Delivered January 27, 2008
by Pastor Marilyn Henderson
On Epiphany Sunday, Eric preached about "This Child Born King." We all know that Mary's baby was different from all babies ever born, otherwise Jesus' birth would not have been celebrated all over the world for the last 2,000 years. To say that Jesus was "different" would be an extravagant understatement, wouldn't you say? And Jesus came, we believe, not only to be "different," but to invite us to be different, too.
God created everything in our world. And after six days of creative work, after Adam and Eve had been created, God decided He'd done a good job and deserved a rest. For a time Adam and Eve and God worked together in caring for the Garden of Eden. They rested together in the evenings, enjoying their companionship. Then one day both Adam and Eve decided they could make decisions just like God. They decided to eat from a tree from which God had forbidden them. They chose to disobey God. Because of their sin, their companionship with God was severed and they were banished from God's garden. And God mourned.
But God had hope and continued to invite anyone who listened to be His companion, to be different from other folks. Enoch loved God. So did Noah, but in Noah's time Noah was very different from everyone else alive. He loved God and enjoyed His company. God decided to start over and flooded the entire world, saving Noah and his family and a boat full of creatures. And God mourned. But God had hope that people would once again want to be His companions, and after the Great Flood, God promised never to flood the world in such a way again.
Later people decided once more they wanted to be their own gods and began to build a city and a tower "with its top in the heavens." God understood what they were doing and changed their common language into many and people scattered all over the world. And God mourned.
But God had hope and introduced himself to Abraham because he was different from others. They loved each other and God was gracious to Abraham when he messed up. In spite of his mistakes, Abraham always checked in with God. And God said, "Maybe this time."
Abraham's son, Isaac, loved God and his family but perhaps wasn't as firm in dealing with sons as he should have been. Jacob stole his brother's inheritance and birth right before running away. In spite of Jacob's treachery and deceit, as well as those of his sons, God remembered his promise to Abraham and saved his descendants from famine through the generosity of Jacob's son, Joseph, whom God had placed in a position of power in Egypt. Because of their connection with God, they were different from the Egyptians. God had hope.
Jacob's family stayed in Egypt where they prospered for awhile. But then a Pharaoh came into power who didn't agree with previous policy. He made the children of Jacob, or Israel, into slaves because there were so many of them. Pharaoh was scared. He forced them to do extremely hard manual labour. God mourned.
But God had hope. An Israelite baby boy was saved from the Egyptian exterminators, adopted by an Egyptian princess and educated in the palace. As a man, Moses murdered an Egyptian and ran away to the desert of Sinai, where he met God. Moses was different.
And God had hope. With God's help, Moses spoke to Pharaoh and the children of Israel. He tried to convince them all that God wanted the Israelites to leave Egypt to worship God in the desert. Pharaoh didn't want to lose his slave workers and refused to let them go. God sent 10 plagues on the Egyptians. Only when the angel of death took the firstborn of both animals and people would Pharaoh listen to Moses and let the Israelites go into the desert.
But Pharaoh changed his mind. He and his army chased after the Israelites and caught up to them just after God had opened up the Red Sea. The Israelites had crossed on a dry sea bed, but when the Egyptians tried to follow God allowed the water to return and they drowned. God had hope. But He knew it wouldn't be easy to change people who were slaves into people of God who lived differently from anyone else.
As the Israelites journeyed through the desert, they ran out of water. Through Moses God provided water.
As the Israelites journeyed through the desert, they ran out of food. God provided food.
As the Israelites journeyed through the desert, they ran out of patience. They ran out of understanding. They ran out of hope.
But God still had hope. God mourned the Israelites' rebellion and selfishness and greed, but longed for them to turn to Him as their Lord, to depend on Him for everything and to be an example to all nations of a life-giving relationship with God. And so God gave the Israelites His house rules to guide them in their relationship with Him and with their fellow Israelites.
God had hope.
Again God parted the waters so they could cross, this time at the Jordan River. In spite of their occasional rebellion and because of God's acts, the Israelites took possession of their Promised Land and settled into the farms and vineyards they found there. They were governed by judges that God called to be His partners in shepherding the people. The judges helped them remember how God had saved them from slavery so that they could be His people and an example of how God wants everyone to live selflessly. They were different from all those around.
But the Israelites were not satisfied with their houses and barns and fields and animals. They looked around at their neighbours and wanted a king, too. And God mourned.
But God still had hope. He worked through Samuel, the last judge, to call out the first king, Saul. Unfortunately, he was the first of many Israelite kings not to work out well. But King David was a king "after God's heart," and, even though he made many mistakes, allowed himself to be transformed, to be different, because of his relationship with God.
God had hope. But throughout the history of Israel - when the nation was divided into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, through the reigns of a many weak and evil kings - God mourned for his people's lack of devotion and vision and willingness to be different. God sent his prophets to remind Israel and, later, Judah that they were God's people. He rejoiced during the reigns of the few good kings. Eventually, though, God had to deal with His people's sins of disobedience and rebellion. God allowed Babylon to conquer Israel, destroy Jerusalem and take the Israelites captive into exile. Slaves once more. And God mourned.
But God still had hope. The Israelites came to their senses and reinstituted temple worship when they returned from exile. The idea of the synagogue began during the Exile, and interest in God and faith was renewed. The Jews, as they became known, determined that they would never again stray. Their teachers, who were called rabbis, tried to help people keep the law God gave to them through Moses. They created rules to help people live like God wanted them to live, but it wasn't enough. Even those who kept all the laws - both the Mosaic law and the scribal/rabbinic law - couldn't keep them perfectly. Those who kept the law perfectly didn't have time to think about anyone else - except to notice how badly others kept the law. And God mourned.
But God still had hope.
"And Mary gave birth to her firstborn son ..." And he was different from all others babies ever born. And God rejoiced.
In our text today Jesus is doing two things. Jesus indicates his purpose to fulfill the law and explains some of what that means.
17 'Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets;
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
18For 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.
19Therefore, 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.
20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Being and doing have always been almost inextricably linked together. Jesus was different from anyone else and he acted differently. Jesus embodied - lived out completely - God's intention for how people are to love God and love each other and love themselves. Jesus embodied God's desire, God longing, for all people.
Jesus assumes his divine role as the Son of God.21 'You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not murder"; and "whoever murders shall be liable to judgment." According to scholars, the disciples would have understood Jesus to be referring to the ancient Israelites hearing the Ten Commandments from the lips of Moses, God's spokesperson.
22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, "You fool", you will be liable to the hell of fire. They should have also understood that Jesus was assuming his role as God, but thought he was a prophet. As God, Jesus expects his followers to follow God's law as he both lived and explained it. What Jesus does in the last part of Ch. 5 is to expand the understanding of God's law to include what one thinks and desires as well as what one does. In several places in God's word we are warned that actions grow out of our thoughts and desires. God wants His people to be different in every way so that no one in God's community suffers violence from another member.
23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. #225Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 'You have heard that it was said, "You shall not commit adultery." 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. #229If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
31 'It was also said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce." 32But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity (sleeping with a married man), causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 'Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord." 34But I say to you, Do not swear at all ... 37Let your word be "Yes, Yes" or "No, No"; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
38 'You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer.
43 'You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you ... 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Being God's people means we will work at thinking differently than most people around us so that we will act differently. Being God's people means we will work at acting differently so that we will be different. It works both ways. And it requires much discipline and accountability. But it is through discipline, as Oswald Chambers says, that we find true freedom. It is through discipline and a growing selflessness that we discover who God created us to be in the first place.
It sounds like an incredibly hard job, a lot of work! How can we be "perfect?" But why would Jesus have talked about these things if they were impossible for the disciples to achieve? And surely if a bunch of uneducated men were expected to follow Jesus' teaching, surely we can, too?
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the school's students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question.
"Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is God's plan reflected in my son?" The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. "I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents itself. And it comes in the way people treat that child." Then, he told the following story:
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they will let me play?" Shay's father knew that most boys would not want him on their team. But the father understood that if his son were allowed to play it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging. Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning."
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the outfield. Although no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base. Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first. Run to first." Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled "Run to second, run to second!" By the time Shay was rounding first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for a tag. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions had been, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head.
Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, "Shay! Run home!" Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and was cheered as the hero, for hitting a "grand slam" and winning the game for his team. "That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into this world."
Jesus calls us to join him in being different, to learn to embody God's law of love and respect and freedom. Jesus calls us to join him in having hope for all people that they will discover and embrace their Creator and Lord, who waits and longs and works and hopes.
Petitcodiac Mennonite Church