SERMONS

Matthew 12:46-50
The Reverend Angela Ying
Bethany United Church of Christ

It is hard to get into the pulpit after last week. It really is. And yet, I could imagine as I prayed — that minister and brother, Martin Luther King, Jr. probably at times had a hard time getting into the pulpit – with death threats and naysayers heavily scrutinizing his personal life. But brother Martin Luther King, Jr. did get into the pulpit.

I know this because as a pastor, Brother Martin knew it is not about how you are feeling on a particular day. It is not what you want for the congregation or even trying to make everyone happy.

For we have some difficult days ahead.

Brother Martin knew so deeply that the reason he was in the pulpit was to preach the Gospel. And that everything he did was for and about God and doing the will of God. And when you have that kind of hope in God — you are not afraid.

Do you believe that?

I’ll say it again — when you have that kind of hope in God — you are not afraid.

Not afraid to do what God wants — even if it is not exactly what you think you want. Not afraid to let go of the notion that God is on your side — when God wants you and me on God’s side.

You ever wonder … amidst the tension, the hypocrisy, the racism and the growing sense of entitlement in the country, how could Brother Martin see the possibility of the Beloved Community?

Only with God.

For most leaders seeing the political, economic and racial situation of the times would have concluded just the opposite of the Beloved Community.

War
Hate
Greed
Segregation

And the temptation to put one’s faith in war, hate, greed and segregation would be quite tempting. But if we have faith in what Jesus has faith in. If Martin had faith in what Jesus had faith in then ….Where others saw a means to divide and conquer, Brother Martin could see, with God, the possibility of the Beloved Community.

Where others saw a way to act out their prejudices and hate to bring down people different from themselves, Brother Martin could see, with God, the possibility of the Beloved Community.

Where others saw their chance to exercise power because they felt so powerless — -doing everything to keep the status quo, Brother Martin could see, with God, the possibility of the Beloved Community.

Where others gathered to break down trust in the community, Brother Martin saw, with God, the possibility of the Beloved Community.

He could see the possibility of the Beloved Community — because his ministry was not about him — it was about and for God and doing God’s will.

Brother Martin could see the possibility of the Beloved Community — because his ministry was about changing the world. And change the world he did.

Where others saw the opportunity to keep the poor and people of color down and downtrodden, Brother Martin could see, with God, how the most marginalized — the garbage collectors and janitors were the very people who we were called by faith to be with in solidarity.

And from where did this vision of the solidarity of the human family come?

By faith, Martin got into the pulpit and dared to envision the Beloved Community.

By faith, Martin did not take what others thought of him personally, for he knew in his life people have been given a much larger vision.

By faith, as Jesus, Martin accepted the call from God as a messenger of God’s word even with great sacrifice — his life.

And it is happening now with the budget cuts right here in our own state. Cuts that will affect each of us, our children, teachers, schools, health care, education, jobs, basic services, homes and most of all the low-income and the poor for generations.

And thanks to Brother Martin, I will be with over seven hundred people tomorrow who will rally on the Capital Steps in Olympia and meet with lawmakers in our own state to demand that the cuts not be on the most vulnerable — while hundreds more will come out to raise their voices in the streets of Seattle.

Where others saw the opportunity to kill including the youngest, a nine year old girl, Christina Taylor Green born on 9/11/2001 and to injure Senator Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona who was shot in the head, can we see with God, amidst our grief — still see the possibility of Brother Martin’s “solidarity of the human family?”

In the Gospels, when Jesus was speaking to the people, someone told him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And looking to his disciples, Jesus said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!” For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Notice from where Brother Martin’s “solidarity of the human family” comes?

From preaching the Gospel. From what Jesus has faith in.

In following Jesus, Brother Martin refused to limit the human family.

The human family is all inclusive and at the same time the human family is not about serving itself or its own interests. It is all inclusive so as to be about and for God in doing the will of God.

“I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead,” Brother Martin said the day before he was assassinated.

“Like anybody, I would like to live a long life; longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will….”

May we not lose sight of what God has called us to be and do here at Bethany Church on the south end of Seattle, where with God, the possibility of the Beloved Community and the Solidarity of the Human Family is not impossible.

If I hear Jesus’ words and listen to the faith of Brother Martin and know what is possible here at Bethany — with God, for the sake of a larger vision than ourselves — it’s not only quite possible — it is the way of life!