Epiphany 4A Matthew 5:1-12; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

February 3, 2002 The Rev. Beth Ernest

Here comes Jesus, walking up to the top of large hill, where, by the way, is where a teacher of that day might teach, and he sits down, (which, by the way, is what a teacher of that day would do). His disciples come to him and sit at his feet (which is just where they should be) and the expectant crowds surround him, which is just what any teacher would long to see.

And then he says words, proverbs in a way, that make no sense at all. He begins his Sermon on the Mount with sayings called the Beatitudes, sayings which announce blessings on some very unlikely candidates. He goes on after that to give even more examples of some behavior that might be real hard to fulfill.

A current hot topic in theology is how diverse religions view each other. One view Islam has of Christianity is that though the ethic and example of Jesus is beautiful and holy, it is unattainable. It doesn’t work in the real world. Moslems do not see the Christian life as one that is possible for the average human person to really fulfill. It is impractical. Consider this from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: "If someone takes your shirt, give him your coat also." "If someone hits you on one cheek, offer him the other." Such words of Jesus are difficult to follow. One must call upon all the grace and strength of God to live such a life, a life that in the words of Paul to the Corinthians, is a life that is "a stumbling block to the Jew, and foolishness to the Gentile." Perhaps if Paul had lived four hundred fifty odd years later, he would have added, "and unattainable to the Muslim."

Today in the gospel of Matthew Jesus describes a topsy-turvy kind of world to the least of these my brothers and sisters. He is speaking to the humble of the earth, the outcast, the grief-stricken, the hurting, the poor, the tilter at windmills. He speaks words that look strange to outsiders. For they don’t quite seem to reflect what the world tells us.

Normally, the world would say, "Blessed are the rich, for they will have lots of things." "Blessed are the strong, for they will push to the head of the line." "Blessed are those who thought to sell their Microsoft before the recession, for they are now safe in bonds." "Blessed are those whose parents are away for the weekend, for they will have a good time!" "Blessed are the assertive, for they get what they want."

Isn’t this the world speaking? Doesn’t the world look down on those who do not fulfill such criteria? Consider the common, horrifying taunt you hear at schools and among young people these days, "You loser!" "You loser." People who are the down and outers, the afflicted, the ones with the wrong hair, the wrong sneakers, the wrong crowd are called "losers." And what did Ted Turner say a year or so ago, before public outcry forced him to retract his statement? He said, "Christianity is for losers." Imagine! Indeed, the gospel of Christ is foolishness to the Gentile. It is not wise in the ways of the mighty of the world. Is Christianity for losers? Now, maybe today is the wrong day to be talking about losing from a New England pulpit, but the fact is, many people consider themselves to be just that—losers.

A loser has lost something—lost face, lost in love, lost status, lost hope, lost opportunity, lost a future. Jesus does not ignore the pain of those who have lost something precious, instead, he turns the view of the world upside down with the words,

In the beatitudes, we envision how God sees the world, not Ted Turner, not school bullies, not the secular world or those who scratch their heads at Christianity’s tough standards. We generally think of our faith as being what we do for God. What work we give him, what mission we can help further. But in the beatitudes, Jesus is not asking us to do something for the world, he is asking us to see the world differently. Because from where God sits, it looks way different from where we sit.

Jesus is not just teaching his listeners some impossible proverbs. He is painting a picture. He is giving a snapshot. He is inviting the crowd to watch the previews of the movie on the kingdom. This is what it will be like—this is the kingdom of God! You think you aren’t there, because you hurt,

because you’re poor,

because you long to pray but don’t know how,

You already have a foot in the door! The kingdom of God is on its way. And it will be beautiful. And it will have a place for YOU! Or are you still buying into how the world defines success and joy and strength and blessedness? Years later the apostle Paul would understand how God sees the world; he who spoke these words to believers living in the very worldly port city of Corinth: "For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength" 1 Cor 1:25. Can you see it? Can you see that world?

The church is not immune to seeing as the world sees. I read a story about a big Lutheran church that took out a full page ad in their local paper and advertised their many ministries. They were first in music, first in Christian Education, first in preaching, teaching, ministry to youth, on and on. Not long afterwards another ad from another, smaller Lutheran church appeared in the paper. It was a short, one inch ad that said, "Matthew 5:5 `Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth!’" (from Desperate Preachers Website, "pulpitt in ND", 2/1/02).

It is not that our programs and efforts and successes don’t matter—God doesn’t want us to fail, he doesn’t want us to lose what we have or be hurt to gain some heavenly reward. We don’t get extra points for purposefully blowing it, just to prove our humility. That would be ludicrous. But God knows what the human condition is—that is why Jesus Christ came, to experience it first hand. So God knows that we are a fragile lot. God knows that we are all too often beaten down by the world around us, paralyzed by circumstances, and given over to despair. He also knows the personal cost at which we show mercy, forsake revenge and hatred in favor of peace; he knows how hard it is for us to remain pure when the world is anything but.

It is to such as these that Jesus lifts up the true nature of the kingdom, a place that defies human logic and experience. A place where the weak are strong. A place where the foolish are wise. A place where death gives way to life. A place where our need for God is filled by unwarranted, unlimited grace. A place where a cross becomes a doorway to healing.

It is to this kingdom that we are invited. It is for you. Come, for all things are ready.