Join Us For Worship

Matthew 5:13-20 

Grace and peace gifted to us from the Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.    

     For the ancient Jews, perfect obedience to the law and following all its precepts was the way to avoid condemnation and a severed relationship with God.  If one could not do such perfect living, the whole united people may be in jeopardy.  To avoid a severed relationship, the wholeness of the people being dismantled, a system of sacrifice was created.  Admitting your wrongness by offering a sacrifice for the priests to present to the altar, then turning back to God and living in the law, fixed the relationship with God.  Everyone was then in good standings and a blessed life continued.  This system of living among God’s people is what secured righteousness.  That’s to say- judicial approval from the Judge of all- God.  Many Christians carry this same understanding of: obedience to law, sacrifice offered at altar, and securing righteousness.  A quick reading of Matthew helps affirm the understanding.

     Is the author of Matthew lifting up works (following law, giving sacrifice, believing correctly) Let me start again: Is the author of Matthew lifting up works righteousness here?

     No, the Bible lifts up works of God.  Nowhere does the Bible lift up work by self to obtain God’s gifts of life, grace, and love- not even in the Old Testament. The Bible doesn’t lift up self in any way.  The Bible lifts up community.  What the Bible invites the community into is responsive living because it knows who this God is and what this God does.  When the community, oh, I mean the Body of Christ- all creation- when the community responds to the gifts from God of life, grace, and love then the letters and precepts of the law are being fulfilled.  The law is actually deepened as we love God, love others, and love self.

     Father Richard Rohr writes, “Jesus calls us to give the world taste, meaning, purpose, direction, desire. It’s a humble position, isn’t it? We’d much sooner be in charge. But whenever someone or something has all the power, they mostly misuse power. Jesus warns us against power, because very few people can handle it. Most of us use it for our own aggrandizement, our own promotion and advancement in the ways of the world, which usually means more money and more power.”

From Center for Contemplation and Action Website. Being Salt and Light para 4. Jan 3, 2025. A Resistance Position — Center for Action and Contemplation

          I just read a post on Facebook.   In this post, the author, a fellow ELCA Lutheran was asked what a certain theological word meant.  The pastor could not define it.  They asked if anyone else had ever really tried to define- I think it was justification.  As I read, I thought- I sure have.  In fact, my final bombardment by the Candidacy Committee asked me to define all the big words.  I’m a pastor, so I guess I answered correctly.  But, in all reality- who cares?  Who cares what some brain heavy old dude decided what a certain word meant?  The big question is- do we live out what we believe in response or in obligation?  I didn’t hear the Committee ask that of me or anyone else there.

     As Holy Trinity continues to talk about ways to invite people into our hearts and our space, we do not do so for self-preservation.  We have come to know a God who provides abundantly.  This provision goes well beyond bread and water and life- physical existence life that is.  This abundantly providing God gives us mercy.  Mercy is God’s loving kindness poured over us even though we think we deserve punishment and abandonment.   This abundantly providing God gives us peace.  Peace is the eternal unbreakable wholeness, bond as one body in God, which comes amid our physical life’s struggles and hardships not apart from them.  Peace gives us tranquility and security even when the days seems doom filled and as dark and lonely as night.  And this abundantly providing God gives us saltiness and light.

     All of these gifts allow us to live a life in response.  So, as our doors are opened, we respond as we see another beautiful child who is as righteous and saved and as loved as we are.  They are salty and light filled like everything else.  Why?  Because God has abundantly given all we have and all we are.  We simply try to share in the loving gifts given by God with our neighbors.  To quote Father Richard again, “Otherwise, we’re not offering anything that the world doesn’t already have or can’t find in other places”.  

     If we are not responding, then we’ve missed the point of the life of Jesus of Nazareth.  All the gifts are given.  The past, the present, and the future is provided all it needs.  We are free to live our lives as the fulfillment of the Scriptures and the Commandments.  Our abundantly providing God has blessed us with life so we can walk and talk and live with all of creation in a response of harmony as we love God, love neighbor, love self.  Thank be to God.

Our doors are open, we might as well learn how to live responsively in here before we practice it out there.  I know it’s a scary thought.  But, guess what?  God is with and within you as salt and as light.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.