9 Jul Communities of Christ-Like Resistance

COMMUNITIES OF CHRIST-LIKE RESISTANCE

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

The world we live in is wonderful. We cannot but marvel at how beautiful the natural world created by God is. But what happens in this beautiful world is often not optimal. A world full of exploitation, oppression, and a world without love that threatens the lives of others. As the years passed by, such exploitation and corruption grew gradually. Greed and corruption not only cause damage to societies but to the environment as well. All living creatures, including humans and other creatures, are now heading toward collective ecological suicide due to our greed.

Today's passage was used earlier for the feast of the Sacred Heart. But in RCL (Revised Common Lectionary), with the help of the first reading (Zechariah 9:9-12), we see Jesus as the humble Messiah.

In the world we live in, humility is no longer a virtue. We are forced to prove our abilities and get ahead of others, even by trampling them on. Sometimes exploitation

and oppression for achievement are taken for granted. However, in the face of this world, Jesus Christ shows that he is the ultimate expression of humility. He did not tread the path of triumph over his others. He humbled himself in humility, even to death. Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants;" (v.25)

The world wants to be God, and it will do whatever it takes to achieve it. But God's revelation is hidden from those who consider themselves smart and only reveal it to the little ones. To receive this revelation from the Son, a person must set aside all human wisdom and become "a little one." We must also set aside human wisdom if we are to recognize the Son present in our midst through his miracles and words. The wise people in the world mistakenly think that they are on the high road. But that's just a low-key way. The lowly way in the world is actually the highway. We do not fight violence with violence but absorb it with peace. We do not confront power with force but embrace it with love. The path that seems foolish is the path of wisdom and resistance.

To do this, we must diligently know God. We must live like Christ, who humbled himself and became gentle and lowly in heart. If we do, we will find rest and peace, even while we carry the Lord's yoke. When the world goes low, we go high. That is the way of resistance Jesus taught us.

prayer

Lord God, you have shown through Jesus Christ that there is true victory in humility. Help us to resist, not by way of the world, but by following the way of Jesus Christ. So that we may see the salvation that the wise men of the world cannot see. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

for further thought

Can we resist the powers of this world like Christ, who humbled and obeyed till death? How would such a model of resistance be relevant today?

An-Wei Nehemiah Tan

The Presbyterian Church of Korea