Matthew 5:21-37
On Day 1 of fourth grade we were
informed of the way things would be for that year. First we had to learn to spell our teacher’s
name correctly; it might sound like “McMann” but was spelled “M-c-M-a-h-o-n”. That would be on our first spelling test,
which would be in three days and would also include the words in the first
chapter of the spelling book. We needed
also to know that there were two words that would not be used in her classroom
because they were imprecise. One was “nice”
and the other was “lousy”.
You can imagine what the discussion
sounded like at recess. Nevertheless, we
left that classroom months later with a better vocabulary than when we
entered. (Not that it was all that lousy
to begin with.) Maybe Mrs. McMahon was
too strict, maybe that was her way of establishing authority at the start of
the year. One thing that I can see in
retrospect is that she set high expectations and that, without that, she would
not have gotten as much effort from her students.
Jesus teaches us that God does
something similar. God’s expectations of
us are not simply that we would do the bare-bones minimum to look like we are
living in decent ways, keeping the rules and staying out of trouble, but that
we would understand, adhere, and reach for the underlying and foundational love
that brought the world into being and that sustains it, moment by moment. He wants us to put our heart into it, the way
he does. Without that, we are just
playacting.
“‘You
have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”;
and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that
if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to
judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable
to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of
fire.” [Matthew 5:21-22]
That sets the bar
rather high, wouldn’t you say? None of
this is easy. Some kinds of growth are natural. Some kinds only take place with encouragement
from the outside. Some kinds require
even more than that.
How does it work? How
does someone learn, for example, about the waste of energy that comes with
anger? I speak here of myself. If anybody wants explicit, documented proof
of my capacity to get angry, offer an insult or two, and to fail to fully
reconcile my differences with somebody, the records of my calls to Verizon, the
Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, and the Federal Communications
Commission two months ago are all out there someplace. I’d like to think that it all ended with the
ultimate repair of a manhole cover. But
when I even think back to the frustrations of being on hold and being
transferred not just to the wrong office but to the wrong division of the
corporation, my blood starts to boil again.
It was Jesus’ own brother, James, who said,
“You must understand
this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak,
slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”
[James 1:19-20]
Breathe. Breathe.
All
the things that Jesus talked about in this whole passage emphasize that what is
going on inside us in all kinds of situations matters to God, even when we do control
our words and actions. You know that
when somebody sneaks up in the left lane and cuts you off and then tailgates for
a few seconds before cutting over again, there may be words that come to mind. The other driver cannot hear you. And you also know that leaning on the horn
isn’t going to teach somebody like that anything. The person who can learn from that is the one
who asks, “I don’t ever do that, do I?”
That’s you. (Or me.)
What kind of person do you try to
be? Set aside the external deeds. Who do you try to be on the inside? Just as it takes someone like a schoolteacher
to force the development of your vocabulary, it takes the Holy Spirit to force
the development and growth of your best impulses. (Let’s use a vocabulary word for that. Let’s call it “sanctification”. It means “becoming holy”, and is a process
that could conceivably hit you like a lightning bolt but for most people comes
along with time and effort, like learning spelling words.)
Thomas Merton wrote,
“It is true that
Christian sanctity is the sanctity of Christ in us: but this does not mean that
the Holy Spirit will do his work in us while we remain completely passive and
inert. There is no spiritual life
without persistent struggle and interior conflict. …We are not ‘converted’ only once in our life
but many times, and this endless series of large and small ‘conversions,’ inner
revolutions, leads finally to our transformation in Christ.”[1]
In
other words, God’s expectations are there not to set us up to fail, but to let
us know what we are really and truly aiming for when we set out to follow Jesus’
way.
It all goes back to what God has in
mind for us. If it were simply that he
wanted us to do the right thing all the time and never get anything wrong, that
would have been no problem. We could
have been made like machines to be turned on and set loose. But what God wants is not simply for us to do
what is right, but to want what is right.
God looks not only for obedience but also for respect, and not only for
respect but also for love.
When that is in place, everything
else falls into line. Of course we fail. But if believe in God’s forgiveness and we
allow the Holy Spirit to use our failures, we come out better on the other
side. Give God a chance to do what he
says he wants to do.
“So when you are
offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has
something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go;
first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer
your gift. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you
remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave
your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or
sister, and then come and offer your gift.” [Matthew 5:23-24]
Ann
LaMott tells a story about becoming angry over some church stuff.
“I nursed my resentments
and disgrace like young plants, watering them, trimming back the dead leaves,
making sure they got enough sunlight.
At times like these, I
believe, Jesus rolls up his sleeves, smiles roguishly and thinks, ‘This is
good.’ He lets me get nice and crazy,
until I can’t take my own thinking and solutions for one more moment. The next morning, I got on my knees and
prayed, ‘Please, please help me. Please
let me feel You while I adjust to not getting what I was hoping for.’ And then I remembered Rule 1: When all else
fails, follow instructions. …
I called the person with
whom I was angriest, and I apologized for harboring resentment against
her. She said, ‘I’m so glad you
called. That was very brave of you.’”[2]
Remember that it is Jesus, who was tempted
and tried just like we are, who both asks so much of us and offers so much help. Take him up on the offer and just see what
happens.
“Dear Jesus, in whose
life I see
All that I would, but
fail to be,
Let thy clear light
forever shine,
To shame and guide this
life of mine.
Though what I dream and
what I do
In my weak days are
always two,
Help me, oppressed by
things undone,
O thou whose deeds and
dreams were one!”
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