Lectionary: Epiphany 6A
Text: Matthew 5:21-37
Introduction – Global Concerns
On Monday [Feb. 6, 2023] a violent
and catastrophic earthquake hit the region of Turkey and Syria, causing major
devastation and thousands of lost lives. Global aid has been quick to respond,
but the magnitude of the destruction and difficulties with the terrain and
logistics have made it difficult for aid workers.
Later this
month will mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war continues
and the best analysis is that Russia will try to escalate the conflict. Several
million residents have fled their homes; many thousands, both military and
civilian, have been killed. Cities and villages have been destroyed, and those
who remain suffer from lack of sufficient infrastructure, lack of basic
necessities, and the cold. Aid from many quarters and organizations continue to
pour in, yet there is still no end in sight.
These are,
but just two of the more recent catastrophic global incidents that take up our
attention. It doesn’t take much effort to come up with other incidents that vie
for our attention and concern. Go to a site like Global Giving and one can find
scores of needs around the globe: from disaster response, climate action,
educational needs, food security, and more.
In this kind
of present-day context, we encounter the text for today. To be frank, I
struggled with this text’s relevance for me in February 2023. What relevance does
Jesus’ midrash, or commentary, on Jewish law have for any of us right now? How
does a stricter interpretation of ancient laws relate to the 21st
century?
Sermon on the Mount, an Overview
Today’s text
is from a portion of Matthew’s gospel frequently referred to as the Sermon on
the Mount. When the entirety of the Sermon is examined, it addresses mostly
relationships within the kingdom of heaven that is being inaugurated by Jesus.
It has almost nothing directly concerned with larger global, or even national
affairs. It is mostly about how citizens of this new society or community are
to live. I will be taking
a somewhat different approach today. Instead of focusing this time specifically
on today’s text, I want to get a higher altitude look at the overall Sermon on
the Mount and in doing so, perhaps better understand how all the pieces fit
together. I’m sure
that most of us are familiar with vision and mission statements. If you’ve
worked or volunteered for any kind of an organization, including churches, you
probably have seen them. And I suspect many of you have been involved in
forming or revising such statements. And some of you may even have taken the
initiative to form personal vision and mission statements. These vision and
mission statements are supposed to act as guides in forming organizational
policies and personal behaviors. I see in the
Sermon on the Mount some similarities. The Beatitudes, which form the very
beginning of the Sermon, could be likened to the vision statement of the
kingdom of heaven, the new society, the community that Jesus is forming. The
Beatitudes describe the characteristics that those who are part of this
community will display. At this
point this community is still tiny. The Sermon is addressed directly to Jesus’
disciples, and at this point only four have been named explicitly (in Matthew
4:18-22). The next section
of the Sermon is where Jesus equates the community to salt and light. I see
this as the mission statement of the kingdom of heaven. The mission is not for
the community to go and try to change the world, but to simply display the
characteristics of the new society and by doing so perhaps those outside might
be attracted into the community. The next
section, which is not part of this year’s lectionary sequence, reveals that
Jesus is not replacing the Law and the Prophets, but he is expanding on already
established authorities and providing his stricter interpretations of them. Beginning
with this section and the rest of the Sermon could be seen as how the vision
and mission takes on more concrete forms of relational behaviors within the
kingdom of heaven. These offer examples of and an aspirational look at what
“love for another” looks like in action. In modern corporate-speak, these statements
might be called policy statements. Our gospel text this morning forms the first
few such statements. The rest of
the Sermon deals with specific topics on personal piety and how that ought to
be practiced, how prayer ought to be offered, the pitfalls of wealth and what
genuine treasure is, dealing with anxiety, the tendency to be judgmental, taking
care of one another in the community, and what it means to live as a citizen of
the kingdom of heaven. Seen in its
entirety, the Sermon is about how member of the new kingdom, the new society,
the community, relate to one another. The community consists of those who make
it a priority to look after one another’s needs. For those who have the means,
to pay it forward to those who are unable. A community where authority is not
lorded over another, but rather where authority is accompanied by
responsibility to care for those under authority. Where justice and mercy are found
in balance. A community where none strive for fame, power, or status. Where all
are willing to sacrifice their own self-interest for the good of another and
the community. Where each member values their own integrity and honesty such
that the community has no reason to doubt the integrity of one another. As I thought
about this question, I began to realize that in many ways it is much easier to
be concerned about far-off places, about groups of people I don’t personally
know and will never interact with. It’s easy to write a check and offer a
prayer about a big, global concern. But what
about our family, neighbors, those with whom we work alongside, our bosses, our
employees, our fellow church members? A few verses
near the end of the Sermon on the Mount grabbed my attention. 21 “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. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and
do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 Then I will
declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you who behave lawlessly.’
(Mathew 7:21-23 NRSVue) This text is
frequently interpreted in terms of self-righteousness; i.e., those who loudly
and visibly profess to be Christian, may be leaders in Christian ministries and
churches, but are only performing good works to be praised and admired by others
or to fatten their wallets. None of us would ever be tempted to do that, would
we? But as I
pondered the warning, I found another line of thought running through it. Perhaps
it is also a warning for the rest of us against placing too much priority on working
toward making a big impact on the world at the expense of taking care of those
things and people that are right in front of us every day. Perhaps it is a
warning against temptation to use our concern for making a big impact as a
distraction and an excuse from taking care of the more immediate, little things.
I’m not
saying we shouldn’t be concerned about bigger things and dismiss global needs.
But what the world may view as little things – our individual relationships
with one another – are as important as what the world sees as the big,
important things. This is another reversal that is found in the kingdom of
heaven – what the world considers less important, may be more important in
God’s kingdom. Here is how
I might rewrite Matthew 7:21-23 considering today’s thoughts: “Lord, Lord. I gave to relief organizations. I gave to
missions. I tried to make a difference in the world for you.” And the Lord will
answer, “But how were your relationships with family, those you worked with
daily, and with others who are part of my family, the church?” In the
Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains that the principles of shalom, that
is relational wholeness and peace, are timeless. He quotes selections from the
Torah and refers to long-held Jewish traditions around the Law and explains how
there are essential principles that carry into the new kingdom of heaven. Let us be
vigilant about tending to our close-in relational needs with as much vigor,
care, and generosity as we are about caring for global needs. The Sermon as Vision-Casting
Mission Statement for the Kingdom of Heaven
An Ideal Vision of Kingdom Life
The Sermon as a Gospel Framework and Pattern
“Big” Things vs. “Little” Things
The Kingdom is Relational
Holding Things in Balance
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