Today's readings: Ps 121, 122, 123; Mic 1:1-9; Acts 23:12-24; Luke 7:1-17
The main conflict in the Gospels is between Jesus and the leaders of the Jewish faith. In Acts and the epistles, conflict arises as Jewish and Gentile Christians struggle to become one church. On a larger scale, the backdrop of the entire New Testament is the occupying Roman empire. Christ’s teachings represent upheaval not just to the Jewish religious leaders, but to the greater social and political order enforced from Rome.
Christ used imperial imagery in his lessons and parables – kingdoms, victories, etc. When he turned this language on its head in the service of God, he was telling the people the existing social structure was in its final days. Many Jews wished to silence him because Judaism was practiced at the pleasure of the emperor, and Jesus was the kind of rabble-rouser who drew the wrong kind of attention. His early followers lived under this constant imperial threat, but modern readers sometimes need to remind ourselves the faith had political ramifications as well. When we consider our present day commitment to our faith, what are we saying to Rome?
True to his inclusive nature, Jesus did not draw firm lines between the Romans and the Jews. When a Roman centurion asked Jesus to come heal his beloved slave, Jesus declares it is the faith of the centurion – and not the slave – that dwarfs the faith he has found in Israel. This declaration made it clear that God’s grace was not confined by ethnic or cultural boundaries, and also that Jesus’ Jewish disciples should not become too complacent about their own spiritual situation.
Paul’s Roman citizenship saved him from several difficult situations. Rules regarding the treatment of Roman citizens extended to all corners of the empire, so when the Romans learned of a Jewish conspiracy to kill Paul, they snatched him away to Caesarea not to defend him, but to ensure proper Roman protocol was observed. His relationship to the empire, which sometimes beneficial, was complicated by his faith.
The Roman Empire may be long gone, but imperialism in its many forms is alive and well. Our relationship to the world is also complicated. Are we introducing it to Christ’s message, or are we silencing the rabble rouser?
Comfort: God’s kingdom continues to transform earthly realms.
Challenge: Meditate on what “imperialism” we must stand up to today.
Prayer: Teach me, Lord, to speak up when it is right to do so.
Evening readings: Ps 124, 125, 126
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 119:145-176; Mic 2:1-13; Acts 23:23-35; Luke 7:18-35
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