Sunday, February 12, 2017

Reflection on Matthew 5:21-37

I have some good news, and I have some bad news. Just like the old joke:

Doctor: I have some good news and I have some bad news.
Patient: What's the good news?
Doctor: The good news is that the tests you took showed that you have 24 hours to live.
Patient: That's the good news? What's the bad news?
Doctor: Yeah that: I forgot to call you yesterday!

OK, so here it goes. Let us start with the bad news first. Have you have ever stared at your bosses back, or perhaps your teacher’s back, and muttered, “Idiot!”?

Have you have ever called any of your siblings a “dork”?

Have you ever spoken the words, “Did you hear what Jimmy said yesterday…what a complete moron!”?

If you have done any of the above, or something similar, you deserve the same fires of hell reserved for murderers.

This is just the start of this reflection, and I think that most of us are in the bad news camp already.

How about this? Have you ever looked at a woman and thought, “Wow, the good Lord was in a good mood when He created her!”?

Have you stared at a picture of Ryan Gosling just a little too long…longer than your husband would be comfortable with?

If you are young at heart, did you ever swoon over a poster of Elvis when you were young?

Well, there is a hellish flame that has your name written all over it, along with all the other adulterers in the land.

Have you discarded a spouse through divorce and remarried another person?

Perhaps, worse yet, have you ever swore that you would have the work done by Friday, “I swear, I will have it done,” and you did not?

Well then, you deserve to go down the tubes to the hot furnaces as well. None of us are safe.

One of my pivotal faith moments happened in fifth grade during vacation bible school. We had taken a class trip across the parking lot of the church, over into the cemetery, in order to learn about heaven and the promise of eternal life.

Somehow, the class developed into a conversation about who deserves to go to heaven and who does not. Hitler came to mind as a “not.” Good old Hitler, you can always trust him to win an argument…Hitler and murderers. Yes, even in fifth grade, we resorted to the Hitler argument.

“I cannot see how Hitler or other murderers can possibly deserve to go to heaven,” I announced definitively.

And, with that trump card I had won the debate. The Hitler card always wins the debate…so I thought.

My teacher responded quietly, “I happen to know that you got in trouble for calling your brother names yesterday. I heard it while standing behind you in the grocery store.”

“And…is there a point here?”

“Jesus says clearly, that talking badly about your brother is as bad as murder. So, I’m wondering, should you be allowed to go to heaven?”

I do not know if the teacher saw my face or not, but this realization shook me to the core. At age eleven I realized that my mind, at least some of the time, might be no better than Hitler’s. I too could act out of anger and hatred.

Then who deserves to have a new creation? Who deserves to live with God forever? This question lingered in my mind for days.

This is where the good news comes in. I promised at the start that there was some bad news and some good news. What I have for you is the good news of Jesus Christ. Though no one deserves to live with God forever, and no one deserves to be made new because we are all sinners, through Christ’s death on the cross and by his resurrection we have gained what we do not deserve: a new life and an adoption into a holy family. We have gained eternal life with God.

And, to underscore that fact, Jesus prefaces this entire discussion by telling us that those who break the law will be least in the kingdom, and those who keep the law will be great in the kingdom.

If you read closely you hear a subtle truth: that whether you keep God’s law or break it you are still a part of God’s kingdom. So, you may deserve the fires below, but you need not fear, God holds you close and will not let you slip.

If we are safe, then what about the rules of which Jesus spoke? Do we simply throw them away? Of course not! That is absurd. Not one letter of the law passes away.

Actually, the rules that Jesus lays out are not about you or your salvation. They are about your neighbor. They are about loving your brothers and sisters. They are about keeping God’s family healthy. They are a set of “house rules” that help to keep peace and joy in the family.

These are the house rules hanging in our home in fine needlepoint:

Always be honest
Count your blessings
Bear each other’s burdens
Forgive and forget
Be kind and tender hearted
Comfort one another
Keep your promises
Be supportive of one another
Be true to each other
Look after each other
Treat each other like you treat your friends
Love one another deeply from the heart
And, of course we added a few of our own that were not in this country décor version:

Don’t lie
Don’t hit
Don’t steal
Don’t lie (I know we already listed this, but we really do not like lying.)
Do your chores (No one likes stepping on Shopkins late at night.)

Our children are not sent to the death squad if they break these rules. And, house rules are not about any family member feeling like he or she needs to become great person.

Jesus’ laws are not about you or your greatness. They are about those around you. If you follow these rules, those around you will be loved and will not be hurt by you. God does not want any of God’s children to hurt one another. Jesus’ “house rules” are about good relationships. God desires a family at peace with one another.

Jesus cares so much about fixing our relationships with one another that Jesus would prefer that we go and fix our broken relationships with people than come to church. That is what Matthew 5:23-24 says, “So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”

In other words, skip church and go make things right with your neighbor first. Church is important, but mending broken relationship is much more important. I cannot understate how essential our relationships are to God. Making things right with your “former” friend is just as important as not murdering them.

If that is the case, then let us do something about it right here and right now. I am going to close this reflection with a word of prayer, but I am going to ask you to do two things during this prayer.

First, I will ask you to bring to mind a relationship for which you are extremely thankful…someone who builds you up when you are down and brings the best out of you.

Second, I will ask you to bring to mind a relationship that has suffered damage and needs to be repaired.

This prayer and what you do with it in the coming days are extremely important to God. Do not take this lightly, Jesus does not.

Gracious God, we are so thankful for the relationships that you give us. We are thankful for those special people who make us healthy and whole. We now take a moment of silence to share with you why a particular person is so special to us. (Silence) We give you thanks for these precious brothers and sisters.

Now, we lift to you a relationship that is broken. In this moment of silence, give us a clear vision of how you intend to restore this person to us. (Silence)

Gracious God, give us a firm foundation in your love that never casts us away, and guide us in the ways that uplift others with love, just you lift us up through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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