FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT – Homily by Geoff Serpell
Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew is the “Sermon on the Mount” and where Jesus explains the new righteousness, he has ushered in. It is radical as he teaches something totally different about the Jewish laws upheld “on the surface” by the Pharisees and scribes. They espoused the commandments in an outward form, but Jesus wanted his people to identify the intent of the laws and add these values into our daily lives.
For instance, a person should not only refrain from killing but see greater value in every human being as a child of God and do all that we can to help rather than hurt. Such a state of being could be called living in love. As Paul said in his letter to the Romans, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” He said also that the Lord condemns those who have kept the outward form of the law without the spirit of the law.
Rev Nathan Nettleton of the South Yarra Community Baptist church Says that the fights and divisions in the church are a sign of how far we still have to go, but if we don’t run from them , God will use them to mature us and grow our ability to love.
He believes that by having some good fights in the church, things could get better, rather than push things under the carpet and undermine what God is trying to do in us. Jealousy, arguments and divisions among us is evidence we have a long way to go to attain the goal of wholeness and maturity to which Christ calls us. God wants us to become Christlike. We may be too timid, or passive to face up to some issues and seek greater understanding and depth of community and love. We cannot pretend everything in our world is nice and have one mind on everything, this is just adding to the sins of division.
Christ calls us to live in unity, to live in community with one another. Living in community with real human beings is no picnic. The closer we get to people and the more we invest in relationships, the higher the stakes and the more things will need to be sorted out. That’s often painful, just ask any married couple. Living in union with one other person is hard enough and trying to agree with a large community is where a lot of touchy issues will arise. You know the adage that you do not go to sleep until any issue with your spouse is resolved. Of course!
We in our home at Highett have three units next door where each family has come from Sri lanka, China and the other, Russia. Recently, when the side fence blew over, Jan and I had to stump up half the cost of the 150-foot-long replacement fence. The three units were only obliged to meet a one third each of the other half cost. People from two of the units agreed but not the third. In very direct language I had to point out to him that over 20 years I had nailed, bolted and tied up loose palings and reinforced posts with concrete and bolts but it was now 30 years old and had finally died so that he was obliged to foot his fair share of the bill. He eventually did. I am told that disputes over fences is a leading cause of aggravation between neighbors. I can believe that.
In our struggle in our communities, maybe these are the raw materials for God’s reconstruction of us. If you chuck half a dozen rough jagged edged rocks into a concrete mixer and let them fly around smashing into one another for long enough, you will end up with rounded smoother rocks. Our sharp edges soon get exposed living in close relationships with each other.
On a broader scale, it was stated by Norman Cousins, an American political journalist, author and world peace advocate, that in the 5600 years of recorded history, there have been only 292 years of world peace. He estimates that 3.5 billion people have been slain through warfare in that span of time, about 80% of the current world population.
Norman, the Journalist once facilitated an appeasement between Russia and America during the Cuban war when nuclear weapons were being primed. He helped the two leaders forge the highly successful Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963.
He jokingly expressed opposition to women entering the workforce. In 1939, upon learning that the number of women in the workforce was close to the number of unemployed males, he offered this solution: “Simply fire the women, who shouldn’t be working anyway, and hire the men: Presto! No unemployment, No relief rolls and no depression.”
My wife, Jan firmly believes that if every country in the world put women in charge there would be no more wars! Think about that.
To conclude about Norman, he developed an antidote to pain using humour. His health problems were helped by him watching shows on TV like candid camera. The use of humour particularly for ill children in hospitals is now well recognized.
Our Gospel lesson today teaches us that if we would worship the Lord, we must first make peace with our enemies. Reconciliation involves three things: contrition, confession, and satisfaction [to attempt to right the situation]. Most of us have stopped at the second part of the act of reconciliation. For spiritual harmony to be completely restored, the peace-making process must be completed.
God calls us into Christian community because it is only within such covenant relationships that we can risk the depth and vulnerability needed to learn to love one another. It is only when we commit ourselves to facing up to our differences and working through them to new places of mutual respect and unity that we will mature sufficiently to be ready for solid food that Paul speaks of. Hiding anger in the recesses of our heart is no more virtuous than blowing your fuse in public. We may as well be honest and get it out where God can use it to draw us deeper into the mystery of new life and new love in the Holy Spirit.
A prayer:
Living God, we bless you for faithfully fulfilling all righteousness in Jesus Christ, your son that we might be your dear children.
Fill us with your Spirit, that we might be agents of reconciliation and forgiveness and thereby accomplish your gracious will. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Geoff Serpell
