Sermons

"Romans Romp: Whose Church Is This Anyway?"

Delivered from the Pulpit of First Congregational Church

of Anchorage by The Reverend Mark E. Long

on February 14, 2010

Lections:  Is. 49.1-7

                 Rms. 1.16-17

                 Mk. 9.33-37

It is Valentine's Day.  What better day to talk about God's "Valentine" to God's people - Jesus the Christ of the Church.  Come to shine "a light to the nations" that [the Lord's] salvation may reach to the end of the earth."  It is not enough, says Isaiah, to just raise up the tribes of Jacob or restore the survivors of Israel, which the Lord will do.  This light must shine into all places of the world.  Jesus comes as "a light" for all.

This is the view of Isaiah 49 according to the ancient Christian church.  Jesus may very well be that "light" but if so let's be clear, Isaiah has a different "valentine" in mind in Chapter 49, similar purpose perhaps but a different light.

In Chapter 49, [The Lord] calls explicitly Israel to be the "light to the nations."  The Lord tells Isaiah to pass along to others, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified."  According to Isaiah anyway, Israel is the light to bring salvation to the nations by teaching and living as an example of covenantal loyalty.

Fast-forward to Rome - around 49 c.e.  Just this question - who is the "light to the nations" sparks a debate among Jews devout to their traditional roots and Jews who claim Isaiah's light not in a race of people but in one Jew - Jesus.  Yes, Christianity begins as an "intra-family squabble" among Jews.

This squabble takes place in some of the poorer sections of towns where Jews live among others looking for relief from the oppressive ways of Rome.  Many believe that they have found it in Jesus, who promises a new Kingdom on the horizon - very near.  It will not be long before fortunes will turn around and the long suffering under Roman rule will end.  Who can blame these society "have-nots" for carrying Jesus' message into the streets; streets where the receptive, the skeptical, the disdainful, and the annoyed all rub shoulders.

The Roman Empire and Rome in particular is a powder keg of mixed opinion.  But the only opinion that ultimately matters is the opinion of the Roman king or emperor of the moment.  Fortunes change for the Jews with the whims of the emperor.  Some whims reveal insane kings but others more their self-interested wisdom. 

The Roman system of governance requires absolute obedience and loyalty of its citizens.  The Jews are not inclined to either.  They are really not inclined when emperors begin to require citizens to call their king a god while still alive.  Still various emperors, to their credit, grant exceptions for Jews to pursue their odd "one God" worship.  But this variance is given grudgingly as the Romans know that private religion is a likely source of trouble - sedition and anarchy.  So when an upstart rabble of Jews rise in Rome itself to start new churches dedicated to a new world order on behalf of this other god and go about the city promoting it, it is more than traditional Jews that take exception.

It is especially an irritant to Rome because some of the non-Jews or Gentiles are starting to listen to this chatter about a "new world order."  Some of them like the sound of this alternative to the endless violence and taxes of the current regime.  Peace, huh?  Hmm!

Luke in Acts gives us some insight into this "new world" proselytizing, who was attracted to it, and a typical Jewish response.  In his story, Paul and Silas visit Thessalonica.  Paul makes his pitch in the synagogue; some are persuaded including "a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women," but others are not.  Those Jews not persuaded and some local "ruffians" form a mob and seek out the troublemakers.  They can't find Paul and Silas but they do find the poor fellow who gave them lodging so drag him before the local authorities, shouting, "These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also . . . .   They are all acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus." (Acts 17.6b-7)  There is no surer way to get in trouble with the Roman emperor especially in Rome, who by this time is not only king but also god.

In 49 c.e., the Roman Emperor Claudius expels all Jews from Rome (roughly 50,000 of the 1 million population of Rome), as Suetonius says, for causing "continuous disturbance at the instigation of Chrestus."[1]  I assume they all were exiled because some of the Jews were spreading the gospel in the Roman synagogues and then others were reacting to it.  Taken together, they were causing quite a ruckus. 

Whatever the reason, they were all sent packing with little notice from the Romans.  Seutonius is the only one to mention it and even he is poorly informed as he believes 'Chrestus' is present and stirring up trouble in Rome.[2] 

The Jews were gone but "nature abhors a vacuum" and Gentiles began in increasing numbers to fill in for the missing Jews in the barely sprouted Christian churches.  There was an uneasy peace between them and the authorities, but as long as they behaved like good citizens of Rome (paid their taxes and did not create public spectacles) they were allowed generally to worship as they pleased. 

Claudius dies in 54 c.e. - 5 years after the Jews are kicked out of Rome.  When he dies, his edict of banishment comes to an end and Jews begin returning to Rome.  Some of the Jews return to their synagogues, more tolerant and committed to "minding their own business," but others return to the churches they started in the name of Christ and find uncircumcised, ritually clueless heathens in their places.  It is not the intent of these converted "God fearers," as these Gentiles are called, to step aside and let the true elect reclaim their leadership places either.

Each group claims the Roman church for itself to be run by its group to its liking.  Each group asserts its claim to control the church based on its opinion of what is required of a follower of Christ.  For the returning Jews, they are adamant that Jesus was an observant Jew and followers of Jesus Christ must be obedient to the practices of Jews - keep the dietary laws, ancient traditions, and above all, be circumcised as a visible sign (one to set them apart from the pagans) of commitment to be God's people.  For the late-arriving Gentiles, there is no historical tradition to obscure the importance of Jesus' clear apocalyptic message.  There is a new world coming that will turn things upside down; it is coming soon.  It will require a different kind of citizen to be a part of it - get ready and tell others the good news.

It reminds me of the bickering between the disciples about who is the greatest among them.  In self-promotion, they each miss what is important to know.  Jesus has to draw a little child near and say, Look - it is simple really.  If you can humble yourself to welcome the unknown child into your midst, in this society where honor is given to the rich and famous, then you are the kind of servant that "the one who sent me" welcomes into the new world that is coming.

Paul's letter proposes much the same solution to Jewish Christians and Gentiles caught up in bickering division within the churches of Rome.  Paul offers a "middle way" to the creators or responders of conflict who demand their way or the highway.  Don't be so sure of yourself or what you think you know, says Paul, God is the business of salvation for everyone "who has faith, to the Jew first (simply as a matter of historical necessity) and also to the Greek."  It is not either/or, it still isn't.

This is how I see the "intra-family squabble" among Jews that becomes an "intra-family squabble" among Jesus' first citizens in Rome.  Amen.