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A look at the appointed gospel from the Revised Common Lectionary for February 16, 2020.
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.””
My Two Cents….
The Sermon on the Mount continues, oh boy! For the third week in a row, we have a selection from the message that Jesus gives to the crowds. As a preacher who tries to keep his sermons to ten minutes, Jesus has gone WAY OVER the time limit!
But who am I to say - after all, Jesus IS the Son of God and I’m sure he captivated the crowds for hours. Since I’m neither divine or all that captivating of an orator, I’ll keep my sermons short. I’d rather have folks wanting more than checking their watches!
Jesus’ sermon is exhaustive - even if it wasn’t exhausting. It touches all aspects of life and relationships. Making the point that faith is not a compartment or category of our life but rather a connecting thread. Faith lives and dies in each part of our lives. We don’t turn faith on for one hour on a Sunday morning and then off for the rest of the week.
Our faith comes into play as we make our living, order things online, shop in the supermarket, participate in political debates, and engage in relationships with others. The choices we make have consequences. Connections with others grow or they decline. We act in ways that are both loving and unloving. When it comes to living out our faith in a loving God we will triumph and fail miserably.
When we hit rock bottom and find ourselves in an unloving (or unloved) place, we are in need of God’s forgiveness. Through forgiveness, God allows us to pick up the broken pieces of our lives. At times, we might be able to reassemble the shards. Often there is no way of putting Humpty Dumpty back together again even if you had all the king’s horses and men.
I think about friends and family who have gone through a divorce. Rarely is this experience amicable. There is so much hurt and anger when marriages fall apart. Blame and regret are usually a part of the picture. Sides are drawn and taken - things turn messy.
Unfortunately, for years the church was not much help. Inspired by these verses from Matthew, the church added to the pain of the situation. Excommunication, exclusion, and judgments were the ecclesiastical responses. Sadly, we missed the forest for the trees when it came to the proclamation of the overarching love of Christ.
What is needed is for us all to return to the heart of the text, to God’s love that underlines it all. In the situation of our lives, even the most broken and painful parts, Christ remains. The kingdom of God is present. What is more, this kingdom seeks to create a community that is full of forgiveness and love where life can be resurrected.
How might we take part in God’s kingdom of restoration and resurrection? Instead of judging others (and ourselves) unworthy, how might we bear Christ’s creative and redeeming word?
In Christ's Light,
Walt
Permission granted to share today's content with family and friends. Copyrighted 2020. Walt Lichtenberger
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