"Love your enemies"

Matthew 5:38-48

Pastor Tom Johnson, February 23, 2014

Last week, we heard Jesus’ words about the fifth commandment: “You shall not murder.” Jesus challenges the conventional understanding of this command; that is, that only those who have taken another human life have murdered. Jesus says that even if we think about it—even if we have hate in our hearts—or by the words of our mouths—we have committed murder before the eyes of God. With this understanding of murder, we have all—each of us—committed murder by our thoughts, words, and actions. Jesus gives us a deeper understanding of murder—by showing the relationship murder has to anger, bitterness, and slander. He shows us the cycle of violence we all have in the privacy of our own hearts and lives. He reveals our nature to allow patterns of violence to invade our thoughts and hearts and for that same violence to lash out with words and actions. If we put a stop to anger, bitterness, and hurtful words, we will effectively put an end to violence in the world. Without anger, rage, and slander, murder is uprooted.

This morning, Jesus talks about those whose anger, rage, slander, and murder is directed at us. What do we do when we are the objects of violence? How do we as God’s people live our lives peacefully in a world filled with bloodshed? Jesus quotes the Old Testament, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21). This sounds like retaliation—vengeful violence. Many suggest that the original understanding of “eye for an eye” was that the punishment would fit the crime—that the consequences of any offense would not be too severe or too lenient. “Eye for an eye” is a call to impartial justice. “Eye for an eye” was never intended to be an endorsement of vigilantism. There must be order, fairness, and justice when people face the consequences of their crimes. The Old Testament also teaches, “Love your neighbor” (Lev 19:18) but never “hate your enemy.” Jesus is likely quoting rabbinical tradition here. But again, Jesus takes things to a whole new level—not just “love your neighbor” but “love your enemies.”

Love even those people who do not love us—even those who wish to harm us—even those who persecute us for our faith. This is the cycle of violence we sadly see in the world—one group who grows up taught to love their own people but to hate their enemies. There is the age-old Arab/Israeli conflict, Christian/Muslim violence, Communist/Capitalist wars, Catholic/Protestant bloodshed. And in our thoughts, words, and deeds, we have that same violence on our streets, our war against terrorism, in our churches, and even in our homes. We choose sides. We feel violated or victimized by someone and they become our enemy.

But just who is the enemy? Is it the person who we don’t like or the person who doesn’t like us? Is it the one bent on our destruction or simply our competitor? Is it fear of those who we know little about or disgust of those we are too familiar? Is our enemy our neighbor or is he or she on the other side of town or in a far country. There does not seem to be any wiggle room here. Jesus just tells us to love our enemies. He tells us that he makes the sun rise on the evil and the good alike. He sends rain on the just and the unjust.  Perhaps the real change happens when we no longer put people into hateful categories and stop considering them our enemies. At least half the problem is solved, isn’t it, when we forgive and see our universal struggle with hatred?

Even more than that, we should love our enemies because God loves his enemies. God make the sun rise on a sinful, evil world. He sends rain on a broken humanity. And along with the sun and rain, God sends his only Son, Jesus Christ who is the Light of the World and the Living Water. Scripture says, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10). “We love God because He first loved us” (1 John 4;13)—even when we were His enemies. God breaks the cycle of violence. He does not deal with us and our sins with vengeance—and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth—but He deals with our sins with mercy, grace, and love. And Jesus calls us to be the same peacemakers in our broken world—to pray for those we consider our enemies—to believe that God can transform even the most vile and violent—to become agents of love and peace to those who may not even understand, appreciate, or reciprocate our love. When we love our enemies we are only doing what God has already done for us. And through us—who have learned by God’s love and to extend that love—he reconciles more people to himself and reconciles us to one another as well.

"God gives the growth"

1 Cor 3:1-9

Pastor Tom Johnson, Feb 16, 2014

I was probably three years old. I saw a small package of seeds in the garage. I took the package outside, tore it open, and threw the seeds all over the black soil in the front yard right next to our tall, blue spruce. That was it. Deed done. I walked away and I went about my other business. For all my mom knew she had just cleared a section of grass next to that same blue spruce. She filled it with high quality black soil. She planted all sorts of flowers. It was her flower garden. My mom watered her flower garden when it was dry. She pulled weeds. She waited patiently for the flowers to sprout, grow, and bloom. And they did. She had her flower garden. She was able to relax and watch the flowers beautifully bloom. But then like an herbal ambush, little plants started shooting up all at once—all over her flower garden. When she started pulling these weeds, she noticed beautiful, red turnips were attached. That night we ate salad with turnips. My mom shared with us what a surprise it was to find turnips in her flower garden. Suddenly, I remembered what I had done weeks earlier. And I remember having a new fondness for turnips that day.

I planted. Mom watered. The turnips grew. I planted unaware of the consequences. My mom watered in ignorance of what her youngest child had done. I planted. Mom watered. The turnips grew. That’s what happens to seeds. They are programmed and equipped little packages of life. Under the right conditions, they will sprout roots, seedlings, and grow into a plant much larger than the little seed. Seeds grow into plants. They are meant to grow. They are designed to grow. Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a seed. And so does Paul in our Epistle reading. He says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

Apparently, some liked Paul because he planted. They shared his passion for evangelism, baptizing new believers, and introducing people to the Christian faith. Others liked Apollos because he watered. They loved his zeal for teaching, Bible knowledge, and helping Christians become mature disciples of Christ. Some supported outreach. They wanted to see their numbers grow. They wanted to seek the lost. Others supported inreach. They wanted to see their depth grow. They wanted to strengthen those who have already been found. Paul’s response to this dilemma is not self-serving or self-glorifying. He does not see it as a dilemma at all. He calls himself and Apollos—two gifted but different people—“servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned each.” “I planted. Apollos watered.” Paul plays down himself and Apollos. They are serving the Sower and his seed. They are serving God—the Lord of the Harvest. They are not the source but the instruments,the vehicles, the conduits, and the means. “I planted,” Paul says, “Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

God gives the growth. The Kingdom of God is not about staying the same. It is not about being content with the way things are. The Kingdom of God is not self-satisfaction and complacency. The Kingdom of God is not about tradition and survival. The Kingdom is about growth. And God gives that growth. I don’t believe that Paul was ever satisfied with the number of people who were baptized. So he planted. And he planted again. He always wanted more. He reflected his Savior, Jesus who said he came to seek and to save the lost. Jesus lay His life down and rise again from the dead to break the power of sin, the devil, and even death itself—so that all the world would know that, in him, their sins are forgiven and they have the promise of eternal life. He came to plant seeds.On Pentecost, the Scriptures record 3,000 people being baptized in one day. And Luke is very careful how he phrases it: “The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). God gives the growth. The Kingdom is about growth. I believe we should all be praying and laboring to add people to our number. The Lord is able. He gives the growth. And so Paul planted.

Apollos watered. I don’t believe that Apollos was ever satisfied with the number of people who had limited Bible knowledge or a shallow prayer life. So Apollos watered. And he watered again. He always wanted more. Jesus commanded us to “Make disciples of all the nations baptizing…and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). The Scriptures teach, correct, exhort, and train us in righteousness. The Kingdom is about growth. I believe we should all be praying and laboring that we would, in Paul’s words in Ephesians “comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:18-19). The Lord is able. He gives the growth.

We need people like Paul. None of us should be satisfied with a church that is not growing number. But we also need people like Apollos. None of us should be satisfied with a lack of spiritual growth in our personal lives. And it’s not that Paul, Apollos, or any of us are  ultimately responsible. God gives the growth. “He wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). Years ago, I planted seeds in ignorance. My mom watered them unaware of what she was doing. The seed grew into turnips. That’s what plants are preprogrammed to do. The dig their roots deep into the soil and shoot their vegetation wide. All plants are all reproductive. And so it is with the Kingdom of God. We are preprogrammed to grow. We are called to participate. God gives the growth—it is about God’s transforming power. God gives the growth deep and wide—deep into our hearts and wide into all the world.

"You are the salt of the earth"

Matthew 5:13

Pastor Tom Johnson, Feb 9, 2014

Salt. Sodium chloride. Morton Salt Company, which has a long history and roots in Chicago, can be found right down Division Street from here next to the Kennedy expressway. In one of their pithy ads, they call salt “the White Wonder.” According to Morton Salt’s history, there was an endless demand for salt that fueled the Gold Rush in California, the salt industry helped rebuild Chicago after the Great Fire, and salt helps sanitize and preserve water systems.

Salt breaks apart water molecules. Recently, we can appreciate how salt will even break apart water in its frozen form on steps, walkways, and roads. The harsh and snowy winter has resulted in a shortage of salt in many areas. Salt was no less important in Jesus’ day when he calls his disciples “the salt of the earth.” In a desert climate, the human body rapidly loses its salt through sweat. This body salt, called electrolytes, must be replenished since it prevents dehydration. Salt prevents water from penetrating into fresh food. Without water, bacteria is unable to live, reproduce, and spoil meat. Salt was the way to preserve food before the advent of refrigeration. Salt also brings out the flavor of otherwise tasteless food. Add just a touch of salt to cooked spinach and it quickly becomes edible and, in my opinion, delicious. And salt comes in many forms, not just in refined, white granules.

Like Jesus suggests in our Gospel, there is good and bad salt. Salt gathered at dried up sea beds and places like the Dead Sea would have had a range of quality. Just as certain salts have a good reputation today such as French gray sea salt and Himalayan sea salt. We have our choice of granulated salt, flaky salt, crunchy salt, colorful salt, smoked salt, chocolate salt, as well as many other varieties.

The one kind of salt that really matters is God’s salt—you and me. “You are the salt of the earth,” Jesus says. “But if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.” We are called to be the good kind of salt—the kind of salt that is not contaminated and undeniably useful. This call is as clear as any other in Scripture that the Church is called to have a positive impact on society. We are God’s flavor-enhancing agent to the world. We are the moral preserver and guard against spoilage and decay of humanity. We are called to bring out the unique and delightful taste of every human being we are privileged to encounter. If we lose our saltiness—if we lack flavor—if we fail to bring goodness to and out of people around us, we are good for nothing. It like Jesus’ words in John’s Revelation, that if we are lukewarm—neither cold nor hot—he will spew us out. That is a pretty sobering charge—that if God’s people lose their saltiness, we are useless. When we fail to lovingly interact with our communities, coworkers, friends, and family, we make ourselves irrelevant and inconsequential. We have become like salt that is so contaminated by other minerals it was used to pave roads and patch up ancient floors. It was only good for trampling underfoot. And even worse, this low grade salt was used to spread over the fields of enemies so that no crops could grow trampling not only their roads but their livelihood underfoot.

One early church father said “Jesus’ disciples must not lose their delightful taste” (Hillary of Poitiers, AD 315-367). We are the salt of the earth. It was the salty Church in ancient Rome that adopted children who were considered dispensable and discarded. It was the salty people of God that elevated and brought out the value of women in societies that saw them as mere property. It was the salty Christians in England and the United States that called for the abolition of slavery. And today, where is our saltiness? Where can the salt of the Gospel be sprinkled in our communities to bring out the very best of the human experience?

We are the salt of the earth! We are stewards of the unconditional love of God that come to us through the salty sweat and salty tears of Jesus on the cross. His saltiness eliminates the stench and contamination of sin and brings out the delicious forgiveness and savory promise of eternal life. Like salt that brings out the unique flavor of food, the good news of God’s love through Jesus also brings out the uniqueness of every human soul. Every person has worth, gifts, talents, and strengths just waiting for their opportunity to emerge. We are the salt that God sprinkles to bring out the exquisite character of humanity. God is the Master Chef who has a palate for a rich variety of flavors. And we are the salt that he spreads out into the world to draw out the very best.

"Blessed are those who dwell in your house”

Psalm 84
Luke 2:22-40

Pastor Tom Johnson, Feb 2, 2014

A few weeks ago, my family and I stood among the Mayan temple ruins of Chichén Itzá in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. The pyramid is a wondrous chronicler of the hourly, daily, and yearly course of the sun. No one is allowed to touch these buildings constructed out of limestone. No one can climb the stairs leading to the top of the pyramid or other temple and ceremonial structures—no one that is, except the iguana. The iguana have found a home among the cracks, crevices, and cavities of these 1,500 year old structures. They find sunbathed stone to heat their bodies in the cold and cool, shady stone away from the scorching sun.

The song writer who wrote Psalm 84 reminds us of even greater trespassers—the Palestinian birds who defied ceremonial law to make nests in Solomon’s temple. Like Chichén Itzá, not just any human was allowed into the temple. And even fewer people were allowed to be near the altar of the Lord. But these sparrows and swallows made their nests right next to the few Levitical priests who were allowed near the altar. They had front row, box office seats as they witnessed thanks offerings and sin offerings to the one true and living God who revealed his earthly presence in one of the ancient wonders of the world. Rather than exterminate these winged intruders, God’s people embrace them. Like Jesus who will later tell us to not worry or be anxious but simply look at the sparrows—to learn from these birds who do not farm or store their grain but are provided for by God, so the psalmist calls our attention to the life and wisdom of the sparrow.

“The sparrow has found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young, by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.” Even the birds have found refuge in the mighty fortress who is our God. They no longer are aimless sojourners seeking peace and security. They have searched far and wide. They have scoured the earth. Their final destination is the temple in Jerusalem. They have made nests for their young. They have found their sense of belonging and a hopeful place to raise up the generation after them. They have made their decision to build their lives on the solid rock and foundation of their Creator. Their journey has led them to make their home in the very place where God promised to make his home with us. And so was the journey of Simeon and of Anna—two other creatures who find their home in the God who dwells with us. It is like Noah's Ark is back to carry his creatures to salvation once again.

This time, Simeon is led by the Spirit into the temple—not to experience the presence of God merely within the walls of stone but in the flesh of the incarnated eternal Son of God—Immanuel—God with us in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth. Simeon finds his home and resting place in the Messiah and is now ready to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. He found something even more secure than refuge and nest for his young in the stone walls of the temple; he found a Temple not made by human hands but of the virgin and Holy Spirit who would give him eternal security in heaven. And so we sing the song of Simeon—we who also are privileged to take up Christ into our hands—and even into our mouths—to experience first-hand God who makes us ready to journey forward into all eternity in the forgiveness and security of God’s love:  “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace, your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people.” My own hands have received God’s gift! My own mouth has tasted and seen that the Lord is good!

Like the birds who took up residence in the temple, so we are told that Anna never leaves the temple but fasts and prays day and night. And the salvation for which she prayed and fasted for those many days and nights is right before her eyes in the Christ Child. Something greater than the temple was discovered that day—Someone more accessible—Someone more inclusive. Until that day, only select Levitical priests could get near the Altar—and a few, bold and trespassing sparrows. Now we all have access to a new and better Temple—Jesus Christ.

In Jesus, we have a light to reveal God’s love to every people—to the nations—not just to the people of Israel. In Jesus, we have the fulfillment of what those sparrows and swallows so beautifully and prophetically displayed. We have a home in the One who dwells richly in us by faith. We have a room in the mansion which Jesus has prepared for us. In him, we have a secure footing and safe place to rest. We have a solid rock and foundation to raise up the next generation.