February 16, 2020 *Matthew 5.21-37, Deuteronomy 30.15-20 “Love Gives You Reason to Care” Pastor Jacqueline Hines

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Our bible is steeped in an ancient Middle Eastern context. Some of the ideas we think of as mostly Middle Eastern are not exclusively Middle Eastern nor are they ancient. There are ancient biblical experiences that are happening today, all around our world. We think of pilgrimages whether to Mecca or Jerusalem. [slide # 1 Coptic pilgrimage ]  People trace their roots to Ireland and Germany and travel to that homeland. [slide #  2 Irish castle]    [ slide #  3 German market]

[slide #  4  Buddhist chanters]  Chanting happens in a Buddhist temple as well as in European monasteries; the sound of the ram’s horn – the Shofar  - can be heard in the synagogue and has showed up in a contemporary worship service here at Bethel; [slide #  5 blowing shofar]  For over 1500 years, many have prayed at the wailing wall, and since 1792 many have prayed on Wall Street, [Slide # 6 Wall Street]  [slide # 7 Wall street – again] Gandhi fasted [slide # 8 Gandhi] for peace and justice in India as did Dick Gregory in Washington and 100 students in Tiananmen Square China. Beheadings happen in Iraq as well as Missouri. Death by stoning, polygamy, yoga, eating from a common dish, fondues, meditation, chimes and singing bowls [slide # 9 singing bowl] that call us to a certain consciousness may be a part of an ancient biblical culture of the Middle East, but they can be found in many places in this world.

Some say the bible is not relevant because Middle Eastern culture is not our context, but the lessons Jesus teaches us in Matthew’s gospel today are really universal lessons.

Scientists acknowledge that humans have many emotions and facial expressions, but there are seven facial expressions that are UNIVERSAL. They are Happiness, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, Anger, Contempt and Surprise. Culture more so impacts the rules of displaying certain emotions, such as when and where it is acceptable to express anger.

Jesus’ lessons about anger, adultery, divorce and oaths are no brainers. In verses 21-26 there is nothing new under the sun about being angry and out of control. We all know there is little good that comes from angry men and angry mobs.

Adultery in verses 27-30 has no redeeming qualities whether we betray God, betray each other, or betray someone or country to whom we have pledged our allegiance. We know better, but like a snowball that keeps rolling down a hill, we accumulate icy coldness until the son causes us to meltdown and start fresh. The Holy Spirit prays through us on a daily basis, prompting us to praise God every hour and repent every day!

Jesus talks about divorce in verses 31-32 because it is very painful. Even when God seems to permit divorce in the bible and demands divorce in the bible under certain circumstances, God weeps because divorce is the death of hope and brings much sorrow to God, to our communities and the families involved.

Concerning oaths [slide # 10  solemn oaths] in verses 33-37, we are urged to keep it simple, for a complicated oath is like a complicated prenuptial agreement. It can be an insult, showing a lack of faith. You either accept it or reject it. There are no guarantees. There is no winning it all, all of the time.

Our United Methodist Protocol for Reconciliation is the name of the document that proposes a peaceful way for the church to split amicably, since it is clear that we cannot live together as one church. In order to bridge our alienation, a diverse group of 16 people have developed an agreement with the help of Attorney Kenneth Feinberg [slide #   11 Kenneth Feinberg] who successfully negotiated parties around the hardships of Agent Orange and 911. The Protocol for Reconciliation is now 36 pages long. That is a simple as it gets right now.

Jesus, being the great teacher he is, reminds us ad nauseam to do the right thing – not because we do not know what to do, but because we if we do not prayerfully nurture our lives with God’s word and wisdom we will wither and die, we will miss the great blessings that God has for each and every one of us. If we do not exercise our spiritual muscles, they don’t work as well to keep us safe and secure. If we do not eat balanced meals, we invite trouble. If we don’t get proper rest, our minds don’t function as well. [slide # 12  we need rest…]

In the last two weeks, as I was sensing the Holy Spirit reminding me to do the right thing and take seriously my need to have a Sabbath rest, I decided some days I would take advantage of the wisdom of my Jewish brothers and sisters. I started finding ways to refresh and rest at 4:00 one day and kept going until 4:00 the next day. It was delightful and I felt very connected to God. It was a meaningful time of listening and being heard by God. Which day does not seem to matter as much as taking quality time to come before God and be restored and revived in ways that only God can do for us. Someone mentioned this week that if we do not choose a day off, our bodies will do it for us.  Some of you know exactly what that means. [slide # 13 Sabbath is a gift…]

Jesus said if we love him, we will keep his commandments. Keeping the commandments is one way that proves that we care about other human beings no matter what their culture and no matter what we feel about them based on uncomfortable and confusing circumstances. Keeping the commandments proves that we care about ourselves and the God who created us. [slide # 14…love Jesus]

Rather than express any hatred to others, we can do what our DS said this week as we have LGBTQ inclusion conversations.  She was quoting a line from the film Wonder  about the life of a fifth grader who had a very different face. [slide #  15 Wonder photo]  Be “Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed.”

Love gives us reasons to care. This week I heard a story of the Ku Klux Klan purchasing property in the Bonnie Bra Park to use as their headquarters, but their presence faded as the Spring City Community showed more love than hate.

Historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. tells the story of the West African Kingdom of Dahomey that held 4,000 slaves captive for sale to traders. The kingdom became very wealthy, even though they sold slaves cheaper than one could buy in America. Through the years they have regularly acknowledged the evil source of their wealth and they repent again and again.

The U.S. stopped the legal importing of slaves in 1808, nevertheless, the Meaher brothers were slave traders who made a bet that they could import a ship full of slaves without getting caught and they did. They were the richest family in Mobile and did not need the money. Apparently, they did it all for sport. In 1860 they bought about 129 slaves to Alabama and ordered the ship burned, so as to eliminate evidence of the crime. Five years later, when Union soldiers set the slaves free, they did not have enough money to sail back home so they settled on land owned by Tim Meaher who constructed the slave ship and they developed a town and called it Africa town, near Mobile.

History has as many wonders as it has tragedies. Perhaps the most challenging spiritual discipline is to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on our troubling circumstances, nor on our blessings. We are to keep our eyes on Jesus. As the song says, “…turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”

Just as tragedies come and tragedies go, amazing things come and amazing things go. Anger, adultery, divorce, solemn oaths with fingers crossed can happen to any of us at any time. By God’s mercy, peace also happens, [slide #  16   peace happens] faithful marriages are a reality, [slide # 17  couple making a heart] friendships exist that have never been broken and some promises have been kept without hesitation or interruption. [slide # 18  promises made… kept] God is able. God has a purpose and a plan and is ready to share insights that make our journey joyful, in spite of our circumstances. At any time and in any season we are invited to cast our cares upon him, because he cares for us. [slide # 19 resting in the bible] Amen. [slide # 20 choose joy]