February 24, 2019 - Seventh Sunday after Epiphany - When You Kill My Father Prepare to Die

Another Sunday of the Gospel continuing on a theme. Here there is a division between two Sundays of what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Plains. There is a challenge when considering this portion alone. Today at worship the practical nature of verse 27 of the Gospel, "But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you," was stressed  

To explain this Gospel lesson during Children's Time Kim used a rubber band and talked about what happens with friends and enemies. She stretched the rubber band and said "This is what it is like with an enemy when we feel anger at them - there is tension that grows between us and our enemy." The source of tension can be explained in other ways. For example a tension that can build within us rather than with another if a perceived wrong results only in doing good to a perpetrator. That is why retribution stories are so satisfying.

As his example, Pastor Ray asked us how many in the congregation were familiar with Princess Bride and Inigo Montoya, the fictional character in William Goldman's 1973 novel and the 1987 film. Many were and Pastor Ray had us all say the words Montoya waited half his life to say to his father's killer, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

We don't know what happens to Montoya after Count Rugen was defeated. Montoya centered his life around revenge for his father's death. When this was accomplished the meaning of his life had to change. Pastor Ray pointed out this focus on vengeance had also poisoned Montoya's soul. He is drunk when he meets Westley. However, would loving his enemy Count Rugan, doing good to Rugan and praying for him have been a more satisfying direction for Montoya's life? We understand Rugen continued to do evil after killing Montoya's father. Defeating Rugan does stop that evil. We tend to view life that way as a story.

Today's First Reading was Genesis 45:3-11, 15 the story of Joseph and his brothers. They sold Joseph into slavery. They were envious of Jacob's love for Joseph and hated him for his dreams that appeared to confirm he would gain power over them. Joseph does do good, he allows his brothers food to eat during a time of famine. 

Joseph obviously loved his brothers but did, or should, that love change with their betrayal and actions? Also Joseph's story changed his life and fate for the better. If they had encountered Joesph again and he was still a slave, our response to this story might be quite different 

Jesus does not present law-from-on-high in the Sermon on the Plain, although that is how we traditionally understand his teaching. Jesus transforms how we view the world. He certainly knows that his teaching that loving your enemy is good will not move his listener's heart to that love. Love will not spring from following a law. Jesus also preached in this same sermon that the poor are blessed, Few of us will seek out poverty because of what Jesus taught. Something else is going on in this sermon.

Jesus is not teaching the morality of his knowledge but rather about grace. The grace, love, compassion, and mercy of Christ has always been scandalous and knows no bounds. The words of Jesus are always meant to push us further and further than we are ever willing to go ourselves. These teachings describe the arc of how love operates, not law.

Currently I also see loving your enemy more as a process rather than a one time decision or act of will. Loving an enemy does not come until there are no reservations against that love. Overcoming those reservations are as important as identifying them. The struggle is to lift them to God to resolve.

Today's worship made me feel a deep humility. In aspirational terms I know the words love your enemy are true and yet there are so many other countering beliefs and emotions within me that fight against that truth. 

My hope and trust is in my God to help me better understand how words in the Sermon on the Plain are lived out day by day.