4th Sunday after the Epiphany
Texts: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31;
Matt 5:1-12; Micah 6:1-8
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Vn061q61zqc
Sermon Take-Home Notes
THE CROSS AS APOCALYPSE OF NATIONALIST POLITICS
As I’ve listened to the news the last couple weeks — painful to do — I’ve heard people all across this nation wondering if the murder of Alex Pretti is an “inflection point,” a “turning point.” Given the stark contrast between what the Homeland Security leaders have said about his death and the numerous videos showing what really happened, is this a time of new clarity? A time when many more people can see the violence of ICE agents for what it is?
In light of today’s readings from Scripture, we might ask if Alex Pretti’s senseless and violent death at the hands of the state is another kind of cross event? Is Alex Pretti’s murder by federal agents an apocalypse of violence for our nation, here today, like the cross was an apocalypse of violence for St. Paul and the early Christians? Does it reveal the violence for what it is?
Before we try to answer these questions, let’s first get straight on the meaning of apocalypse. In English the word apocalypse means:
1. the complete final destruction of the world, as described in the biblical book of Revelation.
2. an event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale.
(Our kids are flocking to apocalypse movies right now, because that’s what their future looks like to them.) But in Greek the word apokalypsis simply means revelation. In your Sermon Notes, I have a picture of the title and first verse of the Book of Revelation in the Greek New Testament. The title says, “apokalypsis to John.” John of Patmos is receiving the revelation. The first verse says, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him. . .” — the first word apokalypsis signals that the revelation to John is from Jesus Christ, who received it from God.
Let’s cut to the chase: In the Bible, apocalypse is not an event of mass destruction. It’s not the end of the world. In the Bible, apocalypse is the revelation of the violence of human nationalistic reigns, in contrast to the loving, nonviolent reign of God. Apocalypse means revelation. The Book of Revelation shows this contrast in terms of strange creatures: the lamb slain since the foundation of the world (Jesus!) vs the beast and dragons representing empires like Rome. The lamb of God, slain by the world powers on the cross, is defeating the beastly powers of violent human empires. That’s the revelation. Not world destruction but world salvation. Salvation especially from our violent ways of ‘justice.’
What’s so crucially important is to understand that in the Bible apocalypse is a revelation and not an event of destruction and death. Why is that so important? Because God who graciously respects our freedom, with long-suffering patience, is all about giving us a choice. Prophets aren’t so much about predicting future events that we are locked into — though readers of the Book of Revelation are always trying to make it into prediction of future events. No, true prophets simply reveal to us the violent path we’re on so that we might choose God’s way of peace and justice. It’s more like Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. He wants to know from the ominous, silent ghost of Christmas Future. Are these future glimpses something he’s locked into? Or does he still have a choice? To his credit, Scrooge chooses to change.
Here’s the thing: All of today’s Scripture readings are apocalyptic in this sense of revelation, so that we can still choose. Let’s take a quick look:
• Micah 6:1-8 — human beings — remember the anthropology we talk about often — evolved all around the globe with us believing that the gods require the violence of ritual blood sacrifice. Micah says, “No! What God truly requires is for us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.” Our violent ways are revealed in contrast with God’s just and loving ways. Many of the Hebrew prophets say this for centuries. Jesus finally fulfills it, such that all disciples of Jesus immediately cease ritual blood sacrifice. Cold turkey, they stop! After thousands of years of human beings practicing blood sacrifice all around the globe, they stop. Cold turkey! And what do they do instead? Holy Communion. Following Jesus, who let his body be broken and his blood poured out for us, so that we might do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God — just like him.
• 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 — Here, God’s loving justice in the cross reveals a stark contrast to human ways. What looks like weakness and folly to human beings is God’s power and wisdom. St. Paul himself had a dramatic conversion in which he went from persecuting Christians, thinking that that was justice, to being an apostle for Jesus, the crucified Messiah. He chose God’s way of peace over his former violence.
• Matthew 5 — I’m including the whole chapter because its climax brings the famous, world-changing contrasts: Jesus says, “You’ve heard, ‘An eye for an eye,’ but I tell you, ‘When someone strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek.’ You’ve heard, ‘Love your friends and hate your enemies,’ but I tell you, ‘Love your enemies.’” Jesus begins this chapter, then, with the in-your-face contrast of values, known as the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the hopelessly poor, the mourning, the meekly nonviolent ones,” etc. He is revealing true justice as blessing those who are usually left out of our human power schemes. Again, this is the viewpoint from an indigenous perspective we’ve talked about. The view of those on the margins being left out. This whole chapter is a remarkable revelation of the contrast between the values and practices of God’s reign and those of human nationalistic reigns. Which will we choose? Once again, it’s up to us.
Siblings in Christ, are we seeing the revelation of that choice in clear ways these past couple weeks? With the murder of Alex Pretti, the violence of the federal agents are becoming more clear to us. It’s not a right and necessary violence; it’s just violence against innocent people. The violence of Christian Nationalist politics are being revealed. Alex Pretti’s murder is an apocalypse of Nationalist politics. And, in contrast, aren’t the people of Minnesota beautifully living God’s loving ways of being in community? I heard one of the protestors says, “Our neighbors here in Minneapolis are from all around the world. We’re showing up for our neighbors. They’re trying to stop us. But we’re here in love. To show love for our neighbors.”
I believe that once again God is revealing to us a clear choice. The violent politics of typical nationalistic human regimes, or the loving politics of God’s reign. Will we choose the bloody sacrifice of citizens like Alex Pretti, or the Holy Communion of lovingly helping the most vulnerable of our neighbors, like the good people of Minneapolis? The choice is ours. Rivers of blood or to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. For the sake of people like Renee Good, Alex Pretti, Liam Ramos, and so many terrorized and brutalized by our current regime, let us choose well. And one final question in light of a conversation later at the annual meeting (about my report to the congregation): If we become more clear in living out this choice right now, would it be worthwhile to invite our children and grandchildren, friends and neighbors, to join us? Amen
Paul J. Nuechterlein
Bethania Lutheran Church,
Racine, WI, January 25, 2026
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Vn061q61zqc
Sermon Take-Home Notes
