{"id":2004,"date":"2016-11-20T08:32:18","date_gmt":"2016-11-19T21:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=2004"},"modified":"2016-11-20T08:32:18","modified_gmt":"2016-11-19T21:32:18","slug":"contrasting-political-powers-20-11-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/?p=2004","title":{"rendered":"Contrasting Political Powers 20-11-2016"},"content":{"rendered":"
Contrasting Political Powers.<\/strong><\/span>
\nDeuteronomy 17: 14 \u2013 20; Luke 23: 32 – 43<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe Cross frees us from the fantasy that our power is like God\u2019s.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
\u2018Remember me when you come into your kingdom\u2019 says the most unlikely of characters in this enduring crucifixion scene. Jesus crucified depicts Rome\u2019s supreme power. Political activist and criminal alike are crucified. That\u2019s the power!<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
We have just witnessed a superpower choose who they want to represent their power. The drama has dominated our news media. We loosely speak about our politicians and the power they desire. It is almost amusing to hear people talk about politicians desiring power forgetting who has put them there \u2013 the people. You! Me!\u00a0 Power is something we all seek. Let a little honesty prevail, please. We vote for the party or person we want to hold power, because we share their views that we want these views promoted through influence, coercion and compulsion. We want others to conform to our view, or at least let our views dominate. Political power is about influence, coercion and compulsion. It is false to label the politicians as the ones wanting power. We vote for them so that we can have our views influence the future direction of our country in law. When our views are enshrined in law people are coerced and compelled to live with them. In a democratic system power can be shifted in time to another party. In autocracies the power shifts when those in power become weakened and other autocrats build up their power base to take over.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Our political leaders most often work with what is expedient. Expediency is a key principle. Will x produce y in the most effective and efficient way?\u00a0 That is the prevailing question. The reality is that when expediency is the principle of operation it usually involves a moral loss. For example, Australians believe that it is imperative to protect the country\u2019s borders. In fact we would all agree. Border protection is important. When we place it as an absolute then the cost is justified. The current way we protect our borders is to limit the migration of people to what we think is reasonable. This too is an acceptable point. This view leads to desperate people, who have been forcibly displaced from their homes through political unrest, being herded into virtual prison camps at a great cost to their mental health and dignity. The financial cost is huge. But it is expedient to protect our borders at all costs even if fellow human beings suffer intolerably. I don\u2019t know how many of you share my view that what we are doing is immoral and further to the point, I don\u2019t believe we have fully exhausted other ways of protecting our borders and controlling migration. But let us be clear we \u2013 the people of Australia \u2013 support the current situation. Now I am using this as an example to illustrate not only how politicians use the principle of expediency to carry out their policies, but that the electorate shares the power of the politicians.\u00a0 This power, our votes, is exercised through influence, coercion and compulsion.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
When we develop a better understanding of our political power a number of things will take place.\u00a0 We will recognise where the power lies and its nature, and have a better understanding of God\u2019s power. I want in this sermon to remind us of God\u2019s power, its nature, and its call on us, and how this illuminates our perception of God. It hopefully may throw some light on local, national and global politics as well.\u00a0 My big concern is two-fold. I think we miss seeing God because we are looking for God in the wrong places and with the wrong concepts. Secondly, I wish to de-bunk the fantasy that God\u2019s power is like ours. That is, when we speak of power with respect to humans and then speak of God\u2019s power we are not speaking about the same thing.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
We have come to the end of the Liturgical year \u2013 the worship calendar of Christianity. We begin the new liturgical year next week with Advent 1. Every year the liturgical calendar ends with the theme of Christ Jesus the King. Kingship is about power \u2013 the power to rule. So to speak of King Jesus is to speak also of his power.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Luke\u2019s account, consistent with the other Gospel writers, highlights the contrast between God\u2019s power and the world\u2019s power. Jesus is nailed to a cross and crucified. Two other criminals are crucified with him. The Jewish leaders insult him saying; \u201cHe saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!\u201d The soldiers make fun of Jesus saying,\u00a0 \u2018If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself\u2019.\u00a0 One of the criminals also says; \u2018If you\u2019re the Messiah save yourself and us\u2019.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
All the actors in the scene bar one taunt Jesus with the question about his lack of power to save himself.\u00a0 This taunting, scoffing and derision is explicit in the Roman Governor\u2019s inscription on the cross, \u2018This is the King of the Jews.\u2019\u00a0 And so all scorn Jesus except one person. It\u2019s the other criminal who remonstrates with the first criminal saying that they deserve to be there, but Jesus doesn\u2019t. He also says to Jesus,\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cJesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
The Crucifixion is all about power. We see clearly the power of the World\u2019s way.\u00a0 There is the government\u2019s power to execute political dissenters and criminals. In fact it is the government\u2019s responsibility to do so. There is the Jewish leadership, a political group, with the power to influence the trial of Jesus.\u00a0 And if there is a little misinformation about Jesus it all goes for the good of keeping things orderly and the tradition in place.\u00a0 Jesus has been accused of perverting the nation, advocating a tax revolt and setting himself up as ruler in place of Caesar. These are half-truths. Yes, Jesus does have a message that sees the way of life differently to the norm. Jesus speaks about loving the unlovable and accepting the unclean. Jesus does call in question our use of money saying give to Caesar what is Caesar\u2019s and give to God what is God\u2019s.\u00a0 Yes, Jesus does claim to be our ruler, but a ruler of such a different kind that it begs the question what kind of ruler is he. His concept of ruling and power is so different that the majority miss it and even his disciples don\u2019t quite get it. Remember John and James arguing over who will sit on Jesus\u2019 right hand when Jesus comes to rule?\u00a0 Do you recall Jesus saying that if you want to be great you must serve and the last will be first and the first last? Do you recall that baffling illogical nonsense about loving your enemies, and Jesus also radically defines our neighbour as the stranger in need. You see there is another power present at the Crucifixion.\u00a0 On that day it looked as if the government and political interest groups had won!<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Paradoxically the scoffers highlight the nature of Jesus\u2019 power and kingship. You see, Jesus will save others by not saving himself.\u00a0 We see our power exercised in self-protection, self-preservation and self-fulfilment.\u00a0 Self-promotion, confidence and success mark the world\u2019s power. Jesus sees the real power to change the world in vulnerability, sacrificial giving and service. Who then will win? Certainly at Golgotha it looked as if the government and a political power block had won.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Ironically the one who recognises who Jesus is, is not Pilate the Governor, nor the religious leaders, not the officers of the state, nor the common people, nor the criminals, but a criminal. I don\u2019t think the disciples were much better. They seemed disappointed, full of despair and frightened. One person amongst the many, one person who is the least amongst the crowd \u2013 the criminal on the cross next to Jesus – recognises Jesus\u2019 power. What did he see in this beaten and humiliated crucified man? Was it that this criminal actually listened and heard, amongst the noise of the scoffing and anxiety of the crowd, Jesus saying; \u201cFather, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing\u201d?\u00a0 Was it intuition that saw in Jesus the presence of God?<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
I want to say that at the Crucifixion of Jesus the vast majority of those present, if not all, read the situation through the eyes of their culture. Rome\u2019s power had prevailed. Jesus was weak. They saw the religious leaders\u2019 power prevailing as they manipulated information to cling to the little power they had. They saw the crucifixion marking the end of Jesus\u2019 ministry. The criminal saw the crucifixion marking the beginning of Jesus\u2019 kingly rule. It seems that only one person sees this. Is Luke saying to us that this is the way things are? The majority see, understand and conclude through the lens of their limiting culture, whereas only a minority see and understand the divine in life.\u00a0 This scene says so much about us as humans. We live with a fantasy that our concept of power is like God\u2019s power. It is not.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
Immediately before the sermon we sung the song, \u2018The power of his love\u2019 [TiS 685], now at the end I invite you to sing the song, \u2018Christ be our light\u2019 [ATO 313].\u00a0 When Jesus becomes our light we will be strengthened to act for the good; we will know what the good is; we will take on the weapons of Jesus\u2019 power \u2013 humility, forgiveness and love; and, we will have hope for the future.<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
*******<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
\nPeter C Whitaker, Leighmoor UC:\u00a0 20\/11\/2016<\/strong><\/span>
\npgwhitaker@tpg.com.au<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u00a0\/ www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Contrasting Political Powers. Deuteronomy 17: 14 \u2013 20; Luke 23: 32 – 43 The Cross frees us from the fantasy that our power is like God\u2019s. \u2018Remember me when you come into your kingdom\u2019 says the most unlikely of characters in this enduring crucifixion scene. Jesus crucified depicts Rome\u2019s supreme power. Political activist and criminal alike are crucified. That\u2019s the power! We have just witnessed a superpower choose who they want to represent their power. The drama has dominated our news media. We loosely speak about our politicians and the power they desire. It is almost amusing to hear people talk about politicians desiring power forgetting who has put them there \u2013 the people. You! Me!\u00a0 Power is something we all seek. Let a little honesty prevail, please. We vote for the party or person we want to hold power, because we share their views that we want these views promoted through influence, coercion and compulsion. We want others to conform to our view, or at least let our views dominate. Political power is about influence, coercion and compulsion. It is false to label the politicians as the ones wanting power. We vote for them so that we can have our views influence the future direction of our country in law. When our views are enshrined in law people are coerced and compelled to live with them. In a democratic system power can be shifted in time to another party. In autocracies the power shifts when those in power become weakened and other autocrats build up their power base to take over. Our political leaders most often work with what is expedient. Expediency is a key principle. Will x produce y in the most effective and efficient way?\u00a0 That is the prevailing question. The reality is that when expediency is the principle of operation it usually involves a moral loss. For example, Australians believe that it is imperative to protect the country\u2019s borders. In fact we would all agree. Border protection is important. When we place it as an absolute then the cost is justified. The current way we protect our borders is to limit the migration of people to what we think is reasonable. This too is an acceptable point. This view leads to desperate people, who have been forcibly displaced from their homes through political unrest, being herded into virtual prison camps at a great cost to their mental health and dignity. The financial cost is huge. But it is expedient to protect our borders at all costs even if fellow human beings suffer intolerably. I don\u2019t know how many of you share my view that what we are doing is immoral and further to the point, I don\u2019t believe we have fully exhausted other ways of protecting our borders and controlling migration. But let us be clear we \u2013 the people of Australia \u2013 support the current situation. Now I am using this as an example to illustrate not only how politicians use the principle of expediency to carry out their policies, but that the electorate shares the power of the politicians.\u00a0 This power, our votes, is exercised through influence, coercion and compulsion. When we develop a better understanding of our political power a number of things will take place.\u00a0 We will recognise where the power lies and its nature, and have a better understanding of God\u2019s power. I want in this sermon to remind us of God\u2019s power, its nature, and its call on us, and how this illuminates our perception of God. It hopefully may throw some light on local, national and global politics as well.\u00a0 My big concern is two-fold. I think we miss seeing God because we are looking for God in the wrong places and with the wrong concepts. Secondly, I wish to de-bunk the fantasy that God\u2019s power is like ours. That is, when we speak of power with respect to humans and then speak of God\u2019s power we are not speaking about the same thing. We have come to the end of the Liturgical year \u2013 the worship calendar of Christianity. We begin the new liturgical year next week with Advent 1. Every year the liturgical calendar ends with the theme of Christ Jesus the King. Kingship is about power \u2013 the power to rule. So to speak of King Jesus is to speak also of his power. Luke\u2019s account, consistent with the other Gospel writers, highlights the contrast between God\u2019s power and the world\u2019s power. Jesus is nailed to a cross and crucified. Two other criminals are crucified with him. The Jewish leaders insult him saying; \u201cHe saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!\u201d The soldiers make fun of Jesus saying,\u00a0 \u2018If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself\u2019.\u00a0 One of the criminals also says; \u2018If you\u2019re the Messiah save yourself and us\u2019.\u00a0 All the actors in the scene bar one taunt Jesus with the question about his lack of power to save himself.\u00a0 This taunting, scoffing and derision is explicit in the Roman Governor\u2019s inscription on the cross, \u2018This is the King of the Jews.\u2019\u00a0 And so all scorn Jesus except one person. It\u2019s the other criminal who remonstrates with the first criminal saying that they deserve to be there, but Jesus doesn\u2019t. He also says to Jesus,\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cJesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. The Crucifixion is all about power. We see clearly the power of the World\u2019s way.\u00a0 There is the government\u2019s power to execute political dissenters and criminals. In fact it is the government\u2019s responsibility to do so. There is the Jewish leadership, a political group, with the power to influence the trial of Jesus.\u00a0 And if there is a little misinformation about Jesus it all goes for the good of keeping things orderly and the tradition in place.\u00a0 Jesus has been accused of perverting the nation, advocating a tax revolt and setting himself up as ruler in place of Caesar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Leighmoor.Master","author_link":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/author\/leighmoor-master"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Sermons<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Contrasting Political Powers. Deuteronomy 17: 14 \u2013 20; Luke 23: 32 – 43 The Cross frees us from the fantasy that our power is like God\u2019s. \u2018Remember me when you come into your kingdom\u2019 says the most unlikely of characters in this enduring crucifixion scene. Jesus crucified depicts Rome\u2019s supreme power. Political activist and criminal…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2004"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2005,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2004\/revisions\/2005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}