Who do we want to be?
Sermon on Matthew 11:16-19.25-30
To what will this generation be compared?
Jesus describes a generation that cannot recognize the truth that is right in front of them. They thought that John the Baptist was a demon. Or at least that he was possessed by a demon. Because he hardly ate and drank anything. And that’s suspicious.
They considered Jesus to be “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinner.” Because he ate and drank like regular people do. And that’s highly suspicious for the Son of Man, right? Jesus was a friend of the people without friends. And he liked for them to have plenty of food and drink. Also highly suspicious.
Jesus is being described by the company he keeps. Not by who he is. His friends tell us all about him. It’s like when you made a new friend as a child and the first question your parents asked was: Who does this kid hang out with? Does she keep good company? Or like when you are invited to a party and the first question you ask the host is: Who else will be coming? Depending on the answer you then decide whether to go or not. Because it’s not about the host, but about the company you will be seen with that night. And what might people think if it were weirdos and sinners.
Matthew typically uses the expression "this generation" not to designate his contemporaries alone, but those in any era who are unfaithful, unrepentant, and ultimately violent in their defiance of God.
This is the same “generation” that mocked Noah’s preparations for the flood. Lots of people were going to die by a natural disaster? Noah must be joking. Disasters happen everywhere else in the world, not here. Not today. People die everywhere else in the world. Not here. Not today. We are too wealthy, too educated, too sophisticated to be at threat of disasters we cannot control, people said back then. And they pretended not to feel the first drizzling rain. And they still laughed at Noah when it started raining. And they hid in their houses when it started raining buckets until they found themselves in deep water. Too deep to wade through. Too big to see the shore. Too frightened to quickly react and build a boat. They lived in denial until it was too late and the truth just washed them away. To what will this generation be compared?
This is the same generation that turned to idols after God delivered them from Egyptian slavery. They built statues and worshipped them. And suddenly, they didn’t celebrate the freedom they won anymore, but the heritage they wanted to be free from. Egypt seemed like the good old days represented by a golden calf. Why? Because it’s golden and young and strong. It represents everything Israel wants to be. Independent. Glorious. Powerful. With the power to kick anybody coming too close. When Moses saw the calf and the people worshipping this piece of art and metal, he was outraged. He burnt the golden calf in a fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on water, and forced the Israelites to drink it. If this is the heritage you worship, drink it up, let it dwell within you. Something like this Moses must have thought to himself. And the Israelites did it. They had no choice. But I am sure many of them thought that Moses had just declared a cultural war onto them. Which he didn’t. He just helped them refocus on who to worship and what to celebrate. Their God who had freed them from slavery. Not to make themselves slave to a golden calf but to be free and independent. To what will this generation be compared?
This is the same generation that repeatedly pursued their own imperial ambitions in the face of prophetic warnings. The generation that thinks that to be the chosen ones means to be the suppressors and privileged. The ones that get to decide who is beautiful, who needs to be protected from whom. The ones that decide who looks suspicious, who might be a criminal and how a crime is defined in the first place. The ones that decide who gets to stand his ground and who doesn’t and which killings are justified. Until one day, the kingdom of Israel fell. After only a few centuries. And suddenly, others ruled over them with their own imperial ambitions. To what will this generation be compared?
Jesus compares those generations and those judging him to children. Not to the children whose is the kingdom of God. Yet, to kids, who are oblivious, like children who are sitting in the marketplace and refusing to play each other's games. The Messiah, the one they have been waiting for, is right in front of them. Yet, they fail to see beyond the superficial appearances of the prophet and the Son of Man. They judge people by their own means and totally fail to see them.
People who see the world as children, never seeking to grow their minds past the one narrow view of the world. People who feel threatened by the idea that sometimes the world changes and sometimes we need to change our view of the world and sometimes both happens at the same time. People who just ruminate what they learned from their parents and grandparents, claiming: “You know, that’s how I grew up. It’s not my fault. That’s just who I am.” Not seeing that they are denying themselves the chance to change and grow into the person they would love to be. Someone who isn’t determined by the sins of their fathers. Someone who does what she wants and not what she hates. Someone who understands his own actions because they are the fruit of his work. Someone who admits that evil lies close at hand when we want to do what is good.
Good intentions aren’t enough. Statements aren’t enough. We need to get our hands dirty and start listening to the prophets. The waters are rising. The calves are falling. People are being kept small or even behind bars. To what will this generation be compared?
How many times have you been misunderstood? Characterized in ways that do not truly describe who you are? How frustrating is it for someone to assume they know something about you based on where you grew up. Like, ah, Oakland, hm. Or, oh, you are from Texas, okay… How often do people make assumptions about me just by my gender identity or the color of my skin.
Like just the other day when we were camping. It was hilarious. Here I am, a white young woman with her 2 children. The moment we got out of the car, men around us felt responsible for us. Within 5 minutes, 4 guys had put up my tent. It would have taken them 4 minutes if they had actually listened to my instructions about which pole goes where. But, ok. They had to figure it out themselves.
The ranger drove by all the time, waving at me, checking in with me whether we were fine, whether we felt safe. He didn’t do that with any other family. Because all the other families had brought their dad. The campground hosts invited Toni and Theo to have s’mores with their kids and I got to drink wine with them. It was wonderful. Suddenly, it was already dark, a woman came to the hosts to announce that they were missing campers. She meant the kids and I. “Oh no, they are here.”, the host replied. And I thanked her for caring.
I know they all meant well. I really enjoyed watching these guys put up my tent for me. I was glad someone looked out for other campers. And wine is always appreciated. All is good. Yet the assumptions behind it are: a woman cannot be safe on her own. She can’t put up her tent by herself. She needs to be cared for and watched out for. Fun fact: Part of the reason why I went camping with the kids all by myself was that I wanted to prove to myself that I can do this. It wasn’t until 3 days into the camping trip that I remembered that I had already proven to be capable of this when I was 20 years old and took my then 4-year-old sister on a camping bike trip. Somehow, I had forgotten about my skills over the years. I had bought into some of the stereotypes about women.
Well, the stereotypes I have to live with are mostly funny, sometimes annoying, never life threatening or extremely hurtful for me in the US. This would be different if I was not only woman, but also black. While camping I read this great book by Austin Channing Brown called “I’m still here. Black dignity in a world made for whiteness.” Austin lives as a Black woman with a white man’s name. That’s the first confusion she keeps running into. At one point in the book she describes a typical work-day at the church-related organization she is employed at. Upon arrival she is asked three times whether she needs help to find the outreach center. The message: a Black woman must be poor and needs help. Once she sits down at her desk a colleague comes by, compliments her hair and touches it. The message: Black is exotic and anyone has the right to touch her body in exchange for a compliment. The coworker, hurt by Austin’s reaction, complains about her with the supervisor. Austin is asked to be more friendly and kind and understanding. The message: She is responsible for the feelings of white people. When Austin tries to respond her supervisor minds her angry tone. The message: Her feelings are irrelevant and could be used as a reason to fire her. Finally, it’s lunch, and Austin sits with her Black friends, talks to them and feels like she can breathe again. By 2pm she has had to educate someone about racial issues and a woman had insisted on knowing her in the cafeteria. When Austin tried to tell her that they had never met, the woman kept on recalling their common memories until Austin figured out who she is being confused with. The message: Her person is not distinct, she is interchangeable with all other Black women. When she gives a speech there is some pushback afterwards. Until a white co-worker explains it and suddenly everyone nods in agreement. Even though the co-worker repeated exactly what Austin had just said. The message: She needs white approval before her idea will be considered good. It’s exhausting even when you read it. Austin just calls this “daily annoyances”.
To what will this generation be compared? Will we be the children, fighting over which game to play or which music to dance to? Calling on each other’s failures, annoying each other? Paul asks “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” And Jesus answers: 28“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” A hopeful Amen to that.
Amen.
