If Your Heart Turns Away...

 

Sermon – 02/12/2023

Matthew 5:21-37

As of this past Wednesday I was not scheduled to preach today and therefore had paid little attention to the lectionary readings for this week. However, after my conversation with Fr. David late that afternoon, it became evident that I needed to quickly develop a sermon and to be ready to impart some small piece of theological wisdom to you all this morning.

Of course, my first step was to have a look at the readings. I did so and said to myself, “Wow.” These are long and complicated readings. How do I sort through them quickly and discover that one phrase that says to me “You can preach on this.”

Luckily, I love the Old Testament, and I especially love Deuteronomy. That, I determined, would be my starting point.

First off, I turned to my hero Walter Brueggemann, a definitive theologian and scholar of the Old Testament who has posted many, many of his lectures on YouTube. As I suspected, I found one on today’s Deuteronomy reading. It was nothing short of excellent. Next, I took a look at Deuteronomy as a whole in my old study bible. The one that I used as I prepared for my ordination. There I found a few excellent notes from my Old Testament professor, another well informed scholar.

Well-armed with information from scholars and scripture and filled with inspiration blessedly given by the Holy Spirit, I began my sermon writing process.

The Book of Deuteronomy takes place just as the Israelites, encamped on the plains of Moab after 40 years in the desert, finally stand poised to enter the promised land. Moses as Deuteronomy’s speaker calls the people together and delivers a series of three speeches. These speeches are grouped together and presented as a long farewell address as he prepares to die. In this long and detailed address Moses reviews Israel’s history, recounts their laws, and instructs the people about the importance of loyalty to God.

Deuteronomy is an extremely complex narrative that was written from three distinctive viewpoints over the course of three time periods, each separated by hundreds of years. They reflect the ongoing development of the theology of Israelite’s story in the preexilic, exilic, and postexilic points of their history. In the book’s final chapters these three viewpoints operate simultaneously and present in detail the covenant that God made with Israel. These final chapters reflect a complex interplay developed over hundreds of years of Israelite history, Israelite Law, and the importance of Israel’s loyalty to God.

These final chapters, which include today’s reading from chapter 30, also focus on the details of a formal ratification ceremony that involved the swearing of an oath to accept the penalties for transgressing God’s covenant with Israel.

The basics of the covenant were outlined by Moses in chapter 28, just preceding today’s reading. Moses said, “The Lord will establish you as his holy people…if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways…But if you do not obey the Lord your God by diligently observing all his commandments…then…curses shall come upon you and overtake you.”

Following up by referring to this covenant, in today’s reading Moses proclaims “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, that I am commanding you today…then you shall live and become prosperous. But, if your heart turns away and you do not hear but are led astray…I declare to you today that you shall perish…Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him.”

I don’t know about you, but I do believe that God’s plan for us could not be any more straightforward: Love the Lord, obey him, and hold fast to him.

So, the phrase that almost instantly popped out at me and said, “You can preach on this,” was “But if your heart turns away and you do not hear but are led astray…”

“If your heart turns away and you do not hear.”

Walter Brueggeman claims that these passages from Deuteronomy call us to the “ongoing project of listening;” we are called to hear God continually actively and openly. And in our continued active and open listening we are called to give mindful consideration not only to God’s covenant with Israel but also to the summary and further development of that covenant that was given to us by Jesus just prior to his death on the cross. Namely, to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, and with all our souls, and with all our minds, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

And, as we pray, through the process of active and open listening, with these two commandments in mind, we must seek to hear God. Hear what he has to say now to us, now, in this present day, in this present moment. What do these Great Commandments heard through our prayerful listening to God require of us now in this troubled and much challenged world?

Today’s psalm, 119, which refers in detail to hearing God’s Word and carrying forward his commandments is traditionally paired with the Chapter 30 Deuteronomy reading, as is today’s Gospel reading from Matthew.

The psalmist wrote:

Happy are those whose way is blameless,
   who walk in the law of the Lord.
Happy are those who keep his decrees,
   who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
   but walk in his ways.
You have commanded your precepts
   to be kept diligently.
O that my ways may be steadfast
   in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
   having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart. The psalmist understood the critical importance of actively and open listening as the only way to hear God’s voice. The psalmist understood what Moses had to say as he imparted his final words of wisdom to the Israelites as they stood poised to enter the promised land: “If your heart turns away and you do not hear.”

In today’s gospel reading Jesus uses the familiar teachings of Deuteronomy on murder and adultery and expands on them for his listeners. Jesus’ teachings no longer apply strictly to acts of murder and adultery. Instead, they become doorways into the examination of the thoughts and actions of everyday life that lead to such acts. The laws that the Israelites heard that day on the plains of Moab had not changed. What did change through Jesus’ teachings was the helpful addition of understanding the ways in which laws are broken by us in our daily lives and what we must do if we are to seek God’s way for us. What we must do to follow the instruction given to us through the language of the Great Commandments.

What is the process that we must engage in if we are to listen for God’s word actively and openly? If we are to hear God voice? If we to avoid the path of going astray.

I would suggest that continual and disciplined prayer is “the way to go.”

To bring us up to date on how prayer and following God’s commandments works in today’s world, I want to refer to the life Elisabeth Elliott, a beloved missionary and prolific author. The resounding theme of Elliot’s life was the boundless love of Jesus, and her greatest commission was to tell others of His saving grace. This costly call led her into the Amazonian jungle of Ecuador where her husband, Jim Elliot, was one of five missionaries speared to death in 1956 while attempting to contact members of the Auca/Waodani tribe. Elisabeth, along with her young daughter Valerie, later returned to Auca territory to live among and minister to the people who killed her husband. Familiar with suffering, Elliot wrote, “The deepest things that I have learned in my own life have come from the deepest suffering. And out of the deepest waters and the hottest fires have come the deepest things I know about God.”

Elliott also observed, "Prayer lays hold of God's plan and becomes the link between his will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit's prayer."

Through the ages, no matter where or when; as taught by Moses, the psalmists, Jesus, Elisabeth Elliott and so many others like her, prayer has been and continues to be the ongoing project of listening and being in a mindset that is actively open to hearing God. Prayer is about the life of Jesus coming alive in us. Prayer is about absolute fidelity, faithfulness, and obedience to God’s word. And finally, Prayer is about the joy in keeping God’s Covenant with us.

 

We Are The Salt of the Earth...

 

WE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH… 

Just prior to beginning my reflection on today’s gospel reading I completed work on what has been four years of study on the phenomenon of forced migration. Four years of research accomplished through extensive reading, conversations, travel seminars, academic seminars, and deep, deep reflection. After this extensive period of listening and learning, my final project a two-day seminar on forced migration, is set to go. It will be launched February 2-3. After that, It’s up to the Holy Spirit.

As I became more knowledgeable about the complex challenges the world faces in addressing forced migration, I moved from a point of incredible naivete to a painfully clear understanding of the myriad issues related to global migration and the mass movement of people throughout the world.

Increasingly growing numbers of men, women, and children throughout Africa, the Mideast, the Ukraine and Russia, Venezuela and other South American countries, Haiti, and the countries of the northern triangle (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador), and Mexico are forced to leave homes and loved ones in search of safety, security, and independence from oppression. It is truly a massive challenge for all global partners.

The Episcopal Church, understanding its scriptural mandate to welcome the stranger has and will continue to address this complex challenge on many fronts and in many ways. At first glance, the church’s efforts may appear to be but a drop in the bucket. However, Jesus has directed us, as God’s church, we must strive to be the salt of the earth and a light to the world no matter how great the challenge that we face.

Obviously, it is clear that in the realm of forced migration this mandate and our church’s response to it can only be one of the many voices that seek effective ways to mitigate against the need for so many people to flee their homes, and to, when indicated, offer them safe refuge. Refuge that promotes stability and an opportunity to successfully integrate into new communities, their new homes. An opportunity that offers the compassion and healing modeled for us by Jesus himself. 

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; you are a light to the nations.” And we know full well that if the salt has lost its taste, it is useless and that if the light goes out, we are left in the dark. Reflecting on these powerful metaphors I think back to what we now refer to as the “Covid 19 years.” During those months in 2019-2020 the salt did indeed lose its taste and the light was most certainly dimmed. Dimmed so low that many could not see through it.

Happily, although Covid is still with us we are now largely protected by the several vaccines that have been produced. Vaccines that do not protect us completely against Covid infection but do seem to mitigate its more serious effects. Vaccines that have allowed us to begin the slow process of reinvigorating our salt and turning up our light in ways that allow it to shine brightly once again. 

Now is the time to remember that our church has a long history of providing the compassion and love that shines the light of Christ on those who need healing. Over the years the Episcopal Church has provided shelter to the homeless, food to the hungry, and joy to communities throughout our nation.

The dark and frightening Covid 19 years which rendered many church’s salt quite tasteless and allowed many lights to flicker only dimly through such as quite primitive Facebook video prayer sessions are now thankfully behind us.

Now is the time to re-group. To clearly see the changing needs of our communities and to restore our saltiness and the brightness of our lights, and to join with the many other organizations that are responding to these community needs. The Episcopal Church must join with others if it is to truly provide effective forced immigration relief; to provide relief to the needs of an increasing number of men, women, and children in our community.

Our church must add its light to the many lights now beginning to shine in our communities nationwide. Together we can and we will shine ever so brightly, offering healing and hope.

Now is also the time to respond to questions such as “Who are we?” Why do we gather?” “What is our purpose?”

We need not look far for clarification. These questions are answered repeatedly in scripture. In 1 Corinthians Paul writes, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” In 1 Peter we read, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” And today we hear Jesus’ words warning to us both as individuals and as a Christian community, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses it taste it is useless; you are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Who are we? We are the body of Christ. The chosen people. A royal priesthood. A holy nation.

Why do we gather, what is our purpose? As God’s chosen people, his holy nation we are meant to declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. Our purpose is to be the salt of the earth and a light to the nations.

The church's identity and its purpose will remain the same always, no matter what happens. And, for sure, much is happening in this face-paced and ever changing world. Our context might change, but our identity and our purpose will remain the same – always.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

We will never see the whole staircase, but we must move forward. We must have faith that the incarnation shows us that God truly loves us enough to be with us always and through the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us on our way. We must remember that “…God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John. 3:16). 

The Episcopal Church has no immediate solution to the global challenge of forced immigration, but increasingly it is developing collaborative programs that will augment its “salt” and its “light.” It is taking many definitive steps in the process of innovative and important program development without the luxury of seeing the whole staircase.

 We must return to new and refreshed ways to engage with those in our community that share of mission of providing God’s light to those in need, those who are seeking a light.

Our salt must once again become salty, and our light must once again bright. We must renew our mission and “let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven.”