A Real Respect For Life
“What does God expect of me?”
“How do I, as a follower of Jesus, live in a way that reflects His Lordship in my daily decisions?”
Those are the questions that shape the Sermon on the Mount, which we read in Matthew. I am leading you through this amazing part of the Gospel, with the prayerful desire that the truth will transform, that we will be challenged, even made desperate, so that we will humbly allow the Spirit to change us from the inside out. The life Jesus describes in these verses is an impossibility - if attempted from the outside in - as a philosophy. It is a spiritual life!
In the opening words of the passage, Jesus talks about the values of the disciple. He describes the things that bring us to the greatest joy; which are not the things sought by most people. He does not point to acquiring wealth, having freedom, or creating comfort. Instead, Jesus calls “blessed” those who are spiritually impoverished, those whose lives are broken by sin, those who work for peace, those who are pure – for those things create opening for God to pour Himself into us.
He taught us about influencing our world with His truth - but not with sword or power trips! Instead, He said, “be salt and light!”
Last week, we looked at His words that call us beyond the merely outward appearance of holiness to a life devoted to God, an ongoing life in the Spirit, where we live as God’s own people in this world.
Our text for this morning is 5: 21-26. In the Pew Bible it is on page 1502
This text is powerful one that is about how we relate to others in a way that shows a real respect for life!
Ever murdered anyone? I am not joking and I know it is a provocative question.
For some it is a painful one and I am sorry for that. The question perhaps takes you to another time - killing during your service the military, or an abortion you choose to have in a time of desperation. Those are real issues, worthy of reflection.
But, for most of the obvious response to my question about murder is something like this:
"Pastor Jerry, of course we are not murderers. If we were we would be sitting in Trenton State Prison!." If that is the way you’re thinking, you are taking the same mind-set as those who heard these words for the first time.
Jesus asks us to think about valuing human beings in a new way that goes beyond refraining from murder!
Ever wished that someone were dead?
Ever been angry enough with someone that you have spoken words designed to inflict maximum emotional pain?
Ever stolen a person’s reputation with cruel gossip or innuendo?
Ah, those questions frame the discussion differently, don’t they?
I dare say that all of us have issues like that hidden in our yesterdays.
Now listen to Jesus’ words..... READ
Jesus challenges us to raise the level of our respect for others beyond merely avoiding murder. He says,
“Deal with the attitudes of contempt that show up in the way you talk and then you’re on course to showing real value for the dignity of others!”
In a series of escalating illustrations Jesus talks about the way we relate to one another.
∙ First, He urges us to deal with anger issues! When we get angry with others we risk doing things that will bring the judgement of God on us.
∙ Secondly, He observes that "If you call someone a nit-wit (raca - literally meant - “empty headed, brainless”) you may be liable for slander charges in court.” Human courts concern themselves with slander and if you label someone a worthless person, you might find yourself answering a lawsuit.
∙ Thirdly, He warns that allowing ourselves to speak contemptuously of another calling them a ‘moron,’ puts us at risk of going to Hell!
The central issue of this passage is the anger that too often is tolerated in our relationships.
We live in a very angry world, don’t we? People are quick to be defensive, their guard always up, watching for someone to trespass into their territory.
Sociologists suggest that some of this is due to our lack of community, that we are so transient, so disconnected from each other that we feel insecure, and live as though we are in immediate danger - all of the time!
Another reason we are so defensive, and even angry, is that we live with an exaggerated sense of vulnerability. Ask many people about crime and they will tell you of a much greater risk than actually exists. Why? Because our media brings crime from a wide region right into our living room, and makes the world we live in feel much dangerous to us than it actually is.
This tension translates into touchiness, into defensiveness, into an irrational sense of anger that pours out in the way we speak to each other and about each other! Jesus Christ wants us to deal with our anger, not just tolerate it or manage it!
“The courts are concerned with slander,” He says, “but God is concerned even with your contempt for one another!”
He tells us to watch even our words! Words can be as deadly as machine gun bullets or as life-giving as a gentle springtime rain. Think of some of the powerful uses of the gift of speech in recent history.
∙ Martin Luther King inspired America when he stood before the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 and said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." His words moved this nation to change laws and lives!
∙ Adolf Hitler was a captivating speaker who used words to ignite the Second World War in Europe, bringing misery, death, and destruction.
∙ Winston Churchill became the Prime Minister of Great Britain in May, 1940 and delivered a famed speech that called that nation to war. He said, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many months of struggle and suffering." Many credit his ability to rally the Brits as a key part of the Allied victory in that terrible time.
∙ In 1987, Ronald Reagan stood at the Berlin Wall and challenged the Communist governments with his famous line, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Many believe that his words, timed with world events, started a rumbling that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
Our words may not change a nation, but they may change history in the life of our child, our spouse, or our friend! Angry words can destroy confidence, rob a person of hope, and/or assassinate a reputation.
James writes of the negative impact of ungodly speech.
"Our tongues are small ... and yet they brag about big things. It takes only a spark to start a forest fire! The tongue is like a spark. It is an evil power that dirties the rest of the body and sets a person’s entire life on fire with flames that come from hell itself.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures can be tamed and have been tamed. But our tongues get out of control. They are restless and evil, and always spreading deadly poison. My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn’t right. (James 3:5-10, CEV)
But, you may ask, "isn’t there a place for righteous anger? Didn’t even Jesus angrily attack some religious hypocrites on a couple of different occasions?"
Yes, and yes. Anger is a powerful motivator and Jesus was moved by anger over oppression of others by the powerful, by hypocrisy among religious leaders, and over mistreatment of the weak. The Bible addresses that kind of anger and tells us to keep it under control.
(Ephesians 4:26-29, NLT)
"And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."
Jesus never allowed Himself to vent anger that was coming from His own injured feelings. When he was being tried in a kangaroo court and even as He hung on the cross, the Bible says he would not hurl accusations or threats at those who tormented Him. He brushed off the awful personal pain of the Cross as being unworthy of angry response.
We must be willing to do some honest heart searching before we give into anger. We need to ask ourselves,
"Am I really angry over an injustice or are my feelings hurt? Is there really a sin that is moving me to serious action or am I feeling threatened and reacting with intimidating anger?"
The line between righteous anger and ungodly wrath is so fine. Many cross it. If your anger at sin and injustice becomes a personal vendetta, that anger becomes sin itself; filled with destructive potential. Because he knew the explosive power of human anger, Jesus urges us to keep short accounts in our relationships.
Our relationship with God is tied to our relationship with others
He forbids us from trying to cover the pain in our soul with religious practices.
[ re-read. vv.23-24 ]
Have you ever done that? I have. When I know that I have treated another wrongly and I feel the pain of alienation in my soul, I have tried to drown it in songs of worship to the Lord. I have bargained with God, attempting to "buy" His peace as a balm for my soul wound, or to soothe my angry feelings, or to help me with the resentment that is eating away inside of me.
Jesus says, "Go, attempt to make it right! Then come and worship God without an ulterior motive."
In Hebrews, we learn that finding reconciliation in every matter is not always possible because reconciliation requires both parties in a dispute. However, you and I choose our course, and we are obligated by our love for God and others to make every reasonable attempt. [12:14]
"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."
Love must be the first priority of all spiritual activity.
If loving God and loving others are not top priority, then our spirituality deteriorates into just another win-lose contest or another place in which power structures are created to enforce rules and law to keep order. For the Believer, Jesus says the issue is not being compelled by the law or fear. It is about desiring the best for others because we have experienced God’s best in our own lives.
Here at Washington Assembly if loving each other, building bridges for relationships is not the highest priority we will become just another organization enables the few in leadership to force their agenda on the rest of the crowd. Our tactics will become the world’s tactics of bluff, intimidation, and power politics. And don’t say it cannot happen!
Plenty of churches are filled with people who eye each other suspiciously from pew to pew wondering who is plotting what. If you are in that place today, if you know someone is angry with you or feels slighted by you, don’t try to smooth it over with a bigger offering, with upraised hands, or even a faster, peppy chorus of praise. Do what Jesus said; “Get it right.”
This preaching sounds so wonderful in the warm atmosphere of the church on Sunday but will it work in the rough and tumble world where you and I live every other day of the week?
Yes, it will work. However, it will only be possible to live in this way when you feel secure in the love of God and thus secure in yourself.
Where fear is the dominant emotion, building bridges of reconciliation is impossible. We cannot talk with someone openly and honestly if we are in fear of them. If we are playing games and calculating our position of advantage, we are not building bridges to others.
The basic message of Christ’s Good News is this. God loves you and you are person of worth.
JOH 3:16 "For 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.
ROM 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
If we believe the Word, we are liberated from fear. It liberates us from the need to prove our worth and value to the world any longer. We are free to be open about the true nature of who we are knowing that if others reject us, it matters little because the God of Universe has already set His stamp of approval and acceptance on us through Christ.
If we believe that God unconditionally loves people, we also love them. We can no longer live defensively, no longer sorting people into the desirable and the undesirable. If God loves a person, we also must love that one without calculation of his relative value to our cause and/or agenda.
Close:
Are you a murderer?
No, probably not in deed; but how about in intent?
Pray today that God will work deeply in you, convincing you that are, through Jesus Christ, one of His children who is securely loved. Then, radically love others without reserve.
Ask God to give you a love that always looks for the best, that doesn’t work for selfish advantage, that serves others without thought of the personal cost. And, then we will discover a real respect for life, that protects the dignity of each one that God calls into His Body.
Amen.
Jerry D. Scott, copyright 2007
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