Sermon Matthew 5: 38-48 “Be Perfect”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon  Matthew 5: 38-48  “Be Perfect”
February 23, 2020

For several weeks now we have been with Jesus on the side of a hill near Capernaum on the bank of the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus is seated near the top of the hill.  Around him are his disciples.  The poor fisherman and farmers of the community have gathered to listen in.  So far we have heard some surprising things about a new kingdom of heaven that is coming.  As the advance guard of this coming kingdom, Jesus wants us to publicly, and nonviolently obey the laws of God.  To do this Jesus has given us some practical advice which helps us to obey the law.   Today we will continue listening to Jesus' teaching, but first, let's pray.

Lord, as I begin this new day, give me understanding, that I may observe your law of love. Lead me in the path of righteousness and teach me to delight in your way. Turn my heart to your word and help me forsake selfish gain. Confirm your promise in my heart and lead me to eternal life with Christ my Lord. Amen.
Let’s begin with Jesus’ teaching from the Old Testament.

Matthew 5:38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’

Jesus is teaching from this passage in Exodus.
Exodus 21:22 When people who are fighting injure a pregnant woman so that there is a miscarriage, and yet no further harm follows, the one responsible shall be fined what the woman’s husband demands, paying as much as the judges determine. 23 If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

As was Jesus' customary teaching style he started by reminding everyone of the traditional law that all knew.  “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.”  To understand this we have to get beyond eyes and teeth.  This law deals with the principle of proportionality.  For example, someone crashes into your car causing $1500 in damages.  Your car was legally parked and you have no-fault.  The person who damaged your car is required to pay $1500 no more and no less.  The judgment must equal the damage.  This is proportionality, an eye for an eye. 

The purpose of this principle is to prevent our anger from getting out of hand.  Suppose someone hits us.  Our reaction, out of anger, is to hit back and hurl an insult.  The other person then hits again, hurls his own insult, and takes out his knife.  And you are in a vicious cycle that leads to violence and death.  But the law demands proportionality, not retribution leading to an ongoing feud.  So how would all this work in the context of the Roman occupation?

39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

According to Jesus, the people were not engaging in a proportionate response.  Rather, they were resisting.  Resisting evil can take many forms.  There is passive resistance where you do nothing and suffer the consequence.  For example, a Roman soldier tells you to carry his pack for a mile, which Roman law says he can do.  A passive resister would refuse to carry the pack and be thrown in jail.  The other possibility is active resistance.  You could take the soldier's pack and throw it in the river.  Then you will find yourself in a fight with that soldier, a fight you will probably lose.

For those engaged in resistance Psalm 139 expresses their feeling well.

Psalm 139:19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
    and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously,
    and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
    I count them my enemies.

But the psalmist realized that hating our enemies is ultimately self-destructive.  So she thought about our loving God and changed her tune.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Jesus doesn't want anything to do with hating our enemies.  He argues for proportionality.  But how would this work?  Jesus' concern is with a proportional response based on love.  God loves us with infinite love.  What's our proportionate response?  It is to love God will all our heart, soul, and mind.  And if we want to be loved by others, then what should we do?  We should love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  So a proportionate response to evil is to smother it with love.

When a Roman soldier wants you to carry his pack, don't resist.  Rather make a proportionate response of love.  Gladly offer to help, pick up his pack and carry it for not one but two miles.  Imagine how happy that will make the Roman soldier.  And imagine how receptive he will be when you talk to him about Jesus as you walk together for two miles.  So, according to Jesus, the way to deal with evil is not to resist it, but to overwhelm it with love.  Jesus put it this way.

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven;

The traditional law, not in our Bible but in rabbinical teaching, was to love our neighbors but hate our enemies.  But the God we follow doesn't hate our enemies.  You may have noticed that God sends sunlight and rain to the fields of people we can't stand.  This upsets us so much that we pray to God that he will hate them as much as we do.  But God doesn't hate our enemies.  He loves them.

45b for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

With resistance, we are to perfectly hate our enemies.  But Jesus wants us to do is to love our enemies as much as God loves our enemies.   And how much is this?  How much does God love our enemies?  Perfectly!   Jesus wants us to love perfectly, with all of our hearts, souls, and minds.  The Law of God puts it this way.

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

There is a wonderful story from the author Victor Hugo in his book Les Miserables.  This book has been turned into movies and a Broadway musical.  In it, there is a character named Jean Valjean.  Valjean had just been released from prison and needed a place to stay.  A pastor allowed him to stay in a room in the manse.  That night Valjean decided to leave the manse and on his way out stole silver candlestick holders used by the church.  They were very expensive.  In the early morning hours, Valjean was arrested and lied to the police saying that the pastor of the church had given him the candlestick holders.  So the police took him back to the manse to ask the pastor if this was true.  When they returned to the manse they reported to the pastor that Valjean had been caught.  And they asked the pastor if he had given the candlestick holders to him.  The pastor had to decide what to do.

The pastor must have hated Valjean for what he did.  And he must have prayed that God would punish Valjean for his evil conduct.  But the pastor was a disciple of Jesus Christ.  He knew that God loves everyone, even sinners.  He knew that Jesus wants us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and has told us to love our enemies.  So he lied to the police and told them that he had given the candlestick holders to Valjean.  And he allowed Valjean to keep them in order to start a new life.

All of this is called grace.  Grace means we love those who do not deserve to be loved.  The love we receive from God is certainly undeserved.  We have done nothing to merit it.  But our gracious God loves us anyway.  And we are called to gracious love, loving those who don't deserve to be loved at all.

Valjean took the love he received from that pastor and turned it into love for others.  He was given a new life and used it to bring the transforming power of God's love to others. 

How could we do any less?  We have been so blessed by God's love here in this church.  Our mission is to love our families and friends and even our enemies as much as God loves us.  So what are we to do?  If someone needs something or demands something, give it to them, and go the extra mile publicly displaying God's love to the world.

Let's pray.  Lord Jesus, we have heard your teaching this day.  We will not resist evil and hate our enemies.  We pledge to do as you do, loving our enemies with such extravagant love that your grace is on display to our world.   Amen.

Sermon Matthew 5: 21-30 “Practical Advice from Jesus”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon  Matthew 5: 21-30  “Practical Advice from Jesus”
February 16, 2020

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 that Jesus means it when he says that we should fulfill the law.   We will get to this, but first, let’s 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.”

Jesus' teaching style is to remind his students 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 that allow us to keep the law. 

We will be looking today at Jesus’ teaching on five topics, anger, personal disputes, adultery, divorce and keeping your promises.  Let’s start with anger.

Anger
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.   One does something bad to the other who deserves it.   The other retaliates by doing something worse.   Responses escalate.  A vicious cycle begins.   We have the Hatfields and the McCoys.  This eventually often results in violence and sometimes ends in death.  And the law of Moses is violated.  Jesus put it this way. 

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. 

Jesus is warning us that anger left unchecked can lead to big problems.  So how can we deal with our anger?  Jesus gives us some practical advice.

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. 

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 gets out of control.  So as soon as you leave church today, go and be reconciled with those with whom you are angry, and stop the vicious cycle of insult and violence before it gets any worse so that you do not violate the law prohibiting murder.

Personal Disputes
Jesus then turned to the subject of personal disputes.  It is very common for someone to get into financial problems.   And if you allow financial problems to grow they can come to overwhelm you, debt can quickly get out of hand.   You max out one credit card and then get another and max it out too.  Or maybe you borrow from a friend and the friendship deteriorates when you can’t pay it back.  Jesus does not want our relationships to suffer because of serious financial errors.  So he gives us some very useful advice.

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.

Pay off your debts as quickly as you can.   Tighten your belt and get another job so that you can pay what you owe without getting into debt.  This will preserve your credit ratings and your relationships with others.

Adultery
Now Jesus turns to something that plagues so many, adultery.    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 vicious 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.  Here is what Jesus says:

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 of marriages that have failed because one or both of the partners cheat on the other.  But according to Jesus adultery starts long before illicit sexual activity.  It started when you look at someone.  Jesus wants us to stop the vicious 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.

Divorce
Anger, financial distress and adultery all have harmful effects on marriage.  And if your bad behavior causes the end of marriage the innocent party suffers.  It will be difficult for him or her to start a new relationship because of your violation and renunciation of the marriage covenant.   So the innocent person will feel like an adulterer even if he or she had done nothing wrong.  Jesus put it this way:

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.  But, Jesus offers a practical solution for this.  We read in 1 Corinthians 7:10,11 from the Apostle Paul.

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. 

Keeping Promises
Marriage is a covenant based on vows.  We pledge an oath to our spouses.  We also make promises to others.  These promises must not be violated.  Here is what Jesus has to say.

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 anyone inappropriately because this could lead to adultery.  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.

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

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon  Matthew 5: 13-20 “You Are Salt and Light”
February 9, 2020

Throughout this season of Epiphany, we have been following Jesus as he began his ministry.  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 conflicts 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.

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 Zealots 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.  Jesus did not agree with the Zealots, because they argued for violence. Jesus said in the Beatitudes that those who work nonviolently would be blessed in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

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 the Roman government.   But Jesus did not agree with the Sadducees.  They wanted the people to compromise the laws of God.   But Jesus said that he wanted the law obeyed in full.

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.

So Jesus has made it quite clear.   He disagrees with the Zealots and wants his people to act nonviolently.   And he disagrees with the Sadducees and wants his people to fully obey the law.   But what about the Pharisees? 

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.  But Jesus wants us to be public in our faith.   We are not to worship here on Sundays and then pretend that we are not Christian the other six days of the week.  Here is what he said.

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.

That seems to settle it.   Jesus wants non-violence.   Jesus wants us to obey God’s law even if the culture is going a different way.   And Jesus wants us to practice our faith publically.  Jesus summed it all up this way.

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.

But would Jesus 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. 

So we know that we are not to imitate the Zealots, the Sadducees or the Pharisees.   We do what God wants us to do, non-violently, and in public.   So what are we to do?  Here is what Jesus said:

13 “You are the salt of the earth.”

In the ancient world salt was an important commodity.  It was often used as money and could be traded for things you needed.  Salt was not something that could be grown or made.   It was provided by God.   Many countries had to buy salt from others.   Some countries could acquire salt by evaporating seawater. 

But there was one country that God had blessed more than all the others.   This country was blessed with a mountain of salt.  And that country was called Israel.
At the southwest corner of Israel sits the Dead Sea.   This saltwater lake is the remnant of an ancient ocean that has evaporated away.   As the water evaporated the ancient ocean left behind salt.   The Dead Sea itself has a very high concentration of salt.   And near the Dead Sea is a mountain of salt called Mount Sodom, also called the City of Salt. 

The legend behind Mount Sodom is that God was about to destroy Sodom for its disobedience.   As Lot and his wife fled the city God told them to not look back.  But Lot’s wife did not obey God.   She looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt which became Mount Sodom, the City of Salt.

For the ancient Hebrews, the covenant that required them to support their priests was called a “Covenant of Salt”.    Salt was required when an offering was made to support priests.  And in the time of David, the Covenant of Salt was expanded to include support for the king. 

 Salt is necessary for life.  We would die if we didn't have enough salt in our diets.  Salt enhances the flavor of food.  Salt 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 blessings.  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.

There is an old story about a man who was certainly the salt of the earth.  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 listened 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 than Dwight L. Moody, evangelist, missionary, preacher, teacher, and president of Moody Bible Institute.   Moody was empowered by God to be salt for the world. 

And this is our calling.  We are called to always act non-violently, obey God’s law and practice our faith publically.  We are called to be the salt of the earth. 
We are to season the world with our faith.  Like salt, faith is necessary for life.   Faith makes life taste better.  And faith preserves our lives for eternity.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, enable us to be the salt of the earth.  Give us the gift of faith which will shine in our life bringing others to the saving faith in Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Sermon Micah 6:1-8 “Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon  Micah 6:1-8 “Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly”
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
February 2, 2020

I have some bad news for you this morning.  We have received a summons to go to court because we are being sued.  We have been accused of not fulfilling a contract we had agreed to follow.  And so the other party of the contract is suing us for not doing what we promised to do.  We are about to enter the courtroom and be confronted by our accuser.  So we better begin with prayer.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety to thy glory and our own edification.”  Amen. (Calvin)

The nation is gripped by a trail in the United States Senate of the President.   But there is a more important trial going on, our trial.  We have been accused of not fulfilling the contract we have with God.  Here is the complaint:

Micah 6:1 Hear what the Lord says:
    Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
    and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord,
    and you enduring foundations of the earth;
for the Lord has a controversy with his people,
    and he will contend with Israel.

So we have come into a courtroom unlike any you have ever visited or seen on TV.  Sitting as our judges are the mountains and hills and the foundations of the earth.  Our judge is everything from the top of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Marianas Trench, the highest and lowest places of the earth.  This means that all of God’s creation will judge the dispute between God and us. 

We, the people of God, are the defendants.  That is why we are here, to answer God’s complaint. God himself is our accuser.  And God is ready to bring an accusation against us.  Let’s listen to God’s opening remarks.

3 “O my people, what have I done to you?
    In what have I wearied you? Answer me!

So what God wants to know is this:  is there anything that God has done or not done that creates problems for us.  This would be our opportunity to tell God what we are angry about.  But before we do this let’s try to remember what God has done for us.  What kind of blessings have we received from God?  Here is what God wants you to remember.

4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
    and redeemed you from the house of slavery;
and I sent before you Moses,
    Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
    what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
    that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”

God has reminded Israel that he had provided for them during their forty years in the wilderness.  He redeemed them from slavery in Egypt.  He provided them with elders, priests, and prophets.  He protected them from curses and armies.  He provided them with food and water.  God had blessed his people abundantly. 

So too with us.  We should remember how much God has blessed us.  God has given us life and health and good land, water and food, and families and homes and church, everything we need for a good life.  God has given us a world of abundant blessings.  God has also given his Son to us, who died for our sins, and was raised from the dead leading us to eternal life.  It is important to remember all that God has given us.  And we should gratefully respond.

But we don’t respond gratefully and God has a problem with our tepid response.  His blessings for us came as part of a covenant.  God promised to bless us richly, which he has, so that we may be a blessing to others.  Listen to the terms of the contract.

Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

We are blessed to be a blessing.  God has blessed us richly in many different ways.  But we have not kept our end of the bargain.  And so God is suing us demanding that we fulfill our end of the contract. 

We have reached the end of God’s opening statement in the trial.  Now it is time to hear from our defense attorney.  And so an unnamed man stood up to speak and here is what he said. 

6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

How are we supposed to respond to God’s complaint?   We come to church on Sundays.  Maybe we should have church every day, maybe six times a day.  We tithe to the church.  Maybe we should empty our bank accounts and max out our credit cards to give to the church.  How much does God want from us?  What are we supposed to do?

We have heard God’s complaint that we are not performing our responsibility in the contract.  And we have heard our response that we are doing enough, to do more would be absurd.  Now it is time for the judge to proclaim a just decision.  All of creation from the mountain tops to the depths of the sea are now ready to resolve our dispute with God.  And here is what we must do.  Here is the verdict.

8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

That’s it!  What we must do to be in compliance with the covenant between God and his people is “to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our creator. 

Act Justly

God has given us a world of abundance.  But sin has caused an imbalance.  Some people do not share in the rich abundance God has provided.  Our role as people of God is to reorder our world, to mitigate the effects of sin,  to ensure that the abundant blessings provided by God are shared by all.  We are to share the blessings we receive from God with those who unjustly have been denied. We are to act with justice and care for the poor and needy and disabled in our community.

Love Mercy

God loves us.  God’s love is steadfast.  God is loyal.  God will never leave us.  God’s love for us is like the love a parent has for a child.  When a young child feels alone and vulnerable she begins to cry.  A loving parent picks her up and the child knows that she is safe and secure in the arms of a loving parent.  This is how God loves us.  It is called, hesed, steadfast love.  And we are to love others just as God loves us.  So when people in our church or our communities are feeling vulnerable we are to love them as God loves us and keeps us safe and secure. 

Walk Humbly

As we go about our ordinary lives we should always remember that God is always there with us.  As the psalmist said:  “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105)  We should always be aware that God is with us continually.  And God is always bringing us opportunities for us to do justice and love mercy.  We should recognize what God is doing in the world around us and act in the way God wants us to act.

The judgment has been handed down.  And we are to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.  Let’s conclude today with a story of someone who did justice, loved mercy and walked humbly with God.

“In his book, To End All Wars, Ernest Gordon describes his experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II along the Kwai River.  His Japanese captors forced their prisoners to work in low-lying swampland.  They beat to death or simply beheaded any prisoners who seemed to lag.

Eventually, a combination of beriberi, malaria, dysentery, typhoid, and diphtheria took its toll on Gordon.  Basically paralyzed and no longer able to eat, he asked his fellow prisoners to bring him to the Death House where prisoners went to die.

While Gordon was in the Death House, God’s Spirit moved along the Kwai River.  One particular event exemplified that movement.  When no one confessed to stealing a Japanese guard’s missing shovel, he began to scream, “All die!  All die!”  As he raised his rifle to fire at the first prisoner in line, a prisoner of war stepped forward and said, “I did it.”  The enraged guard then raised his rifle high in the air and beat the man to death with it.  However, when the prisoners inventoried their tools that evening, they discovered the guard had made a mistake: no shovel was missing.  They realized that their fellow prisoner had voluntarily given his life in order to spare them.

Gordon remembers how God used such selflessness to change the prisoners along the River Kwai.  They began looking out for each other instead of themselves.  Two Christian Scots demonstrated this change by coming to the Death House every day to care for Gordon.

They dressed the ulcers on Gordon’s legs and massaged his atrophied muscles.  By doing so, they gradually restored him to what passed for health along the Kwai River.  Those Christians showed their love of mercy by nursing Gordon back to health.

Act Justly.  Love Mercy.  Walk Humbly with your God.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven,  we thank you for all the blessings we have received from your hand.  We thank you for the day you have created.  We thank you for our lives, our health, and our joy.  We thank you for family, friends, and church.  And we thank you for the gift of your son our Lord, Jesus Christ who saved us from sin. We pledge ourselves today to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you. In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.