Rebellious Words
Sermon by Rev. Steven McClelland on Jesus’ radical words of civil disobedience to those in power.
Simona Frenkel, Jody Sinkway and Dmitry Zigrino – I Bless Your Name
Back in seminary I had a wonderful professor of New Testament by the name of Walter Wink and he made the Bible come alive in a way that no one before had ever done. The name of the coursewas “How Did Jesus Incarnate God Before He Became God Incarnate?”
Great question and because of that question I asked him, “Dr. Wink why would anyone in their right mind follow the advice of Jesus?” And when I asked that question I had this text from Luke’s Gospel in mind.
Because after reading the Bible you have to ask yourself why would anyone ever let someone hit them on one cheek and then turn and let that same person hit them again on the other cheek? Why would they willingly give away an essential piece of clothing and why should we not make judgements? It just doesn’t make sense.
Unfortunately, there are 6 words in the Bible that are translated into the one English word, “love.” But the word used here for love is agapein Greek, which doesNOTmean romantic love, liking, or even friendship.
What it does mean is whole-hearted, unconditional work for the well-being of the other. Nothing is held back. No calculation of costs and benefits. No pay offs. No expectation of receiving anything in return.
Oddly, this might also mean you might not like the other. Might oppose some of their behaviors. Might speak against some of what they stand for.
But if youagapeyour enemies, the ways you express your dislike and opposition with respect and regard for their well-being.
It didn’t make sense until I realized that Jesus was doing the same thing that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was doing. He was preaching and practicing civil disobedience.
In our scriptures today Jesus isn’t talking about being a door mat. He’s talking to people who have no power. He’s talking to people who are slaves, or oppressed peasants in an unjust economic system that never let them out of debt. And what he is advocating here are two specfic acts of civil disobedence.
Now I’m going to need one volunteer to demonstrate the first two lessons.
- (Cheek) Now the passage about turning the other cheek is based upon this understanding of Jewish law as extrapolated fromLeviticus 14: 15-17where the left hand is the clean hand in dealing with the healing of a leper and the right hand is the unclean hand by which the priest touched the leper in order to perform the healing.
2) (Garment) The 2ndteaching is about being sued for your overcoat and then giving the person who sues you your cloak as well, and it is based upon two texts: Exodus 22: 26-27where it says “If ever you take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you shall restore it to him before the sun goes down; for that is his holy covering it is his mantle for his body, in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”
And the second text is from Genesis 9: 21 –23 the passage that talks about Noah lying naked and drunk upon the floor and his son seeing his father’s nakedness and telling his brother, which provokes this response, “When Noah awoke form his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers.”
These two examples demonstrate how toloveyour enemies. There are powerful non-violent ways to expose injustice. And verses 32-36.further expand the teaching to love our enemies, by expecting nothing in return.
This is a call to extend the generous give-and-take that is usually reserved for immediate family and close friends to everyone. Imagine a world where the economy changed from “I give you this only if you give me that,” to “I share this with you knowing that you, or someone else, will generously share with me whatever I need.”
These verses are again very challenging but they spell out what is expected of those who belong to the Jesus community.
Verses 37-38.“Do not judge” is also a much misunderstood teaching, because Jesus isNOTsaying anything goes. Actually some things are better than others. Some ways of behaving are better than others. Judging can be perilous at times and needs to be done with humility. But make no mistake, we are called to make choices.
This is a teaching against the kind of stereotyping that is typically part of stigmatizing people-who-are-different-than-us. This kind of judging labels others; removes their humanity; and relieves us of the moral obligation to treat them as we would any friend or family member.
The overall message of this passage is to break down all the stereotypes and barriers we erect to distance ourselves from others: enemy, stranger; sinner; etc.
Instead, Jesus calls us toagape. To work for the well-being of others. Expecting nothing in return.
In the traditional model of a savior we have Jesus portrayed as someone who is perfectly obedient but that is not the picture of Jesus painted by scripture. The picture painted by scripture is of a rebel, which is good for us. If we have an obedient savior, someone who never rocks the boat then he can not save us. He will simply reinforce the status quo.
If, on the other had, our savior is disobedient to injustice we have a chance. Why, because for too long we’ve been told that sin is rebellion againt God, but the fact of the matter is that God loved a rebel and called him, “My beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” And raised him from the dead when as with Dr King he was killed him for his disobedience to the power systems of his day.
You see when you are trapped in cycles of abuse, God is the one whispering – rebel! Rebel! When you are pinned under the thumb of an addiction, God is saying – rebel! Rebel! When you are oppressed, when your role in society is tightly prescribed for you, when the guardians of piety and power look down upon you. God is saying – Rebel! Rebel! Amen
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