"Constrained by God’s Gracious Love"   2011

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18      Matthew 5:38-47

 

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

19The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. 9When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.  11You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. 12And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord. 13You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. 14You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. 15You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord. 17You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

 

Matthew 5:38-47

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.  43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

 

It seems that a truck driver went into a roadside diner

            and ordered a burger, fries and a coke.

                        About the time the waitress brought him his meal,

                                    a motorcycle gang came charging into the diner.

 

            One of them started munching on the truck driver’s fries,

                        another ate his hamburger and the third drank his coke.

    And without saying a word,  he got up, paid for the meal and left.

 

One of the bikers commented to the waitress,

            "not much of a man, was he?"          to which she replied,

                 "no, and not much of a truck driver either,

                        ‘cause he backed over your motorcycles on the way out."                  

That story has a satisfying ring to it, doesn't it?

            I think it expresses our natural retribution-inclination

                        and our desire to strike back at those who harm or hurt us.

 

It describes our sense of how this world   ought to operate,

            with a rebalancing  in which there is significant pay-back

                        and cool revenge against those who wrong us or offend us.

 

This truck driver story follows an ancient principle called,

            'lex talionus', or 'the law of the tooth'

                        "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, life for a life."

 

            In the ancient world,  its purpose was to restrict revenge

                        by limiting retaliation to actual damages and losses…

                        …no more than an eye for an eye,  only a tooth for a tooth.

 

It calls for retribution that is proportionate to the crime.

            It represents the best of our human sense of justice,

                        and actually is   the common basis for most human law.

 

            Yet in this Matthew 5 passage of the Sermon on the Mount,

                                    Jesus commands his disciples and followers,

                                                to a higher principle of 'turning the other cheek',

                                                            'going the extra mile' and ‘do not resist’.

 

This is how Jesus would have us respond

            to those who wrong us, who harm us or take advantage of us,

                       calling us to show love   even toward those who do us evil;

          àand probably nothing goes more against our human nature,

                   than to give up our right to revenge and retribution.

 

But what is Jesus calling us to do instead?      vs. 39-41

            if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also

                        if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well;

                                   and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.

 

In the context of the 1^st  century social-culture of Palestine,

            these were not the kind of things that just anyone would do,

                        but were what only the privileged and powerful could do.

           

For example, slapping the right cheek

            was specifically something masters did to slaves and servants

                        as an insult to assert their status and power over them.

            Presenting the other cheek

                        put the shame of violence and abuse back upon the master.

 

Peasants didn’t sue one another, only the wealthy sued people.

            So a debtor handing over all of his clothes   put the shame

                        on the wealthy man   to explain his debtor’s nakedness.

 

Even to require a poor man to carry the soldier’s burden one  mile

            cost hours of wages, his pay for labor  to feed his family,

                        which was a significant hardship to a working peasant;       

                             and walking the second mile put shame on the soldier

                                             for the injustice of being forced to go even one mile.

 

All of these are non-violent responses to power and injustice.

            Jesus wasn't laying down specific rules for every situation;

                        but rather,

                                    establishing guiding principles for Christian life.

            vs. 39               "Do not resist an evil doer"

 

Though accurate, “Do not resist”   isn’t a very careful translation.

            The Greek word for “resist”, literally means, 'to make a stand';

                        it is to be inflexible, to make a big deal of something,                                           inferring an aggressive confrontational move…

                        Jesus was saying, “don’t resist the evil  with more violence.”

 

This does not mean we should ignore a wrong or harm done to us,

            nor does it deny that it hurts when someone has injured us.

 

It is not letting   our anger grow into resentment and bitterness,

    and  His command is to resolve our differences without violence,

            meaning that we don’t deal with evil on its own terms.

                                               

Our treatment of other persons does matter to God,

            whether it’s our response  to oppression or to others in need.

                        Faith, ethics and our relationships all go together,

                                    for they all reflect our response to God’s grace,

                                        and either we do or do not bear witness to the Light.

 

By God’s grace, we are called to live uniquely Christian lives,

            that bear witness to the truth, grace and promises of God;

                        by letting Christ’ light shine in and through us,

                                    as those who are   constrained by God’s gracious love.

 

            There is a critical connection

                        between our faith and what we do with it in the world;

                                    between our spirituality and what we do and say…

                        … what we do about those who offend or mistreat us,

                                    as well as other people in need  whom we could assist.

 

In the Leviticus 19 passage,

            we read how God makes very specific demands;

                        again demonstrating and illustrating His concern

                                    for ethics and social justice in ordinary life…

 

   … not just feelings or ideals,  but in ways concrete and practical,

            giving life and God’s hope, peace and joy to those around us.

 

Leviticus 19:9-10

            When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God.

 

The bulk of your crop -- the just fruits of your labor,

            are yours to gather, and to do with as you wish ---

                        but along the edges, and that which drops to the ground,

                                    let some remain for those who are less fortunate.     

 

You don't need every bit of everything you can possibly produce;

            so leave some of the  excess to those with no land of their own,

                        to those whose own crops have failed,

                                    and for those who are unable to grow for themselves.

 

This is not a free handout to the lazy or the irresponsible,

            but it is allowing those without   to gather for themselves.

 

Through their participation in the hard work of harvesting,

            they keep their self-respect and sense of achievement,

                        while being helped   to provide for their families.

 

And so it goes down through this passage,

            each section describes what it means to live

              with justice and integrity, with compassion and  generosity,

                        to be a society that takes care of   one another in need;

 

                 as practical public ethics, social justice and compassion,

                        each followed by the declaration:  "I am the Lord your God"

 

Because I am the Lord your God,

            this is how you are to live,  together in justice and peace;

                        for your religion and social ethics, are inseparable.

            What you believe and what you do are one in the same…

                 … meaning that these are the two sides of the same coin.             

Because you have freely received God's grace and blessings,

            and know that you are loved and sustained by your God;

                                    there is an awareness of God's abiding presence,

                                                that permeates and pervades all areas of life…

                        … as foretaste and preparation for God’s eternal kingdom.

 

And because the vast bulk of our Christian life -- is eternal; 

            the details of this   our mortal life-time,

                        whether I am rich or poor, powerful or powerless,

                                    and whether I am successful or struggling,

                            are not really all that significant,

                                    when compared to the full measure of   life eternal.

 

In contrast,

            if one believed that this one finite life were all there is;

                        then of course such a person would be hard driven,

                                    even frantic to produce and succeed in this world.   

 

If this one mortal life-time is it,

            you’d better accumulate all the riches you can, while you can.

If this is it,

            you better accomplish all that is possible in this one life,

                get all the pleasure & happiness you can  while you still can.

 

If this is it, then you really don't have time to be generous,

            or to concern yourself with social justice or ethics or morals;

                            and the needs or interests of others are not seen

                                    as being important, if our lives end with the grave.

                       

But, as a Christian we know   there is more,

            we know there is much more than just this short mortal life.          

 

As Christians who have received God's love and grace

            we’ve already begun our eternal journey & friendship with God.

                        So the way we live, our goals, attitudes and priorities,

                                    our whole sense of values and worth,

                                                are being  changed by this truth and reality.

 

Knowing that God, is entirely trustworthy, steadfast and faithful,

            we are fully secure in the certainly of God's love & promises,

                        and so as those of faith   we can and will forgo and submit

                             our right to retaliation   or selfish greed for pelf,

                                      in the interest of faith and obedience to God.

 

As followers of Christ,  we are called

            to let God love, by allowing God to love others,   through us;

                        and so,   we become faithful vessels of God's grace

                             when we refuse to react with anger and bitterness,

                                    and when we respond generously to the needs of others.

 

And because we do belong to God,

            that relationship redefines our treatment of all other people.

 

So, do we really know and believe that God loves and blesses us ?

                Do we really know and believe that God has

                   called us to carry His grace and mercy into this world?

 

I like this story about a life constrained by God’s gracious love:

               Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living.  It was a cowboy's life, a life for someone who wanted no boss.  What I didn't realize was that it was also a ministry. 

 

   Because I drove the night shift, my cab became a moving confessional.  Passengers climbed in, sat behind me in total anonymity, and told me about their lives. I encountered people whose lives amazed me, ennobled me, made me laugh and weep.  But none touched me more than a woman I picked up late one August night. 

 

   I was responding to a call from a small brick fourplex in a quiet part of town.  I assumed I was being sent to pick up some partiers, or someone who had just had a fight with a lover, or a worker heading to an early shift at some factory for the industrial part of town. 

 

   When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.  Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, then drive away. 

 

   But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation.  Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door.  This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.  So I walked to the door and knocked. 

 

   "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice.  I could hear something being dragged across the floor.  After a long pause, the door opened. 

 

   A small woman in her 80s stood before me.  She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. 

 

   By her side was a small nylon suitcase.  The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years.  All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters.  In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. 

 

   "Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said.  I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.  She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.  She kept thanking me for my kindness. 

 

   "It's nothing", I told her.  "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated".      "Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.

 

   When we got in the cab, she gave me and address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"     "It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

 

   "Oh, I don't mind," she said.  "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice".

 

   I looked in the rearview mirror.  Her eyes were glistening.  "I don't have any family left," she continued.  "The doctor says I don't have very long."

 

   I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.  "What route would you like me to take?"  I asked.

 

   For the next two hours, we drove through the city.  She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds.

 

   She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.  Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

 

  As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired.  Let's go now."

 

   We drove in silence to the address she had given me.  It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.  Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up.  They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.  They must have been expecting her. 

 

  I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.  The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.          "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

 

   "Nothing," I said.    

 

"You have to make a living," she answered.

 

   "There are other passengers," I responded.     Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.  She held onto me tightly. 

 

   "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said." Thank you." 

 

   I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light.  Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

 

   I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift.  I drove aimlessly, lost in thought.  For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.  What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?  What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? 

 

   On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.  We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.  But great moments often catch us unaware -beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one. 

 

People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.    

 

Lev. 19:2, 18

               You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.  You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.