Speaking Truth to Power
(Luke 4: 21-30)
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that the District Superintendent asked me to consider being the Puget Sound Missional District representative on the Conference Board of Church and Society. He gave me a brief description of what all it entailed, and I agreed to have my name submitted for consideration. In the meantime, I consulted by United Methodist Book of Discipline to learn more. I learned that there are actually two boards, one for the entire United Methodist Church and one for each Conference. The stated purpose of the General Board of Church and Society shall be to relate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the members of the church and to the persons and structure of the communities and world in which they live. It shall seek to bring the whole of human life, activities, possessions, use of resources, and community and world relationships into conformity with the will of God. It shall show the members of the Church and the society that the reconciliation that God effected through Christ involves personal, social, and civic righteousness. To achieve these objectives the board shall: project plans and programs that challenge the members of The United Methodist Church to work through their own local churches, ecumenical channels, and society toward personal, social, and civic righteousness. Additionally, they are to assist the district and annual conferences with needed resources in areas of such concerns; analyze the issues that confront persons, communities, nations, and the world, and encourage Christian lines of action that assist humankind to move toward a world where peace and justice are achieved.
Well, that’s all well and good, but give me an example. So glad you asked. On January 13, 2025, the board issued a statement that called for a bold witness to stand against U.S. immigration and mass deportation policies influenced by misinformation, hate, fear and harm. The statement read: The General Board of Church and Society vehemently opposes the mass deportation plans put forth by President-elect Trump. These proposals are not only antithetical to the foundational values of our democracy but also starkly contradict the United Methodist Church’s Social Principles on immigration, and the Wesleyan theological tradition. Finally, I thought, our denomination is taking a stand on something and not cowering in the background intimidated by those who would disagree with us for their own personal agenda. I hoped that they didn’t just post this on their webpage that is viewed by only those who would find no fault. People need to know where the United Methodist Church stands on issues that were and are, near and dear to Jesus’ heart.
The Conference Board operates much the same as the General Board only on a conference level addressing issues that affect Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and part of Canada. I will be interested to see where our Conference Board stands on such issues and whether they are proactive or reactionary.
So, if you’ve been watching any of the news outlets at all over the last few weeks you are probably familiar with an incident that occurred during a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral on January 21st. Newly sworn in President Donald Trump was in attendance with many of his guests and supporters as Rev. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde began her sermon. I watched it and it was pretty lowkey and as she addressed the issue of immigration she made a powerful plea for mercy. If you were watching you could tell by the body language that neither the President nor his guests were too pleased and, to no one’s surprise, the President later lashed out on social media. In her response to the criticism, Bishop Budde said that Jesus instructed his followers to be merciful to the stranger and that she would not apologize for asking for mercy for others. I was especially pleased when United Methodist Bishop William Henry Willimon came to her defense commenting that Budde’s plea for mercy was particularly moving. He told the reporter “There is no instance in the life, work, teachings of Jesus where mercy overtakes a backseat to anything else. Not only is Jesus merciful, he commands his followers to be merciful.” High praise for Bishops Budde and Willimon for speaking truth to power.
So, what you ask, does any of this have to do with the scripture reading for today. I’m glad you asked because this is probably the first time that Jesus spoke truth to power and, just like the President, it didn’t sit to well with the powers that be. After being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus was taken out to the wilderness where he successfully faced temptations by the devil for forty days. He then returned to Galilee and began announcing the good news to the poor, and word of his unconventional message spread rapidly. He then traveled to Nazareth where he had been raised and, on the Sabbath, he went to the synagogue and stood up to read. He read from the scroll of Isaiah which said: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Not a bad passage to read and probably one known well by those who attended the synagogue regularly, but what he said next got their attention. He said: Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it. Luke tells us that everyone was raving about Jesus, so impressed were they by the gracious words flowing from his lips and they recognized him as Joseph’s son. Initially, they weren’t angered by his message but when he suggested his message was good news as well to Gentiles like Naaman the Syrian, that was too much. Luke tells us that everyone in the synagogue was filled with anger, that they rose up and ran him out of town. They led him to the crest of the hill on which their town had been built so that they could throw him off the cliff. But we are told that he passed through them and went on his way.
Jesus spoke truth to power, and they didn’t want to hear it. They didn’t want to share their privileges with outsiders, but Jesus’ message was intentionally focused upon the marginal members of society, the poor, the prisoners, the blind and the oppressed. Through his ministry the oppressed are being set free, they are receiving mercy.
Now before you get all knotted up claiming that I am mixing religion and politics, I’m not. As I’ve said many times in the past, everything I say can be backed up by the Scripture, my Wesley Commentary, my CEB Bible, my NIV Study Bible, and the Book of Discipline. In paragraph 163 of the Social Principles, in the section on Church and Governments, it says: We affirm that both church and state have vital and distinct roles to play in relation to the larger society. We generally affirm the independence and integrity of both institutions, and we advocate for a relationship of mutual respect in which neither institution seeks to dominate nor influence the other. Okay, a statement affirming the separation of church and state but then they lay down the rules of engagement by stating: We affirm that every form of government stands under God’s judgment and must therefore be held accountable for protecting the innocent, guaranteeing basic freedoms and liberties, protecting the natural world, and establishing just, equitable, and sustainable economies. We call on all government officials to aspire to the highest standards of professionalism, honesty, and integrity. They go on to say that all governments should adopt policies and practices that guarantee accountability and transparency in fostering and maintaining the trust of the public. It says that, as United Methodists, we reject governmental use of threats, extortion, unlawful detentions, extrajudicial killings, and other forms of coercion to silence political opponents and those objecting to unlawful or immoral government policies and practices. The section closes by stating: While we do not believe churches should affiliate with particular political parties, we do encourage churches to speak out boldly on social issues from a gospel perspective. That’s exactly what Bishops Budde and Willimon and other clergy did in response to the President’s reaction. Bishop Budde wasn’t saying that the United States didn’t have the right to deport people who enter the country illegally. She was just asking that it be done with mercy, compassion, and justice. She was speaking the truth of Jesus Christ to the power of the government of the United States at the risk of being thrown off a cliff.
Let us pray.
Gracious and merciful Lord, governments come, and they go but your truth remains and endures. We praise you for your example of speaking truth to power. We praise your apostles and the martyrs who faced persecution, imprisonment, and even death as they followed your lead because your truth is just that important to all who need to hear it. Your truth has set us free but there are others out there who long to be free and must hear your truth. Embolden us, give us the words to say and the courage to speak your truth to those who would deny your truth. This we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
To view guest speaker live, click link below:
Many thanks to Rev. Dale Kelley for filling the pulpit this morning for me on such short notice. I had the flu and am pretty much asymptomatic but out of an abundance of caution I didn’t want to put any of you at risk. I will be back in the office tomorrow and we have a busy week ahead. It was a great message and I am glad I got to watch the service live on Facebook. Kudos to our worship team who rose to the challenge and supported Dale making for a smooth worship service. Thank you bell choir for two wonderful offerings.
Rev. Kelley’s sermon was timely inlight of current events in the United States and if you didn’t make it to church or watch it live I’ve attached the Facebook Live link for you to watch. Additionally, I’ve included my sermon as I think it compliments very well what she had to say.