Epiphany 6: Setting the Bar Very High

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 119:1-8
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Matthew 5:21-37

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Challenges:

If you are a Christian, especially a Lutheran, you have a very complicated and complex relationship with "the Law" of God.  For the most part, it'd be hard to deny the value of having the Law around: community, justice, love for neighbor, respect for God, etc. etc.  At the same time the most avid "nomian" (is that a word? "Antinomian" is, so why not "nomian?") has to admit that there is no way that anyone can follow the Law completely or perfectly.  So does this passage, with its blessings and curses lead us to despair? It very well might! Quite literally, thank God for Grace given to us through Jesus Christ! But then, there is a pesky issue of what do we do with the Law now?  Different people have different answers: some are good and some are...not as good.  It can all be confusing.

Opportunities:

A choice between life or death seems rather simple on the outside. It's much like British Comedian Eddie Izzard's "Cake or death?" routine, which you can see here. Of course we choose death all the time (both individually and collectively).  Destructive behaviors, destructive relationships, destructive economic systems.  How often do we always choose short term verses long term benefits? How often do we choose to be conveniently blind at the right moments?  There are so many examples of this, you might as well google "destructive behaviors:"I'm sure there will be plenty of hits.  Not only do we choose death, often we pay money for the opportunity! 

The Good News: 

Again and again throughout the Old Testament, it's important to see that GOD CARES.  It matters to God how we treat each other.  Other gods seem to not care about "petty little things" like, you know, ethical living.  But the God of Israel, the God of you, me and the entire Universe, cares deeply about oppression, corruption and dissolute living.  And as you read Deuteronomy and the prophets you get the true sense that this is because God actually has a heart for the poor, downtrodden, alien, etc.  Deuteronomy shows this to be true. It can be true today too.  Some people will say, "God doesn't care about football games or who wins."  Well, I don't think God really cares who wins, but I do believe that God cares deeply about HOW the games are played and HOW people treat each other.  That's God's M.O.  Thank God for that.

Psalm: Psalm 119:1-8

Challenges:

'Happy are those who..."  Yeah, sure must be nice being them.  In the meantime, give me a second to super-glue my good intentions back together...just so that they can get blown to pieces all over again.

Opportunities:

Maybe not this week, but at sometime it would makes sense to get a Jewish perspective on what Torah means to them: something tells me it'll be different from a Christian view!  (Note I didn't say THE Jewish perspective, there are certainly many different Jewish perspectives, like there are many Christian ones).  I imagine that Torah will look like a way of life that creates a meaningful life.  Connect this with the bold statement that Jesus came to fulfill the Law (see Matthew 5:17) and that packs a punch!

The Good News: 

Once again: Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, I have not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matt. 5:17) Jesus is in the fulfillment business and that's good news.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Challenges:

I completely see Paul's point here and I can only imagine what it was like to deal with this congregation in Corinth. At the same time, I find myself wondering when the transition from flesh to spirit will take place. In some ways we're still waiting. Don't we say today "I belong to Luther" and "I belong to Calvin" and "I belong to Rome?" Maybe we're STILL not ready for things of the spirit.  But again, Paul wasn't writing about an abstract, ethereal situation, he was writing to a certain group of people in a certain situation and had to make some sweeping comments and generalizations.

Opportunities:

I made reference to denominations in my "challenges" section, and verses 5-9 is an amazing statement for ecumenism.  If you plant or water, if you are eloquent in words or powerful in deeds (or a combination of all the above) what really matters is the One who gives growth.  This connects very, very nicely with last week's Gospel lesson and how Jesus' followers are to do good works so that others will see them and give glory to our Father in heaven.

Could our present-day denominations treat each other in similar ways?  If so, it would go well beyond "liking" each other.  I doubt Paul and Apollos "liked" each other that well. But Paul is able to see beyond personal likes and dislikes as well. If only we could do the same! I have often seen liberal mainline people make snide remarks about evangelicals, and I'm sure that evangelicals do the same.  Hopefully we can come to the point where we say, "Wow, I might not "like" you, but we don't have the luxury of pettiness.  There are too many important things going on to get distracted."

The Good News: 

It's so very easy to get entangled in tribalism, jealousy and competition when it comes to working with fellow servants of Jesus.  We love to tout numbers, programs, buildings and "relevance." There are too many problems to name with this situation, not the least of which is the fact that even if a Christian "wins" a competition with a fellow believer, they still "lose." Paul struggled with this as well.  He points us toward something new beyond these entanglements: the One who gives growth.  This gives us "common purpose" as he says, and that is transformative, liberating, and darn-right exciting.

Gospel: Matthew 5:21-37

Challenges:

These sayings of Jesus feel like a succession of jabs, uppercuts and hooks to my guilty spirit.  Of course, there's no way that we can live up to this.  Lutheran theology serves very well in a situation like this and I'm able to say "Well, this conviction leads me to the realization that I am saved by Grace through Faith."  Still, I find myself curious: the writer of the Gospel of Matthew was not a Lutheran (or even a mainline Protestant...shocking I know!) and so I wonder if in Matthew, we really ARE supposed to do these things.  Frankly, I just don't know.  And that's a challenge.

You're walking a very fine line with this Gospel Lesson: there's the danger of making people despair and think it's all hopeless and also the danger or people shrugging and saying, "Well, I'm saved by grace, who cares if I don't take any of this seriously?!?!" Holding things in tension is very good and important, but not always easy!

Opportunities:

Sometimes we often equate sin with actions that are "fun."  You know, messing around with someone else's girlfriend or boyfriend, fibbing here and there: that sort of thing.  Then there are the things that might not be "fun" but are still considered "good" or at least "understandible." Like "blowing off steam"or "getting something off your chest" when you are mad at someone.  Of course, many of the people listening to you preach will know full well that there is nothing "fun" about their spouse or partner being unfaithful, or being caught up in a lie, or to be placed into a mental or spiritual place that is dark and rotting because of that downward spiral of negativity that came from "blowing off steam."  Many people have been there.

This could be a chance to call sin what it is: brokeness, falling short, missing the mark.  Jesus is going right at the heart of things here: showing us that outward appearances can simply be a mask for a rotten heart underneath.  Jesus tells us to do good works (be salt and light and all that), so that people will see our good works and give glory to God, but what people see on the outside starts from the inside.

Also: a great opportunity to show how something we do in worship (pass the peace) comes from the teachings of Jesus (i.e. 5:

The Good News:

Finding Good News of "Gospel" in these specific passages is very difficult, unless you bring in other passages.  Of course, one way to look at these statements about anger, divorce and oaths is to say that they are invitations to a new and different life where you get the chance to put down all the baggage you've been carrying.  Look to Matthew 11:29-30.

I mentioned that this passage can be a chance to call sin what it is.  This can also be a good chance for us to look at the kind of life that Jesus is inviting us into.  It's the kind of life where women are not objectified, where people are filled with integrity and where you don't have to get caught up in a cycle of negativity because "that's just how it is."  Jesus is saying, "you don't have to live that way, there is an alternative."

The people behind the "Sermon Brainwave" podcast on the Working Preacher website always do a good job, but they really hit the ball out of the park in talking about this Gospel lesson. Be sure to listen by clicking here.