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Last Sunday After the Epiphany
Light of Christ Anglican Church
The Rev. Michael Moffitt, February 26, 2017


How Can I Be Expected to Live like That?


Text: Matthew 5:38–48

I’ve often assumed that the English language is probably one of the most difficult ones to learn. We have so many words that have different meanings but even more confusing is all the colloquialisms and idioms. Phrases like “raining cats and dogs” or “he bought the farm” (which has nothing to do with real estate but refers to dying), or something being very expensive is referred to as “costing an arm and a leg”. Imagine the horror for someone from another country seeking to make a purchase and being told of this great cost. The funny thing is that we also have regional sayings and idioms that make it difficult to understand even those who live in the same country and supposedly speak the same language.

Let me give you a great example that happened to me. Years ago I was delivering a trailer load of stuff to a distribution center located beside a shopping mall in Pittsburgh. While I was waiting to get unloaded I walked over to the mall to get a haircut. As I set in the chair while a young lady cut my hair she felt that she needed to share a story about something really surprising that happened to her. As it ended up the story surprised me too and I responded, “Golly Ned! That’s goofy as all get out.” I was expecting her to respond with something like, “I know, right!” but there was just dead silence. I looked in the mirror and I saw her standing back from me looking puzzled and it was then that I realized that the expression that I had used would make perfect sense in Roanoke, but most likely sounded like utter nonsense to someone from Pittsburgh. Well I compounded the dilemma when I started laughing and couldn’t stop. She looked alarmed and nervous and stepped away holding out her scissors. I finally was able to compose myself and explain what I meant by the phrase. She still seemed concerned that I had no idea who Ned was.

I thought about this story as I considered our gospel passage for this morning and thought of it in light of the entire teaching that we have looked at from Matthew 5. We often speak to those outside of the faith using Christian words and phrases which makes it difficult for them to understand what we mean. However, the problem is made even more difficult when our lives and testimonies don’t match up with our words.

Today we are in week 5 of a 5 part series on Matthew chapter 5 (try to say that real quickly 5 times). This series began with a look at the teaching of Jesus in the Beatitudes. The eight sections reflect the process of beginning and continuing a relationship with Jesus Christ and it begins with coming to him as those who are “poor in spirit” and completely in need of his grace and mercy. We have discussed how we come to Jesus as beggars hoping to find comfort and peace and find that he is waiting to bring us into his family where we become sons and daughters of God.

Two weeks ago we saw that we actually experience a legal change in status as we move from our lowly estate as beggars to those who inherit the kingdom of God. This entire process works in us to produce dramatic changes in how we live and think. The Holy Spirit now works in those who have bowed their wills to the will of God and the result is that those around them should witness a dramatic change in their demeanor, attitude and way of life. This relationship with God in Christ should cause us to hunger and thirst for more of Christ righteousness because we long to please God who is now to be the object of our affection. Jesus taught that if we turn to him by faith we will become those who are pure in heart, with a single-minded devotion and commitment to him. The past two weeks we have discussed how even what we think about has consequences because ultimately our thoughts change the focus of our hearts and influence our actions. We saw how having murderous thoughts towards someone makes us guilty of murder in God’s eyes and even looking at someone other than our spouse with lust makes us guilty of adultery even though we may never follow through with it.

Last week we discussed the issue of not dealing with the temptation of lust and how it leads to sexual perversion in areas like pornography and adultery. This led us to the subject of divorce and how it is against the design of God for us as it destroys families and the fabric of society. All of these things happen to professing Christians when they fail to live according to the promise and commitment that they made to Jesus when first coming to faith. When our focus is no longer on God and his glory then the object of our affection will always be on something else instead. When we forget that God is holy and we must also be holy there is no limit to how fall we can fall.

This morning our gospel reading from Matthew 5 takes us into the final two areas of concern in this chapter. Both the command to not seek revenge but become the servant and the command to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” are virtually impossible to obey without the power and love of God only found through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Before we look at these passages individually, I want to consider the themes found in our Old Testament, Epistle and Psalm for this morning. There is an important central teaching in these passages that will enable us to better understand how we are to see our gospel passage. In Exodus 24:12–18 God calls Moses to come up to him on Mount Sinai so that he can give him to the law and commandment written for Israel’s instruction. Let’s read Exodus 24:15–18,

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Can you imagine what that must have been like for Moses, to walk right into the presence of God and be surrounded with his glory? The glory that from the valley appeared as a devouring fire is what Moses walked right into. For 40 days and nights Moses dwelt in that awesome state and we see the effect of that in Exodus 34:29–30,

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

There is so much to unpack from these passages but the point I want us to see this morning is that living in the presence of God produces a very noticeable effect on a person and is evident to all those around them. To Israel it instilled in them a fear of even coming close to Moses and it should have because to stand in the presence of God’s glory is a holy and awesome thing. For those who do not have a relationship with God it should produce a holy fear of his righteous judgment. Either way there will never be a merely neutral response to God’s presence.

The Psalmist reminds of this in Psalm 99:1–5,

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!
4 The King in his might loves justice. You have establis hed equity;
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!

The writer of Hebrews warns those who approach God to know who he is and respond accordingly,

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29

Let’s now look at our Epistle reading from 2 Peter 1:16–19,

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts..

The Apostle Peter is writing this letter to encourage the church to follow the gospel message handed down to them through the apostles. He is telling them that the teaching of all the apostles is the same message and anything other than that message is false teaching. He then points to a time when Jesus was still upon earth and he, James and John were up on the mountain with Jesus. Let me read to you Matthew 17:1–3, 5,

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, 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 white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.

The three disciples were terrified at this sight and the voice of God and they fell down with their faces to the ground. As Peter later writes about this incident he reveals that this was a revelation that continued to encourage him to remain faithful. He saw Moses, the giver of the law of God and Elijah, who was the prophet who foreshadowed the Messiah standing before Jesus. The law and the prophets stood before the very one that they had pointed to and gave him honor and glory but then the Father speaks his pleasure of the Son and commands that the disciples listen to Jesus. God knew that the time was coming soon when the religious leaders would condemn them and accuse them of neglecting the law and bringing shame upon Judaism and would try to kill them like they had Jesus. During those times they could remember what they witnessed on the Mount of Transfiguration and stay faithful to the commands of Jesus. Peter then points out that what they had seen was a brief glimpse into the divine glory with which Christ will come at his return. The prophetic word of Jesus promising to come back for them was made certain as they beheld him in his glory.

Once again we have an example of the effect of being in the presence of God, it “becomes as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

Peter, the one who had out of fear of the Jews denied that he even knew Jesus , now writes this Epistle as one who was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who reminded him of what he had seen and what this revealed about the lordship and glory of Jesus. Now he boldly wrote and spoke as one who had been transformed by living in the presence of God. Like Moses and many others, Peter is now able to stand in obedience to the will of God and even give up his life for the one that he loved above all things.

This is the context that will assist us as we briefly consider our gospel passage for this morning. Remember that the path that Jesus took his listeners on in the Beatitudes was designed to produce in them the understanding and strength to follow him obediently. As we invite him into every area of our lives he is the one who strengthens and teaches us by the Holy Spirit. As we spend time with him in prayer and worship and feed upon his word, we experience what it is to live in the presence of God. To deny ourselves is to be clueless as to his presence. There is nothing that he asks us to do that is impossible if we choose to allow him to move freely in and through. The problem comes when we decide to take back control and run things ourselves. Let’s read again Matthew 5:38–42,

You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Last year the movie Criminal starring Kevin Costner came out. One of the often quoted lines from the movie is “you hurt me, I’ll hurt you worse.” I think that sentiment is actually not considered that unusual in our culture and it certainly wasn’t in the ancient Middle East then or now. In the movies our heroes are those who inflict more damage on the villains than they can stand and we cheer and our hearts soar in admiration. Now, Jesus is not speaking out against military action that protects a nation and its people, but he is addressing the corruption of Exodus 21:24. The intent of the law was that the punishment should be equitable and fit the crime. This excluded enacting vengeance or applying varying standards for different social classes. Jesus is contradicting the misinterpretation that the law should apply to personal vengeance. It is wrong to think that Jesus means a physical attack cannot be resisted or defended against. When Jesus speaks of a slap on your right cheek, it was culturally understood as a deep insult, not a physical attack. Jesus does not mean that if someone hits across the right side of our head with a baseball bat, we should allow them to then hit the left side. It is also wrong to think Jesus means that there is no place for punishment or retribution in society. Jesus here speaks to personal relationships, and not to the proper functions of government in restraining evil. I must turn my cheek when I am personally insulted, but we have the right to restrain the evil man from physical assault.

Jesus was teaching his listeners to respond to evil behavior by making a deliberate choice to give more than is required. At that time, Judea was under Roman military occupation. Under military law, any Roman soldier might command a Jew to carry his soldier's pack for one mile - but only one mile. Jesus here says, "go beyond the one mile required by law and give another mile out of a free choice of love." In doing so the love of God is revealed and the example of God’s kingdom presence is demonstrated. Remember Jesus wasn’t going to send out his disciples to the Jews only but to the world. They needed to think and act differently so that the love of God would be seen.

This same principle is seen in our final section from verses 43–45,

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

The Mosaic Law commanded you shall love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). Yet some teachers in the days of Jesus had added an opposite misapplication: an equal obligation to hate your enemy. Jesus knows that we will have enemies, yet we are to respond to them in love, trusting that God will protect our cause and bring reconciliation to our enemies in the best way possible, by making them into disciples of Jesus and therefore our friends. The disciple's attitude to religious persecution must go beyond non-retaliation and instead become a way to demonstrate God’s love and mercy.

This is so different than our mindset in America but I would like to point you back to an incident in Amish country a few years ago. In October, 2007 and man walked in an Amish school house in Nickel Mines, Pa and shot 10 little girls, killing 5 before killing himself. We were shocked at such an act of evil against such a peaceful people but I think the greater shock came from the reaction of the tiny Amish community.

Donald Kraybill, is a sociologist at nearby Elizabethtown College and co-author of Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy.

I think the most powerful demonstration of the depth of Amish forgiveness was when members of the Amish community went to the killer's burial service at the cemetery. Several families, Amish families who had buried their own daughters just the day before were in attendance and they hugged the widow, and hugged other members of the killer's family.

It was later announced that the Amish community had donated money to the killer’s widow and her three children because their hearts grieved for her loss and embarrassment and they gathered around her to let her know that they had this grief in common and offered her love and compassion

Joseph Beiler one of the counselors that helped the community get through this crisis was himself changed by their response.

“Tragedy changes you. You can't stay the same," Beiler says. "Where that lands you don't always know. But what I found out in my own experience if you bring what little pieces you have left to God, he somehow helps you make good out of it. And I see that happening in this school shooting as well. One just simple thing that the whole world got to see was this simple message of forgiveness.”

Beiler points out later in the article that the Amish choosing to forgive actually aided in the process of their healing.

This is living like Jesus and it can only happen when we allow the Holy Spirit to move into every area of our lives. If we could live the way Jesus has told us to in this chapter, we would truly be perfect.

If a we could keep just what Jesus said here, we would truly have a righteousness greater than the scribes and the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20), the very thing we must have to enter into God's Kingdom. But there is only one man who has lived like this: Jesus Christ. What about the rest of us? Are we left out of the Kingdom of God? Of course the answer is emphatically NO! The answer to that question brings us full circle back to the very beginning of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3,

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

Don’t you love the way that Jesus has led us through this chapter. He begins by calling us to surrender to his love and mercy as beggars and promises that the reward is intimacy with him and all that the Kingdom of God affords. Then he ends with the demand that we be perfect even as His Father is perfect, which is something that we simply cannot do apart from Jesus forgiveness and indwelling presence. If we are to go forth in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit it must happen on bended knee and a broken and humble heart. I suggest that we begin now.

Let’s Pray!

©2017 Rev. Mike Moffitt

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