In Luke 6:26, Jesus says, “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.” This of course is an indictment of seeking popularity and affirmation. I don’t think Jesus is worried about Taylor Swift or the Dodgers. He’s addressing leaders and members of the church that will succeed him.I hear our Lord saying that if Christians proclaim a gospel that makes money, power, and privilege happy, that’s easy. People will always love us. But this teaching isn’t like the ones where Jesus says if you’re hungry, you’ll be filled and if you’re poor, you’ll receive the kingdom. He doesn’t say that the multitudes will stand up one day and say, “You know, St. Patrick’s, you know, Episcopal Church, you know, progressive Catholics and Lutherans — you were right to stand up for the dignity of every human being when the cruel politicians used them as scapegoats.”
Jesus says he wants us to look back on Christian history’s crowd pleasers, stadium fillers, and TV ratings winners. They were popular. They brought in the big bucks. But were they teaching the gospel of love? Jesus invites us to be theologians, not supplicants. Our only satisfaction may come from glorying God by doing the right thing.
[A portion of my All Saints Sunday sermon at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Thousand Oaks, where nine-year-old Rafferty served as a lector]