January 17, 2010 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday
Isaiah 31
Rev. Jeffrey L. Phillips, pastor
Prophets
Ancient
Not predictors of the future
Spokespersons for God – “boundary figures”
One foot in heaven and one foot on earth
Their relationship with God compelled them to be involved with the world
Calling the people and their leaders back to their spiritual roots
Spoke God’s truth to kings, the people, and foreign nations
Words of judgment and warning, and words of hope
Acted, too: Isaiah walking naked in
Bringing the spiritual and political together
Stir people up, annoy
Often paid a price for their courage
Charity vs. justice
Moses the first prophet
Nathan vs. David
Isaiah 31
With the prophets, God was staking a claim to the redemption of this world.
God did the same with Jesus
Luke 4: Jesus was in the tradition of Hebrew prophets, calling the people back to their spiritual roots in order to change the world.
He opposed his own leaders. He challenged his own people. He paid a price.
He brought religion and politics together.
He stirred people up – annoyed people.
Ordained ministers are pastors, priests, and prophets – “comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable,” calling people to draw on their spiritual roots in order to heal the world.
My recent advocacy for workers whose health care benefits were taken away.
Martin Luther King, Jr. called our nation to be true to its founding principles and values.
Was well-acquainted with the Hebrew prophets
Was well-acquainted with the difference between charity and justice
Paid a price
Prophets and prophetic faith today
Speaking and acting for God in the world for justice
Reminding the world of its true purpose and hope
How does our world need prophetic religion today? Let me count the ways!
The earthquake there is claiming so many lives in large part because of the extreme poverty in that nation.
Working for justice in places like
Some would say, “That’s their problem, not mine.” Is that a prophetic attitude? Would Jesus say that? Cain, after murdering Abel, to God: “Am I my brother’s keeper?
Are we responsible for each other or not?
There is a lot of injustice in the world. Prophetic religion calls us to ask ourselves, “What can I do to rightside an upside down world?”
Healthcare is a justice issue – not just charity for the needy, but changing the system so that all are covered.
Helping people who come out of prison not go back into prison requires not only social workers at the time of release, but wholesale changes in the criminal justice system.
Providing treatment, not incarceration, for drug addicts
Providing adequate mental health treatment for those incarcerated
Allowing more family visits with inmates
“This is politics!” I hear you saying. “Yes!” I say back. It was politics for Isaiah, and it was politics for Jesus, and it’s politics for you and me.
ONA as a justice issue
Conclusion
The biblical prophets believed that God has a purpose for this world, and that it’s not too late for that purpose to be realized through us.
Do we believe that?
If we don’t, we are saying that God has abandoned this world, and that sin, evil, poverty, war, disease and death are mightier than God.
They are not!
All we have to do is trust in God – put our full faith in God’s power to redeem the world – and then get to work with all the strength we have to heal the world.
CRS presentation
top