Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Friday, August 13, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
The first thing I thought of when I read this was the long history of systemic racism in the United States. I feel like every single unarmed Black person who has been killed by state violence died with Jesus’ words on their lips. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Paul didn’t persecute Jesus. Jesus was dead, resurrected, and gone. Paul persecuted other people, singling them out because they professed a belief in Jesus’ and tried to live in the way he commanded. But Jesus was in each and every one of those people Paul persecuted. Just as Jesus is in each and every BIPOC victim of our long history of racism, oppression, and violence.
When we are tempted to try to justify state violence in some way, we would do well to fall to our knees and cry out, “Who are you, Lord?” so that we might hear the truth, however uncomfortable it might be. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Do I see my complicity with racist systems as persecuting Jesus? Does it inform my actions if I do?
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