Fresh Perspective

Fresh Perspective

February 16/ 2014   Matthew 5:21-37

A few years ago, when my eldest son graduated from basic training for the Canadian Navy, Elizabeth, my son Foster and myself took the train from Toronto to Montreal, so we could be with Rhys as he graduated.  I had rented a car before we left online.  The website indicated that the car rental had an office in the train station.  And they did have an office at the train station just not the train station that we disembarked at.  The car that I had ordered and put a deposit on was at other train station at the other end of the city – after many phone calls, and new forms and further agreements to multiple signatures later and at a car dealership a few blocks from the train station – we managed to rent a car.

A compact car was procured and me and my little family set off to St Jean sur Richeleiux with explicit directions from the man at the car rental place about how to get from downtown Montreal to the express way that would take me south.  So off we go onto the city streets and expressways of Montreal  – how many of you have ever driven in Montreal? – what an experience – it was very easy for me to get turned around, and before I knew it I was headed north instead of south and due to all the road rules about not being able to merge here and no left turns there and detour signs for construction that had me veering off the route I had been given.  I had to continue to drive north for almost half an hour before I could get turned around and go the proper way.

We arrived only about an hour later than we thought – booked into our room and realized that we had forgotten our bathing suits – and of course the hotel had a pool.  Elizabeth really wanted to swimming and I had noticed a Zellers as we drove through town – so back into our little car to shop for bathing suits.  Finding a bathing suit for a little girl in November in Quebec is not as easy as you may think – the pickings were slim – although the price was right on the mark down rack in the middle of the store – it took a while to find a size the would fit – we eventully found a two piece but although I found two pieces, the top was a size 5 and the bottom a size 4.  I was pleased that I had found two pieces that matched but when I took them to the check out – imagine my surprise when I was not allowed to buy this suit because both pieces had a piece missing – so the size 5 top was missing its bottom and the size 4 bottom was missing its top – and therefore the cashier could not sell me the items – even when I offered to pay for two bathing suits, she was sorry she said, she wished she could help me but it was against the rules – Elizabeth went swimming in a tee shirt and underwear.  Which I imagine, was against the hotel rules.

Are you hearing my theme yet?  Rules and regulations – policies and procedures – instructions and directions – a common theme of that weekend.

And the next day – it was the biggest display of rules yet – all these men and woman in regulation army/navy and air force uniforms marching to the beat of their drill Sargent’s voice – how to walk, when to talk, where to stand, what to wear, not even allowed to smile.  There were no little waves of recognition across the parade grounds – or covert smiles to let us know that he even knew we were there – for over an hour this tightly regulated regimented marching, standing, saluting, parading soldiers maintained a strict code of conduct.  

It was a weekend of rules – it is remarkable to me how we as humans create rules and policies and procedures more often than not to protect, keep safe, make things easier, but what often happens instead is that the rules take over – and instead of about freedom and ease and better understanding – it becomes about regulations and loss of freedom and just plain old frustration         

but

you have heard it said says Jesus 

Jesus is on the mountain top in the midst of the sermon on the mount.  He is talking to the people about who they are and whose they are and what God wants from them and their lives.  Remember these are people of the law – people who know rules and regulations, know that there is right and wrong and it is clearly defined, and if a mistake is made a transgression occurs there are more rules on how to deal with it – what sort of sacrifice to the temple gets made for cheating – lying – or general disobedience – a dove a goat a lamb will be sacrificed and the all would be well – at least until the next time.  This is the understanding that Jesus is speaking to today – he is holding before the people some of their rules, their laws, and saying to them – consider what you know.

Cause the thing about rules and regulations and laws is that they often lose their intention, and become arbitrary – that is to say a rule is made to protect and keep people safe but at some point the original purpose gets lost in the maintaining of the rule.

Take for instance the rules that we have created on airplanes – a group of men boarded planes in September of 2001 and armed with box cutters – took over the planes and crashed them into buildings.  So, how to make this not happen again – do not allow anything that can be considered a weapon on a plane – so all of a sudden, knitting needles and sewing kits and razors can no longer be carried on to the plane. But then someone decided that they could carry liquids in their shoes that could be made into bombs – and so liquids get banned and toothpaste and makeup and water is confiscated before the security gates – and them another creates some sort of bomb that he wears in his underwear and the next thing you know we have full body scans and pat downs.  All in the name of security  - all as a safety measure to protect us -.  I wonder how much more protection we actually really need – and I also wonder when common sense got left behind.

In Jesus day the rules and regulations grew and grew as well – so the 10 commandments that Moses shared by the time Jesus came into the world – these 10 all encompassing laws had grown to 623 laws – all there to help people live right and just and godly lives – but one of the problems with 623 laws is that you hardly know which one to take seriously – which ones are more important, which ones really matter to God.  I would imagine that it would be easy to get a picture of God as being a judge on at throne that only cares about the rules and the letter of the law, when you listen to all the laws in the book of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

But wait – hear what is being said this morning - Jesus is here to say something different – remember where we have come from – Jesus is on the mountain and begins by saying – you know all those pious law keepers who brag about their righteousness – God is actually blessing the poor and the meek, those who more, those who thirst for justice – yours is the kingdom of heaven.  This is our first clue that Jesus is speaking against the established ideas and understandings about who God is and what God wants from his people, then he goes on to remind the people that God is their God too!  God does not belong only to the religious authorities, or ‘special’ people – God is in relationship with them, the ordinary people and they are the ones who live God’s love, they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, using the words of Jesus.  

You have heard it said  says Jesus  that you should not murder (#6 of the 10 Commandments)  but I say to you – says Jesus - but consider this from a different places says Jesus – it is not only about the letter of the law – it is about more than that – It is about relationship says Jesus – your relationship to other, not only in how you treat them on the outside, but how you think of them on the inside.

You have heard it said says Jesus, you shall not commit adultery (# 7 of the 10 commandments) but I say to you  – Jesus says – adultery is more that a clearly defined action – it is more than that, it is about relationships with others and how you treat them not only outwardly but inwardly as well.

You have heard it said says Jesus “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ (addressing # 3 of the ten commandments) But I say to you – using Eugene Peterson’s words from the Message of Jesus words:

"And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong."

Jesus wants his disciples – Jesus wants us to be people of integrity, people who are faithful to their promises, people who do what they say, and say what they mean,  people who have no need to swear that they are telling the truth because they always tell the truth. We should be people who honor our commitments in marriage and in all our covenant relationships  - who treat each other and ourselves with respect and who respect the commitments of others. And then Jesus address some of the unfairness and inequality of how woman were treated in his time and place because at that time woman were being discarded for small or imagined infractions and a woman 2000 years ago with no husband or other male in their live often had no status, no resources and lived on the edge of society – so Jesus reminds the disciples that women are people and are not to be used and abandoned at will. They are also among the ones who are now blessed by God’s reign. In his words, Jesus is providing a glimpse of God’s kingdom come, a fresh perspective on the rules and regulations, the codes of conducts and policies and procedures that get in the way of living the Kingdom.  

Think about it says Jesus – think about the law as being more than just a list of rules or regulations or policies or procedure – because the law is meant to give you life which is the better choice – remember who you are says Jesus, remember whose you are and live your life accordingly.

Remember says Jesus - – you are the ones in God’s heart – you are the light the world – you are the salt of the earth – you are God’s beloved children, and so is every single one of the people  you will encounter this day – we are invited to live our lives as God’s beloved children where our “yes’s” can be “yes” and our “no’s” can be “no’s”, and God’s kingdom comes, and God’s will is done.  Amen.