Jesus Intensifies the Law

Today’s Gospel Lesson

In today’s Gospel Lesson, we hear Jesus talking about the law. The first time I read the text for today I actually struggled with it quite a bit. You see, I am so accustomed to hearing Jesus talk about grace and forgiveness that I was absolutely taken aback by his words here which seemed to actually make grace and forgiveness harder to reach.

Not only was Jesus telling his disciples to follow the commandments, but he was intensifying what those commandments say. When we hear “thou shalt not murder,” it is easy enough to raise my hand and say that I am free and clear of that charge. But then Jesus says that if I am even just angry at someone that it means that I am committing murder? It’s ridiculous, right?

If I Should Die Before I Wake

Young Jimmy was praying at his Mother’s knee. “If I should die before I wake … If I should die.…”

“Go on, go on, Jimmy,” said his mother. “You know the rest of the prayer.”

“Wait a minute,” interrupted the small boy. Scrambling to his feet, he hurried downstairs. In a short time, he was back. Dropping to his knees once again, he took up the petition where he had left off.

Finally his mother questioned him about the episode and issued a loving rebuke.

Jimmy explained: “Mom, I did think about what I was saying, but I had to stop and put all of Ted’s wooden soldiers on their feet. I had turned them on their heads just to see how mad he’d be in the morning. If I should die before I wake, I wouldn’t want him to find them like that. Lots of things seem fun if you are gonna keep on living, but you don’t want them that way if you should die before you wake.”

Jimmy’s mom smile as she considered the wisdom in her son’s words and she simply replied, “You’re right, dear.”

Putting Anger in Perspective

Many years ago a senior executive of the then Standard Oil Company made a wrong decision that cost the company more than $2 million. John D. Rockefeller was then running the firm. On the day the news leaked out most of the executives of the company were finding various ingenious ways of avoiding Mr. Rockefeller, lest his wrath descend on their heads.

There was one exception, however; he was Edward T. Bedford, a partner in the company. Bedford was scheduled to see Rockefeller that day and he kept the appointment, even though he was prepared to listen to a long monolog against the man who made the error in judgment.

When he entered the office the powerful head of the gigantic Standard Oil Empire was bent over his desk busily writing with a pencil on a pad of paper. Bedford stood silently, not wishing to interrupt. After a few minutes Rockefeller looked up.

"Oh, it's you, Bedford," he said calmly. "I suppose you've heard about our loss?"

Bedford said that he had.

"I've been thinking it over," Rockefeller said, "and before I ask the man in to discuss the matter, I've been making some notes."

Bedford later told the story this way:

"Across the top of the page was written, 'Points in favor of Mr. _______.' There followed a long list of the man's virtues, including a brief description of how he had helped the company make the right decision on three separate occasions that had earned many times the cost of his recent error.

"I never forgot that lesson. In later years, whenever I was tempted to rip into anyone, I forced myself first to sit down and thoughtfully compile as long a list of good points as I possibly could. Invariably, by the time I finished my inventory, I would see the matter in its true perspective and keep my temper under control. There is no telling how many times this habit has prevented me from committing one of the costliest mistakes any executive can make -- losing his temper.

"I commend it to anyone who must deal with people."

An Irish Poem

And finally, an Irish Poem:

There once were two cats of Kilkenny, Each thought there was one cat too many; So they fought and they fit, And they scratched and they bit, Till, excepting their nails, And the tips of their tails, Instead of two cats there weren’t any.

Today’s Gospel Concluded

There is much we can learn from those cats of Kilkenny, Rockefeller, and yes, little Jimmy.

How do we hear Jesus’ words today?

I think we tend to get caught up in the mindset of rules of what we should or should not do in order to get to heaven. A divine check list for good deeds vs bad deeds. And if we hear today that being angry with someone threatens our eternal soul with the fires of hell, we might have reason to tremble.

But I don’t think Jesus was in the business of damning people.

As Judas came with the soldiers into the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus did not order his disciples to arms so that they could fight those who brought judgement and betrayal. When Peter pulled out his sword anyway and cut the ear off of the servant, Jesus did not declare that the servant got what was coming to him for being complicit in those actions. No. Instead, Jesus told Peter to lower his weapon and he healed the servant’s ear.

When Jesus was hanging from the cross, his life actively being stripped away from him, he heard the jeers of those around him. He experienced the anger, the hate, the disdain that they had for him. And his prayer to God was not to strike them down… but instead he said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

We hear Jesus not condemning those who are coming after him with anger and vitriol. Instead, we see him taking the first steps toward reconciliation.

In moments that Jesus would have had proper cause to be angry with those who stood against him, Jesus instead chose to forgive. He sought for peace to be restored.

As we hear Jesus speak more in depth on these commandments, we do not hear words of a Messiah condemning a world he came to save… but instead we hear words which seek to inspire reconciliation between us in the here and now.

Christ proclaims that we are to take being in relationship with one another seriously. And not because Christ will refuse to forgive our sins when we get angry… but because broken relationships create death not life.

Now I will add a caveat here, that it is good that some relationships come to an end. Some relationships are simply not healthy… we live in a broken world where death is a reality. God calls for all of us to treat one another with love and respect… but not all follow that calling… indeed, sometimes we ourselves fail in that calling. It is for such brokenness that we seek the grace and forgiveness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

But today we hear the call from Christ… the one who proclaims foolish love and grace while nailed to a tree… we hear the radical, ridiculous call to seek life in relationships with one another not death. Where possible, look for reconciliation with those that you have hurt and perhaps even those who have hurt you. And know Christ’s forgiveness when you fall short. Peace be with you. Amen.