11/5/23 Sermon

There were two things that my dad has said to me in my life that shocked me to the point of making me really look at the world differently.  The first one was when I was a kid.  I think I was about 10 or 11 and we were going out to eat.  We were walking into the restaurant and out of nowhere, my dad turned to me, knelt down a little so we were looking into each other’s eyes, and he said to me very seriously, “What if I and everyone you know are just in your head and this restaurant and this world is just something you made up in your mind like a dream.”  I spent the entire meal so freaked out I couldn’t even eat. 

The second time and this one really changed me happened at the Smithsonian Museum of Modern Art. I was probably 15 or 16 at the time.  I don’t really get modern art.  I’m attracted to it, but I don’t understand it.  I think that’s what I like about it.  But anyways, we were walking around and there were all these weird paintings and sculptures.  There was some chalkboard exhibit where a guy drew these pictures on chalk boards, and he was a genius.  And then we came to a room where there was this painting about the size of a ten-foot square.  And it was one big, giant red square.  And then in the inside of that square was another red square that was just a little bit lighter red.  And I looked at it and then I looked at my dad and I asked him, “That’s art?”  He kind of shrugged and nodded that it was.  And I said, “III could have painted that!”  And he casually looked at me and shrugged and said, “But you didn’t.”  And I was totally shocked.  That hit me like a ton of bricks.  And remembering those words I think has helped me to stay open to a lot of things and I think appreciate art and writing and music much more than maybe I would have otherwise just because I know I didn’t do it and someone else thought of it.

 And I bring this up to simply say that what Jesus is doing here in Matthew would have been pretty shocking to the people hearing it.   Now, it’s the beginning of the sermon on the mount.  The part we call the beatitudes.  I’m going to just highlight a part outside of this section to give you an example of WHY this was so shocking.  There’s a part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus goes into this You’ve heard it said, But I say unto you.  You know where I’m talking about? You know like, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.

 And I’ve briefly talked about this before but one of the things that would have been really shocking to these people is the “But I say to you.”  It isn’t just what Jesus is saying that’s shocking, but whose authority he’s claiming that’s shocking.  We kind of see this echoed other places in the Gospels where they say “He speaks with such authority.”  And we think, “Of course he does!  He’s the son of God!”  But we’re looking back on it and have that information.  They don’t.   And why it’s so shocking to them, is that Jesus speaks on his own authority.  And that is virtually unheard of for someone to do at this time.  Usually, when someone is a Rabbi or teacher at this time, they come from schools and lineages of teachers.  And the more respected the lineage of teachers or rabbis you come from, the greater authority your teaching is given by people. 

We kind of do the same thing today.  Like if I say something like, “The poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of heaven.”  That’s all good and well and may be my nice opinion.  But if I say Matthew 5:3 tells us that the poor in spirit inherit the kingdom of heaven.  Well then, there’s some authority behind that statement.  But Jesus doesn’t do any of that.  He tells them I say to you.  Not my rabbi. Not some tradition. Not the Scriptures. He pulls on his own authority. His teaching comes from him.  It is something unique and never heard of before. And that was shocking to them. That changed everything.

 But it isn’t just how Jesus says things that’s shocking here.  It’s the actual content of what he’s saying that might be even more shocking to these people.  Because what Jesus does is he turns everything upside down.  With this beginning, with the beatitudes, he basically says to these people: Take everything you know about God, everything you THINK you know about God and throw it out the window.  God isn’t who you think God is and God doesn’t really care about what you think God cares about. And God isn’t going to do what you think God is supposed to do. And that is REALLY shocking to people.

 You see, even back then people had certain images and ideas about who God is and what God does.  Just like we do today.  And let me tell you, back then God was pretty majestic. 

God was the God who gave special purpose to a special nation. Who raised kings and sent prophets.  God was the God responsible for the wealth or poverty of the nation.  And God could build kingdoms and destroy nations.  He could send tempests and storms to destroy evil and lift up the righteous.  And God demanded worship in temples built like palaces. This was no small God. This God was Huge and Majestic and mighty. 

 And that isn’t too dissimilar from the God that a lot of people think of today.  Most of us were taught in history of Manifest Destiny; that God had a special purpose for this country from the beginning.  Almost every president of the most powerful country in the world has taken oath on the Holy Bible. Even our currency, the currency of the most successful economy in the history of the world, the currency by which all others are judged, states clearly on it in God we Trust.  And there are preachers and pastors today who are preaching on how if we want to make this country great again, it is only by turning back to God that we can do so.  Or if we give the right amount of sacrifice, the exact amount of tithing, that’s the only way that God will bless us or hear our prayers. And so, the question can be asked:  Is the God we conceive of all that different than the God of the people listening to Jesus here?

And the answer is: no.  Sometimes we build God up so much that God becomes this huge, Zeus-like being which I know it sounds weird to say but it’s true when you think about it. We sometimes tell God what to care about or tell each other what God cares about and often times they can be really grandiose plans. We make God into this Huge and Majestic and Mighty God which I’m sure in some aspect God is. But sometimes when I read what Jesus says about God, I can’t help but think that God isn’t who we always think God is and God doesn’t always care about what we think God cares about.  And that can be quite shocking sometimes. 

 Because when we read here what Jesus is saying about God, we realize that God isn’t always this big and fanciful thing that is only concerned with nations and kings and currency and offerings.

 Blessed are the poor in spirit

 Blessed are those who mourn

 Blessed are the meek

 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

 Blessed are the merciful and the pure in heart and the peacemakers,

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

 Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

 God isn’t always who we think God is and God isn’t always interested in how big we can make God. Because God is interested in you.  God cares about you.  God is your God. God doesn’t care how well you may think you’re doing. God cares about how you struggle.  Blessed are those whose faith isn’t strong. God’s kingdom is yours. Blessed are those who’ve lost someone or something close to them.  God is here to comfort you.  Blessed are those who aren’t strong physically or emotionally. God’s going to provide for you.  Blessed are those who WANT to be good people. Through God you’ll get there. Blessed are those who give someone a break and don’t judge others too harshly.  God’s going to return that favor. Blessed are those who aren’t corrupted.  You’ll see God in everything you do. 

 And those who work for peace?  You’re a child of God. And if you are outcasted for doing the right thing, and it seems like those who step on people are the only ones that get ahead, and people call you naive and stupid for thinking the world can and should be better or for thinking that there really is a God. You’re actually in good company. And don’t worry about it because God has your back. 

It’s shocking.  It’s not always what we’re led to believe about God.  God isn’t always on the side of the winners. Gods on the side of those who struggle to be on God’s side. Gods on the side of those struggling to love God and serve God better.

It’s amazing really.  This God who is credited for building nations, who has huge temples built in his name. This God who inspires music and art and some of the most beautiful prayers and words ever written.  This God isn’t always who we think that God is.  It’s so simple but when we really sit down and think about it, it’s shocking. This God, this great and majestic, infinite, and ultimate Creator of the Universe doesn’t always care about big and Flashy things. This God cares about you and that you act in this world with Love remembering who your God is. And that you remember that you are blessed beyond all belief.  Even when it doesn’t seem like it, God is blessing you and using you and guiding you to make this world better.  God didn’t feel that the kingdom would be complete without you in it.  And when we really understand that it’s shocking how blessed we truly are.

 And so may you look at God differently.

 May you be shocked by where you find God and by what God is doing. 

 May you realize that God loves YOU and cares for YOU.

 And may you be on God’s side in all that you do and truly know how blessed we really are.

 Amen.