Politics and Economics

Monday, September 22, 2008 -- Week of Proper 20
St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (transferred from Sept. 21)

Today's Reading for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer)

EITHER -- the readings for Monday, Proper 20, p. 985
Psalms 80 (morning) 77, [79] (evening)
Esther 4:4-17 (or Judith 7:1-7, 19-32)
Acts 18:1-11
Luke (1:1-4); 3:1-14

OR -- the readings for St. Matthew, p. 999)
Morning Prayer: 119:41-64 / Isaiah 8:11-20 / Romans 10:1-15
Evening Prayer: 19, 112 / Job 28:12-28 / Matthew 13:44-52

I chose the readings for Monday, Pr. 20.
I'm also choosing the Judith readings this week.

We begin our reading of the Gospel of Luke today. We will continue with Luke's "orderly account" (as he calls it) for the next six weeks. The Prayer Book Lectionary chooses to skip over the birth narrative as a prologue and to begin with the body of the work as it starts with John the Baptist in chapter 3.

The story begins in the midst of political realities. To set the context, Luke recounts the Roman political rulers and their appointed Jewish high priests. John appears in the wilderness like one of the ancient Jewish prophets. He accuses Israel of being unfaithful and calls on them for repentance. Like so many of the prophets before him, he tells them to act on their faith in very specific ways. Those actions are are acts with economic consequences. To everyone, share with the poor. To the powerful, do not use your power to extort. How you use your money, property and power is a major theme of Luke's Gospel, and in that sense Luke is consistent with the messages of the prophets as well.

Politics and money. That's how this Gospel begins. But those are two things that polite church conversation so typically avoids.

For Luke, repentance is more than correct belief or right worship or feeling close to God. Luke gives to the voice of the crowd the question he likes to pose: "What then should we do?" Faith animates action. As we will see, so often in Luke that action will involve reaching out with generous compassion to the poor and marginalized.

These three instructions from John the Baptist have teeth.

First there is the general command, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." How much extra clothing do we have? Who has freezers? Share with those who have none. In this spirit, I've noticed how so many churches participate in some form of ministry to feed and clothe -- food pantries and clothes closets; soup kitchens and community meals; seasonal collections.

Then John gives instruction to those who have some power in the community. First he speaks to the tax collectors. Tax collectors were collaborators with the Roman occupiers. Their exactions funded the occupying army as well as the other services of the Empire. For their "salary," the tax collectors added a percentage for their own pocket. It was financially lucrative, but socially isolating. Tax collectors were hated. Most fathers would not allow their children to marry into a family that had a tax collector as a relative. John's charge, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you," would remove the only means of compensation for the tax collectors. If they were to follow his word, they would need the generosity of those who have two coats. It is a challenging word.

To the soldiers John tells them to stop the customary practice of getting whatever you might need or want by using the threat of power that you enjoy. Soldiers' wages could be unpredictable and spare. From their basic low wage were deducted fees for uniform and food. Plunder was an acceptable form of property enhancement, and in the absence of battle, a soldier had some leniency to extract by threat or intimidation what he might need or want, within limits. John is telling soldiers to live on their meager salary and not use their authority to make life a little easier or prosperous.

How might this translate for us? There is a lot of downward mobility assumed in John's words. There is also an implied egalitarianism. His words would be very counter-cultural in today's world of market capital and wealth disparities.

Both John and Jesus ran afoul of the political authorities. The powers regarded them as threatening to their status quo. Politics and economics were at the center of their religious activities. To what degree are we being faithful to their example?

Lowell

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Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts

About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas