Musical Prelude and Service.

Matthew 5:21-37
So, this passage of scripture is not one I really look forward to. Let’s be honest with one another about this. It can be a little awkward to hear the word lust invoked in the church sanctuary, from the lectern and the pulpit.
We are also reticent at the prospect of sexual urges being discussed and perhaps condemned. It’s easier to choose to keep those issues away from church discussions. It’s more appropriate for private personal conversations. I tend to agree. I certainly don’t think church leadership has any special privilege to police the sexual lives of anyone.
And any sense of condemnation of divorce in our modern world is certainly out of place in my view.
But I also don’t want to run screaming from this particular passage. We need to be able to thoughtfully calmly respond to the bits of scripture that might make us feel a little uncomfortable.
As I noted last week, I do believe we can often fall into the trap of focusing on the minutiae of scripture. We can quote one or two verses and remove those lines from the fuller context in which they are written and spoken. This can be the case here.
Yes, Jesus condemns men for looking at a woman with lust in their hearts. But it is in the context of speaking about adultery. It is in the context of discussing divorce, and overall, this reading today is encouraging his followers to view the world – and to interact in the world, in a different way. In essence to rise above the bar that is set for what is considered a good member of society.
Yes, Jesus condemns divorce, but as I have stated in the past let us remember; in the world Jesus occupies, only one person in a married relationship has the option of divorce. Men are able to divorce their wives with very little provocation. And a divorced woman is left in an extremely precarious position.
I suspect Jesus is looking at this situation, looking at the lives of the women around him and is far from impressed with the behaviour and attitudes of the men he is witnessing. Right now, I am finding it difficult to read this passage of scripture and not hear Jesus telling the men in his audience to stop objectifying the women in their lives. Look at the women around you as more than an object for your lust. See them as human beings worthy of your admiration and respect. See these women as beloved children of God. Take responsibility for your attitudes and your actions. Ask yourself why you are behaving the way you are. If you are sinning, take responsibility.
They are your eyes, your hands, your heart, and your mind. Accept that responsibility.
Please note: Jesus makes no comment on how women dress. Jesus makes no comment on where women are travelling or how they are carrying themselves.
This whole passage is a follow up to last week’s reading in which Jesus talks about fulfilling the law. It is about creating the world God desires for us. It is about seeing the world through Jesus’s eyes. A world of love and peace. A world of real justice where we are all treated with the respect and care God has for all of us.
Jesus is not overturning law or scripture. He is fulfilling it. What is the scripture seeking to fulfill? A world of justice, of peace and kindness. A world of love. Those who are listening to him have a role to play in bringing this about. They are the salt in the covenant between God and Israel.
Jesus is telling those followers that the basic adherence to the law is not enough. You need to go further. You need to look at how you are motivated. You need to go beyond your actions to how you see the world and relate to the people you encounter.
It is not enough to say, well I didn’t kill anyone. Rid yourself of hatred. If you have a problem with someone, deal with it. Do not let that hatred, that resentment infect you and how you live in relationship with the world around you.
What kind of world do we want to live in? What kind of world does God desire for us? Finally, how do we get to that world?
Jesus calls us to go beyond the most basic of actions or inactions. Don’t kill? Of course, but what about your anger? What about the rifts in your relationships with one another? We must work towards reconciliation also.
Of course, adultery is wrong, but how do you get there? Go deeper than the actions we are warned about.
Jesus calls us to see one another as beloved children of God. We are, each and every one of us, people in need of love and respect. Each of us desire to be in just and loving relationships and Jesus calls us to be leaders in building those relationships. Don’t be passive, but act. Take responsibility for how we view the world; how we respond to the world.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your mind.
Love one another as I have loved you.
Move beyond the most basic of action and inaction and see the world with new eyes and a new perspective. That is how we begin to build the world God wishes for us.
Thank be to God. Amen

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789