The Ethics of God's World (2)

The Ethics of God's World (2)

Matthew 5:38-48   |   2/23/2014

The Church of the Wayfarer

Norm Mowery, Pastor

          ‘Do No Harm’ was a television show.

          Really.

          It lasted two episodes at which point NBC decided that ‘Do No Harm’ was, in fact, doing harm to its lineup and cancelled it.

          The series—a modern take on the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story—began on January 31, of last year, but lasted for only two episodes before the network yanked it. You probably never heard of it.

          Perhaps the reason the show ‘Do No Harm’ failed is because of its name.

          It sounds so unexciting and bland.

          Maybe even boring.

          Actually, isn't that the problem with a lot of the "be a good boy" or "be a good girl" stuff we try to teach our children?

          The ‘not-so-good stuff’ often seems more interesting and appealing.

          And isn't that the problem we have even with some of Jesus' words?

          For example, take those in today's reading from the Sermon on the Mount:                           turn the other cheek,

                   give to everyone who begs from you,

                   love your enemies,

                   pray for those who persecute you,

                   go a second mile,

                   and to the one who wants to take your sweater give your coat as well.

          Where's the thrill in doing stuff like that?
          We might throw all these teachings from Jesus in the "do-no-harm" category.

          When someone bad-mouths you or does you wrong, you have to decide how you're going to react.

          You can hit back or you can turn the other cheek.

          If you choose to strike back, you can find plenty of ideas online. Like www.getrevenge.com, and www.thepayback.com.

          These websites, and others like them, will help you learn how to send nasty e-mails, anonymous letters, dead fish, noxious flowers and how to—in general—make someone miserable.

         

          Now, it is confession time for Pastor Norm.

          I googled, ‘Get Revenge.com’ and found hundreds of web sites that tell how to ‘get even’ with people.

          I had no idea that there are so many ways to get even with people. Here are a few that I found.

          1

          Ignore the person. Sometimes, sitting back and doing nothing is the best way to get back at a bully or other tormentor who wants to get a rise out of you.

2

          Get on with your life. The sweetest revenge can be getting on with your life and living a better one than the person who inflicted pain on you.

3

          Block the person on social networking. If someone bullies you on Facebook don't let it remain a part of your life. Unfriend them, unfollow them, and block them.

4

          Don't help the person when they need it. This works particularly well in work environments where you are criticized at doing your job. Let them work out for themselves what it's like to fix things without you.

          Yes……..you…… could….. do these things!

          Haven’t we all sought revenge in some of these ways?

          This Communion Sunday is a good time to confess.

         

          The truth is:

                    You can seek revenge.

                    You can try to get even.

                  

          But if you do, you're NOT following Jesus.

                    Jesus teaches another way.

                    There is another option.

          In a world of ‘stand your ground’ laws Jesus gives an alternative.

          This is the fourth in a series of messages taken from Matthew Chapter 5—Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

          The refrain continues:

                   “You have heard that it has been said…..

                   …..But I say to you.”

          Here we have the ethic of the Christian life, and the conduct which should distinguish the Christian.

          Many scholars believe that Jesus never preached the Sermon on the Mount! They believe that the Sermon on the Mount was composed by the author of Matthew’s gospel in order to fill out his portrait of Jesus, not only as the messiah, but also as the expected prophet of whom Moses spoke.

          This suggestion will be startling to some. This does not take away from the importance of these basic teachings. I see the Sermon on the Mount as a compilation of ‘the best of Jesus teachings.’ 

          Probably, you agree that ‘doing no harm’ is a good thing, but it doesn't grip us the way confrontation does.

          I served on the Institutional Review Board of our local Community Hospital for several years. It was our job to protect the first tenant of the medical profession: "First, do no harm".

          In 1739, a small group of people in London approached John Wesley asking his guidance for living spiritually upright lives. He organized them into groups to meet weekly for the purpose of spiritual growth and moral examination, and he gave them general rules to guide their behavior.

          His first principle: "It is therefore expected of all that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation, First: By doing no harm."

          That's bedrock Christian behavior, as Jesus' comments about

                   cheek-turning,

                   second-mile-going

                   and cloak-giving suggest.

          Doing no harm is not just something Jesus talked about, but also something he practiced.

          One of the ways that John Wesley explained his general rule to ‘do no harm’ was from the "do not" category. He said that we should not do to others as we would not want them to do to us. That's the flip side of the Golden Rule.

          Almost every day we're in situations or problems and we have no idea how to make them better.

          But we're pretty clear on how to not make them worse.

          How do we NOT make situations worse than they already are, you ask?

          You do NOT:
                   - Interfere (as a rule, this is good advice)
                   - Tell tales, spread rumors, etc.
                   - Blame others for your screw-ups
                   - Bore people by going on and on about your problems
                   - Vent your anger on people who are not involved in your situation
                   - Disparage others to make yourself look good
                  
          A position of doing no harm is related to the spiritual discipline of submission. It's the willingness not to get our own way, and the ability to lay down the burden of needing to come out on top.

          Submission is the freedom to drop the matter, to forget it, not in the spirit of "Whatever!" (This often means “I’m not going to waste any more time on you!") but in genuine willingness to let the other person have his or her say.

          In our daily lives, the way we love that neighbor or relative or spouse with whom we're not seeing eye-to-eye is by first doing no harm.

          - That may sometimes take the form of saying nothing.
          - It may sometimes take the form of not passing along gossip.
          - It may sometimes take the form of giving the other person some room to work things out.
          - It may sometimes take the form of compromise.
         
          Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his audience "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven".

          Since the Pharisees were known for their zealous and fastidious keeping of the Law of Moses, this statement must have at first stunned Jesus' hearers.

          Jesus explains: It's not enough not to murder someone; they also needed not to hate others.

          The problem was that the Pharisees were settling for keeping the letter of the law rather than the spirit of it.

          To exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees, his hearers needed to actively live the Scriptures.

          Actively living the Scriptures meant:                            

                   Instead of hitting back, turn the other cheek.

                   Instead of making a big fuss about being forced to go one mile,                                    volunteer to go a second mile.

                   And instead of seeking to hurt your enemies, pray for them.

          Intentionally doing no harm is a vital practice in living a holy life.

          It is a way of loving our neighbor.

          Jesus gives us examples of how it's done—

                   turning the other check,

                   loving our enemies.       

          This is the new ethic of God's world.

          This is the way people behave in God's world.

                "First, do no harm" may sound unexciting, but it has the power to change the world in a positive way.

Prayer

          Holy and beautiful God, you are higher than our thoughts can go, deeper than our imaginations can take us, more connected to us and to our world than we could ever believe.

          Your glory radiates across the heavens, your majesty rises above the most magnificent mountain, and yet, you know every breath we take before we take it.       Indeed, we draw breath only because your breath, your Spirit, fills us.

          O God, you are the Creator, and we are the creatures.

          Thank you for your love which sustains us, for your grace which renews us, and for your daily presence which gives meaning and purpose to our lives.

          Amen.