Value of promises - Matthew 5 - Epiphany 6A

Value of Promises

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon Matthew 5: 21-38, Psalm  119, 

Opening Prayer

This week’s Gospel continues our journey through the “Sermon on the Mount”.

The last couple weeks, we have been walking through the beautiful and fertile grounds of the beatitudes. Then, we tasted being the salt of the earth and be a light for all to see. Let the light of Christ shine within you! Be the living example of God’s love on Earth.

This week we come to a real page turner: law. I know many rush to read law books along with court decisions.  There are noble people that enjoy doing this. For others, this may feel like a good time for a nap. 

I submit to you, Beloved, there is something more here than just reciting laws because Jesus prefaces these statements with, “do not think I have come to abolish the law.. but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5: 17)

Jesus lifts up Deuteronomy - God’s life giving law (not speed limits or filing taxes). (But Tony Why?)

Jesus weaves a message in-between the lines, something more than ”just laws.”

Jesus reminds people (e.g. religious leaders, the disciples, and the community - privileged or not)…

This is not just for the poor and lowly but all people hearing, and Jesus knows that religious leaders are paying attention. They hear, (tis why many gripe over Jesus teachings… now whether or not they want to listen is a question for them)

Jesus reminds us that the law and truth apply to everyone and yes even to religious leaders. Why because they carry the banner of God with them. As religious leaders, they should be the example of God. That is not just an example for the well-to-do or the most generous because we all must follow the life-giving law from God. 

For what good is law professed by leaders (or anyone) who don’t follow them? What good is it for anyone to make professions they don’t practice.

When we get to Matthew 6 on Ash Wednesday, Jesus lays the hammer down arguing against the boastful misuse of tradition and loud prayer that ignores God’s call to us. Worship of God and prayer to God is for us as individuals to give of ourselves to God rather than as some theatrics that forget why we pray and why have faith.

This is why Jesus makes the point to the people to have their faith surpass that of the current teachers in deed and in thoughts. This is both a directive for all as well as a caution to the teachers. Thus, Christianity is not just a status symbol, but what we do with our intention, our identity and our word. 

So what do you, as examples of God’s love and all that has been bestowed upon you, what do you do with those gifts? Our intention has to be one with that of God’s and as part of God’s community rather than filling personal ego and treasure.

We are called to identify our community and to be in the community (all of it). We are to be the face of God and the compassionate hand of God to those who celebrate it, those who want it and for those at desperate hours. 

We know that we fail. Thus forgiveness from us is crucial because of this.  Otherwise, we are just hypocritical and just pointing fingers without the compassion and empathy that God shares with us. Therefore, let judgment be God’s not yours. Let your griefs with someone be reconciled because grudges can fester and grow into anger and distrust. God’s community lifts up rather than tear everyone down.

Then let us turn to “word.”

I submit to you Jesus turns to laws of adultery, divorce and vows because these are rooted in the value of a person’s word - and the truth. Mean what you say. Ultimately, these involve a promise and that is only as good as one’s word. For all the money in the world, our word is the only currency that shows your value. 

Mean what you say, and let your actions reveal those words. People can make grand assertions, but we pay more attention to the ones that actually live them. When someone speaks, hold their “version” of events to scrutiny and the person accountable. We need to be willing to call out when the emperor is wearing no clothes, and we need to call out when talking heads are not speaking truth.

Of that, marriage is a display of our promise to someone. Through God, we let that promise become something more than just two people in a moment of time but commitment to something worth struggle and growth. For my own, we made it ten years; it hasn’t been easy, but we look forward to another decade and more.

If personal and intimate vows between two people are carelessly given (crossed fingers behind the back), that suggests more about the person making these. When one flaunts promises and truth as mere suggestions or use it only for personal utility, what does that say about the person in other parts of life? 

If we are willing to be unfaithful and dishonest in public promises before God, if we only do something because we get something back (as a transaction), it follows that one’s genuineness with all people come into question. It can take lifetime to build trust and only minutes to destroy it. Further, how do you explain that to kids? 

We hear politicians and religious folks alike make exuberant claims (you can even say that about me), but our word, our dealings with people, especially in the intimate, ought to be rooted in truth. 

We can have faith in the divine promise - a genuine promise never broken.

Thus, these laws are calling to us to be genuine and authentic - Make your word bound by truth in thought and action. 

No charades needed - just your humble self before God with truth as your guideposts. If you mess up, ask for forgiveness and know that God is with you. But if you go into each dealing with the intention of good and have faith in God’s unfailing promise (not personal utility), when you let your faith in God help you, then you will see that promise work for you. 

Then you may truly comprehend the value of God’s law as essential to good in our world for you and for our community.

Beloved that is,

Thanks be to God