Reading Francis

You first.

Starting with yesterday’s Gospel, the readings for daily mass have some challenging things to say about how we Christians ought to act.

Yesterday, we heard:

“Love your enemies, 

do good to those who hate you, 

bless those who curse you, 

pray for those who mistreat you.”

And:

“Give to everyone who asks of you,

And from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.”

And:

“For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

And if you do good to those who do good to you what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.

If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.

But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back.”

And:

“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you: a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

All this is from Luke 6’s Sermon on the Plain, right after the Beatitudes, generally identified as the core moral teaching of Jesus.

Tuesday, we get:

“My son, when you come to serve the Lord, stand in justice and fear, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast … undisturbed in time of adversity.  For in fire gold and silver are tested, and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation.” – Sirach 2:1-11

The Gospel that day is the one where Jesus says “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” (Mark 9)

But wait, there’s more. Thursday’s Sirach reading:

“Rely not on your wealth; say not: ‘I have the power.’ Rely not on your strength in following the desires of your heart.

Here’s what my first, honest reaction is to all this: 

You first.

Because, taken together, this is a recipe for a total bummer of a day. Seeking humiliation is counter … everything, especially these days. I think I’ll pass. You go ahead.

Of course, “you first” has a couple of unintended implications. Resisting this call to humility is really my way of saying “ME first” – because I don’t want to follow a God that makes ME give up MY stuff.

And, of course, the rest of the Gospel is at some level Jesus’ response to this imaginary dare of “You first,” because He DOES all that. He loves enemies and gives everything and blesses those who curse him and is brought completely low. As expected, it seems to end very, very poorly, in utter humiliation and abandonment, the kind of worst nightmares. (And then it doesn’t.)

When I read passages like these, or, really, when I read the Gospels at all, I’m convinced that the moral framework of the Gospel is utterly incompatible with the pursuit of political power. A humiliated Messiah who flees from every attempt to assign him earthly kingship and forgives even His executioners is impossible for me to reconcile with any attempt to establish a “Christian” state. I’m not even sure how you could apply these teachings to the political process, much less turn them into a workable legal structure or a sustainable earthly authority.

I know that that’s a minority opinion. I know that it’s particularly ironic to say this as a Catholic, standing as our Church does on a history of empire and a still-monarchical Vatican City State. These days, it’s also contrary to many fellow American Christians’ outlook on the relationship of church and state. Even so, I can’t reconcile the Jesus of the Gospels with the assumption of temporal political power by his followers. 

The Gospel Thursday has the chilling warning: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea” (Mark 9). Maybe my neck should feel heavy for saying this. The only people that Jesus really blasts throughout the Gospels are religious leaders who misuse their power to oppress people. If we let people think that Jesus wants us to be enemy-hating, deal-making, payback-getting, power and wealth-seekers, we better be really good at treading water with neck weights on.

Don’t get me wrong. I still don’t do any of that stuff Jesus tells us to do in those gospel passages. I’m just saying that at least I’ve read what He’s telling us to do, and I know that my example isn’t it. And I’m hoping that, sooner or later, I’ll evolve through grace from daring Jesus “you first” to saying in surrender, “You, first.”