PostScript: Fulfilling righteousness
Consenting to God’s will allows God’s righteous purposes to be revealed (Matthew 3.15,17).
Context
It appears that, by consenting to be washed clean by the Baptist, Jesus is simply agreeing to a conventional cleansing ritual, similar to that followed by all pious Jews (remember the stone water jars for purification at the story of the miracle at Cana, in John 2.6.) Here, it reveals God’s greater righteousness – that the man who is baptized is the Son in whom God is pleased (Matthew 3.17). He is righteousness personified. He is the one who will cleanse lepers, heal the sick and, far from being tainted by touching the ‘unclean’, will cleanse them.
Righteousness is a theme throughout today’s readings: ‘I have called you in righteousness’ (Isaiah 42.6), and ‘in every nation anyone who…does what is right is acceptable’ (Acts 10.35).
Where is true righteousness? What is the right thing to do?
- Is the slain Iranian military commander, Qasem Soleimani, a martyr as Ayatollah Khamenei suggests, or is he the instigator of an incalculable number of terrorist attacks? Will this ‘save American lives’ or is it a crime?
- Is Trump the real terrorist?
- What is the truth of the rape claims of the teenage girl in Cyprus? Will she get justice?
- As the first trial of Harvey Weinstein on two charges of crimes against women opens, is he, as he claims, the person who brought women to stardom, or an abuser who has treated women shamefully for a generation? Will he be cleared and rebuild his ‘righteous’ image, or will he be found guilty?
- A vet dreamed of pursuing a ‘righteous’ career, caring for animals, but found the job very different.
- Are forgiveness laws in Pakistan ‘righteous’?
Or do they cover up the institutional abuse of women?
- Has Australia’s public denial of global warming been found out by the raging bush fires which forced the Prime Minister to return from a Christmas holiday to respond to the pleas of those suffering the destruction of everything they own?
- At the Golden Globe awards, Ricky Gervais warned the winners in their speeches to avoid claiming to be righteous by making political speeches. He said ‘You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything, you know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.’
- The Mosque siege that changed the course of Saudi History began with a claim of ‘righteousness’: ‘Fellow Muslims, we announce today the coming of the Mahdi…who shall reign with justice and fairness on Earth after it has been filled with injustice and oppression.’ And then the slaughter began.
- Police silence about attacks on students in India is claimed to be proof that they are behind the outrages. Who is ‘righteous’?
- Is changing the gender of children the ‘right thing’ to do?
- For those who watch the BBC One TV series The Midwife, there is a powerful story of a priest who gets the housekeeper pregnant. She feels dirty and sinful, to the point of leaving her baby in a dustbin, while he, trying to have their child adopted, and paying her off with a week’s wages, wants to maintain his own righteousness.
- The Christine Keeler drama TV (The Trial of Christine Keeler, BBC1 One) recalls a time when politicians who made a mistake resigned. John Profumo gave up high office and devoted himself to a life of good works. There are politicians today who appear to have no shame about their wrongdoing.
The season for making new year resolutions is full of claims about and desires for ‘righteousness’.
In the era of ‘fake news,’ which surely is not a new phenomenon, claims of being right and righteous abound.
Reflection
So where is true righteousness, God’s righteousness?
The discovery of those who produced a monotheistic faith from captives in Babylon (see this week’s ROOTS Bible notes on Isaiah), is that in spite of being torn from their destroyed city and Temple, they could still know and serve God. And, since there is only one true God, God’s righteousness is not partisan. God does not take sides. God does not destroy those perceived as enemies. The creator of everything and everyone loves all that he has made. He requires no cleansing rituals, no sacrifices, and only asks that people will act justly, act in righteousness.
In Acts, Peter asserts that God has welcomed Cornelius, obviously a Gentile, but also a member of the repressive foreign power. This has followed hard on the conversion of Saul, who was persecuting Christians, wrongly believing that this was God’s will. Peter proclaims the innocence of Jesus who was executed as a criminal: ‘They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.’ (Acts 10.39-41)
There is an immense gulf between God’s righteousness and the claimed righteousness of many of those who are in the news.
Prayer
In this season of the Epiphany, the manifestation of Christ, we pray that God’s light and truth may be seen throughout the world.
Lord Jesus Christ, as you taught us, we pray.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done.
Questions
- Who are those today whom you would identify as those singled out as blessed by Jesus in the beatitudes?
- Who has been denied justice today?
- Who are ‘persecuted for righteousness’ sake’?
All-age activity
All kinds of criticisms have been made of Greta Thunberg and other young people who are activists about climate change. What could you say or do in defence of young people who take action? How would you respond to critics?
Young people
Discuss what ‘righteousness’ means to you. Is it an attractive idea, or not? Is it something claimed but not practised? Does Jesus’ sermon on the mount help? (See Matthew 5. 1-10 and also Matthew 5.20; 5.31-48.
The Revd Dr Tom Ambrose is a priest in the parish of the Ascension, Cambridge.
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