Scripture: Matthew 23:13–23; 24:3–8
A sort of men have overrun this nation,
Who are a burthen to the whole creation
Men shall I call them, or the viper’s brood?
Lovers of evil, haters of all good. ….
These persecute the innocent and say,
When they are gone ‘twill be a merry day.
These grind the poor; the needy these oppress;
Widows devour; tread on the fatherless;
Far from themselves they put the evil day,
Remove impending judgments far away;
And yet in vain they strive t’escape the stroke
Of that just God whom boldly they provoke.
—Thomas Elwood
Questions: Is your community open to receiving the critique of hypocrisy, or that you focus too much on the details and miss the overall point of faith? If so, in what ways do you practice this openness? If not, how might you open yourselves to Jesus’ reforming and transformative critique? George Fox spoke against corrupt religious leaders of his time, using the same language Jesus used. Do you think this was appropriate? Do you think it would be appropriate today?
My wife and I recently returned from Cuba, where we visited with Friends from Cuba Yearly Meeting. It is a small, faithful, and immensely resilient community of Quakers. Though it is easier now to be a Christian in Cuba, there were times when the cost of faithfulness ran very high. There was persecution, discrimination, imprisonment, and loss of employment and social standing. Several of the older Friends still active in the yearly meeting remember those days in vivid detail.
During our trip, a pastor from one of the congregations asked me to speak on hope. I found this puzzling, because Cuban Quakers are among the most hopeful people I know.
I began the study by talking about the “crisis of hopelessness” that plagues many people in the United States and Europe. Our despair and anxiety about the present and sense of uncertainty about the future leave many people fearful and longing for a dramatic change. Some of the Cuban Friends found this surprising. We agreed it seems ironic that a culture where most people have significantly more resources than are needed, who have virtually limitless access to information and entertainment, and who enjoy unrestricted freedom to travel are the ones to feel hopeless.
Like most Quakers throughout our history, Cuban Friends trust and look forward to the day when Christ will return in his fullness and restore all of creation to God’s original intent. But especially like the early Friends, their focus remains on today—by being ready, by watching and listening for Christ now, by standing firm in the present. Instead of anxiously waiting for the time when Christ will return, these Friends experience the Present Christ who is already among us, speaking, leading, empowering and animating our lives, and providing the daily bread and hope we each need.
–Colin Saxton in “Friendly Perspective” from Matthew: The Life of Jesus