Christian Fascism; Matthew 27:3-5

 

Rev. George Miller

Aug 14, 2022

Matthew 27:3-5

 

Don’t know about you, but I think the 3 most uncomfortable words to hear in a public event are “I’m a Christian.”

 

Rarely does that phrase bring forth the delicious fruit of Heaven.  Often these words bring about a bitter taste of hell.

 

When’s the last time you heard someone start off by saying “I’m a Christian” and it’s followed by acts of clothing and caring?

 

Often, we hear “I’m a Christian,” and you can feel the morality measuring stick being taken out to size up others.

 

Case in point is the August 2 city council meeting.  Our officials did a good job keeping business down to 15 minutes, then came public comment.

 

One Christian called homosexuals vile and repugnant criminals.  Another rallied against burlesque, insinuating that sex is bad and the body shameful.

 

These comments follow a long list of public statements made locally and nationally, from pulpits to government buildings, with folk invoking Christ as their reason to ban books, limit learning, remove rights, and lining up men to shoot them in the head.

 

This is not Christianity, it’s fascism.  It is co-opting Christ to create martial law in which only the 1^st get to be 1^st, and the last shall be punished in a series of dehumanizing, humiliating ways.

 

Christian Fascism is perhaps the biggest threat we face right now, as a state, a country, and as Christians.

 

One troublesome thing is that Christian Fascists would most likely be the 1^st to crucify Christ again.  This is my opinion.  I can’t help but sense that just like Judas, they are selling Jesus out again and again.   

 

One has to wonder- public Christians who use their faith to cage and control everyone else- would they even recognize Jesus if they saw him?

 

Could they recognize a 1^st Century Jewish man of Judean descent, about 5’5”, sun-kissed skin, and curly dark hair cropped close to his head?

 

Could so-called Public-Comment Christians recognize a Christ who was dressed as someone very poor, with brown eyes, and muscular frame that came from doing physical work?

 

As we learned a few months when studying Joshua, Jesus came from a lineage that included foreigners, non-jews and people of ruddy complexions.

 

Matthew testifies to that, as we hear in chapter 1 that Rahab, Ruth, and David as part of Christ’s family tree.

 

Would today’s Christian Fascists recognize Jesus by how he looked? 

 

Would they recognize Jesus by what he did?  For our anti-burlesque, anti-Pride Christians, probably not.

 

Some like to think the only place Jesus would vacation is Branson, MO, but scripture hints that Jesus may have opted for Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

Jesus was known for having a good time, surrounding himself with an eclectic group of folk, so much so that he is called a drunken and a glutton in Matthew 11. 

 

People despised Jesus for being friends with folk who didn’t have “proper” jobs or live “proper” lives.

 

Jesus says to the people “What are you looking to see?  Someone in soft robes like those worn in the palace?  You judged John for what he didn’t eat or drink, you judge me for what I do.”

 

Would today’s Christian Fascists recognize Jesus by the compassion he showed?

 

Would they rejoice to see him heal a foreign soldier’s servant?  An immigrant’s daughter?  Would they grant Jesus a permit to feed 5,000 in their backyard? 

 

Would they be Ok with how he offered random healing to folk on the corner of Walmart asking for money?

 

Would today’s Christian Fascists recognize Jesus by how he looked? 

 

Would they recognize Jesus by what he did? Would they recognize Jesus by what he said in public settings?

 

Imagine if a 5’5” olive skinned curly haired Jesus came to the Circle saying, “Blessed are the meek, the merciful, and blessed are the peacemakers.”

 

Imagine if a brown eyed day laborer came to city hall saying, “Stop all public displays of faith and superfluous prayers!”

 

Imagine if Jesus came back right now and said “Stop hogging up all the wealth and taking advantage of your vulnerable renters and employees.”

 

Would today’s Christian Fascists recognize Jesus by how he looked?  What he did?  What he said in public settings?

 

Would we?

 

This question is asked because it is so easy to give a finger-pointing sermon judging people who finger-point.

 

But the same questions I ask about those who spoke at City Council are the same questions I must ask myself.

 

These are the same questions we ask about ourselves if we are honest about our own tendency to judge, morality measure, gossip and hold grudges.

 

Would any one of us recognize Jesus if he were to appear today?

 

Would we recognize Jesus for the 1^st Century brown-skinned man he was?

 

Would we recognize Jesus for what he did in terms of healing, feeding, welcoming?

 

Would we recognize Jesus by what he said regarding public prayer, the meek and the ones who study war no more?

 

Probably not.  Not I, not you, not the ones writing letters to the editor. 

 

That’s why we are thankful for the one tried and true way, that Jesus taught us when it comes to recognizing him.

 

In Matthew 25:31 Jesus says that when the Son of Man comes in glory, the nations shall be gathered, and they shall be judged.

 

We will hear the words “I was hungry, and you gave me food.  I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink.”

 

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me.  I was naked and you gave me clothing.  I was sick and you took care of me.  I was in prison and you visited.”

 

“Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

 

Two thousand years later, and Jesus is still blowing our mind. 

 

We find out that Jesus has been with us all this time and he has been there in the least of these.

 

Two thousand years later and the questions we ask ourselves is not would we recognize Jesus by how he looks, what he does, what he says.

 

Nor is it that we recognize Christ in the 1^st or most righteous or the self-proclaimed “Saved.” 

 

But that we see the Christ in the least of these and most vulnerable.

 

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that we won’t recognize him in the morality police, book banners or self appointed Guardians of the Galaxy.

 

Matthew 25 is Jesus, telling us, and everyone that comes long after us, that we will recognize Christ in:

 

the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, in the naked, the sick, and incarcerated.

 

Therefore, the question is not “Did we recognize Jesus?” but “What did we do when we realized it was the Living Lord before us?”

 

Did our actions resemble a tape measure meant to judge someone’s moral worth or did our actions reflect the compassion and care of the Christ that dwells within us?

 

Amen.