On Getting Even

Matthew 7:1-12

Jesus said, “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Simple. Straight forward. To the point. Act towards others the way you would like them to act towards you. The problem is that too often we turn Jesus’ words completely around. Too often we prefer to “do to others as they have already done to us.”

Notice how Jesus made no allowances for past actions? Jesus does not promises us the opportunity to “get even.” Indeed, Jesus’ words at the beginning of the passage are just as clear. “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged” (v. 1). Why is this so difficult? Why do we work so hard to get around it? Judgment belongs to God, and we are called to live by a higher standard regardless of how we have been treated. Even if the other person started it, even if the other person doesn’t follow the same rules, even if we don’t like it. “This is the law and the prophets,” Jesus tells us. This isn’t new it’s what God has been saying all along.

Is it realistic to treat others better than they treat us? Maybe not in human terms. But if we intend to live as disciples of Jesus Christ we had better take these words seriously and had better pay attention to what we are doing. Jesus is pretty clear.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes it is so difficult to live according to your word. Give us the strength to hear and to follow you in faithful obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Going to the Dogs

Matthew 7:1-12

Sometimes one verse of scripture can shed light on a completely different verse or section of scripture. In the midst of our reading from Matthew today we hear Jesus say, “Do not give what is holy to dogs…” (Matthew 7:6a). I think one way to understand these words is as a warning not to take the faith lightly but to safeguard it from misunderstanding or misuse. Being judgmental toward others within the community of believers, for example, opens the gospel to contempt by those outside the faith and wastes the opportunity to demonstrate God’s love in Jesus Christ.

What, then, does this tell us about Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman later in the book of Matthew? There Jesus says, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs” (15:26). Assuming that the term “dogs” has the same meaning in each instance, Jesus is making a serious claim. He believes that what he has to offer as the Messiah is not intended for those from outside the boundaries of Judaism, that his focus must be on the house of Israel. That changes, of course, with the heartfelt affirmation of the woman, whose faith in Jesus’ ability to heal far exceeds that of many of Jesus’ own people.

So here is the point. The Christian faith should never be misused or taken lightly. But it IS to be shared freely with all who will hear it, regardless of who they may be. The gospel is potent stuff, with the power to change lives and alter perspectives, allowing us to see others the way God intends them to be seen.

Prayer: Lord, help us to hold our faith in reverence and to live the gospel everyday. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Limping, Leaping, Wavering, Living

1 Kings 18:20-40

Our reading from 1 Kings today describes the prophet Elijah’s duel with the worshipers of Baal. Speaking to the people of Israel Elijah asks, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him…” (1 Kings 18:21; NRSV). The word that means limping implies a wavering on the part of the people, an unwillingness to commit to God over and against Baal. Later in the passage we read that the prophets of Baal “limped about the altar that they had made” (v. 26; NRSV). Other translations use the word “leaping” instead of limping, but it implies a sort of halting liturgical dance that apparently was typical at that time. Now think of Jacob’s night by the ford of the River Jabbok. As the story goes Jacob limped away from his wrestling match with God (Genesis 32:24f; NRSV).

All of this limping, whether a sign of indecisiveness, wrong-headedness, or blessedness, seems to sum up life pretty well. Everybody limps, one way or another. Everyone takes false steps or gets muddled about faith. We are all limpers, and in so many ways we are all in this thing together. Jesus warned us not to point out the speck in our neighbor’s eye until we had dealt with the log in our own (Matthew 7:3). Perhaps we might also refrain from laughing at a stranger who stumbles until we can actually manage to stand up. Thinking too highly of ourselves may be the greatest “limp-causer” of all and was certainly something about which Jesus had a lot to say.

As I limp through my life I feel called not so much to judge the way others walk as to share my own efforts at getting it right while offering the balance and stability that I believe God offers in Jesus Christ. We all walk with faltering steps; it is part of being human. Grace abounds when we learn to help each other stay upright and rejoice in the path we are called to travel.

Prayer: Lord, help us to acknowledge our own limping even as we offer a hand to those around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

'Lord, Lord'

Deuteronomy 5:1-22

Matthew 7:13-21

Looking back on the years of my childhood I remember a number of things which, due to my upbringing, I assumed to be scandalous. Men with tattoos and women who colored their hair were two of the more notable cases. And there was a subset of misdeeds which seemed to fall under the heading of language. The n-word was absolutely taboo in our house. Saying “ain’t” wasn’t nearly so morally repugnant, but it was definitely something we didn’t do. And then there was “taking the Lord’s name in vain.” In my mind that generally meant saying the words “God” or “Lord” when you weren’t in church, weren’t praying, or weren’t actually talking about God or the Lord. Anything else was a scandal.

Now that I’m an adult—and a minister at that—I look at some things in a different way. I know so many men and women with tattoos, colored hair, or tattoos AND colored hair that I would be hard pressed to quit socializing with them all. The n-word is still absolutely taboo, and the word ain’t still grates on my ears, but I’ve come to a much better understanding of taking the Lord’s name in vain. As we’ve read today, “You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God…” (Deuteronomy 5:11). Clearly that is not just an in junction against muttering God’s name in anger, though that is part of it. There is also the whole matter of saying, “God wants you to do this” or “the Lord told me to do that” when it is simply not true. (You might as well say, “When God is looking for a new car God comes to XYZ Toyota. Remember folks, XYZ Toyota is the Lord’s choice in auto superstores!” As far as I know God does not endorse consumer products).

Matthew’s gospel offers what I think is a helpful example of what it means to make “wrongful use of the name of the Lord…”. There Jesus warns, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:21). In other words, God’s name is not a secrete password or a magical incantation against evil. Saying “Lord, Lord,” in and of itself accomplishes nothing. What we are called to do is move beyond the vanity of divine name dropping and instead embrace God’s will as vital to the welfare of the world.

Prayer: Almighty God may we live as your people and thereby give glory to your name. Amen.