“Trust, Delight, Commit”
“Trust, Delight, Commit”
Seventh Sunday of Epiphany, Year C, February 23, 2025 RM
Genesis 45:3-11, 15 Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40 Luke 6:27-38
First Presbyterian Church of Sandpoint, Idaho
Pastor Andy Kennaly
All three scripture readings are loaded with cultural influence, spiritual practice, and divine promise. To struggle with wrongdoers yet trust in the Lord; to hear that the meek shall inherit the land; these are all core aspects of the Christian journey and basic to our human experience of living in faith. Not only do these stories highlight specific people in particular places, like Joseph in Egypt and Jesus on the plain, but they speak to the larger identity of what it’s like to be alive in the world. The truths within these stories echo through the ages.
“But I say to you that listen, Love, do good, bless, pray.” It’s Jesus who gives these actions as foundation to the more contextual, cultural expressions such as turning the other cheek or giving away your coat and shirt. Jesus was a pacifist, much like Christians of the early church for the first 300 years after Jesus who would not participate in the violence of the military or engage in warfare. Jesus practiced non-violence and these commands are grounded in the power of active, non-violent resistance.
Being a pacifist is different than doing nothing. It means that what you choose to do is non-violent. This affects all aspects of life, from political to economic, from public to private, and like many things in life, non-violent actions are rooted in a deep heart-space of spiritual formation. That’s why Jesus says right away, “But I say to you that listen” because not everybody’s listening, they’re not interested, nor do they seek self-awareness. He speaks on a heart level, and not everyone is open to this transformational depth. But Jesus the Jewish mystic knows that for those who are, then the things that he says are received at a faith level, which is a different form of listening that just using your ears. Listening and not listening are quite a contrast.
Notice other dramatic and distinct contrasts, which make no sense to the mind or a scientific angle, as Jesus links the action of love with the word “enemy” and doing good connected with “those who hate you.” A similar spectrum is involved with “blessing those who curse you,” and praying accompanies no less than the word, “abusers.” People who abuse, curse, hate, and are enemies are seemingly the opposite of those who pray, bless, do good, and love.
Dynamics involved with these tensions have to do with power and authority. Abusers tend to have power over people through positions of authority. Church sex abuse situations, for example, have ministers or priests with some form of authority that parishioners do not, bishops have even more, and on up the hierarchy. Abuse of power and authority is at the root of many destructive situations and cycles of cover up as the voices of victims are silenced or ignored too long.
As Jesus says love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who abuse you, there are many scales to measure these types of hatreds, cursing, abuse, and enemies of all types through global, historical scales. Most of us here this morning benefit from history that has handed down what we might call “cultural privileges” which are now codified by law, engrained institutionally, and protected by regulation, power, and position. White privilege based on race is one of several dynamic factors in our culture.
Jesus is not inviting his followers to take peoples coats or steal peoples’ shirts. Jesus doesn’t ask his followers to slap people across the face. Jesus does not promote aggression, not stockpiling weapons as a hedge against evil doers, to lash back in defense if things get out of hand.
Jesus is speaking to people who are violated. He speaks to those who know what it’s like to suffer. He addresses the victims but does not identify them with a victim mentality. Just the opposite, he empowers them to claim their inherent honor as those created by God. Jesus teaches them to live into the dignity of all things as loved by God. Jesus is reminding them of the ongoing connection they have at their disposal as those in relationship with God.
Jesus lives into the unity he shares with all other things as expressions of the Cosmic, Living Christ. This unity is so foundational and solid that even love for enemies is possible because those distinctions are not ultimate. Living in the image of God, with our focus on God’s Presence, the quality of divine love is what really matters.
Notice the action, the verbs that lead us through this: love, do good, lend, be merciful, do not judge, do not condemn, forgive, give, for the measure you give is what you get back, even how (or if) you measure matters.
Christianity is essentially a positive message to the world, grounded and centered in Christ, expressed through love’s connective actions, embodied by people as we participate in the larger creation story.
Every culture puts their slant on this experience. Jesus plays on some of the contextual aspects of his society. For example, someone could demand a coat, but to take their shirt was illegal. Yet he says, give them your shirt. Someone with power and position could legally strike the face of a subordinate or a slave. But to turn the other cheek, like Jesus says, is a way to force their hand to strike again in a way that was culturally shaming to the one doing the slapping. These examples of non-violent, active resistance force wrongdoers into looking at their actions, hopefully to learn of the absurdity. They also show that people don’t have to take abuse, but they can call people to account.
The intent is not revenge. We hear enough of that on the news cycles when one country does something absurd and hurtful to another country. The leaders react, and say, “We’ll have our revenge.” But this tired cycle simply perpetuates woundedness. Whether you are a perpetrator or a victim, at the source, it is all painful. Jesus tries to release all people from pain, better yet, teaches us how to integrate paint without projecting it so we may embrace a higher energy, a life-giving promise, the very love of God.
As we come to the end of the Season of Epiphany, the greatest lesson these stories share is the Reality of Grace in the sure and certain Presence of God, and that we are participants in the Divine Dance of the Trinity. Relational, covenant Presence is the source of all goodness and mercy, forgiveness, and peace. As we follow the Jesus who invites us to non-violence, this involves an openness to listening. This listening helps us as we seek self-awareness. In this meandering, circuitous journey, may we learn to trust God more, to love more deeply, to live more simply, to view meekness as an asset and not a liability. Maybe then we’ll discover unity that is so pervasive and life so abundant that even water and air and creatures of all kinds will have a right to exist simply by participating in the larger creation. May jarring forms of destruction and domination be exposed for what they truly are, as we continue to learn how to listen, love, do good, bless, and pray as we trust, delight, and commit our way to Christ’s humility and glory. And may God be glorified, NOW, even as forever. Amen.