A busy day. At Aldersgate, we hosted the district in an event titled “Back to Basics.” Around 200 folks were expected to come and learn and grow together around the idea of becoming the church we were called to be, the church that is within us to be. Built around the basics of being church, the participants were invited to consider just how we go about “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World!” That’s the mission statement of the United Methodist Church, but we don’t often stop and think about how we go about doing that exactly. Fundamental, yet perhaps forgotten. I’m sure it was a good event.
I say I’m sure because I wasn’t there. Not because I didn’t think it was worth attending. I attended the West District’s Back to Basics event last Saturday, in Terre Haute. I even presented a workshop on taking a look at our Membership Vows to see what they say, to see what we promised to do, about making disciples and about being the church. It was a fun exercise and I was on the schedule to do it again here. Then I noticed that this is the same Saturday that I was supposed to be teaching in Indianapolis. For many years now I’ve teaching in the Course of Study, which is the educational program for Local Pastors as they serve our churches. A Local Pastor is a bridge position between laity and clergy. They aren’t ordained they are commissioned for service. They don’t always have a seminary degree. But they attend the course of study which covers many of the same subject. For at least 10 years I’ve been teaching the preaching course for the Course of Study. And this was the first weekend of the new term.
So, I spent the day talking about preaching, instead of working on a sermon. Ironic, I know. Plus, I was hours away from my church talking about the basics of being the church in regard to the pastor’s role, while my church was hosting a conversation about the basics of being the church from the laity point of view. Interesting symmetry. All of this instead of concentrating on a passage about the basics of being a follower of Jesus before the church even came to be.
Matt. 5:21-37 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.' 22 But 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. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come 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. 26 Truly 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.' 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If 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. 30 And 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.' 32 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.
33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
Whoa, slow down there Jesus. I mean rules are one thing, but this, well, this goes way deeper. This is moving from preaching into meddling. Don’t you think? I mean it is not just what we do that matters, but what we think, how we feel that seems to matter to Jesus. That’s a bit much. A bit intrusive, really. I mean who can really control thoughts? Things just pop into our heads. We’re conditioned to think certain ways. Right? It’s not really our fault. Our brother does something that he knows we don’t like, and he does it intentionally, most likely, trying to get a reaction from us, trying to see if we will stand up for ourselves. And so we do, we have to, right? We have to stand up for ourselves and get back at the little twerp for making us mad. So we do. But, I mean, we don’t, but we do, sort of. Nothing bad, I mean, really bad. We don’t kill him, or even permanently damage him. But he’s got to know the boundaries, right?
And then that second one. Hey, God, you made us this way. Attracted to the one we think is beautiful. We can’t help it really. We’re drawn. We’re helpless. It just happens. Surely you can’t be blamed for a stray thought, right? A really nice, but random, out of nowhere thought. A what if? Or how about? Or suppose it was a deserted island, or if you were the last person on earth, that kind of thing. You know ...
And there’s the problem Jesus would say as he looked you right in the eye and raised an eyebrow. Truly random thoughts are dismissed as quickly as they arise. Truly emotional responses fade away without a rational thought. But that’s not how we deal with “random” thoughts or physical reactions. We tend to dwell on them, to nurture them. To play them over and over in our minds until they become second nature to us, until the object - and the person we are angry at or lustful toward stops being a subject and become an object - until the object can’t be thought of in any other way. We’ve killed our brother in our hearts, because he is no longer our brother but the object of anger and scorn and name-calling. Read the passage as a progression. It gets worse and worse. So why not put it back together while it can be put back together? Why not get over it? Just let it pass through unremarked, unadorned, un-contemplated as though it wasn’t real, it wasn’t there.
Notice that the first two come from the ten commandments and the third “you heard...but I say” comes from the statutes. And it is the most confusing. And I don’t propose in the space allowed here to explain it. Since I don’t have an easy interpretation. Except to say, that when human relationships are involved our actions, our decisions, our choices have implications and those implications can cause hurt even if unintended. Especially when subjects become objects. So pay attention.
Which is where we end up. Paying attention. To our words in particular. These are the basics, says Jesus. Let our words come from our heart, come from our soul. Let our words honor the other. Let our words reflect the source of our hope. Let our word be yes. Yes to faith and integrity, yes to hospitality and inclusion, yes to community and service. Let our words go back to the basics. Let our yes be yes, our no be no. Can’t get any more basic than that.
Shalom,
Derek
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