Pentecost 7 2007
Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Psalm 25:1-10
Colossians 1:1-14
Luke 10:25-37
Oh boy, can life get complicated. Schedules, finances, priorities, kids, parents, chores and tasks. Who takes this kid here and that kid there, when to fit a vacation in, even something as seemingly simple as shopping for toothpaste can get overwhelming when you end up standing and looking at miles of options? Can you remember which one you like?
Because when life gets complicated it gets overwhelming and it is easy to forget.
Sometimes it is just how life is in the modern world. And then there are times when we add complications. Instead of making things easy, we make them harder. Like the lawyer in Luke saying “And who is my neighbor?” Because I’ve decided that instead of everyone being my neighbor, I am going to narrow it down and divide it up and only do things to the people like me that live right next to me.
Jesus says, let’s keep it simple. Everyone is your neighbor.
In the first reading the same KISS principle is in place, (Keep It Simple Stupid).
Moses has been recounting a very long list of guidelines for
the people of
Stay away from false gods, every seventh year all debt shall be forgiven, observe the Passover, what to do with someone who has committed homicide, how to treat both of your wives if you love one and not the other, how to care for neighbor and help them with their property, do not return runaway slaves to their owners but take them into your town…
That is a lot to remember.
Finally in Chapter 30 God says “this commandment is not too hard for you nor is it too far away.” After these details of 20 chapters, the commandment is still close at hand, it is simple and clear: “Turn to the Lord you God with all your heart and all your soul.”
That’s it. This “law” isn’t in heaven, so you can’t have that excuse. It isn’t beyond the sea, so that isn’t an out either. “No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.”
No excuses. No drawing imaginary lines. No complicating it. God doesn’t want to make it hard for us. But simple. Love God by loving your neighbor. Who is my neighbor? The person in need. And the person who helps us when we are in need.
God lays that out for the people of
Remember. God keeps it simple so we can remember. Right here, the word is right here (in my heart).
Make it complicated and we can start forgetting again. That’s a time honored tradition. Make it too hard for others to join in. Make it so difficult we give up. Make it so complex we can forget the original language of…love.
Remember
The Psalm has it also. I love that remembering lines in the Psalm. “Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, for they are from everlasting. Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgression [forget those already, oh right, God has already forgotten], Remember me according to your love and for the sake of your goodness.”
Remember the saint, forget the sinner. God does. God has already moved on and taken us with. For we are already rescued from the power of darkness and transferred in to the kingdom of the beloved Son.
Simple. Been done. Noticed the past tense language in Colossians!
And we carry that right here also (in our hearts). Sure, we try to complicate it, put conditions on it, try to convince ourselves that God hasn’t yet rescued us but will someday, maybe, if we are good enough.
But it’s already a done deal. We are already children of God. Even when we forget, even when we get sooo busy, even when we get lost. We have already been remembered, we have already been found.
The love is already there. Holding us, guiding us, leading us.
Remember the times you have felt that? The times we are not
the Good Samaritan, we are the man beaten up and left for dead.
The times of despair and confusion and darkness.
But then God sends someone who remembers love and remembers being loved to come and show us compassion: sits with us or listens to us or bakes us cookies. A Good Samaritan comes to us. And picks us up and helps clean our wounds and cares for us. I imagine you can think of time in your life when this has been the case. Remember?
Simple, really. And then, healed again, we go on our way, remembering the times we were cared for which helps us pass the care and compassion on to our neighbor in need.
It’s really not that complicated at all. It’s really very simple. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with your entire mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
Oh, yeah, and your neighbor is everyone.
God has already engraved that on our hearts. Right here.
What a simple gift we have been given. Remember it…and live.
Amen.