Epiphany 7: "Perfect, Just Perfect!"

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18
Psalm Psalm 119:33-40

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23
Matthew 5:38-48

 

First Lesson: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

 

Challenges:

As I read this passage, I found very few challenges initially, but they soon began to crop up. One that came to mind was that many of these commands were geared toward a different society and economy (leaving food in the fields, etc.). Of course, it is totally appropriate to "update" these commands and to show that God expects society to care for everyone.  It is possible that there could be something of a brou-ha-ha over HOW exactly we care for those in need. Some might see this and say "Yep, farmers are supposed to help the poor, not the government!" Getting into the details of HOW we help the poor can put us into a quagmire of incriminations and unhealthy knee-jerk reactions.

Opportunities:

It is often maintained by opponents of "Religion" that our holy books are outdated and archaic. In fairness a great deal of Leviticus, with it's directions on how to slaughter which animal where, provides easy ammunition to the likes of Bill Maher.  But then you get something like this passage in Leviticus 19 and I HOPE that no matter who you are, this sounds like a good way to go. Justice, equity, community, and so much more.  To me these things aren't out of date or archaic.  They point to something amazing and life-giving.  If you are looking at this, perhaps you could joke about how crazy Leviticus is, until you get here and it sounds amazing.

The Good News: 

 

God could say, "Hey, I don't care what you do or how you treat each other as long as I get my nicely smelling sacrifices."  God DOESN'T say this.  God cares about how we treat each other, God cares about justice, God cares about you when you are being mistreated, cheated and oppressed. God cares.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

Challenges:

 

These are wonderful verses, really wonderful. Hard to find a challenge here. The only thing to watch out for is the danger of not describing the actual statutes, decrees, commandments and promise.  What do they look like? What would it look like to live this way?

Opportunities:

This is a great chance to talk about following God's way as an actual "way of life."  It's a way that can change your life and, while not necessarily make it easier, it can make it better.  The Sochi Olympics have been in the news and on people's minds.  How can following God's way be like training as an athlete?  Is there a parallel? (The Apostle Paul certainly thought so!)

 

The Good News: 

 

Perhaps you are looking for a guide in life. Perhaps you feel like a rudderless ship and you need some direction. God provides us this direction, not only in God's Word but also with a community that helps us interpret and live out what's found there.

 

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Challenges:

I mention in the opportunities below that the "you" being referred to in verse 16 is a plural "you" and this means that we're talking about the community here. As a Lutheran and thus a ecclesiastical descendant of the first Protestants, I have to admit that the breaking of community hits home. Of course we Protestants could say, "Well it was the Catholics who kicked us out!" And the Catholics could say, "No, it went this way..." but the point is there was a break in the community that led to individuals or whole groups to die in rather nasty ways.  Breaking community is a tricky thing. I'm not saying it's wrong to do so, I'm just saying it should never be done lightly. It also means that as Christians the burden of proof should be on those who are against ecumenism, rather than those who are for it.

 

Opportunities:

Very important to note that the "you" that is being addressed here is a plural "you" or, to quote my Southern Brethren, "y'all."  Verse 16 has often been used to talk about how you shouldn't drink alcohol or do anything else harmful to your body.  Of course, there's the whole question of what exactly is good or bad for your body (a glass of wine...or a tub of fried chicken), but that's a whole other conversation. This is talking about the community as the temple.  This is a great chance to talk about the value of community and how we can work together.  Perhaps you could show how it is easy to break one small stick, but if you put a bunch of small sticks together they are harder to break.

The Good News: 

The church in Corinth was holy because God made it holy. We are holy because God makes us holy.  The holiness is up to God and comes from God, not us.  We have a community that comes from God and we are not alone.  While it might be tempting to get worried about eloquent detractors of Christianity, it's good to remember that there have been such detractors from the beginning and yet we are still here and still holy because of God.

 

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-38

Challenges:

I'll admit it, I struggle with this one, especially about resisting evil-doers.  Self-defense is important.  Protecting your family is important.  I remember in college our campus ministry group sang a song called "One Tin Soldier" about two groups of people, the valley people and the mountain people. The valley people attacked the mountain people in order to get a treasure kept on the mountain and after all of the mountain people were slaughtered, the valley people discovered that the treasure was the statement "Peace on Earth." The point at the end of the song says, 'Go ahead and hate your neighbor...do it in the name of heaven, you can justify it in the end...but there won't be any trumpets blowing come the judgment day..." Of course the point of the song is that we should NOT be like the valley people.

I myself, take a second, unintended, point from the song: if you are the mountain people you should be prepared to defend yourself because there are valley people out there who will attack you.  Again, not what the writer of the song intended, but there it is. As a character in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings says, "It needs but one foe, not two, to start a war...and those without swords still die on them."

I get, I really do, the idea that revenge and conquest and "military glory" get us nowhere.  I also write this about hearing of unspeakable oppression and crimes against humanity coming out of North Korea. How do we stop this? I hope nonviolently.  But the reality is always complicated.  

Opportunities:

 

When it comes to "loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you" I have heard of congregations praying for Osama bin Laden and other hated individuals: I believe this can be powerful. Who is an individual that is hard for you or your congregation to pray for?  What would it be like to mention them in the Prayers of Intercession?  Who would you mention and how would people react?

And another thing, about this whole "perfection" thing in verse 48, there is a book you need to read. It's called Made for Goodness and it's by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu.  You can find it here.  When it was given to me I had my doubts, but as I read it was amazing.  They write an entire chapter on this idea of Godly perfection, which they see not as flawlessness, but rather WHOLENESS. Desmond Tutu remembers his Grandmother's home in the apartheid-era blacktownship of Stirtonville.  It was a home with a dirt floor and was held together with scraps of wire, but he says, "...to me, growing up, the house in Stirtonville was perfect.  It was a place in which we could live a good life.  It was a home that was loved in.  Our life in Stirtonville did not meet the usual definition of perfection.  But our life in that place was whole.  Caring and concern filled the gaps that circumstance created." (pg. 41)

He also says, "As you read "Be perfect" you may find your stomach coiling into an anxious knot as you wonder what is now to be demanded of you that you cannot achieve.  As human beings, we hear in the command to be perfect a demand for flawlessness.  But flawlessness is not the goal of God's invitation....But God's call to be perfect is not just a command-it is an invitation.  It is an invitation to something possible.  It is an invitation to something life-giving, to something joy-creating.  God invites us to a godly perfection.  Godly perfection is not flawlessness.  Godly perfection is wholeness." (pg. 42-43)
 

The Good News:

See above on what Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu have to say about "perfection."