Angels Watching over Me
February 20, 2011
1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23
Matthew 5:38-48
7th Sunday after Epiphany
Year A
Version 2
I think that if we had to think of enemy #1 for America, we would still say Osama bin Laden. I saw a television show advertised last night on how to kill Osama Bin Laden. Not a very Christian show, but would get some attention.
What do we do with are enemies? Do we really have a relationship with this who hate us, who intentionally disrespect us? What does it really mean to love you enemies?
We have finally reached the end of the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5 of Matthew. This is the toughest saying of them all.
I have been a Christian all of my life, but didn’t become a committed Christian until college. I have Read Matthew as a child and as a teenager, and college student. I Got scared. There is no way that I can become a Christian, there is no way that I can change my behavior and do all of these strange things that it calls me to do.
I understand that it is wrong to murder, but don’t think bad thoughts. When you are angry, be intentional about reconciling with that person. Love those who hate you?
There has been debate about these last texts for years. And no resolution to how seriously are we to take these texts. Turn the other cheek when someone is trying to slap you, go an extra mile with someone who is trying to cheat you, give to someone who is trying to steal from me what does that mean?
More to the story that we don’t get. It is not saying to offer your check to someone who is slapping you – when you turn your cheek when someone slaps you – you rob them of their slap.
A roman soldier traveling in your land was allowed to demand that any citizen carry his bags for a mile, if you carried his stuff 2 miles, then he would be wrong for allowing you to do that.
In Jesus times, people have two items of clothing, an inner cloak and an outer cloak. If you gave someone both – then you would be naked.
You have to understand also that Mediterranean society was a lot like American society today. There was a lot of inequality and oppression.
The military had power, the rich had power, those in charge had power, and the people had nothing.
If someone took it upon themselves to slap you in the face in public, there were saying that they had power and control over you. If you turned the other cheek, you were saying that you have no right to make that claim. I am equal to you.
If a soldier ordered you into service, and you went an extra mile, you were saying that you did not make me do this; I did it on my own free will.
Resisting that attempt was a way of reclaiming power.
In Mediterranean society honor and shame was everything. Honor was a very public issue. The Ten Commandments say to honor your mother and father. Honored those higher in society than you, honored those older than you. Actions either bought honor or shame.
Today girls who may choose not to follow family tradition are killed- because they have shamed their entire family.
That’s our whole problem with the scenario of how literally do we take the verse of turning the other cheek – we are shamed when we let another hurt us – and we do not retaliate. Does Jesus really want us to be shamed?
Jesus was actually trying to redefine honor and shame. When we honor ourselves in the face of disrespect, we not only honor ourselves, but we also honor god.
An eye for an eye – is the law of retaliation, that whole point of the law was to preserve honor and to prevent shame. There is nothing wrong with the law- but it doesn’t stop the cycle. It doesn’t take away hurt feelings. It doesn’t change the status quo of inequality. It doesn’t change the relationship – as a matter of fact it means that there is no relationship at all.
But when you actively resist the activities of those who hurt you, it exposes that action as inappropriate.
The nonviolent resistance of the 60’s did much the same thing. Trained to accept being hit, spat upon in reviled. In order to claim a higher justice- justice of God. In prayer that your loving actions would change that person, and help them to realize that you were a person just as they were, and that they had no right to disrespect you.
Did it work? Some say yes and some say no. Today – the southern Christian leadership commission that Martin Luther King started and trained for nonviolent resistance is pressured to disband. It no longer serves it purpose. We live in a different world now – and yet can we really say that there is equality and justice for all people? Even for black people?
Jesus work with the world is not done yet. We still need to learn to love those who hate us. Bin laden is still out there somewhere.
But in life there are enemies out there, but there are also enemies in here. Sometimes we hate ourselves more than anyone; we sabotage ourselves more than anyone.
Story of master builder…
Trace was known for his strong, durable buildings. They weren't anything spectacular to look at, no works of art, but they were solid. He built barns, machine sheds, and quonsets. Big, burly buildings to hold big, burly machinery and equipment were his specialty, and he stood behind his buildings. He had learned from his grandfather and father and had shown an exceptional eye for detail and was an expert craftsman. Trace was respected for his work, and he never lacked for projects.
Just 27 years old, Trace had had a good life - until his wife of six months ran off with a neighbor. They had no children and Trace felt himself becoming lonelier and lonelier. He would come in from a long day of working, sometimes out in the cold and wind, and he had no one to turn to for companionship, love, or conversation. He eventually turned to alcohol for comfort.
Trace went on drinking binges, often falling asleep on the couch in front of a blaring television set. He ate poorly and his judgment started to fall short. He felt like he was falling into a pit of darkness. He was working on a big machine shed for a wealthy farmer and Trace found that he wasn't measuring as accurately, his orders didn't match what he needed, and the work was not going as effortlessly as it normally had in the past. He knew he had to do something.
His wife had certainly left him, but Trace had many friends in his hometown. They begged him to take care of himself, to get a hold of himself, to turn around from the brink of despair. All their pleading worked and slowly Trace started to come out of his depression. He spent more time with his friends and family. He took better care of his orders, his work was more accurate, and his judgment was once again keen.
About a month later, the farmer called him to say his sliding barn door didn't work quite right. The door was on the working end of the huge machine shed Trace put up right when he was in the middle of his sadness, right when his perception was blurred, right when things were not going quite right for Trace. Trace drove out to the farm to speak with the owner, who complained of a door that was sticking on the way up.
Trace looked at the shed. It was crooked. His trained eye could see that although it was only a fraction of an inch off, it was definitely crooked. The wall was not straight and the door, which was pulled up by heavy chains, was getting caught by the crooked wall. To an untrained person, the shed looked fine: it was big and square, and the walls were very high. But Trace was an expert, and when he examined the shed closely, he knew he had done a poor job. The farmer didn't guess that, but Trace could see it as plain as day.
There was no way Trace could afford new materials. Yet he knew he had not done the best he could do. He was in a quandary. The farmer thought the door needed oil; Trace knew it was much, much more.
Trace told the farmer, an old family friend, not to use the door and that he would be back in a few days to fix it. It wasn't spring yet and the farmer wouldn't need to move machinery for several weeks. Trace would be back.
What Trace really needed to do was think about the situation. He had paid over $130,000 for materials for the shed and had gained twice that much in labor. But that money was already spent on the double quonset he was building at the west end of town for the city works department. He knew it would be easy to bend the wall a bit and ease the door framing so the door could pass easier, but it would never hold over the years. And the mechanism had to be just right to work well or the door could get stuck or even worse, fall. The farmer needed to move machinery in and out of the shed often during the spring planting season and the fall harvest time. He could be in danger if the door didn't work right. Trace knew he needed to rebuild, but he didn't know how to tell the farmer, or how he would pay for some additional materials he would need.
Trace wasn't big on going to church, but he loved the small town's only pastor. Pastor Eldred was an older man who had been there 32 years and had seen Trace grow up. He had been the one to marry Trace and Janet last summer. Pastor Eldred had been there when the family experienced the trauma of death and illness, and he had been there to see the joys of births, baptisms, and weddings. Trace had always regarded Pastor Eldred to be the family's pastor, not his personal pastor. But right now Trace needed the older man's wisdom. Maybe if he could debate aloud, he could get a handle on what to do. Trace called and would see Pastor Eldred that evening after supper.
Trace and Pastor Eldred exchanged pleasantries for a while, and the pastor asked about each family member by name. Then Pastor Eldred smiled and looked Trace squarely in the eyes. "What's on your mind, Trace? How can I help you be the person you would like to be?"
Wow! Trace wasn't expecting that kind of question. He sincerely didn't know what to say, and so he looked down at his feet, noticing his shoelace was untied. He bent down to tie it. He looked around the room and noticed the picture frame askew about a sixteenth of an inch. He'd have to fix that after Pastor Eldred left.
Pastor Eldred smiled again. "Trace, what's troubling you? I'm so sorry about Janet. I imagine you are quite lonely at times, but what is really troubling your heart right now?"
Trace stood up. He was quite nervous. He had wanted to debate with Pastor Eldred on what to do about the shed, but he knew he couldn't pull the wool over his eyes. He sat down again and blurted out the situation, telling Pastor Eldred about the building he had put up. It was a poor job, not like he would normally do, and he didn't know what to do about it.
"Yes, you do, Trace. I know your reputation for exactness. You have always stood behind your work, just like your grandpa and daddy taught you. You know what to do. You just have to have the courage to explain the truth to the farmer. You don't need me to tell you that. I just need to remind you that you need to be true to yourself. Be the person you really are, the best you can be. And I need to remind you that God loves you - with or without Janet - happy or sad, through thick and thin. You can make this right or you can take the easy way out. Just consider your future with either option. Fix it and you will be out lots of money, but you will also be a hero for being honest. Ignore it and you could put someone in danger, and who will come to you for work? You know what to do and I will leave you to get on with it and do your best. Say hi to your parents for me."
Trace felt like a five--year--old as he watched his dear friend leave. He knew what to do, and although he'd be out thousands of dollars, he knew the right thing would be to tear down the shed and start over, being more exact this time. He knew what God wanted him to do.
He picked up the phone to call the farmer.
This is a perfect story to explain Corinthians. Paul says that he is the master builder, with a responsibility to build the right foundation. Church is the temple of god. We are also temples. See our faults better than anyone. But least likely to address them.
We tend to redefine our holiness and forget that Jesus called us to be active in our discipleship.
This quote says it best…
"People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord.
We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated." -- D.A. Carson
We have to be in guard to the enemies out there, but also to the enemies in here.
You are God’s temple God's spirit dwells in you
The church is God’s temple – do we put God first in all that we do
The universe is God’s dwelling place – do we see all people not as we see them but as God sees them?
We are a temple, not a house – building a place for God to dwell.
Jesus says we do that by being perfect as our father in heaven is perfect. Perfect is not is doing to right thing never making a mistake, or even occasionally forgetting that I am sanctified, and thus relate to people in a different way.
Full, complete, trust in god’s word, even when it does not make sense. Not my understanding but gods. See people though Gods eyes not mine.
How would the world be a different place if treated people as if they were a child of god?
Enemies without, enemies within; love them not hate them, see them as a gift from God. Come to teach me the lessons of Jesus Christ.
Forgiveness, not retaliation, honor not shame, love not hate.
Jesus just might be on to something. Never know until you live it. Let us pray….
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Table Food
Year A
February 13, 2011
Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Matthew 5:21-37
Franklin doing to right thing
Benjamin Franklin was a genius, but he refused to become a Christian. Spent time trying to prove to the world that he didn’t need religion. He had the tools to be righteous on his own. He designed a notebook, and a 13 week course to work on the virtues important to life. Conquered them all but one.
We have that same challenge, what tools do I need in order to be a righteous person in the world
A man said his prayers one morning – dear Lord I ask for you blessings – I have not gotten mad at anyone, I have not cheated anyone, I have not stolen, and I love everyone. Once I get out of bed and go into the world – help me to continue to do the right thing.
Being a righteous person in this world is a constant challenge for us all
The challenge in scripture
Both Matthew and Corinthians address that challenge. Said that Franklin was able to find a way to beat all but one of the virtues of a righteous person.
The one he couldn’t conquer was pride. How to not think you are better than other people, just because you did the right thing.
Paul tells us that being a Christian doesn’t protect us from that sin. Easy for us to fall into it.
Paul is addressing that in the Corinthian church. They were a very spiritual church, very determined to live as Christians. Thought that made them different from the rest of the world. They became guilty of spiritual arrogance. Remind them that they were still humans. Still very much a human church. Still guilty of very human emotions.
As long as there were jealousies, and diversions, and anger they were still very much present in the flesh. As long as they needed to put their name on what they did and get credit, they were still human.
All that we do is for God, not for us.
Uses the example of those who say they belong to Paul and Apollos. Have to know that Paul and Appollos were competing evangelist. Did not get along.
Yet for the sake of God, they working together. Working together for God’s plan. God is planting the seeds for the future. We are god’s building – the church belongs to God. Work we are doing belong to God.
Personal experience
Walking along in woodfield mall last week, passed a kiosk selling scented hot packs. Being nice, listened to his spiel – tried to walk away. But he had a very special deal for me, refused and would not give up. Bought what he wanted, gave him credit card, and had another deal. More tried to pay for it, kept coming back to make a deal. Ending up buying twice as much of stuff didn’t need anyway. Realized holding a Nordstrom’s bag, was probably speaking a lot louder then I was.
But in the course of our conversation told him that I was a pastor. Fascinated – because he was a Jew. Worship for him was very boring. Christian worship more uplifting.
What makes Methodist different than all of the rest?
Had a very good understanding of religion, knew the right questions to ask. What denomination are you? So what makes Methodist different from all of the other Christians. Know how to answer that question to a Christian, but what do I say to a jew.
Jesus addresses that same issue in Matthew 5 – what sets you apart from a faithful Jew? Challenged to better than the best. You have heard in scripture – but I say to you….
Wont go into the issues he addresses – all sermons within themselves. Wrong to murder – but wrong to be angry enough not to be in relationship. Wrong to divorce – but wrong to entertain thoughts that lead to disrespecting that relationship, dont make a promise – just live your word.
Being a Christian means that we not only control our actions, but control the feelings that lead us down that path to our actions.
Palestinian Pastor makes a choice to love
Both Jesus and Paul would agree – nothing wrong with anger. Natural human emotion. Anger can destroy the God in us, it can change relationships. Anger and faith can help us to repair relationships and work to redeem not only ourselves, our church, but our world.
The Palestinians and Jews are in a bitter battle today. A Palestinian pastor struggled with his anger at jews and the way they were persecuting his people. He started to pray for God to help him with his anger and resentment. Realized that to love instead of hate was not about his emotions, but about his decisions. Decide to be loving every day. When he would have to go through checkpoints he would hand his id, but would also hand a note which said real love – quote from Isaiah 53. Being that it was a part of the Hebrew bible, the soldiers appreciated the message and would talk to him about it.
The change did not happen all at once, but as time went on, went from hating being stopped, to praying to be stopped to have a chance to share God’s love. Life changed in that decision – old feelings were not there anymore.
Three levels of Methodist grace
What makes Methodist different from others – would say that totally dependent on grace. God’s grace is what makes us what we are – not our spirituality, or righteousness. Too easy for us to get caught up in pride. Nothing that we do, makes a difference, what God does through us. God get all the credit.
According to John Wesley, grace is a process. Three levels of grace. Preveniant grace – say it…
Grace given to all people, whether they come to church or not. Once we are baptized – under justifying grace. Say it… leads us to learn more about what it means to be a Christian, and what the benfits are. Sanctifying grace – grace that allows us to lead a Christian life. To do the right thing, and to show love in difficult situations. What makes us holy.
Paul talks about feeding milk, not solid food. Easy words, make it easy for us to follow and believe. Gets more challenging. Sanctification is table food. That you can do right, and that have special tools to past the test. We can feel love, but we can choose love. Grace means that we can choose in all situations.
Next week, the challenge continues, and the stakes get higher. Are you ready to go further along the path? With God’s grace can do anything. Let us pray…..
February 13, 2011
Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Matthew 5:21-37
Franklin doing to right thing
Benjamin Franklin was a genius, but he refused to become a Christian. Spent time trying to prove to the world that he didn’t need religion. He had the tools to be righteous on his own. He designed a notebook, and a 13 week course to work on the virtues important to life. Conquered them all but one.
We have that same challenge, what tools do I need in order to be a righteous person in the world
A man said his prayers one morning – dear Lord I ask for you blessings – I have not gotten mad at anyone, I have not cheated anyone, I have not stolen, and I love everyone. Once I get out of bed and go into the world – help me to continue to do the right thing.
Being a righteous person in this world is a constant challenge for us all
The challenge in scripture
Both Matthew and Corinthians address that challenge. Said that Franklin was able to find a way to beat all but one of the virtues of a righteous person.
The one he couldn’t conquer was pride. How to not think you are better than other people, just because you did the right thing.
Paul tells us that being a Christian doesn’t protect us from that sin. Easy for us to fall into it.
Paul is addressing that in the Corinthian church. They were a very spiritual church, very determined to live as Christians. Thought that made them different from the rest of the world. They became guilty of spiritual arrogance. Remind them that they were still humans. Still very much a human church. Still guilty of very human emotions.
As long as there were jealousies, and diversions, and anger they were still very much present in the flesh. As long as they needed to put their name on what they did and get credit, they were still human.
All that we do is for God, not for us.
Uses the example of those who say they belong to Paul and Apollos. Have to know that Paul and Appollos were competing evangelist. Did not get along.
Yet for the sake of God, they working together. Working together for God’s plan. God is planting the seeds for the future. We are god’s building – the church belongs to God. Work we are doing belong to God.
Personal experience
Walking along in woodfield mall last week, passed a kiosk selling scented hot packs. Being nice, listened to his spiel – tried to walk away. But he had a very special deal for me, refused and would not give up. Bought what he wanted, gave him credit card, and had another deal. More tried to pay for it, kept coming back to make a deal. Ending up buying twice as much of stuff didn’t need anyway. Realized holding a Nordstrom’s bag, was probably speaking a lot louder then I was.
But in the course of our conversation told him that I was a pastor. Fascinated – because he was a Jew. Worship for him was very boring. Christian worship more uplifting.
What makes Methodist different than all of the rest?
Had a very good understanding of religion, knew the right questions to ask. What denomination are you? So what makes Methodist different from all of the other Christians. Know how to answer that question to a Christian, but what do I say to a jew.
Jesus addresses that same issue in Matthew 5 – what sets you apart from a faithful Jew? Challenged to better than the best. You have heard in scripture – but I say to you….
Wont go into the issues he addresses – all sermons within themselves. Wrong to murder – but wrong to be angry enough not to be in relationship. Wrong to divorce – but wrong to entertain thoughts that lead to disrespecting that relationship, dont make a promise – just live your word.
Being a Christian means that we not only control our actions, but control the feelings that lead us down that path to our actions.
Palestinian Pastor makes a choice to love
Both Jesus and Paul would agree – nothing wrong with anger. Natural human emotion. Anger can destroy the God in us, it can change relationships. Anger and faith can help us to repair relationships and work to redeem not only ourselves, our church, but our world.
The Palestinians and Jews are in a bitter battle today. A Palestinian pastor struggled with his anger at jews and the way they were persecuting his people. He started to pray for God to help him with his anger and resentment. Realized that to love instead of hate was not about his emotions, but about his decisions. Decide to be loving every day. When he would have to go through checkpoints he would hand his id, but would also hand a note which said real love – quote from Isaiah 53. Being that it was a part of the Hebrew bible, the soldiers appreciated the message and would talk to him about it.
The change did not happen all at once, but as time went on, went from hating being stopped, to praying to be stopped to have a chance to share God’s love. Life changed in that decision – old feelings were not there anymore.
Three levels of Methodist grace
What makes Methodist different from others – would say that totally dependent on grace. God’s grace is what makes us what we are – not our spirituality, or righteousness. Too easy for us to get caught up in pride. Nothing that we do, makes a difference, what God does through us. God get all the credit.
According to John Wesley, grace is a process. Three levels of grace. Preveniant grace – say it…
Grace given to all people, whether they come to church or not. Once we are baptized – under justifying grace. Say it… leads us to learn more about what it means to be a Christian, and what the benfits are. Sanctifying grace – grace that allows us to lead a Christian life. To do the right thing, and to show love in difficult situations. What makes us holy.
Paul talks about feeding milk, not solid food. Easy words, make it easy for us to follow and believe. Gets more challenging. Sanctification is table food. That you can do right, and that have special tools to past the test. We can feel love, but we can choose love. Grace means that we can choose in all situations.
Next week, the challenge continues, and the stakes get higher. Are you ready to go further along the path? With God’s grace can do anything. Let us pray…..
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Can a Christian Lose their Christianityness?
February 6, 2011
1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Matthew 5:13-20
5th Sunday After Epiphany
Year A
"Why Are We Here?"
Once upon a time, (which means this is a fairy tale, a made up story from long ago, containing great truth) –
Once upon a time, there lived a rich man who had three daughters. He was a little insecure and needed some reassurance one day so he called each of his daughters into his counting house (where he counted all of his money, of course,) and asked each
one of them, “Dearest daughter, how much do you love me.”
The first to visit his counting chamber was his oldest daughter and she replied, “O Father, I love you more than all the gold in the world.” The father knew that there was a great deal of gold in the world so he was happy with this answer and he gave her some gold coins to spend as she wished.
The second daughter came in and was asked the same question. She replied, “O dearest most loving and special Father, the
best father ever, I love you more than all of the silver in the world.” And the father was pleased with this answer. He gave her some silver coins so she could order some new dresses which she had been wanting.
The third daughter came in and when she was asked the question she paused and then replied, “Father, I love you more than fresh meat loves salt.”
The father exploded in a rage and ordered that the daughter be thrown out of the great house and not allowed to return.
The servants threw her out of the house with nothing but the clothes on her back and she was left to wander in the woods. She decided to disguise herself so she made clothing out of the rushes she found in the nearby swamp. She knocked on the back door or a large mansion, owned by one of her father’s friends, and asked the servant who answered the door for a job so that she could eat. She would not tell them her name so they called her “Cap O’Rushes” because of her clothing. She was given a job washing
the pots and pans and keeping the house clean. She worked very hard and everyone liked her work, but she seldom spoke.
One day the servants were all abuzz because a great party was to be given. There was food to prepare, room to clean, silver to polish and lots of other things to do. Cap O’Rushes discovered that her own father was invited. She convinced the cook to let her prepare the meal for her own father, though of course they did not know he was her father.
She prepared all of his favourite dishes, but did not use any salt at all. (Remember, this was back when people used a lot of salt and well before blood pressure had been invented.) When the food was brought to him and he began to eat he was most unhappy with the meal and the host ordered the cook be brought to apologize to his guest. The cook brought Cap O’Rushes and explained that she had cooked the meal for this particular guest.
“What is the meaning of this”, he
demanded. “You have embarrassed me. He says his food is bland and tasteless. Why have you done this to me and to him?”
She turned to her father and said simply, “I love you as much as fresh meat loves salt”. He father recognized her and wept in sorrow as he asked for her forgiveness. His other daughters had been nothing but a trial to him and were always wanting more and more fine clothes and jewellery and he realized that this daughter had really loved him a great deal.
I think that story is a good demonstration summary of the entire gospel of Jesus Christ. The heart of the gospel is God’s love for us. God loves us more than fresh meat loves salt. The challenge for us in our loves is always how we demonstrate our love for God.
In the gospel lesson for today – Matthew 5 – Jesus has just went up on the mountain to talk with all of the people below who are following him and listening them. This is a mixed crowd, some are his committed disciples, some are his fair weather disciples, and some are just interested parties. But the point that Jesus us trying to make to all is what it means to be a righteous person. He is telling what it means and the gifts that God will give to those who are faithful.
In verses 13-20 which we read for today he is continuing that conversation, and speaking more about the character of a Christian.
It was said that in WWII that in some cities, people were asked to make black curtains to put on their windows, so that when the enemy planes flew overhead, they would not be able to distinguish towns and cities to drop bombs on them. Washington DC was of course very vulnerable to attack, so workers got to work making black curtains for the white house. One of the workers commented however, that it did not make sense to try and camouflage the white house. The white house was such an icon for America, it was so clear to everyone in the world where the white house was, it was such a distinctive house, and was so well advertised, that if someone was looking for it, they would have no problem finding it. There was just no way to hide its identity.
Jesus has the same message for us as Christians. Christianity should be so much a part of who we are, following God should be so much a part of our character, that there was no mistaking who we are. You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world.
Salt, light, water, fire, are all key ingrediants for our lives. Today, we are told that we are to cut down on our salt intake, but salt is still an important part of our lives. What are some uses of salt ?........
Salt has the properties of flavor, of preserving, of healing, of preventing germs, of cleansing, and many other things.
In Jesus’ day salt was also used in cooking. Every house or neighborhood would have had a stove in front of it. The fuel for these stoves would have been animal manure. In order for the manure to burn, they would add salt to it and make it into patties. Once all of the salt burned from the patties, they were no good. The Hebrew word for earth is the same word for an earthen stove. We are the salt used to burn the manure of life.
In other words, we have a mission and a purpose as the people of god. As the church we are the body of Christ for the world. Our challenge is to not just be Christ, but to be Christ crucified and resurrected.
We have also been looking at the lessons of Paul for us as the church, and the challenges to be the body of Christ in the world. Paul talks about what stands in the way of us living our our mission in the world, but also the hope we have for overcoming those challenges. And the gifts that God has given us in spite of our humanness to be rightuose in an unright world.
The Greeks loved knowledge, and the Corinthians were no different. They were willing to learn everything, and to talk about what they knew and what they learned. They even formed secret society of special knowledge, that you had to be intiated to be able to know. They even began to think that in order to have a relationship with God, you had to know God.
Not atheist believe that there is no God, there is only human knowledge, and that you can get to the kingdom of God, to a live of happiness by learning and knowing. That is not the same as someone who says that they are agnostic. An agnostic person says that there might be a god, but we will never know through human knowledge. It is impossible to know God, so it is impossible to know if there is a God. That is sort of what Paul is saying, but not quite. Paul is telling us that as Christians, it is impossible to know god. God is a mystery. But if you are faithful, and you love God, then God reveals to you all that you need to know. And all that you need to know is that God loves you.
A preacher took a questionnaire that he received in the mail - how elgible are you to go to heaven? When he scored his answers, the scale put him on the category of being too close to call. I think that decribes the average Christian today. We have one foot in the world and one foot in the bible. We try to do right, and yet there is this question in the back of our heads. How much can sin and still be called righteous? How many times can do wrong, and still be forgiven. How much can I get away with doing and still call myself a Christian.
Interestingly enough the answer is in Matthew. How many times can be forgiven? Jesus says 70X7. And yet also wants us to know that it not the point of how much we can get away with. We can get away with as much as we want, God is always going to love us.
But when we start to love God – our focus changes, from how much we can sin, to how much we can do right. From how much God has done for me, to how much I can do for God. From how many times can I be forgiven, to how many times do I have to remember that I am sanctified and freed from sin.
Righteousness if a choice that I make in how I live my life. I have complete control over it, and can seek to know as much as I can about living a righteous life. But salvation is a gift from God. Paul says that God doesn’t waste God’s time in giving that gift to those who don’t seek it.
The other gift that we are given as the body of Christ, is the mind of Christ. None of us within ourselves is strong enough, or worthy enough, or smart enough to hold the mind of Christ alone. But as a collective body of faithful people, trusting in as Paul says, Christ crucified, we together hold the gift of Christ’s holy spirit to guide our every move. And it is not about is, it is about the power of God that works through us to fulfill god’s mission and purpose.
How much can we sin and still be Christian. Jesus says that unless you surpass the righteousness of he scribes and Pharisees you cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
I am switching scriptures a little, this is the last sentence of Matthew and it will be my last point. The scribes were professionals, usually priest who had been given the task of putting God’s word into writing. The Pharisee were committed lay people, who committed every part of their lives to God and doing what God said was right. Jesus was saying that they were pretty good people, they were faithful and righteous. Jesus set the bar pretty high for us. They were the best of the best, and we are being called to be even better. They were extraordinary, but we are called to be even more. As Christians we are to give the world an unheard of amount of generosity, love, and understanding. Such as the world has never seen. Your are the salt of the earth, the light of the world. The good news is that we don’t have to do anything or know anything. All we have to do is to love God.
Ann Landers printed a story a few years ago from a lady who had attempted suicide. She lay unconscious for three days before the police found her and took her to the hospital. But they went above and beyond the call of duty by calling her every day and once she returned home they would visit her and bring her cards and flowers on a regular basis. They went out of their way to show kindness and love.
We are not all called to be police, or nurses, or firemen. We are not all called to have to faith of the scribes or Pharisees. But Jesus point is that whomever we are, and whatever we are doing, we are called to show compassion and to go out of our way to express it. That is what being a Christian is all about. God loves you, how to you show the love of God in your life? Let us pray…..
1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Matthew 5:13-20
5th Sunday After Epiphany
Year A
"Why Are We Here?"
Once upon a time, (which means this is a fairy tale, a made up story from long ago, containing great truth) –
Once upon a time, there lived a rich man who had three daughters. He was a little insecure and needed some reassurance one day so he called each of his daughters into his counting house (where he counted all of his money, of course,) and asked each
one of them, “Dearest daughter, how much do you love me.”
The first to visit his counting chamber was his oldest daughter and she replied, “O Father, I love you more than all the gold in the world.” The father knew that there was a great deal of gold in the world so he was happy with this answer and he gave her some gold coins to spend as she wished.
The second daughter came in and was asked the same question. She replied, “O dearest most loving and special Father, the
best father ever, I love you more than all of the silver in the world.” And the father was pleased with this answer. He gave her some silver coins so she could order some new dresses which she had been wanting.
The third daughter came in and when she was asked the question she paused and then replied, “Father, I love you more than fresh meat loves salt.”
The father exploded in a rage and ordered that the daughter be thrown out of the great house and not allowed to return.
The servants threw her out of the house with nothing but the clothes on her back and she was left to wander in the woods. She decided to disguise herself so she made clothing out of the rushes she found in the nearby swamp. She knocked on the back door or a large mansion, owned by one of her father’s friends, and asked the servant who answered the door for a job so that she could eat. She would not tell them her name so they called her “Cap O’Rushes” because of her clothing. She was given a job washing
the pots and pans and keeping the house clean. She worked very hard and everyone liked her work, but she seldom spoke.
One day the servants were all abuzz because a great party was to be given. There was food to prepare, room to clean, silver to polish and lots of other things to do. Cap O’Rushes discovered that her own father was invited. She convinced the cook to let her prepare the meal for her own father, though of course they did not know he was her father.
She prepared all of his favourite dishes, but did not use any salt at all. (Remember, this was back when people used a lot of salt and well before blood pressure had been invented.) When the food was brought to him and he began to eat he was most unhappy with the meal and the host ordered the cook be brought to apologize to his guest. The cook brought Cap O’Rushes and explained that she had cooked the meal for this particular guest.
“What is the meaning of this”, he
demanded. “You have embarrassed me. He says his food is bland and tasteless. Why have you done this to me and to him?”
She turned to her father and said simply, “I love you as much as fresh meat loves salt”. He father recognized her and wept in sorrow as he asked for her forgiveness. His other daughters had been nothing but a trial to him and were always wanting more and more fine clothes and jewellery and he realized that this daughter had really loved him a great deal.
I think that story is a good demonstration summary of the entire gospel of Jesus Christ. The heart of the gospel is God’s love for us. God loves us more than fresh meat loves salt. The challenge for us in our loves is always how we demonstrate our love for God.
In the gospel lesson for today – Matthew 5 – Jesus has just went up on the mountain to talk with all of the people below who are following him and listening them. This is a mixed crowd, some are his committed disciples, some are his fair weather disciples, and some are just interested parties. But the point that Jesus us trying to make to all is what it means to be a righteous person. He is telling what it means and the gifts that God will give to those who are faithful.
In verses 13-20 which we read for today he is continuing that conversation, and speaking more about the character of a Christian.
It was said that in WWII that in some cities, people were asked to make black curtains to put on their windows, so that when the enemy planes flew overhead, they would not be able to distinguish towns and cities to drop bombs on them. Washington DC was of course very vulnerable to attack, so workers got to work making black curtains for the white house. One of the workers commented however, that it did not make sense to try and camouflage the white house. The white house was such an icon for America, it was so clear to everyone in the world where the white house was, it was such a distinctive house, and was so well advertised, that if someone was looking for it, they would have no problem finding it. There was just no way to hide its identity.
Jesus has the same message for us as Christians. Christianity should be so much a part of who we are, following God should be so much a part of our character, that there was no mistaking who we are. You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world.
Salt, light, water, fire, are all key ingrediants for our lives. Today, we are told that we are to cut down on our salt intake, but salt is still an important part of our lives. What are some uses of salt ?........
Salt has the properties of flavor, of preserving, of healing, of preventing germs, of cleansing, and many other things.
In Jesus’ day salt was also used in cooking. Every house or neighborhood would have had a stove in front of it. The fuel for these stoves would have been animal manure. In order for the manure to burn, they would add salt to it and make it into patties. Once all of the salt burned from the patties, they were no good. The Hebrew word for earth is the same word for an earthen stove. We are the salt used to burn the manure of life.
In other words, we have a mission and a purpose as the people of god. As the church we are the body of Christ for the world. Our challenge is to not just be Christ, but to be Christ crucified and resurrected.
We have also been looking at the lessons of Paul for us as the church, and the challenges to be the body of Christ in the world. Paul talks about what stands in the way of us living our our mission in the world, but also the hope we have for overcoming those challenges. And the gifts that God has given us in spite of our humanness to be rightuose in an unright world.
The Greeks loved knowledge, and the Corinthians were no different. They were willing to learn everything, and to talk about what they knew and what they learned. They even formed secret society of special knowledge, that you had to be intiated to be able to know. They even began to think that in order to have a relationship with God, you had to know God.
Not atheist believe that there is no God, there is only human knowledge, and that you can get to the kingdom of God, to a live of happiness by learning and knowing. That is not the same as someone who says that they are agnostic. An agnostic person says that there might be a god, but we will never know through human knowledge. It is impossible to know God, so it is impossible to know if there is a God. That is sort of what Paul is saying, but not quite. Paul is telling us that as Christians, it is impossible to know god. God is a mystery. But if you are faithful, and you love God, then God reveals to you all that you need to know. And all that you need to know is that God loves you.
A preacher took a questionnaire that he received in the mail - how elgible are you to go to heaven? When he scored his answers, the scale put him on the category of being too close to call. I think that decribes the average Christian today. We have one foot in the world and one foot in the bible. We try to do right, and yet there is this question in the back of our heads. How much can sin and still be called righteous? How many times can do wrong, and still be forgiven. How much can I get away with doing and still call myself a Christian.
Interestingly enough the answer is in Matthew. How many times can be forgiven? Jesus says 70X7. And yet also wants us to know that it not the point of how much we can get away with. We can get away with as much as we want, God is always going to love us.
But when we start to love God – our focus changes, from how much we can sin, to how much we can do right. From how much God has done for me, to how much I can do for God. From how many times can I be forgiven, to how many times do I have to remember that I am sanctified and freed from sin.
Righteousness if a choice that I make in how I live my life. I have complete control over it, and can seek to know as much as I can about living a righteous life. But salvation is a gift from God. Paul says that God doesn’t waste God’s time in giving that gift to those who don’t seek it.
The other gift that we are given as the body of Christ, is the mind of Christ. None of us within ourselves is strong enough, or worthy enough, or smart enough to hold the mind of Christ alone. But as a collective body of faithful people, trusting in as Paul says, Christ crucified, we together hold the gift of Christ’s holy spirit to guide our every move. And it is not about is, it is about the power of God that works through us to fulfill god’s mission and purpose.
How much can we sin and still be Christian. Jesus says that unless you surpass the righteousness of he scribes and Pharisees you cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
I am switching scriptures a little, this is the last sentence of Matthew and it will be my last point. The scribes were professionals, usually priest who had been given the task of putting God’s word into writing. The Pharisee were committed lay people, who committed every part of their lives to God and doing what God said was right. Jesus was saying that they were pretty good people, they were faithful and righteous. Jesus set the bar pretty high for us. They were the best of the best, and we are being called to be even better. They were extraordinary, but we are called to be even more. As Christians we are to give the world an unheard of amount of generosity, love, and understanding. Such as the world has never seen. Your are the salt of the earth, the light of the world. The good news is that we don’t have to do anything or know anything. All we have to do is to love God.
Ann Landers printed a story a few years ago from a lady who had attempted suicide. She lay unconscious for three days before the police found her and took her to the hospital. But they went above and beyond the call of duty by calling her every day and once she returned home they would visit her and bring her cards and flowers on a regular basis. They went out of their way to show kindness and love.
We are not all called to be police, or nurses, or firemen. We are not all called to have to faith of the scribes or Pharisees. But Jesus point is that whomever we are, and whatever we are doing, we are called to show compassion and to go out of our way to express it. That is what being a Christian is all about. God loves you, how to you show the love of God in your life? Let us pray…..
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