Sermon

St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Durham, NC

3/19/06 - 3 Lent

The Rev. Harriette H. Sturges

Let us pray:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent.

The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean and endures forever;
the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than fine gold and sweeter than honey.
By them we are enlightened, warned and by them there is great reward.

We've had this reminder from Psalm 19 about the Law of God and a double dose of the Ten Commandments this morning. Good medicine indeed for the the tired, sin-sick soul and body.  In keeping them there is great reward.  If only everyone would keep them.  If only we could.

I have no doubt that if all of us in this one congregation kept all of the commandments even for one day, the world would be a better place.  But isn't this what the Pharisees were trying so hard to do?  They wanted to keep the commandments.  So they were shocked by the way Jesus seemingly treated the law. Why would Jesus want to violate the law of the Sabbath by healing a man?

They also asked, "Why did the disciples eat with defiled hands and thus break the law?" Jesus accuses them of having clean hands but an impure heart. Again Jesus tells them in Mark chapter 7 "that they have a fine way of rejecting the commandments of God in order to keep their traditions."  Keeping the law and living the law evidently are not always synonymous.

To complicate matters or rather to take them further out of our control, Jesus expands the traditional understanding of the law.  The law says you shall not murder; however, by being angry with your brother or sister you are guilty of murder.  You shall not commit adultery.  But by even looking at someone with lust is adultery.

And then there was the young man who approaches Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus tells him he must keep the commandments.  Which ones? Do no murder. Do not commit adultery or steal or bear false witness, honor your father and mother.  The young man claims to have kept all of these.  What do I lack?  Go, sell your possessions, give your money to the poor, and follow me.  The young man grieved because he had many possessions. Our hearts are involved in keeping the law not just our actions. We must be pure inside and out.

So what good is the law? Why this double dose of the commandments this morning as a plumbline for us? We have this dilemma of knowing that the law of the Lord is good, sure, right and true and that in keeping it there is great reward, but.....we continue to do the very thing we hate or not doing the thing we know is right.  And this is not a new thing, a modern issue.

Moses goes up the mountain to get the law of  God for the people of God.  They have consecrated themselves for this event. They know it is the Lord who has led them out of slavery into freedom but in the 40 days of waiting for Moses to return, they become impatient, distrustful.  They need something concrete and so they make a golden calf to worship.  Centuries later, the Pharisees and the people of God are waiting again. This time for a messiah.  While they wait in order to consecrate themselves, they build up laws and rituals until once again they have made another sort of golden calf.  They have mistaken the love of God for the law of God which they have tried so hard to keep pure and to protect against the Roman rule, the cultural influences, the new developments of the times.  Doesn't this making an idol of the law always violate the love of God and of neighbor and of self?

The moneychangers were there to keep the Temple pure and to be a convenience for the worshippers who might arrive with Roman money.  The moneychangers' job was to change the Roman coins with the image of Caesar on them into temple money which had no image and was thus pure and acceptable. For a price. The animals and doves were there also for purity and convenience.  It was no longer easy to bring cattle, sheep or doves to Jerusalem and have them in top shape but they could be provided for a price and one could be assured that it was of the right sort. Purity often seems good but at what cost? 

Our collect reminds us that we can't do this-we can't become pure or keep all the commandments by ourselves- as we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves, outwardly or inwardly, body or soul. Paul recognizes this in our passage from Romans.  He can't do this by himself as the very thing he wants to do, he cannot do and the very thing he wants to avoid he does.  What is the solution to this dilemma?  It is Jesus who rescues us.

So the question for us becomes where do we need rescue? Where do we need to surrender our efforts at rescuing ourselves or others in order to be rescued? What happens when we are rescued?

The people on our southern coasts have asked for rescue from the devastation of Katrina.  Will they build again below sea level plain?  Build bigger and better levees? Pray that another storm won't be as bad or that they will be better prepared? Everyone seems to have an opinion. We'll be going there in June as part of a mission effort.  Will it rescue us as well as them?  When we return will we be renewed in our mission efforts here at Urban Ministries?

In Sri Lanka, the diocese of Colombo has long been involved in rescue work-being an advocate for the the poor and for peace.  There has been civil war there between ethnic groups and well as dissension between Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists.  After the tsunami, the Anglican church there was able to help because it was already organized and soon found that Buddhists wanted their help in rebuilding their temple and Muslims wanted help building boats.  Is their money for Anglicans only, Christians only?  Do those who need rescuing become our rescuers?

How are we to relate to those breaking away from the Episcopal Church in the United States because of disagreements.  How do we relate to those criticizing us for following what we prayerfully consider to be the path? Will we be able to share communion with them and they with us?  Will we want to? Do they need rescuing or do we or neither of us?

What about the line we draw about who is or isn't a full member of our church.  Do you need to be a baptized person known to the treasurer to vote or is confirmation necessary before you can vote or hold office?  Are only baptized members welcome to take communion? This conforms to the doctrine and discipline of the Episcopal Church.  Is this to keep the sacrament pure, to follow the law, to protect the community?  What should we require when the Lord requires for us to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God?

The gospel passage begins with the Passover being near and ends with a reference to the Resurrection. Passover, when the slaves in Egypt put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts and lintels so the angel of death would pass over them - pass over them so they could live to march out of the madness of slavery into freedom - God-given freedom to worship the Lord their God and become God's people.  Resurrection - when the blood of the Lamb of God is shed for us and makes all things new and death has no more power over us. We are rescued from slavery and from death.  But between the two there is this cleansing, this driving out of all things that have become unclean or polluted.

What are the commandments we live by?  What is the good we seek?  What do we need to wrestle with and let God win?  What do I need rescuing from? What has become an outward sign without the inward grace? 

Lord, hear our prayer.

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