Pentecost 23A 2005
Leviticus 19:1-2,15-18
Psalm 1
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Matthew 22:34-46
Have you ever taken the short quiz that starts: “Read all of
the directions first?” Then there are
a series of 21 or so questions to answer.
However the last question simply says:
“Do not answer any of the above questions. Just sit quietly at your desk.”
My mother has given this quiz to her 6th grade
class for years. Sometimes only 2 people
read through to the end first while the rest work at answering all of the
questions.
Now we know that some of us, (show of hands?) read the directions
first. And some of us just charge
ahead. I tend towards that last
category myself. Why read the
directions unless your get stuck or caught or have too many screws left over at
the end of a project? I have put
together enough furniture that comes in a box that I rarely look at the
directions unless something looks too shaky.
Of course, directions are meant to be helpful. To let us know what to do in what order. We have directions all the time. At work:
Do this, this
and then this. At School: Fill out this form by this date. And at play:
Push the “DVD” button before pushing “Play”.
Sometimes, however, directions can be overwhelming. I bought a sewing pattern and fabric for a
jacket. I knew I was in trouble when I
took 6 pages of instructions out of the envelope. I started to read them and was paralyzed! Whoa!
So the pattern and fabric will just sit in my sewing corner until
a. I get up my courage. or b. I find an easier pattern to use the material
on.
The Pharisees in today’s lesson are trying to trip up
Jesus. They keep asking trick questions
hoping that Jesus will fail at the answers.
This has been going on a while, this back and forth between the
Pharisees and Jesus. The whole
question about the Messiah is a trick question. If Jesus says anything he could incriminate
himself. So he answers a question with a
question thus shutting up the Pharisees.
The Bishop read this lesson to a gathering of conference
pastors this week. And we all started
laughing. Because who wouldn’t like to
give an answer so profound that people would quit asking you questions.
But let’s go back to the first question of the day: the one
about the greatest commandment. The
Pharisees had identified 613 commandments in the Torah, what we refer to as the
first 5 books of the Old Testament. 248
of these commands were positive. 365
were negative. How could you remember
them all?
And trying to live by 613 commandments is enough to paralyze
any of us. We could become so afraid of
not doing the right thing, afraid to be doing the wrong thing, that we would do
nothing at all.
There are so many rules and regulations to pay attention to;
so many details. For us who don’t like
details life would be overwhelming.
Now, when the Jesus responds to the question: “Which commandment is the greatest?” Jesus doesn’t throw any out. But he does point out the two that are the
center of our lives with God.
1. You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind.
2. You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.
In a complicated world full of competing directions and
multiple demands it is a breath of fresh air to have only 2 things to keep in
mind. Love God, and love your neighbor.
No trick questions involved.
Just a simple command to love. That can take many forms….we show love in
many ways. When we advocate for the poor,
we show love. When we do justice, we
show love. When we forgive, we show
love.
When we listen, when we reach out, when we invite others
in. When we refrain from judging, when
we look for the best in people, when we break boundaries of class and culture, we show love.
In the Mediterranean world in which Jesus lived, love was
bound to a sense of belonging. “To love
God with all one’s heart is to be totally attached to God. To love neighbor as self is to be as totally
attached to people in one’s neighborhood or immediate circle of friends as one
is to one’s family group. (John Pilch, “Historical Cultural Context” CFL Sunday Web Site
Love is not an individual “just me and Jesus” event but is
about the group. It is about
togetherness. We don’t love in a vacuum
or see love as a strictly emotional “butterflies in the stomach” feeling.
Jesus is talking about love as an action, love as part of
belonging to the family of God: together.
When you do acts of love on behalf of God you do them on
behalf of the church. We are there with
you, if not in body, in spirit.
Now, we could lay out the 613 commandments to read through
before we act. But it would probably just paralyze us. Or we could just do it. Just do love.
Or we could look at the overwhelming pain and suffering of
the world and be paralyzed by the great needs we see. And do nothing. Or we could start in our own back yard and
just do it. Just do love.
Then again we could count the costs, tally up the possible
returns, and study the situation in depth. Or we could jump in at once, and just do
it. Just do love.
What did God do? Wait
until everyone was receptive to the Word before sending Jesus? Wait until the pain and suffering had faded
away? Get overwhelmed by the sheer
number of broken and breaking people?
God would still be waiting, overwhelmed by the enormity of it
all.
Romans 5:8 (NRSV)
“But God proves his
love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. “
While we are still broken God comes. While we are still hurting Jesus heals. While we are still struggling the Spirit
speaks.
Love happens. Even now
God is at work. Even now Jesus reaches
out. Even now the Spirit whispers in our
midst.
Until at last we are overwhelmed…by God’s love: making it impossible for us to do anything
but love our neighbors as ourselves.
With active, creative, boundary pushing love.
When you are overwhelmed, feeling caught up in trick
questions, wondering how to start …skip
to the bottom of the page. The line that
says: “Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind. Then Love your neighbor as
yourself.”
Then remember that we do this together, as a group. Strengthening one another as God strengthens
us. Loving one another as God loves
us.
Then just do it….just love.
Amen.