{"id":4583,"date":"2020-11-15T13:37:18","date_gmt":"2020-11-15T13:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2020\/11\/15\/compassion-based-on-ezekiel-3411-16-20-24-and\/"},"modified":"2020-11-15T13:37:18","modified_gmt":"2020-11-15T13:37:18","slug":"compassion-based-on-ezekiel-3411-16-20-24-and","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2020\/11\/15\/compassion-based-on-ezekiel-3411-16-20-24-and\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cCompassion\u201d\tbased on Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 and Matthew 25:31-46"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

Hello
\ndear ones.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

While
\nI desperately miss the chance to be present with you in worship and
\nembodied conversation, I am so grateful for this chance to speak and
\nfor your willingness to listen. \u00a0I hope that the Divine Spirit will
\nbless this message both in my speaking and in your hearing so that
\nspace may be made for compassion and grace to grow in you and in me.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I
\nam speaking to you after a break! \u00a0For this first time in 2020, I
\ntook a FULL week of vacation! \u00a0(Thanks to all whose work made that
\npossible) \u00a0Despite my own admonitions about refreshing the news, it
\nwasn’t the MOST relaxing vacation I’ve ever had. \u00a0Then, I spent 3
\ndays on retreat. \u00a0Well, virtual retreat, but retreat none-the-less
\n(thanks to all who made THAT possible too.) \u00a0The retreat is a series
\naimed at clergy, and focused on deep listening. \u00a0By making space to
\nlisten to each other space to be heard, we trust that the Spirit will
\nbe able to be seen more clearly.\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

After
\nthe retreat I am feeling refreshed, renewed, and grateful. \u00a0And…
\nalmost strong enough to tackle this Gospel lesson \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This
\ngospel lesson gets my heckles up, because I don’t like talk of hell,
\nI don’t like threats presented as God’s, and I don’t like binary
\nsplits between people as if some are good and some are bad when we’re
\nall just complicated.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And
\nyet, I do like the means<\/b> by which the judgement is made \u2013
\nthe care of the vulnerable. \u00a0Which means my whole relationship with
\nthis text is complicated. \u00a0In the \u201cSocial Science Commentary on the
\nSynoptic Gospels\u201d Bruce Malina and Richard Rorhbaugh say, \u201cThe
\nbasis for the division here is a person’s compassionate action toward
\nthe weak and the poor. \u00a0Its condemnation of the refusal of those able
\nto help people who are in need is nearly complete.\u201d1<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

God
\ncalls us to compassion for those who disempowered: \u00a0the hungry, the
\nthirsty, the stranger (or foreigner), the naked, the sick, the
\nimprisoned. \u00a0Those are according to Matthew. \u00a0Ezekiel mentions the
\nlost, the injured, those who have strayed, and the weak. \u00a0In Ezekiel,
\nGod will care directly for the sheep so that the lean are able to
\nbecome healthy, and the strong and fat are no longer able to oppress.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This
\nall reminds me of mercy \u2013 that word that gets used for God so often
\nit isn’t even heard anymore. \u00a0Mercy is \u201ccompassion
\nor forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to
\npunish or harm.\u201d2<\/sup><\/a>
\n Similarly, the compassion being asked for in these texts is not
\ngeneric compassion. \u00a0Rather it is compassionate ACTION towards those
\nwho need it most.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nIt
\nis good to be kind and compassionate towards one’s peers, or those
\nwith more power and influence than one has, but the judgement named
\nhere isn’t on that. \u00a0It is about compassion to those who have LESS
\npower and influence, and more need. \u00a0(Although, intersectional
\njustice reminds us that power, influence, privilege and need are
\ncomplicated and multifaceted.)<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAs
\nI think these admonitions to be compassionate towards those who have
\nbeen disempowered is CORE to the Bible as well as to God’s desires
\nfor a just world, the question of how to build up our compassion
\nmuscles becomes really key!<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nFor
\nme, at least, compassion starts with God’s compassion. \u00a0That is the
\nfoundation for EVERYTHING. \u00a0Rather than starting with judgement or at
\nattempt to be worthy, my faith starts with the grace, love, and
\ncompassion of God that I can trust in. \u00a0It changes how I see myself,
\nas well as how I see others. \u00a0It helps me be more gentle with myself
\nas well as more humble. \u00a0It challenges me to be better, but lets me
\nfind peace with myself as I am.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nTo
\nkeep on learning those lessons requires reconnecting with the Divine,
\nand the Divine’s compassionate gaze. \u00a0Prayer, spiritual exercise, or
\nsimply letting myself BE without trying to DO anything more than be
\nall let me soak in God’s compassion and let it transform me once
\nagain.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe
\nsecond piece is related to the first. \u00a0To become a more compassionate
\nperson requires compassion WITH MYSELF. \u00a0This is actually the hardest
\nof the three I think. \u00a0This also starts with prayer, but also
\nrequires self-examination, and feedback from others. \u00a0This, I
\nsuspect, is a lifelong journey.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe
\nthird piece of building compassion is the one we usually jump right
\nto: compassion for others. \u00a0However, I really think it develops
\nnaturally and effortlessly once we work on connecting with our
\nCompassionate God and allowing self-compassion. \u00a0It turns out that
\nmost of the judgments we put on others and the world are really our
\njudgements on ourselves externalized. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe
\nworld needs more compassionate people, because the world needs to
\nbecome more compassionate. \u00a0The irony is that the way we get there is
\nso indirect! \u00a0To transform the world first requires allowing God’s
\ncompassion to continually transform us.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nDuring
\nthis time of pandemic, when everything is different from what we’ve
\nknown, we still have the capacity to work on our compassion. \u00a0And
\nbased on everything I’ve seen, the world is in desperate need of it
\nAND God has it in abundance. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\nMay
\nwe become stronger in our compassion, through God’s. \u00a0Amen\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>1<\/a>Bruce
\n\tJ. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh Social-Science Commentary on the
\n\tSynoptic Gospels (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003) \u201cTextual
\n\tNotes: Matthew 25\u201d\n\t<\/p>\n

2<\/a>Apple
\n\tDictionary.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Rev. Sara E. Baron
First United Methodist Church of Schenectady
603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305
Pronouns: she\/her\/hers
http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/<\/a>
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FUMCSchenectady<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

November 15, 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hello dear ones. While I desperately miss the chance to be present with you in worship and embodied conversation, I … Continue reading \u201cCompassion\u201d\tbased on Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 and Matthew 25:31-46<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[34,38,28,39,33,155,1897,141,56,57],"class_list":["post-4583","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-fumc-schenectady","tag-progressive-christianity","tag-rev-sara-e-baron","tag-thinking-church","tag-umc","tag-compassion","tag-compassionate-christianity","tag-sanctification","tag-schenectady","tag-sorry-about-the-umc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4583","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4583\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}