The Coming of a King

Scripture Texts:

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Matthew 21: 1-11

Palm Sunday Sermon

There had never been such a buzz about town.  For so long, the city had suffered under bone weary oppression.  Though the people had gotten their hopes up about various leaders over time, inevitably they saw their hopes come crashing to the ground.  Leaders would come and go, but the devastation always remained.  One day, however, the city got wind that a new kind of King was coming to town.  And rather than being some savior from a distant land, it was one of their own who was promising to finally end their seasons of sorrow.  When the King arrived, the city spontaneously burst forth in joy.  The King has come to claim his crown!  Celebrate the coming of the King.  Our cities long nightmare has finally come to an end!  No longer will we be crushed by all of the foreign invaders.  We will finally have a kingdom of our own.  But, the parade of welcome didn’t lead to a victory parade.  Yes, there were good times, but it wasn’t quite what the people had hoped for.  But, the people’s faith remained.  Surely this king and his followers would eventually emerge victorious. Finally, when the definitive battle was at hand, the people waited for the king to leash out with his definitive blow.  And yet, in the critical moment, the king faltered.  Rather than mount a vigorous offensive, he seemed to give up with barely a fight.  Rather than being the answer to the people’s dreams, he just seemed like one more false messiah. Bitter mobs emerged who would burn their former King in effigy. For all those who had gotten their hopes up, they were now crushed beyond belief.  Those cries of Hosanna soon turned into bitter cries of rage.  Whereas once the people cried with jubilation, now they jeered in rage.    Never had a city been so disappointed.  

And thus, did the king take his talents to South Beach.

Oh, wait, didn’t you know I was talking about Lebron?  Did you think I was talking about some other King?

No, on this day when we cry out “Hosanna, Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord,” a different king came to mine.  In reading the story about Jesus’ triumphant entry, and in knowing the sudden shift from Palm Sunday to the torture and execution of Jesus on Good Friday, I wondered how a crowd could turn so quickly and so bitterly against the one that they had once loved.  And so it was that Lebron James came to mind.  I remember right where I was when I found out the Cavs won the lottery.  I was on camping down in West Virginia, but my friend and I hopped in his truck and drove around until we could pick up the WTAM signal.  When David Stern announced that the Cavs had won the lottery, we celebrated.  Ok, I celebrated, my friend just kind of looked at me strangely.  But finally, I thought, finally the stars have aligned for my city and we might finally see a championship.  

And yet, fast forward 7 years, and there I am again siting with baited breath.  But this time, its in a recliner in my living room.  After sitting through all that bs, Lebron finally announces that “he’s taking his talents to South Beach.”  I immediately turned off the television.  I can recall feeling a palpable sense of rage.  Now, I didn’t go out into the streets and riot, that sooo last century, I turned to facebook and soothed my angry soul by watching all of my facebook friends spew vitriol about this supposed king who was supposed to be different.

For those of us who are Cleveland sports fans, I think we were treated to a glimpse of the kind of emotional see-saw that we read about in scripture.  Jesus enters the city as the next great promise, only to see many in the crowds turn on him, betray him, deny him, and finally, crucify him.  But whereas it seemed to take 7 years for us to turn on Lebron, scripture seems to indicate it was only a matter of days for Jesus.  How could this be?  How can we go from screaming Hosanna to the Son of David to Crucify Him in just 6 short days?  What changed so fast?

We can make a few reasoned guesses.  First, perhaps we imagine too great a crowd when we picture Palm Sunday.  Though Jesus was certainly greeted by enthusiastic supporters, our best scholars says that he came in the back gate, out of the mountains, rather than in the main entrance into Jerusalem.  Its highly unlikely that the bulk of the city was there to great him, but probably some of the poorest of the poor who had heard rumors about a great leader who truly cared for their plight.  If we imagine the crowd to be a bit smaller than the whole city, perhaps we can understand how this small, deeply poor and powerless group, may not have been the crowd that was whipped up by the Pharisees to support their midnight trial and condemnation by Pontious Pilot.  Its entirely possible that many of Jesus’ supporters were simply shut out of the process, and once the sentence was passed, too afraid to publicly support him as he was led to the cross.

But, I don’t think that that can tell the entirety of the story.  I think many of the people also became gravely disappointed.  When Jesus entered the city, they were indeed expecting a great leader- perhaps even a Messiah.  They were seeking someone who would finally break the yoke of Roman oppression, would finally disturb the corrupt economic and spiritual practices of the temple elite, would finally establish a new, independent Jewish kingdom by retaking the throne of David and by empowering the poor and oppressed.

In fact, within the generational memory of that crowd, they had seen just that very thing occur.  You see, in 167 BCE, Israel was ruled by the corrupt and oppressive Seleucid empire.  While Jerusalem had long been controlled by foreigners, a new ruler- Antiochus IV had come to power in 175 BCE.  He unleashed a reign of terror, took on divine names, crushed a Jewish rebellion led by the high priest, outlawed the practice of Judaism, and desecrated the sacred temple by installing statues to Zeus and other Greek Gods.  And so, a family by the name of Maccabeus led a revolt, overthrew the Selucids, cleansed the temple, and established a new Jewish kingdom.  

They routed the Greeks and forced them out of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.  They cleansed the Temple, an occasion our Jewish friends still celebrate as Hanukkah.  When Simon Maccabee returned to Jerusalem, he was hailed as the great deliverer; and the people took palm branches and waved them in front of him as a sign of victory.  “You have freed us from the Greeks,” they cried.  “Hail to you”- 24 Hours that Changed the World

After signing a peace treaty with Rome in 161 BCE, the Jews had a kingdom of their own for over 100 years.  It was only in 37 BCE, when Herod the great was installed as King of Israel, that their dream of freedom and liberation came to an end.Yes, the very same Herod who was alive when Jesus was born.  And it was his son who ruled when Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem. 

Can you see now maybe what the crowd expected.  It was only 60-70 years ago that Jerusalem had been the capital of an independent, Jewish state.  Its entirely possible that there was someone in the crowd who was old enough to remember it.  And it is certain that there were people there who grew up on their parents knee hearing stories about when Jerusalem was free.  And now, just like Simon Maccabeus not so long ago, a man rides into town talking about establishing a new kingdom on earth.

Hosanna.  Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna!

Jesus would overthrow the Romans and set the people free.

And yet, Jesus enters in and talks about loving the enemy.  He talks about rendering to Cesar what is Cesar’s.  Sure, he challenged the corruption at the temple, he even challenges the ultimate authority of the Romans, but he never puts together in army. In fact, when one of his followers begins to fight, Jesus reprimands him and cares for the wounds of the soldier there to arrest him.

I mean, what a disappointment.  Its just like Lebron-  we put all our hopes and dreams into someone, and they fail to follow through.

That is, when we put our hopes and dreams into the wrong thing. 

The people in the streets weren’t wrong to celebrate Christ’s coming into Jerusalem.  We too need to celebrate it.  Put we have to understand what, and who, we are welcoming.

If we are expecting a savior who will rule by might, we’re going to be disappointed.  

If we are expecting a savior who will tear down our enemies, we’re going to be disheartened.

If we are expecting a savior who blesses every power grab and the accumulation of wealth amongst the few, we’re going to be discouraged.

But, my brothers and sisters,

If you want a savior who has come for the meek and lowly, its time to celebrate.

If you want a savior who will turn this world upside down, its time to party.

If you want a savior who will sacrifice himself out of love for you, its time to throw a parade!

Living into the Connection

In the United Methodist Church, we talk quite a bit about our connection-  we testify about being part of a wider faith network that does considerable work in the world.  This is undoubtable true-  we can claim partial credit for relief work in Japan, for a growing church in the Congo, and for peace and justice efforts in the halls of Congress.  While the connection is strong in terms of financial and material support, it often breaks down at the personal level.  While we may know a few Methodists who go to other churches, we rarely form deep and lasting relationships with members of other churches or with other congregations.  Thus, when a church like Brooklyn Memorial or Broadway United Methodist closes, it can seem like a distant event that has nothing to do with us.  In reality, however, it weakens our entire connection and hampers our ability to effectively engage in ministry.  

Over the last couple months, I have been dreaming with a few other pastors and churches on the westside about how we can rekindle these relationships.  Each of our Methodist’s churches have unique gifts and abilities that could help to strengthen our individual congregations if we could just collaborate.  For instance, if we want to engage in transformative ministry on the near westside of Cleveland, we could draw from the skills and abilities of Pearl Rd. UMC in helping to guide our efforts.  If we want to build up our youth program, we could draw from Simpson UMC’s exciting efforts at building a vital program despite being a small member church. 

On Monday, May 2nd, we will have a unique opportunity to explore engaging in collaborative ministries.  At 7:00, Methodists from across the district will be gathering from 7:00-8:30 at Nehemiah mission to get to know each other and explore the unique gifts our churches can contribute to building up the work of Jesus on the Westside of Cleveland.  It is my sincere desire that many of you will join me in exploring just how we can engage in more vital ministry together with our Methodist brothers and sisters.  As part of this process, I ask all who are interested to stay for a brief meeting after church on May 1st as we identify our own gifts and dreams.  Together, we can live out Christ’s calling to transform our church and our world!

Journey to Jerusalem

Luke 9:51- When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.

Lent is a journey with a destination.  We enter into 40 days of confession and repentance not to punish ourselves, but to prepare ourselves for the journey.  When Jesus began his ministry, he knew that he was stirring up considerable controversy.  After all, you can’t challenge the political, economic, and religious leaders of the day without making a few enemies.  But, so long as Jesus stayed on the margins of society, it was likely that his trouble making would be ignored.  However, Jesus knew that it was one thing to preach in the fields, eventually, you have to take the message to the seat of power.

So, Jesus turned to Jerusalem and began the walk that would inevitable lead to his death.  Can you imagine the courage it took to begin that journey?  He had already found devoted followers.  He had already healed people and helped to transform lives.  Wouldn’t it have been easy for him to just keep doing what he was doing?  To never take a risk by embarking on a new phase of ministry?  What would we do if faced with that decision?  Would we be content to stay comfortable and work where no one will bother us, or would we have the courage to follow God’s will and take the greatest risk of all?

We are quickly approaching the destination of our own Lenten journey.  We are invited to join with Jesus as he enters Jerusalem, as he has a last meal with friends, as he is tried and crucified, and as he is resurrected on Easter morning.  Sometimes, however, I think we tend to want to skip straight from the joy of Palm Sunday to the joy of Easter Sunday.  In doing so, however, I think we miss a significant part of Jesus’ (and our own) journey.  Being a committed disciple does involve sacrifice at times, and it might even mean that parts of our life have to die so that we can be reborn as transformed people.  To facilitate experiencing the fullness of Jesus’ journey, we will be holding services on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.  I hope you can join us in the entirety of this Holy Week journey so that like Jesus, we may be reborn and empowered to change ourselves and our world.

May you have strength for the journey.

Lent- Preparing us to be Free

Matthew 6:16-18- ‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

In a recent clergy session, one of my colleagues remarked that many people in her congregation dislike lent.  They complain that it is a dreary time of the church year when all of the focus seems to be on what people do wrong that culminates in the gruesome death of Jesus Christ.  Though I’ve never felt as negative toward Lent as others, I can see where her congregation is coming from.  Lent is indeed a time where we focus on preparing our hearts and minds for the coming Holy Week.  A good part of that is meant to be in reflection about the ways we fall short in living into the image of who God wanted us to be.  And there is no way to soften the atrocities that humans are capable of committing-  including murdering the very person who was sent to the world so that we could be reconciled with God.  

I think the main reason we will feel this is a dreary time is that we lose track of what the ultimate goals are and instead focus on beating ourselves up.  Our focus goes toward what we are giving up, the sins we persist in, and the gory details of our savior’s death.  I think Jesus spoke to this a bit in the above scripture.  Jesus doesn’t condemn fasting, but he condemns those who revel in the negativity by trying to out do each other by demonstrating just how miserable they really are.  In this way, the fast will seem like a punishment that is being imposed so that they can make up for the wrong things they have done.  

I think this fundamentally misses the point of what Lent is about.  Its not about reveling in the negativity- its about loosing the chains that hold us back so we can become newly invigorated people who are bursting forth with energy to spread the good news of what God has done in our lives.  Fasting is designed to free the time and money we would normally spend eating to use for pray and listening to God’s will.  Confession is designed to release us of the guilt of our sins so that we might move forward into being the people God created us to be.  Lent is not a time of oppression- its a journey toward freedom- the freedom to participate in the wonderful kingdom of God that is being formed right here on earth.  This Lent, let’s embrace the challenge to emerge from Lent not as depressed and disheveled people, but as people prepared to hear the startling news that we too have been given new life and are ready to emerge from the tomb.

God’s blessings be upon you during this Lenten journey.

Jesus and Divorce- Why so harsh???

Genesis 2:24-25

Deuteronomy 24:1-4

Matthew 5:27-37

Sermon

In 1999, the Barna research group released a comprehensive report that studied the relationship between religious beliefs and divorce rates. The report found that "We rarely find substantial differences" between the moral behavior of Christians and non-Christians. Barna Project Director Meg Flammang said: "We would love to be able to report that Christians are living very distinct lives and impacting the community, but ... in the area of divorce rates they continue to be the same."

Given the high divorce rate, both among Christians and society as a whole, Jesus’ teachings on marriage and divorce may be among the most difficult and emotional to discuss. The process of ending a marriage can result in festering wounds for the couple who legitimately believed their marriage would last till death, for the children who see their family torn apart, and for the friends and family whose loyalty is now called into question as they are forced to pick sides.

And thus, when reading the sermon on the mount, I was particularly struck by the 32nd verse of chapter 5- “But 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.” What a seemingly harsh and condemning statement by Jesus. What makes it worse is that many experts consider that Matthew has actually liberalizedJesus’ original message. You see, Matthew reports that Jesus says that divorce can be justified in cases of adultery. Luke and Mark, however, remember it differently- Luke 16:18 and Mark 10:11“‘Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. Between the three, experts believe it is most likely that Matthew softened the original saying of Jesus so that it would be more understandable and acceptable to the community for whom he was writing. So, how are we to understand this seemingly impossible demand by Jesus?

First, we have got to understand a little bit better the context of marriage in Jesus and the ancient Israelites’ time. Though many will claim that marriage is an eternal, unchanging institution, the reality is that our understanding of marriage is significantly different than that at the time of the Bible. Rather than a relationship primarily based on mutual love, marriage was in many senses an economic transaction in which the security of woman would be bought by becoming faithful to one man. Marriage contracts were typically decided between men- either the fathers of the two to be married, or by the groom with the father of the bride. Woman had little if any right to pick their partners, and they almost always were forbidden to hold title to land or a business. This is why scripture is particularly concerned about the widow- without her husband, she must rely on the generosity of others to survive.

So, if and when a marriage ended, the woman involved lost all economic security. Furthermore, sense she was no longer a virgin, the prospects of her finding a new mate to take care of her with extremely slim. If she was lucky, she could return to her father’s house and hope to be taken care of. If she was unlucky, she was confined to an existence of extreme poverty likely resulting in an early death.

Unfortunately for the woman, she had virtually no say in either starting or ending a marriage. The man, not the woman, had the right to give a bill of divorce. The passage from Deuteronomy that Kay read today, probably sounds harsh to our ears- “Suppose a man enters into marriage with a woman, but she does not please him because he finds something objectionable about her, and so he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house;” but believe it or not, this is actually a feminist manifesto for its time. Instead of men having the unlimited right to divorce, the book of Deuteronomy legislates that there must be grounds for divorce that will stand up in court; that proper procedures must be followed throughout all proceedings; and that divorce and remarriage are subject to restrictions regarding another marriage partner.

Though love could of course be part of these marriages, the law and custom essentially treated women as a commodity. Divorce essentially was a part of buying and selling that commodity.

It is in this scenario that Jesus’ statement must be heard. Rather than endorsing this worldview, he instead objects to what amounts to the abandonment of woman. Furthermore, the restrictions on remarriage help to break down that commodity process- if a man cannot trade in his wife for a new one, he are less likely to abandon their first wife.

However, even if we understand that Jesus is speaking in a historical context about a historical institution, what does that mean for us today? Does Jesus’ statement simply not apply? This is where it gets tricky- you see, Jesus grounds his understanding of marriage in the creation story of Genesis- “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Furthermore, if we examine marriage from the perspective of the bible as a whole, I think it is fair to say that the bulk of the tradition is that marriage is “relationship in which companionship and a variety of physical and spiritual needs are met and in which personal identity is formed and personal growth takes place and that this relationship should continue until it is broken only by death.” (Pastoral Care Emergencies)

Throughout the sermon the mount, we have tried to read between the lines. We have claimed that in examining the law, Jesus is always pointing towards God wider purpose in creation- the law was to help to foster relationships between God and our neighbor. Here, there can be no doubt that Jesus is affirming the view that it is God’s plan that when we enter into marriage, God desires for those marriages to stand the test of time and to continue until death.

But, what then are to believe about God’s will for our lives if and when we are faced with the prospect of divorce, or of remarriage. Are we really to believe that it is God’s will that every marriage should never end and that every divorced person should never remarry?

One pastor who I know and respect says that he feels like it is always his role to counsel toward preserving a marriage. He has said while he would welcome and love all people who chose otherwise, he didn’t feel like scripture ever permitted him to counsel people to get a divorce. I understand and respect his position. It is certainly one valid interpretation of the scriptures and God’s call for our role as pastors.

I must say, though, I disagree. My role as a pastor is to help those in front of me discern what God may be calling them to do in their lives given the complexities involved and the competing value systems. In a vacuum, I can say that God desires our marriages to last. But Jesus also proclaimed he had come so that we could have life, and life abundant. What happens if having a divorce and living into “the abundant life” come into conflict? What if staying in the marriage maintains a serious risk of harm to our bodies or to our souls?

We are called elsewhere to care for our children and to bring them up in the best environment possible- but what if that conflicts with maintaining a marriage? And what about the ministry God calls us into? Are we to assume we cannot serve God, either as laity or clergy, if we have been divorced or have remarried?

Living into the kingdom of God is not a simple thing, nor is obeying God simplistic. Competing values will mean that Christians have to make difficult choices in morally gray areas. We will have to listen and pray hard to understand God’s will for our lives in these times. And, I do believe, that given the range of circumstances we face in life, God’s will at times will be to end a hopelessly flawed and destructive marriage. That is one reason I agree with our Social Principals when they state- “God’s plan is for lifelong, faithful marriage. The church must be on the forefront of premarital, marital, and postmarital counseling in order to create and preserve strong marriages. However, when a married couple is estranged beyond reconciliation, even after thoughtful consideration and counsel, divorce is a regrettable alternative in the midst of brokenness.”

The good news is that, while Jesus’ statement seems harsh, it was spoken by the Son of God who exudes mercy and grace in all that he did and does. In the forth chapter of John, Jesus meets a woman at the well who has had five husbands and is currently living with a man out of wedlock. This certainly violates every single thing Jesus has proclaimed about marriage. While Jesus notes this fact, he doesn’t say a word of condemnation to her. Instead he asks her to believe in him, and in fact, sends her out to evangelize. Is Jesus being hypocritical here- no. His desire was never to crush people‘s spirits, but nurture them into living a more abundant life. We as Christians need to learn from this- all too often those who have been faced with divorce have found the church to be a place of judgment rather than grace. Whether you conclude it is ethical or not to have a divorce, that judgment must not be forced upon someone else. Jesus lived out the example- so that when someone faces a difficult decision like whether to end a marriage, a relationship, or a friendship, they can trust that God’s love and presence will be there through it all.

Seeing beyond the Anger

In this last Sunday's sermon, I referred to a great video that demonstrated how if we only respond to surface level insults, we miss the great needs of our individual brothers and sisters.  If we could really see what is going on in people's lives, perhaps we'd have more compassion.

Delight in the law?

Psalm 112

Matthew 5:13-20

"Praise the Lord!
   Happy are those who fear the Lord,
   who greatly delight in his commandments."

Sometimes we Americans are perceived to be rebellious, but truth is we do kinda like the law.   While we may push the speed limit a bit, I would bet that most everyone hear has gone out of the way to try and obey the law this week.

We are a society that highly values law and order.  When is the last time you heard a politician say-  “Vote for me- I’m weak on crime!”

Thus, the scripture passage we read today from the sermon on the mount should make us especially happy.

¹⁷“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 

So, whereas last week, in the beatitudes, we experienced a very difficult message, one that always makes us strive to embrace such features as humility, peacemaking and a thirst for righteousness, we get an easy message today.  Just follow the law, right?

Let’s see-  “Thou shalt not kill.” .............Uh yea, I think I was ok with that today.

“Thou shall not bear false witness- ..........  There were a couple white lies in the last week, but all and all, I think I’m good here.

But, I guess these are the biggies here.  We know that the law, the Torah, contains far more than just the ten commandments.  Jesus does add in verse 19-

¹⁹Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Thus, maybe we ought to take a look at some of these other ones:

Leviticus 11:7-  The pig has a split hoof, divided in two, but doesn't chew the cud and so is unclean. You may not eat their meat nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.

For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.

Leviticus 25:44-46: "The male and female slaves which you have are to come from the surrounding nations; you are permitted to buy slaves from them.

For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.

Exodus 22:20- Anyone who sacrifices to a god other than God alone must be put to death. 

For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.

Deuteronomy 22:13-21 (excerpt)  If a man marries a woman, consumates the marriage and than turns on her saying that she was not a virgin, she is to be taken to the gate to be examined by the village elders.   if it turns out that the accusation is true, the men of the town are to take her to the door of her father's house and stone her to death.

  

For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.

Alright, now I’m lost here.  Could Jesus possibly be saying that we have to fulfill the law here?  I mean, these are some strange laws, even terrible laws here.  I mean, yes, I’d hate to give up pork.

But I’m supposed to be ok with buying slaves?

with killing those who worship another God?

with allowing a woman who was not a virgin to be killed?

What is going on here?  This doesn’t seem to be the Jesus I know.

In the last 150 years or so, I thought we had made tremendous progress as Christians.  We had thrown off the part of our faith the permitted, or even at times demanded, the ability to own slaves.  We’ve learned to get along with our brothers and sisters in other faith traditions-  we may not agree, but we certainly would scream out against situations like the Holocaust.  And, while we may argue that people should wait to engage in sex until they are married, I don’t think anyone wants to make this a capital offense.

So, what on earth, is Jesus getting at here?  Why all of this talk of fulfilling the law?  Are our moves toward greater equality really going to keep us away from the kingdom of heaven?

Now, wait a minute here Jesus-  I seem to recall some other story.  

Matthew 12:9-14

"He left that place and entered their synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, ‘Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?’ so that they might accuse him. He said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.’ Then he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him."

You did it-  you broke one of the laws.  And its not even one of the least of these-  you broke sabbath.  That’s one of the ten!  So what, is Jesus excluded now to?

Well, it seems pretty unlikely that Jesus is going to exclude himself from the kingdom of heaven.  So, one more time I ask, what is going on here?

As usual, context would appear to be everything here.

I actually think its the first part of the passage that can provide the key to interpreting this.

So, lets work backwards.  What is so special about salt?

Is salt valuable in it of itself?  Can we survive just eating salt?  What does it do?

It enhances flavor! It rounds out flavor, and it makes everything seem to come together.   It is like this miracle substance that makes meat, vegetables, bakery, everything taste better.  And it does it, not so much by adding something new, but by calling attention to the best aspects of what it already there.

So, the point isn’t the salt, its in bringing out the flavors of what it is added to.

Let’s take the light.  Does light have value in it of itself, aside from solar power that is?

The value of light is in showing us something.  When it is dark, and we use a flashlight, we appreciate it because it helps to show us what is in front of us and what we are looking for.  The value is not in the light- it is in what it illumines for us.

So, salt and light.  Both are valuable, not for their intrinsic qualities- but for what it can bring out, what it can illumine, about that to which they are applied.  The salt and light are not the point.

And thus, we return to the law.  When Jesus talks about fulfilling the law, his point is not to say that the law itself is what is of value.  Even his rhetorical flourish about not one jot or tittle falling from the law, is to emphasize the importance of what that law is pointing to-  We know why salt and light exist, what they help.  What about the law, why was that brought about?

Remember, the law is part of the covenant that the Hebrew people entered into with God.  The point wasn’t to establish some arbitrary sets of laws, it wasn’t God’s way of making everyone live in fear.  The point of the law, the point of the covenant, was to bring the people into relationship with God.

So, when Jesus comes to say, I have come to fulfill the law, he is saying that he has come to bring us into a fuller and richer relationship with our God.  Jesus is trying to help to form us into that person that God had intended each one of us to be.  That is truly a precious, and not onerous, gift.

But, but, you say, what about all those laws that seemed unjust for us.  Are we to say they are valuable to?

Let’s remember, the point isn’t the law itself, its the relationship its supposed to bring about.  It isn’t about enacting some code, its about seeing justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever living stream.  When Jesus was confronted with the man who needed healing, he did not bow to the individual law- he lived into the spirit of God’s healing relationship and cared for the man in front of him.

Here’s the problem-  that’s messy.  I can understand why the Pharisees decided to try and be strict about the law instead-  it seems easier on the surface than trying to always figure out what is the bigger picture.  In this month in which the nation pays special attention to the history of our African American brothers and sisters- I think there is no more obvious example of this messy righteousness than that which was called forth by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his letter from the Birmingham jail.  He especially castigates those Christians who say that Martin should stop causing trouble.

To that- he responds- “We who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive...I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for the law.”

So this is how Jesus shows respect for the law- by pointing to its higher purpose-  by pointing to God and calling us to live into God’s kingdom.  It is in Jesus, and not the law, that we find our salvation.  This does not mean we dismiss the law- but that we ask ourselves the question- what is it that will truly bring me closer to God?  What does God's desire for justice call for on this issue?  It is only then, when we wrestle with these difficult question, that we can truly find the path into God’s kingdom.  Amen.