Views from the Valley

Sunday, June 21, 2026

The Scripture: Matthew 10:24-39

        “A disciple is not above the teacher nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

        “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

        “Everyone, therefore, who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven, but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

        “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword.

        For I have come to set a man against his father,

        and a daughter against her mother,

        and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,

        ands one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

        “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and hose who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

The Sermon

       Who would have thought that being a Christian in these days would be risky business? What, to you, is risky about the Christian message? What is it that people don’t seem to like about it that makes them react like some of the people around Jesus reacted? And what is it that has caused Christians throughout the ages to be persecuted: thrown in prisons, hung, beheaded, burned at the stake, shot, and nailed to crosses?

       Well, let me take the easy route and summarize what AI says. First: “Authoritarianism. In countries with extreme government control like North Korea, Christianity is legally suppressed. Totalitarian regimes view the Christian principle of ultimate loyalty to God as a direct threat to state authority.” Hard to believe, isn’t it, in our country, where the current trend in the government is to tout Christian faith as the nation’s top religion, attempting to base its principles on what some interpret the Bible to dictate as appropriate for us to do? Though that point could be debated, because we know that Christians themselves interpret the Bible in different ways, and place more emphasis on certain parts of it than others. So the religion our nation may claim to serve as its guide isn’t necessarily a definitive view. This is, in part, why our country has respected religious freedom and has sought to separate its dictates from what the government guides us to be and do. It’s dangerous territory to wander into when it comes to trying to claim a particular religion as a nation’s guide. We see trouble that has brewed from here to the ends of the earth each time a country claims anything – or anyone – as in the case of North Korea – as the sole arbiter of a country’s leadership and faith. Even Christian-oriented nations can become authoritarian regimes.

       Second: “Religious extremism. In various regions across the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia, radicalized militant groups target Christians through terrorism, abductions, and the destruction of churches.” These are products of religions that believe their way is THE right way, and that their deity sanctions the harming of anyone who dare think or worship differently. Even Christians need to be careful about this. It occurs everywhere, and Christians can also be the perpetrators of persecution.

       Third: “Ethno-Religious Nationalism. In nations where national and religious identities are tightly intertwined (such as specific policies in India and Pakistan), Christian minorities frequently face discriminatory laws and social ostracization.” It is a sad thing to know. And yet, we as Christians in the United States must also be careful, for I have seen minority religions being treated in the same way right here in this country.

       Fourth: “Cultural Rejection. In places where Christianity is viewed as a foreign, non-native influence (such as parts of the Middle East), Christians are often met with suspicion and scapegoated for local political or social issues.”

       And fifth: “Human Rights Advocacy. Because church leaders often speak out against corruption, violence, and the exploitation of the poor, they are frequently targeted by powerful criminal organizations and oppressive governing bodies.”

       And so it is that being Christian can be risky business. But how often do you or I feel that we are in danger, at risk of estrangement from loved ones or under the threat of death, mocking, imprisonment or persecution because of our beliefs? I don’t, though I know some who fear it.

       Is being a Christian in your home, or among your family members and even friends, risky business? If you spoke up and declared your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, do you think you would be in danger? What do you think might happen? What’s the worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your declaration of faith?

       I can give you two stories in my life where expression of my faith caused trouble, that I can remember in particular, one direct, and one indirect. I don’t mean to get one of my brothers into trouble, because he is one of the kindest, most loving people I know, but when I was in college I launched into evangelical Christianity with all the enthusiasm I could muster. This led me to attempt to convert every soul around me. College roommates and friends. Strangers on the street on rare occasions. Even members of my own church! And one day, in a fit of concern for my brother, I sent him a letter telling him it was necessary for him to believe in Jesus Christ so that he could end up in heaven with the rest of us true believers. Well! That went over like a lead balloon! I got a letter back from him with a fairly firm chastisement that he didn’t appreciate me trying to save his soul. I don’t remember the actual words, but I do remember that it really stung. I’m sure my words stung him as well, and I have often regretted my impulsivity, even if my motives based on my beliefs at the time were well-meaning. Never again did I speak to my brother about such matters, at least not in that way. Since then, my beliefs have matured and mellowed, and he knows that my faith as I hold it now is all about God’s love, with very little else to add, save for my belief in the ways Jesus taught us to live, and I see him living often in those ways anyway.

       The second time you might say that my Christian faith got me into hot water had more to do with my identity as a clergyperson. In this case, it also involved that same dear brother. He had unfortunately married a woman who had a great deal of trouble with alcohol. She had a beautiful, sincere and loving spirit deep inside her, but she could not handle life without liquid spirits. It was sad. The time came when my brother had finally had enough. He was in the midst of an effort to get her to leave, and tensions were high. They had a small child at the time as well, and it was difficult for me to watch the turmoil and the life that child had to live in the conflict between his father and mother. And so, I spoke up, which I rarely did. Usually, I was the pastoral, sympathetic ear to her hurt and pain, part of which I discovered later was fabricated. An attempt to get attention. And when I did speak up, she was furious. I think the final words I heard from her as I drove away from their home one evening, perhaps the final words I ever heard from her at all, were something like this: “I can’t believe you said that to me! And you’re a minister!” As if a pastor couldn’t have an opinion about how someone was being treated, and that I would actually express it to her face. I surprised even myself, but I never regretted saying it. I don’t really remember what it was, but I’m sure that she learned that I was not happy with the way she was behaving with my brother and their child. I was stung, once again, but this was different. Yes, my opinion was because of my faith, though I’m sure what I said had no words in it about anything spiritual. My opinion was because of how I believed God called us to live – in love and kindness and respect for one another, and care for vulnerable children. And my brother, well, he wasn’t perfect, but he was doing his best.

       In the days in which Jesus spoke to his disciples about what it meant to be his followers, being one of “those people” was a bit more dangerous than it is now. It might be easy to see their world as a rather benign place with lots of friendly people around sitting under shade trees and mountainsides and next to lakes teeming with fish. But there were also authoritarians there. Extremists (as some claimed Jesus’s followers were). Probably some ethno-nationalism. Certain among some of the Jews, there was a bit of that, as we know that in addition to the Romans, some of the Jewish leaders were the instigators of Jesus’ arrest and death. There may have been cultural rejection – Jesus was a Jew, and Jews were a minority among the people living under Roman rule. And one of the main aspects of Jesus’ persecution had to do with his advocacy for the poor, the needy, the sick, the unclean, those possessed by entities and mental illnesses, those being told that true worship involved not doing all the right things and serving the religious establishment, but serving God alone.

       People were searching, full of unrest. Wanting a better world. Feeling deprived of privileges given to those who had more means than they did. Wanting to have a closer relationship to their Creator without the trappings of religious ritual, law and expectation. Seeing that kindness and mercy was much more preferable than proper obedience to sacrificial laws and rituals.

       Jesus came on the scene and offered that, and much more.

       And those in authority, be they the government or the religious establishment, saw that as a threat.

       And then there was the sticky, sensitive situation of relationships in families and among loved ones. In volatile times and places that I suppose are somewhat different from ours, having different religious beliefs was threatening as well. In those days I wouldn’t be surprised if people saw God as much more ominous than many of us do now. I do believe that based on our faithful forefathers and mothers we were taught to respect one another, and our laws at their essence were set up so that we would have such respect. Our culture is a melting pot full of so many colors and flavors that we find ourselves much more accepting.

       Again, what about our faith is actually risky business?

       Well, I think there are some things about our beliefs that we keep locked behind little closed doors in our lives because we fear the persecution we might experience if we truly expressed them. We love and need our families. We love and need our colleagues and friends. We love and need our church brothers and sisters. And if we tell them about something we believe, about inclusivity or the lack of it; about the place government should have in our lives and the things the government should or should not be legislating; about how we should dress or look or behave; about how we should spend money or encourage the spending and the distribution of it; about who we should invite or avoid to be a part of our tribe – well, if we open those doors we might find ourselves in the position Jesus warned his disciples about.

       Only you know what is hiding behind those doors, and I know what’s behind mine. If someone asked me personally about some of my beliefs with an open mind and heart, I’d be happy to tell them. I hope that all of you are those kinds of people. And I hope I would be the kind of person who would listen to you, with whom I might disagree on some points, and with whom I pray I would agree that love – God’s deep and all-expansive and all-understanding love – is the most important thing that exists in this world.

       So there really still is risky business in our faith, and most of us keep quiet about it, because conflict is messy. I understand this – I hate conflict.

       But I pray that we each and all will feel free to live and express ourselves without fear – and be willing to turn to God as our guide in times of the conflict and persecution that may come when we actually do express some beliefs and views that we know are not going to be looked on with favor by others.

       I pray that we can be the kind of people who love God so much, and place God first in our lives, that we are willing to love others just as much, and find ways to live in love with one another, allowing ourselves to share as brothers and sisters with deeply generous hearts – even when we disagree.

       For it is God we follow, and God is the one who loves us in every way we need, when others may seem to be against us.

       That is the life Jesus calls us to. Let’s walk that road together. Amen.