“sons of the Most High” Ps 37:1-11, 40-41; Gen 45:3-11, 1; 1 Cor 15:3-50; Luke 6:27-38
Introduction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQwXMs29F10
Today’s reading from Luke, contains some of the most challenging exhortations of Jesus in the Gospels. Is it really possible to love enemies and do good to others in a way that takes us out of the category of “sinners”? Can we truly be as merciful as the heavenly Father so that we can expect to experience his overflowing generosity[1]? The way to answer these difficult, even embarrassing, questions, it to recognise that Jesus isn’t like an eastern sage who delivers timeless wisdom and then disappears from the earthly scene, or even like a prophet who hands down a decree from the Lord; but by his uniqueness as a person Jesus today today the centre of a revolutionary new world order.
Loving Enemies
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
We must pay close attention to how the Lord introduces his teaching. “But I say to you who hear,” isn’t merely to hear with the ears but to obey[2] from the heart[3]. Donna and I occasionally joke about my mother’s hearing habits, she had an uncanny ability to pick up just what she wanted to hear whilst drowning out everything. “Selective hearing” could have been a problem in Jesus’s audience, because as people with shirts and coats, able to be stolen from as well as lend, they must have been people of some means, like us. Jesus commands that those who have hostile feelings towards us, exclude[4], revile or defame us[5] are not to be treated badly, but loved. You have to be close enough for them to be able to strike you on the cheek[6]. All this means that in the sort of society of Jesus’ day we are to treat such people as though they are kin. Beggars and thieves are to be loved as insiders and we are not to stand on our rights. In the teaching of Jesus, generosity overwhelms all other obligations[7].
Some years ago, some friends paid for us to go to His Majesty’s Theatre and watch Les Misérables. In the story the main character, Jean Valjean, has been a thief. One evening he shows up at the door of a bishop (Myriel), asks for a place to stay the night where he is graciously accepted, fed and given a bed. He steals most of the household silver runs off but is captured by the police. They take him back to face the priest, who surprises the criminal by telling the police that the silverware was a gift and goes on to chastise Valjean for not taking the silver candlesticks as well. When the police leave, the bishop tells Valjean to use the silver to become an honest man. Which is what happens. The radical generosity of the bishop is such a memorable part of the story because the bishop is a symbol of Christ. It is not natural to love one’s enemies, but we can live a lifestyle which will give us opportunity to increasingly testify, “Jesus made me do it!”.
The Lord concludes this section with the famous Golden Rule, “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”[8] This means treating others lovingly, without any thought of them paying us back. An idea as alien in Palestinian culture as today. I remember visiting a university in Guangzhou and asking for directions somewhere (we were delivering contraband Bibles) and the people were extremely helpful. When I mentioned this to a student of Chinese back here she said, “Oh, its guanxi, you now owe them a favour.” Jesus presses on with even more radical ethical expectations.
More than “Sinners”
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
According to Jesus, love isn’t godly if there’s an expectation of return. To love expecting return, from family, friends or business partners, is what “sinners” do. I recall being called out twice on the same night to tow the car of some Indigenous friends from Belmont to Armadale, we were even pulled over by police on the way. When we got to our destination my friend wanted to give me some money and was completely culturally nonplussed when I refused. Jesus now turns the whole perspective of the discussion from earth to heaven.
“love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing[9] in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”
Is God really kind to the ungrateful and evil?[10] How can any Australian, especially West Australian, seriously ask this question? Our God-given affluence blinds us to our spiritual wretchedness[11]. I was part of an international Zoom call on Thursday, and when the speaker mentioned areas of Christian multiplication all his examples were nations where the believers are in poverty or persecution[12]. Few of us believe that the stinginess of our nation[13] towards the Indigenous, homeless, refugees, and the Third world has robbed us of a deep knowledge of God. If we obeyed Jesus’ teaching in this passage on generosity we would have a deep revelation of what it means to be, “sons of the Most High”. Since this expression is generally used of Jesus (Mark 5:7; Luke 1:32, 3; 8:28)[14], it implies a call to live out the character of Christ as he lived out the character of his Father. At the centre of Jesus’ new world order is the image of an all-merciful heavenly Father. I love the “Prayer of the Week” which starts off with, “O God, you declare your almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity:”[15] One of the most helpful ways I have found in understanding the difference between Jesus’ revelation of a generous God and how “sinners” see him[16] is the difference between contract and covenant.
Normal life is filled with contracts, if the plumber fixes up the tap then you pay him. It’s a something for something arrangement we are all very familiar with in the world. God’s covenants are radically different to this. What changed in human behaviour that moved God to make a covenant with Noah and humanity never to flood the earth again (Gen 9:8-17)?…Nothing, the covenant is a sign of God’s unconditional love and mercy. The most beloved verse in the Bible is a good example of this, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
No Condemnation
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
This teaching reminds me of something that Dale said last week about why we all need corporate confession. He said we all know self-righteous critical people in the church who will be really embarrassed when their secret sins will be made public on the day of Judgement[17]. It’s our attitude towards people like this that is ungodly. If we “forgive” “sinners” we release them from obligations to us and give without expectation of return[18]. As Jesus said, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17). In our passage Jesus goes on to compare his Father to a dealer in the marketplace, who when you hand him your measuring vessel he takes your vessel fills it up then shakes it so he might fill it even more. Donna can never forget when we were at our first year in Ridley College, on our way to the shops she put her purse on top of the car and when we took off it got lost – somewhere. After we searched fruitlessly for it, when we returned to College and looked in our mailbox we found an anonymous gift of cash there that far exceeded what we had lost. God is essentially a cheerful giver[19].
According to Jesus we will encounter God in the here and now according to the grace and generosity we show toward underserving people. If we are miserly we will experience him as miserly[20], if we show extravagant generosity this is how we will experience God’s Spirit[21].
Conclusion
I can’t remember telling so many stories in a sermon if this modest length. This should be the last one. As a young Christian we were encouraged by our church to go out and about to various public places, like pubs, and talk to people about Jesus. I recall going with a friend to Adelaide airport where we got into a conversation with a Filipino Catholic priest who insisted the Bible teaches, “God helps those who help themselves.” This is unbiblical[22], contractual and anti-Christ at every level, and I knew that even back in my early twenties. As I look across the impoverished state of the Church, like the way the diocesan debt was discussed at Synod late last year without any sense of faith in the generosity of the God, I must conclude that something has broken down in the giving of our Church. Not only or mainly financial giving but giving to those who will never be able to give back in return. There is however a largely untapped well of spiritual power inside of us all. When Jesus spoke out from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)[23], he not only perfectly modelled his own teaching, but became more like his heavenly Father (Heb 2:10; 5:9) than ever before. This is why he could say after the resurrection, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt 28:18). Having given all for the salvation of us wretched sinners, Jesus is given all by the Father. How is it possible for us all to grow in Christ’s authority[24], an authority to live in his likeness? The answer is simple to understand but very difficult to practice. Have you ever been sinned against, criticised, beaten up, ever had someone not pay back a loan, have you had your property stolen and so on? For all of us the answer is definitely “Yes”; this makes each of us prime candidates to release forgiveness/no-condemnation to others, so we in turn will grow in sharing more of Jesus’ sovereign power and authority[25]. PTL.
[1] As implied by, “For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38).
[2] ““‘This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;” (Matt 15:8).
[3] “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 11:28). See also Luke 9:35; 16:29, 31; Acts 28:28; Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22.
[4] I remember the pain of not being asked to birthday parties when at university, or not being given a Christmas present, like the other clergy in the parish, as a curate.
[5] The notion of blessing persecutors is repeated in the New Testament (Rom 12:14; 1 Cor 4:12; 1 Pet 3:9), but seems to have no Jewish antecedents.
[6] Physically, this has happened to me twice, both by drunk people who were professing Christians.
[7] Which can be more powerful than a crude literalism, which, for example, would leave the disciple who gives both outer and inner garment, naked!
[8] This notion precedes Jesus, in Jewish and pagan writings, but in a negative form. “Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you.” Christ’s positive form of the Rule is much more absolute in its demand.
[9] That is, no favour.
[10] Paul preaches to the pagans, who would shortly stone him, “Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”” (Acts 14:17).
[11] “But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.” (Deut 32:15); see how Israel’s prosperity led her into idolatry in Ezek 16. Such things can happen to churches, Jesus says to the church in Laodicea, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” (Rev 3:17).
[12] Cuba, Columbia, Peru, Brazil were mentioned, as well as parts of Africa.
[13] Not just materially, but also relationally.
[14] Ps 82:6 has God speaking, “I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you;”. Which seems to be a call to human judges and those in authority to judge justly; as God does.
[15] The entire payer, or Collect, reads, “O God, you declare your almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity: mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace, that we, running the way of your
commandments, may receive your gracious promises, and be made partakers of your heavenly
treasure; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”
[16] Which is as people who have lost the glory of God (Rom 3:23) and see him in our own sinful likeness, “you thought that I was one like yourself” (Ps 50:21cf. Rom 1:23).
[17] Rom 2:1-16 expounds this.
[18] This is the sense in Luke 4:18-19, ““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.””
[19] The famous scripture, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor 9:7), is a powerful truth because he sees himself in this sort of giving.
[20] The wretched servant who said, “‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.” lost everything and was cast into hell (Matt 25:24ff.).
[21] Not as some trade off, as if this was another sort of contractual arrangement, or quid pro quo as they say, but an intimate and organic connection between the disciple and the Master.
[22] The sentiment can be traced back to ancient Greek culture, and across the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_helps_those_who_help_themselves Its fundamental error is to think that would could initiate some movement toward God prior to God’s grace working in our lives (Eph 2:8-10; Phil 2:13 etc.).
[23] Which is a word of non-condemnation.
[24] By being disciples who “keep all that he has commanded” (Matt 28:19).
[25] The more you are sinned against the more you can forgive, and so, spiritual authority, gospel authority, is in proportion to forgiveness, which means those most sinned against have, potentially, the greatest authority. which, in Australia, are the Indigenous inhabitants of the land. This truth holds for all of us and is a testimony of how through the reconciling power of the blood of the cross (Col 1:20), “all things hold together” (Col 1:17; Heb 1:3).