What’s Going On?
“The Pharisees and Sadducees came to
Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He
replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair
weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will
be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the
appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be
given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then
left them and went away.”
Religious people. That’s who the Pharisees and Sadducees were in Jesus’
day. They were the religious
leaders who were always concerned about people following the law to the point
of oppression. They taxed people
heavily, dealt underhandedly with the Romans to further oppress the Jews, they
ostracized people and felt threatened by Jesus’ ministry, because Jesus
preached to the people they used to control. He was giving them words of life that could open their eyes
to the freedom and choice they actually had in this life, without feeling so
oppressed by those in charge. The
Pharisees and Sadducees were educated, powerful and scared of what might happen
if the people actually listened to Jesus as he gained more and more popularity.
Last night I watched the election results with a
group of people, most of whom I didn’t know until last night. In the house were blacks and whites,
old and young people, all hoping for an Obama victory. When I looked on some of the news
programs I saw the people at the Mitt Romney gathering and the people at the
Barack Obama gathering, all hoping for a victory for their candidate. I couldn’t help but notice that the
Romney camp looked like they were majority white, whereas the Obama camp was
shockingly diverse. I kept
thinking that the Republicans don’t get it yet. I’m not sure they even want to
get it yet. But something is
happening and it’s happening now.
You can no longer see the world from one perspective. There are other people here around you
and they have a voice too. And in
those voices is an incredible power.
And in this country, we have the right to speak and to let our voice be
heard, and I think that those who have been ignored for a long time are
starting to see that.
Barack Obama is not Jesus. Let’s be clear.
He is not the Messiah, not the Savior. Nor is he the Anti-Christ as many claim him to be. He is Barack Obama, the son of
interracial parents, raised by a single mother, reared in a home with his
grandparents, educated in American Universities, organizer of low income
communities, friend to some of the wealthiest people on the planet, husband of
an educated, African-American woman and father to two African American young
women. He plays basketball, smokes
Newport’s, walks with a stroll, inspires a crowd with his charisma, is
politically savvy and has a way to make you feel like somehow you are related
to him. (He’s my uncle in my
head). But what he represents is
important. What he represents is
something that was prayed for a loooooooooong time ago by people who are no
longer alive to see it come to pass.
He represents a sign of our times.
And if we are not careful, we will miss what God is saying and revealing
in this season.
The voice of the minority is important. Regardless of what you think about
Obama’s politics, do not miss what God is doing. It would be easy to get caught up in the negative aspects of
what has happened in this campaign or to focus on the loss of Mitt Romney. But don’t miss God. If you miss God here, you are going to
end up like the Pharisees and Sadducees, persecuting the one God is using to
further reveal His kingdom. Which coincidentally,
is not with the voice of the majority, but is found amongst the minority (See
Matthew 5). The kingdom of God is
with those that society at large oppresses. The kingdom of God is with those who are dealt a bad hand in
this life. The kingdom of God is
with those who have been downtrodden.
And those people exist in the United States. They are not just in other “poor” countries. The ones who
don’t have access to healthcare; the ones who need a helping hand in order to
get a decent education; the ones who live in danger everyday because there are
no jobs in their community; the ones who even with education cannot get hired;
the ones who struggle to feed their families everyday. You know, the 47%. Technically 47% is a minority. Seemingly unimportant. But collectively they matter. Apparently, an additional 3% of the
"other" folk decided to go along with the Obama program this time based on the popular vote numbers. Somebody has to listen to their
voices. Most of them didn’t feel
like Mitt was that guy. He
couldn’t connect to that voice. He
didn’t make those voices feel like they mattered. And they do.
And it is about time that the people with those voices realize it.
Things happened last night that may slip right by
people who are focused on what didn’t happen. Even if you don’t agree with what happened, look for God in
it. NBC News said this: “Finally, it was an
historic-making election. With Obama’s re-election, we now have the first time
since Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe that Americans have elected three two-term
presidents in a row… Tammy Baldwin will
become the Senate’s first openly gay member… The Senate will have at
least 19 female members -- the most ever -- and there’s a chance that
number could increase to 20 if Heitkamp wins… Maryland and Maine became the
first states to
approve of gay marriage at the ballot box… And initiatives to legalize
marijuana passed in Colorado and Washington state.” The minorities
mattered last night. They have
always mattered, but now maybe more people will pay attention. And unless the minorities somehow stop
speaking, they will continue to make sure you know they matter. Somebody better start listening.
You
can let religious law blind you: Abortion, gay marriage, marijuana
legalization, etc. Or you can take
a step back and see the bigger kingdom picture. There is always a battle in the
spiritual realm. But you cannot
see it with natural eyes (John 3:3).
The more people who participate in the bigger battle, the closer we come
to Jesus’ earthly reign. All over
the world, people are starting to learn that the empowerment of the minority is
a worthy fight. And the minorities
are learning that we are a stronger force together than we are apart. Can we keep it going? Time will
tell. But I will tell you
this: Don’t pride yourself in only
looking at the signs of what you may think may be the world going to pot. Because then you will miss seeing how
heaven is also coming to earth at the same time. God is always bigger than politics. And yet, speaks in politics too. We need to learn how to listen and stop talking so much.
**Bible
Study Tip: Read Matthew 15 and 16
in light of what I wrote here for more perspective and if you want to discuss
I’ll be happy to have that conversation.
