7EpiphanyC, February 24, 2019, for St Martin’s Episcopal Church, Moses Lake, WA by Annette Fricke
The setting of this gospel lesson is part of what is termed the Sermon on
the Plain. Jesus preaches this to the disciples, but is meant for all the people to
listen to and to heed.
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? For those of us who are
curious as to what was said in that secret meeting we had with the bishop after
the potluck last Sunday, this is what she said: “To be a follower of Jesus implies
movement.” It means that we do not stand still. The world is in motion and so
are we. We may sit for a while in one place, but then we get up and move around.
When we have a meeting or when we are here for Holy Eucharist, we don’t stay
for an indefinite time period for hours on end. There is a beginning and an end. It
is like doing other things. If we go to the library, we have to leave when it closes
and preferably before that because as much as we may like the library, there
comes a time when we need to move on to something else in our lives that begs
our attention. If we go to the grocery store, as much as we may like having
conversation with the cashier, there are others standing in line who wish to
purchase their items and go home to prepare dinner. Our lives are not like a rock
that simply stands in its place till someone or some equipment moves it. We are
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not rocks nor are we islands. For the most part, we are people who are meant to
have relationships with several of the people around us at work, school, the store,
the library, with perhaps a caregiver or simply a friend.
Not only does being a follower of Jesus imply movement, it also means
transformation. If we are to allow our lives to be transformed, we need first of all
to listen, really listen. We are to listen to God. The opening words to today’s
gospel begin, “But I say to you that listen…” If we don’t listen, how can we be
sure that we are following Jesus? How can our lives be transformed, if we do not
listen? I am reminded of a scene where Poirot, a fictional detective is in his room
praying to Mary on a kneeler. As he prays, all the images and words of the day
come flooding into his brain. But amongst these, he hears another voice which
says to him repeatedly, “Where is the offense you’ve committed?” “Where is the
offense you’ve committed?” Being faithful to God goes beyond the mere
recitation of the prayers made to God for several thousands of years. It means
we are willing to be transformed. It means paying attention to what we do and
don’t do. For the detective, he listened to all the back talk of the other
detectives, how they put him down and he allowed them to have the last word.
They convinced him that there was no murder and left the story they told
unchallenged. They told him that there was a break-in, but they did not see the
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woman who lived there, assumed that she had gone to the bar as was her
custom, therefore there was no murder. Poirot listened and was compelled by
this exchange to go further and determined it would not be the end and he
insisted on proving this case to be otherwise. He went to the scene of the crime
to do his own investigation, and he was right. She was murdered. Even though
this is fiction, there are elements that apply to us as well if we would just listen.
Transformation means allowing God to take hold of us and change us. It
means not simply doing things the same way we have always done them before.
The culture has changed around us. The culture has different interests. God is
calling us to reach out and to challenge those cultural values of hatred and crime,
dog eat dog society. We are called to be helpers to bring about justice where it
has gone astray, to support the dignity of every human being, to have real
conversation face to face. It would be easy to simply retreat into the past, but
that is not what God has called us to do. Christianity is not easy because loving
our enemies and doing good to those who hate us is very difficult. And our
perceived enemies are everywhere. It is not just a matter of reconciliation among
friends and relatives, it is reaching out to that person or persons that are
different, that are radically different from us and forming relationships we have
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never had before. It is stepping out into a world many of us may only know a
little bit about.
Most importantly, Jesus is telling us that we need to go one step further in
our relationships. We are to go beyond the standard of the day which is to fight
back with the same negative treatment we get. The Old Testament maxim of an
eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth still lives today. It is a natural reaction to
retaliate, but it is not God’s way. Jesus communicates that we are not to judge
nor condemn, but to forgive and to be merciful.
When someone hits us or calls us names and talks about us negatively
behind our backs, we are not to strike back or do the same. Rather, we are called
to be the bigger person and set the example for others. We are called to give
from our hearts just as God loves us so very much, giving us everything necessary.
Let us always keep in mind the words of the prophet Micah who said and I
paraphrase, what is it that God requires of you but to do justice, love kindness
and walk humbly with your God?
God truly loves us beyond our imaginations, but that is not the end. We are
also called to be transformed by God to be our best selves, people who care
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enough to do more than the average person. God says to us, be merciful just as I
have been merciful to you.
