Saved by Belonging
Jesus is always surprising the crowds around him with his attentions; sometimes offending with his attentions. To whom is Jesus drawn? How often Jesus walks his body to the edge of the crowd and speaks directly to the marginalized or stigmatized one; calling them by name, or asking what they want, or offering them healing of some kind, or going to their home for a shared meal. And the crowds are left befuddled, or occasionally outraged. When Jesus gives his attention to a shouting blind beggar, and then to tree-climbing “tax guy” Zacchaeus, he enacts their belonging to the crowd. And the community has the opportunity, if they’ll resist the urge to reduce these beloved and complex humans to a stereotype, to experience salvation. Will they? Will we? [sermon begins at minute 29:05]
Audio
Resources
- Land Acknowledgement: Mennonite Worship and Song Committee, 2019, from Voices Together, 878; Real Rent Duwamish: https://www.realrentduwamish.org/
- Blessing our Offerings: https://seattlemennonite.org/donate
- Enemy Pie by Derek Munsen
- Moon’s Prayer – Michael Bade
- Prayers of the People adapted from “Prayer for Others” by Bruce Prewer
- Bibleworm podcast: Episode 230 – The Blind Man and Zacchaeus, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.
- “Zacchaeus in the Present Tense,” C Wess Daniels, November 13, 2013.
- “The danger of a single story,” TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2009.
- Image: Photo by Amer Mughawish on Unsplash
Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.
- Let’s Walk Together – Text: Laurie Zelman; Music: Mark A. Miller © 2007
- As A Sigh with Great Yearning – Text: Pierre Jacob (France) © SECLI; English adapt. Andrew Donaldson (Canada) © 2017 Music: Gaetan de Courreges (France) harmony Didier Godel (Switzerland) © FEEPR © 1988
- We Will Walk with God – Text and Music: Swaziland traditional; translated by John L. Bell © 2002