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Home , Pharisees

Michael Stephenson Epiphany 6, Year A February 16, 2020 St. Philip’s, Ardmore

The assertions we just heard by from Matthew’s are a far cry from the more familiar one—”blessed are the meek..., the merciful..., and the pure in heart”—though all are from the , the longest continuous teaching by Christ recorded in the . The statements in this lesson can be difficult to hear, since most of us proba- bly are guilty of some. Who hasn’t insulted someone in a moment of anger? Whom among us hasn’t looked covetously at another’s possessions or spouse? Divorce and remarriage are, for the most part, common and acceptable. We know that Jesus frequently uses hyperbole to reinforce his teachings, but we can’t explain away all his words. We must come to terms with them, however uncomfortable they may be. In the verses preceding our text, Jesus declares, “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” (:17). By “the Law,” Jesus means the first five books of the Old Testament—To- rah in the (Tanakh).i is one of three divisions of Tanakh. The others are the Prophets (Nevi’im)—the books of Joshua, Isaiah, , and oth- ers—and the Writings (), including Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Book of Ruth, and the historical narratives.ii Last week we heard Jesus speak about, “the Law [and]... the Prophets.” - ish law, all 613 “commandments”—not just 10—dictate most aspects of Jewish life and society. Over many centuries, the religious authorities in and Ju- dea had reduced the law to a rigid set of rules and practices. By the time Jesus appears on the scene, those in power—Pharisees and oth- ers—are accustomed to using the law as a basis for exclusion and punishment. Stephenson-2

Author and scholar Jesse Middendorf writes, “It is easier to live by lists of rules and laws than it is to live in authentic, dynamic, and redemptive relationship to people. Laws can be static and arbitrary. Jesus reached into the Law to reveal its objective: the valuing and the protection of others.”iii When Jesus warns, “If you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire,” the point is not punishment. Jesus wants us to actively engage, affirm, and re- spect those with whom we disagree. He encourages us to reach out in a spirit of reconciliation. It doesn’t matter if we’re right or wrong, accused or accuser. The initiative is ours to take, and that’s not easy, especially when we feel hurt, injured, or betrayed. When Jesus talks of leaving gifts at the altar, it’s impossible to know how literally he is speaking. In practice, leaving a gift at the temple altar would be unu- sual and impractical, especially since many sacrificial offerings are live animals— here, hold my goat while I’m gone. The point, however, is that broken relation- ships, whether with relatives, friends, colleagues, or others, impede the reconcilia- tion we seek from God. The verses on adultery and divorce can be easily misunderstood as well. His- torically, under Jewish law only a man can sue for divorce. A husband can divorce his wife for almost any reason, but the same is not true for women. Following the letter of the law, Jewish men have little to lose by casting off their wives. For the woman who is put aside, the consequences can be devastating. According to Middendorf, “Jesus bluntly and repeatedly elevated the status of women far above the male patrimony of the culture. For Jesus, the value of all persons prohibits our objectifying them through lust, or discarding them through divorce.” Though divorce might be legal, Jesus makes it clear—here and through- out his teaching—that any “law” placing an unfair burden on another is unjust. Stephenson-3

That, I think, is the point of this lesson: Not everything that is legal is morally right. The line between legality and morality can be a fine one. This passage from Matthew’s Gospel reminds us that Christ calls us to a higher standard. Our obliga- tions to God and our fellow human beings are more important than meeting the technical requirements of the law. Our lives should reflect the compassion, mercy, love, and forgiveness that Christ embodies and God freely gives. We won’t always meet that higher standard. We’re human, after all, and God knows our weaknesses. We can, however, strive to see ourselves more clearly, un- derstand our motives, examine our reasons for falling short of Christian ideals, and ultimately make better decisions... avoiding actions we will come to regret. The season of Lent prompts us to face difficult questions and answer them honestly: How do we need to change? What broken relationships must we mend? In what ways can we show greater compassion to others and ourselves? We need not fear these questions. The answers might make us uncomfortable. But the willingness to examine our lives, to hold ourselves accountable for improper behaviors, to humbly and - cerely ask God’s forgiveness, gives us a path to God’s mercy and — and the certainty—of redemption in Christ.

i The word Torah is a tricky one, because it can mean different things in different contexts. In its most limited sense, Torah refers to the Five Books of : Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuter- onomy. But the word torah can also be used to refer to the entire Jewish bible (the body of scripture known to non- as the Old Testament and to Jews as the Tanakh or Written Torah), or in its broadest sense, to the whole body of Jewish law and teachings. 101, http://www.jewfaq.org/torah.htm. ii The section called “the Prophets” is itself divided into two parts. The former prophets—including the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings—are narratives that explain the from the perspective of Israel’s fulfillment of God’s covenant. The latter prophets—including Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, along with twelve minor prophets—report the exhortations of these fiery leaders to return to God Stephenson-4

and Torah.... The Writings include poetry (Psalms and Lamentations) and wisdom literature (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes), short stories (Esther), and histories (-Nehemiah and 1-2 Chronicles). http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hebrew-bible/. iii Jesse Middendorf, “Epiphany 6A Gospel,” A Plain Account, accessed March 13, 2019, http://www.aplainaccount.org/epiphany-6a-Gospel.