A Famine Not of Bread

FILE PHOTO -- U.S. Marines from the The 11th MEU fire their M777 Lightweight 155mm Howitzer during Exercise Alligator Dagger, Dec. 18, 2016. (U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Zachery C. Laning) Click here to listen to this sermon. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother” (Matthew 18:15). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! “Ours is a world that is governed by the aggressive use of force.” That’s Rush Limbaugh’s Undeniable Truth of Life #6. In Rules for Radicals , Saul Alinsky says power is derived from two sources—money and people. “Have-Nots” build power from masses of people, corporations and governments use cash.  Limbaugh and Alinsky, opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they agree on one thing: Kingdoms of this world are built and kept and defended by power. It’s true. Kingdoms are built by cruelty, coercion, and compulsion; by bra

The text for today is our Gospel lesson, Matthew 22:15-22, which has already been read. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They say that politics makes for strange bedfellows.   That’s certainly the case here.   The Pharisees—ardent nationalists who opposed Roman rule—team up with the Herodians whom they despised for their cooperation with the Roman government.   This would be kind of like the Tea Party movement suddenly aligning itself with the campaign to re-elect President Obama.   You know that something fishy is going on here. The Pharisees try to trap Jesus between a political hard place and a religious rock.   “Teacher, we know that You are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and You do not care about anyone’s opinion, for You are not swayed by appearance.”   Anyone who starts off a sentence like that can’t be trusted with the keys to the house, much less the tenets of theology.   But here’s the kicker: “W

The text for today is Matthew 18:15-20, which has already been read. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “Ours is a world that is governed by the aggressive use of force.”   That’s Rush Limbaugh’s Undeniable Truth of Life #6.   In Rules for Radicals, Saul Alinsky says power is derived from two sources—money and people.   “Have-Nots” build power from masses of people, corporations and governments use cash.   Limbaugh and Alinsky, opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they agree on one thing: Kingdoms of this world are built and kept and defended by power.   It’s true.   Kingdoms are built by coercion, force, and leverage; by strength, battle, and bloodshed.   You have to have an awful lot of muscle if you’re going to make a kingdom.   Furthermore, if you want to build a kingdom you can’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.   You must be willing to exploit your enemy’s weaknesses.   If your opponent stumbles in any