Last week we heard four of six of what
are called the six antitheses, or six opposites. They are called
this because of Jesus', “You have heard it said . . . but I say to
you” formula. If you remember, those four were do not murder, do
not commit adultery, do not divorce, and do not swear falsely. The
sermon touched on three of those four: do not murder, do not commit
adultery, and do not swear falsely.
As with the salt and light from two
weeks ago, I said that Jesus wasn't addressing individual morality,
per se, but the corporate behavior of the body of believers. As a
body, we are called to be salt and light, respectful, safe, and
honest. As individuals we don't always live into that. As a
corporate body, we must. Those things are how we function; they are
not necessarily reflective of our individual status.
Today we get the last two antitheses,
or opposites. You have heard it said an eye for an eye, but I say to
you turn the other cheek. You have heard it said love your neighbor
and hate your enemy; but I say, love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you.
What Jesus is doing here is beginning
to move us from one realm to another. Over the last two weeks we
were hearing how to behave as the body of believers. We were
learning what our corporate function was. We are salt and light.
This body of believers behaves in a certain way, and in here you are
respected and safe. It is these functions that are presented to the
world as what the kingdom of heaven looks like.
That said, until the kingdom comes, we
can't live in this space forever. We must get out there. And out
there is filled with people and policies that are vastly different
from how we behave in here.
Mosaic law provided for an eye for an
eye and a tooth for a tooth. This was a way to mitigate violence and
push for restraint. In other words, you can only retaliate in like
manner and with an equal amount of force. But Jesus is telling us
that we are not to retaliate at all. All retaliation does is lead to
more retaliation. All retaliation does is lead to a downward spiral
of violence that begets violence.
There was an excellent Star Trek
episode called, “The Day of the Dove,” in which a Klingon crew
was brought aboard the Enterprise. Tensions predictably flared.
Fights erupted. Phasers became swords and people were miraculously
healed of deadly wounds. The stage was set for an eternal battle
between humans and Klingons. Until they realized that it was only by
not participating in violence that the violence would end. As Spock
said, “Those who hate and fight must stop themselves; otherwise it
is not stopped.”
In the world we live in, where are
those places and times in which we must stop ourselves from violence?
Should we retaliate with bombs, or with schools? Violence is easy.
Peace is hard. Jesus is not calling us to be victims, allowing
ourselves to be used and abused. But Jesus is asking us to look for
the dignity in all people and see them as children of God. And that
IS an individual act in which we must all participate.
This behavior ultimately leads to the
next statement – love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you. This, again, is a mandate on how we are to behave as
individuals representing the body of Christ. And again, it is hard
work. Even tax collectors and Gentiles love and greet those who love
and greet them. If that's all we do, then we are simply imitating
the world.
But Jesus is calling us to live
differently. He is calling us to live as God lives, and that is with
a love for all people and all creation. Again, this isn't easy. The
trick, I think, is to work at loving individual people, because it's
too easy to dislike or hate other groups.
It's easy to hate “the Muslims.”
It's much more difficult to hate a person that you sit down with for
coffee or a meal who happens to have a different faith. It's easy to
hate “those immigrants.” It's much more difficult to hate a
family who escaped war and famine looking not only for a better life,
but simple safety. And on and on and on.
We are all God's children. And like a
parent loves all children equally, God loves everyone as equally.
Jesus is asking us to follow that example and emulate God's love for
all people. For if we only love those who love us, we are no better
than those who live outside the kingdom.
On this seventh Sunday after the
Epiphany we are being asked to live a certain way. We are being
asked to be salt and light. We are being asked to treat each other
with dignity and respect. We are being asked to create a safe place
for all people. Today we are being asked to live out these functions
in the world around us; and that starts by working to deescalate
violence, love our enemies, and pray for those persecuting you.
Nobody said this would be easy. Many
people say it's futile and pointless. But Jesus makes it clear how
we are to act, both in here and out there. We can choose to either
operate as the world operates, or we can choose to operate how Jesus
operates.
That choice will determine what kind of
church we become.
Amen.
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