Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:43- 48
43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Welcome to the club!  Allow me to take you through the initiation, teach you the secret handshake and password that will open up a whole new world of privileges as a child of God and disciple of Jesus Christ…  yeah, right.

You read it yourself.  Jesus said that God shows no impartiality.  God gives light to the evil and the good.  He sends rain to the just and unjust alike.  In other workds, God’s grace knows no bounds on this tiny ball of dust.  That stinks right?  Usually, the way these things go is, when you find favor with the king, you’re given land, servants, and a license to do as you pretty well please, your reward for years of loyalty and dedicated service to king and country.

Yeah… unfortunately that’s not the way it works in God’s Kingdom.  For in His kingdom, to be the greatest, you must first be the least.  In His kingdom, you can’t squash your enemies like you want to (and believe me, I wanted to plenty of times!!).  Instead, you have to turn the other cheek.  Now, all that’s fine and good.  Heck, even ‘doable.’  But Love my enemies???  Pray for those who persecute me?!?!  Somebody’s got it all wrong.  I’m won’t say who it is but his initials are G.O.D.  And that’s all I’m willing to say.

The logic here is quite simple.  In fact, so simple that it make simple sense.  We just choose to ignore it.  Anyone can love people who love him or her.  In fact, they do.  But in the upside down kingdom of God, true love is demonstrated when we love not only the unlovable but especially those who hate and persecute us.  Ridiculous right?  I know…  But according to Jesus, that’s perfect love.  You wanna know what the craziest, zaniest thing about all this is?  We can do it.  Many people have.

When I was a kid, I heard this story about a Korean pastor whose two sons were murdered by a young, exuberant, Communist recruit in a small country town right before the Korean War.  Instead of bringing him to justice and sentencing him to die, which the townspeople were fully willing to do, the pastor adopted him, showed him mercy and kindness and encouraged him to live the lives his sons would have been encouraged to live.  Such stories of forgiveness warms the heart and soul.  What would be even better is if we actually lived it.  Instead of wishing or wanting to be ‘perfect’ as a child of God, saying that we are disciples and followers, how about living it and BEING it?  That would truly be transformative, not just for us, but others around us.  It can be done.

An Eye for an Eye

Matthew 5:38-42
38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 40 If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.

Oh boy!!  This is the kind of ‘oh boy’ when you start rubbing your hands together because you know something good is coming.  And it’s good, I assure you, I just hope I can do it justice… *gulp*

This strikes at the very heart of, the very essence of, what it means to be a follower of Christ.  Unfortunately for us who live in a culture that not only upholds but even worships strength, this lesson has less than a snow ball’s chance in Arizona of getting through enough to make a difference.  Unfortunately.  But if it did by some miracle, oh what a difference it would make!  I sit here with eyes welling up at the thought of such a possibility.  But as optimistic as I am, I cannot honestly say that I have high hopes of this coming to pass when so commonly, I see followers of Christ turn against not his ‘enemies,’ but like cannibalistic dogs, against other followers of Christ, in the very places they gather to worship.  Of course, most if not all of the argument and fighting are over really stupid things like changing the light bulb or the color of the carpet, or so I’m told.

How are we going to change the world by God’s love and grace if we can’t even get over petty issues among ourselves for Pete’s sake??  When Jesus said ‘turn the other cheek,’ I’m sure he wasn’t addressing, although maybe not excluded, the fights and quarrels among his own disciples or followers.  Yet some people have said to me ‘Why, I have every RIGHT to be upset and angry!’  Sure you do, if you live under the law.  Under the law, you have every right to make someone pay for what they’ve gone and done to you.  You can bring them under the auspices of the law and throw The Book at them, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!!!  You can even form a mob and chase someone down just to prove you’re right.

The only thing is, followers of Christ live under God’s grace.  Which means we must forgive others because wehave been forgiven.  “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  Sound familiar?  But people really dig their heels in, deep.  If we can’t even get past the quibbles and quarrels we don’t stand a chance against the world and Jesus might as well have just talked to a wall.  Gandhi is quoted as saying, ‘An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.’  Gandhi isn’t even a ‘Christian’ but I dare say that he was probably more ‘Christian’ than most christians who go to church week after week.  I think Gandhi is only saying what Jesus was trying to saying in this text.

If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek.  If someone forces you to walk a mile, walk two.  If someone sues you for your shirt, give them your shirt as well.  A truly, truly difficult task, one that we must master if we ever hope to become a follower of my man JC.  Or at the very least, something we must overcome to practice forgiveness and understanding with the other followers of JC if we’re to have any hope at all.

Yes or No

Matthew 5:33-37
33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

Seems counterintuitive doesn’t it?  Doesn’t God want us to keep our vows?  Of course he does.  Then what gives?  Well, wouldn’t you like to know??  Ok. I’ll tell ya….

Jesus is talking about a practice called ‘corban.’  This is a practice commonly practiced by the priests and Pharisees who found loopholes in the Law concerning honoring their parents.  The fifth commandment tells us to honor our father and mother.  What this means in part is, take care of them in their old age, when they’re unable to take care of themselves, as they took care of you when you were unable as an infant or child.  Seems reasonable enough.  The loophole was this.  The practice of corban gave priests and Pharisees a way around this commandment by allowing them make vows to dedicate their wealth and possessions to God.  So when their parents (or others) came around to ask for help they could simply refuse on the grounds that everything they have belongs to God, while still having access to their wealth themselves.  This way they look like pious examples but in truth they were just greedy ‘saints’ who dishonored not only their parents but God as well.  Everybody knew about the practice and what the priests were doing but no one dared speak up about it, no one that is, except my man JC.

As for us, of course we don’t practice corban but the lesson is not lost.  In simple terms, what Jesus is saying is, “don’t make any promises you don’t intend to keep.”  I know we all make promises and vows to do this or that, but when life happens by some miracle, our promises are forgotten and our conscience is set free so we can do whatever we want.  How convenient.  Sure, we have every intention of keeping our vows but we seem to be constantly butting heads with the law of unintended consequences.    Don’t make any promises or vows so you can avoid this law.  For we don’t know what will happen tomorrow or the next day.  Even if we are intent on keeping our vows, we may be confronted with a situation that tests or tempts us.  Then we feel bad and get down on ourselves because we broke a promise, then we get depressed and sentence ourselves to a week of watching bad re-runs of the ‘Cosby Show’ eating tubs of ice cream and bags and bags of potato chips.  Don’t let this happen to you.  Don’t make vows.  But don’t neglect your communal obligations either, not to mention your obligations to God.  Be clear in what you mean to do and simply do it.  That’s intuitive.

A Crazy Little Thing Called… D-I-V-O-R-C-E

Matthew 5:31-32
31 “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

Divorce.  Ahh… it just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it?  Sadly, for many, it does.  You probably already know that over 50% of the marriages in the United States end up in divorce.  What you may not know is that it that most of those happen within the first 5 years of marriage.  We live in a culture where divorce is seen as an easy solution to a complex issue.  This is unfortunate not because divorce is wrong per se, but because the majority of people who marry do so without understanding or respect, therefore without respect or integrity.

Teachings on divorce are among the most misunderstood issues in the Bible, especially because of texts like this one.  How many people have been told that divorce is a sin through the ages?  It certainly seems as though Jesus believed it was, that is, if adultery is sin.  But before we go any further with this, let’s put it in its proper context shall we?

In the last devotional, we learned that the commandment telling us not to commit adultery is really about stealing property, which in this case happens to be a man’s wife.  It is important to note that women did not share the rights and privileges of marriage with their husbands.  They had no say in who, when, where, or if they will marry.  They were simply given and taken in marriage to settle debts, strengthen relationships, and cement treaties  (between men or tribes).  So the commandment “thou shalt not commit adultery” applied almost exclusively to men, as did just about all the other commandments.  In simples terms… women just didn’t matter (Sorry ladies, don’t shoot the messenger, just take it out on the men in your lives).

Notice also how Jesus also says, “You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’” He acknowledges that women are merely variables in the transaction.  The caveat, ‘unless she has been unfaithful’ is really irrelevant because any woman (not a man) who was caught in the act was not just divorced, she was usually stoned to death according to the Law.  So this teaching about divorce is really meant to convict men.

How do we apply this today where women have equal rights?  Well, let’s start with this; just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.  Yes, women today have more rights (and the means to exercise those rights) than ever before.  However, divorce except for abuse, neglect or infidelity, ie., breaking of the vow is 1, frivolous, and 2, an abuse of the right and privilege.  This is what the men in Jesus’ day did in such significance that Jesus was compelled to speak about it.  He does this to cast a net of protection over the neglected gender, but also to establish the understanding that the marriage relationship is a covenant made before God first, and the Law second.  In addition to this, for us today, it must be honored and respected by BOTH man and wife.  Happy trails.

You Have Heard it Said

Matthew 5:27-30
27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

In this section of the sermon on the mount Jesus begins a series of “you have heard it said… but I say unto you” statements.  Get ready to have your minds blown!!  This is definitely not for the squeamish or comfortable.  The words in this section of the Sermon on the Mount will kick your ever lovin’ metaphysical and cerebral @$$.  I’m serious. This section may greatly help you if you seek deeper understanding of your faith and practice or hurt you if your worldview is perfect and immutable. 

By starting out with “you have heard it said,” you can already sense that an uppercut is on the way.  Jesus is bringing to the forefront the misplaced loyalties of the Jewish people on the Law, doctrines and traditions, rather than the people these were meant to serve.  He is DIRECTLY challenging tradition and doctrines that have supposedly stood the test of time.  And to reinforce what he stated earlier in verse 17 when he said, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose”, Jesus follows it up with “But I say unto you…”

First, a short word about adultery.  At the time the 10 commandments were written, women were regarded as property.  Therefore lying with another man’s wife was tantamount to stealing.  And notice how commandment 5 is ‘thou shalt not kill,’ a rule that would have been very useful in a heretofore, lawless society of ex-slaves, followed by don’t commit adultery (ie., don’t kill your neighbor and steal his wife), then by ‘thou shalt not steal,’ ‘thou shalt not bear false witness,’ and finally, ‘thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s stuff.’  What I’m trying to say is that the 10 commandments were and are, simple and basic rules we learn in kindergarten if not before.

Didn’t you ever think it odd that of all the commandments God could have given us, 10 were chosen as ideals, and that among them, being jealous and stealing from our neighbors by killing them and bearing false witness against them throwing them in jail or worse, composed of half of those 10 commandments?  There are some really significant ‘commandments’ God could have given all of us to live by.  I mean, we could have been given commandments such as, ‘Stop being for afraid!’ or ‘stop being petty and grow up!!’ or ‘Every Friday is Pizza Day!!’ or ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ and ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’  Those would have been better I think.  But I’m not God, I’m just sayin’…

Back to adultery, Jesus redefines it and changes the way people looked at it.  As we’ll see going forward, the attitude and treatment of women by men was simply deplorable (and has been until recently, and in many cases still is, to our shame).  A man could divorce his wife for any reason but a woman who so much as uttered the word was subject to death by stoning.  So Jesus redefines adultery by saying, adultery is not a man just stealing another man’s wife.  It begins when men lust after ANY woman other than his wife.  I’m inclined to think that Jesus would have this apply to women in their view of men as well in our liberated post modern cultures.  So Jesus admonishes us to be pure and cut out all that makes us impure in God’s sight; even our eye(s) or hand(s).  A bit drastic, if taken literally.  And if taken literally, we would ALL have to learn to read braille, the only problem is we wouldn’t have any fingers (or hands) to read braille with. And that would totally… well… you know.  Oh the ironies and twists!!!

Two points for us today from this section: Be pure in heart and mind and, what you thought and believed is no more.  We’ll be coming back to the latter point often.  In the meantime, go and be pure already!!

Free Legal Advice

Matthew 5:25-26
25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.

Uh-oh!  Don’t look now but Jesus is giving out free legal advice!! LOL!!  The nature of verses 25 and 26 seem displaced and weird by themselves but in context it kinda flows.  The preceding verses 23-24 says, “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, ²⁴ leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”  Obviously, Jesus is speaking to the fact that it is far more important to think about what’s in our hearts than the rightness of our religious practices, that we can’t be right with God unless we’re right with our neighbor.  This is reflective of what Samuel teaches In 1 Samuel chapter 15, verse 22, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”  It’s more important that we live by, and uphold, the word of God in humble obedience rather than upholding our rituals or ceremonies.

Jesus speaks about our relationships on the spiritual level but also takes it to another level by addressing the practical aspect of our interactions with each other.  Practically speaking, it is far better that we settle our differences brother to brother, sister to sister. For the benefit of all involved, settle out of court, unless we have an open and shut case in our favor.  This is speaking to both the plaintiff AND the defendant.  Why?  Because the Law does not know grace, only justice.  In most, if not in all cases, we need more grace than justice, practically speaking.  Once the legal system takes over, it must follow the process to its end.  And it might not bode well for either party.

But apart from the practicality of the situation, the focus is on grace.  We are able, in so far as we are willing, to give and receive grace and mercy.  The Law is not accustomed to applying such things.  In reality, Jesus is not dispensing legal advice but practical advice on how our relationships should be, understanding the nature of Law and grace.  In this case, we should plead for forgiveness, mercy and grace from those we have offended while offering the same to those who have offended us, and to do this in the warmth of the love we’re supposed to have for one another (‘love your neighbor as yourself’), as opposed to the cold judgment of the Law.  Nothing ground breaking here, just common sense.

Sinners & Saints

Matthew 5:21-24
21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

No one likes to hear that his or her worldview needs adjusting.  No one I know at least.  We all like to think or believe that the way we see ourselves and the universe we live in is good, or at least, good enough.  Most of us see our views being challenged as a major infringement on our sense of security, especially when those views have passed the so-called ‘test of time.’  These views shape our reality, our sense of right and wrong, up and down, left and right.  When someone dares to step into our periphery and challenge them, not only are they questioning the ‘virtue’ of these views, he screws everything up and force us to re-order our reality that once was so neat and tidy like a sock drawer after laundry day.  It will not do, not do at all.

If you’re a Christian who doesn’t appreciate his boat being rocked or cage rattled, you’re in the wro-ong faith my friend, and you have no idea what you’ve signed up for.  Christians are followers, slash, disciples of the worst antagonist in history.  Your master and teacher not only comes smack dab into the middle of your sanitized life to drop bombs creating a hole soooo big that it would take years, maybe a lifetime, just to fill it, he takes pleasure while doing it!  Ain’t he nasty??  Behold, I give you, Jesus of Nazareth.

We know what murder is.  It’s when you take someone’s life for any other reason than self-defense.  Every civilized person knows it’s wrong and against every kind of law there is.  Whoever commits murder must be judged and made to pay for his crime.  But wait just a doggone minute.  Say wha??  If I’m even angry with someone, I’m subject to judgment?  Who hasn’t gotten angry or called someone idiot in the last hour or so?  On our commute into work?  And if you’ve cursed someone, well then, you’re in a world of hurt.  What kind of person is this we call Lord?  What’s he after here?

The statement he’s making is this; God doesn’t look at the works of the hands as much as he does the intentions of the heart.  It’s so easy to condemn a murderer but not a saint.  Our first mistake is in thinking that we know the difference between a murderer and a saint, that we can spot them a mile away.  Our second mistake is in thinking that murder is the worst thing anyone can commit.  Wrong and wrong.  One, we can’t tell no matter how much we think we can.  And two, there are far, far worse things than murder, far worse.  On many levels, murder is more merciful than callous indifference and apathy, or a lifetime of abuse and neglect.

In our confused world, many perform phenomenal work on behalf of the poor and downtrodden while simultaneously being the cause of their poverty and wretchedness.  The same hands that heals causes hurt.  The lines are blurred to say the least.  Who’s to know who’s who?  The One who sees the heart that’s who.  So Jesus points us to the understanding that it is far more important to be righteous in the sight of God than the court of human laws where such things as murderers and saints are defined.  According to Jesus, a convicted murderer may have a better chance of being reconciled to God than a supposed saint who harbors anger, prejudice, condescension, and ignorance in his heart.  What truly separates the sinners from the saints is what’s truly in the heart.

The New Order

Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
20 “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

There is this broad understanding in the Christian church that Jesus came from ‘heaven to earth,’ as the song goes, ‘to show the way,’ that his whole purpose was to die on the cross for the salvation of the world.  In truth, that’s only part of the story, a minor part.  Jesus says so right here, ‘Don’t misunderstand why I have come.’  But what does it mean to accomplish the purpose of the law?  It means that Jesus came to ensure the law of God is applied equally to all people, not just the chosen or elect.  But first, what is the purpose of laws?  What are laws designed to do?

Laws in short are designed to protect and give free people from fear of harm from the unscrupulous.  ‘Laws’ came into existence even before societies formed when a parent commanded an older, stronger sibling not to lay a hand on his younger siblings with the threat of punishment or discipline.  When societies formed, laws became necessary to protect one neighbor against the inconsideration of another.  Laws stopped people from killing each other to take what others possessed and protected the properties, rights, freedoms and privileges of the members of society.  Laws were and still are codes of ethics and morals by which we conduct ourselves.  Its purpose is to protect and free us to live without fear.

But it happened in Jesus’ time as it does in just about every society that the law was used by the institution to hold its people under oppression by subjecting them to impossible standards of conformity for the sake of religious orthodoxy.  In the process, the keepers of the Law neglected the very people they were designed to protect.  So Jesus makes a subtle shift here in referring to the Law from ‘the law of Moses’ to ‘God’s law.’  In doing so, he declares that there is a new order, greater even than Moses’ law.  Furthermore, he warns, if we ignore the smallest of these new laws and teach others to do the same then our place in ‘heaven’ will be insignificant.

So the question is; what is the law of God?  It is the law of love, mercy, grace, compassion and justice.  The teachers of religious law had forgotten the purpose of the law and therefore could not accomplish it.  Jesus saw beyond their institutional limitations and was free to fulfill the purpose of God’s law; to bring hope, healing and wholeness to God’s people.  Where’s the hope in facing a task knowing that no matter what you do and how hard you try, no matter what, you will fall short?  But knowing that there is love and grace, e are afforded hope.  That’s the purpose of the law of love.  Jesus came to make sure we understand it and live by it.

But today, in spite of this wonderful new law, we live constrained by, and chained to, our traditions, doctrines, and histories; just another set of laws we created.  So Jesus warns again, ‘unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!’  Pharisees didn’t exist just in the ancient times.  They still exist today (no, I’m not referring to Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn here…) in our churches and communities, as keepers of tradition, doctrines and histories.  To be sure, these things are very important, but not more than the people they are designed to protect and enrich.  So we must be diligent in keeping and accomplishing the law of God, the law of love, so that its purpose can be fulfilled in bringing hope, healing and wholeness to all of God’s people.  All people everywhere.