1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
  2Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy…
17You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin;
18You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
 
That’s a tall order!  Can we be holy as the Lord our God is holy?  That’s a high standard!  Who can possibly avoid, in the secret of one’s heart, not having hated for someone, at some time, or born a grudge against someone they live or work or even worship with? 
 
And this “high standard” of the First Reading is well paired with the Gospel, where Jesus continues his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount with equally hard sayings: 38“You have heard that it was said,” says Jesus “‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say to you, Do not [passively] resist an evildoer.  But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 
 
One of the only ways to sleep at night is to assume that these sayings are meant metaphorically, otherwise – well – how could we possibly be expected to do them?  For instance, to go a second mile, means – metaphorically – to be generous, to go beyond what is required or expected, beyond the call of duty.  It shows good character! 
 
Well, Walter Wink began to look deeper into this passage for us, not too long ago, writing in 1998 about what’s behind this obscure requirement.  There was a law on the Roman books, he says, that a soldier could command a civilian to carry his pack – which were 60-85lbs. – but for only one mile, just like Simon of Cyrene was pulled off the streets to carry Jesus’ cross (Mk 15:21).  So, in case of war or some urgent matter, the soldier could lawfully interrupt a Jews’ working day.  The 1 mile clause was meant to make it doable, except that, the normal peasant work day was filled, dawn to dusk, with earning enough to feed his family, and so, it would take a significant chunk of time away. 
 
Jesus says, do not resist an evildoer, that is, do not respond to evil, with evil.  But on the other hand, don’t be passive and do nothing.  There is a 3rd Way, the way of the Spirit and the Kingdom of heaven.  In this case, if you’re forced to carry a soldier’s pack one mile, go also a second mile, and see what happens then!  Jesus advocates non-violent resistance, says Wink, to resist evil in a creative and unexpected way! 
 
“Imagine, then,” as Walter Wink says, “the soldier's surprise when, at the next mile marker, he reluctantly reaches to assume [carrying] his pack, and the civilian says, ‘Oh, no, let me carry it another mile.’
  Why would he want to do that? What is he up to? Normally, soldiers have to coerce people to carry their packs, but this Jew does so cheerfully, and will not stop'. Is this a provocation? Is he insulting the legionnaire's strength? [or] Being kind? [Or] Trying to get him disciplined for seeming to violate the rules of impressment? Will this civilian file a complaint? Create trouble?
  From a situation of servile impressment, the oppressed have seized the initiative. They have taken back the power of choice. They have thrown the soldier off balance by depriving him of the predictability of his victim's response. He has never dealt with such a problem before. Now he must make a decision for which nothing in his previous experience has prepared him. If he has enjoyed feeling superior to the vanquished, he will not enjoy it today.
  Imagine a Roman infantryman pleading with a Jew to give back his pack! The humor of this scene may have escaped us, but it could scarcely have been lost on Jesus' hearers, who must have been delighted at the prospect of thus discomfiting their oppressors.” (pages 98-111 of The Powers that Be: Theology for a New Millennium, Walter Wink, 1998.)
 
This 3rd Way does not create violence, but challenges the ways of oppression and evil – with a sense of humor!
 
Richard Rohr has said that you can break the Sermon on the Mount down into 16 triads – that’s  the structure of Jesus’ sayings.  And each triad follows a pattern: first, the “Traditional challenge [found in] a religious culture”; then stating what “the problem is:” and thirdly, what is “The Way of Transformation.”
 
Becoming disciples of Jesus, and learning the way of transformation, or what Walter Wink called, the 3rd Way, is what Jesus called, here in Matthew’s gospel, being a part of the kingdom of heaven. 
 
Jesus said: 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”
 
It was about a year and a half ago now when the 21 year old Dylan Roof walked into the historic Mother Emanuel AME Church, where a dozen members were about to begin their hour of bible study one summer evening.  They welcomed him as they would anyone who wanted to join them to study the Word of God.  Of course, they had no knowledge of the gun in his backpack, and before the hour was up, nine of them were dead.  Apparently, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who graduated from a Lutheran seminary, was a state representative, and was leading the Bible Study, had almost convinced Dylan to lay down his weapon, before the young man instead decided to act on the White Nationalist beliefs he had steeped himself in, sparing one victim with the express purpose to relay his motive: “I hate black people.”  In all, Roof fired 77 shots killing 9, fine, innocent church members and citizens of Charleston. 
 
When Roof was arraigned in court, the surviving family members were given opportunity to speak for their loved ones, and most all, amidst tears and grief, expressed prayers for his forgiveness, despite their devastating loss.  Some of the survivors expressed the horror of not being able to sleep, or even to close their eyes to pray anymore.  But most allowed that by their faith, they hoped God would forgive him, and one even offered to visit him in jail, to try and change his heart. 
 
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” 
 
I don’t know if I could be that magnanimous, though it’s hard to even equate apples to apples, when you’re talking about Mother Emanuel Church and the oppression and persecution that were common place for those who founded, and continue to offer their prayers, in this historic African-American church.  But I am inspired in my own faith by the level of what true Disciples are – and what the cost of discipleship is. 
 
It’s easy to love those who love us, Jesus noted.  And, to greet only your bothers and sisters.  Everybody can pretty much do that! 
 
But what I’m asking you to do, says Jesus, is to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Or as Leviticus says in our First Reading, you must be holy as the Lord your God is holy. 
 
This is a high calling.  It seems to be asking a lot.  But not too much, Jesus seems to be saying, because, there is this 3rd Way – not participating in the ways that lead to death, or demonizing others, or participating in persecution, but walking the way of forgiveness, and loving, even your enemies, which is also more than remaining passive in the face of evil too.  It’s an aiming for the kingdom of heaven, a road of discipleship, if but one step at a time, and the changing of hearts and minds, one at a time, which is the only way to get from where we are today, to where God is calling us. 
 
“You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy,” as Moses was told to tell his congregation.  And, “Be perfect,” said Jesus, “as your motherly Father in heaven is perfect.”  When we are transformed to see that there is a 3rd Way, the way of forgiveness and active non-violent resistance, we begin to understand this high calling is a road we cannot avoid, a road we would regret to pass up.  
 
We cannot be perfect of our own volition, but with the help and grace of God that has been given to us, as Paul says, we trust that the journey is rich and blessed.  

Readings for February 5, 2017 The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

• Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)  
• Psalm 112:1-9 (10)  
• 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)  
• Matthew 5:13-20

"Four Fingers," by Rev. Fred Kinsey
“You are the salt of the earth;  You are the light of the world!”
 
With these stirring words, these pronouncements of identity and who we are, Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount. 
 
In John’s gospel, Jesus says “I am the light”.  But Matthew remembers how Jesus declared us lights for the world!  And there on top of the mountain, the disciples of Jesus have gathered closely around him as he sits down to teach and preach in good Rabbinic fashion.  And the crowds, that initially Jesus hoped to get away from, by climbing the mountain, also sheepishly filter in, forming an outer circle.  And, at the end of 3 long chapters of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew notes how the crowds were astounded at his teaching – that he had something much more special than the other teachers they knew. 
 
And here, we weren’t even sure they were listening! 
 
But it is not just listening , but hearing and understanding, that we need.  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished. …For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” 
 
The beef that Jesus had with the scribes and Pharisees was an internal religious debate.  He thought they were too focused on appearances, on every jot and tittle, instead of the end point, of justice and life.  The Pharisees – like all of us at times are tempted to do – had become hypocritical, and Jesus insisted that, freedom from the law, can only be attained by freedom through the law.  Not its abolishment, but its fulfillment, even though in this finite life, as humans, we will never quite attain that full-fillment.  But to get where Jesus is calling us, that is the direction we must travel.
 
Which reminds me of the movie, Patch Adams, named after the main character, and played by Robin Williams.  In an early scene, Adams is reaching out to the old crotchety Arthur, in the asylum, where Adams had checked himself into because of his depression.  The bristly old Arthur has this hard exterior, and it doesn’t look like he will let Adams in, or give him the time of day.  But Adams has a gift of caring humor to connect with people. 
 
In fact, the movie is based on a true story, of Hunter “Patch” Adams, who finds meaning in his quest to build his own hospital, the Gesundheit Clinic, to treat and heal people with more than just medicine, but with humor.  He is successful to a large extent.  But because he practices without a license – having gotten kicked out of medical school for his unorthodox style – most of the medical profession deride him and try to ruin his practice. 
 
Of course, eventually, Adams does get through to Arthur, who’s playing hard to get in their initial encounter, working on some intricate math calculation.  Ironically, as caught up as Arthur is in the complexity of his work, he doesn’t seem to notice, or have time to worry, about a tiny pin hole leak in his paper cup that is slowly soaking the important papers on his desk!  That’s when Adams, through a small act of kindness, takes a piece of tape and covers over the hole, fixing the leak.  And as he sets the cup down – Arthur notices – and finally looks up at Adams. 
 
Then, in return for this kindness, Arthur shows his wise-old grandfatherly side.  He takes Patch Adams’ right hand in his own, and holds up four of his fingers, asking, how many finger do you see?  Four? says Adams, quizzically!  No, says Arthur holding his fingers up between the two of them.  Look at me, and tell me how many you see.  You’re looking at the problem.  Look at the solution!  And so Adams focuses in on Arthur, and the fingers double.  Oh!  I see eight, says Adams. 
 
Don’t look for the obvious, for what everyone else sees, says Arthur.  Look beyond the ordinary, and find the solution no one else sees. 
 
Jesus looked beyond what the teachers of his day were seeing, and taught a 3rd way, with a new eye, a new vision.  He saw the spirit of the law as well as the letter of the law.  The spiritual community of God is not about consolidating power into the hands of the already powerful, but about giving away God’s power to everyone.
 
“You are the light of the world,” Jesus taught his followers.  “A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your motherly-Father in heaven.” 
 
We are declared salt and light by Jesus.  But even this gift will be nothing, unless we share it with the world – until we give it away! 
 
That was exactly the problem in the time of the prophet Isaiah.  God’s chosen people, the beloved of God, chosen to be a light to the nations, had forgotten what their call was.  They had taken their gift for granted.  They had misused their powerful status in the world, after King David, to build buildings of gold and fill them with riches – turning the blessings of God into material memorials to their egos!  And instead of thriving, they lost their focus on the solutions, and began to let go of the gift-of-blessing God gave them.  Until finally they collapsed like spoiled children fighting over their toys! 
 
Announce to my people their rebellion, God says in Isaiah 58.
                to the house of Jacob their sins.
  2Yet day after day they seek me
                and delight to know my ways,
                as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
                and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
                3 “…Why do we fast, but you do not see?” Say the people in response.
                “Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?"
                Look, says God, you serve your own interest on your fast day,
                and oppress all your workers.
  4Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
                and to strike with a wicked fist.
                Such fasting as you do today
                will not make your voice heard on high.
And then, instead of focusing on the problem, God focuses on the solution, and offers a way out…
…  6Is not this the fast that I choose:
                to loose the bonds of injustice,
                to undo the thongs of the yoke,
                to let the oppressed go free, …
  7Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
                and bring the homeless poor into your house;
                when you see the naked, to cover them,
                and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
 
I came to fulfill the law and the prophets, said Jesus, not to abolish them.  We gain our freedom from the law, and the power of death, only by taking them seriously, by internalizing their precepts, and fulfilling their spirit, by looking past the problem to the solution, and the higher calling of God, until, as Jesus knew, it brings us to the point of epiphany – and the realization that we cannot by ourselves, fulfill them, but only with the grace of God.  That is the gift more precious than gold.
 
And in that moment of revelation, we learn our calling as chosen ones of God – that the spiritual community of God is not about consolidating power into the hands of the already powerful, but about giving away God’s power to everyone – just as Jesus demonstrated for us on the cross, giving away his life, for the sake of the world. 
 
“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world!  …let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your motherly-Father in heaven.”