Tough Choice

Matthew 5:21–37

You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one. 

I find our first lesson for Sunday has one of the interesting, interesting lines for preaching. 

“Choose life.” 

Seems pretty simple to me. 

What would you choose?

Of course, the real problem is in the follow through, isn’t it?

Pretty straight forward - “choose life.” Whoops, you’ve chosen something else. Doh!

Forgiveness, grace, invitation. Choose again.

Now, the Gospel text seems quite something else.

if you are angry. . . if you insult. . . if you say. . .  everyone who looks ...with lust has already. . . If your right eye causes you. . .  if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off But I say to you

He means it. He doesn’t mean it. He means it, he doesn’t mean it. Hemeansithedoesntmeanit. 

Does one need, first, to decide if Jesus does mean these exhortations? Sometimes the answer is more complex than yes or no, (which is sort of something one might well not want to say out loud, given verse 37 and all, but I digress)

Among the odder things that knock about in my brain lately, is the strange confidence I hear people express in the law. I have tried to think of a term for this. If antinomianism is lawlessness, what is a term for this strange love of the law? 

Philonomianism? - yes, I know, the law is good. I know, Psalm 119 says some pretty dang nice things about the law. . .  “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long.” Let me respond with Galatians 5, “For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

I also know that Luther had some pretty nice things to say about the law. If I remember correctly, he says something in Bondage of the Will, to the effect that apart from the Gospel, the law is the greatest of God’s creations. . . 

But Philonomianism - as I am naming it here- is a most perplexing ignorance at how the law so regularly gets out of hand, and sooner or later, the tail wags the dog. (among other things, HIPAA rules sort of show that, don’t they?) Is this part of what is going on here? 

“Hey, really go for it. Cut off your hand if it does something bad! Then notice that you are still no closer to the kingdom, though you are maimed."

I think it is possible to read the text this way.

I like David Lose’s take in his “Dear Working Preacher” article this week. It is sort of David’s signature move, it seems to me, to look at a text and say, “that looks like its about x, most think its about x, but really, its about GOD!”

Once again, that reading seems to work.

The law won’t do.

The law can’t.

It gets out of hand.

For that matter, so do you.

Don’t throw out the law. Don’t imagine you’ve followed it simply because you haven’t been thrown in jail this week. Follow the law. It is what you are to do. Do so better than anyone. 

Love God.

Love your neighbor.

Its as simple as that.

Choose life.

Doh!