These are harsh and uncompromising
words in our Deuteronomy reading and Matthew’s Gospel. They are the words of a
God of judgment, a God of punishment.
Is that how we imagine God? Do our minds go immediately to judgment
rather than mercy? Do we think of punishment rather than forgiveness? Most of
us do when confronted with law, even God’s laws.
What if, instead of thinking about law
as judgment and punishment, we thought about the law as a gift of mercy and
forgiveness? What if, instead of thinking about law as a burden, we thought
about law as a gift? What if law is a gift from a God who cares so deeply about
us and how we treat one another that God wants us to have God’s kingdom right
here, right now?
Of course the law is all about us. Isn’t
everything all about us? But what if, for a few minutes at least, we imagined
the law as being about relationships. What if the law is about our relationship
with God, our relationship with our neighbors, and even our relationship with
our selves?
Our relationships matter deeply to God.
God cares passionately about how we treat one another because God loves us passionately.
Yes, it can be
challenging to keep God’s laws. Most of us are aware we are far from perfect. No
wonder God is never finished with us.
Yet God cares so much about us and our relationships that God would
rather have us reconcile with someone than stay in church and be angry. Matthew’s
Gospel says, “So when you are offering your gift at
the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against
you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your
brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”[1]
God is a lover and we are God’s beloveds.
God cares so much about us God wants us to have God’s kingdom now. God is a God
of now rather than a God of next year, or next week, or tomorrow. Now in the
kingdom of God means letting go of anger today. It means honoring promises,
both to our neighbors and to our loved ones. It means being hungry for justice
and doing things to see God’s justice gets done. And, it means loving our
enemies and praying for them now, not once we stop being angry.
I invite you this morning to do this.
Think about a relationship in your life that is important to you, a relationship
that is thriving and full of goodness, a relationship that offers you
sustenance and love. (Pause.)
Now think about what makes that
relationship thrive and why it is full of goodness. Think abut why that
relationship gives you sustenance and love. (Pause.)
I invite you now to thank God for that relationship. Thank God for both
your role in the relationship and for the other person’s role. (Pause.)
Now that you know what it is about that
relationship that allows it to thrive and be full of goodness, think about a
relationship you have that is broken. A relationship where there is little
sustenance and love. Never mind who broke the relationship or whose fault it was
or who is to blame. Just imagine yourself offering that broken relationship to
God. Imagine God may have a role for you in moving that relationship toward
sustenance and love. Pray for God’s loving mercy and compassionate forgiveness
to enter that relationship and allow healing to occur now.
That’s all. That’s all you can do
today. There may be more tomorrow, or next week, or next year. But what you
just did brought God’s kingdom nearer in your life and our lives together. What
we did together means God’s kingdom is closer to all of us: individually,
together, and with our neighbors.
The law is God’s great gift to us. The law is neither a gift to earn
God’s love, nor is it a means to get God’s attention. The law is a free
invitation of love. The law is for each of us to enter into a passionate
relationship of love with God.
The law is a gift to nourish and strengthen our communities. The law
does this by pointing us toward creating, nurturing, and sustaining a community
of love in which all can find blessing and life.
The law is God’s way to draw us closer to one another and closer to God
by seeing God in our neighbors, in ourselves, and in all who hunger for
blessing and life. AMEN.
The Rev. Nicolette Papanek
©2017
No comments:
Post a Comment