Law and Order - IGK

Law and Order – IGK. Dunk-dunk. Law and Order – in God's Kingdom. Coming to a congregation near you. Roll theme song. Two weeks ago we began the Sermon on the Mount. It's the first of five teaching sections in Matthew's gospel. Probably the most well-known section. And the most quoted. It's also very challenging.

For three chapters, Jesus provides instruction for his disciples; rules for how to live in God's kingdom. And let's face it - we have a love/hate relationship with rules. They seem good especially when applied to others to ensure life is fair. When executives make huge bonuses even though their companies lose money and lay people off, we cry, "There oughta be a law…" Yet, most of us expend a great deal of energy figuring out how to get around rules when applied to ourselves, especially when they seem to get in the way and make no sense. Rules are made to be broken, right?

Back when I was in junior high school, I got interested in golf. I received a starter set of clubs for Xmas and then bought a book explaining the rules of golf. I still remember the looks I got the first time I went golfing with some adults and pulled out the book which I had stashed in my bag. C'mon, I was only 12 at the time. We generally try to follow the rules, but we don't like to be reminded of them.

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that the Sermon on the Mount begins not with rules, but the Beatitudes. Good news that we are already beloved and blessed by God, and a blessing to others. And immediately following is a statement of our identity as salt and light. Good news that we aren't defined by what we do. Rather, we live out what we already are. And we are already bringing flavor to life, making the world a little brighter.

Only after we've heard this good news do we hear what law and order looks like in this kingdom. Jesus summarizes all that follows with this statement: "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." The scribes and Pharisees were known for their attention to the details of the law. How is it possible to exceed their efforts?

Jesus gives six examples and in doing so makes sure that each of us hears something we can connect with even if we don't want to hear it. We will hear three of those examples this week, and the other three next week. So here goes: Matthew 5:21-32, found on page 786 in the pew bibles. Listen for the word of God.

Matthew 5:21-32
21“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
31“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Thanks be to God, I think. What do we do with these laws? We all grew up learning the Ten Commandments though we might be hard-pressed to name them all let alone in order. And we can go to bed each night and check them off. Nope, didn't commit murder today. Nope, didn't commit adultery. And on and on down the list. But now Jesus is broadening the law. Even worse, it's not just what we do, but what we're thinking inside that matters.

Perhaps we've known someone who would do anything including put down their co-worker just to get ahead. Don't we call that stabbing someone in the back? Perhaps we've known someone who was so dedicated to their job, put in so many hours at work they had little time or energy for their family, their spouse. Don't we call them married to their work?

Now it's harder to go down the checklist of commandments. Unless we're not human beings, all of us have experienced anger in our lives. What do we say to Jesus' instruction about divorce when half of all marriages fail in this country? And who can forget the infamous Playboy interview with Jimmy Carter who admitted to committing adultery in his heart?

So what do we do with these laws? Is Jesus urging us to take the law more seriously than we could imagine? Frankly this has been one approach taken by some in the church: the law as restraint that turns the Christian life into one of following the rules. It begs the question: "Did Jesus really have to die so that we could have the Ten Commandments on steroids?"

Others have said Jesus is reminding us that God's expectations for us are so great, the bar so high. The new law then convicts us of our failings, our sin. This forces us to turn to God’s grace alone to save us. But this makes the law seem unnecessary since we have no chance of following it. It also makes God seem rather conniving, not loving.

I don't think Jesus' main concern is with the law, at least not the legal aspect of law. Following the law, doing the right thing, staying inside the lines isn’t the goal in life. The law is the means to something more important – healthy, loving relationships with one another and ultimately with God.

Now there is a legal dimension to the law – it’s what holds us accountable for our actions toward one other. But that’s a by-product of the law, not its essential character. God has given us the law as a guide for honoring, respecting, and caring for each other. Sure, we can get all legalistic, but before long we’ll all be accusing and suing and punishing one another. Where will that leave our relationships, our community, our world? As Mahatma Gandhi said, “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”(1)

Jesus wants more for us. He wants us to regard each other as God regards us and to treat each other accordingly. It’s less about following the letter of the law as understanding its goal for us: the life and health of our neighbor! That’s what law and order in God’s Kingdom is like. That’s what life is like, what real living is like, in God’s Kingdom.

This morning we heard Jesus offer three examples of this kingdom living. In the first, the problem is not so much our anger, but how we come to terms with it. Jesus’ answer is to seek reconciliation, even if you believe you have been wronged. This is not advice to become a doormat. Reconciliation is about mutual respect. But someone needs to take the first step.

In the other examples about adultery and divorce, the underlying issue is the treatment of women. In both cases, the woman is viewed as an object either to be desired or discarded. This doesn’t mean there won’t be instances when divorce is best because the marriage is destructive or abusive to one or both partners. But Jesus calls for relationships in marriage that build up, where the partners respect and love each other.

Jesus gives the disciples a new way of life, not rejecting the tradition, but building upon it. It is a way of life that demands more and promises more. Yes, it sounds idealistic, out of touch with the real world. But what kind of community would you like to live in? Perhaps we need to consider how we can create rules that truly work to honor our neighbor. Perhaps we should consider how the Kingdom of God can be more fully embodied in our homes, our congregation, our community. Of course, we may wonder how we can possibly accomplish all this ourselves.

At Lodi, they will be celebrating a baptism this morning. One of the questions we ask the parents is, “Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple, obeying his Word and showing his love?” Their answer is, “I will, with God’s help.” And that is Christ’s answer to us as well. “You, who are salt and light, you will with God’s help.”

(1) David Lose from workingpreacher.org, “Radical”