Sermon Matthew 5: 21-30 You Have Heard

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon Matthew 5: 21-30 You Have Heard

February 16, 2014

We are continuing our look at Jesus' teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. His congregation that day consisted of some former fishermen he had recruited as disciples and the people of Capernaum, poor farmers and fishermen. He has already told them to deal with the Roman occupation by publicly and nonviolently practicing their faith in full conformance to the law of Moses. Today we will see what Jesus means we he says that we should fulfill the law. We will get to this, but first lets pray.

“Holy God, I greet this day with thanks and the determination to choose the good. Help me to walk with you in blessing. Let my “yes” be yes, and my “no” be no, as I share the light of Christ. Amen.”¹ (68)

Jesus' teaching style is to remind his student of the law of Moses they already know. Then he talks about the problems we face that lead us to violate these laws. And finally, he gives us practical solutions so that we can take steps which allow us to keep the law. Let's listen in to Jesus teaching.

Matthew 5:21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

The law of Moses in the sixth commandment says, “do not murder”. And for most of us this is an easy one to keep. But Jesus is more concerned with what underlies murder. He understands that anger, if left unchecked can often lead to murder. Two people are angry with each other, and a viscous cycle begins. Their anger festers until they begin exchanging insults. Then they call each other names. This eventually results in violence and sometimes ends in death. And the law is violated.

Jesus wants us to check our anger before it gets out of control. But how can we do this? Jesus says come to church, and consider what God has done with his anger toward you. Through Jesus' death and resurrection you are reconciled with God. And if God is reconciled with us he is no longer angry. Reconciliation is the cure for anger before it get out of control. So as soon as you leave church, go and be reconciled with those with whom you are angry, and stop the viscous cycle of insult and violence before it gets any worse, so that you do not violate the law.  Jesus then turned his attention to the seventh commandment. Let's listen.

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

We all know about the harmful effects of adultery. It destroys relationships. Children are sometimes hurt the most. Jesus wants us to take action long before we get to this stage. The problem is that we often look at someone with lust in our hearts. We think this is ok; we can control it. But we can't. We get into a viscous cycle. Looking with lust turns into an inappropriate touch. An inappropriate touch turns into a secret meeting. The secret meeting leads to a kiss and we are on the way to a violation of the law. Jesus wants us to stop the viscous cycle before it gets started. Stop looking at people with lust. Be careful about touching someone. And avoid situations that can lead to inappropriate behavior. Do these things and you will not be led down the path to adultery. Let's get back to Jesus' teaching, this time on divorce.

31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

The law of Moses gives a man the right to divorce his wife. He must give her a certificate of divorce so that she can prove that she is available for another man. But Jesus is not concerned with a certificate. Jesus knows that the motivation behind divorce is the desire to commit adultery, under the cover of legality. A certificate does nothing to heal the hurt and reduce the pain and anger someone feels when cheated on. Jesus offers a practical solution for this. We read in 1 Corinthians 7:10,11

10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

Jesus wants couples to reconcile with each other. This is much better than a certificate of divorce. Of course divorce is sometimes the only solution to a harmful relationship. But if possible we need to at least try to be reconciled first. If then we must divorce it is more than just a thinly disguised veil over adultery. Marriage is a covenant based on vows. We pledge a oath to our spouses. Let's listen as Jesus turns the conversation to the keeping of promises.

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 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 even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

The traditional teaching in the law of Moses is that vows must be kept. If you promise to do something then do it. This is the basis of all contracts. But what's happening is that people are entering into contracts deceitfully. Worse yet they are invoking the name of God in their deceitful acts. They say things like, “You can trust me. I am a man of God.” Jesus wants us to be truthful. We are to say “yes” if we mean “yes”, and “no” if we mean “no.” He wants us to let our integrity shine as evidence of our faith.

So what have we learned today. First, if there is anyone we are angry with we should, today, do whatever is needed to reconcile with that person before this anger gets out of hand and leads to murder. Second, we are not to look with lust or touch inappropriately because this could lead to adultery. And don't expect that a divorce certificate will cover your adultery. Try reconciliation first, and only make promises and vows you expect to keep.

Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you for your practical teaching. Help us to obey the law by following your example. Teach us to be your disciples. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 68.

Sermon Matthew 5: 13-20 You Are Salt and Light

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon Matthew 5: 13-20 You Are Salt and Light

February 9, 2014

Throughout this season of Epiphany we have been following Jesus as he began his ministry. Last week we were with him as he climbed to the top of a hill to speak to his disciples and the people of Capernaum. He sat down to teach as any rabbi would. And he explained how they would be blessed as the kingdom of heaven became manifest on earth. As the kingdom of heaven arrives there will be conflict between it and the kingdoms of the earth. Specifically the people needed to know how they should practice their faith given the Roman occupation they lived under. How could they obey God when the empire demanded total obedience to Caesar? We will get to this, but first let's pray.

God, open my eyes to see the world through your compassion. Open my mind to understand the world through your wisdom. Open my heart to receive the world through your love. Amen.¹

In Jesus' day the people of God lived under Roman occupation. This was nothing new. For hundreds of years one empire or another controlled the Middle East. The people continued to live in their ancestral homelands. This was the land promised to the children of Israel as a perpetual inheritance. But now the people worked the land and fished its lakes not for themselves but to feed a vast empire. And they wondered how to practice their faith within the context of a hostile government. There were three responses.

The first came from the Zealots. The Zealot said that the people of God would never be able to worship freely until the Romans were gone. So they took up arms and began a violent revolution.

The second response came from the Sadducees. They said that the people of God could only practice their faith if they cooperated with the Roman authorities. If the law of God was in conflict with the law of Rome the people had to obey Rome. They had to compromise their faith. The Sadducees became religious leaders by being puppets of Roman government.

And the third response came from the Pharisees. Unlike the Zealots the Pharisees did not advocate a violent response to Roman occupation. And unlike the Sadducees they did not advocate compromising God's law. They told the people to practice their faith privately. Go inside and draw the drapes. There you can keep the Sabbath, obey dietary laws, pray and fast without the Roman authorities knowing what was going on.

So which of these responses would Jesus adopt? Or would Jesus advocate a different way? Let's listen in.

Matthew 5: 9-12 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed of those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus did not agree with the Zealots. They argued for violence. But Jesus said that the peacemakers would be blessed in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus did not agree with the Sadducees. They wanted the people to compromise the laws of God. But Jesus said that he had come not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. And Jesus did not agree with the Pharisees. They told the people of God to practice their faith privately. But Jesus warned them about covering the light of their faith with a basket. Jesus wanted the people of God, nonviolently, to follow God's commands publicly for everyone to see.

But Jesus, wouldn't put us in conflict with our increasingly atheistic culture? Wouldn't we get into trouble by publicly following our God? Well … yes, it would. John the baptist got in trouble for publicly practicing his faith. So too did Jesus. And so too will we. We are called to obey God's law even if it makes us unpopular. We are to obey God's law even if the culture calls it foolishness. We are to obey God's law even if we are arrested and punished for our beliefs. And there is to be no violence, or compromise, or hiding in fear.

Jesus explained all of this with two parables. In the first one Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth”. Salt is necessary for life. We would die if we didn't have enough salt in our diets. Salt enhances the flavor of food. And it allows us to store food for long periods of time. So too with faith. Faith is necessary for life. We would die a spiritual death were it not for the faith we are given by God. Faith enhances the flavor of our lives. We find greater satisfaction living a life of faith. And a faith extends our lives to eternity. If we are the salt of the earth then we are required to bring our faith to the world. Bringing people to faith is necessary for their lives. Faith will season their lives with blessing. And faith will lead them to eternal life. So season the world you live in by sharing your faith. Be the salt the world needs.

In his second parable Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” You have been brought from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith. You are not to leave this light behind when you leave church today. Rather the light of your faith is to shine in your lives. Live your lives in the joy of obedience to God. People will see your faith at work. Give them the gift of faith bringing them from the darkness of unbelief into the light.

There is an old story about a man who was certainly the salt of the earth and light of the world. Former President Woodrow Wilson told this story about being in a barbershop when someone with an enormous personality entered the room and sat in the next barber chair. He listen as this person talked to the barber. And he was impressed with the compassion this person had for the barber and his family. As the man spoke to the barber, Wilson had the impression that he was in a worship service of some kind. So who was it that had this powerful effect on the man who would be president of the United States? Woodrow Wilson found out who it was. And it was none other the Dwight L. Moody, evangelist, missionary, preacher, teacher and president of Moody Bible Institute.² Moody was empowered by God to be salt and light for the world. And this is our calling. We are to season and enlighten the world by the publicly following our God. Let us pray.

Father in heaven, enable us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Give us the gift of faith which will shine in our live bring others to the saving faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 64.

2http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody6.html

Sermon Matthew 5: 1-12 Blessed by God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon Matthew 5: 1-12 Blessed by God

February 2, 2014

On this fourth Sunday in the season of Epiphany we will focus on the beginning of Jesus' teaching ministry. We have seen so far the his ministry on earth began with his baptism and ended with his command to the church to make disciples and baptize others. We have also seen that Jesus public ministry began with the arrest of John the Baptist and will end with Jesus' own arrest. And today we will see that Jesus' teaching ministry will begin with a proclamation that people will be blessed in the coming kingdom of heaven. And later in Matthew's gospel we will see that Jesus' teaching ministry will end with a proclamation that teachers will be cursed if they fail to teach what Jesus has been teaching. We will get to the blessings we can expect to receive in the kingdom of heaven. But first, let's pray.

“Blessed God, I yearn to see your vision of justice, love, and peace made real for me this day. Open my eyes to the way of love that I may see your brilliant light shining into the hidden places of my heart and the darkened corners of the world. Amen.”¹

Matthew 5:1-2 “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up to the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak and taught them.”

Jesus' disciples have assembled the people of Capernaum on the side of a hill near the town. This hill is concave and is a natural amphitheater so a speaker standing at the top can be heard by everyone below. The people are the poor of the area working boats and farms to produce food for the vast Roman empire. They have suffered as occupied people for hundreds of years. And Jesus has come to proclaim the good news that a new kingdom is coming. And the new king is their God. So Jesus climbed to the top of the mountain just as Moses, the prophet, did before him and he sat down as a distinguished teacher. Here is what he told them.

Matthew 5:3-5 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

In the Roman empire, people suffered at the hands of the rich and powerful. Life was cheap and the powerful thought nothing of killing someone who didn't cooperate with the system. People were expected to submit to authority or risk the consequences. And so the people were condemned to poverty, mourned for loved ones who have been killed unjustly, and learned to be submissive to authority.

But Jesus had come to proclaim a radical message. The oppressive life they had lived for so long was coming to an end. A new kingdom was coming. The kingdom of heaven was coming to earth. And in this new kingdom the poor, the sad and the powerless would be blessed. No longer would they suffer under oppressive regimes. No longer would mourn the death of loved ones who died unjustly. No longer would they be beaten into submission. In the kingdom of heaven, God would be their king. God would comfort them. And God would be in charge of the whole world.

Jesus promised that in this kingdom of heaven those who desired justice, mercy and pure faith would find what they longed for. Listen to what he said.

Matthew 5:6-9 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

And so, in the kingdom of heaven, the people of God are to strongly desire that everyone be treated fairly, and that the poor be cared for. People of God are to forgive and live in harmony. And people of God are to follow only one authority, God. As the people of God do these things God's presence will be made known, they will experience God's forgiveness, and God's justice will rule on earth.

Jesus promised that in this new kingdom those who desire peace, and an end to oppression and persecution and violence would be satisfied. Listen again to his teaching.

Matthew 5: 9-11 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed of those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

As the advance guard of the kingdom of heaven we are called, as children of God, to be peacemakers. We are to do whatever we can to stop war and violence. The Romans claimed that the peace of the empire was ensured by the legions, but in reality the empire was filled with war and violence. In the kingdom of heaven there would be no army to enforce the peace. Rather the people of God through their desire for justice and mercy would be the peacemakers. They would work, nonviolently, to bring about peace on earth.

And so we have seen from Jesus' teaching that the poor, those who mourn and the oppressed will all be blessed with the coming of the kingdom of heaven. We have seen that those who desire justice, mercy and faith will be satisfied in the kingdom of heaven. And we have seen that those who are persecuted, oppressed and victims of war will be blessed in the kingdom of heaven.

So, how will we be blessed in this new kingdom? My guess is that today you will feel really blessed if your team wins the Superbowl. And the game today will make at least some of you really happy. But this happiness won't last very long. By Monday morning you will be back at the old grind not feeling particularly blessed. So I suggest that you might find greater happiness if you help someone. Deliver food to the Samaritan Shelter. Visit someone who recently lost a spouse. Forgive someone who did you wrong. Do these things and you will feel truly blessed.

I would like conclude today with a story about a man who embodied these teachings of Jesus. His name was Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador. On February 17, 1980 he wrote a letter to President Carter asking that the United States not send military arms to El Salvador. He feared that these weapons would be used to oppress his people. On March 23^rd, five weeks later, Bishop Romero delivered a radio sermon to the people of El Salvador saying, “Soldiers, do not obey your superiors when they order you to kill. You are killing your brothers and sisters. In the name of God, in name of these suffering people whose laments rise to heaven, each day more tumultuous, I beg of you, I ask of you, I order you, in the name of God, stop the repression!”² The bishop was denounced at a traitor.

The next day Bishop Romero was conducting a funeral mass for the wife of a dear friend in the chapel of the cancer ward in a local hospital. As he held the bread and wine and began to pray, shots rang out. The bishop was standing at the communion table facing the people and fell at the base of a large crucifix. As he died he mumbled words of forgiveness.

Bishop Romero served the pour, comforted the mourning, and defended the oppressed. He hungered and thirsted for righteousness. He was a peacemaker. And in the kingdom of heaven he is surely blessed. Let us pray.

We humbly ask, O God, that you work though us to bless the poor, the sad and the persecuted. Fill us with the desire for justice and righteousness. Make us into peacemakers. This we pray in you son's name. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 60.

2http://day1.org/915-oscar_romero_beatitude_made_flesh

Sermon Matthew 4:12-23 Fishers of Men

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon Matthew 4:12-23 Fishers of Men

January 26, 2014

This is the third Sunday after Epiphany and we are continuing our look at the manifestation of God on earth as a man named Jesus. We witnessed Jesus' baptism where he received his commission to bring people from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith. We have seen that this is done by sharing our testimony with others which then allows God to invite people into a relationship with his son. Today we will look at what Jesus said and did in his public ministry as a model for what we can say and do in our ministries today. But first, let's pray.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Matthew 4:12-23 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

Jesus' public ministry began with the arrest of John the Baptist. John was handed over to the authorities in Galilee just as Jesus will be handed over to the authorities in Jerusalem at the end of his public ministry. Jesus' response to John's arrest was courageous. He went toward the trouble and began his public ministry in Galilee, the kingdom of Herod Antipas, who had arrested John.

The reason Jesus did this, as Isaiah foresaw, was to bring the Jews, descended from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith. These people has suffered much for hundreds of years. They had been oppressed by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans. In Jesus' day they were the poor laborers working on farms and fishing from boats to feed the Roman empire. Jesus could have stayed in Nazareth or traveled the short distance to Sepphoris, a prosperous Roman city, but instead he went to minister to the working poor in Capernaum. Let's see what he did when he got there.

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

So Jesus continued what John the Baptist had started. He told people to repent, change their ways. Turn to God. But the reason he gave for doing this was very different. John had told people to repent for the “forgiveness of sins”. But Jesus told them to repent “for the kingdom of heaven is near”. There is much confusion about this phrase, “the kingdom of heaven in near”. Some believe that Jesus was teaching us to change our ways in order to get to heaven when we die. But this is not at all what Jesus was talking about. For Jesus, heaven is not just some place you go to when you die. Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven was coming here to earth. And and if the kingdom of heaven is arriving on earth then don't we owe our total allegiance to the God of heaven and not to something else?

In order to proclaim this radical message Jesus needed a group of disciples to assist him in his ministry. These disciples had to be courageous because the message Jesus was going to proclaim would be considered treason. Jesus knew that fisherman were very courageous because they battled the weather and the sea every day trying to make a living. He also knew that they were hard working, fishing all night and repairing their heavy nets by day. And he knew that fishermen were persistent, fishing night after night even if they were no fish to catch. So Jesus got some fishermen to follow him and assist in his ministry. Let's see what happens next.

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Peter, Andrew, James and John all left the only lives they had ever known to follow Jesus into ministry. They left families, boats and nets to respond to Jesus' call. We see from this that the kingdom of heaven demands our total loyalty. The government and business puts up obstacles to worship. We worship anyway. Our employers tell us we have to work on Sunday. We come to church anyway. Our families tell us that going to church is foolishness. We go to church anyway, because in the kingdom of heaven, God is our king. We need to be courageous because our faith will bring us into conflict with government authorities, employers and our families. But God demands our total allegiance. With this cost in mind, let us see what Jesus wants us to do.

Notice that Simon, Andrew, John and James were not told to follow Jesus because of anything they had done. Jesus' command was to follow him because he will make us into something. We don't have to be fishermen to be useful to Jesus. We just have to be who we are and Jesus will make us into what he needs. For years I never thought that I would be a pastor. But Jesus has made me into one. All I did was worship and pray and study the Bible. God changed me completely. And he will do that to you as well. If you continue to worship, pray and study scripture God will change you too. And you will be made into fishers of men. Let's return to the story and watch Jesus at work.

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

And so our ministry as followers of Jesus Christ is to teach, preach and heal. We start by teaching what the Bible says. This is why we offer Christian education for all ages. We teach what the Bible says and hold it in our hearts. Then we proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. We preach that God is our king to whom we owe our total allegiance. And we pray together asking God to heal our relatives and friends. We model our ministry on Jesus' ministry, teaching, preaching and praying for healing every Sunday. And we carry on these ministries of teaching, preaching and praying throughout the week as we witness to others.

Doing these things may come at a high cost. Many people mistakenly believe that being a Christian will make you prosperous and happy. But we have seen in both John and Baptist and Jesus that Christian ministry often leads to imprisonment and death. But we do it anyway because of the great love we receive from God, and the example of Jesus sharing this love with people living in darkness by bringing them into the light of faith. Let us pray.

We thank you dear Lord for choosing us to engage in ministry. We accept your call to fish for men and women by teaching, preaching and praying for healing. We pledge to follow you alone as our God and Lord. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.