Matthew 5:21-37 Relationship, Relationship, Relationship

             So, aren’t you glad that you plowed and shoveled your driveway to come hear such a happy message? I mean this is the kind of message that makes you want to say “Glory Hallelujah” isn’t it? I mean, today, we get to hear about all the juicy stuff that we can see on television, read and watch in the news. Killing, adultery, and gossip.

            The only problem is that Jesus is telling us the things we cannot do. He is re-telling the Ten Commandments. We have heard these before haven’t we? We have learned them in our Sunday school classes. Some of us memorized them for confirmation so we know these words. It is just the same re-hash of stuff that we have heard before. Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not …Do not…do not. It is the same old list and I am sure that it gets tiring hearing it over and over again.

            This Gospel reading is different than just a repeat of the Ten Commandments. In this reading we hear the Ten Commandments and then Jesus adds the words “But I say to you…” What is it that Jesus is doing when he says, “But I say to you?” Is this tightening the laws that God gave. Is this putting more restrictions on what we can and can’t do? For example, he tells us that God said, “Do not murder” and then “But I say to you (and this is paraphrasing) don’t get made at your brother or sister you will be liable to judgement.” So Jesus is telling us that we cannot even get mad at someone! In fact, Jesus is saying that if you are on your way to the altar to give a gift to God…STOP RIGHT THERE! Put whatever it is you are bringing to the altar down and go make peace. Then come back and continue with your gift.

            He goes on to talk about adultery. He tells us that it is not enough to not commit adultery. Anyone who looks at a woman with lust in his heart has already committed adultery. Jesus says that it is better to lose a limb then have your whole body thrown into hell. Jesus goes on to tell us about divorce and swearing oaths. He says it is better to say the truth in the beginning so you don’t have to swear an oath.

            It does sound like the Laws that God gave Moses is getting tighter and tighter; doesn’t it. We know that Laws are limitations and restrict one’s “freedom” to do whatever we want. It sure seems like Jesus is pulling the strings tighter and tighter on the things we can do and cannot do. So, why is Jesus doing all this? Is Jesus trying to punish us even more or make us feel more guilty about what we do in our daily lives? Why do we need to hear this?

            It is because Jesus is telling us more than what we can or cannot do. Jesus is teaching us that there is more to this God than we think. Jesus is teaching us about why God has created these laws that we call commandments. He is teaching us that God gave us these laws because God loves us just like a parent loves a child. Many of you know what I am talking about. When we tell our children or Grandchildren not to touch the stove because it is hot, we are doing this out of love; and because we don’t want them to get hurt.

            That part is easy to get but why does Jesus tell us not to even get mad or look at someone with lust, or tell us about divorce? Jesus is telling us more about God than we think we know. Jesus is telling us that the relationship that God has with each and every one of us is special. He is telling us that God loves us all, individually, more than we can imagine; more than we will ever know. Jesus is teaching us that it is important to know God’s relationship with us. It is important to see that we all are a creation of God and that we are valued.

            Today, through this Gospel lesson, we see, hear, and experience the love of God through God’s own law. These laws are not so restrictive that we cannot do anything to have fun. It’s quite different. Through Jesus teaching, we can learn how to be in a right and loving relationship with God by knowing that God has a right and loving relationship with us. It also means that God’s law created out of love for us carries over to one another…to you and me.

            It means that once we understand that God has a relationship with us that our relationships with one another change. Because we are all created by God, then how will we be in relationship with one another and how will we treat one another? Jesus calls us all to treat one another knowing that God created us. Jesus words are opening up to us that it is more important to reconcile…seek and ask for forgiveness whenever possible; do not treat people like objects or property because we all are created AND Loved by God. How do I know this? Because God’s only Son, Jesus went to the cross because of our not listening and touching that stove when it was hot.

Because we got angry with someone and did not try to seek or ask forgiveness; and yes because we may have looked with lust in our hearts at someone. Jesus went to the cross, the place we are supposed to STOP and drop everything and settle our disagreement before coming back to this cross and thanking God for our deliverance. Jesus did not stop but suffered and died on this cross for our sake. AND Jesus was raised on the third day, Sunday morning, so that our sinful self, died and we are born into a life of love, forgiveness and life free from sin.

       Jesus teaching calls us to take pause about our relationships. There is never a guarantee that we will always agree on things. That does not mean that we cannot disagree peacefully. It does mean that we can respect each other’s opinions and seek a better understanding of one another. It means that we can help one another through times of struggles as well as times of joy. Jesus teachings today and his “But I say to you” means that we are called to interact with one another; people we know and strangers. Theologian, David Lose suggested that if we were to go out on the corner and ask “what do you think about God?” he suggested that God might be described as an old gray haired distant person. I think the answer might be much more depressing. I think the answer would be more like “I don’t think about God at all.”
    That does not mean that the conversation has to stop there. God is active in our lives through the good and the bad. There are many people out there who do not care or cannot see God’s activity. But, we might be able to talk to people and build a relationship with that person. That is God in action right there. Maybe it is just praying for that person, sharing lunch, listening OR even learning something.

God calls us into relationship with God and with each other. It is there for the taking. It may not be a walk down easy street, but we are not alone in this journey. AMEN!