Reflection on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

 

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 (NRSVue)

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹ “Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
  ² “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³ But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
  ⁵ “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ⁶ But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

  ¹⁶ “And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites, for they mark their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

  ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Reflection

As we crack open the very first pages of the Bible, we discover that we are people made from the dust.  Genesis 2:7 say that “the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (NRSVue, Genesis 2:7).

We are dust creatures.  We were made from dust.  We are nothing but dust.

Genesis 3:19 puts us back in our place whenever we begin to think too highly of ourselves.  We are not gods.  We are not in control of life.  All of us must struggle and work in some way just to eat.  “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).

And there it is, “you are dust and to dust you shall return.”  We are nothing but dust.  From dust we were created, and back into a pile of dust we will disintegrate. 

It might be true that we are dust, but the Bible would like to remind us that we are God’s dust.  “We are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8).  God intentionally took the dust, mixed it with life-giving water, molded and formed every part of us, and breathed in us life.  We might be dust, but we are God’s dust.

I think of my son Isaac when he was pre-school age.  At the base of our driveway, we had an indentation that served as a puddle on wet days but was full of the finest dust on days that were dry.  And young Isaac loved to spend hours playing with that dust, allowing the fine coolness of the tiny grains to sift through his fingers.  He shaped and molded that dust into anything that his little mind could create. 

Heaven forbid if anyone stepped on his creation or if a car drove over his creation as it was pulling forward to be parked.  One time while I was mowing the lawn I lost track of where I was and I flattened one of his creations.  It was not tragic for me.  It was dust.  But I knew that the destruction of his creation would be devastating to him, so I got off the lawnmower and did my best to reconstruct the pile of dust.  It looked good enough.  How would a preschooler know the difference anyway?  Well, guess what?  The preschooler knew the difference!

He remembered the special ridges and notches he had created in the pile of dust.  Of course, he remembered, he was the one who created it.  And I kind of wonder if God does not look down at us and wonder, “What happened?”  “I made this dust creature to look like me.  I made this dust creature to love and forgive.  I made special ridges and notches.  What happened to my creation?  Who flattened my creation?  Who made it plain dust when it was made to be my dust?”

We might be dust, but we are God’s dust.

God created us to have flowers bloom from our soils, beauty in a world of dust.  I imagine that just as I get frustrated when I plant a seed and nothing springs up, Jesus must get frustrated when beautiful flowers of peace, love, and forgiveness do not bloom from our soils.  I wonder if Jesus is ever tempted to knock over the pile of dust, to flatten us when we are worthless, normal dust?  I wonder if he just wants to try again?

Maybe that is why Jesus cares so much about how we give, pray, and fast?  Everyone in this world can give and expect to get something in return.  That is normal dust.  But Jesus created us to be his special dust.  So, if you are looking a lot like normal dust when you give, he suggests that you “not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:3-4).  He made you to give as he did on the cross, out of love, with no expectation of goodness in return.  He made you to be special dust.

The same is true with prayer.  Jesus wants our prayer life to truly be a conversation with God.  Prayer is not about show.  It is not about how holy and religious you look.  So, if you are looking a lot like normal dust when you pray, he suggests that you “go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).  He made you to have an actual relationship with him, so that you can be one of his people.  He made you to be special dust.

The same thing is true for fasting.  When we fast, we do it to so that we can set aside our distractions and focus on the only one who can fulfill the desires of our hearts, the one who molded us and shaped us.  So, if you are looking like normal dust when you fast, wanting everyone to see how much you are sacrificing for God’s sake, Jesus suggests that you “put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:17-18).  We fast to focus on God.  We fast to see clearly the path Jesus is walking.  He made you to be special dust.

God shaped and molded us all with love, wanting us to deeply connect with the divine and deeply connect with those around us.  Sometimes we simply forget that we are special dust.  Sometimes we just forget that we are God’s dust, shaped and molded to look like God.

So, during Lent, we take the time to reconnect with the one who shaped and molded us.  Yes, we take time to remember that we are only dust, and without God we are nothing.  But we also take time to remember that we are God’s dust, shaped and molded by God’s hands to do beautiful things that look a lot like loving, serving, praying, forgiving, and creating something new that is very good and holy.

Remember that you are dust.  Nothing more.  But also remember that you are God’s dust.  Nothing less.

Reflection on Matthew 17:1-9

 

Matthew 17:1-9

1 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became bright as light. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will set up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8 And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

  9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

 

Reflection

There is this very old sermon, that you might have heard before, that uses a fork.  So, what happens is that the pastor is seen holding a fork for the entire worship service up to the point of the sermon.  No explanation is given.  He or she just holds the fork while singing the hymns and while praying during confession.  The fork is right there in hand for everything. 

Finally at the very end of the sermon the anticipation that has been building the entire time finally gets its resolution as the pastor tells the climatic story that explains the mystery of the fork.  It is an old, old sermon, but instead of making you wait until the end of the sermon, I will tell the climatic story now, at the beginning of my sermon.  I like being a backwards pastor.

When the pastor finally holds up the fork and starts the explanation, the pastor starts with this story:

The man lay in his casket.  He was dressed in his finest clothes, but strangely in his folded hands he could be seen holding a fork.

At the end of the funeral a member of the family stood up and explained that the man was well-known in his large family for saying at the end of every meal, “Keep your fork! The best is yet to come!” in anticipation of the delicious dessert always sure to follow.

But this philosophy of life did not only apply to dessert for the man.  The man wisely applied this belief also to life and to death. Life, with all its ups and downs, can be both joyous and a cause of deep concern and despair.  But, in those times of despair, you should keep hold of your fork, remembering the promise of heaven.  You should remember that “the best is yet to come.” 

So, as a powerful symbol of the gentleman’s spiritual legacy, his family decided to bury their patriarch gripping a fork in his hand.  Life’s dessert was on its way.  Heaven was near.  The best was yet to come.

Yes, it is an old, old sermon, but I like where it is leading us.  The sermon seeks to keep our eyes from focusing only on the troubles and concerns of life.  The sermon seeks to help us keep our eyes focused on the eternal promises of Christ so that we can see beyond the troubles and concerns.  Maybe God can even use those troubles to lead us to better things.

The only problem with this old sermon is that I do not really want to carry a fork around with me.  I did not even want to keep track of it up to this point in the service, how am I going to keep hold of it for the rest of my life?

I cannot even imagine living that way.  I put a fork in my back pocket once.  I did, in High School.  Why?  I have no idea.  But I put it in my back pocket as I left the school cafeteria and it was still back there, forgotten in my back pocket, when I left the school, opened the door of my car, and sat down on my nice, fabric-covered driver’s side seat.  I do not have to tell you what happened.  I also do not have to tell you what I imagined my dad would say when he eventually saw what I had done to the seat of the car.  In fact, I cannot say the words he would say or I would be fired.

That is a long way of saying, I do not want to carry a fork around to remember the promises of Christ.  But there is still something yet to come that is better than the troubles and concerns of this life.  I still want to have those promises handy because, Lord knows, trouble will come.  That much is certain.  Trouble will always come and concerns will always threaten to drag you down with anxiety.  I still need to cling to something to get through it.

I think Jesus understood that deeply.  After-all, Jesus knew the cross was looming nearby.  Right before our gospel story for today, the transfiguration, Matthew tells us that “Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised” (Matthew 16:21). 

Life was going to get very tough for the disciples very soon.  They were going to see the brutal beating and death of their teacher.  Fear, grief, and pain was coming for them like a wild beast crouching in the grass, ready to pounce.  But, the disciples, Peter especially, wanted to hear nothing about it.  They were not ready to hear the terrible truth. 

Jesus knew that they were not ready to hear.  Jesus knew that they were not ready for the horrors ahead, so Jesus gave them something to hold onto when the bad times did come for them and pounce.  He gave them each a fork to keep in their back pockets.  No, he did not do that, but he did something better.

The Bible explains what he did.  “Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.  And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became bright as light.  Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him” (Matthew 17:1-3).

Jesus deliberately took his closest friends up the mountain so that they could have a glimpse of what their eternal future would hold.  They got to see Jesus glowing with heavenly light, light that no darkness can overcome.  They got to see a vision of a promising future.  No matter what happens in the days to come, they need not fear.

And Elijah is there too along with Moses!  Elijah is the prophet about whom Malachi says, “Remember the teaching of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb [God’s holy mountain] for all Israel. Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes” (Malachi 4:4-5).   

Seeing Elijah, the one who was promised to come before the day of the Lord, Peter assumes that the great and terrible day has come.  Peter is more than ready to set up some Sukkot, some tents, and enter the glorious feast of eternity.  “Lord, it is good for us to be here;” Peter says, “if you wish, I will set up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:4).

Peter wants to set up some Sukkots, which were temporary tents that ancient people constructed on the edge of their fields during the harvest so that they and their field workers did not have to leave the field until the harvest was done.  In these tents they celebrated the harvest with fresh food and rested after a hard day’s work.  Seeing Elijah talking with Jesus and Moses, Peter is ready to put up some tents and start the final, eternal harvest feast!

There is only one problem.  No one brought any forks!  Not even Jesus, Elijah, and Moses want to carry those things around!  What the disciples see right in front of them on the mountain is not the eternal feast.  That is yet to come.  The best is yet to come.  But first Jesus has another feast.  He will need to feast on death and swallow it up. 

As Isaiah says, “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 25:6-8).

Jesus needs to “swallow up death forever.” Only then, only after death is defeated will the Lord God be able to wipe away the tears from all faces and take away the disgraces and pains of the people.

The disciples need to understand.  Jesus needs them to understand that the hard days to come lead to something good.  Jesus needs them to know that the one who will be stripped of his clothing, whipped mercilessly, and nailed to a cross to hang, suffocate and die is the same one who was filled with the light that darkness cannot overcome.  Jesus needs them to trust that he knows what he is doing.  Jesus needs them to see beyond the troubles and concerns they face, trusting that what seems horrible and impossible to get through is not the last sentence in their story.  Troubles and concerns are not the last word in our story either.  So, Jesus brings them up the mountain to see his eternal face.  That vision is their fork.  That vision of Jesus is their hope as the world becomes filled with the threats of darkness and death.

After-all, God will “swallow up death forever.”  God will feast on death so that it will harm us no longer.  God will chew up and destroy the thing that steals our beloved spouses and adored children.  God will grind and pulverize the thing that steals those we love out of our hands.  The Lord will swallow up death forever, and only then will God “wipe away the tears from all faces.”  The days that we feast on our tears as the Psalmist so painfully put it in Psalm 42:3 will be done. 

I do not know about you, but I find hope and comfort in the idea that the Lord sees the tears that have stained our faces and he then chooses to come down the mountain to do something about it.  I find comfort and hope in the Lord who carries our pain with him as he walks toward the cross to swallow up death forever. 

Because, if his suffering can lead to his being raised in three days, maybe your suffering is not the last word either.  Maybe, your suffering is just the plating of God’s meal, where he will take a bite and devour your suffering for good.  Maybe, your suffering is just the hunger that comes before that final feast where we will set up some tents with Elijah, Jesus, and Moses and feast at God’s eternal table.

The best is yet to come!

Hear the voice of the one who calls you to the feast.  Listen to the voice of the one who calls you out of the darkness of suffering and into the light of new life.  Hear God when God says from the cloud, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”  

Listen to the one who promises that darkness and death is not the end.  Listed to the one who brings you from death to life.  Listen to Jesus and carry the image of his eternal light daily in your minds and in your hearts.  There is no need to carry a fork.  There is no need to ruin a driver’s side seat.  After-all, you have Jesus.

Reflection on Matthew 5:13-20

 

Matthew 5:13-20

[Jesus said:] 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

  14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

  17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Reflection

The friend knelt next to the young woman with tears drawing lines of mascara down her cheeks.  “He said terrible things to me,” the young woman with tears said.  “He said he didn’t love me.  He said that he had completely wasted three years with me for nothing.  He said I was worthless.  He said I was worthless,” she repeated again and again as the friend drew her into a comforting embrace.  They hugged for a long, long time. 

Finally, the friend whispered into the young woman’s ear, “You are light.  You chose to make friends with a freak like me.  You are light.  Little children love being around you.  You are light.  The elderly are comforted by your presence and by your stories.  You are light.  You are far from worthless.  When I was in the ditch, you were the one who picked me up.  You are light.  You will always be light.  He cannot blow out your light.”

Friends have the ability to reframe reality in a way that touches our hearts and sets us on a different, better course in life.  And it starts by remembering who we are.  “You are light.”

The young woman was encouraged by the same words that encouraged a whole group of people who were poor, sick, overrun by demons, struck by chronic illness, grieving, and just genuinely at the lowest you can get in society and in life.  Jesus healed all these people who gathered around to feel his divine touch, yes, but he also told them who they were.  Seeing that it is these ones who will follow him, Jesus reframed their reality from identifying themselves as poor, sick, demonic, and lowly to seeing themselves as something more; someone more; someone created by God for a purpose. 

“You are the light of the world,” Jesus declares to them (Matthew 5:14).  “You aren’t worthless.  You are light” these people hear and it begins to transform their reviled and rebuked souls.  “You are light,” these people hear.  They are more than their problems.  They are more than their struggles.  They were created by God for a reason and a purpose.

“I am not a schizophrenic,” the patient corrected the young chaplain version of me as we sat in the group room of the hospital’s psychiatric center.  “I am not a schizophrenic,” the man said again.  “I have schizophrenia.  I take medication for schizophrenia.  But schizophrenia does not define me.  I am not a schizophrenic.”

“I’m not a schizophrenic either,” a man with a white bedsheet wrapped around him said as he walked by.  I’m not a schizophrenic.  I’m Jesus!  Can I heal you?” 

“You go heal someone over there Jesus.  I’m talking with the chaplain.”

“As I was saying, when you have a cold, you don’t go around saying, ‘I’m a cold person.’  No, man.  You say you have a cold.  That cold means nothing about who you are inside.  And I will not let my schizophrenia define me.  I am a big, loving guy who just happens to see a floating dead person right behind your left shoulder.  But you wouldn’t know that unless I told you.  You would just know me as a big, loving guy, because that is who I am.”

It was a good lesson for a young would-be pastor.  People ministered to me, shaping me, more in that hospital than I ever ministered to and shaped other people.  And because of that, I learned that we are not our failures.  We are not our illnesses.  We are not our weaknesses.  We are not defined by the names that bullies and those in power like to give us.  Instead, we are defined by the one who was with God the Father in the very start of the world, and through whom the Father breathed life into us all.  We are defined by Jesus Christ.  And this is how Jesus defines us:

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot.”  “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth.”  He does not say, “You could be the salt, if you tried harder.”  No, he simply declares the truth.  “You are the salt of the earth.”

Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.”  He does not say, “You could be the light of the world if you would just stop being so negative and depressed.”  No, he simply declares the truth.  “You are the light of the world.”

That reminds me of my youth ministry teacher who declared the same thing to any group of adults placed in front of him.  He declared, “You are all youth ministers.  Every single one of you.  I do not care if you have taught kids in the past and you are now retired from that, or if you have been too scared to even try teaching and guiding kids.  You are all youth ministers.  This is not because you have been trained.  It is because children look up to the people around them.  You didn’t choose youth ministry.  Youth ministry chose you, whether you like it or not.  The question is not “if” you are a youth minister.  The only question is: ‘Are you a good one?’”

How is that for reframing?  But what he said is absolutely true.  If an adult has no time for children, the children learn that they are not worth the time.  They learned this lesson from their youth minister, the adult near them.  If an adult guides a child into a life of love and goodness, the child learns love and goodness.  They learned this lesson from their youth minister, the adult near and dear to them.

In the same way, Jesus says that “You are the salt of the earth.”  It is simply who you are.  You do not have a choice.  But that is a good thing because it means that the negative ways that others have defined you are simply not true.  You are not your struggles, illnesses, and failures. 

Instead, Jesus knows that you are someone who has been put here on this earth to preserve something.  Just as salt was put on this earth to preserve bacon until it goes straight into my belly, in the same way, the Lord put you on this earth to preserve the loving and good ways of the Lord.  The world does not love their neighbors as themselves, but you do.  You preserve the Lord’s way of life.  The world does not forgive over and over and over again, but you do.  You preserve the Lord’s way of life.  The world does not care if all of “us” get our daily bread, but you do.  You preserve the Lord’s way of life. 

After-all, the Lord ate with the sinner and healed the lowly and despised.  Drawing close to, not pushing away the sinner and lowly, is the Lord’s way of life (Matthew 9:10-13).  The Lord forgave all the world on the cross, even though we keep falling to the same sins over and over again.  Extreme forgiveness is the Lord’s way of life (John 3:16 and Matthew 18:21-22).  The Lord fed well over 5000 hungry people with five loaves of bread and two fish, and then did it again a little bit later feeding well over 4000 hungry people.  Feeding hungry people is the Lord’s way of life (Matthew 14:13-21 and Matthew 15:29-39).  And you are the salt that preserves that sort of life even today.

In fact, you do not just preserve that sort of kingdom life, you shine it.  Like a bright “city built on a hill” that “cannot be hid,” Jesus declares that “You are the light of the world.” 

Who lights a flame to light up a room and then immediately hides it under a flammable wicker basket?  Nobody!  You put that flame high up on a stand so that it lights every corner of the room.  Well, Jesus does the same to you.  “You are the light of the world” that is set high up on a hill so that everyone can see.  Your lives are like those who might live in the garden of Eden, high up on the mountain of God, so that everyone can see what living the good life looks like. 

That reminds me of the High School football team that elected their water boy as the team’s most valuable player at the end of the season.  The kid did not throw or catch a single football, but he encouraged all those who did.  The kid never set foot on the field during a play, but he was there to console and support those who did.  The kid was never trained in the secret plays of the team, but he was trained in the ways of Jesus’ kingdom.  He was a light to the team as they celebrated on the field and as they ran off the field in despair.  He was the salt that preserved all that was good from the very heart of Jesus, and he gave that goodness to the players on the team.  He was the team’s most valuable player, not because he played their game but because he played God’s game. 

Only Jesus can create that sort of salt.  Only Jesus can create that sort of light.  And Jesus declares that you too are that salt and light.  You too have been put on this earth and in this very place to share the story of Jesus with your voices, hands, and hearts. You too have been given the gift of walking with Jesus to make a difference at home, school, work, in the community, and around the world.

“You are the light if the world.”  So, “let your light shine.”

 

Reflection on Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSVue)

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he began to speak and taught them, saying:

  3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

  5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

  6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

  7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

  8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

  9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

  10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Reflection

“God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world…” (1 Corinthians 1:27-28).

Those are the words of the Apostle Paul as he reflects on the wonderfully strange ways of God in Jesus Christ.  To a world that lifts up the well educated and challenges children to strive toward ever increasing academic heights, Paul says, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27a).  Strange. 

To a world that celebrates strong leaders while despising leaders who are soft, and to a world that hangs medals around the necks of the strongest of us all, Paul says, “God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27b).  Strange.

To a world that forgets about the lowly and despises those who are not able to do well for themselves, Paul says that, “God chose what is low and despised in the world” (1 Corinthians 1:28).  God chose the foolish, weak, and lowly.  They alone absolutely need Jesus, with no hope of doing it all on their own.  They alone must trust a savior.  And they are the ones who will be given the good life.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus shouts from the mountaintop (Matthew 5:3).  Another way to hear those very words is: “The good life will be given to the powerless, for the kingdom of the skies belongs to them.”

Jesus shouts this promise to the lowly and powerless who have gathered around him after flooding to him to find healing.  The Bible says that Jesus cured “every disease and every sickness among the people…and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, people possessed by demons or having epilepsy or afflicted with paralysis, and he cured them” (Matthew 4:23-24).  All these sick, lowly, and powerless people, and those who loved them and brought them to Jesus…let us not forget about the caregivers…they all came to Jesus to find healing and to hear the good news that Jesus was proclaiming.

And the good news that they heard from Jesus’ lips was that the time is very near when God’s kingdom and all its goodness will come to touch down on the earth.  In fact, the image of God’s kingdom ways is standing right in front of them, in the flesh.  And the people chosen to live with him in those kingdom ways are the very people who are seeking his healing, restoration, and words.

“The good life will be given to the powerless, for the kingdom of the skies belongs to them.”

It was Jesus’ way of saying, “The world may not want you, but I want you.  In fact, I choose you.”

It has often been said that whenever we draw a line in the sand between us good people and all those who do not belong with us, Jesus will always be found on the other side of the line.  “God chose what is low and despised in the world” (1 Corinthians 1:28).

In just the past few days I have seen this very thing.  As I was walking toward the entrance to a gas station, I saw a young guy in his twenties who did not quite look like he was at the top of his game.  In fact, his thin frame, tattooed arms, sunken facial features, and missing teeth all led me to a snap judgment, assuming that he must be a drug user, a loser, and a lost soul.  I drew my line right there in the concrete of the gas station. 

But as I approached the man, I saw that he was talking with another gentleman, an older fellow, who had the glint of tears in his eyes.  I overheard the briefest of conversations.

“We don’t know what will happen to her, but it doesn’t look good.  I think we need to pray.  Lord, we don’t know the future, but we trust your will to be done.  Give us your comfort as a time of grief approaches…” 

I did not hear any more of the conversation because I had entered the door, but I did not need to hear any more.  I knew that I was wrong.  Maybe the guy struggled with substances?  Maybe he just looked like it?  Maybe my line drawing had nothing to do with me being holy and had everything to do with living as if I was of this world; a world that excludes and forgets.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).  Those living the good life find that they are comforted in times of grief.  The good life will be given to those who cry for those they have lost and who grieve the way life could have been.  The young man and his older friend were clearly standing on the mountain of Jesus, listening to his life-giving words.

There are all kinds of other people that we shove on the other side of the line from us.  There are all those unimportant and forgotten people who cannot even afford to buy a small patch of land.  “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

There are those who try to make things right with our enemies.  Who are they siding with anyway?  We do not mingle with our enemies.  Yet they foolishly think that relationships can be fixed.  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

And then there are those who forgive the unforgivable and show lovingkindness to anyone, good, bad, indifferent, treating the lowest of the low and the worst of the worst as if they were family.  Again, siding with the enemy is dangerous.  “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

Why does Jesus choose people in this way?  Why is Jesus choosing the poor, the weak, the snowflakes, and the pansies to form his army?  It makes no sense.  If Jesus were in elementary gym class and was chosen as the captain of a team, he would stand there pointing at and choosing the weakest and most clumsy people on the gym floor!  It is almost as if he cares more about people than he cares about winning.  It is almost as if he has a higher priority in life than winning, getting ahead, and going up the ladder of success.  It is almost as if love and mercy and people are all more important to him than anything else.  It was almost as if loving all people and welcoming them all back is more important to Jesus than life itself. 

“The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).  Paul was not on the mountain with Jesus as Jesus chose his weak and feeble army, but Paul certainly was taught Jesus’ words, and Paul took them to heart.  How much better would this world be if we did the same?

What if we looked up to people whose inner hearts match what they do with their hands and feet?  No more following lies or praising those who are fake.  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).

What if we honored those who step into the middle of a combative situation to protect the weak and find a way toward peace rather than allowing the strong to have their way.  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

What if the good life is full of people who are beaten, shoved, pushed, sworn at, and despised all because they see that life can look a lot more like the lush and life-giving garden of Eden where peace and forgiveness once made a home?  What if the good life is full of those who dare to make peace and forgiveness happen, just like Jesus dared to make it happen and found himself on a cross.?

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:10-12).

I have a feeling that Jesus’ kingdom looks like a bunch of bruised, broken, poor, struggling, grieving, and yet loving, courageous, trusting, faithful, and hopeful people.  I have a feeling they will all resemble the one who rose from the grave with wounds still in his hands, feet, and sides.  But, at least in Jesus’ version of the good life there are no lines in the dirt.  There is no one declaring you too lost, too broken, too weird, too foreign, too forgotten, too weak, too sinful, or too unimportant to be with your savior in the kingdom of the skies.  After-all, when it is God who chooses what is foolish in the world, there is no space for lines to be drawn.  There are no lines.  There are just relationships to be mended and forgiveness to be given.  

Rejoice and be glad!  For your reward is true life and true love with Jesus Christ your savior.

Reflection on Matthew 4:12-23

 

Matthew 4:12-23 (NRSVue)

¹² Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³ He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴ so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

¹⁵ “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
    on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles—
¹⁶ the people who sat in darkness
    have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
    light has dawned.”

¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

¹⁸ As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishers. ¹⁹ And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹ As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

²³ Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Reflection

The winter weather that has caused us to stay home reminds me of the old joke about the stubborn preacher who had prepared all week for Sunday morning worship.  A storm was predicted to come in but he was not going to cancel worship for only a “few snowflakes.”  So, whether it was one inch or one foot of snow, the church was going to be open for worship.  Predictably, only one person, an old, rugged farmer, showed up. He asked the farmer, "It’s only me and you, what do you think we should do?"

The farmer replied with a drawl, "Well, if only one cow came into the barn, I'd feed it."

So, the preacher mounted the pulpit and began to preach... and preach ... and preach. After about two hours, he concluded.

Then he stepped down and said to the farmer, "So, what did you think?"

The farmer replied, "Well, if only one cow came into the barn, I certainly wouldn't try to feed it all the hay."

I have sympathy for both the farmer and the pastor.  First, I have sympathy for the farmer because, though it was not a preacher in my case, I have certainly been caught by a person who has held me captive for way, way too long all because that person has a very, very long story and just will not stop talking.  And, I also have sympathy for the pastor because I know that it is hard to just change plans on the spur of the moment.  Heck, it is hard to change, period.  It is hard to change plans.  It is hard to change habits.  It is hard to change your life, even if it is for the better.

So, it is quite natural to continue as you always have, even though the way you have always done it may be failing drastically. 

To a world that is stubborn, to a world that preaches for over two hours to a poor farmer because that is what is prepared, to a world that does not even think to shift focus, Jesus has a word to preach.

First words are always important.  Just as first impressions of a person give an idea of what hanging out with that person will be like, first words of people in the Bible set us up for what to expect from that person in the future.  And Jesus’ first sermon in Matthew certainly set us up for what is to come.  He preaches:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (NRSVue, Matthew 4:17).

The Greek word for “repent” means, “change your mind” or “look at things in a new way.”  “Look at things in a new way, for the kingdom of the skies has arrived” (My translation, Matthew 4:17). 

Jesus is inviting us to imagine that things can be different.  Jesus is inviting us to imagine that the world does not have to continue as it is.  Now that he is here, the fighting does not have to continue.  The cruelty can come to a stop.  The darkness does not have to linger in our world and in our hearts.  Our stubborn ways can change for the good.  Jesus has come near to be our light in the darkness.  As the prophet Isaiah promised, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned” (NRSVue, Matthew 4:16).

With that message bursting out from his heart, Jesus picked up his things and moved to a bustling city by the sea, mixed with Jews and non-Jews, followers of God and followers of the ways of Rome, filled with those who trust the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and those who have no idea who God is, so that they can all hear the invitation to “Look at things in a new way, for the kingdom of the skies has arrived.”

After-all, struggle is not limited to the people of Israel.  All people struggle with failing and failed relationships, Jew or Gentile.  All people struggle to love their neighbors and fail to love their enemies.  All people have times in life that are filled with anxiety and fear.  Many of us have had times in our lives where we did not know where our next meal was going to come, and the fear that comes with that experience.  And all of us have had to deal with anger arising within and have faced the shame that comes when that anger erupts all over the place, hurting those we love.

But Jesus is here.  God’s beloved Son has arrived.  The heavenly realm of peace and love has touched down on the earth and is inviting us to imagine what life could be like if only we left behind our old, stubborn ways and followed his ways.

So, take just a moment to imagine what the world could be like with me. 

What kind of world do you want?

What would need to change for that to happen?

What are you willing to give up so that you can live in that world?

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17).  “Look at things in a new way, for the kingdom of the skies has arrived.”

Do you want to know the best way to change the things that you desire to change?  Do you know the first step in changing your life and the world around you?  It is relatively simple in principle: you just start.

If you are depressed, one of the first things a counselor will encourage you to do is to just start doing something.  Get up and take a shower.  Take a moment to make your bed.  Get out the musical instrument and just start to play. 

You see, we think that we need to be mentally prepared and ready before we take the first step toward anything different.  But as any baby knows, you do not learn to walk without actually taking some steps.

And if we desire more than anything to live a kingdom life, to live in a way different from this dark world, to see things is a new way and live in a new, Godly way, then just get up.  Stand up and follow when Jesus calls to us, gesturing us to walk with him.

Just look what those first disciples did: “As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishers. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.’  Immediately they left their nets and followed him (Matthew 4:18-20).

The same was true for James and John as Jesus called to them.  The Bible says that “Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him” (Matthew 4:22). 

They were all quite the opposite of stubborn.  They left all they knew and understood to live a life that would lead in a direction that they still did not understand.  They trusted Jesus and simply followed.  There was no time spent pondering and preparing.  Nor did they feel the need to cling to what they knew.  They just did it.  They just went and soon they were walking with Jesus throughout all Galilee.  They were soon a part of this new way of life as Jesus continued “teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23).

And it still happens today.  Disciples still just get up and follow Jesus right there on the spot. 

One day in college my sociology class, we visited the local homeless shelter.  As we toured the rooms with guys all down on their luck and as the volunteer leading us through the house showed how the leftovers from our college went directly from our college kitchen to the kitchen of the homeless shelter, without even getting cold, the guide stopped us, had us all sit down on the floor of the living room, and told us a story.  It was his story. 

The volunteer in front of us was a young guy in his twenties.  He wore a very worn sweatshirt from our college which displayed our logo, tattered and held on by a handful of threads.  He told us about the day that his own sociology class visited the shelter a few years prior and how after talking with some of the wonderful men he met there that he knew right then and there that Jesus wanted him to be a part of helping these guys.  He was so convinced that the very next day he packed up all of the things in his dorm room, put it all in his car, and let the college know that he was dropping out of his classes.  He immediately moved into a room at the shelter and from then on lived, ate, and worked with the men for whom the shelter cared.

I cannot even imagine what his conversation with his parents must have been like, but he said that it was the best, most faithful thing he had ever done in his life.  He was living with Jesus, and walking with Jesus, and living the life of Jesus, who had called him personally to “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19).  His life went from a life of middle-class abundance to one of poverty.  But his life also went from one of young adult struggles, depression, and darkness to one of heavenly light and life.  “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).

And that is what happens when Jesus preaches to us his sermon, calling us to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17).  It is what happens when Jesus asks us to “Look at things in a new way, for the kingdom of the skies has arrived.”  Lives are changed for the good.  Our life is changed.

“Follow me” Jesus calls to you and me.  “Follow me.”  Imagine what things could be like if we just stood up and followed.