“Killing Me Softly”

Matthew 5:17-37 and Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Delivered February 16, 2014 at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church
New York, NY

AUDIO     |     MANUSCRIPT

[audio http://mapc.bndpr.com/mp3files/2014-02-16.mp3 ]

The Sermon on the Mount, or these three chapters of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew make me brutally uncomfortable when I read them out loud, because Jesus speaks about almost every hot button issue of society from marriage, anger, lust, adultery, divorce, money, worry, poverty, giving to the poor, piety, religious observance, oppression, sexuality, responding to violence, serving others, loving enemies.  Read out loud in our context it feels like a Gatling gun of controversy straight from the mouth of Mr. Rogers.  It is a whirlwind that seems to threaten Hell for many of our common practices.

So why is Jesus addressing these seats of controversy?  Why is Jesus addressing our behavior and our decisions so specifically?  Why does Jesus think he can tell us what to do?

Well to be frank, he’s doing it because as Moses reminds us in our Old Testament lesson, these things matter.  These things are matters of life and death, prosperity and affliction, faith and sin.  These are qualitative assessments for our hearts and our lives.

I mean, Moses makes it all so clear doesn’t he, when he summarizes the Law. Behold I lay before you life and good, or death and destruction.

If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God by loving him with your whole heart, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, you will live and prosper. Love the LORD your God, obey him, and hold fast to him, for that means life to you.

But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods, then you shall perish.

What an incredible image, choose life and happiness or death and adversity.  The choice seems so obvious doesn’t it?  The decision wouldn’t be easier if I offered you two briefcases.  This one has cash or you can have this Cold War nuke.

And yet the Bible is quite clear that every individual is confronted with this same decision.  From Adam to Jesus and Jesus to you, everyone of is confronted with Life and joy or death and devastation – and yet not a single human being chose Life.  Not one human being chose life and held on to it.

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