Wisdom in Dark Days - Matthew 5 - Epiphany 6A

Wisdom in Dark Days

Tony E Hansen

Reflection based upon Deuteronomy 30: 15-20, Matthew 5:21-37, Psalm 119

Opening Prayer

This week we could be walking through the mountains in Transfiguration Sunday, but I saw these texts for Epiphany and think this is a great time to walk through this wisdom in dark days.

There is much discussion here about the law and following the laws - Doing the right things and how one might reconcile when we do wrong.

For my own, you might think I am a walking paradox. It is probably because I am a Gemini and constantly having arguments with myself. Also, I am a broken person. I know that and I don’t ignore that. 

Yet to be a paradox is to do and to be contradictory .  

I do believe in God and I do my best to follow the precepts of love for all people. (Some days and some people are little more challenging than others.) I believe we ought to follow the commandments that have been laid out for us to love God and to love our neighbors and to follow the human laws that are just and fair.

I also think we ought to protest and argue laws that are unjust or worse. We ought to protest cruelty and unjust punishments handed out, especially murders.  We ought to feed the homeless, to be welcoming, to take care of the our planet and to take care of the sick. We ought to do that not just because it is the correct thing but more importantly because God tells us so.

I think we spend inordinate amounts of time casting judgment upon sexuality and sexual diversity. Lots of judgment for the wrong reasons. It is a distraction from real threats. There are plenty of vicious crimes but being human having sexuality should not be one of them. That is the way God made us and God is good - as we say!

For this much, many might call my view to be heretical for not following the teachings of the church, but I am not bound to doctrines. I am bound to the truth that God gives us in plain sight.

I have explored non-traditional ways of sexuality while I mostly met respect and shared the same. I do not identify as straight.

We know that porn abuses people, and at the same time, it is an outlet for questions. Porn reduces people to distorted expectations, meat markets or worse. We also know that people go there despite centuries of censorship and condemnation. Why do people go there ? There is a cost regardless if we think otherwise. 

I remember the movie, Independence Day, and the woman who rescues the First Lady is a stripper. First Lady’s reaction to learning this, I am sorry. Why do we give these people unfair treatment? If someone is a sex worker, I have questions for them. Jesus did. Despite an avalanche of criticism, I don’t think there is automatically something wrong with their work. Yet there are questions.

Even so…

Traditional ideas have made an unnecessary pariah about sex, human attraction and procreation standards. In the name of purity, it is taboo and unclean to even discuss. How repressive. Repression has way of perpetuating the problems it seeks to remove. Sexuality, however is a natural part of who we are, and Our Creator made us with diversity - Even too - people with sexuality. What couples want to do is between them and we need not scream hysterics .

That isn’t to say all is ok. Pedophilia, trafficking, rape and assault are wrong, destructive and punishable. Breaking fidelity promises of marriage is wrong and destructive. Consent is not possible nor implied. Those are hurting someone as well as betraying and deceiving. I personally know the costs.

I may be single but I will always respect the marriage covenant. I will respect mutual boundaries. That is basic decency. 

People have the right to be attractive, to be attracted to other people, to find other people interesting and to not have sinister judgements cast upon them. We don’t have the right to hurt others. Nor do we have to wear the correct clothes or work out everyday. (although, I could lose a few pounds). 

That is contrast to more “traditional“ ideas of righteousness and ministry. 

This isn’t just for physical but mental, emotional and spiritual as well. When I treat you with fairness, dignity, respect, love and grace, there is no blame and there is no sin. That is also no matter where you are in life’s journey. 

The moment I exceed that or lose sight of this basic principle, blame is surely to follow. That is when I need to reconcile and not seek fault in others.

Good people around us help us think and help us be better individuals in this world. Good people help us be better neighbors and help us see other people as people rather than objects or worse. Good people are examples of Christ in this world, although we are ourselves are flawed. Are you a good person?

That is the core of love, the core of God. To love God and love our neighbors - finding time to be with our neighbors, our family, whether we agree or not. 

That is choosing life and choosing love. That is allowing God to reveal to us. That is keeping God’s decrees and seeking them with whole heart.

When you open your heart to God and leave judgment to God alone, you will find no shame and not have to worry about whether you follow the statutes or whether your right eye causes you to sin.

If you are looking at people and the world with God’s love in your heart, there is no blame and no cause to be judged. 

So what is holding you back from that love and letting God truly fill you?

When we screw up (and we will), we don’t try to pass it off, lie about it or ignore it.  Own your mistakes and ask for forgiveness.  Come to terms with justice and peace. Come to terms with your Creator.

When you are offering gifts, your expectation should not be a transactional reward. Also, if you have done something wrong, be reminded to reconcile with those you have wronged where possible. 

When I walk around and talk about Jesus and following Jesus but do not embody that love and those lessons from Christ, then I am walking deception. If I say that I love Jesus and I love my neighbors but don’t offer to help them or only offer to help when they help me, then that is not Christ’s love.  That is transaction. 

We are to love not as a transaction or expectation for rewards. We are to embody the welcoming, the forgiveness and the love that is God. When we do that, there is no blame, there is no deception, there is no question or need to reconcile. 

God has set before us “life and death, blessings and curses”. We have been given a choice and the choice is clear. 

You have life and you have blessings. Let that be in your hearts. Let that calm you and nurture you. 

Death and curses are around us, but fear not!  

With God’s love in our hearts, there is so much possible. There is nothing for us to worry because our actions, our thoughts, and our beliefs will reflect that love that has been bestowed upon us and for us.

That Beloved is

Thanks Be to God.

Amen

Part 2 ish : Addendum on Epiphany 6A

Salt of the Earth - Matthew 5 - Epiphany 5A

Salt of the Earth

Tony E Hansen

Reflection based upon Matthew 5:13-20, Psalm 112, Isaiah 58:1-12

Opening prayer

I have had countless containers of salt and Lowry’s in my kitchen. I however don’t use them near enough. After a while, salt does, in fact, become like throwing dust onto good food if you don’t be careful.

We continue in Matthew the sermon on the mount and Jesus, after bestowing blessings upon us, is now calling us salt of the earth. As well, Jesus calls us the light of the earth.

This was the theme of General Synod when we were in Baltimore: to let your light shine. 

Jesus isn’t calling us to be egoists, but instead Jesus is calling us to let the blessings we have show through us. Don’t let you and I turn into dust onto good food, but rather be salt that is vibrant and tasty - even those of us who are a few more years into life.

Why? Just because you age doesn’t mean you lose the gifts God has given you. Just because you question or wonder, doesn’t mean you lose those gifts. In fact, your gifts carry on with you your whole life.

What does it mean to be the salt of the earth though? The light of the world.

These are additives and more. We are what makes life great and we are the necessary ingredient. Ways in which we enhance. Instead of stale food, we have something that delicious. 

Salt is also a preservative and curing - long before we had this thing called refrigeration. Sailors going on long journeys would have salted meat in the stores on their boats.

Jesus tells us that we are more than just spices for your next recipe or a preservative, but also, we are a light for people to see.

After telling us that we are blessed, we are to use those gifts - to be those gifts. To be the light in times of darkness. To be the light that is the follower of Christ.

That is more than simply declaring I am Christian or I love Jesus - we all do. It is more than declarations but a way of living as in the beatitudes. 

It is understanding that we don’t gain by putting people down, hurting them or casting judgments.  We gain by being humble and walking with love in our hearts and with the grace of God that has made us.

We gain by being peacemakers and advocating justice for you and for those around us. We are the mercy and forgiveness that people need. We don’t need heralds to raise us because we are the light. We are light that shines regardless and because God calls us.

We are light that does not hide under tables but as a path and as possible. 

In a world that tells us so much to not and to don’t, we are possible and we light the way for those who are lost or those who might be a bit misguided.

That isnt to say we have all of the answers or even the only answer. 

We can help people find the their answers by being the illumination they need. We can help them taste food in ways they have never thought possible.

We will screw up for sure, but we have God with us to hep pick us up and put us back on our feet. That is when our faith helps us the most. 

We live in a world that denies, restricts, takes away, and kills. We know there is plenty oof evil around us and to be the light in that feels somewhat odd.

Why me? Why does God call me to do work in this world that doesn’t care about me? Why does God call me to be a light that might get ignored?

Ask yourself, when someone turns on a light in a dark room, how many people are running away?

There is relief . There is  “I can see.” There is possible.

Thus we are to light a path for ourselves and for those around us. 

For without faith, we wander aimlessly and without answers or purpose. Without the light of God in us, we don’t really know the universe or what is possible. Without us and our spice, the salad is just a salad, but with us using our divine gifts, it is more than just sustenance. It is a conversation. It is a purpose. It is living.

Be the light, be the salt. Make life here more than just broken dreary. Spice up the recipe with you.

Fulfill your purpose and fulfill the blessings that God has given to you. 

Be the possible.

Amen

Blessed Are You - Matthew 5 - Epiphany 4A

Blessed are You

Tony E Hansen

Sermon Based upon Matthew 5: 1-12, Psalm 15, Micah 6:1-8

Opening Prayer

When you walk into the halls of Chicago Theological Seminary, along the floor is imprinted the words from Micah 6:8, “ …to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God…” That is to remind us of what is good and what we are called to do as followers of Christ and our Creator.

To do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly…

Think about that. You have often heard me refer to doing church; To be the church. 

We can not just say we have faith and have Christ in our hearts, when we don’t match our actions and words. They work together.  You don’t have to be called to preach or to ministry, but you are called to love, you are called to walk with God (not against).  

That Beloved is not easy. We know because that requires of us to be mindful of not only ourselves but those around us - and even those we don’t agree.

That is however, as the psalmist describes, to “…do what is right and speak the truth from heart…” not slander, not throwing shade or being mean to people.  No exceptions.

Yes just because they wear a particular cap or have a brand of clothing or even if they have clothing, we are to treat people with dignity and respect.

Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount shares similar blessings that we read in Luke from the sermon on the leveling place/plain. 

It is interesting that the lectionary puts Micah next to this sermon. When I think about it perhaps, Jesus may have had some inspiration from Micah for his teachings.

This is one of my favorite texts in the whole Judeo-Christian scripture.

Why?

It is the pinnacle teaching of Jesus that tells us that we are blessed. He does not condemn and does not point fingers even.

Blessed are you who are merciful, who are peacemakers, who morn, who are lost and hurting. Who among us isn’t in that list? That means that Jesus tells us “Blessed are you.”

Yes. Blessed are you. What does that mean ? “Blessed.”

Something is bestowed upon you: a feel, a wonder, a grace. Jesus calls you holy. Jesus calls you sacred.

Wow! You are holy and sacred. 

Why? That isn’t to prop up egos or that you suddenly have some mystery solved. Jesus reminds the blessing is because we persevere. We walk with mercy and forgiveness. We walk humbly with our Creator and do justice with love for kindness.

There are plenty of bad anything we could focus our attention, but that is a rather pessimistic view. That kind of focus also distracts us from what is possible. Perhaps, that is part of our problem; focusing upon the wrong things. 

We know the world is broken and there are plenty of bad actors around us. Yet even then, we show kindness; we show mercy; we show love. Hold your horses folks, they too are children of God.

Maybe our mercy and love might reveal some cracks in the bad. For too long, good people get put down, shoved aside, or simply forgotten. Good people arent just the wealthy and connected. Good people with gifts are regular people who go about life in our various ways. Jesus says that you are blessed. Jesus sees you and gives you a path.

These beatitudes (blessings) aren’t just cute little precepts but a way of living. We will morn loss. We may worry about homeless and hungry people, and we want peace. More importantly, we do something to help. We can help via organizations like UBFM or Joppa. We can help the food pantries.  We can help by being the peace that our world so desperately needs. 

And when people slander and bemoan us for doing those things; being merciful, kind and peaceful, there is a sacred place for us and we don’t have to wait for death to find it.  For it is right here and now. 

When we do justice, walk with humility, show love, we find that the "kingdom of heaven" is already here. It has always been here. And you, Beloved, who are blessed, this place is waiting for you to call home.

The kingdom of heaven is not some far off abstract place. It is very tangible; it is quite reachable because it is here. God is here and now.

How can you say that Tony with all of the violence, the shouting, the guns, the threats, the mischief? 

I cannot deny those exist. I can say that I can take care of my part in this world and how I work with people. That is the path Jesus lays out for us here. 

When we do this path, we find there is opportunity and our anxious worries reduce. Our fears may subside because we have the Spirit as our guide.

 

We have grace bestowed upon us; we have been blessed with gifts. With those gifts, we can and we should walk humbly and with love in our hearts.

Blessed are you who are poor, who morn, who are meek, who hunger for righteousness, who are merciful, who are pure love, and who are peaceful. 

Blessed are you who wander, and who wonder. Blessed are you who ask questions and admit we don’t have all the answers. Blessed are you who listen and allow room for God to work. Blessed are you who have faith and lean into that faith during good times and bad. That is to truly lean into our faith, not as a transaction, but as faith that we will be lifted while acknowledging that we have truly been blessed.

You are children of God,\; you have been given gifts; and the kingdom is waiting for you to discover. 

For that we say thanks be to God.

Amen