Micah 6: 1–8 / Psalm 15 / I Corinthians 1: 18–31 / Matthew 5: 1–12
This
is the written version of the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran
Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, February 1, 2026 by Fr.
Gene Tucker, Interim Pastor.
“INSTILLING KINGDOM VALUES”
(Homily text: Matthew 5: 1–12)
If you follow the sermon blog, you’ll
recall that I often use experiences from my time as a member of the U. S. Army
Chorus, which is part of the U. S. Army Band, based in Washington, D. C., as
sermon material.
As a member of the Chorus, a good part
of our repertoire consisted of Army songs, often sung at various military
functions. One of them is “Dogface Soldier”.[1] Its lyrics fit well into the Gospel reading for this morning, our Lord’s
teaching known as the Beatitudes. Here, in part, are the lyrics:
I
wouldn’t give a bean,[2]
To
be a fancy-pants Marine.
I’d
rather be a Dogface Soldier,
Like
I am.
I
wouldn’t trade my old ODs[3]
For
all the Navy’s dungarees,
For
I’m the walkin’ pride
Of
Uncle Sam.
On
all the posters that I read,
It
says “The Army Builds Men”,[4]
So
they’re tearing me down
To
build me over again…
“Tearing me down to build me over
again” refers to the process by which every new member of the armed services
undergoes a period of initial training. One of the goals of such training is to
remove much of the civilian attitudes that inductees bring with them, in order
to replace those values with military ones.
As we read over our Lord’s teaching,
known as the Beatitudes, perhaps His goal is to lay out the values that belong
to God’s kingdom, so that those who enter the kingdom know what will be those
values that God will seek to instill in each new disciple’s heart.
God’s values are counter-cultural. They
differ from the attitudes of the ways of the world when it often ignores God’s
values.
Consider, for example, one difference
between the two: Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the
earth”. The world’s version of this same saying might go something like this:
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, six feet of it”.
The point of this second way of
behaving is to confirm the truth that – by the world’s values and behavior - the
strong will run over and defeat the weak and the downtrodden.
Each of the Lord’s teachings reflect
this same truth: That God’s ways and God’s expectations are radically different
from the ways of the world.
Each new disciple who comes into the
Lord’s service is expected to mirror these godly values. By so doing, the ways
of the world, which often lead to destruction and alienation, are exposed for
being the dead-end road that they are.
Each day, as we awaken and face the
challenges and the duties of the day, we are called to put before ourselves
God’s values and God’s ways. We have a choice to make, either to act the way
that the world acts, or to re-enlist ourselves in God’s service.
An old saying serves us well, as we
consider this choice: “Always preach the Gospel. If necessary, use words.”
AMEN.
[1] Dogface Soldier was composed early in World War II, and it was
originally a song for the Army’s Third Division.
[2] The title “Beatitudes” comes from the Latin word for “blessed”.
[3] ODs were Olive Drab uniforms, now long gone from the Army’s uniforms.
[4] The language reflects the Army’s experience in World War II, when the great majority of soldiers were men. Today, however, many women serve ably and well in military service.
