Do The Right Thing

Romans 12:1-21
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:14-18). I wonder what would happen if we took Paul’s exhortations as seriously as we do some other biblical texts. I wonder what would happen if we challenged ourselves to no longer repay evil for evil with as much vigor as some people of faith use in speaking out against what they consider to be among the more egregious sins. Or if we took Paul’s directions to “live in harmony with one another” to be as essential to a godly life as we hear certain other activities to be contrary to God’s will.

I’ve noticed a tendency on my part to do some picking and choosing when it comes to standards of conduct as a Christian. I’ve also noticed that I’m not the only one. It is terribly easy to make up our own catalogue of dos and don’ts and to add what we feel is appropriate to the list while leaving off some items we aren’t as fond of. The fact is that over and over again in the words of Paul—just as in the words of Jesus before him––the focal point remains love for God and love for one another. With this love comes a willingness to suffer with and to care for those around us. Jesus said that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16), a sentiment echoed by 1 John which says, “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God” (1 John 4:16); Paul himself says clearly that “faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). It all comes down to love and the harmony, and the shared burdens, and the peaceable living, and the willingness to associate with folks from all classes that comes with it. It all comes down to opening our hearts to God in such a way that we also love our neighbors as ourselves.

As we ponder the word of God and God’s will for all people, we must embrace the entire scope of scripture. Yes, God does offer judgment, does seek to correct our sinfulness, does lead us to a more profound sense of righteousness. But first and foremost God calls us to build a community in love and forbearance where no one is haughty and everyone seeks to live in peace with everyone else. I just wonder what that would look like.

Prayer: Almighty God, may our lives be filled with love for you and for each other, and may we be guided in all we do to build a world full of your grace and peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mercy In The Neighborhood

Luke 10:25-37
The meaning of the word neighbor is radically challenged by Jesus in our reading from Luke this morning. “’Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (Luke 10:36-37). In Hebrew and Greek, as in English and many other modern languages, a neighbor is either someone who lives nearby (a nigh boor, with boor drawing on an earlier form of the English buan, to dwell) or, in very general terms, a fellow human being. Jesus, in his conversation with a lawyer, pushes well past both the specific idea of the guy next door and the general idea of any other person to provide a godly definition of neighbor: one who shows mercy.

Most of us understand this idea at a rational level. We hear what Jesus is saying, that we should love and care for others regardless of how we are related to them. Where I think we break down is in the practice. “Charity begins at home” is an adage I hear often, even in the church. “We should care for our own first,” we say. Jesus will have none of that. According to him, “our own” are whoever need us. To be a neighbor is to respond in times of duress no matter who may be lying in that ditch. Jesus says that we must be guided by mercy to respond to others, and in doing so create a new community, a new neighborhood.

In these final days of the presidential campaign in the United States, I wonder how Jesus’ radical redefinition of neighbor might affect the way we see those around us. Can it serve to blunt some of the harsher language of politics? Can it allow us to seek common ground where the trend is to vilify and demonize those who disagree with us? Indeed, once we have heard Jesus confirm mercy as the essential criteria for neighborliness can we ever again justify the “win-at-all-cost” mentality that permeates our political process? Here’s a little experiment to try. Imagine yourself in Luke’s account, not as the Samaritan or as the man in the ditch, but as the lawyer who addressed Jesus. At the end of their conversation Jesus instructs him to “go and do likewise.” When it comes to mercy, that’s a pretty clear message. But will we do it?

Prayer: Lord, may we speak with justice but also with compassion this day, so that like Jesus we may sow the seeds of love and kindness and not those of suspicion and hate. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How Awful Is That?

Mark 12:35-44

As someone who leads worship on a regular basis I was a bit put off by a verse from Mark’s gospel today. Warning his listeners about the scribes Jesus says, in part, “They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation” (Mark 12:40). Really? Long prayers are morally equivalent to devouring the homes of widows? If this is true then I’m in big trouble. But this is really not the what Jesus is saying. The lengthy prayers that Jesus is talking about are made “for the sake of appearance,” not as a true act of faith. In other words, the scribes often practice a phony religion with prayers intended to attract attention to themselves and not to praise and worship God. And while dubious prayers may still seem mild compared to the eviction of widows, they do point to a greater truth. Our relationship with God says a lot about how we are apt to treat others. If we are praying, or worshiping, or showing up for church just so others will see us and be impressed, then we are really no better than those who mistreat their neighbors and take advantage of the defenseless.

Does that sound familiar? It should. This is just an extension of the gospel reading from yesterday, where Jesus said that love of God and love of neighbor are the two greatest commandments. It is impossible to do one adequately without doing the other as well. Insulting God with meaningless prayers IS the moral equivalent of mistreating one’s neighbors because not loving God is essentially the same as not loving those around us, and vice versa. So, it really isn’t the length of ours prayers that Jesus is warning us about-what a relief!-it is what those prayers say about us, how we feel about God, how we feel about each other.

Prayer: Lord, help us to love you and to love those around us. Amen.

Someone Was Paying Attention

Mark 12:28-34

According to Mark’s gospel, a scribe asked Jesus an honest question, “Which is the greatest of all the laws?” Jesus’ answer was two-fold. First he quoted from Deuteronomy 6 that there is only one God who must be worshiped with every ounce of our being. Then he reminded his listeners to love their neighbors as much as they loved their own lives. “You are right, Teacher,” said the scribe. “You have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’- this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:32-33).

The scribe’s reply pleased Jesus, but it should also encourage us. Christianity is not an impossible muddle of things to do and not to do. Nor is it one giant “NO” as some would suggest. A life of discipleship in Jesus Christ is a life oriented in the right direction and lived along the right path. It is a challenge, to be sure, but it also offers times of joy and of peace, for when we truly share in the lives of those around us and when we strive to put God first in our living we are enabled to live as those freed from the fear of death and open to the forgiveness that God alone offers. Everything else flows from these two principles: Love God above all, and love neighbor with honest concern.

Easier said than done, I know, but these commandments are pretty clear cut and are not that difficult to gage in our living. In fact, pay attention to what you do today. When do you do the best job of following God’s will and when do you fall short? When do you show the most love for your neighbors and when do you struggle to put up with them? With practice I think we can all become more aware of our actions and can become more faithful and obedient to God at the same time.

Prayer: Lord, help us to love you with all that are, and help us to support and care for one another. In this way may we serve you and give glory to your name. Amen.

Is There Really A Choice?

Romans 13:1-14

Luke 8:16-25

At first glance we might see a contradiction between our New Testament readings for today. In Romans Paul says, “(the commandments) are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:9-10). Meanwhile in Luke’s gospel Jesus is told that his own mother and brothers are trying to see him but cannot get through the crowd. Jesus’ reply seems almost dismissive. “But he said to them, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it’” (Luke 8:21). So what gives? Are we to ignore our own flesh and blood while showing compassion to the wider community? I think not.

In Luke Jesus does not deny his family, he instead expands it exponentially. Not only are Mary and her other children of concern to him, but so is everyone else who strives to do the will of God. Then, lest we turn ourselves inward, Paul reminds us to do no harm even to those who are not a part of “the family.” There are no limitations in these passages. Far from it! In Jesus there is a community available to anyone who would be a part of it, and compassion for those who are not. This is something to think about today as we go about our lives, interacting with friends and strangers, loved ones and those who we do not know. Will we make sharp distinctions between the two? Or will we show love and kindness in each case?

Prayer: God of love, help us to share that love with friend and stranger alike, that your will be done and your name glorified. In Jesus’ name. Amen.