This weeks’ gospel reading sure doesn’t sound very Episcopalian does it? It might be fine for some of “those” kinds of churches to have certain steps for church discipline as it says, but we certainly wouldn’t do that. For us, it’s all about live and let live. And The Episcopal Church welcomes you (our Evangelism slogan . . . and method). In fact, our gospel reading almost doesn’t sound very Christian, with all it’s talk about casting sinners out of the congregation and lumping them with, well, sinners. For me, it was a struggle this week to figure out how to approach this text—one of the particular challenges of having a lectionary is we don’t have much freedom to pick and choose our texts, but must address those given us. And certainly the Old Testament lesson wasn’t any better!! I’m not sure I want to even touch that one . . . but of course I could.
One thing that is important to remember is that all our readings are always taken out of context, and context is important. In this section of Matthew, Jesus is talking with his disciples about the problem of sin in the fellowship. Right before our reading, Jesus talks about the 1 sheep that has strayed, and the shepherd leaves the 99 sheep on the mountain to go after the one, so great is his love for each one of his precious sheep. So the words we heard today seem to be a sharp contrast to that idea, and to the idea of grace. And in fact, the steps Matthew puts forward are very similar to the Law spelled out in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. And Matthew was writing to a predominantly Jewish audience, so this would have been familiar to them.
But there are several things that especially got my attention as I studied and reflected on this passage. First of all, look at how it starts. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.” Did you catch that? “If your brother sins against you.” “You” are the one that was wronged, you are the ‘victim’ of your brothers sin. And you are to reach out to your brother, quietly, in order to save your brother’s honor and maintain family ties. The victim takes the initiative. Not what we would expect, is it. We wait for the one who has hurt us to come and apologize, don’t we?
Then there is the talk about binding and loosing. The wording is almost identical to what we heard a few weeks ago when Peter said, “you are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” And Jesus responded “I will give you the keys to the kingdom, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Same as today, but today Jesus is addressing the disciples. The “you” is plural—more like you all, or you’uns. What I discovered is that binding and loosing is a Jewish legal idea, where binding meant something was prohibited, and loosing meant it was allowed. The rabbis were called on to interpret the law, like what might be permitted on the Sabbath, and they ruled accordingly, whether some behavior was bound or loosed, prohibited or allowed.
And then I read something about the keys to the kingdom. In the Lutheran church, they have what they call the Office of the Keys. This is defined as “that authority which Christ gave to his church to forgive the sins of those who repent and to declare to those who do not repent that their sins are not forgiven.”[1] In support of this idea, they cite the scripture about binding and loosing, and then in John, Jesus said "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23). So, at least in the Lutheran tradition, the “Office of the Keys gives power to forgive and retain sins (loosing and binding), i. e., not merely to announce and to declare to men the remission or retention of sins, but actually to give forgiveness to penitent sinners and to deny forgiveness to impenitent sinners.”[2] Sounds like our gospel reading, doesn’t it?
So, with all that as foundational material, I’m going to talk today about one of the greatest gifts the church offers today. And one of the most unnatural aspects of God’s grace. I’m talking about forgiveness.
In the Lord’s Prayer we say “forgive us our sins (or trespasses), as we forgive those who sin against us.” Wow. We ask that we are forgiven to the same extent that we forgive others. And forgiveness is hard!! When we’ve been wronged, when we’ve been the victim, it’s hard to forgive—to really and honestly forgive—isn’t it? Forgiveness is about reaching out to the one who has hurt us, the one who “done us wrong,” taking the initiative. Because if we don’t reach out, the chasm widens, the hurts grow, our heart gets harder and harder, and we become shut off from those who have hurt us.
Still, it’s not an easy thing, to forgive. Maybe little things, but what about the big things? What about when you discover your spouse has had an affair. What about if your child is murdered? What about if your niece is raped . . . ? The list could go on and on—there are probably people in your life you really don’t want to forgive, for one reason or another, probably smaller offenses than these. And yet, as Christians, we are called to forgive. That’s part of the grace we have received, forgiveness for our sins, and part of the radical, amazing grace and love we have to offer the world. Henri Nouwen describes forgiveness as “love practiced among people who love poorly;” and this is the process he describes.
I have often said “I forgive you,” but even as I said these words my heart remained angry or resentful. I still wanted to hear the story that tells me that I was right after all; I still wanted to hear apologies and excuses; I still wanted the satisfaction of receiving some praise in return—if only the praise for being so forgiving!
But God’s forgiveness is unconditional; it comes from a heart that does not demand anything for itself, a heart that is completely empty of self seeking. It is this divine forgiveness that I have to practice in my daily life. It calls me to keep stepping over all my arguments that say forgiveness is unwise, unhealthy, and impractical. It challenges me to step over all my needs for gratitude and compliments. Finally, it demands of me that I step over the wounded part of my heart that feels hurt and wronged and that wants to stay in control and put a few conditions between me and the one whom I am asked to forgive.[3]
Now take a look at the Epistle reading, Paul writing to the church at Rome (chapter 12). The whole passage has a lot of challenging words for us, but did you see how it ends?
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."
20 To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
There’s a lot to think about, isn’t there, but note that it is God’s responsibility to avenge wrongs. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” When we forgive, we trust God to do justice and mercy as he sees fit. When we forgive, we let go of our own rights, our desire to get even, and leave the outcome to God.
Like I said, forgiveness is hard, and it’s unnatural. We want vengeance, we want justice, and it’s hard to walk away from that. But as Christians, we are commanded to forgive, as forgiven children of a forgiving Father. Forgiveness is the key that ends the cycle of blame and pain. It breaks the chains of harm and hurt. When we forgive, we are changing the whole pattern. When we forgive, we are saying “enough is enough!” When we forgive, the other party is freed from guilt. When we forgive, the wrong loses its power, and healing and wholeness result. Forgiveness has the unworldly, supernatural power to transform people. Even if your offer of forgiveness isn’t immediately accepted, you are set free. You are transformed. And because forgiveness is so radical, so unnatural, so countercultural, the world notices.
On Monday morning, October 2, 2006, a gunman entered a one-room Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. In front of twenty-five horrified pupils, thirty-two-year-old Charles Roberts ordered the boys and the teacher to leave. After tying the legs of the ten remaining girls, Roberts prepared to shoot them execution [style] with an automatic rifle and four hundred rounds of ammunition that he brought for the task. The oldest hostage, a thirteen-year-old, begged Roberts to "shoot me first and let the little ones go." Refusing her offer, he opened fire on all of them, killing five and leaving the others critically wounded. He then shot himself as police stormed the building. His motivation? "I'm angry at God for taking my little daughter," he told the children before the massacre.
The story captured the attention of broadcast and print media in the United States and around the world. By Tuesday morning some fifty television crews had clogged the small village of Nickel Mines, staying for five days until the killer and the killed were buried. The blood was barely dry on the schoolhouse floor when Amish parents brought words of forgiveness to the family of the one who had slain their children.
The outside world was incredulous that such forgiveness could be offered so quickly for such a heinous crime. Of the hundreds of media queries that the authors received about the shooting, questions about forgiveness rose to the top. Forgiveness, in fact, eclipsed the tragic story, trumping the violence and arresting the world's attention.
Within a week of the murders, Amish forgiveness was a central theme in more than 2,400 news stories around the world. The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, NBC Nightly News, CBS Morning News, Larry King Live, Fox News, Oprah, and dozens of other media outlets heralded the forgiving Amish. From the Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates) to Australian television, international media were opining on Amish forgiveness. Three weeks after the shooting, "Amish forgiveness" had appeared in 2,900 news stories worldwide and on 534,000 web sites. [4]
Radical, unnatural forgiveness gets the world’s attention. It has the power to transform the world, as well as our homes and communities. Who do you need to forgive? And because the church is corporate—whenever 2 or 3 are gathered—who do we need to forgive?
[1] http://www.sundayschoollessons.com/keys.htm
[2] http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/cyclopedia/02/display.asp?t1=K&word=KEYS.OFFICEOFTHE
[3] quoted in Philip Yancey’s What’s So Amazing About Grace, Harper Collins, p. 92.
[4] http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787997617.html
Monday, September 8, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Year A, Proper 17 Aug.31, 2008 McLeansboro
As we heard last week, being one of Jesus’ disciples on the ground with him was not an easy thing. You never knew what he was going to say or do next. From easy questions, to hard ones, he kept his disciples on their toes!! Of course, they were delighted to be in his company, this great teacher and healer, and Peter had just said what they were all thinking, but were afraid to say out loud. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” And Jesus confirmed this!! He was the Messiah, the hope of Israel. Somehow, maybe soon, he was going to get rid of the foreign oppressive government. He would be the king of Israel, the king like David. Surely the revolution was about to begin!! Or at the very least God was going to do something spectacular. The Day of the Lord was near. Israel would once again be great. And the disciples would be right there in the middle of it all. And Peter, Peter was thinking about what Jesus had said: You are rock, and on this rock I will build my church. Wow!! Pretty heady stuff for a Galilean fisherman.
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. I’m sure Jesus was reluctant to tell his followers what was going to happen, but after Peter’s confession he felt he could speak freely, and he could explain to the disciples what was ahead. This is his first prediction of what was to come, his impending death at the hand of the officials in Jerusalem. It was also the first clear prediction of his resurrection, but I don’t think the disciples, I don’t think Peter, heard that part.
Peter, never one to think before speaking, blurted out, “God forbid!!” That can’t be the way it is. What in the world was Jesus thinking? What about the new Israel, our hopes and dreams for liberation? What about God’s promises? What about the prophecies? No way!! It can’t be like that, and I won’t let it. Surely we can avoid Jerusalem. It’s a big world, isn’t it? You don’t have to go, we will protect you. You are the Messiah, you said so yourself, and we will keep you safe from harm. Just don’t go to Jerusalem. We want a triumphant Messiah, not a suffering servant!! We want the Son of the Living God, not a dead Messiah! That can’t be right, that can’t be the plan! This must never happen to you!!
This must have been a strong, attractive temptation for Jesus, and his response is harsh: “Get behind me Satan!! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Peter in an instant went from right to wrong, from hero to goat, from rock to stumbling block. As the tempter’s voice now, Peter is fully human, looking at things from a human perspective.
He may have gotten carried away with his own significance in understanding Jesus’ identity and mission, which made him vulnerable to Satan’s temptation. He undoubtedly thinks he is protecting Jesus. But as one commentator notes, “Jesus recognizes here His old enemy in a new and even more dangerous form. For none are more formidable instruments of temptation than well-meaning friends, who care more for our comfort than for our character.”[1]
Friends also care about their own comfort, their own expectations and hopes and dreams. They can’t see the big picture. They can’t see what must happen for God’s plans to be accomplished, for the grace and glory that is to come.
Jesus then addresses all of his disciples. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” More hard sayings!! In the first century, the cross symbolized crucifixion, a feared and repulsive form of execution, and it was a horribly painful and slow way to die. The Jews viewed crucifixion as a terrible, shameful way to die. It must have been shocking to the disciples to hear that the cross is an image of discipleship!! What??!! If you want to be my disciples, you must be willing to die with me, you must be willing to risk your neck for me, you must follow me to the cross, to the death
For Jesus, the road to the cross was the road of obedience to the Father. It is the central purpose for his life, the reason for which the Son of the Living God took on human flesh. For those who would follow Jesus, the cross is likewise a metaphor for obedience, for surrendering and dying to their own wills, and yielding to the Father’s will.
. “For those who want to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Those who hang on to their own life and their own desires and reject God’s plans for their life will lose that which they are trying to protect. Disciples are those who will risk their lives, surrender their own wills and accept God’s will, and the result is life eternal, life in the kingdom of heaven.
“For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?” All the riches, pleasures, material goods, worldly powers, are temporal at best, and will not do anyone any good if they sacrifice their relationship with God in order to pursue theses things. True riches, true wealth, are found in the kingdom of heaven, in following Jesus to the cross. The condition of our souls is far more important than the condition of our pocketbooks. Paul understood that when he said in Philippians (chapter 3):
7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.
Jesus continues, “for the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.” When the Son of Man comes in glory, there will be an accounting of what each person has done, whether or not they have responded to Jesus. Judgment is coming, and the disciples—and we—will be held accountable.
This whole account seems far removed from our reality, doesn’t it. After all, we can’t follow Jesus to the cross? For most of us, following Jesus doesn’t involve the loss of life. We aren’t likely to be crucified. And yet, the cross is still central to our lives. A symbol of shame and cruelty has become a symbol of beauty, love, and worship. The cross is the center of Christian architecture. And it must be central in our minds as we follow Jesus. The cross represents self-denial, sacrifice, and service, all of which are part and parcel of being a Christian. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Harold Ockenga, an evangelical leader and author of the 20th century, says this:
The surrender of self to this principle is the greatest obstacle to our sanctification, our spiritual attainment and love, our exercise of power and our exhibition of holiness. Self does not want us to surrender. We believers pamper self, are proud of self, pity self, and seek self’s interest, which is the exact opposite of such service. Yet contemporary life demands redemptive living, Unless such self-denial are exhibited in the field of missions, evangelism, social service humanitarianism, the Christian testimony will be invalidated.[2]
Our pattern and guide in this Christian life is Jesus himself, Jesus who said “Follow me.” He led by teaching, ministering, healing, and above all by serving, by laying down his life for his friends and for us. He is our example. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was killed because of his opposition to the Nazi regime in Germany in the last century, said that “when Christ calls a man he bids him come and die.” Bonhoeffer lived for Christ, and died for Christ, and we are called to be willing to do the same, to identify ourselves with Christ and his cross. We are to die to self, to die to self will, self interest. We are called to lose our lives in Christ, in our identification with Jesus. In truth, at our baptisms we died with Christ, and now we are dead to self, to sin, and alive to Christ. We now live in Christ, our lives our hidden with Christ, and we spend our lives denying ourselves and growing into this “in Christ” life, this kingdom life. “Come and die.”
[1] Wilkins, Michael J. The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew. Zondervan, 571.
[2] Ockenga, Harold J. Power though Pentecost. Eerdman’s, 1959, p.119-20.
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. I’m sure Jesus was reluctant to tell his followers what was going to happen, but after Peter’s confession he felt he could speak freely, and he could explain to the disciples what was ahead. This is his first prediction of what was to come, his impending death at the hand of the officials in Jerusalem. It was also the first clear prediction of his resurrection, but I don’t think the disciples, I don’t think Peter, heard that part.
Peter, never one to think before speaking, blurted out, “God forbid!!” That can’t be the way it is. What in the world was Jesus thinking? What about the new Israel, our hopes and dreams for liberation? What about God’s promises? What about the prophecies? No way!! It can’t be like that, and I won’t let it. Surely we can avoid Jerusalem. It’s a big world, isn’t it? You don’t have to go, we will protect you. You are the Messiah, you said so yourself, and we will keep you safe from harm. Just don’t go to Jerusalem. We want a triumphant Messiah, not a suffering servant!! We want the Son of the Living God, not a dead Messiah! That can’t be right, that can’t be the plan! This must never happen to you!!
This must have been a strong, attractive temptation for Jesus, and his response is harsh: “Get behind me Satan!! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Peter in an instant went from right to wrong, from hero to goat, from rock to stumbling block. As the tempter’s voice now, Peter is fully human, looking at things from a human perspective.
He may have gotten carried away with his own significance in understanding Jesus’ identity and mission, which made him vulnerable to Satan’s temptation. He undoubtedly thinks he is protecting Jesus. But as one commentator notes, “Jesus recognizes here His old enemy in a new and even more dangerous form. For none are more formidable instruments of temptation than well-meaning friends, who care more for our comfort than for our character.”[1]
Friends also care about their own comfort, their own expectations and hopes and dreams. They can’t see the big picture. They can’t see what must happen for God’s plans to be accomplished, for the grace and glory that is to come.
Jesus then addresses all of his disciples. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” More hard sayings!! In the first century, the cross symbolized crucifixion, a feared and repulsive form of execution, and it was a horribly painful and slow way to die. The Jews viewed crucifixion as a terrible, shameful way to die. It must have been shocking to the disciples to hear that the cross is an image of discipleship!! What??!! If you want to be my disciples, you must be willing to die with me, you must be willing to risk your neck for me, you must follow me to the cross, to the death
For Jesus, the road to the cross was the road of obedience to the Father. It is the central purpose for his life, the reason for which the Son of the Living God took on human flesh. For those who would follow Jesus, the cross is likewise a metaphor for obedience, for surrendering and dying to their own wills, and yielding to the Father’s will.
. “For those who want to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Those who hang on to their own life and their own desires and reject God’s plans for their life will lose that which they are trying to protect. Disciples are those who will risk their lives, surrender their own wills and accept God’s will, and the result is life eternal, life in the kingdom of heaven.
“For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?” All the riches, pleasures, material goods, worldly powers, are temporal at best, and will not do anyone any good if they sacrifice their relationship with God in order to pursue theses things. True riches, true wealth, are found in the kingdom of heaven, in following Jesus to the cross. The condition of our souls is far more important than the condition of our pocketbooks. Paul understood that when he said in Philippians (chapter 3):
7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.
Jesus continues, “for the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.” When the Son of Man comes in glory, there will be an accounting of what each person has done, whether or not they have responded to Jesus. Judgment is coming, and the disciples—and we—will be held accountable.
This whole account seems far removed from our reality, doesn’t it. After all, we can’t follow Jesus to the cross? For most of us, following Jesus doesn’t involve the loss of life. We aren’t likely to be crucified. And yet, the cross is still central to our lives. A symbol of shame and cruelty has become a symbol of beauty, love, and worship. The cross is the center of Christian architecture. And it must be central in our minds as we follow Jesus. The cross represents self-denial, sacrifice, and service, all of which are part and parcel of being a Christian. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Harold Ockenga, an evangelical leader and author of the 20th century, says this:
The surrender of self to this principle is the greatest obstacle to our sanctification, our spiritual attainment and love, our exercise of power and our exhibition of holiness. Self does not want us to surrender. We believers pamper self, are proud of self, pity self, and seek self’s interest, which is the exact opposite of such service. Yet contemporary life demands redemptive living, Unless such self-denial are exhibited in the field of missions, evangelism, social service humanitarianism, the Christian testimony will be invalidated.[2]
Our pattern and guide in this Christian life is Jesus himself, Jesus who said “Follow me.” He led by teaching, ministering, healing, and above all by serving, by laying down his life for his friends and for us. He is our example. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was killed because of his opposition to the Nazi regime in Germany in the last century, said that “when Christ calls a man he bids him come and die.” Bonhoeffer lived for Christ, and died for Christ, and we are called to be willing to do the same, to identify ourselves with Christ and his cross. We are to die to self, to die to self will, self interest. We are called to lose our lives in Christ, in our identification with Jesus. In truth, at our baptisms we died with Christ, and now we are dead to self, to sin, and alive to Christ. We now live in Christ, our lives our hidden with Christ, and we spend our lives denying ourselves and growing into this “in Christ” life, this kingdom life. “Come and die.”
[1] Wilkins, Michael J. The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew. Zondervan, 571.
[2] Ockenga, Harold J. Power though Pentecost. Eerdman’s, 1959, p.119-20.
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