Richard M. Wright
“We are our message but our message is not us”
1 Thessalonians 2
Church of the Nations
November 02, 2008
31st Sunday Ordinary Time (A) or All Saints’ Sunday
Fourteen trillion dollars in new taxes – from Congressional liberals.
Not what the person says but the way this person says those words. Early Saturday morning on my way to buy some new plants I listen to the radio – National Public Radio. And the interviewer is talking with two men who do the talking on political attack ads. You know – those advertisements on television or on the radio in which the goal is to tell you how dangerous or bad or scary the other politician is.
Not this is why you should vote for me but Senator So-and-So – bad decisions bad for Louisiana.
They admit that what they do is a job. It does not matter which political party they support or if they believe in what they are saying. (And there is nothing wrong with that by the way.) They are actors – voice actors – who are paid to use their voice to say words in a political advertisement. So the interviewer says “say something ridiculous that sounds really scary”. One of them pauses for a moment and then says in a deep dramatic voice -
Fourteen trillion dollars in new taxes – from Congressional liberals.
In our Bible reading for this morning from the book of First Thessalonians chapter two – actually a reading from last week but I want to talk about it this week – in our Bible reading the apostle Paul makes it clear that he and the people he works with are not voice actors for political attack advertisements.
You know brothers and sisters that our visit to you was not a failure. We were treated badly and insulted in Philippi (the place we visited before we came to see you) but with the help of God we dared to tell you his good news in spite of opposition. Because the appeal we make does not come from wrong or dishonest motives. Nor are we trying to trick you. Instead we speak to you as people approved by God and entrusted with the good news. We are not trying to please human beings but God who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery nor did we put on a mask to cover up our greed – God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from human beings – not from you not from anyone else.
What Paul addresses is the method of Christian mission. God has called his people the Christian church to participate in his divine mission of healing and justice and forgiveness. How do we serve others? How do we teach the Bible? How do we proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ the Son of God? How do we share the Christian faith and invite others to come follow Jesus and participate in the Christian movement?
Paul says many things – we do not trick do not flatter do not cover greed – the Christian movement must never use wrong or dishonest methods for even the best of goals. We must not trick people flatter people manipulate people and tell ourselves it is okay because we are doing this for God.
No – because we are our message. One thing we hear so often from people in Church of the Nations is they say you Christians are so kind you welcome us you help us you care about us and that is why we want to study the Bible learn about God hear about Jesus. People do not say we are interested in your message in the good news of Jesus even if you are not kind do not welcome do not help do not care.
Pau writes We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the good news of God but our lives as well. A visiting scholar from Beijing said one Sunday several years ago, “You have shown me what Christianity is”. We are our message. The quality of our lives and the quality of our relationships with other – how we show honesty generosity justice mercy love – these reflect who is God and what God has done through the life death resurrection of Jesus Christ his son.
We are our message but our message is not us. The politician says vote for me! But even though we are our message – we are not asking people to believe in us. And when Christians are honest when we are just when we welcome when we serve when we care – that is wonderful. But the message is not us. Not look at us how wonderful and good we are. Oh we are such nice people who do such nice things – come join us!
No – the message is the good news of Jesus. Not look at us! vote for us! join us! but Jesus. The message of our lives points others to Jesus. Who does not want to trick us manipulate us flatter us but invites us trust him and follow him because he wants us to know how much God loves you. And through his son Jesus Christ who died on a cross and was raised from death – how God through Jesus offers you the free gift of forgiveness of salvation of eternal life which is life in harmony with God that we experience here and now and continues even beyond death.
