Sermon 16 feb (Epiphany+6)

6^th Sunday after the Epiphany

Deut 30.15-20; Ps 119.1-8; 1Cor 3.1-9; Mt 5.21-37

"You have heard that it was said"

     What a great way for these messages from Jesus. Attention getters, every one. Stark, blunt, quite cut-and-dried assessments of some of the things that Jesus heard being said - over and over and over again - by the religious elites and rulers of the day.

     So these are not just random passages that Jesus decides to pull out of the scriptures and toss about. These are messages that some folks are using within the community. So let's unpack them a little bit, shall we?

YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID: YOU SHALL NOT MURDER

     Yup, good starting point. Because who wants to deal with the promised judgement that would come? Also - murder - messy, permanent, extreme. Yes?

     Well, obviously yes. But also: murder can be subtle, slow, and so nuanced as to be normalised. Because- as Jesus points out - murder is anytime that full life is ended or denied. This is not just about a physical end - it's about the destruction of a person's spirit, or reputation, or happiness, or vocation... it's being angry with someone and not seeking resolution, it's insulting or mocking someone based on your understanding of what's acceptable, it's a barbed comment behind someone's back. And sometimes, murder is passive: it's allowing it to happen: it's standing by to watch a bully target someone, or justifying someone's cruelty in "that's just so-and-so, they've always been that way", or... well, we can fill in the blanks there, can't we?

     And Jesus says: nope. Not good enough. Make your peace with yourself and with your brother or sister before you come to the altar to reconcile yourself with God. For if you do not, you're missing the point. It's this basis, in fact, for our sharing of the peace within our times of worship.

  Not murdering means encouraging life - a true life in the Spirit - and this is a counter-cultural shift that calls us to continually journey into peace.

YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID: YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY

     Oh good, now we've got Sex to talk about as well.
Adultery - just as awkward and distressing for family relationships in biblical times as it is now - people get hurt.

     In biblical times, the law favoured the men; and, the rulers of the day found a loophole - get a divorce! Be considered clean and socially acceptable by just handing a decree over to the unfaithful woman, to get her out of the way.

     Some sticky points here... adultery didn't have to be proven, just claimed. And women who bore that title were shunned by society - and their family of origin - and usually ended up as beggars or prostitutes in order to feed themselves. A certificate of divorce was a cruel, one-sided act.

     And, in that convenient loophole, the men could move on to a new marriage with a clear conscience. THIS is why Jesus brings it up. Because, he says, it's NOT good enough to simply cast aside another person. People deserve respect and dignity, and relationships deserve integrity.

     To be clear: Jesus knew that not every relationship was going to last forever. Life happens: and when a marriage breaks down he shows us to respond with compassion and kindness for all involved: just think of how he connects with the woman at the well to demonstrate this.

     But when it comes to casual divorce: Jesus is not a fan. Yet society still finds ways to normalise it, to a point where I think Jesus would cringe, and say "nope - not good enough." For example: there's a TV show on now (proving again why I don't watch TV). It's called "Married at First Sight" and - you guessed it - a couple is introduced as they are being married. TV cameras follow them for a month, after which they decide if they'll stay married or get divorced.

     So: Jesus tells us: be kind. Be genuine. Be loving.

YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID: YOU SHALL NOT SWEAR FALSELY

     This is one that remains as much a challenge today as it did in Jesus' time - people say one thing, and do another. They like to be heard agreeing to something, but then finding the loopholes to avoid following through. If one swears an oath on their own head - or reputation - then it is permissable to change one's mind, isn't it? And how could an oath sworn on the earth - the entirety of the earth cannot be owned by one person - well, that's just unrealistic, and so one needn't feel obliged by the enormity of the oath.

     In today's terms, this continues. Agreeing to a sale and backing out of a deal... only making a donation if your name can be attached to it... making sure to be 'seen' with the right people at the right places to increase one's own reputation and ego. Imagine someone agreeing to pay for a new roof on a church - but only if their name could be spelled out in the shingles. It happens - far more often than we care to admit.

     On a grander scale, we often do we hear of gifts being made, and remember only the person - without hearing about the follow-up of that? The European billionaires who very publicly pledged astonishing sums to rebuild a burnt Notre Dame... well, the majority of that money has yet to be received.

     Not living up to one's word can give pause; it can lead to distrust and mistrust, and (even when society says it's okay),  it breaks down relationship.

     And Jesus says: nope. Not good enough. Live up to your word: do what you say you are going to do. Don't look for a loophole or a scapegoat; think about fulfilling your commitments, and through this community is strengthened.

     There's a fourth message to be found in today's gospel. It's a reminder that the Bible is NOT meant to be twisted and used for our own personal preferences and goals. The leaders who were doing this in Jesus' day are not different than the folks we encounter today, who will cherry pick passages in order to put someone down.

     So it remains incumbent on us to know the bible and it's message: to not be caught up in what society tells us, but to be true to what God tells us: and that is a message of love and grace and compassion.

     The bible is about building relationships, and staying strong in our commitment to being the people of God to the best of our abilities. It's not meant to be a source for put-downs and insults; it's meant to be a narrative of how God's people throughout the ages have been trying to journey closer with God.

    It is a resource to support us in the faith, to encourage us in our spiritual journey, and a connection to God and to all of God's people. May we hear what God is speaking to the church, and respond with a resounding and unchanging commitment to choosing the way of life - the way of Jesus - the way of love.