Series: Two Masters
Title: Two Masters-Two Kingdoms
Text: Matthew 16:19-26
Summary: from the Rich Young Ruler’s encounter with Jesus, we see the importance of his economic-political-religious context, his “system”, in framing his assumptions about Jesus, and ultimately leading him to choose his existing life of earned merit, over eternal life as a disciple of Jesus. As followers of Jesus today, we would do well to critically understand the system of our day and age - largely driven by the intertwining of American capitalism and the Christian church - to more clearly see the same choice that lies before each of us. Historians point to opposition to FDR’s federal New Deal programs as a pivotal point in catalyzing American capitalism as we know it today. This was also the point in history when large corporations funneled money and influence into an organization called Spriritual Mobilization, which organized and influenced thousands of American pastors toward the cause of capitalism. Given this complicated history, it is vital to continually check our assumptions and discern what aspects of our daily lives are truly driven by the teachings of Jesus, and what aspects are driven by the system of money and power that surrounds us.