Different

7 Epiphany A 2011
(Lev. 19: 1-2, 9-18; Ps. 119: 33-40; 1 Cor. 3: 10-11, 16-23; Mat. 5: 38-48)


In the desert, a young monk went to visit one of the elders. He told the old man, “My brother has harmed me and I want to get him back.”

The old man said, “You must banish this thought from your mind.”

The young man replied, “I can’t do that.”

The old man said, “Then you must not act on this thought.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Then, you must move far away so you cannot do anything to harm your brother.”

“I can’t do that either.”

The old man stood up and called to one of his companions, “Make some soup for this brother, for he is very weak. As for me, all I can do is pray for you.”

When I remember this story, I ask myself, “Where am I in this array of choices?” I myself am sensitive and prone to anger, and when offended I often dwell on thoughts of revenge.

Today we hear that we are to be holy. Holy means different, set apart. A holy life is different in significant ways from others. Holiness is not primarily a feeling of inner peace or spiritual contentment, as pleasant as those feelings may be. Sometimes these feelings can be deceptive and can hide the truth of our lives from ourselves. Biblical holiness is concrete and real.

Holiness is as real as how much of your harvest you take for yourself, and how much you leave for others. The book of Leviticus is all about how Israel is to be and act holy, like a different kind of people. We hear about how to be generous in gathering the harvest—leave the edges of the field and what is left by the first gathering for the poor and for strangers. Don’t steal, don’t defraud, don’t violate fair labor practices, don’t gossip, don’t take revenge. These may seem easy, but there are many ways we can participate in these injustices—that’s why we use the Confession that adds “the evil done on our behalf.” God is proposing a tough, self-critical way of life.

And Jesus takes this life even further. Some have called Christianity “the great untried idea”, and today Jesus’ teaching is a example of this. “Love your enemy” “Do not resist an evil-doer” Most of us are loving and affectionate towards those who love us back. Jesus is talking about difficult love, thankless love, counter-cultural love. But if we Christians have one world-transforming truth to bring to the table, it is this. Love your enemies, do not resist an evil-doer.

It is impossible. But it can be done.

It is impossible because, if we are honest, we admit the angry and vengeful thoughts of our hearts, and we admit the limits of our love.

It can be done, and we have seen some imperfect examples of non-vengeful and risky love. Ghandi’s non-violent protests, the peaceful American civil rights protests, Bishop Tutu’s “truth and reconciliation” process in South Africa, even some of the non-violent protests recently in Cairo—they are glimpses of the fact that there are ways to live and act that do not surrender to the rage and revenge that fills our hearts. Perhaps we have seen smaller, less famous examples of living by this new way, a way that transforms rage into love and hope.

It is impossible, but do not despair. We may be like the angry young monk in the desert tale, but we can change. If we choose, and if we ask for Christ’s strength, then Christ will change us.

If we become a community that lives in this daring way, then the Gospel will look like it matters. Our larger culture does not hate God or the Gospel. Our larger culture simply does not believe that there is anything different about we church people, that we do not really live in this new, difficult, and outrageously loving way.

May we be a changed people of outrageous Gospel love.