Homily
based on these readings: Deuteronomy 30:
15-20 & Matthew 5: 21-37
In the musical “My Fair Lady” the protagonist, Eliza
Doolittle, becomes frustrated with the strict regimen her tutor Henry Higgins
has developed for her to learn to speak proper English. She sings, “Words,
words, words/I’m so sick of words. . .” As we consider the readings this
morning, might we think, “Rules, rules, rules/I’m so sick of rules. . .”
Particularly rules that seem so impossible: “But I say to you that if you are
angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment (which in this
passage from Matthew is not a good thing!).”
In preparing for preaching today I found a story told by
David Lose, a Lutheran pastor—a story that anyone with a brother or sister can
relate to, I think:
“ My friend, Frank, was about eight years old at the
time, when he started arguing with his sister. Before long, arguing turned to
pushing and shoving, and, soon enough, Frank had his younger sister pinned to
the ground with his fist raised in the air. At that moment, his mother came
into the room and told him to stop it. In response, Frank – as he described –
reared up as only an eight-year-old can and declared, fist still raised in the
air, ‘She’s my sister. I can do anything I want to her.’ At this point, Frank’s
mom swooped across the room, towered over him, and said, ‘She’s my daughter
– no you can’t!’”
If you are a child or young person, have you ever wanted
to make up your own rules for your family—for your school? If you are an adult,
have you ever wanted to make the rules for the place where you work? If you are in charge, you do get to make the
rules. This was made quite clear to my
grandson when he was about 4 years old, and I was taking care of him. Both his
parents were out, and I had asked him to do something. His reply, “You’re not the boss of me.” I said back to him, “Your mom and your dad
are not here, but I am—so that makes me the boss.” After he tried it one more time and got the
same answer, he finally relented.
Were we (Frank’s mother and I) asserting our power in the
situation just because we could? Or did
we have reasons for what we did? What
about Moses? Was he telling the
Israelites about what God expected them to do or not do, because he wanted to
assert God’s strength and superiority?
How about Jesus? Was he trying to
scare people about the consequences God would give them if they were angry at,
insulting, or swearing at one of their fellow Jews? What about looking at a person and or
touching a person and thinking about how you might treat them as an object for
your pleasure rather that a person worthy of respect? What about swearing an
oath and really intending it to cover a lie?
Jesus “intensifies” the some of the laws of the Ten
Commandments in this passage from Matthew. By doing this he confronts modern
people—a perhaps people in his time as well—with words we would prefer not to
hear. Advice to mutilate your body to
avoid sin sounds outrageous and, frankly, bizarre. What can we make of his words?
First, we should agree that he is using “hyperbole”
–stating a rule and its consequences in such a way to point to something
beneath the rule. He challenges us with
these outrageous statements to look at our intentions—our heart, if you
will. He wants us to look at what the
laws can truly mean for us and for those with whom we live and work.
In his commentary on this passage from Matthew, Pastor
David Lose gives three reasons why we should love the law and do our best to
follow it. First he describes the
law—especially as we see it in the Ten Commandments—as a gift from God. Rules in our families and in our communities
can be gifts as well—even when it doesn’t feel that way some days.
As we read or listen to the news in this moment in our
nation’s life, we are reminded about what we learned in civics class in school.
(Mine, by the way, was called, “Problems of American Democracy” which now seems
remarkably prescient.) We are a nation who values the “rule of law.” Our Constitution enshrines this in terms of
something called “separation of powers.” We expect judges to decide whether or
not some law the Congress has passed--or some order the President has given--abides by the “rule of law.” These days we certainly need to ask ourselves is
our system with its rule of law and separation of powers a gift?
To return to Pastor Lose’s point, the law as “gift” has
two purposes: first, to strengthen the community and, second, to orient us to
the needs of our neighbor. The law uses the boundaries it sets up to remind us
of our responsibilities in caring for those around us. One purpose of the law is to protect those
without power. This orientation to the
needs of others will help both ourselves and others live in a family or
community or society which fosters human flourishing—nurture, health, safety
and, as Jesus taught his followers, abundant life. In the parable of the Good
Samaritan Jesus reminds us that the definition of our neighbor may be much
broader than we think it is. The law
reminds us that is not just “all about me” or even about all of us in this
small group—indeed, it is truly “all about us.”
With “us” meaning “everyone, no exceptions!”
I want to close by referring you to what our Book of
Common Prayer says the Ten Commandment mean in terms of human flourishing [BCP
p. 848]. I will read the questions and
together we will read the answers:
“Q.
|
What is our duty to our neighbors?
|
|
A.
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Our duty to our neighbors is to love them as ourselves,
and to do to other people as we wish them to do to us; |
|
V
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To love, honor, and help our parents and family; to honor those
in
authority, and to meet their just demands; |
|
VI
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To show respect for the life God has given us; to
work and pray for peace; to bear no malice, prejudice, or hatred in our hearts; and to be kind to all the creatures of God; |
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VII
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To use our bodily desires as God intended;
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VIII
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To be honest and fair in our dealings; to seek
justice, freedom, and the necessities of life for all people; and to use our talents and possessions as ones who must answer for them to God; |
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IX
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To speak the truth, and not to mislead others by
our silence; |
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X
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To resist temptations to envy, greed, and
jealousy; to rejoice in other people's gifts and graces; and to do our duty for the love of God, who has called us into fellowship with him. |
|
Q.
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What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments?
|
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A.
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The Ten Commandments were given to define our
relationship with God and our neighbors. |
|
Q.
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Since we do not fully obey them, are they useful at all?
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A.
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Since we do not fully obey them, we see more clearly our
sin and our need for redemption.” |
So can the gift of the law strengthen our families, our
community and our society and orient us to the needs of our neighbor? This week please think about this, “Is the
law a gift?”