Deuteronomy
I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love God, to walk in obedience to God, and to keep the commandments; then you will live and increase, and God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love, listen, and hold fast to God. For God is your life, and will give you many years in the land promised to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
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Matthew
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ (idiot) is answerable to the court. Anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
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Yesterday as I sat thinking about pulling the different parts of this sermon together, I was watching one of the Harry Potter movies, the “Half-Blood Prince”. At the end of the movie there is a scene where the headmaster of Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Dumbledore, is killed. He willingly gives himself, in fact, in order to save a student from becoming a murderer. There above the school, in the sky, is the face of the Dark Lord, gloating over the death. One by one, students and teachers raise their wands, light coming from the tip of each, until the shadows of the Dark Lord are forced to retreat, and the light wins.
At the same time as I was watching this movie, another favourite, called “Whale Rider”, was on television. This is a New Zealand movie, about a Maori village where the old ways are dying, and the village leader cannot break out of traditional ways. The leader is busy training his sons to step in. He has a daughter, but he refuses to see that she might be called into that role. Until one day, she is able to ride a beached whale back into the ocean, and almost loses her life. Maori folklore says that the saviour of the people will be the one who rides the whale. This is a moving story of a village caught between two cultures and two ways of living - and a people dying - until a twelve-year-old girl shows them how to choose to live.
In the reading from Deuteronomy today, Moses is giving his final speech to the people of Israel. Shortly after he speaks these words, he will die. Moses will not see the land promised by God, but will die before they set foot over the border. He says to the people “ Today I have set before you blessings and curses, life and death. Choose life!
The Israelite people were on the boundary of the Promised Land. God had brought them from slavery in Egypt, led them through the wilderness, provided for them miraculously there, disciplined the unfaithful ones who wanted to return to Egypt, taught the people God’s will and God’s ways, repeated the ancient promise of the new land, and brought them to the boundary.
They are at the boundary. They are leaving the wilderness, and will enter a new land under their new leader, Joshua. They will be tempted by things they cannot anticipate. They are excited that their journey is at an end, but anxious about what it will really be like.
The people are at the boundary. Probably these words come into their final form long after the time of Moses. The people are at yet another boundary. They have been conquered by the Babylonians, their leading citizens taken, no land, no temple. Are they still God’s people? Will they ever go home? Can they trust God? They hear the message again, at this new boundary. The times have changed, but the message does not: “Choose life.”
Perhaps it’s fair to say that God’s people are always at some kind of a boundary and always need to make choices - for life or death.
God’s promises! Even when it seems you must wait and wait, trust that God is with you in your waiting. And even that is a blessing, my people! God is with you, and that is blessing enough. So choose God. Choose life!”
Today I decided to include the reading from Matthew, continuing the sermon on the mount. A colleague, Stew Clarke, suggested looking for Jesus’ sense of humour in this text. If you listen and look closely, and put this piece of writing into its context, you will find the humanness that we all are.
Picture Jesus, on this particular day sitting with the disciples as they begin to expound to one
another about the theology of ‘at least I am better than that guy’. We all do that, don’t we? Well, there they are sitting with their morning cuppa and bread. One nudges another as they see a man in the crowd moving in on a young woman. “Look,” he whispers loud enough to be heard by several, “those two will be grinding corn together before this night is over.” “What a fool she is
if she lets him in.” There are several not so lovely chuckles that ensue. “Doesn’t he already have a wife?” “Yes!” “He’s had several.” “Chucks them aside when they can’t seem to satisfy his appetites.” “Has several brats running about looking like starvelings.” “It is a pity.” “I bet Jesus will bring out the fire and brimstone this morning.”
So Jesus, listening in, decides to give a short lecture - a tiny smile in the corner of his mouth."You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "You shall not murder'; and "whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' I say that if you are angry with a brother or
sister, you will be liable to judgment; if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, "Idiot,” “Raka” you will be liable to the hell of fire.”
Can you hear the sound of breath being sucked in? Can you see reddening faces? Then he goes on to the subject of divorce. "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, (in the original Greek, prostitution) causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
The women hear and understand that Jesus knows their plight. A woman can be stoned to death for such an offence, but a man would not even be held accountable in practice. A man, in Jesus’ time, could have several wives both individually or at the same time. A woman was a piece of property owned by her husband, with no rights. As Jesus speaks of removing a straying eye, the men hear that they need to divorce not wives, but the very straying of their eyes. Even among the disciples maybe there was one. Jesus looks and smiles, knowing that these men too are only human. And so it goes, on this morning. The brimstone bit is tied to both personal accountability and Jesus’ acknowledgement that even his closest followers are human, fallible, and imperfect. He uses the word “judgment” - but not the way we think of it. Usage has changed over time. In the Hebrew, a judge was someone who righted wrongs - not by physical or moral punishment, but by wisdom and love.
It seems to me that Jesus is echoing Moses, pointing out that every single day, choices of death or life are set before us. He isn’t saying that if you divorce, or murder, you’re going to be sent to hell and God will abandon you. He is saying it goes deeper than those things, to the wagging of tongues and making judgments of others instead of reflecting on ourselves. He is pointing out what it means to choose abundant life, and to celebrate that life. He says don’t swear an oath on the throne, or the earth, or your sainted mother, or anything else - he’s saying you have the choice set before you. You have the power to choose, yes or no - choose life.
What about today’s world? The world of relationships, of politics, of daily dilemmas. Why is the rate of divorce, abuse, child prostitution so high? Why are people elected to represent the best interests of their country, and then become dictators? How can we live well, and make choices for life, in the world of today?
There are so many examples which could be listed, but I will take one from today’s world. My colleague Paula Morse writes in her sermon “I look at Egypt and rejoice with them. This is their response to the teaching of Jesus. This predominantly Muslim country has heard the voice of Jesus and responded in a non-violent, spiritual way.” Joining with the minority Christian brothers and sisters, they have brought low the mighty, and begun the process of exalting the lowly. They have made a choice for life.”
The people following Moses were given the choice. Jesus points out to his followers that the law was meant to guide the people into choosing life. The people in the Harry Potter stories had set before them blessings and curses, death and life. Some chose the death of the soul, others chose clearly - without saying a word - life. The Maori people of in the story had a choice of death or life, and were able to see, finally - the choice for life.
We have to remember that God understands far more than we do, and that God wishes always abundant life for us. We have the choices. God will go to almost any lengths to help us make the right choice, but God will not choose for us and make us do something. God has given us brains, hearts, and wills. God has set before us this day, and every day, blessings and curses, death and life. We have to choose.
Sources:
1. “Thanks for Grace” a sermon by Rev. Paula Morse, Barefoot Pastor of Lovell and Deaver in the almost wilds of Wyoming
2. “Choose Life!” a sermon by Rev. Rick Thompson
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