So God Can Live

Sermon-6 Epiphany Year A-Feb. 13, 2011
The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of that Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Matthew 5:21-37
21“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22But 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. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come 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. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If 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. 30And 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. 31“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32But 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.
33“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.’ 34But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
In 1977 I was sitting in the dining room (called, the Refectory) at seminary with a group of students, and one of our professors was sitting there talking to us. There was a lull in the conversation as we all took a mouthful of food, and then the professor looked at us and said, “did you just hear that?” nodding down towards the end of the table, “that guy just killed somebody!”. We all jerked our heads around to look, and the teacher said, “didn’t you hear him just say that that group of people were sinners?”
And that’s how I think about today’s reading from the Sermon on the Mount. I have been telling you the last two weeks, that the Sermon on the Mount was a radical statement, a terrible sermon, by Jesus going way beyond the law of the Old Testament. Do you remember the verse last week that I told you was key, the verse that unlocks this whole sermon?“unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."Matt. 5:20
Today’s gospel picks up four instances in Judaism, where Jesus says, keeping the law, being righteous isn’t enough. Following the rules, being a good citizen-isn’t enough.
Murder, Adultery, Divorce, lying. All punishable sins in Judaism-all against the law. And Jesus says, they aren’t the problem. The problem is what is behind the act, what is in the heart, the intentions behind the deeds-those are what are the real sin.
The thing is, I know that’s true. But it’s awfully hard. I started thinking of some of the ways taht holding on to anger and hate had murdered people in my life.
“There is a true story about two farmers in Canada. One day the dog of one farmer got loose and mauled to death the two-year-old child of his neighbor. The devastated father cut off all relationship with his neighbor, and the two men lived in cold, defiant enmity for years. Then one day a fire devastated the property of the dog-owning farmer, destroying his barn and all his equipment. He was unable to plow and plant, and so his future appeared doomed. Except that the next morning he woke up and found all his fields plowed and ready for seed. Upon investigation, he discovered that his grieving neighbor had done this good deed. Humbly the rescued farmer approached his neighbor and asked him if he had plowed his fields -- and, if so, why. The answer was clear: "Aye," the former enemy said. "I plowed your fields- so that God can live."
You expect to hear stories like this in church-stories of forgiveness and almost unbelievable changes of heart. But that is what Jesus is teaching-a real change of heart-not just right living “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."Matt. 5:20
Most of us will never murder another human being-but all of us know what it is to hate. Most of us will never take another person’s life-but we know what it is to hold on to a terrible grudge. Most of us will never end another person’s life-but we know what it is to hold on to feelings of spite and anger against another. And in the long run, Jesus teaches, this becomes just as bad as the act of murder. Then he goes on to teach about abusing vows, abandoning relationships, breaking our promises. Each one, when done as an act, can be prosecuted in the courts. But it’s our hearts where the real damage is done. It’s inside of us where the real sin lies. And that’s where Jesus separates himself from the “good” Pharisees. Most of us can keep most of the laws, most of the time. But the hard part for me-is letting go of the things that I really want to hold on to-the lies, the anger, the hate, the broken promises. I don’t just keep those inside-there is a part of me that likes holding on to them. And that’s , in the words of that farmer, when God cannot live. I can keep the law fairly easily-but it’s loving what’s behind the law-that, for me, is very hard.
Last fall a debate was arranged between Christopher Hitchens, the famous writer, columnist and professional atheist-and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The debate was about the place of religion in the modern world. There were 2700 seats at the hall and they sold out in a few hos. People were scalping $20 tickets for $500. FOR A DEBATE ON RELIGION! Let me tell you that Christopher Hitchens is a “Identified as a “champion of the "New Atheism" movement,”. In 2007 he published a bestselling book, “God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything”. Tony Blair, on the other hand, resigned as Prime Minister in 2007, converted to Catholicism, and then started the Tony Blair Faith Foundation to promote understanding between religions.
Hitchens asked "Is it good for the world to worship a deity that takes sides in wars and human affairs, to appeal to our fear and to our guilt – is it good for the world?"To terrify children with the image of hell ... to consider women an inferior creation. Is that good for the world?" Hitchens asked as he opened the debate.
Hitchens fueled the debate by criticizing religion for blocking peace in the Middle East, perpetuating poverty by subjugating women as inferior and causing numerous conflicts including the genocide in Rwanda – a country he says "is the most Christian country in the world, and one which many of the people who committed the crimes are now hiding in the pulpit."
Blair acknowledged that religion has been used to lead people to commit indescribable acts, but it has also led people to commit acts of goodness."Health care in Africa has been delivered by those motivated by their religion ... The abolition of slavery was achieved by combined secularism and non-secularism. At least accept that there are people who are doing great things because of their faith," Blair said. At one point Hitchens was detailing all the wrongs that religious fanaticism had committed-every religion. And Blair responded that even if there was no religion, fanaticism would continue, because it was so much a part of the human heart. 68% of the people who left thought that Hitchens had won the debate-and religion was more dangerous than “no religion”.
Are we doing great things-because of our faith? Leo Tolstoy once wrote, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
Jesus goes up on the mountain and say, it’s not about loving the law-it’s about the law of love. And then in hard words, in demanding teachings, Jesus told those gathered that they needed to change their hearts.
That is very hard to hear, even harder to do. You have heard that it was said that we are to keep the law, but Jesus said, go beyond the law. Go to your heart. Go to why the law is there, go to why we do something, our motives, our intentions- nd change that. For when the heart is changed, there will be no need for the law.
Recently the Washington Post did a story about Aaron Miller, who has been one of the chief United States negotiators for peace in the Middle East. Mr. Miller recently changed the venue of his work. Rather than operating at the global, political level, he decided to work at the local, personal level. He has become President of Seeds of Peace, a non-profit organization that tries to enable reconciliation between Arab and Israeli teenagers through one-on-one encounters. Mr. Miller is convinced that the only hope left [in the middle east] is at the grassroots level. Miller quoted a young participant in the Seeds for Peace program, who said, "In order to make peace with your enemy, you have to make war with yourself." In other words, we must battle our own hateful instincts.”
Jesus goes up on a mountain and turns the world upside down. He challenges all the good Jews listening to him to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. Change your heart, he teaches, so that God can live.
“unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."Matt. 5:20

Epiphany means? “a sudden realization: a sudden intuitive leap of understanding, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence.”

You Are the Salt Of the Fire

Sermon-5 Epiphany Year A-Feb. 6, 2011
The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of that Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Matthew 5:13-20
[Jesus said:] "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." \

I told you last week that for four weeks we will hear Jesus speaking in the Sermon on the Mount. Last week you heard the Beatitudes, the blessings. Remember? This week picks up where last week left off. Jesus is still on the mountain. He’s still teaching. So you know the background.
Remember last summer (oh, yes, remember last summer- the warmth, the green grass, the…) ok. We had a verse from the gospel of Luke that I told you would influence every lesson for the following 4 months. The verse was: “he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Luke 9:51.Well here is the verse that will influence everything you will hear in the sermon on the Mount: , “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." The last verse of today’s reading. Jesus is teaching what it means to follow him.
I have told you many times, that the Pharisees were good people, righteous people. They lived very obedient lives, following the Torah, the Jewish law. But they tended to follow the law, literally, legally. They tended to scrupulously do what the law commanded, no more, no less. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus tells those who listened to him, you have to go deep inside the law, you have to be better than just a good citizen-you have to be different, better, MORE than just righteous-you have to not just follow the letter of the law, you have to obey what was behind the law-you have to follow the spirit and reason for the law! And this verse is the key: “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
This is harsh language. You have to be better than good. Does that sound a little, demanding to you? A little difficult? Maybe even too good?
I like it better when Jesus talks about forgiving me, or accepting me. I told you last week that the Beatitudes were words of revolution-blessed are the empty, those who are broken-hearted, those who powerless, those who are desperate for justice. Those are the ones Jesus said are blessed. That made no sense. And asking us to be better than good-that may be too hard, too. I don’t know if I can be better than the Pharisees. And yet, I think this is what the sermon on the mount is asking us to do, why it is considered so revolutionary. Who we are to be- different, better than the ones who simply- obey the law. Go to the intention, the purpose of the law, Jesus tells them, and obey that!
Think about that while I go down a different road for a while.
Jesus uses two very ordinary images in today’s teaching-salt and light. The phrases are very emphatic-You are the salt of the earth; "You are the light of the world.”
What was salt used for? It was used for seasoning, preservation, and purifying (2 Kg. 2:19-22). It was used to ratify covenants (Num. 18:29; 2 Chr. 13:5) and in liturgical functions (Ex. 30:35; Lev. 2:13; Ezek. 43:24; Ezra 6:9). To eat salt with someone signified a bond of friendship and loyalty (Ezra 4:14; Acts 1:4). Salt scattered on a conquered city reinforced its devastation (Jg. 9:45) (Reid, 35).In rabbinic metaphorical language, salt connoted wisdom (Hill, 115). Today, salt adds flavor to food, cures food, creates traction on icy roads, and can serve as an antiseptic in wounds. It also used to be rubbed on newborn children, and understood as a metaphor for wisdom.

When I am blessing water for holy water I add a pinch of salt because it is believed that salt was necessary to cast out evil. You probably have heard of most if not all of these, right?
But there is something else, another use for salt that Jesus was referring to in his teaching-one you probably have never heard of before. Listen to what salt was primarily used for in 1st century Israel:
In ch.5:v.13, the salt referred to was the leveling agent for paddies made from animal manure, the fuel for outdoor ovens used in the time of Jesus. Young family members would form paddies with animal dung, mix in salt from a salt block into the paddies, and let the paddies dry in the sun. When the fuel paddies were lit in an oven, the mixed-in salt would help the paddies burn longer, with a more even heat. When the family had used up the salt block, they would throw it out onto the road to harden a muddy surface. This is why the verse reads: "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
Jesus saw his followers as leveling agents in an impure world. Their example would keep the fire of faith alive even under stress. Their example would spread faith to those mired in the cultural "dung." But if their example rang empty, they were worthless; they would be dug into the mud under the heels of critics.” (from word-sunday.com).
In other words Jesus is telling his listeners-be the salt that makes the fire better .
Remember what Epiphany means? “a sudden realization: a sudden intuitive leap of understanding, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence.”
:You are the salt of the earth”, a very ordinary, common occurrence. We are not a preservative, not something to make food taste good, not a deicer, not a sign of friendship, not any of those things-be the salt-we are the element in life that is supposed o make the fire burn brighter, to make the fire last longer.
“Thomas Long writes; the challenge is indeed formidable for Christians in the 1st century were "a small group trying with mixed results to live out an alternative life, set down in the midst of a teeming, fast-changing culture that neither appreciates nor understands them….The hardest part is not in being Christian for a day, but being faithful day after day, maintaining confidence in what, for all the world, appears to be a losing cause." Continuing to burn brighter, longer-that’s the hard part. “remind the congregation of who they are and what Jesus calls them to do in the world, no matter how great the obstacles they face, or what messages bombard them from the surrounding culture. …"Jesus is saying that what the people of God do in the world really counts" (Matthew, Westminster Bible Companion).
“Indeed, when people encounter us – as individuals and as communities of faith – they should see and sense more: they should feel hope, they should feel the possibility of a "different world," Charles Cousar writes, "marked by unheard-of reconciliation, simple truth-telling, outrageous generosity, and love of one's enemies" (Texts for Preaching Year A).
I like that. I really like the idea that what we believe, and what we do impacts the world. I like the idea that we are called to be salt and light to a world that is desperately in need of a long burning fire and understanding. What if when people talked about us (meaning Christians) they said with awe. These are people of “unheard-of reconciliers, simple truth-tellers, outrageously generous, great lovers of their enemies”
We need to be better than those who only, merely, simply keep the law. The world is full of good people, law abiding people, people who obey the rules and keep the commandments. Jesus taught from the mountain that we have to be more than that, more than only,simply, merely righteous. He calls us to be “unheard-of reconciliers, simple truth-tellers, outrageously generous, great lovers of their enemies”.
Keeping the law, most of the time, is easy. Christianity is not about doing the easy thing “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,” This is why Jesus climbed a mountain to teach. This is why he drove away so many of the Pharisees -because he called them to be the kind of salt that actually made a difference -the kind that was mixed in with the world so that the fire kept burning. “when people encounter us – as individuals and as communities of faith – they should see and sense more: they should feel hope, they should feel the possibility of a "different world,” Amen.