Spare the Bull & Offer Your Behavior

 

Isaiah 1:10-20

Psalm 50:1-8, 23-24

Proper 14 / Year C

If he were here with us this morning, I am confident Ed Campbell would not be happy.  Ed, my clergy mentor when I was in seminary, loved the 50^th psalm, portions of which we read just moments ago.  Why would he be unhappy?  Well, it appears a revision to the Lectionary now omits his favorite verse.  After laying out the case for why God rejects the animal sacrifices of the people, the psalmist records these words from God, which are no longer included in the assigned reading:

I will take no bull-calf from your stalls,

  nor he goats from your pens. ^{(Psalm 50:9)}

Ed’ translation was somewhat freer: “I will take no bull from you or your house.”

Coalescing over the centuries, today’s readings from Isaiah and Psalm 50 are a part of a devastating biblical critique of the sacrificial system.  Perhaps the capstone of this writing is found in the 51^st Psalm:

Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice,

  but you take no delight in burnt offerings.

The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit;

  a broken and contrite heart, O God,

  you will not despise. ^(51:17-18)

Prophets and sages come to realize God wants something more from the faithful than rituals and blood offerings.  Here is what Isaiah says is required:

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes;

  cease to do evil,
learn to do good;

seek justice,
rescue the oppressed,

defend the orphan,
plead for the widow. ^(1:16-17)

For us here this morning, this is hardly a radical idea because long ago God’s people came to understand how we treat one another is more important to God than the rituals we perform.  What would it say about our parish if, for example, we held the most splendid service on Christmas Eve, but failed week in and week out to welcome the stranger in our midst?

All of this has me pondering a Latin phrase: ecclesia reformata semper reformanda est – “A Reformed church is ever reforming” – a phrase coming out of the Reformation which has picked up steam over the last hundred years or so as the Church has grappled to understand God’s dream for all people. 

The history of the Judeo-Christian scriptures tells a story of on-going divine revelation and discernment:

·     Abraham’s belief in monotheism

·     Moses distribution of the commandments

·     The Prophetic critique of institutional religion

·     Jesus’ teachings and actions

·    The early Church breaking down the walls separating Jews and Gentiles.

Why is on-going reformation necessary?  Here are three primary reasons.

First, we are sinful people who are prone to do everything from wandering down the wrong path to willful disobedience.  Where the Church is corrupt it must be purified.  In a teen inquirers’ session this past week we asked our young learners what is required to have your sins forgiven.  Their answer: confess to God and say you are sorry.  They were surprised to learn in the Middle Ages you had to pay the Church in order to be forgiven.  Corruption.

Here is another reason the Church must always be reforming: the times and the culture changes.  In another session we touched on the tremendous revolution the invention of the printing press brought to society.  It led to a growing desire to be able to read the bible on one’s own.  It gave rise to worship in the language of the people, rather than a tongue only a few educated elites could understand.  Change.

The final reason is perhaps the most important: we are not a perfect people.  Our understanding is limited, yet we possess the potential for discovery and growth.  Jesus points to this when, at the Last Supper, he says to his disciples, “I have many things still to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” ^{(John 16:12)}. 

Paul writes this:

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.  All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.  ^{(I Cor. 13:12)}

I liken this to a time when I arrived at a campsite after dark and struggled by flashlight to set up a tent and other equipment.  I could see little of my surroundings.  Dawn brought with it a heavy fog.  I could barely see for the first time a stream twenty feet from where I pitched my tent.  As the fog lifted, I could see treetops, then ridges, and finally, once the fog burned off, mountains in the distance.  All of this was there all along, I just couldn’t see it at the time.  Over the course of the morning, as the skies cleared, so too did my awareness of my location.

To be a follower of Christ is to be a person of deep conviction who is courageous enough to question what you hold true and dear.  It is to pray, as we did with today’s Collect, for a “spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we… may by [God] be enabled to live according to [God’s] will.”  It is to recognize that when it comes to understanding God’s generosity, love, and mercy, we are shrouded in fog, but the fog is lifting and as new understanding comes into clarity we reform our views and our ways to reflect what we now know of the Holy One.

This on-going reformation of God’s dream makes many uncomfortable.  Some of us are distressed because we equate change with being unfaithful to the faith handed down to us.  Others are impatient because we are slow to adopt what they have come to understand God’s will to be.  Today I want to remind you of what the psalmist learned long ago: When you come before God spare the bull and offer you behavior.

Pondering Contentment

 

Luke 12:13-21

Proper 13 / Year C

“I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones.” ^{(Luke 12:18)} 

This past week while standing in line at the bank waiting to deposit my paycheck, I began to reflect.  Everywhere I have served I have been paid at the end of the month.  After some mental gymnastics I reckoned this was the 457^th time I have done this since I was first ordained in 1987.  Those early checks were not very large, but enough to get by.  Some folks might look at the check in my hand and think it paltry, others might regard it princely.  I don’t know what the average of each one has been, but (there in line) I estimated over the years I have received a total compensation of at least $2.8 million dollars (which doesn’t even include benefits like health care and pension). 

Now, some elite athletes earn this amount for playing in a single game.  Some a-list actors earn this per minute of film they star in.  Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, will add this amount to his wealth during the time from the beginning of our service through the end of our coffee hour. 

None of this withstanding, as I stood in line at the bank, I realized I am grateful for at least three things.  First, I am able to stand in a bank line with something in my hand to deposit.  Next, the generosity of each of you and all those over the years who have voluntarily contributed to your church so that, in part, I can be paid to do what I do.  And finally, I have something the person in today’s parable does not: contentment. 

Contentment is an interesting word.  It is derived from a Latin word originally used to describe things like cups, buckets, and barrels – containers.  In Latin it means “held together,” “intact,” or “whole.”  As an image it suggests contentment is the ability to maintain what one has, be it a lot or a precious little.  Discontentment, its opposite, conjures up the image of a cracked vessel which continually requires refilling because it is unable contain what it has.  Even when full, it soon will be lacking.  It always, always, always needs more.

We humans have what appears to be a unique ability among God’s creatures.  We can look at our current situation and recognize it is not ideal.  This can be incredibly motivating when it comes to confronting injustice or seeking a cure for cancer.  It can be incredibly vexing while leafing through Architectural Digest, Bon Appetite, or Travel & Leisure (magazines I apparently agreed to receive by not checking off a tiny decline box when I ordered something online).  Apparently, my home, my meals, and my vacations are less than ideal.

Social theorists describe two personality types: sufficers and maximizers.  What is the difference?  Well, suppose you have a sowing project and you learn the absolute best needle for it is hidden in a haystack.  The bad news is it will be incredibly difficult to find.  The good news is the haystack has over a thousand other needles in it, many of which will be adequate for your task.  The sufficer will look only until she finds a needle which is sufficient for the job.  The maximizer, on the other hand, will continue searching until he finds the one which is optimal.  Which type do you think struggles more to be content?

Here are a couple of insights the bible offers on the contentment.  First, it is an incredibly important state to achieve in this life if you want to experience here and now the best God has in store for you.  We are told heaven is a place ever-lasting bliss; what we might call eternal contentment.  Conversely, hell is a place of never-ending dissatisfaction – eternal discontentment.  So, if you want to know joy and peace in this life, you must be content with your lot in life.

While we tend to associate of the phrase lot in life with enduring something negative you cannot change.  Its origin, which comes from the Old Testament, suggests something different.  When God’s people begin to settle into the Promised land, each person receives a specific piece of land to inhabit.  The allotment is administered through a system akin to drawing straws (or lots), but all held it was not merely a matter of blind luck, but rather a divine apportionment and what you received was referred to as a lot which was passed down from generation to generation (see Joshua 14-21).

The psalmist writes this:  

Lord, you are my portion and my cup.

It is you who upholds my lot.

My boundaries enclose a pleasant land.

Indeed, I have a goodly heritage. ^{(Psalm 16:5-6)}

“Who is rich?” one rabbi from long ago asks.  “Those who are happy with their portion.”  For ancient Hebrews, lasting joy was rooted in contentment with one’s literal lot in life.   

This is one biblical insight.  Here is another.  Achieving contentment seems to be well within our ability.  It is a decision we can make, a state of mind we can embrace.  We know this because John the Baptist counsels Roman soldiers not to extort wealth from the vulnerable and to be content with their wages. ^{(Luke 3:14)}  Paul writes he has learned to be content no matter what his circumstances, be it in want or plenty, well feed or hungry.  The secret, he says, is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” ^{(Phil. 4:11-13)}  While Paul says he has “learned” this – age and experience have a way of helping us to become sufficers – opening your heart to Jesus and his teachings is immensely helpful.

When pondering contentment, the English philosopher Bernard Williams keenly noted “We may pass violets looking for roses.”  He linked contentment with the ability to savor; appreciating the moment and delighting in what one has rather than lamenting what one lacks.  I am grateful that while standing in line waiting to deposit a check, I was able to ponder the violets.  They are, after all, just like the roses, gifts from God.  My prayer is you will find joy in the violets the Lord has given you.   

Teach Us How to Pray

 

Luke 11:1-13

Proper 12 / Year C

We had a wonderful time a week ago meeting each night with seven of our young people who wanted to explore the Christian faith and the way the Episcopal Church lives into.  I am looking forward to a week from today when we will repeat this experience with a whole new group of our teenagers.

At one session last week, during a discussion on prayer, one of our young people asked this question: “Is it OK for me to pray for a million dollars?”  It is a legitimate question that left Suzanne Baur (who taught the class) and me stammering for an answer.  It dovetails well with today’s reading from Luke recording that Jesus’ followers asked him to teach them how to pray.  Prayer is so very necessary, but not necessarily self-apparent with regard to how to do it. 

Most of us here are drawn to the Episcopal Church’s worship because our public prayers have stood the test of time.  While we personally may struggle to find the words to pray and are not always sure what we should ask for and what we shouldn’t, we find the Book of Common Prayer points us in the right direction. 

While our printed prayers have a way of shaping our minds and hearts so that we begin to understand what to ask for from God and how to ask for it, we still long to learn ways to pray which emerge from the depths of our being to articulate what we are experiencing and what we need.

Allow me to share with you three simple patterns for prayer offered by three different people. 

The first comes from Jodi Rudoren, a newspaper editor who wrote about prayer in a piece which first appeared in the New York Times.  After her father passed away, Jodi set out to pray the Kaddish, a ritual used for eleven months during a period of mourning.  While she found it meaningful, she felt like she was doing a chore rather than engaging in prayer.  Her rabbi encouraged her to take what he called “soul walks” which focused prayer around three simple words:  Wow!  Please.  Thank you.

Wow – What stirs wonder in you today?  A sunset?  A delicate piece of music?  A bird in flight? 

Please – What do you need right now?  Patience?  Strength?  Guidance?

Thank You – What are you grateful for?  A meal?  A kind word?  A good laugh?

So, one pattern of prayer involves paying attention to beauty and grandeur – Wow!  It includes naming what you need – Please.  And it remembers what you already have – Thank you.  Jodi found this practice moved prayer from a thing which she did in her head to something which poured forth from her heart.

Anne Lamott, an author known for writing about her addiction prior to her conversion to Christianity, has her own three words essential to all prayers: Help.  Thanks.  Wow.  Stronger than Please, Help, she says, is the hardest prayer because you have to surrender and admit defeat.  Thanks is a prayer of relief when help is on the way.  Wow is a prayer of praise for when you are speechless for all God has done for you.

Simon Camilleri describes himself as being a Presbyterian husband and father from Australia who is, among other things, a graphic designer, a funeral parlor employee, a Biblical Storyteller, a singer, a writer of comic poetry, a magician, and a juggler who invents board games.  He also blogs at a site called “Simon Says.”  Given all of this, if he has anything to say about prayer, we might want to listen.  Well, he does.  In addition to Wow, Thank you, and Please, Simon adds Sorry.

So, if you are looking to expand or to simplify your approach to your prayer life, these suggestions may be of some help: Wow, Sorry, Please/Help, and Thank you.  Thank you for being here this morning.  Please join me next Sunday.  Wow, I can’t wait until we are all together again.

Keith+

Summer Fruit

 

Amos 8:1-12

Proper 11 / Year C

The Lord said, “Amos, what do you see?”  And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” (Amos 8:1)

Let me tell you about a country which enjoyed great prosperity under the governance of its popular leader.  He recovered lands lost in conflicts under previous administrations.  He subdued the longtime enemies who threatened their boarders.  He opened up foreign trade which made new goods available, created great wealth, and allowed many to live lives of luxury.  Sounds good, right?  And who is the leader who made his once great country great again?  Jeroboam II, the 13^th ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel.  His 8^th century BC reign lasted 41 years.

And while the sun shines on some during this time, there is a dark side to its prosperity.  Moral standards collapse.  The people ignore the Torah’s sacred call to help the poor.  Justice becomes slanted in favor of the powerful.  Basic human kindness wanes.  The worship of idols, which is something akin to longing for material goods combined with ancient superstition, ramps up.  Employers exploit the labor of the vulnerable and needy.  Financiers create risky financial ventures for personal gain with disregard for how it affects others.  Merchants eagerly await the end of the Sabbath so they can resume their dishonest business practices.  Everyone grows more selfish and less concerned about the needs and rights of others.  

Into this setting steps the prophet Amos.  He is a shepherd by trade who harvests figs on the side.  From the southern kingdom of Judah with no formal religious schooling, God sends him to the north to proclaim impending judgement on all that ails its society.  His ministry lasts only about two years.

Amos’ message is shaped by four separate visions, each of which he introduces in his book by saying, “This is what the Lord showed me.”  The images are…

A Swarm of Locus (7:1-3)

A Rain of Fire (7:4-6)

A Plumb Line (7:7-9)

And today’s vision…

A Basket of Summer Fruit

While the first three unmistakably are harbingers of bad news, the last one sounds somewhat positive, hinting of a time of harvest and abundance; a reaping of the rewards of a season of labor.  But if you read this verse in its original language (Hebrew), you will hear a play of words impossible to miss.  The word for fruit is “gayits” while the word for end is “gets.”  The two are spelled differently but sound the same.  The basket of summer fruit signals the end of Israel’s prosperity.  We might say they are ripe for the picking.  Amos is clear.  God is going to judge the nation.  It will be harsh.  It will be swift.  And it will it is certain.

Well, you can imagine this is not welcome news, especially to a people used to hearing religious leaders tell them how great they are because the times are so good.  Jeroboam despises Amos.  Amaziah, a ranking religious authority at the time, demands Amos return to his homeland.  After all, the best thing to do with a foreign critic is to deport him.  The well-placed priest goes so far as to incite the people to violence against the prophet.

Of all the ways God’s judgment will be manifested, this is what Amos says will be the worst:

The time is surely coming, says the Lord God,
when I will send a famine on the land;

not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord.  (8:11)

Can you imagine what it would be like to live in a time when God’s word is not heard; to live in a society devoid of God’s guidance, where the moral good is foggy, and people have no idea which way to turn?

Some think this is an apt description of our times.  Two weeks ago, The Atlantic published an article by the conservative commentator David Brooks who holds we live in a “state of moral numbness” where millions of people are unable to make “basic judgments” about the character and conduct of our leaders and role models.   

He concludes we need restore “the vocabulary that people can use to talk coherently about their moral lives, and distinguish a person with character from a person without it.”  Amos, I think, would say we are living in a time of famine of the words of God and desperately need to return our culture to a place where it can listen again to what the Holy One is saying.

Brooks closes by stating, “We need to offer the coming generations an education in morals as rigorous as their technical and career education.”  He argues “the formation of the heart and the will is as important as the formation of the rational mind.”

Our “moral numbness” didn’t come about overnight.  I think back to the 90’s when Bill Bennet’s Book of Virtues was a best seller.  In it he told and retold the old stories which once shaped our ethics and behavior.  Critics dismissed it when Bennet’s own actions did not match his lofty rhetoric.  David Brooks, for his part, argues the seeds of our society’s moral decline begins to germinate during the onset of the industrial revolution, but, considering the reign of Jeroboam II, we might question if there ever has been a time and place grounded in an untainted manifestation of the good. 

At best, the moral integrity of a people is a fragile thing which calls for vigilant safe-guarding, honest, fearless self-assessment, communal repentance, and reformation.  To employ a metaphor I use often, we struggle to live into God’s dream for the world.

For us who gather here each week, St. Paul’s plays an important role in all of this.  At every baptism and every time we reaffirm the vows we make through it we embrace what God calls us to do and witness to it for all who are present.  Of course, it must be more than words.  We must teach it to our children, manifest it in our lives, and pray our society will see it in us and hear it as God’s words of life.

A Worthy Life

 

Colossians 1:1-14

Proper 10 / Year C

St. Paul writes to the church in Colossae that every day he prays for them to be filled with the Spirit so they “may lead lives worthy of the Lord” (1:10).  This morning I want to help us think through what a life worthy of the Lord looks like.

Worth has several different meanings.  One relates to value.  When you trade in a car the bartering question is “What is it worth?”  An English royal is called a “worthy”, a person of eminence.  We say an outstanding movie is worthy of an Oscar.  This usage links worthiness with merit, with something you deserve or earn.  When we describe a sturdy vessel as being seaworthy we connect worth with capability, with being up to the task, and ultimately with the notion of trust.

And while all of these are legitimate ways to understand the meaning of worth, none are what Paul is getting at when he implores us to live a life worthy of the Lord.  The Greek word he uses here appears six times in the New Testament.  Five of these instances are a plea to act in a manner worthy of God.  In this usage, worth is related to befitting, in keeping with, and being appropriate to.  These verses are not about worth/value – we are not better than other people because we obey God.  They are not about worth/merit – we do not earn God’s favor.  And they are not about worthy/capability – we are not super humans better able than others to stand up to the challenges of life.  Our lives are worthy/befitting as we internally appropriate and externally reflect the qualities God calls us to embody.

At every ordination service the candidate for the priesthood is asked six questions which commit the person to a life worthy (befitting) of the office.  For example, “Will you do your best to pattern your life in accordance with the teachings of Christ, so that you may be a wholesome example to your people?”  We priests do not all look the same, but you all have a right expect us to act in a certain way.  The other questions relate to respecting the bishop, reading and studying scripture, administering the Word and sacrament, pastoring, and prayer.  They begin to get at what it looks like to live a life worthy (befitting) of the ordained ministry.

Our baptismal liturgy lays a foundation for a life worthy of God:

·    Renouncing Satan, shunning worldly influences and corruption, and resisting destructive urges.

·    Embracing Christ as our Savior, accepting Christ’s grace and love, and trusting Christ to guide our life.

·    Being a faithful, contributing participant in a Christian community.

·    Resisting evil in all its forms.

·    Witnessing in word and deed.

·    Serving others as you would serve Christ.

·    Working for justice and peace while respecting the dignity of every human being.

And because we know these are tall tasks, we commit to doing them with God’s help.

These are general principles, but what does it mean for you to live a life worthy of God?  One commentator does what many do.  He breaks down today’s passage as if was a baking recipe.  From his perspective Paul calls for four ingredients:

1. Be fruitful in every good work.

2. Steadily increase in the knowledge of God.

3. Use the power of God to endure joyfully and to persevere patiently.

4. Give thanks to God for all God has done.

And while each of these comes right from Paul’s letter, they hardly put to rest the question of what it look like for you to live a life worthy of God.

While I can speak in generalities, the specifics are up to you and specific to who God created you to be, what you have experienced in life, and what the Lord has put in your heart.  For some, a life worthy of God includes singing in the choir, while for others (like me) it involves not singing in the choir.  We all are called to live generous lives, but again this manifests itself in distinctive ways.  I think about our parish.  We have some people who make significant financial gifts but seldom attend a church event.  We have others whose gift of always being present far outweighs the check they put in the offering plate.  There are those who cheerfully lead us in a task or project and there are those of us who follow their lead and do our part to assist them.  Ultimately worthy/befitting is unique to each one of us because each one of us is unique.

Paul understands this and writes about how God endows us with individual talents and imparts to us specific spiritual gifts.  What you have been given becomes the building blocks you need to us use for a worthy life.  You can only be who God created you to be, no one else.  You only need to be who God created you to be, nothing more (and nothing less).

Independence Day & Loving Your Enemies

 

The Statue of the Brothers

Matthew 5:43-48

Independance Day

“I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44)

We are one week removed from the 70^th anniversary of the day North Korea invaded its southern neighbor, launching a military conflict which lasted a little over three years.  The United States was drawn into it to prevent Chinese-backed communism from expanding on the Korean peninsula.  Since the Colonial Era through the end of the 20th century, by my reconning our country has fought directly against France, England, Spain, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Vietnam.  North Korea is the lone instance where we did not find a way to reconcile with our enemy in a manner which created a deep and lasting friendship.  

While the two Koreas have not been able to reunite, those in the south, at least, long for the day it will become a reality.  Their hope is given an artistic expression through the War Memorial opened in Seoul in 1994 on a site formerly used as the military headquarters.  Along with informational exhibits, the memorial has multiple statues erected throughout its grounds depicting different aspects of the conflict.

Friday’s E-News featured a photograph of one of these sculptures – The Statue of Brothers created by Korean architect Choi Young-jeep.  Standing 11 meters tall and 18 meters wide, the work depicts a pair of soldiers embracing one another.  It portrays the real-life story of two brothers who fought in the Korean War on opposite sides who accidentally met on the battlefield. 

In the statue, the armed older brother embraces in defenseless, near-fallen younger brother.  The two stand on dome built from pieces of granite collected from across the county as they straddle a crack which symbolizes the ongoing divide between the two nations.  While the soldier representing the South clearly has the advantageous position, according to a plaque on the statute, the effect of the brothers’ embrace expresses “reconciliation, love, and forgiveness.”  Taken as a whole, The Statue of Brothers conveys the nation’s longing one day there will be a peaceful reunification between the two countries.

We Americans share in the hope one day our enemies will be our friends.  However, unlike previous conflicts, our involvement in the Middle East, like what is happening on the Korean peninsula, appears to have no end in sight.     

I suspect even people who know little about Jesus and his message are aware he teaches his followers to love their enemies.  And while this ethic is universal, Jesus addresses it to groups almost exclusively in positions lacking power.  Jesus counsels the persecuted to turn the other cheek and, when pressed, to carry a soldier’s pack an extra mile.  These principles have been embraced by Mahatma Gandi, Martin Luther King, and others to advocated for non-violent resistance as a method for the marginalized to contend for a more just society.

Jesus, however, is short on details when it comes to how those in power are to demonstrate love for an enemy.  John the Baptist directed Roman soldiers not to extort others and to be satisfied with their wages.  We derive from this a godly mandate not to use power to dominate others, but to be content with your lot in life.

While Jesus is short on specifics, he lifts up his own life as a witness.  We might expect if a god takes on human flesh it would seek to exploit its position and power for its own benefit and exultation.  But Jesus says of himself, “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve” (Matt. 10:28).  He acts out this understanding perhaps most clearly when he takes on the role of a servant and washes the feet of disciples.  From this we learn of our obligation to use our power in service to others, especially the weak and vulnerable

This weekend our country celebrates the 249^th anniversary of our independence.  We are free as individuals to discern how to use our personal power and position for the benefit of all.  As we each find our own unique way to do this, collectively we are creating a tapestry which looks more and more like God’s dream for the human family. 

And we also recognize how our country uses its position and power on the world stage to further God’s dream.  We engage in all manner of humanitarian initiatives, intercede to mediate in places of conflict, use our strength to support the defenseless, and seek to reconcile with our enemies. 

Are we perfect at this?  Of course not.  It will always be easier to find instances to criticize while missing our mighty movement for good.  And, as we experienced this past week with the passage of the “one big, beautiful bill”, we will always debate how to turn the ethic of loving your enemy into public policy and we will disagree with certain aspects of what is enacted.  But, as the Korean memorial of The Brothers depicts, beneath our differences we share something in common which cannot be broken.  On this truth rests Jesus teaching to love your enemies.

Malice or Mercy

 

Luke 9:51-62

Proper 8 / Year C

“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven?”

We join Jesus as he begins his final journey to Jerusalem.  Now, there are two main ways to walk from Galilee to get there.  The longer route follows the Jordon River south to Jericho, then turns west and climbs upward to the Holy City.  The shorter option, which most Jews avoid, loops south and west but requires a traveler to pass through the region of Samaria.

The divide between Jews and Samaritans is deep and long-standing.  Although the history is complicated, at its root lies the divinely chosen place to worship.  Jews hold Abraham offers his son to God on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  Samaritans believe it in happens at Mt. Gerizim right in their own backyard.  Think of this as being like the debate between Virginia and New England about the first Thanksgiving, only on a massive dose of steroids.  There is a lot of bad blood between these two peoples, and, over the ages, a lot of blood has been spilled.  Jesus opts for the more direct route which leads to an inevitable clash of cultures.

It is not at all unusual a Samaritan village refuses to welcome Jesus and his walking companions as they pass through town.  Still, in Middle Eastern culture withholding hospitality is an insult and offense of unimaginable proportions.  Brothers James and John – two hotheads given the nicknames “Sons of Thunder” – have the strongest reaction.  They want to call down fire from heaven.

It is unclear if they are drawing upon a popular expression in their day or think of this as a literal possibility.  But this we know, their response is rooted in Scripture.  Ahaziah, who ruled of the region of Samaria 900 years earlier, sends fifty of his guard to arrest Elijah.  When they come for him, the prophet calls down fire from heaven which consumes them.  This happens a second time.  A third platoon is spared only when their officer repents and begs Elijah for mercy.  It is not the first time the old prophet calls on God to light up the skies in judgment.  Do you remember how he once contested with the prophets of Baal to see whose God could bring down fire to consume a sacrificial offering.  While the followers of Baal come up empty, Elijah’s fire incinerates not only the offering, but also the false prophets.

James and John are so inflamed they want to call down the same heaven-born inferno on the people who will not welcome them.   Then, as now, anger coupled with religious fervor and the strength to dominate your foe is a potent combination easily perverted by our worst human instincts.

What exactly is driving James and John?  Here are some possibilities they desire:

·    Retribution: punishment for an offense suitable to the wrong done.  Think the Last Judgment when God imposes what a person deserves.

·    Reprisal: an act of retaliation in response to a harm suffered.  Think one country responding in kind to a negative action of another, say a tariff war.

·    Vindictiveness: the desire to harm another for a harmful act you are not willing to forgive.  Think of a politician in the minority party who turns the tables when his party comes into power.

·    Spitefulness: seeking to hurt someone who has hurt you by actions not at all related to the offense.  Think of a coworker constantly undermining others because she was passed over for a promotion.

·    Vengeance: a punishment inflicted for an injury or a wrong.  Think Clint Eastwood’s character in every western he ever filmed.

Of this list I suppose vengeance is the most apt description for what James and John seek.  Still, what they seek violates the ancient moral and legal principle of “lex talionis” – the idea justice demands the severity of punishment to be directly proportional to the harm or offense committed.

The text tells us Jesus rebukes the thunderous brothers.  In fact, the whole of Jesus’ teachings and his actions throughout the gospels calls on his followers to forgo retribution, reprisal, vindictiveness, spite, and vengeance in all their forms and potential applications.  It is one of the most difficult things he teaches and yet his words and witness have brough serenity to countless millions who have heeded his counsel and concord to countless situations where his ethic has been applied.  When you are motivated by malice mercy has its merits. 

Well before he sets his face toward Jerusalem, Jesus holds forth on a mountainside over-looking the Sea of Galilee, preaching a sermon which addresses a wide variety of subjects.  Here is how The Message Bible translates one:

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults – unless, of course, you want the same treatment.  Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang.  Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier.  Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back – given back with bonus and blessing.  Giving, not getting, is the way.  Generosity begets generosity.”  (Luke 6:8)

Many bibles end this verse with the phrase, “the measure you give is the measure you will get.”  I counsel folk there are times when, after suffering over and over and over at the hands of another, you must stand up for yourself and draw a line, like when God gives the unrepentant Pharoah the measure he deserves for his long-term enslavement and mistreatment of the Hebrew people.  But the episode here with the Samaritan village is not like that.

As you move forward, when facing a potentially volatile situation, how I hope you will ponder how James and John reacted and how Jesus responded to them.  And, as always, I hope you will pray seeking his presence and power in your life in order to respond as a faithful disciple of his word and a provocative witness of his wisdom.

Anger coupled with religious fervor and the strength to dominate your foe is a potent combination easily perverted by our worst human instincts.  When you are motivated by malice remember mercy has its merits.