"Too Hot to Handle"
Sermon Presented January 30, 2005
Matthew 5:1-12
Something that is "too hot to handle" can refer to a controversial political or religious issue, coffee served at McDonald's, or a bite of pizza that is popped into your mouth before it has properly cooled. Katie Couric's special last week on the sexual habits and attitudes of young teens would fit this category for many commentators, but she handled it well. I'd like to suggest that Christians often consider The Beatitudes as something too hot to handle, and so we ignore these teaching and fail to address them.
The Beatitudes appear at the beginning of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and were spoken to Jesus' disciples. Many of us memorized these words when we were children but they have little impact on our lives today. If we're honest, the words conjure up negative images and so we unconsciously avoid them, take the middle of the road in dealing with them or selectively choose what is good and what isn't good. We are apathetic about Jesus' teachings. Instead of taking these "hot" issues to heart and absorbing them into our lives, we ignore them or drop them like hot potatoes.
As the setting for our text, a large crowd has gathered and Jesus leaves the crowd and goes up the mountain so that he can teach and empower his disciples.
Matthew 5:1-12 (read text)
Jesus embodied these characteristics because he was God's son, but surely he doesn't expect the same from us here in the 21st century! When he said: "Learn from me for I am meek," surely he doesn't want us to be a Casper Milquetoast or to be persecuted for doing what is right. Surely he doesn't want us to be peacemakers in hot situations where anger runs deep and we could get burned. Surely we aren't blessed because we are sad.
Humanly speaking, these words don't make sense! Common sense says that it's better to rejoice than to mourn, to have power than to be meek, to be satisfied than to be hungry and thirsty, to be well treated than to be persecuted. The beatitudes have everything backward. To take them seriously is to question our values. Do you suppose that's what Jesus had in mind?
Let's look at these teachings for a moment. The first part of each blessing is in the present tense while the second part is future. The emphasis lies on what's to come. The community blessed by God isn't passive but acts in accord with the coming of the Kingdom of God. And their rewards can't be measured by human standards. They are future oriented: they will be comforted; they will inherit the earth; they will be filled; they will see God; they will receive God's kingdom. Jesus says that their reward is kingdom living - it is and it will be. When God reigns in our lives, we will be as those Jesus commends and we will experience kingdom living. But it's a process - present and yet future - never completely "arriving" in this lifetime.
How do we explain that some of the Beatitudes seem to be in conflict with one another? Jesus tells the crowd that they are blessed when they work for peace and also when they are persecuted for doing righteous acts. Sometimes our actions to achieve justice and righteousness greatly disturb the peace. Could it be that there are no hard and fast rules and that our actions must be placed within a context?
I believe the life of John Woolman, a Quaker by faith, illustrates this contextual aspect. Woolman was born in New Jersey in 1720 and because he believed in the dignity of each human life, he began to attack the institution of slavery, first in his denomination and then in the nation as a whole. When the French and Indian War broke out in 1754, Quakers who are pacifists chose to withdraw from Pennsylvania's General Assembly rather than support a vote for troops and war taxes. Because Woolman could no longer work for change within the state legislature, he needed to find new ways to express his moral concern.
In sermon after sermon and pamphlet after pamphlet, Woolman called for all Christians to free their slaves. For six years he launched a vigorous writing and speaking campaign. In 1758 the Quaker Yearly Session Meeting voted that no member should own slaves. The Session also asked slave holders to reimburse their slaves for their time in bondage. This occurred a century before slavery was abolished in the US. Woolman and the Quakers were peacemakers but were also willing to stand up for the injustice they saw in society. They were greatly persecuted for speaking their convictions against war and slavery. As an aside, Quakers are at the forefront in bringing equal rights to homosexuals.
Yesterday when I was reading Philip Yancey's book Rumors of Another World I saw an account of Adoniram Judson, a Baptist missionary to Burma - a country now called Myanmar. When Judson brought the Christian faith to Burma more than 200 years ago, he was arrested and spent 2 years enduring cruel and inhumane treatment. After he was released, his wife and daughter died of fever, and yet he remained in Burma for 34 years, translating the Bible into their native language. Because of his desire to follow Jesus, more than one million Burmese Christians trace their spiritual roots to him and the dictionary he compiled is still the official dictionary of Myanmar. Judson was persecuted for doing what he believed God wanted him to do and he was blessed.
In the verses immediately following our text, Jesus tells his listeners that they are to be salt and light. We can't be salt and light if we don't stand for something - if we aren't willing to be both a peacemaker and one who pushes for social justice. God blesses those who bring light and salt to the earth. God blesses those who embody the Beatitudes.
Now let's move to the year 2005 and our denomination. A couple of weeks ago American Baptist pastors received a letter from Roy Medley, our General Secretary, addressing the controversy within the convention concerning the homosexual issue. This is an issue that threatens to split most Christian denominations, and we are no exception. It's a hot topic that no one wants to address because of the potential consequences. It's an issue that causes many Christians to ignore love for God and others as their rhetoric runs like hot lava, destroying everyone in its path. The letter urges pastors to stay centered on Christ and focus on missions as we struggle to listen, discern and respect one another. But the underlying appeal is to forego doing anything to disturb the peace.
As I consider our text and how it impacts us individually and as a denomination, the question comes: when should we stand up for a principle and disrupt the peace and when we should refrain? How do we know when to speak out for justice and when to seek peace through silence? How do we know if we are being persecuted because we stand for what Jesus wants us to do, or because we stand for something totally outside God's will? I believe that people on both sides of the homosexual issue believe they are acting the way God would have them act. Christians can be so consumed with an issue that we fervently believe our will is also God's will and we refuse listen to one another or we listen to the wrong people. How do we test a message we believe is from God to determine whether it is valid or false? If I'm going to suffer, I want to make sure I am doing God's will and not just think I am doing God's will.
Our text has something to say about this. In order to carry out what we understand to be the will of God, are we merciful, pure in heart, humble, not conceited because of spiritual gifts, and peacemakers? Additional questions might be: does love of God and love of others determine our actions? Have we discussed our understanding with someone who is a committed Christian and yet believes differently than we? Have we prayed about it and studied scripture for further insight? Will our actions bring the light of Jesus' love to others, or will people distance themselves from God and us because of our actions? Would Jesus - who embodied all of these beatitudes - act in a similar way? The 16th verse of this chapter says that we are to let our light shine before others so they will see our good works and give glory to God. Will God receive glory because of our actions?
We all make mistakes as we try to determine God's will. That's why it's important that we refrain from hasty action. Time can be our greatest asset as we seek understanding. When we do realize we have made a mistake - and we all make mistakes - we need to repent and learn from the experience. We may need to make apologies and seek forgiveness.
Following Jesus isn't a means to reduce stress, get rich, lose weight, advance our career or stay healthy. Instead it's a way of living based on hope that the way of gentleness is the way of God, that righteousness and peace will prevail and that God's future will be a time of mercy. So blessed are those who digest the hot stuff for they will be nourished. Blessed are those who embody the qualities of Jesus, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who follow Jesus, for they will live under the reign of God.
