video game recruitment ad had begun streaming just about a week before the shooting of Alex Pretti, I felt a new wave of nausea. You see, I remembered reading that only a few hours after his death, some agents in Minneapolis were recorded laughing and saying, "It's just like 'Call of Duty!" {For the uninitiated, "Call of Duty" is a violent video game that's been around for many years now....) Friends, my faith compels me to say this: Coopting Jesus' Beatitudes to promote a violent, militaristic campaign against our immigrant neighbors is straight up blasphemy. It's an idolatrous insult to our God, who is gracious and merciful and abounding in steadfast love. [Amen? ]

Every day I wonder and pray, "How did this happen, Lord? How did we get to this place where so many who profess to be your followers are following a fake messiah and subscribing to a false gospel that empowers them, while crushing the ones you call 'the least of these, who are [your] siblings?..."' I continue praying, "Lord Jesus, I'm heartbroken. How could anyone turn away from your loving, liberating, life-giving Word?" And through my tears, the answer that keeps coming to me is this: God is weeping, too. Our God is weeping with us and for us....

But wait - there's more!... As I listen for a response to my prayers, I also sense the Holy Spirit whispering and saying to all of us, "You are my beloved children. You were made for such a time as this.... So many of my children are hurting, and this beautiful, yet oh-so-broken world needs my saving love now more than ever. So, I need every single one of you to go out and embody that love in ways that bring hope and healing to your neighbors every. Single. Day.... Remember my promise: I'm always with you. I'll be there every step of the way to strengthen and guide you. And know this: The Kingdom of God IS at hand; indeed, each time you reach out to share my saving love, my Kingdom comes just a little bit closer to the shalom - the wholeness

--that is my desire for this world I love so deeply  "

In closing, I'd like to recommission you with a blessing that's very much in the spirit of Jesus' Beatitudes. It's from A Black Rock Prayer Book, written by the Reverend Brian Baker:

The world now is too dangerous

and too beautiful for anything but love.

May your eyes be so blessed you see God in everyone. Your ears, so you hear the cry of the poor.

May your hands be so blessed

that everything you touch is a sacrament.

Your lips, so you speak nothing but the truth with love.

May your feet be so blessed you run to those who need you.

And may your heart be so opened, so set on fire, that your love,

your love, changes everything.

[And let the people of God say: "Amen!"]

1 See Luke 17:20-21.

² Isaiah 43:19.

³ See John 3:16-17.

⁴ See Matthew 23:1-36.

⁵ See 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.

⁶ Russell Moore, "Russell Moore on 'Altar call for Evangelical America," interview with Scott Detrow, "All Things Considered," National Public Radio, www.nor.org, 5 August 2023.

The Upside Down Kingdom of God