Sermon for February 3

The reading

Matthew 6:7-21

7 "When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 "Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16 "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

The message

 

Today’s reading is a part of a larger sermon that Jesus shares at the start of his public ministry.  For many centuries this collection of advice on prayer, fasting, faith, community, social and religious life has been known as the Sermon on the Mount.  I wanted to take some time to look at where and when Jesus shares this message. We call it the sermon on the mount simply because Jesus shares it with a great crowd on the side of a small mountain.    

During my recent trip to the Holy Land, I had the chance to see the place ancient pilgrims have visited, recorded and marked as the site where Jesus shares the sermon on the mount.  The field is near the sea of Galilee, in the center of commercial life.  It is  a place of work, fishing, transportation and trade, part of a triangular area that Jesus spent most of his ministry.  There was great diversity there.  There were also some natural acoustic theaters (places where the landscape and positioning of the speaker can amplify sound and make him or her heard over a great distance).  This was not an ideal place.  There was a lot going on in the area, a lot of distractions, Jewish and Roman authorities patrolling and questioning, world views and religions competing for people’s attention,  evangelists for Greek and other philosophies that taught there was no god, there were many gods and everything in between, people offering the secrets to good life, success or good government.  

Jesus draws the crowd, brings all different people together to listen through healings, cures and signs of power and authority.  People will listen to the person who heals the sick, who restores sight to the blind, who casts out demons and unclean spirits, who is not making a fortune from his religious work, who is preaching the truth fearlessly, who welcomes all people even when it is unpopular, even when it is dangerous, even when people walk away in frustration or disbelief.  Jesus sermon was advertised by miracles, hyped up by signs of God’s power and invitations by word of mouth, people telling others “come and see”.  Jesus uses all of the resources available to him to announce the good news.  

Today, in our local community, the sermon on the mount would probably be the sermon at the 74th street train station.  Like the mountainside, it is not an ideal location. There would be a lot of competition at 74th street.  There are often preachers speaking into portable microphones warning of death and hell, Jehovah’s witnesses giving out booklets with titles developed to grab you, US Military recruiters seeking conversations and emails, Islamic evangelists trying to get people’s attention. people selling snacks,  people begging, homeless people trying to keep warm or find something to eat in the garbage cans, MTA workers trying to keep things clean and moving, garbled announcements about service changes or delays (due to signal problems or train traffic ahead, phrases I get annoyed with just saying),  musicians performing and small stores offering products.  There are also  people with headphones on, made to block out the world around them, people glued to their cell phones trying to reach the next level on a game created to be addictive or sharing updates on social media (again, created to be addictive). 

The challenge is, how do we get people to listen, to pay attention, to put their phones down, to stop thinking about the things that make them anxious. We are called to do exactly what Jesus does, to put God first, to live out our faith, to show the power of God in our work and life.

We share the sermon on the mount with others. Even people who do not share the Christian faith, who do not believe in Jesus, who do not think miracles happen or that God cares about us or even exists find meaning, practical teachings, law, the outline of a good world, model behaviors or a roadmap to peace in this sermon. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth which moth eats and rust destroys is lived out as people prefer experiences over things, a trip instead of a ring, learning a musical instrument instead of a big tv.  The sermon on the mount is centered in faith, in the knowledge that with God all things are possible, it is only fully understandable to people who understand the love and care of God.  That does not mean Jesus words do not have any impact on others.       

Ghandi, was the leader of the movement for independence in India against British Rule and an advocate for non-violence, human rights, and fairness and equality in a very unfair and unequal world, Just like many of the civil rights leaders in our country in the 1950s and 60s , he found great inspiration and power in Jesus words on the mount.  I wanted to share some of his reflections in it.  "If then I had to face only the Sermon on the Mount and my own interpretation of it, I should not hesitate to say, 'Oh yes, I am a Christian.'" Ghandi’s issue with interpretation was not what you might think.  He saw that many Christians, who should have said “God has given me the faith and power to do this” choose instead to declare it impossible, as meant just for the 12 disciples while Jesus walked with them or long experienced monks away in monastaires, not part of regular peoples lives.  

To this Gandhi replied: "Well, I do not believe this. I think the Sermon on the Mount has no meaning if it is not of vital use in everyday life to everyone." "Nor do I accept the limitations that are sought to be put upon the teaching of The Sermon on the Mount." the Sermon on the Mount was delivered not merely to the peaceful disciples but to a groaning world." The teaching of the Sermon was meant for each and every one of us.”' Ghandi’s issue with interpretation was that Christians were saying it but not doing it.  People who saw it was the word of God, celebrated, read, beloved but not being used.  This great gift, this tremendous resource was being wasted.   

In today’s section of the sermon on the mount, we are not so much called to say things as we are to listen to God and to do things. We are invited to actually forgive, to actually store up treasures in heaven, joy that cannot be pulled or taken away from us, the peace of knowing God hears our prayers, to actually call God Abba or father, an informal, casual term used in family settings, the address for a parent you know will care, listen and help, to actually fast so that we can remember these most important things.