Episode 38: 5/11/09

Readings:

Psalm 49
Leviticus 19:1-18
Colossians 1:24-2:7
Luke 6:27-38

Sermon:

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Luke 6:27-28

Throughout the Scripture readings for today, we see a strong theme of justice, of living rightly with our neighbors. In the passage from Leviticus we see God spelling out the details of the Law that was handed down at Mt. Sinai, the details that would make Israel a nation which would glorify the Lord by its righteous behavior.

In this passage we see that God truly knows the hearts of men and closes several of the loopholes through which fallen human nature would attempt to wiggle. The general principal is given: for example, do not steal. But then He gives specific rules for those situations which He knew some men would consider gray areas: do not defraud your neighbor, do not cheat your workers out of their wages. Do not show favoritism to either the rich or the poor, but judge fairly, based on the truth, not on social status.

These rules seem obvious to us, but as history and current events have shown, they are much easier to follow in theory than in practice. And yet beyond these civic rules, the basis of any good society, the Lord adds an extra dimension: not only are His people to be righteous in behavior, but in attitude as well: do not hate your brother in your heart, do not bear grudges, do not seek revenge. Love your neighbor as yourself, the Lord commands.

This is a difficult command for even the best-meaning person to follow, and time and time again throughout Israel’s history the Lord sent prophets to call His people back to this holy standard of living. And yet time and time again they fell into the practices condemned by God: defrauding the unwary, oppressing the poor and helpless, and selling justice for financial or political gain.

By Jesus’s time, the Pharisees had set themselves up as the ultimate authorities on right behavior and were obsessively focused on the most minute details that governed their everyday life, determined not to be swayed in their pursuit of a holy and righteous life. And yet Jesus repeatedly reminds them that their outward behavior is not the only standard by which they are being judged, but by their heart attitude as well. This was infuriating to them, as they took this as a rejection of not only their efforts but of the Law itself.

Our Lord, as He reminds them and us, did not come to reject the Law but to fulfill it. His life was lived perfectly, not just because of His adherence to every detail of right behavior, but because of His perfect attitude of love in fulfilling both aspects of the Law. When He criticized the Pharisees, it was not to belittle their good behavior and good deeds, but to show that without love, they were no better than the publicans and sinners that they so despised.

And then, just when it appeared that maybe, just maybe, with the proper attention to anger management and self-control and positive thinking, it might be possible to finally live that perfect life that God demanded, Jesus raises the bar even higher, making a demand that is humanly impossible without the help of His Holy Spirit: that we love our enemies and pray for them.

This was not meant to discourage His followers and make them despair, but to demonstrate the incredible love that God has for all of mankind, the righteous and the wicked alike. Our Lord does not excuse the evil that men do or gloss over the hurt and damage that is caused by evil deeds. He does not ask us to pretend that we have no enemies, or that they are not seeking to do us harm. Nor does He even tell us that by being kind to those that hate us, we may cause them to change their ways and repent. No, it is very simple: be merciful to them because God is merciful to us.

In the Psalm we see a man who has set his heart upon gaining wisdom and understanding of God and His holy law. He sees that he is surrounded by wickedness, but instead of despairing, he sees the ultimate futility of those who reject God in favor of fame and riches. Though they may accumulate wealth and goods at the expense of their fellow man, it is to no avail in the end, they will be like beasts that perish, their beautiful homes will be left behind as they waste away in the grave and they will never see the light of day again.

This somber realization should not only make us thankful to God for snatching us away from the grasp of death, but should awaken a sense of compassion for the lost and wicked, not based on a denial of their evil deeds, but on a sense of holy dread that if God had withheld His mercy from us, we too would be sheep destined for the slaughter, our eternal home the land of the dead.

As St. Peter reminds us, it is not God’s will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and live. And as St. Paul tells us in today’s Epistle, the knowledge of Christ’s suffering and afflictions on our behalf should make us overflowing with love and thankfulness, even in the face of persecution and oppression. Then finally, joined to Christ and rooted in the faith of His saving grace, we can appear before God holy and perfect.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.