The 6th Sunday after Epiphany: Is the Law a Gift?

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.	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	To love, honor, and help our parents and family; to honor those in authority, and to meet their just demands;
	VI	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;
	VII	To use our bodily desires as God intended;
	VIII	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;
	IX	To speak the truth, and not to mislead others by our silence;
	X	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.	What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments?
A.	The Ten Commandments were given to define our relationship with God and our neighbors.
Q.	Since we do not fully obey them, are they useful at all?
A.	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?”