Laws are funny things. They are meant to help us live together, meant to help keep the peace, meant to improve society by setting common limits and expectations. You know the old quote, "fences make good neighbors". We can substitute the word "laws" for fences, culturally approved and practiced laws are supposed to make good neighbors. But....sometimes laws are not such good things, not things that uplift us and make us better people, better neighbors.
For example in New Orleans it is against the law to gargle in public. In Minnesota women may face 30 days in jail for impersonating Santa Claus. In Marion, Oregon ministers are forbidden to eat garlic or onions before delivering a sermon. In restaurants in Memphis, Tennessee it is illegal to take unfinished pie home, all pie must be eaten on the premises. We would be hard pressed to believe and claim that these laws do anything to improve our culture, enhance our community , or benefit our families.
Today's Gospel continues our readings from the Sermon on the Mount. In this section Jesus looks looks at three of the commandments given by God to Moses for the benefit of the Hebrew people, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not swear falsely. Last year when Mother Cathy preached on the commandments she called them the 10 Best Ways to Live. And indeed, that's what they were meant to be. Jesus has some interesting commentary on those ancient proscriptions. He introduces each law with the phrase "you have heard that it was said". He then quotes the commandment " you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not swear falsely". And he continues with "but I say..." And what he says after each commandment sets Jesus apart from all of the Old Testament prophets that those gathered were used to hearing from.
Jesus knew that it was possible to abide by the letter of the law and still wreak havoc on the lives of others . Most of us will never be murders, adulterers or perjurers. Jesus is saying that's not good enough. Obeying the bare bones restrictions of the laws isn't good enough. Jesus says that to follow Him we must shift our focus from the letter of the law and focus on the realm of the heart . We are called to uphold the dignity and humanity of our companions in this world, not just to avoid killing . We are called to treat each other with respect, to listen closely and to not speak hateful words that are insults, gossip or back-stabbing or just plain false. We are to recognize the humanity of others and work toward reconciliation whenever possible.
Likewise we cannot just avoid the betrayal of adultery. We are called to avoid objectifying people and turning them into nothing more than objects for our own pleasure and satisfaction, to not treat others as property to be discarded when we are finished with them.
Jesus is giving us what we in education would call "best practices". Like a good special educator, Jesus goes far beyond just naming the problem. All of the students I work with have something called Individual Educational Plans, IEPs for short. They include a description of the student, for example, Johnny is an angry, disruptive and defiant young man. Then we must write a goal that addresses Johnny's behavior. The goal must be written positively and include what it is we would like Johnny to do instead. So, I can't write a goal that says Johnny will not be disruptive. My goal has to say something like Johnny will identify anger triggers and implement strategies including deep breathing, positive self talk and removing himself from the situation when he begins to feel angry. The goal is deeper and wider than merely stating behavior what is off limits, it includes calling for behavior that will not only help Johnny be a better person and a better neighbor, but will also enhance the communities Johnny is a member of.
And that's what Jesus is doing here. Jesus is not lacking in respect for the law given in the Hebrew Scriptures. He is not saying that the laws are worthless or wrong. No, Jesus believes in the real and ongoing presence of God and wants that presence, that nurturing spirit, that grace to be more clearly recognized than just the "shall nots". Jesus knows that giving folks rules without specifying what kingdom worthy behavior is just isn't good enough. He wants us to understand that the rules are not just meant to list behaviors that are not acceptable, but are meant to help us develop practices of the heart that will lead us into developing God's kingdom here on earth. Jesus turns the "shall nots" into strategies for living differently in the world.
And that's the real point of the Sermon on the Mount passages, Jesus showing us how to live differently, in a counter-cultural way; not merely obeying laws but discovering how to be a member of the community of believers. Jesus wants an inwardly transformed person, not an outwardly obedient one.
Gathered here as a community we are called to be the learning lab where this inward transformation can take place. That's where prayer, bible study, worship, ministry to others, and above all the nourishment of the Eucharist will take us; to a place where we go beyond rules to truly loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
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