Matthew 22:15-22
Pledge Allegiance to the flag, to God or to both?
Year A
In Miss Gabrilska’s 3rd grade class
My 3rd grade teacher was very adamant that we learn all of the patriotic songs. Miss Gabrilska was from Poland – and she was very adamant that those song were our songs and it was important that we know them. So every month we learned a new patriotic song. Today when I go to a sporting event and we have to sing the star spangled banner I am a little disappointed that many times I am the only one who knows the song in a crowd.
That evperience is in contrast to my mother’s experience, who told me that she refuses to say the pledge of allegiance, because we do not live in a country where there is liberty and justice for all.
My identity as an African American
The ironies are normal in my identity as an African American.
Question on the radio station
On the radio this week they were taking a survey – they asked people to call in and to say if they considered themselves to be an African American, an American, a black person, a black woman or just a woman.
I was amazed at how many different answers people called in with – every one had a different way and reason for identitying themselves.
Our Identity is fluid – we are more than one things at a time
I think that our identity is fluid , and we use many different experiences to shape our identity.
The same was true for Jesus
Jews or Roman Citizens
In his time, even though jews would have been roman citizens, they would never admit. The jews felt that their identity was coopted by romans. And it was a very big thing to see who you would identify with. The pharisee’s knew that they had Jesus if they asked him who he identified with – the jews or the romans.
Jesus knew better than to answer the question
He knew that anything that he said would be misinterpreted as being on one side or another.
This was all a trick to trap him and to justify punishing him for being a traiter to his own people.
Jesus had the wisdom of a politician in answering the question
He tells a parable - Render unto Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar
Yet the question remains, what belong to ceasar and what belongs to God
How much of ourselves do we give to God, what does God ask of us?
Tony Compolo Story
Sydaney and I attended a seminar on evangelism – Tony Compolo was the key note speaker. Tony compolo is a very popular speaker and has been speaking for years – his schedule was booked three years in advance 20 years ago.
There is a story of Tony speaking at a women’s conference. They took up an offering and needed more money. They asked Tony if he would lead the appeal for money. He refused. He said that all that we have already belong to God and that God I a god of abudance, so he knew that the money that was needed was already present and would be raised. A second offering was taken and they got more money than they needed for the cause.
God has already given us all that we have – we just have to determine how to use it.
Are we Christians, or are we citizens and friends of the United States?
We all have a mixed identity – we all have one foot in heaven and one on earth
Jesus tells us that it is okay to be a part of both worlds – there is no other way to be. Isaiah mentioned it in the old testament encouraging the children of God to take care of there city they were planted in. Paul also tells us to grow wherever we are planted.
In a sense, Jesus never really answers the question in which he was asked – he knew there was no answer he could give when which be right. But he also asks each of us a question – of whom do we pledge allegiance?
Remember the story of the man who sued so his daughter would not have to say the pledge – with the words one nation under God. Or the one who sued because our money says in God we trust –
Those are words of comfort for us Christians and jews who live in America
But the real question is if we live those words of comfort our in our lives.
We are intended to be citizens of many worlds – worlds who values sometimes clash
As citizens of friends of the world we are called to tithe – give a tenth of what we have to service to any of God’s children and to be obedient to love.
That may not make our identity clearer – but it does make our purpose in the world clearer.
Amen.
Pledge Allegiance to the flag, to God or to both?
Year A
In Miss Gabrilska’s 3rd grade class
My 3rd grade teacher was very adamant that we learn all of the patriotic songs. Miss Gabrilska was from Poland – and she was very adamant that those song were our songs and it was important that we know them. So every month we learned a new patriotic song. Today when I go to a sporting event and we have to sing the star spangled banner I am a little disappointed that many times I am the only one who knows the song in a crowd.
That evperience is in contrast to my mother’s experience, who told me that she refuses to say the pledge of allegiance, because we do not live in a country where there is liberty and justice for all.
My identity as an African American
The ironies are normal in my identity as an African American.
Question on the radio station
On the radio this week they were taking a survey – they asked people to call in and to say if they considered themselves to be an African American, an American, a black person, a black woman or just a woman.
I was amazed at how many different answers people called in with – every one had a different way and reason for identitying themselves.
Our Identity is fluid – we are more than one things at a time
I think that our identity is fluid , and we use many different experiences to shape our identity.
The same was true for Jesus
Jews or Roman Citizens
In his time, even though jews would have been roman citizens, they would never admit. The jews felt that their identity was coopted by romans. And it was a very big thing to see who you would identify with. The pharisee’s knew that they had Jesus if they asked him who he identified with – the jews or the romans.
Jesus knew better than to answer the question
He knew that anything that he said would be misinterpreted as being on one side or another.
This was all a trick to trap him and to justify punishing him for being a traiter to his own people.
Jesus had the wisdom of a politician in answering the question
He tells a parable - Render unto Ceasar what belongs to Ceasar
Yet the question remains, what belong to ceasar and what belongs to God
How much of ourselves do we give to God, what does God ask of us?
Tony Compolo Story
Sydaney and I attended a seminar on evangelism – Tony Compolo was the key note speaker. Tony compolo is a very popular speaker and has been speaking for years – his schedule was booked three years in advance 20 years ago.
There is a story of Tony speaking at a women’s conference. They took up an offering and needed more money. They asked Tony if he would lead the appeal for money. He refused. He said that all that we have already belong to God and that God I a god of abudance, so he knew that the money that was needed was already present and would be raised. A second offering was taken and they got more money than they needed for the cause.
God has already given us all that we have – we just have to determine how to use it.
Are we Christians, or are we citizens and friends of the United States?
We all have a mixed identity – we all have one foot in heaven and one on earth
Jesus tells us that it is okay to be a part of both worlds – there is no other way to be. Isaiah mentioned it in the old testament encouraging the children of God to take care of there city they were planted in. Paul also tells us to grow wherever we are planted.
In a sense, Jesus never really answers the question in which he was asked – he knew there was no answer he could give when which be right. But he also asks each of us a question – of whom do we pledge allegiance?
Remember the story of the man who sued so his daughter would not have to say the pledge – with the words one nation under God. Or the one who sued because our money says in God we trust –
Those are words of comfort for us Christians and jews who live in America
But the real question is if we live those words of comfort our in our lives.
We are intended to be citizens of many worlds – worlds who values sometimes clash
As citizens of friends of the world we are called to tithe – give a tenth of what we have to service to any of God’s children and to be obedient to love.
That may not make our identity clearer – but it does make our purpose in the world clearer.
Amen.
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