Dunbar UCC

January 3, 2010

Psalm 72:1-5, 12-13

Matthew 2:1-4

Feed My Sheep

I.        When God decided to be a human, why did he want to be poor?  Why did he choose an animal stable and not a palace?  Only the common people and foreigners saw him?

II.       God loves poor people so much, he came as one. There are laws in the Old Testament that require care for the poor, the widows, the orphans.  

III.      Welfare has a bad name in our society, but   according to the Bible, we are all welfare recipients -- everything we have is given to us.  Our minds and bodies, our skills and talents were given to us.

          God doesn’t like it when we act ungrateful, and say, “I did it.  I built this business with my own two hands.  I made my retirement savings.  I worked hard and invested wisely.” -- “NOT TRUE!” says God.  “Because I gave you your hands -- I gave you your mind and the will to work, and apart from me, you can do nothing.”

IV.     Our Horatio Alger and American Dream myths that celebrate hard work and rugged individualism are not true -- they deny God’s role in making us what we are.

          The Old Testament tellsi the Jews to remember the time they were slaves in Egypt -- so that when immigrants and foreigners are in their land, they will treat them kindly.

          And one of his last things Jesus said before his execution was: “Whatever you do to one of the least of these, you do to me.”

V.      We begin our new year with God born a peasant and the rich and powerful trying to kill him.  I think the wealthy have always despised and exploited the poor.  That’s why we will never have health care reform in this country.  It helps the poor, but loses money for the corporations.  And money determines policy.

          Yet, in our culture that worships youth and money Jesus calls us to  “Feed my sheep.” I don’t know how we do this -- but I believe Jesus will shows us.