The New Ten Commandments

Luke 6::27-38 7th Sunday of Epiphany Year C Fill My Cup with Grace The New Ten Commandments Prelude Greeting Call to Plenty Leader: In this series, we have reframed the four pillars of economics: earning, spending, saving, and investing. We have been reminded that our yearn to earn can become misplaced as fear of scarcity ravages our energy and keeps us only mindful of caring for “our own.” We have been reminded that when we spend the true commodities of hope, purpose, healing, meaning, and grace at the center of God’s vision of the future, we will never run out. Savings becomes salvific when are offering gratitude and storing up the will for generosity spurred by the gifts we are given by God every day. And investing our interest in the wellbeing of all is the way of freedom from fear. Today we hear that the measure of goodness will overflow into our laps when we dip from the stone jars of God’s love. In this world of striving, we feel the yearn to earn. The world measures our worth in those earnings. But Jesus had different ideas. Where they obsessed over payback and worried about how much is “enough,” he offered love freely and fully to everyone, even his enemies. When we feel our own resources are lacking, we can view our lives and practices again from the economy of Jesus. Let us pray: God of Everlasting Love, we come to you today, knowing that our earnings can never fulfill our deepest human yearnings for security, peace, and connection. In the midst of our greed, remind us of your grace and the calling to love one another with extravagant generosity, giving freely to others just a piece of what you so selflessly have given us. Amen. Song Help Us Accept Each Other UMH 560 A Sermon for All Ages Leader: Welcome, children! We are so glad you are here [and for those joining us through the screen, welcome to you, too]. What a good time we’ve had practicing the generosity of Jesus! Our big jars and our little piggy banks have taught us so much about the overflowing abundance of God’s love and that we can share our resources as Jesus asked us to do. He wanted everyone to have plenty of everything they need, and it is up to us to keep helping him do that. “Dear children. We have been calling these “Jesus’ Piggy Banks” but really, they are yours. You are my hands and feet in this world, and if you keep practicing the economy of Jesus by letting things flow right on through the piggy bank, then the world will be a better place! Remember to always look at the gifts you already have, and have fun figuring out how to give it away! Always yours, Jesus.” What a cool thing that we can be the love of Jesus in the world. OK… let’s see what is in here [spill out all the little cards and give multiples to each child]. These are cards we can have on hand to give to anyone we see caring or sharing! They say “Thank you for caring and sharing. The world is better because of you.” You know what? When we see acts of goodness and thank someone for giving that away, we have multiplied goodness even more because we gave them thanks! I love these kinds of multiplication tables! There’s a saying that when there is a lot of something, our “cup runs over!” Just like the cups of the guests at the celebration ran over with goodness when they dipped into the big jars, our own cup of love runs over every day if we only open our eyes to notice it. Gratitude is unlimited, so you can give away as much as you want! Let’s pray a repeat-after-me prayer, and then we’ll go Dear Jesus… thank you for showing us… how to to share… thank you for showing us… how to to care… help us to know… that there is no doubt… the gifts that you give us… can never run out… there’s so much in store… that we’ll give it away… making sure there’s enough… for ALL every day… Amen Responsive Reading Psalm 37 UMH 772 Passing the Peace Leader: Just as our worth as humans is not dependent on the bottom line of our bank accounts, our relationships are not dependent upon the earning of favors and the limitations of “quid pro quo.” The peace of Christ has no limits, and we get more just by giving it. So may jar-fulls of peace be with you today. People: And also with you. Leader: You are invited to pass the “plethora of peace” among you, remembering to pass it to those joining us remotely. Scripture Luke 6:27-38 Sermon The New Ten Commandments Every religion and every culture on the planet teaches and practices some version of the golden rule – do unto others as you would have others do unto you. At the 1993 Parliament of World Religions, which was held right here in Chicago. signed by 143 leaders from all of the world's major faiths, including Baháʼí Faith, Brahmanism, Brahma Kumaris, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Indigenous, Interfaith, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Native American, Neo-Pagan, Sikhism, Taoism, Theosophist, Unitarian Universalist and Zoroastrian.[ They all agreed that the was the way in which we would treat one another as human beings. Even Confucious in Asian thought had a saying What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others. In the African tradition there is a proverb which says One who is going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts. So it is not strange that Jesus would grow up in a culture based on the golden rule. In the Jewish culture he was very familiar with the concept of reciprocity. Give as you receive, borrow return. All throughout the bible we are told how to be in relationships and how to live in reciprocity. The bible speaks of three levels of reciprocity. General reciprocity – which means that when you give, you always get something in return. You may not get it directly from the person that you are giving to, but somehow you get what you give. There is balanced reciprocity – that if someone gives to you, you should give back to them. Or at least pass it forward and give to someone else, because it was given to you. And in the bible there is also negative reciprocity. If someone hurts you, you have every right to hurt them back to the same degree. We have all heard the term an eye for an eye. But we know that Jesus doesn’t encourage us to practice the third one an eye for an eye. Jesus went through a lot of trouble to teach us grace, and forgiveness, and trusting God. Jesus made it his mission to teach us the golden rule, but to encourage us to go at least one step above it. Luke 6 is that teaching that he gave to his disciples. First he gives us the sermon on the plain, to remind us to take care of one another. To empathize with the pain of our brothers and sisters and to do what we can to make the world a better place for everyone to live in. To spread a love that makes a difference in the lives of those who are touched by it. In our scripture today – Jesus encourages his followers to live a life of love. At first he tells the rules that everyone would know – the golden rule. He reminds us of reciprocity, which is okay. But he goes on to say “But I say to those who are willing to hear”. In Luke 6:27-38 he gives us a new set of ten commandments – 1. Love your enemy. 2. Do good to those who hate you. 3. Bless those who curse you. 4 pray for those who mistreat you. 5 if someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one. 6 if someone asks for your coat, give them your shirt too. 7 give to anyone who asks. 8 don’t just remember the golden rule, live it, 9. Don’t judge. 10. Forgive. Jesus takes the law of reciprocity and ups the ante not just one level, but a few. Just as most of us felt that we had mastered the original 10 commandments and learned how to treat those in our lives, Jesus ups the ante. And even the most seasoned followers struggle a bit with these new rules. How many of us are really willing if someone slaps us to say – slap me again on the other cheek. But If He Strikes the Other Cheek… A friend of mine, a fine Christian man, was struggling with this text. He didn't like the "turn the other cheek" idea very much. He finally resolved it! He said, "If someone strikes me on one cheek, I will turn the other. But if he strikes me on that cheek, watch out!" Richard Niell Donovan, Peacemaking Dr. Robert Schuller, pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, always during the course of his worship services says, God loves you and so do I. This phrase has really caught on in some circles. Some years ago, he told of a personal incident that reflects how really difficult it is to love others as God loves us. He and a man in another car met rather suddenly and unexpecterdly when their two autos collided. The other man got out of his car and unleashed a salvo of expletives and epithets that bruised Schuller’s soul and was threatening to kindle his anger. Dr. Schuller claims to have looked the assailant straight in the face and exclaimed: “Mister, God loves you and I’m trying.” Just last week, I attended a conference. Every three months I take a class sponsored by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center. It is a group of clergy who look examine our relationships in church, family and otherwise. And look at ways to be more loving and understanding. The facilitator challenged us to think about how to be friends with people who normally get under our skin. The facilitator told us that if we remember the teachings of Jesus, we should be able to get along with anyone. By learning to calm ourselves down and get in touch with what is triggering us in that interaction. I reminded him that it is hard to deal with people who do not like us, because usually the problem in not in us. When people don’t like you, the calmer you are in dealing with them, the more likely they are to react and get upset. So how to you deal with their reactivity – he laughed at me and said that is the challenge in life. The first thing that Jesus says to us today – love your enemy, and do good to those who hate you. But how do you do that? Jesus came into Jewish society, and then into the world – to remind us that we have to learn to be in relationship with one another. But more importantly we have to remember to be in relationship with God. God should be in the center of everything that we do in life. God should be in the center of every relationship that we have. Every interaction that we have - is between God and the other person. Jesus reminds us that when we have God on our side, we have been given access to a reserve of energy that doesn’t come from the other person. That reserve of energy is grace. So even if we receive nothing from the other person, God gives us what we need. If that person takes from us, God’s grace will restore what we need. Sometimes in relationships I think that it is important to set boundaries, but we also have to remember that we have more than our inner resources to act upon. How do we love our enemies, turn the other cheek, go beyond the golden rule, forgive others – through the grace of God. Jesus message to us – that it may be challenging. But it is also possible. I heard someone say that the Bible is like a score waiting for the right choir to sing it. The bible is a set of rules to live by. And the world convinces us that those rules are not normal, as a matter of fact the world tells us that these rules are impossible. Everybody lives according to the golden rule – and that is all that is required, as a matter of fact, that is all that is necessary. Jesus comes to tell us that with God all things are possible. The bible is only true if we choose to make it true. If no one lives according to Jesus new commandments – then they are not true and they really don’t matter. And yet what are we here for. I had a dream the other night. Actually it was more of a nightmare. I was preaching this sermon, using this text. Someone in the back row came up to the front and stood right next to the pulpit and wanted to interrogate me about this text. "Now tell me, Dick. Tell me about this text. Do you live this out any better than we do?" In the dream I remember, and this is reality, too, I said, "Of course not. Of course not. What do you think I am doing here? The only reason I am in this pulpit is because one time I read in the book of Hebrews that the one whom we call our priest is the same one who participates in the various sins we preach against. When I read that as a very young man, I said, 'For that reason alone I can enter ministry.' As for perfection, you can forget it. I am the same as you are, no better." "Then, Dick, I have one question to leave you with, 'Why do you preach this message?' " And in the dream I remember saying to him that I have discovered that if we keep looking at this text that makes us so uncomfortable, if we keep reading it and confess in the presence of God how much we fail it, then someday without even knowing it, we will find ourselves living this word rather than discussing it. The day that you live this word out when it is needed most in the life of another will be at a moment that you are not even conscious you have done it. Meanwhile, we stand, arms linked together, as we affirm: "Love your enemies." Confess how much we fail it, and listen to the voice of God that nudges us slowly toward the goal. CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, Deep Joy For A Shallow World, by Richard A. Wing TV news reporter Peter Arnett was visiting the West Bank in Israel when a bomb exploded in the middle of town. He was surrounded by anguished screams and clouds of smoke. A man holding an injured girl ran up to Peter and asked for a ride to a hospital. As they sped through the streets, the man nursed the bloody girl in the backseat. The doctors did everything to save the girl’s life, but to no avail. Peter turned to comfort the man on the loss of his child, but the man interrupted him. She wasn’t his child, he said. She was a Palestinian. He was Israeli. He found her lying in the street and decided to help. “Mister,” he said through his tears, “there must come a time when we realize that we are all family.” (3) Do you know of any other hope? I don’t. How do you treat your enemies? Jesus said to love them. Think what might happen if we, like the shepherd-soldier, young David, let our religion affect how we regard those who would do us wrong. The whole world might be changed. We are here to gain the courage to be the ones to take the first step, to spread love, to make us all family. An enemy is by definition someone who you despise, or someone who despises you. No matter how nice we are, and how much we think we love everyone – there are people out there who don’t like us. Someone said that if you love them, then the dissention goes away and they are no longer an enemy. So how can you truly love an enemy? And maybe that is what Jesus was trying to teach us – that through God’s grace – we are all God’s children. If every religion and every culture knows that golden rule – imagine what the world would look like if we all lived it. If we all took the golden rule up two notches – and lived according to Jesus rule – we would have heaven on earth. Let is pray……….. Song Hymn of Promise UMH 707 Prayers of the People Leader: In the economy of Jesus, we claim goodness and plenty for everyone–this is the savings that are, in the end, salvific for our communities. We know there is more than enough to go around, and we in this community are committed to acts of mercy and grace for all people. For we have freely received so much, and so we freely give. Leader: Each week of this series we have been focusing on naming gifts of abundance we have received in the week, instances where we have seen the abundance of Christ at work in the world, and we will ask for the wisdom and strength to change so that abundance is more available to all. In this pause, O God, we ponder the many gifts you have given us. Our gratitude seems never enough for the plenty you provide. We call to mind the gifts of creation, of relationships, of sustenance. In this pause, Christ Jesus, we ponder the ways your love is still at work in the world. Our awe and wonder at the goodness of others is profound. We call to mind acts of kindness, generosity, and selflessness. In this pause, Holy Spirit, we come asking you for strength. The temptation to live by the economics of not-enough is so strong in us. We ask for revelation in our thinking and doing, so that we might live with grace in the house. Loving God, Christ Jesus, Holy Spirit, we are yours. May these prayers over these weeks continue as we discern how best to share in the economy of Jesus moving forward. We bring to you now the concerns of our day, of our communities, knowing that already you are present, already you are working to bring about comfort and healing. Today we pray for…. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Have you heard this scripture in church, or from your parents, or Sunday School teachers: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). For some congregations, this Sunday helps us focus on the work of the Week of Compassion. What’s that about? Week of Compassion is the Christian Church (Disciples) organization which reaches around the world, across the whole year to respond to all kinds of disasters. Can you imagine what it would mean for us to be faced with the destruction of our church building and our homes? What would we want others to do for us? Can you imagine if we had such a long drought it became impossible for everyone to grow food across our whole country? What would we want others to do for us? We would want folks to do what Week of Compassion suggests: Stay! (it’s not yet time to go help repair) Pray! And Pay! Today, every dollar you give for disaster relief to Week of Compassion will provide the whole dollar go respond to disasters around the world. Every dollar which is contributed in general support will continue allowing Week of Compassion to keep on working. Long after the headlines have faded and the cameras have been turned off, Week of Compassion and its partners will still help with long-term recovery. Our offering today includes our regular giving, and our appeal to give generously for Week of Compassion, knowing our gifts will help both right now and in the months and years to come. With gratitude, let us do to/for others as we would have them do to/for us! Prayer of Thanksgiving Mighty God, you brought all of creation into being and saw it was good. You sent Jesus to show humanity the Way of Love. Thank you for opening our hearts and our hands as we seek to do to others as we would have them do to us. Let these gifts be the measure we give because we yearn to remain in love. AMEN Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook The jars are full in the Kin-dom of God. The cup of salvation is full of the grace we need and the grace we are called to give away. We are transformed in the economy of Jesus, bearing the witness of dividends of grace. We have heard the call to invest our interest in the transformation of our communities. And so we go, doing likewise in the world, with the help of God, the guidance of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Now and forever. Amen. Community Time Benediction Beloved, go from this place ready to listen. Listen for the opportunities to extend mercy. Notice the moments to forgive instead of condemn. Watch for the person who needs help without any strings attached. For the blessing of the Triune God goes with you, pouring out mercy and compassion on you so that you may share mercy and compassion with everyone you meet. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, August 2024. Additional Illustrations World - Love friends and neighbors – hate enemies - Do good to those you love – get even with enemies - Give to those who can give back Jesus - Love enemies – love everybody - Do good to enemies – leave judgement to God - Give to who need it – even if they don’t pay you back Sermon Opener - Can We Really Love Our Enemies? - Luke 6:27-38 I am often uncomfortable when someone tells me they love me. I am not talking about an honest affirmation, but about a critic who has just taken my hide off and concludes the shellacking with an account of her godly affection. "Brother Bayer, you are a rotten, no good, pagan, secular-humanist, but I want you to know that because I am Christian and I love you." Thanks just the same, but I'd rather be despised. Occasionally someone that I have a difficult time loving will cross my path. When I'm honest I admit I would be just as happy if he dropped off the face of the earth. But I refuse to snarl and then describe how my Christian love extends even to him. Will Rogers may never have met a man he didn't like, but the rest of us know that somewhere along the line we have run into folk we flat-out detest. At least I have. The gospel lesson this morning is a continuation of Jesus' Sermon on the Plain. It is plain talk -- tough talk -- hard to listen to talk. We come today to his most difficult teaching. Here is what sets apart the Christian faith from other religious perspectives, philosophic constructs, psychological systems and elemental common sense. And yet, at the end of the day, it defines the core of Christian ethics. "Love your enemies," Jesus says. "Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." Can we really love our enemies? If not, why did Jesus lay on us this impossible demand? If the teaching troubles you, fear not, you are not the first to back away from this bit of divine fire…. A GPS for Your Life - Luke 6:27-38 If I were to ask you your philosophy of life, could you tell it to me? Most of us don’t think about our life philosophy, the operating set of beliefs that drives our worldview. Our philosophy of life comes out of us in subtle ways: the attitude we wake up with in the morning, how we treat other people, how we approach a new situation, the things we spend our time, energy and money on. It’s worth taking a moment to examine our life philosophy because, in many ways, it creates our legacy. It’s like a GPS for our life. Most of you have had some experience with a GPS system in your automobile or, perhaps, your smart phone and know how it works. You program your destination into your GPS and it gives you the directions you need to get where you need to go. These technological wonders are a great gift to many of us, especially those who are “directionally challenged.” Of course, it’s possible for a GPS to malfunction. I read recently of three women who escaped after the GPS system in their rented Mercedes SUV drove them into a lake. Talk about a living nightmare. According to one of the women, the driver thought she was on a road, but instead the GPS directed them down a boat launch and into a shallow lake near Bellevue, Washington. It was dark and the women were trying to find their way to a conference they were attending when, without warning, the SUV crashed into the water at a local state park. One of the women immediately jumped to safety. The other two women tried to stay with the SUV as long as they could by standing on the side door frames, but they finally had to wade to safety when the vehicle kept drifting out farther into the lake. All three women made it out safely, but the SUV was completely under water. So, be careful out there. Even GPS systems, as wonderful as they are, can mislead you. Of course, GPS systems have benefits besides generally being reliable guides through unfamiliar cities... __________________________ Petty Wins by Revenge Some years ago, as a hundred thousand fans watched, Richard Petty ended a 45 race losing streak and picked up stock racing's biggest purse--$73,500. It all happened at the Daytona 500. Petty's win, however, was a complete surprise. Going into the last lap, he was running 30 seconds behind the two leaders. All at once the car in second place tried to pass the No. 1 man on the final stretch. This caused the first car to drift inside and force the challenger onto the infield grass, and slightly out of control. What happened next was incredible. The offended driver pulled his car back onto the track, caught up with the leader, and forced him into the outside wall. Both vehicles came to a screeching halt. The two drivers jumped out and quickly got into an old-fashioned slugging match. In the meantime, third-place Petty cruised by for the win. Source Unknown _______________ Forgiveness Is a New Life Immaculee Ilibagiza was a 22-year-old university student in the 1990s when terrible violence broke out in her home country of Rwanda. Hutus killed her parents, her brothers, and hundreds of her Tutsi friends. A Hutu pastor, who risked his life to save her, hid her and six other women. They lived in a small bathroom, a wooden wardrobe covering the door. For three months, they endured hunger, fear, and the sounds of soldiers in the house unsuccessfully searching for Tutsis. In those cramped quarters, she began to pray the Rosary. Always she stumbled over the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." She knew that the prayer called her to forgive those who had killed her family and endangered her. She didn't think she could do it, but she realized she was consumed by hate. She was afraid she would become like the people who had killed her family. Nevertheless, in her mind, forgiving her family's killers was like forgiving the devil. Finally, afraid that her hate would crush her heart, she asked God to forgive those who had done her so much harm. Slowly, with God's help, she was able to let go and forgive her family's killers. Eventually, she even visited one of her brother's killers in prison, taking his hand and offering forgiveness. She says that forgiveness saved her life. "It's a new life, almost like a resurrection." Charles L. Aaron, Jr., Becoming The Salt and The Light, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. ______________________ Who Are My Enemies? I have asked myself this week, "Who are my enemies, and who do I feel justified in putting outside my circle of concern?" I have found the words of Thomas Merton most helpful: “Do not be too quick,” he wrote, “to assume that your enemy is a savage just because he is your enemy. Perhaps he is your enemy because he thinks you are a savage. Or perhaps he is afraid of you because he feels you are afraid of him. And perhaps if he believed you were capable of loving him he would no longer be your enemy. "Do not be too quick to assume that your enemy is an enemy of God just because he is your enemy. Perhaps he is your enemy precisely because he can find nothing in you that gives glory to God. Perhaps he fears you because he can find nothing in you of God's love and God's kindness and God's patience and mercy and understanding of the weakness of men. "Do not be too quick to condemn the man who no longer believes in God. For it is perhaps your own coldness and avarice and mediocrity and materialism and sensuality and selfishness that have killed his faith.” In other words, who I label as enemy may say more about me than about them. Phil Thrailkill, Loving Like God Loves _______________ Historian Richard Norton Smith wrote: "Instantly rebellion melted into tears. It was a galvanizing moment, and the rebellion..." and the rebellion was put down because they had seen before them a second miler. Becoming a Christian is one thing; being a Christian is another one. Every chance you get for the glory of Jesus, for the goodness of others, and because of the grace of God, go the second mile. James Merritt, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com What We Grab Also Grabs Us Once there was an eagle which hovered over a lake and suddenly swooped down and caught a two-foot long fish in its talons. Slowly, the bird rose with its ten pound catch, but when it reached about 1,000 feet, it began to descend, until it splashed into the water. Later, both the bird and fish were found dead. Apparently the fish was too heavy for the eagle, but it could not let go, for its talons were embedded in the flesh of the fish. The truth is that what we grab, grabs us. When we grab alcohol, drugs, or sex, it grabs us and brings us down to death. John Brokhoff, Old Truths For New Times, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Look at the Lord's prayer. We pray it every week and yet it is so dangerous. We become so familiar with it, it is as if we own it. But in the moment that we own it, we can't hear it, and we certainly can't do it. If only we could stand away from the Lord's prayer in such a way that it would be received new every time we say it. My friend Glen had a man who came to him, wrestling with forgiveness. "I can't. I just can't forgive. I just can't do it." You know that emotion. We all know it. He asked Glen, "How can you help me?" Glen said, "Well, why don't you pray the Lord's prayer each day and then for the next thirty days list all of your trespasses that need forgiveness. Then I want you to come back to me in thirty days, and we'll talk about the trespasses that you feel you need to forgive in another that you don't feel you can." You know the rest of the lesson already. Oddly enough the lists will look very much the same. That is the deeper truth that resides here. There is the Jewish story about a man named Abraham who found a beggar and invited him into his home to feed him. The beggar just kept cursing him and being rude. Finally, Abraham kicked him out, saying, "I don't need this." And that night when Abraham went to speak to God in his prayers, he heard the voice of God saying, "This man you kicked out has cursed me for fifty years, and yet I have given him food to eat every day. Could you not put up with him for just a single meal on my behalf?"