The Empire We Serve, The Empire We Resist by Rev. Gilbert Martinez, Feb 1st, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Resistance of Mourning

Mourning is not a passive act of grief. It is a powerful refusal to accept the world as it is. When we grieve lives lost to injustice or violence, we disrupt the narrative that everything is functioning properly. This act of remembrance declares that every life and every truth matters profoundly. It is a sacred form of resistance against forces that would prefer silence. [00:57]

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4, NLT)

Reflection: Where have you seen a public tragedy or loss be minimized or forgotten? How might choosing to remember and honor that pain be an act of faithful resistance in your own heart?

Day 2: The True Strength of Meekness

Meekness is often mistaken for weakness, but it is actually strength under divine control. It is the power to hold authority without abusing it, to confront injustice without becoming cruel. This blessed way of being directly challenges empires that believe fear and domination are the only ways to maintain order. It is the courage to refuse to surrender one’s soul, even in the face of great opposition. [01:18]

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5, NLT)

Reflection: Can you identify a situation in your life or community where the temptation is to respond with raw power or aggression? What would it look like to exercise meekness—strength under control—in that situation instead?

Day 3: A Hunger for Public Justice

To hunger for righteousness is to have a deep, holy discontent with injustice. This is not merely a desire for personal moral virtue, but a passionate longing for public accountability, transparency, and truth. It is a refusal to accept lies, especially when they are dressed up as order or stability. This blessed hunger drives us to seek a world that reflects God’s heart for fairness and equity for all people. [02:00]

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6, NLT)

Reflection: What is one specific injustice in your community or our world that stirs a sense of righteous discontent within you? What is one practical step you could take to learn more or engage with that issue this week?

Day 4: Mercy as a Threat to Empire

Mercy is a radical force that undermines systems built on punishment and retaliation. It does not excuse harm or ignore the need for justice; rather, it insists that justice must remain humane and restorative. Offering mercy where none is expected can break cycles of violence and oppression. This divine practice threatens empires that depend on fear and retribution to maintain their control. [02:35]

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7, NLT)

Reflection: Is there a person or a group you find difficult to show mercy towards because you believe they deserve judgment? How might offering mercy, even in a small way, be a transformative act in that relationship?

Day 5: The Cost and Blessing of Resistance

Resisting the values of empire and standing for truth and justice will inevitably come at a cost. Truth-tellers are often discredited, justice-seekers are frequently threatened, and communities that refuse to accept lies are labeled as dangerous. Yet, in this struggle, there is a profound blessing. You stand in the long line of prophets and faithful rebels who refused to confuse earthly power with God. [03:56]

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10, NLT)

Reflection: What fears hold you back from speaking truth or standing for justice in your circles of influence? What would it mean for you to trust that God’s blessing is with you even in the face of potential pushback or misunderstanding?

Sermon Summary

Empires prefer grief to be quieted; grieving communities break the empire’s story that everything is fine. When mourning names violence, counters official falsehoods, or refuses to let lives be erased, it becomes a faithful act of resistance that insists these lives matter. Meekness is reframed as strength that refuses cruelty—power exercised without domination—and thereby resists the empire’s logic that fear and force maintain order. Hunger and thirst for righteousness are cast not as private piety but as public pursuit of justice: accountability, transparency, and truth that expose lies framed as stability.

Mercy is described as a subversive force that keeps justice human and prevents the empire’s appetite for punishment from hardening communities into machines of retaliation. Purity of heart is clarity of vision: the spiritual discipline of seeing through propaganda and staying loyal to inconvenient truth. Peacemakers are redefined not as mere keepers of calm but as active repairers who pursue reconciliation, justice, and structural change. The cost of resisting empire is acknowledged—truth-tellers will be discredited and persecuted—but those who suffer for righteousness are blessed and stand within the prophetic tradition that refuses to confuse power with God.

Concrete examples punctuate the theological claims: critiques of materialistic religion that mimics empire, attention to immigrant children in detention, and a pastoral summons to use whatever platform one has to protect vulnerable neighbors. The congregation’s practices—welcoming strangers, feeding the hungry, and allowing the messy life of children in worship—are offered as small but faithful counter-practices to empire. The overarching call is clear: the kingdom belongs to those who mourn, who show mercy, who seek justice, and who hold power without becoming cruel. Resistance requires courage, tenderness, and a clear heart; the work is spiritual as much as political, grounded in mercy, accountability, and peace. The closing prayer asks for strength to resist lies, tenderness to mourn, and clarity to pursue justice without becoming what is opposed.

Key Takeaways

1. Mourning is an act of resistance Mourning publicly names what the empire tries to obscure; it refuses sanitization and insists on accountability. When communities grieve, they challenge narratives that normalize violence and demand that truth match lived experience. This spiritual discipline refuses the temptation to move on before justice is sought. [00:23]
2. Meekness holds power without cruelty Meekness is strength disciplined by mercy, not passivity or weakness. It imagines a future where authority is exercised to serve rather than dominate, and where restraint becomes the means of moral victory. Such restraint undermines the empire’s claim that force equals order. [01:18]
3. Hunger for public righteousness Yearning for righteousness is a public vocation, aimed at structures and systems, not merely personal morality. It moves believers toward transparency, accountability, and truth-telling that expose lies dressed as order. This hunger fuels collective action for equitable institutions. [01:40]
4. Mercy undermines punitive supremacy Mercy interrupts cycles of retaliation by re-centering justice on human restoration rather than mere punishment. It preserves the humanity of both victim and offender, refusing the empire’s logic that brutal responses secure safety. Mercy can break systems by creating unexpected possibilities for reconciliation. [02:17]
5. Clear hearts enable just vision Purity of heart is spiritual clarity—the ability to see through propaganda and trust one’s discernment. It resists the fog the empire manufactures so people doubt their eyes and conscience. Seeing clearly enables courageous, faithful action in the pursuit of justice. [02:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:23] - Mourning as Resistance
[01:18] - Meekness, Power, and Restraint
[01:40] - Hunger for Righteousness
[02:17] - Mercy vs Punishment
[02:55] - Purity of Heart and Vision
[03:14] - Peacemaking and Persecution
[04:17] - Jesus’ Example of Justice
[08:04] - The Cost to the Vulnerable
[21:02] - Call to Resist and Pray

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Matthew 5:3-10 (NLT)
*“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”*

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Observation questions

According to the Beatitudes, what specific attitudes and actions does Jesus bless?
What does it mean that mourning can disrupt the story that “everything is working as it should”? [00:23]
How is meekness described in contrast to the way the empire understands power? [01:18]
What examples from contemporary life illustrate the tension between the empire’s logic and the way of Jesus? [08:04]

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Interpretation questions

Why might mourning publicly and truthfully be considered a threat to systems of power?
How does mercy “insist that justice must remain human,” and what might that look like in a situation of harm or conflict? [02:17]
What is the connection between having a pure heart and being able to “see through propaganda, fear, and distortion”? [02:55]
If peacemaking is not merely the absence of conflict but the “presence of justice,” what kind of actions does that include? [03:28]

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Application questions

Where have you seen or experienced grief being quieted or rushed in your community or the broader culture? How can mourning be practiced as a form of faithful resistance in those situations? [00:23]
Meekness is strength that refuses to become cruel. In your spheres of influence (family, work, community), where are you being invited to hold power without dominating others? [01:18]
The empire depends on repetition to make lies seem normal. What is one widely accepted story or narrative you feel called to question or refuse to accept? [01:40]
Mercy interrupts cycles of retaliation. Is there a relationship or situation where you feel God prompting you to choose restoration over punishment, even if it feels risky? [02:17]
Purity of heart is clarity of vision. What practices help you see through the fog of distraction or misinformation and stay loyal to what is true? [02:55]
The kingdom belongs to those who use whatever platform they have to protect the vulnerable. What is your platform, and who are the vulnerable neighbors in your life you are being called to stand with? [18:10]
Resisting empire comes at a cost. What fears make it difficult for you to speak truth or seek justice, and what would it look like to trust that you are blessed even in persecution? [03:39]

Sermon Clips

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. Empire enforces peace through intimidation. Jesus calls peacemakers those who are actively pursue justice, repair, and reconciliation. Peace is not the absence of conflict. It is the presence of justice. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. Jesus ends by telling the truth. Resisting empire comes at a cost. Truth tellers are discredited. Justice seekers are threatened. Communities that refuse the lie are labeled dangerous. Jesus says, you are blessed. You stand in the long line of prophets and rebels who refuse to confuse power with God. [00:03:13] (63 seconds) #PeacemakersForJustice

Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy. Empire survives on punishment and retaliation. Mercy threatens it. Mercy does not excuse harm. It insists that justice must remain human. In Star Wars, the moment that breaks the empire is not a battle. It is mercy offered where none is expected. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Purity of the heart is clarity, the ability to see through propaganda, fear, and distortion. Empire clouds vision so people stop trusting their own eyes. Jesus blesses those who keep seeing clearly even when truth is inconvenient or dangerous. [00:02:17] (56 seconds) #MercyBreaksEmpire

We are not called to serve the empire. We are called to resist it with courage, mercy, clarity, and love. In the spirit of God, the force of justice and compassion is still with us. Let us pray. God of truth and justice, you see what empires try to hide and hear what power tries to silence. Give us the courage to resist lies, the tenderness to mourn what is broken, and the strength to pursue justice without becoming what we oppose. [00:21:16] (32 seconds) #ResistWithCourage

But you need to stand your ground. If you're being fed misinformation, stand your ground and said, no, that's not so. Because the moment that you value a white life over others and you ignore that, you are feeding into the same empire that we are supposed to be fighting against. And some of you have either relatives or close friends who are people of color. And you can't say you care and love them if you are not doing your part to protect them. [00:16:04] (47 seconds) #StandForEqualLives

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. The empire depends on reputation. Say something often enough and people stop questioning it. Jesus blesses those who cannot accept injustice, those who aim for accountability, transparency, and truth. Righteousness here is not private virtue. It is public justice. To hunger for righteousness is to refuse lies dressed up as order. [00:01:40] (37 seconds) #ThirstForJustice

The empire does not belong to one leader. It does not belong to one administration. It does not belong to one ideology. It does not belong to one church or one denomination. Empire is a system, and systems survive only when people accept their stories as truth. Jesus proclaims another reality. The kingdom of God belongs to the people, to the grieving, to the truth tellers, to the peacemakers. [00:20:48] (29 seconds) #KingdomBelongsToPeople

Empires want grief to be grief and quiet. Mourning disrupts the story that everything is working as it should. When communities grieve, lives lost to violence, when official statements do not match evidence or lived experience, mourning becomes an act of resistance. It says, this life matter. This truth matters. Jesus blesses that refusal to forget. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. [00:00:31] (36 seconds) #MourningIsResistance

If there is a person who's attending church that day, who's hungry, and you say whoever wants the rest of the communion bread, come and grab it. And maybe that's all they're gonna have to eat is that bread for the rest of the day or the week. Does that not make more sense than putting it away in a container? See, there's sometimes practices that we don't question because that's just what it is, and we try to see it a different way. [00:12:49] (38 seconds) #ShareTheBread

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