Pious Wolves

Mark 12:38-44

As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! ⁴⁰ They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

⁴¹ He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴² A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. ⁴³ Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. ⁴⁴ For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Sermon:

          Through the course of Lent, we have been coloring in the posters that you see around you. Today’s poster deals with the topic of love and towards the bottom of it you can see the scripture that was just read for us. Much of it is probably familiar, but sometimes it’s helpful to hear familiar passages in their original contexts. Often times, the setting of a passage can shed light upon its intent and meaning. This morning I want to bring our attention to the last two section (slides) of today’s scripture – the contrast of the pious religious figures who Jesus damns and the widow who gave everything she had.

          I suppose that I decided to preach on these last two sections of today’s scripture because a classmate of mine (Andy Gill) from seminary published an article on the Christian website Patheos entitled, “MegalomaniacticPastors: What if Your Pastor’s a Functional Psychopath?” The image at the top of the article depicted a scene from the famous show House of Cards where Frank Underwood, President of the United States and noted sociopath, skillfully manipulated a church’s congregation to deflect blame away from his role in the death of someone’s child. Now, I haven’t spent much time talking to the author of this article, even though we went to seminary together, we never really crossed paths. As a result, Mike might know him better than me. However, I do like to read what he publishes online. His writing is insightful and usually quite pointed. I don’t always agree with him, often times I feel like his perspective is shaped by a bit of a chip on his shoulder that he must have acquired in his past experiences with evangelical megachurch cultures, but I do find his writing to be useful reading and this week it connected with the scriptures I was looking to preach on.

          The whole point of my acquaintances article wasn’t really new. Forbes and many other journals have reported on the prevalence of sociopaths in religion for many years now. They even have a ranking system for the occupations that attract the most and least sociopaths, based upon psychological studies. [1]

Most:

1.     CEO

2.     Lawyer

3.     Media

4.     Sales

5.     Surgeon

6.     Journalist

7.     Police Officers

8.     Clergy

9.     Chef

10.  Civil Servants

Least:

1.     Care Aide

2.     Nurse

3.     Therapist

4.     Craftsperson

5.     Beautician/Stylist

6.     Charity Worker

7.     Teacher

8.     Creative Artist

9.     Doctor

10.  Accountant

So, my acquaintances argument wasn’t really a new concern, but it’s one we often face when we turn on Christian television and see preachers asking for ‘seed money’ that will make you rich or even the differences between one of the 20^th centuries greatest preachers, who was undoubtedly a sincere and authentic man of genuine intentions, and a son who makes close to a million dollars a year running ministries based out of North Carolina without many of the ethical boundaries his father was sure to employ.

          I think that there are genuine questions we should have around many of the ‘Christian’ leaders and practices that we have seen in this country. Jesus himself throws shade at these things! So, when we see prosperity gospel preachers entice poor people out of the little they already have, we should be appalled. Jesus told us that these people who use appearances and earthly conceptions of holiness to manipulate others will in the end face condemnation. They are wolves’ intent on devouring their flocks. Likewise, when we see preachers preying on people’s fears or emotions, we should wonder what they’re gaining from that. Are they, in a sense, holding the people they’re baptizing under water for far longer than is necessary just because it gives them that extra little bit of pleasure?

          As someone who grew up around Pentecostal and Southern Baptist churches, I’ve seen a lot of emotional manipulation within the church. In some contexts, a pastor’s success can be tied to how well he pulls at the emotions of the congregation, as though the crowd was nothing more than a marionette in need of deft fingers capable of synchronizing its movements with the choreography of a dance. The words, movements, and lighting can be adjusted to create an experience – perhaps even a high – before the people even arrive.

          But this brings us to an important question. What’s the difference between sociopathic manipulation and art? My acquaintance ended his article with a quote from Donald Miller which said, “I think a lot of […] shame-based religious and political [methodologies have] more to do with keeping people contained than with setting them free. And I’m no fan of it.” Art, like religion, also elicits emotional responses intentionally. It creates things in the tangible world to affect the worlds inside of you, your neighbor, and me. When we go to a novel, a play, or a movie, we are, in a sense, looking to be moved by the force of something – we’re seeking a moment of change or reinforcement. But the question for art, like religion, is intent. When an artist creates a work to confine, rather than liberate, you we might call it propaganda.

          Likewise, when faith is used to confine, restrict, and exploit you we can justifiable call it sociopathic. Religious sociopathy exists not just in the leaders who seek extraordinary amounts of recognition, honor, and financial gain, but also in institutions that care more about building empires than healthy lives. When a church community loses sight of the larger picture of how faith fits into the whole human experience, it loses a central element intrinsic to the power of the Gospel. Faith touches all aspects of our humanity – our emotions, our intellect, our spirits, and our social lives. When we lose sight of helping each other grow on all of these fronts, we fail to truly exhibit the love of God – which is what we are called to live into. Our lives should be shaped by a love that affects every aspect of our humanity. If we can do that, then we too can be like the widow who gave everything. Our submission to the movement of the Spirit, which elicits love in everything it touches, is what empowers and saves us.

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[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyclay/2013/01/05/the-top-10-jobs-that-attract-psychopaths/#1424f81d4d80