Ruth 1:22 – 2:13

This summer we are focusing on stories of God’s people from the OT. By retelling these stories our hope is to see how God is at work in very ordinary people.

When we see how God was present to people in their joys, their challenges, and in their sorrows – then we can learn to see how God is also present with us. The same God at work then is active in our lives now.

Today we want to look at the story of Ruth and Naomi.

Now, the one part of this story that most people know is when Ruth says to Naomi – “where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die – there will I be buried”

This story has often been used in wedding ceremonies to talk about the lifelong commitment of marriage partners.

In fact, when I asked Marilyn to marry me 32 years ago she was all prepared and accepted my invitation by singing to me the song – “where you go, I will go”.

So the story of Ruth certainly applies to people getting married but I think this story is often romanticized in a way that its real meaning is lost.

This story has numerous applications but in its simplest form this story challenges us to see that God’s love has no borders.

In the opening verse we learn that this story is set in the time of the Judges – between 1200 and 1020 BC.

At the time, there was a severe famine in Judah and it forced Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons to flee their homeland for the foreign country of Moab.

Now, what isn’t said in the text, but was known by the Children of Israel is that the people of Judah and the people of Moab did not get along together.

In Genesis 19:37 we learn that Lot gets his oldest daughter pregnant and her son is named Moab. Since Moab was born from this incestuous relationship the Israelites thought the Moabite people were banished from God’s sight forever. (Deut. 23:3)

So for Elimelech and Naomi to move from Bethlehem to Moab would have been seen by other Israelites as a shameful migration.

But the truth is – throughout history most migrations happen because people are hungry or are looking for work or are trying to escape a war. Many times people have few choices and in this case Elimelech and Naomi have to leave family and friends to flee to the foreign country of Moab because of a famine.

While it was risky for them to move there, it seems the Moabites received them well because they settle in for the long haul. Things begin to change for Naomi, though, when her husband dies and leaves her as a widow in a foreign land.

Her sons then marry Moabite women but within a few years both sons die. So within a ten year span Naomi’s husband and both of her sons are dead.

Now, the pain from all of this for Naomi is very real. Later, when she returns home to Bethlehem she tells everyone not to call her Naomi – which means “pleasant” – but to call her Mara –which means “bitter”.  (1:20)

In chapter one, verse 20, Naomi says – “Call me no longer Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.”

Through all of these tragedies Naomi has become a bitter woman and she also feels like God has abandoned her.

Immigrants often live at considerable risk and now as a widow Naomi only has her two daughters-in-law left. She has no support system and no family in Moab.

As Naomi contemplates what to do she hears that there is food again in Judah so she decides to return home.

Naomi tries to persuade her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab because she can’t provide for them and she doesn’t think they will be accepted in Judah because they are foreigners.

Naomi knows it will be very hard for them to make a living in Judah but Ruth insists on going with her. Ruth leaves behind her family, her people’s gods, her legal status, and she risks everything for being with a bitter Naomi.

The good news upon their return to Bethlehem is that there is food and Ruth volunteers to glean in the fields. Gleaning is the practice of gathering up the leftover grain in the fields that the farmers left behind.

In the OT, God instructed the Children of Israel to leave some grain in the fields so that widows, orphans and refugees could gather food for themselves.

So, as Ruth gathers food in the fields she is noticed by the landowner, Boaz, who happens to be a relative of Elimelech – Naomi’s deceased husband.

Boaz is impressed by her hard work in the fields but even more so by what he has heard about her. He is impressed that she left her family and native land to come and take care of Naomi.

So, Boaz takes some risks here by reaching out to this foreigner – Ruth. Over and over again the text doesn’t just call her Ruth. Instead, it says – Ruth the Moabite.

By calling her “Ruth the Moabite” the writer seems to reinforce the fact that Ruth is a stranger. She is an alien. She is an outsider. She is a second-class citizen.

But Boaz takes interest in her anyway and protects her from others who may want to harm her.

In 2:9 Boaz tells Ruth that he has ordered his young men not to bother her as if it was a common practice for young men to take advantage of single women or immigrants.

Boaz also tells his workers to leave extra grain behind for Ruth so she can easily glean it from the ground. And at mealtime Boaz gives her extra food to eat.

So, instead of rejecting this foreigner, Boaz goes out of his way to accept her and to help her make it in his country. Boaz gives even more than is required of him.

Boaz actually practices God’s command to Israel to always care for the widows, the orphans, and the aliens.

In Leviticus 19: 33 God commanded the Israelites – “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Eygpt; I am the Lord your God.”

God appeals to Israel to always be kind and generous to immigrants because they were once immigrants themselves. God says – “Treat them as citizens among you”.

Boaz treats Ruth as a citizen.

Now, scholars don’t know exactly when the book of Ruth was written. They disagree over when it was written and its purpose in Israel’s life.

There are, however, many scholars who think Ruth was written to address an anti-alien impulse in the 5^th century before Christ.

During the time of Ezra and Nehemiah the Children of Israel were strongly told to separate themselves from foreigners.  Foreigners were seen as a danger to Israel’s purity of faith and life.

These scholars think the Book of Ruth was written to counter this anti-alien or anti-immigrant sentiment.

Throughout Israel’s history God has to regularly remind them to treat fairly the foreigners, the widows, the strangers, and the aliens in their land.

It seems that every generation has to learn anew God’s command to treat foreigners and immigrants and widows as citizens among us.

Immigrants are always at considerable risk and so the biblical call to be hospitable challenges us to look out for the strangers in our midst.

The book of Ruth is meant to call attention to the vulnerability that immigrants and widows experience and to dismantle the hostility that people feel towards them.

This message that God’s love has no borders becomes especially clear at the end of the book when Ruth is mentioned in the genealogy of King David.

This Moabite woman – this foreigner – this outsider – this nobody – becomes the very one God blesses and uses to further his work in the world.

And then later on, Ruth the Moabite, appears in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus.

This foreigner who loved Naomi enough to give up everything becomes the foremother of Jesus Christ 1200 years later.

This mother of faith who embraced bitter Naomi and her God becomes the foremother of the One who would give up everything for all of us – Jesus Christ.

So not only does God value every person for who they are but God can speak through them and use them to further God’s reign in the world.

As most of you are very much aware, throughout the history of our country, we periodically struggle to accept the immigrants among us. Over the last 20 years or so the debate has heated up again.

And just recently, it really heated up when Arizona passed this law that is to go into effect in a few weeks that requires police to stop suspected illegal immigrants and demand proof of citizenship.

Many people fear this law will lead to police harassment of those who cannot prove their lawful status.

Concern about this law is so great that our Mennonite Hispanic brothers and sisters have asked Mennonite Church USA to not hold our convention in Phoenix in 2013 because of this law.

Many of our Hispanic sisters and brothers are undocumented immigrants and they fear they will be discovered and deported.

As our denomination discerns whether or not to go to Phoenix in 2013 – I think it is important to listen to our Hispanic sisters and brothers because they are the ones who have to live daily with this fear of being separated from family and of being deported.

This is also a difficult political issue in our country and I don’t have answers for how our country should handle it.

But as followers of Jesus this issue is much more than a debate about policies or ideologies. Our Christian calling invites us to always embrace the stranger and welcome the immigrant.

As in the story of Ruth, the immigrant community is a very vulnerable community. Many are undocumented. Most come here out of desperation – escaping poverty or hoping to be reunited with family members.

Some come legally but are unable to extend their visas so they eventually lose their legal status and they live in the shadows of American society.

Many work hard at low-paying jobs, they pay taxes, they send money home to poor relatives and they long to become contributing members of this country, but do not have a legal way to do so.

Even without changes in the law, we as followers of Jesus can lead the way in welcoming the immigrants among us. We can treat them as citizens as Boaz treated Ruth.

The bible doesn’t offer us a blueprint for modern legislation but I think it can serve as a moral compass and it can shape our attitudes towards immigrants.

1. One thing we can do as Christians is to love all of our neighbors – even the undocumented ones.

Showing God’s love to someone should never hinge upon seeing someone’s legal papers. Every person deserves love and kindness and respect.

Like Boaz we must be willing to take risks in loving the Ruth’s in our community and be ready to give more than is required. We can share our food, shelter, and clothing and support those families when members are deported.

PMC has a history of helping illegal immigrants. In the 1980’s PMC was part of the “sanctuary movement” that helped those fleeing the war in Central America. I believe PMC housed some folks on their way to Canada.

Our society tells us to fear some immigrants more than others – so by showing love to the most vulnerable we can help shape new attitudes even as we open ourselves to encounter God through them.

1. Another thing we can do is build relationships with newcomers in our communities.

These are not necessarily the most vulnerable but we do have opportunities here in Pittsburgh to relate to many international students.

Sandeep is working with an international student ministry called PRISM and through that ministry we have opportunities to show Christian hospitality to foreigners.

I want to encourage you to consider doing some of the things offered through PRISM.

a. Prism has a “garage give away” in August where international students get free furniture as they begin their time here.

You can donate furniture or you can help transport furniture to a student’s home.

b. Also, Sandeep plans to bring some international students to visit church and he needs hosts families to take them home for lunch afterword and just befriend them.

c. Or another way to participate is for PMC to host an open house in which we provide food for about 60 students and then we interact with them over the meal.

So, we have many opportunities right here in Pittsburgh to be hospitable to foreigners among us and to learn from them.

I am also excited that a number of you are going to Honduras in August to relate to a Mennonite church in El Progresso.

This is another opportunity for us to build relationships. In this case we get to be foreigners and to be hosted by our sisters and brothers there.

As a church, we are looking to build mutual relationships with the church there and to be open to receive from them. I also hope we can host some folks from Honduras here.

I believe God can use these experiences to help us be more hospitable to the strangers in our midst and can also help us overcome some of our fears of relating to strangers and foreigners.

1. And thirdly, I think we can also support agencies that are addressing the roots of international inequality which often cause people to migrate from country to country.

As our government creates increasingly harsh immigration laws in the name of fighting terrorism – we, as followers of Jesus, can be advocates for more humane policies for immigrants and refugees.

So, just as the book of Ruth was written to counter the anti-immigrant sentiment of that time – it can also remind us to treat fairly the foreigners, widows, strangers and immigrants in our day.

As followers of Jesus may we, like Boaz, take great risks to love the immigrants among us and to treat them with deep respect – no matter what our national leaders say or do.

God’s love still has no borders and God can still do amazing things through the Ruth’s and Boaz’s of our day.

Amen.

The 135th Annual Summer Conference will be held August 6-8, 2010 at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center. The theme for the weekend will be “Compelled by Christ’s Love”. The speaker will be J. Nelson Kraybill, lead pastor at Prairie Street Mennonite Church in Elkhart, Indiana, previously president of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.The representing agency will be Mennonite Publishing Network. There will be worship services Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:00 as well as Sunday morning starting at 9:30 a.m.

Registrations must be postmarked or dated by 16th.
Click here for the registration form.

Matthew 18:15-22; Eph. 4:25-32

For the past few weeks we have been doing a series of sermons on the theme “following Jesus in a culture of fear and violence”.

In these sermons we have been developing a biblical basis for Christian peacemaking.

We started out in the OT by looking at God’s big vision of shalom for the whole world. After the flood, we learned that God would never destroy the world again. Instead, God began extending mercy and grace to even the most violent offenders.

We also learned that the biblical vision of shalom includes things like – peace with God; reconciliation with our enemies; healing of our sicknesses; turning weapons of war into farming tools; liberation of creation from bondage; and all communities becoming vibrant and flourishing.

We then saw how Jesus fulfilled this OT vision of shalom and formed a new community of disciples who practiced Christ’s way of peace in the midst of so much fear and violence.

We learned that the church started out being nonviolent, but that over the years the church largely forgot its calling to be nonviolent peacemakers.

I then suggested that one of our tasks today is to help the church reclaim its vocation as Christian peacemakers and to help the church represent to the world the nonviolent Jesus of the NT.

After laying this biblical foundation for peacemaking we looked at some practical ways to live this out.

I said loving our enemies means Christians don’t take vengeance or kill people – by going to war or through support of the death penalty.

Two weeks ago Matt helped us see how Christians relate to government and then, last week, Grace Schrock-Hurst talked about God’s deep concern for the poor.

Now, this morning I want to bring this sermon series to a close by focusing on a document the Mennonite Church affirmed back in 1995 entitled – Agreeing and disagreeing in love.

This document was written to give us skills to deal with conflict constructively in our personal relationships, our homes, our churches, our neighborhoods, and in our places of work.

As Mennonites, we have a strong theology of peacemaking, but we don’t always know how to resolve our personal conflicts or deal with our anger and disagreements in constructive ways.

As a peace church, we are one of the most splintered Christian traditions around. I often think – surely there must have been a better way to resolve our differences than to just walk away from each other.

So, while we know Jesus calls us to be peacemakers – we struggle in knowing how to do that in many of our relationships.

This document does not give us all the answers or make it easy to do, but it points us in a helpful direction and it gives us specific ways we can respond.

This morning I invite you to keep this statement in front of you and to follow along as I simply highlight certain aspects of it.

As you can see, this document is divided into three areas:

• In thought
• In action
• In life.

I want to look briefly at each area.

1. The first commitment under “In thought” is to accept conflict as a normal part of church life.

1. • How many of you were involved in some conflict this past week? How about this morning on your way to church?
   • How many of you – when you think of having a conflict – your predominate notion is that somebody will win and somebody will lose?

I raise these two sets of questions because for many Christians – conflict is seen as bad and to have conflict means you are spiritually immature.

And secondly, most people’s perspective on conflict is that somebody has to win and somebody has to lose.

So, for some of us – one of the changes I think we need to make in thought – is to accept that conflict is a normal part of life and that it is possible to find mutually satisfying solutions to our conflicts.

In the Bible – conflict is seen as a normal part of life.

In our scripture from Matthew 18 Jesus sees the church as a place where conflict can be openly expressed and worked through.

Chapter 18 begins with a discussion about who is the “greatest in the kingdom of God”. The issue is who will have power in the church?

The chapter ends with a story about money and how to forgive. In the middle of the chapter Jesus gives us a process for dealing with the conflict that will arise in our relationships.

My point here is a simple one – Jesus knew we would have conflicts and hurts in the church. And he assumed that the church could and should learn how to deal with the conflicts constructively.

Paul, in Ephesians 4 writes: “Be angry but do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger and do not make room for the devil.”

Being angry and having conflict is not sinful. Anger only becomes sin when we avoid it or let it build up until it explodes and hurts others.

Healthy marriages, healthy relationships, healthy churches, and healthy businesses are not ones that avoid, deny, or suppress conflict, but ones that learn to manage and utilize conflict in some positive way.

Here is a quote about how conflict is an opportunity for growth that I find helpful.

“The more we run from conflict, the more it masters us. The more we try to avoid it, the more it controls us. The less we fear conflict, the less it confuses us. The less we deny our differences, the less they divide us.”

So, the first commitment then – is to accept conflict as a normal part of life.

1. The second statement under “in thought” is to “affirm hope”.

Matthew 18, verse 20 says – “where two or three are gathered in my name – I am there among them.”

Now, most people interpret this verse to mean that when two or three gather for a prayer meeting Jesus is with them. And that is certainly true too!

However, in chapter eighteen’s discussion about conflict – I think what Jesus is saying here is – “as you work at reconciliation and restoring of relationships in the church – my promise is that I will be with you.”

Jesus is drawing from the Mosaic Law of the OT that required two or three witnesses to make a moral judgment.

What Jesus is telling his disciples is that “when two or three gather in his name to make moral and ethical decisions he will be there with them.”

Conflict resolution and reconciliation of estranged parties is sacred ground.

The hope we have in restoring of relationships is the promise that God will be with us and will help us find out way.

Conflict is not always easy to deal with and most of us have experienced the hurt of unresolved conflict, but the hope we have is that as we seek reconciliation – the Holy Spirit is at work among us. We are not in it alone.

1. The third attitude is – commit to prayer.

In the book of James chapter four verse one – James asks the question – “where do all of your quarrels and fights come from?” Then he answers his own question by saying – “they come from our cravings or passions at war within us.”

James tells us here that “our passions are at war within us. Our desires control us. We think we are free but we are actually in bondage to our own conflicting desires.”

James reminds us that “our hearts are exceedingly selfish. We want our own way and we envy what others have and we covet other people’s achievements and relationships.” So, our internal conflicts often lead us into conflicts with others.

Our world isn’t filled with war and violence because of a lack of education – it is because of the frustrated desires of human beings warring against each other.

So the place we have to begin is by examining our own heart’s desires in prayer. In prayer we meet God whose Spirit helps us examine our anger, resentments, hurts, hatreds, and misguided passions.

It is only as we permit God to love us and disarm our hearts that we can even begin to pray and work for a mutually satisfying solution. Through prayer and confession we can become instruments of God’s peace.

So, under the section “in thought” we commit to see conflict as a normal part of life, we affirm that God is with us in dealing with conflict, and we commit to prayer and our own personal transformation.

1. In the next section “In Action” the first step is to “go directly to the other person.

In Matthew 18 Jesus says you are to go directly to the person with whom you disagree.

Notice what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t say go to your best friend. He doesn’t say go to your small group. He doesn’t even say – go tell your pastor.

We are to avoid the human tendency to try and get our friends to side with us against the other person or group. It is so much easier, and a lot more fun, to talk about someone than to talk directly with them.

One of the most difficult parts of resolving any conflict is taking the first step towards the other person. Sometimes it is more energizing to pout and stew and just be mad.

David Augsburger in his book “Conflict mediation across cultures” says – “across all cultures the preferred way of dealing with conflict is avoidance.”

He lists some proverbs to illustrate his point. One proverb from Angola says:

• – “the squirrel does not talk back to the elephant; it just goes back into its hole.”
• Proverb from China – “of the 36 ways of handling a conflict, running away is the best.”
• And from Russia – “a good silence is better than a bad dispute.”

So, avoidance is usually our preferred option, but avoidance allows resentment to grow inside of us and if it isn’t dealt with it will eventually kill the relationship or the church.

This is why Jesus says “go directly to the other person”. To resolve any conflict we must take steps towards it – not away from it.

In a few cases – like sexual abuse or physical abuse or where there is a real power imbalance – it is best to go to a third party instead of going directly to the person involved.

But usually, it is best to go directly to the other person with whom you are having a conflict and work to resolve it.

1. And then, as we go directly to the person, we are to go in a spirit of humility.

Now, this one is hard too. Usually we are so angry or we have been so deeply hurt that all we want to do is accuse the other person or group of wrong doing.

To go in a spirit of humility means we have to examine our own lives. In another place Jesus tells us to take the “logs out of our own eyes before we can see the specks in the other person’s eyes”.

It is so difficult to own our part in any conflict, but that is what it means to go to another person in humility. We have to have our “logs removed” before we can even begin to see from the other person’s perspective.

And then, our purpose in going must not be to punish them, but to seek healing and reconciliation. Our goal is not to win, but to restore a broken relationship and that can only happen if we go with humility and gentleness.

1. And then – as we go in humility, we must “be quick to listen and slow to judge.”

James 1, verse 19 says – “let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger – for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”

How many of us think our anger will produce righteousness? If we get really angry – do we think it will change things?

A big part in restoring a relationship is slowing things down. Slow down our speaking. Slow down our judging. And then escalate our listening.

Nothing escalates conflict quicker than name calling, threats, labeling, or judgments.

So a very important part in resolving any conflict is being willing to actively listen and to suspend our judgments and threats and labeling of others.

Maybe the simplest rule in going to another person is to approach them in the same way you would want to be approached. And most of us want to be listened to – not judged.

1. And then after we have listened, we must be willing to negotiate.

For Jesus, reconciliation is so important that when our first attempt fails, he suggests that we don’t give up too easily and just walk away.

In Matthew 18 Jesus suggests that if you aren’t listened to – take two or three others along with you.

The purpose of calling in other witnesses is not to assess fault or blame, but to help you discern and negotiate the issues.

Other witnesses can help create a safe place where reflection, listening, and new understandings can emerge.

Sometimes those who have so much invested in the conflict cannot see what is going on as clearly as others can who are not enmeshed in the conflict.

A skilled mediator can be very helpful in bringing out the diverse viewpoints and interests of all the parties involved.

And then as we hear all the viewpoints – we have to trust the Holy Spirit to lead us to a new understanding and to mutually satisfying solutions.

So, in this section “In Action” – we go directly to the other person in a spirit of humility, being quick to listen and slow to judge, and open to negotiation.

1. In the last section “In Life” we are called to be steadfast in love.

In Ephesians 5: 2 Paul writes – “Be imitators of God and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.”

Conflict resolution and maintaining healthy relationships is hard work.

If we are going to make it work and overcome our tendency to “avoid conflict” or to “just walk away” we need to commit to be “steadfast in love.”

Restoring relationships is always a journey and we need to always keep moving towards the other person or group – not away from them.

Even in Matthew 18, when a conflict cannot be resolved or there is not reconciliation, Jesus says treat the other person as a “gentile and tax collector”.

To treat one as a “gentile and tax collector” does not mean we don’t associate with them anymore. Jesus hung out with gentiles and tax collectors all of his life.

Jesus seems to be encouraging us here to not give up on healing and reconciliation. Jesus is encouraging us to invite them out to lunch – not just once but for a lifetime.

Jesus wants us to stay connected in hopes that reconciliation may happen at some point.

Being steadfast in love does not mean we cover up what happened or that we compromise our understandings. It acknowledges that a relationship has been broken and there is separation, but it stays connected – praying that God will bring about reconciliation and healing.

Our part is to live in love and to continue loving as we pray and wait for God’s Spirit to bring about healing and restoration.

In closing, I want to confess this morning that “agreeing and disagreeing in love” is very hard work and too often I want to give up too quickly. It is hard for me to be steadfast in love. It is hard to stick in there when no solution is in sight.

It is hard to follow Jesus’ teachings on going directly and being slow to judge. It is much easier to throw out threats and tear down the other person or side.

And yet, I know reconciliation is central to Christ’s mission on earth and in our churches and in our families. God is in the business of healing and restoring relationships and we are invited to join God in this great enterprise.

So the invitation this morning is to “be firm in our commitment to seek mutual solutions, stubborn in holding to our common foundation in Christ, and always steadfast in love and mercy.”

May God give us the grace to be steadfast in love and seeking the well-being of one another. Amen.

John 8:1-11

We are continuing our sermon series on “following Jesus in a culture of fear and violence”. For the past few weeks we have been developing a biblical foundation for being Christian peacemakers in this very violent world.

Now, for the next few weeks I want us to look at a few specific ways we live this out in our world.

Today, I want to talk about capital punishment. Next Sunday, I have asked Matt Prichard to talk about our Christian engagement in the world. And, then, one other time I want to talk about how being a peacemaker affects our interpersonal relationships.

So, I am trying to look now at some more practical applications of what it means for us to be Christian peacemakers in our world.

Let’s look now at capital punishment.

The problem of violent crime in the United States and in many of our cities is a cause for grave concern. Here in Pittsburgh, almost daily we hear about some violent crime – some shooting or robbery or rape or sexual abuse or domestic violence.

There is nothing that stirs our emotions like a violent crime. This is why terrorists use violence to make a statement. They want the world to notice them.

And for many people, the answer to all of this violent crime is a “get tough” approach. This “get tough” approach usually means:

• Support for longer and harsher prison sentences. We hear things like – lock them up and throw the key away.
• Also, people elect to carry hand guns or concealed weapons for self protection.
• And, then, people usually advocate for the use of the death penalty as a deterrent to violent crime.

Now, many sincere Christians are torn between what they perceive to be a biblical call for justice when a “gruesome evil act” is committed and Christ’s call to show compassion and mercy even to our enemies.

So, how should Christians respond to these violent crimes? Should Christians support the death penalty or is there another way?

Now, the truth is that most people who support the death penalty look to the OT. And they do so for good reason because capital punishment was part of the code of conduct contained in the OT.

In the OT the death penalty is invoked for many crimes. It says – “if you do this you shall be put to death.” Listen to some of them.

1. Eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden. (Genesis 2:17)
2. Touching Mt. Sinai while God was giving the Ten Commandments. (Ex. 19:12)
3. Practicing sorcery. (Lev. 20:27)
4. Sacrificing to another god. (Ex. 22:30)
5. Not keeping the Sabbath. (Ex. 31:14-15)
6. Sacrificing children to Molech, a Canaanite god. (Lev. 20:2)
7. Cursing God. (Lev. 24:10:16)
8. Going too close to the sacred tent, altar, or ark. (Numbers 1:51, 3:10, 38, 18:7)
9. Being a false prophet (Deut. 13:5)
10. Worshiping idols (Deut. 13:16; 17:2)
11. Getting a friend, parent or child to worship another god. (Deut. 13:7-12)
12. Assaulting one’s father or mother (Ex. 21:15)
13. Cursing one’s parents or rebelling against one’s parents (Ex. 21:17; Deut. 21:21
14. Rebelling against leaders (Deut. 17:12)
15. Having sex with beasts (Lev. 22:19)
16. Committing adultery (Lev. 20:10)
17. Having intercourse with one’s father’s wife, with one’s daughter-in-law, or with one’s mother-in-law,  (Lev.20:11, 12, 14))
18. A man having sex with another man. (Lev.20:13)
19. Becoming a prostitute if you were the daughter of a priest (Lev. 21:9)
20. Being found not a virgin at the time of marriage. (Deut. 22:20)
21. Rape (Deut. 22:24-26)
22. Kidnapping (Ex. 21:16)
23. Keeping a dangerous ox (Ex.21:28-32)
24. Oppressing refugees or people on welfare (Ex. 22:23)
25. Murder (Gen. 9:6; Ex. 21:12)
26. Being a false witness (Deut. 19:16-19)

Now, that is a rather long list of things for which one could be given the death penalty – isn’t it? But here is the interesting thing about all of these offenses.

1. Many OT people engaged in some of these behaviors and they never died for it.
   • Adam and Eve ate fruit from the tree, but didn’t die for it.
   • Cain killed Able, but he didn’t die for it.
   • The sons of Jacob were kidnappers and didn’t die for it.
   • Judah, the patriarch, was guilty of intercourse with his daughter-in-law.
   • Reuben slept with his father’s wife.
   • Moses was a murderer.
   • King David was both a murderer and an adulterer.

These offenders all suffered in some way, but they did not die for their sins. In fact, God even gave Cain a special mark so that no one would kill him for murdering his brother.

1. The other thing I notice in the OT is that only four people are actually recorded as having died for one of these offenses.
   • One person was stoned for gathering wood on the Sabbath. (Num. 15:32-36)
   • Secondly, a man of half-Egyptian blood was stoned for cursing God in the middle of a fight with an Israelite. (Lev.24:10-16)
   • Third, Aachan stole some goods from the city of Jericho after a battle which went against the rules of holy war and so he was stoned. (Josh.7:1-26)
   • And then lastly, a man caught in bed with a woman who did not worship Israel’s God was killed. (Numbers 25:1-9).

Now, we could look at why these four individuals died for their offense but that isn’t my main focus today.

The thing I want to point out is that while the list of acts associated with death is long in the OT – the actual use of the death penalty in the Bible is very limited. It almost never happened.

Now, there are a couple of verses that proponents of capital punishment today usually refer to in defending their position.

One verse is Genesis 9:6. It says – “whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a human shall that person’s blood be shed; for in his own image God made humankind.”

Another verse that seems to mandate capital punishment is found in Numbers 35:30-31. It says – “if anyone kills another, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of a single witness. Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer who is subject to the death penalty; a murderer must be put to death.”

I think we need to acknowledge up front that these verses do endorse some form of capital punishment. The OT does not forbid the death penalty.

At the same time, we need to be careful to read these verses in the context of the whole message of scripture.

When we look closely at the context of these verses we will find that they are not so much advocating for the death penalty as they are trying to limit vengeance when evil acts are committed.

The movement in the OT is from “unlimited retaliation” – which is killing someone for punching you in the eye -  to “limited retaliation” – which is only an eye for an eye.

So, this verse in Genesis 9 then is not so much about supporting capital punishment as it is about limiting revenge. It is because we are made in God’s image that human life is sacred and we must be careful to limit vengeance.

Also, the scripture in Numbers 35 is about limiting vengeance by having more than one witness. Having more than one witness was intended to slow the process down and to insure that a person got a fair trial.

Also, in capital cases the witnesses were to act as the executioners. Those who provided the witness were expected to help carry out the public execution.

Again, this was meant to discourage people from falsely testifying against a person.

So, what we see in the OT is that capital punishment was permitted but it was rarely carried out and all of the rules were meant to limit vengeance. God, more than anything, prefers to restore people rather than punish them.

Now, this same understanding is picked up in the NT when Jesus proclaims that all vengeance is wrong for Christians.

In our scripture today from John 8 when Jesus is asked to support the death penalty his response is – “let the one without sin cast the first stone.”

According to the OT, adultery was a capital offense deserving of the death penalty. This woman, caught in the act of adultery, could have been stoned.

Jesus, here, does not say directly that capital punishment is wrong but indirectly he does by demanding that all judges and executioners must first be sinless.

Jesus stops the execution of this woman by declaring that we are all sinners and we all deserve the death penalty.

Jesus, the only sinless one in the group, did not throw a stone, but said – “neither do I condemn you. Go your way and from now on do not sin again.”

Instead of vengeance and punishment – Jesus offered forgiveness and redemption. He acknowledged her sin, but he also offered her a fresh start.

Jesus’ response to this woman caught in adultery is in line with the development of the biblical ethic which puts “limitations on vengeance and violence”.

The movement in scripture is always to limit vengeance.

When Jesus says – “you have heard it said – an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say to you do not overcome evil with evil” – he is saying that there is no moral order demanding that one evil be paid for by another evil.

In fact, Jesus’ execution on the cross has removed for all time the need for the human sacrifice of capital punishment. We no longer have to make sacrifices to make things right.

From my perspective, to support the death penalty is to bring into question the sufficiency of Christ’s death on the cross for us.

If Christ’s death isn’t for everyone – even the worst murderer – then how can we be sure that Christ died for our sins?

To say that Jesus died for all means that we can’t place limits on God’s grace and we must not give up on anyone.

As you know, Jesus was crucified between two criminals. One of the criminals joined the rest of the crowd in calling for Jesus’ crucifixion.

The other criminal asked Jesus “to remember him when he came into his kingdom.” Jesus then said – “today you will be with me in paradise.”

This criminal, at the last minute repented, and was forgiven. As Christians, we must never give up on anyone and always be prepared to receive the repentant sinner as God does.

As Christians, then, I think the ultimate reason for our opposition to the death penalty rests on Jesus Christ – who gave his life so that we may have new life.

At the same time, I think we can also be opposed to the death penalty because it has been shown not to deter crime. It gives people a false sense of security and, for some – only a brief sense of revenge, but it does not heal our wounds.

Passing stricter laws, hiring more police, building more jails, and executing more criminals does not really make us safer.

Capital punishment also exacerbates racism in our country and is often used in a discriminatory way against those who are mentally ill.

The poor are much more likely to receive the death penalty – for similar crimes – than the affluent.

Also, in the legal process, mistakes are continually made. Just since 1973, 139 people in 26 states have been released from death row based on new evidence. Our courts are sometimes more interested in establishing blame – than establishing truth.

So while the death penalty is inconsistent with Jesus’ teachings on love and mercy, it also does not deter crime and is often discriminatory in nature.

Well, if that is our understanding – what, then, are some implications for us today?

1. First of all, I think we need to learn how to mourn and lament with the victims of crime. Our opposition to the death penalty does not take away our concern for crime victims.

Often times words cannot express the deep pain and anguish many victims feel. Not only have they suffered great pain and loss – many feel abandoned and rejected by God. Sometimes the victims transfer the guilt to themselves.

Almost all victims have strong feelings of revenge. Some even fanaticize about how they might torture their offenders. These are normal human responses.

And when victims feel guilty or hurt or vengeful – sermons on God’s love and forgiveness do not fit their experience and can make them resentful at God.

What victims of crime need is a safe place to express their fear, anger, and feelings of revenge.

Churches can provide a place for special services where victims can pour out their hearts before God and others. The Psalms provide one resource for expressing our anger and vengeful feelings.

Listen to Psalm 94:1-8:

“Lord, you are a God who punishes; reveal your anger! You are the judge of all people; rise and give the proud what they deserve!

How much longer will the wicked be glad? How much longer, Lord? How much longer will criminals be proud and boast about their crimes?

They crush your people, Lord; they oppress those who belong to you. They kill widows and orphans, and murder the strangers who live in our land.

They say – the Lord does not see us; the God of Israel does not notice.”

In this Psalm – people are crying out to God because they have experienced an injustice and God is called upon to take revenge. The people cry out for justice but they also leave it up to God to decide how that will happen.

God does not need protection from our hurtful, angry, and vengeful feelings. God can take it.

So, as a community of faith we must learn to mourn with those who mourn and cry with those who cry.

Offenders need to be reached out to as well – but we need to be present in a special way with victims of crime.

I know that some of you here this morning have been mugged. Others of you have had your home broken into. Some of you have been raped or sexually abused.

These are all very traumatic experiences and as a community of faith – even though we may not know the deep feelings you experience – we want to walk with you through it. We want to learn to lament with you in your losses and fears.

And on this Memorial Day Weekend – a time in which our country remembers those who have died fighting for this country – I think we, as Christians opposed to war – can lament with those who have lost loved ones in war.

I don’t know how to do this but I often think our peace witness needs to include reaching out to veterans coming home from war – many deeply traumatized – emotionally, spiritually, and physically by war.

Many homeless people in our city are veterans who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction.

I often wonder, how can our church be a place of healing and hope for veterans? How can we learn to lament with them the losses in their lives?

Or I think about some our neighborhoods and communities here in Pittsburgh where violence is a daily occurrence.

Where people fear walking the streets and parents worry about their children playing outside. For some of these communities the violence is so great that these communities have lost all hope.

How do we not let crime control us? How can we speak truthfully about the violence and at the same time express the hope we have through Christ and not live in fear?

I have not participated in these, but I am often encouraged by those who gather to pray at the place where a violent crime has happened. Their presence and prayers at the site give voice to the suffering and they offer hope for change.

This morning I want to encourage us to not only speak out against the death penalty but to find constructive ways to reduce violence, to care for those who are suffering, and to offer our homes and church as a place of healing for both victims and offenders.

I have been reminded this week in my study that in God’s eyes – we are all murderers. For we all have hated a sister or brother with an unholy vengeance.

When we realize that we are a people of grace – then we will be supportive of all victims of violence – whether it be murder or capital punishment or war or greed.

As Christians, our message is one of redemption and reconciliation.

The death penalty carries a message of condemnation and death. Jesus came with a message of hope – offering to forgive and heal our brokenness.

In the midst of those screaming to stone the murderer let us say like Jesus – neither do I condemn you – go and sin no more. AMEN.

Romans 12:14-21; Ephesians 2:11-22

We are continuing our sermon series on “following Jesus in a culture of fear and violence.”

During this series we have been looking at our “biblical basis for peacemaking.” We wanted to see how we came to our current understandings and what it might look like today.

The first two Sundays we looked at peace in the OT and God’s vision of shalom for the world. I said God’s healing strategy was to extend mercy and grace to all people.

Last Sunday we looked specifically at Jesus’ teachings about peacemaking and how Jesus is our peace. I said Jesus fulfills the OT vision of shalom and teaches his followers “to overcome evil by doing good things out of love.”

Now, this morning, I want to look at the early church’s responses and attitudes toward peacemaking for the first 300 years.

One of the assumptions most Christians have today regarding military service is that if the government asks you to fight for your country – it is your responsibility to do it.

Throughout church history most Christians have assumed it is their duty to fight for their country and that they do it with God’s blessing. Most Christians have never been taught any other way.

What most Christians do not realize is that for the first three centuries – Christians were opposed to war and were forbidden to serve in the army because of Jesus’ teachings on “love of enemy”.

This part of church history has simply not been taught to most Christians. So this morning I want to look briefly at this history.

I want to begin by looking at some of the NT epistles to see what the Apostles taught and how they understood Jesus’ teachings. Then I want to look at some of the writings of church leaders from the first three centuries.

In looking at the writings of the Apostles there are three main things they often emphasized about Christ’s way of peace.

1. First, the early church simply continued Jesus’ teaching on nonviolent peacemaking.

In our scripture reading from Romans 12:14-21 – Paul restates Jesus’ teaching on “love of enemy” and on “overcoming evil with good”.

Verse 17 says – “Do not repay anyone evil for evil”.

Verse 19 reads – “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God. If your enemies are hungry – feed them; if they are thirsty – give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Or in First Peter 3:9 the Apostle Peter writes this – “Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called – that you might inherit a blessing.”

Or take First Thessalonians 5:15. In a list of exhortations to Christians it says – “see that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seeks to do good to one another and to all.”

In each one of these scriptures, along with others in the Epistles, the emphasis is on a positive action. Christians are called to initiate love for our enemies and to overcome evil by doing good deeds.

Our Christian calling is not to be passive in the face of evil or violence – but we are to be active peacemakers who work to settle disputes and who overcome evil by surprising deeds of love and kindness.

So the early Christians and Apostles understood Jesus to be nonviolent and they continued to teach this in all the NT churches.

1. Secondly, the early church imitated the nonviolent life of Jesus. His life became an example to follow

In First Peter 2:31 we see how the early Christians lived. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. Jesus committed no sins, and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. Jesus himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

This account here in First Peter is really a paraphrase of Isaiah 53. Peter expects the church to imitate the life of Jesus by being a people who are willing to suffer nonviolently to overcome evil.

We also see this imitation of Christ in Philippians 1:29. Paul writes – “For God has graciously granted you the privilege, not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him, as well.”

In the book of Acts we have recorded the story of the first Christian martyr. In Acts 7 Stephen is stoned to death for his faith. As he was dying this is what he prayed.

He said – “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And then he cried out in a loud voice – “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

As Stephen was dying he prayed for his enemies and asked God not to hold their sin against them.

This prayer is so different from today when people seek revenge and pray that evil will befall those who have harmed them.

Again, all of these scriptures make it clear that Christians are to follow Jesus in his expression of suffering love in the face of evil. Suffering for your faith was a common experience among the early church.

In the NT we learn that many Christians suffered imprisonment, torture, loss of goods and houses, and all sorts of harassment.

They did all of this as a result of their desire to imitate Christ in a life of nonviolent love.

So the early church not only taught peacemaking, but they also imitated the nonviolent life of Jesus.

1. And then thirdly, the early church was a community of reconciled enemies.

The three deepest divisions in the NT were between – Greeks and Jews, slaves and free persons, and between males and females.

There was deep hostility between each one of these groups of people.

But in the early church “baptism into Christ” changed the way these people related to one another.

In Galatians 3:27 we have an early baptismal confession of faith. It says – “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

The early church certainly had its share of conflict – but it believed that in Christ the barriers that separated people were being destroyed and that former enemies were being reconciled.

In Ephesians 2 Paul says that Christ reconciles enemy people into a new community. Verse 13 says – “But, now, in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For Jesus is our peace; In his flesh he has made both groups (Jews and Greeks) into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.”

Now, for Paul there are two main symbols for this reconciliation that Jesus initiated on the cross.

1. One symbol is the tearing of the temple curtain.

In the Jewish temple there was a curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies. It was off limits to everyone else.

At Jesus’ death, that curtain was torn from top to bottom. The tearing of that curtain symbolized that now, through Christ, all people had access to God’s grace – not just the high priest.

All human beings could enter the Holy of Holies and be in God’s presence and have a relationship with God. Because of what Jesus did on the cross we can experience reconciliation with God. God forgives us of our sins.

1. The other significant NT symbol of reconciliation, though, was the tearing down of the temple wall that separated Jews from Greeks.

In the temple there was also a wall that separated Jews from Gentiles and women from men.

On the wall that separated Jews from Gentiles was this inscription: “no man of another nation may enter the fence and enclosure of this temple, and if he is caught, he has only himself to blame if his death ensures.”

For Paul and the early church they saw the cross of Christ as breaking down this wall between Jews and Greeks, slave and free, and male and female.

Not only are we reconciled with God through the cross, but also with each other – even our worst enemies.

The early church saw itself as a community of reconciled enemies.

So, from the biblical texts we see that the early church taught the nonviolence of Jesus, they lived the nonviolence of Jesus through acts of suffering love, and they formed a new community of reconciled enemies.

Now the question is – how long did this way of life last?

From all of the historical records we have the practice of nonviolence and active peacemaking was a very integral part of the church and its witness for about 300 years.

All of the early church leaders who wrote about war and military service during this time were opposed to war and military service for Christians.

Even many scholars today, who argue for a “Just War” understanding and feel Christians can join the military – all agree that the early church denounced war and military service for the first three centuries.

I want you to hear what some of the leading church leaders said about peace during the first three centuries.

1. Justin, a Christian martyr in 165 wrote this.

“We refrain from making war on our enemies…for Caesar’s soldiers possess nothing which they can lose more precious than their life; while our love goes out to that eternal life, which God will give us by his might. We prefer to die acknowledging Christ.”

1. Clement of Alexandria, in about 200, said –

“Christ with his sword and with his blood gathers an army that sheds no blood. We are the race given over to peace.” He also said – “we Christians are a peaceful race…for it is not in war, but in peace, that we are trained.”

1. Origen, who lived between 185-254 wrote:

“We Christians no longer take up sword against nation, nor do we learn to make war anymore, having become children of peace for the sake of Jesus who is our leader.”

1. Tertullian, who lived from 160-220 wrote about those who became Christian while serving in the military. He said -

“When faith has been accepted and sealed, either the service must be left at once, as has been done by many, or all sorts of quibbling will have to be resorted to in order to avoid offending God.”

Tertullian also said – “That Christ, in disarming Peter on the night Jesus was crucified, unbelted every soldier.”

1. Ignatius of Antioch wrote in about 110 AD –

“Nothing is more precious than peace, by which all war, both in heaven and earth, is brought to an end.”

1. Lactantius wrote at the beginning of the 4^th century.

He said – “it will not be lawful for a just man to serve as a soldier, for justice itself is his military service. No exception at all ought to be made to the rule that it is always wrong to kill a man whom God had wished to be regarded as a sacrosanct creature.”

Well, I could give you many more examples of what these early church leaders said regarding war and military service. As I said, all who wrote on this subject spoke out against Christians participating in warfare.

What is also interesting is that many of these same writings also spoke out boldly against capital punishment, euthanasia, infanticide, and abortion.

The early Christians had a deep respect for all human life. They saw the image of God in every person.

And the main basis for their arguments for life was that Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to return good for evil.

Now this doesn’t mean there were no Christians in the army during the first three centuries. We know that while the church did teach against joining the military – by the year 170 AD there were a few soldiers who had converted to Christianity and remained in the military.

Many, though, got out because of their faith or refused to join in the first place.

So, up until 300 AD there were very few Christians in the army.

In the year 303 – Emperor Diocletian forbade any member of the Roman army to be a Christian. The few who were in the army were pushed out.

Then, when Constantine became Emperor he changed this whole of thinking.

In 312, during one of his battles, Constantine attributed his military victory to the sign of the cross he claimed to have seen in the sky.

After that time, Constantine ended persecution against Christians and began to even give them some privileges.

In 313, Constantine decreed religious freedom, returned church property that had been confiscated, and he offered monetary grants to the clergy.

Constantine even presided over some church councils of the time – even though he was not baptized until just before his death in 337.

Constantine is credited with marrying church and state although it wasn’t until 380 AD that Christianity was made the official state religion.

I said earlier that in the year 303 if you were a Christian you were forbidden from serving in the military.

By the year 416 – to be in the military – one had to be a Christian. As you can see, with Constantine’s endorsement of Christianity – a radical shift took place in less than a hundred years.

A gospel of military might replaced Jesus’ gospel of suffering love and peacemaking.

Augustine, a church leader who lived during this time (354-430), developed the theory of a “just war” which allowed Christians to fight in some circumstances.

His “Just war theory” was an attempt to limit war because the church had so fully come to embrace it.

Now, today, whenever there is a war our leaders always try to make it sound “just” to justify their actions.

So, while Augustine’s attempt was to limit wars – his “just war theory” is now often used to justify war.

We are constantly told today that Christ’s way of peace is not realistic in our violent world.

Yet for three centuries, under very violent rulers and prolonged persecution, Christians lived nonviolently.

For these early Christians – the death and resurrection of Jesus gave them the assurance that God was at work in the world to transform evil by doing good.

It seems to me that the attitudes, responses, and beliefs of these early Christians can be a source of strength and encouragement to us today as we seek to follow Jesus in a fearful and violent world.

Now, in closing I want to make two applications for us today.

1. First of all, these early Christians saw themselves in a spiritual battle against evil.

They were not just fighting against flesh and blood. In Ephesians 6 Paul says our struggle is against spiritual forces – rulers, principalities and powers. These early Christians learned that peace came about by putting on God’s armor of truth, faith, righteousness, the helmet of salvation, and the shoes of peace.

If we are going to prevail in this battle it won’t happen only by writing letters to government or marching in protest – as important at these things may be – but it will take committed prayer to overcome these forces of evil in our world.

We are up against forces that are beyond human control and we need God’s Spirit working through us and beyond us to bring about God’s peace on earth.

So we must put on God’s armor in this battle an a deepening prayer life is central to bringing about peace.

1. And then lastly this morning I want to suggest that what we can learn from the first three centuries of Christian experience is the need for us to keep teaching Christ’s way of peace.

Each generation of young people will have to make a choice to renew their commitment to Christ and Christ’s way of peace in the world.

If we adults don’t practice it and teach it – the next generation can quickly be allured by the false teaching that Christians must defend their country in war.

The sophisticated military recruitment campaigns and all of the statues and plaques commemorating those who have died in wars – are all meant to encourage support for our nation’s war efforts.

So, this morning, I want to encourage our youth and all of our children to take Jesus’ call to be peacemakers seriously and to renounce violence as Jesus and the early Christians did.

Christ’s way of peace affects every area of our life but in particular, this morning, I want our youth to consider alternative forms of service – rather than preparing to threaten, intimidate, and kill other human beings in war.

We don’t currently have a draft in this country – so no one is forced to serve in the military. In the past, when there was a draft young people had to make a choice.

You either had to serve in the military or declare that you were a conscientious objector. If you were a conscientious objector, then you could serve for two years in an alternative service assignment.

So even though we don’t have a draft right now it is important for you to think about what you believe about Jesus, about peacemaking and about war and to write down your convictions.

Study what Jesus said. Read the writings of these early Christian leaders. Figure out what you believe and the kind of life Jesus might be calling you to live.

Now, as Christians, our whole life is to be a life of service. We are always working for the betterment of our communities and world. And service certainly isn’t only for young people. We don’t stop serving as we get older. Older folks can do voluntary service too.

And yet so much learning takes place as young people give a specific time of their life to voluntary service.

Usually today our first thought after high school is college somewhere. And that may be the best choice for you. At the same time, I want to encourage you to think about doing several years of voluntary service – either before or after college.

Service teaches us to embody the love of Christ in daily life in ways that promote the well-being of the entire community.

Instead of turning our backs on our communities and our nation – we as Christian peacemakers, whether young or old, can be catalysts for changed lives and transformed communities.

Like the Christians who gone before us we can also carry Christ’s light of peace into the world.

God is at work making all things new. Let us, then, not only be lovers of peace, but peacemakers in the tradition of the early church. Amen.

“Cruising the Amazon; a Jungle Journey to Discover Jesus!”

July 25-29, 6-8pm

Bring your kids aged preschool – 8th grade

Stay for a seminar designed for you. “Discover Self: A Journey to Wholeness!”

Light refreshments served.

To register online: http://pittsburghmennonite.org/get-connected/vacation-bible-school/ or call 412-271-2104

Psalm 46:1-11; Isaiah 2:1-5

We are continuing our sermon series on “following Jesus in a culture of fear and violence”.

During this series we are looking at how we came to the understanding that Jesus wants us to love our enemies and to return good for evil. And if he does – what does that mean for us?

Again – if you have things you want me to address in this series please let me know.

Last Sunday, in the first sermon in this series, I started by looking at peace in the OT. I said that God’s healing strategy in the OT was to extend mercy, love, and forgiveness to people in order to heal the brokenness and to restore right relationships.

I then gave numerous examples from the OT to show how God was carrying out this healing strategy.

I also said God’s vision for how the world is meant to be is best defined by the OT word for peace – “shalom”. Shalom refers to wholeness, reconciliation, justice, well-being, compassion and salvation.

Shalom is primarily a relational term. It means right relationships with God, with other people, and with all of creation.

When any of these relationships are broken or where injustice, hatred, and fear persist there is no shalom.

So, last Sunday we saw that God’s vision for peace in the OT is very big and that God has made a long-term commitment to heal and restore all of creation through patient, sacrificial love – not brute force.

Now, I can imagine what some of you are thinking. You are thinking this all sounds good but what about all of the violence in the OT?

What about all those passages in the OT where God commands Israel to kill every adult, child, and animal, and to destroy every home and all the belongings?

• How can this God who loves shalom also command war?
• How can Jesus – who was kind and gentle and loved his enemies – be the Son of a God who seemed so violent?
• How can we worship God the warrior and the Prince of Peace at the same time?

For centuries Christians have struggled with these questions and there aren’t easy answers.

In the second century, Marcion, a Gnostic tossed out all of the OT and much of the NT because he said the God of the OT and Jesus in the NT were just too different. Marcion only accepted Paul’s writings. But the church rejected his approach.

Others have said God’s mind must have changed. God told the nation of Israel to do one thing but now, through Jesus, God is telling us to do something different.

Still others have suggested that the OT is God’s will for our corporate public life and the NT is God’s will for one’s personal life. So Christian’s should be nonviolent in their personal life, but they can also feel it is God’s will to kill in a war that their nation is involved in.

Now, as Mennonites we have generally rejected all of those approaches as not being very helpful or biblical.

So how do we look at violence and war in the OT?

1. What we, in the Mennonite church, usually say is that the NT fulfills the OT. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus himself said that he came to fulfill the OT. In other words, Jesus is the clearest and fullest revelation of God that we have.

So, what this means is that the OT has to always be interpreted in light of Christ’s life and teachings found in the NT. This doesn’t mean the OT is invalid – it just means we have to read it carefully in light of Jesus’ life.

So, a big part of how we deal with violence and war in the OT is to read the OT in light of the NT.

• The OT taught an “eye for an eye” but Jesus taught us not to retaliate at all and to resist evil by doing good.
• The OT taught that enemies could be hated but Jesus taught that we are to love our enemies.
• The OT taught that murder is wrong but Jesus taught us that even calling people names is like murder.
• The OT taught that adultery is wrong but Jesus taught that lusting after someone is like adultery.
• In the OT stoning someone for certain sins was acceptable but Jesus does away with those practices too.

So, what we see in the bible itself is a movement from “unlimited retaliation” – to “limited retaliation” in an “eye for an eye” – to in Jesus we have “unlimited mercy and forgiveness.”

What this means is some practices in the OT are simply not normative for us today because of what Jesus taught.

1. Now, a second way we deal with war in the OT is to see “God as the one who fights the battles.”

From a human point of view the wars of the OT were fought from weakness, not strength.

From Israel’s beginning – up until she got a king – Israel fought what is called a “holy war”. In that day, every nation and people group had “holy wars”. But for the other nations – “holy war” meant the people were fighting for their gods. They were fighting in their god’s name and were doing it for their god.

For Israel, “holy war” meant God did the fighting while the people did nothing.

During Israel’s early history these wars were seen as “miracles” because they were won without Israel using weapons or having a professional army.

God always got the credit for the victory. In the OT there are no “war heroes” or “war monuments” to commemorate victories. God got all the credit.

Israel’s understanding of “holy war” grew out of her deliverance from Egypt.

In the book of Exodus we learn that after Pharaoh let the children of Israel go – he changed his mind and chased after them.

He finally cornered them by the Red Sea with all the best military equipment of the time – chariots and horses.

The Israelites are scared to death because they have no way to defend themselves. So they begin to grumble to God.

In Exodus 14:12 they say to God – “is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Then, through Moses, God says – “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to stand still and watch.”

Israel, to her surprise, did stand still and watch as God delivered her through the Red Sea. And when it was all over, Israel sang praises to God.

In Exodus 15:2 it says they sang – “The Lord is my strength and my might, and God has become my salvation, this is my God and I will praise him.”

The Exodus story is the best example or model of “holy war” in the OT. Through God’s deliverance Israel learned that they were to rely on God alone – not weapons, not an army, and not on kings.

Even Joshua, who led Israel into the Promised Land, reminds the people at the end of his life to rely on God when he tells them in Joshua 24:12-13 – “you did not do it with your sword or bow. God gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build.”

For Israel, weapons were not necessary to win. The only thing necessary was to trust God to deliver them.

In Deuteronomy 20 we have a few guidelines on how Israel was to fight in a holy war. Here are some things they were to do:

1. First, when they see an army larger than their own – they are not to panic or be afraid because war is not a human enterprise. God will deliver them.
2. Next, Israel was not to have a standing army.
3. And, when there was a war people could go home or not fight if  -
   • They were afraid.
   • If they had just built a new home.
   • Or if they had just gotten married.

For Israel, the size of the army was never an issue. Victory came through trusting in God – not by military might. There was no “peace through strength” thinking.

One example of “holy war” in the OT is the story of Gideon fighting against the Midianites. (Judges 6)

Initially Gideon didn’t want to go to war because he said his clan was the weakest. However, Gideon is finally persuaded to go but God tells him that he has too may many men in his army.

So, Gideon reduces his army from 32,000 down to 300 before God tells him he is now ready.

And then, when Gideon is sent into battle with his 300 men their only weapons consisted of “pitchers, torches, and trumpets.”

Israel’s holy wars were only won through faith in God.

• We see the same thing in Jericho. Jericho was defeated when Israel marched around the city with trumpets. (Joshua 6)
• Or in Second Chronicles King Jehosephat defeats a huge army of Amonites and Midianites – simply by singing.

These few examples illustrate that Israel was always inferior in numbers, social organization, and weaponry. They had to rely on God’s miracle to save them.

Many people today want to base going to war on the OT. Yet, can you imagine in our wars today with Iraq or Afghanistan what would have happened if President Bush had announced –

“God has promised us victory in these wars on the condition that the U.S. does away with all our conventional weapons and nuclear weapons and that our troop levels are reduced to 300 – and they will only be equipped with horns, pitchers, and torches.”

People would think he had lost his mind. And yet, if we want to base war on the OT today I want to suggest that we also have to rely on God the same way Israel did.

Another key feature of the “holy war” tradition was called the “ban”. The practice of the “ban” forbid Israel from taking any “spoils” from a war.

This meant killing all the soldiers in the defeated army plus the women and children – and even the animals. It also meant burning all the possessions of the enemy that could be burned.

All of these things were devoted as an offering to God.

Now the practice of the “ban” seems terribly cruel to us and makes no sense.

But in that day – the purpose of the “ban” was to safeguard Israel from waging war for the sake of financial gain. We all know today that most wars are fought for financial gain and Israel was never to do that.

One time when Israel didn’t practice the “ban” they lost their next battle because they had kept some of the “spoils of war” for themselves. In the defeat of Jericho – Achan had kept some things and his sin led to Israel’s defeat until they repented.

Once again we see that for Israel, victory in battle had nothing to do with the size of its army or its weapons. It only had to do with trusting in God to fight their battles for them.

Up until Israel had kings this is the way Israel’s wars operated. Israel was to have no standing army. No weapons. And they were forbidden to make military alliances or treaties with other nations.

So while the stories of violence in the OT make me very uncomfortable – in that context, Israel understood that God was fighting their battles for them and victory had nothing to do with having better weapons or more soldiers.

Later on, when Israel got kings, the holy wars stopped and Israel had standing armies and fought in battles just like other nations but that is never what God desired for them.

So, once again I want to suggest that if we are going to base our practice of war today on the OT – then we need to be willing to follow the practices of the “holy war” tradition and trust only in God to save us.

1. The other way to deal with war in the OT is to align ourselves, as Jesus did, with all the voices for peace in the OT.

There is no question that there are voices for war in the OT. But there are also many voices for peace in the OT that often get overlooked.

I want to highlight a few stories of nonviolence in the OT and also show how Israel’s prophets kept alive the ideals of shalom and compassion for the weak and oppressed.

First, just a few stories when conflicts were resolved nonviolently.

1. In Genesis 13:8-14 we have the story of Abraham and Lot.

As you know, Abraham and Sarah were promised land in the covenant. When they arrived in Palestine Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen quarreled about the land because it we too crowded.

Abraham could have had his choice of the land but he says to Lot – “let’s not quarrel” and he allows Lot to choose first.

The conflict ends nonviolently when Abraham moves on and lets Lot have the land he has chosen. For Abraham, land was always a gift from God and he did not want to fight over it.

1. In Genesis 26 we have another story of nonviolence.

Isaac is living in the land of the Philistines. He became very wealthy and people envied him. There was a famine and people needed water.

Isaac would dig a well and the Philistines would come and take it. He would dig another well and the Philistines would take it.

Isaac could have legally challenged the Philistines for the wells because the land belonged to his father. He also could have used force, but he didn’t.

Instead of using violence he chose to resolve the conflict in a peaceful way by moving on. Some might call this conflict avoidance but in the end Isaac found a way to live in peace with the Philistines.

1. There is also this powerful story about the prophet Elisha in Second Kings 6.

The Syrians are at war with Israel. Elisha asks God to strike the Syrian army blind. God does and then Elisha tells them that they are in the wrong place and that he would take them to the right place.

Elisha leads them to Samaria and into the hands of the king of Israel. Israel’s king wants to kill them but Elisha says no – feed them and send them home.

So Israel’s king prepared a great feast for them and sent them home. And then the story ends with – “the Syrians no longer came raiding into the land of Israel.”

Elisha chose nonviolence here when violence was convenient and an available option.

These and many other stories show that conflict was often resolved peacefully in the OT.

1. And then we also know that many of the prophets spoke out clearly against war and violence.

The prophets Micah and Isaiah both saw a time coming when – “nations will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

This vision of peace is special because it pictures people from all nations streaming to the temple to learn about God’s ways.

And what they are learning about God’s ways will cause them to change their weapons of war into farm tools.

The drastic change, as seen by the prophets, comes about because people are turning to God.

The prophets never glorified war or called for war. Even when war seemed to be glorified there were voices for peace saying something different.

Even king David – Israel’s greatest king – could not build the temple because of his violence.

God said to David in First Chronicles 22:8 – “you have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house in my name because you have shed much blood on earth in my sight.”

David’s military campaigns disqualified him for building the temple of God.

The prophets continually called Israel back to rely on God for their strength and security. They always lifted up this vision of shalom when peace will be the norm.

In the OT there were voices calling for war but Jesus identified with the prophets and those voices calling for peace. In Jesus, God is at work to bring an end to the cycle of violence.

These OT visions still speak to us today and tell us that such a society is not only worth striving toward but also falls within the overall purpose of God in the world.

We are still invited today to dream the dream of Isaiah and Micah. The vision of Micah and Isaiah is really a call for the elimination of weapons and the abolition of war.

I know this morning that this vision often seems far away and impossible to reach. In fact, many people think we shouldn’t even try.

But the scriptures and Jesus call us to live a disarmed, forgiving, and nonviolent life now. This vision is certainly risky and seems impractical. And for trying to live it – we will be called fools!

Isaiah says that if we want to live this vision now it will mean a conversion on our part. Not only a conversion of heart, but a conversion of weapons of war to instruments of peace – and a conversion of research and development for war to research and development for peace.

It will also require economic justice and land reform so that more people will have access to land and a means of production.

It will also mean that people will need to be instructed in the ways of God’s peace and rule. People will need to be taught how to settle disputes and nations will need to learn how to resolve conflicts peacefully.

For most of church history – our energies have focused – not on abolishing war but on how to go to war justly.

I often wonder – why is it that we who accept the bible as God’s authoritative word for life do not cherish and believe Isaiah and Micah’s vision of shalom?

Jesus clearly identified with Isaiah’ vision, lived it, and invited all people to repent (change your mind about how the world works) – and join the reign of God – this reign of shalom that is here among us in Jesus.

Gandhi once said – “the only people on earth who do not see Jesus and his teaching as nonviolent are Christians.”

Let’s change that by following Isaiah’s dream and living in the power of the Spirit as Christian peacemakers.

God’s word to us today and everyday is – “Be still and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” “I will fight your battles for you.”

Amen.

April 25, 2010

Genesis 9:8-17; Isaiah 54:1-10

This morning we are starting a new sermon series titled – “Following Jesus in a culture of fear and violence.”

During this series we want to look at what it means to give our allegiance to the Prince of Peace in a culture that insists some form of violence is necessary for good to prevail over evil.

Many Christians would say – “loving your enemy is a nice thing to do” but at the end of the day – most Christians think that the power of the fist or the gun or the bomb is the only realistic way to stop evil and overcome violence.

After the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center buildings there was a political cartoon with a picture of the New York City skyline and the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center buildings.

In the foreground of the picture was an ostrich with its head buried in the sand. The caption on the ostrich said – “the anti-war movement”.

The message of the cartoon was clear – pacifists are simply out of touch with reality.

The common understanding is that as long as there are crazy people running loose in the world – anyone who rejects the use of violence or challenges the logic of war is politically naïve and morally irresponsible.

By and large, a majority of Christians have bought into this mindset.

As you can probably imagine, I want to offer a different perspective in these sermons. I want to suggest that something has gone terribly wrong in our understanding of Jesus and the Christian life that has led us to this point.

Something is terribly wrong with our Christian understandings when the Tutsi and Hutu people in Rwanda, both groups primarily Christian, can mutilate each other with machetes.

Something is terribly wrong with our Christian understandings when Bosnian Serbs, mostly Orthodox Christians, can brutally murder thousands and thousands of Croatian Muslims.

Something is terribly wrong with our Christian understandings when the United States, where about 90% of our people proclaim Christian beliefs, spend about 50% of our tax dollars on instruments of war and fighting wars. Where our military budget is bigger than the combined military budgets of the next 25 countries.

Something is terribly wrong with our Christian understandings when Christians continue to have high rates of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse in our homes.

And as Mennonites, while we have wonderful statements about peace, we also have not always practiced what we preach.

• Some of our young people go off to war.
• We give in at times to nationalistic sentiments and patriotic fervor by flying the American flag in our churches or playing the national anthem in our Mennonite colleges.
• We have had our share of domestic violence and sexual abuse cases.
• Our words can be as harsh and deadly towards others as anyone else.
• And we might be strongly anti-war, but many times we don’t know how to get along peacefully with the people in our own home or church community.

So the struggle of following Jesus in a culture of fear and violence is not just an issue way out there somewhere for other people to deal with – it is our struggle as well.

So, over the next few weeks I invite you to ask the Holy Spirit to teach you about what it means to have God’s peace in your life and to be a peacemaker in our world.

For many of you, what I have to say may be things you have heard many times in church. I simply invite you to listen to the basics again and see what new things God might be saying to you.

For others of you, what I have to say may sound very strange to your ears. I invite you to listen and to ask God to show you the kernels of truth that may be there. I invite you to share with me your questions, thoughts, ideas, and also your different understandings.

And if there are things you want me to talk about in this series of sermons – let me know and I will try to address them over the next few weeks.

This morning I want to focus primarily on the big picture of peace in the OT. We are going to cover the whole OT story in about 15 minutes.

Now, for many of you – you may wonder why I am starting with the OT if I want to talk about peace. For you, the OT is full of violence and war. God seems angry, vengeful, and judgmental. And the OT – well, is old – and therefore irrelevant to our modern world.

The problem with this view is that the OT is the only bible Jesus read and knew. For Jesus, the OT is the bible he used to explain to his disciples on the road to Emmaus that he was the Prince of Peace.

Jesus also said that he did not come to do away with the Law and the Prophets – the OT scriptures – but to fulfill them and to make them clear.

It is certainly true that the NT gives us a unique perspective on interpreting the OT and for weighing what is most important there. At the same time, the OT helps us understand the NT and is foundational for our theology of peace.

I want to suggest this morning that the OT can be a rich resource for peacemakers. We will talk next week about all the violence in the OT, but for today I want us to understand the OT vision of “shalom”.

The Hebrew word for peace in the OT is “shalom”. It occurs over 250 times. Shalom is a positive concept. Shalom is God’s vision of how the world is meant to be.

Shalom refers to – wholeness, reconciliation, justice, well-being, compassion, love, freedom, and salvation.

Shalom is not just saying “no” to warfare or violence – it is saying “yes” to all the many positive things to be for, to work for, and to build.

We find shalom, first of all, in the creation story. The story of creation in Genesis one is really a work of God the “shalom creator or peace-maker”.

The story of creation in Genesis stands in sharp contrast to the other Ancient Near Eastern stories of creation. In other stories of creation rival gods battle it out with the one with the most brute force winning.

The result of this violent view of creation is that human beings then lived in constant fear of the gods.

Genesis, on the other hand, has God fashioning creation out of chaos and making peace out of disorder. There is no violent struggle for power. The Judeo-Christian God is a “shalom maker” and creation is a peaceable act.

And, then, after creating a “very good and peaceful world” God created human beings in the very image of God.

Adam and Eve, made in God’s image, were created for the purpose of friendship and fellowship with God. They were also designed to live with each other in complete intimacy and trust and they both were to share responsibility in caring for creation.

The creation story describes God’s intention for the world. It is a picture of shalom – wholeness, justice, harmony, goodness, love, and freedom. This is how we were meant to live. We were created to live in shalom.

So the story of creation in Genesis establishes the baseline for how we then view “sin” that enters the picture next.

Genesis three describes how our hunger for shalom – our desire for communion with God and with one another – is poisoned by sin.

Adam and Eve give in to the temptation to be like God. This yielding to temptation has many consequences.

• Adam and Eve are now afraid of God.
• They feel shame at their nakedness.
• They blame each other.
• There is now a hierarchy between the man and the woman – with him ruling over her.
• There is now a struggle with thistles and weeds as they plant and care for the earth.

At the same time, though, that we see shalom distorted by sin – we also see God express mercy for the first time. Adam and Eve are not killed as God had said they would be if they ate from the tree of the life. God allows them to live. God continues to seek a relationship with them.

But then in the next biblical story we see shalom shattered again by the first act of violence. Adam and Eve’s son, Cain, kills his brother Abel.

We go from eating fruit to murder in one generation. Driven by pride and jealousy Cain kills Abel and is forced into exile as an eternal wanderer.

But once again God remains committed to the relationship. God shows mercy by allowing Cain to live and by putting a mark on him so he would not be killed.

However, soon after Abel’s death, societal violence escalates as Cain’s cousin Lamech says things are eleven times worse than before Cain killed Abel. We now see unlimited retaliation – instead of an eye for an eye.

So, by Genesis chapter six – the violence has escalated so much that God is in great pain over the alienation and brokenness of humanity.

Genesis 6:5 describes it this way – “the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said – I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created.”

Now, what is interesting here is that God’s first response to all the violence is not anger or disgust or hatred. God’s first response is grief. God is hurt. God feels pain because God feels abandoned and betrayed.

And out of this deep grief comes the flood. The good creation is now being – uncreated. The flood almost wipes everything out.

Yet, in the midst of the flood we discover that God remains committed to creation. God tells Noah after the flood – “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind.”

God’s judgment through the flood does not change our human hearts. What changes from the experience of the flood is that God changes.

After the flood, God decides that the only way to heal creation is through persevering love.

Even though creation is broken and people continue to sin – God decides that creation is worth redeeming and God makes a long-term commitment to heal and restore creation through patient, sacrificial love.

God’s healing strategy here is to find another way to deal with God’s grief. God’s strategy is now to extend mercy that never ends. God’s response to the brokenness of creation is now based on loving persuasion – not on brute force.

A big part of God’s strategy to heal creation after the flood is to establish a community of people who will know God and who will share God’s love with the rest of the world.

In Genesis 12 God tells Abraham and Sarah – “I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you so that you can be a blessing to others.”

God calls into being a community of faith for the purpose of “blessing all the families of the earth.” God’s strategy for healing creation is to form a people who know God’s mercy and shalom and who will extend that same mercy and shalom to the wider world.

The next big story in the OT is the story of the children of Israel as slaves in Egypt. In the bible, Egypt stands for what happens when sin becomes structured and embedded in society. In Egypt power is used to preserve privilege and to oppress others.

But God hears the cry of those who are oppressed and does something about it. For the children of Israel, the “Exodus” from Egypt is their primary story.

More even than the story of creation – the story of God delivering the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt – is part of God’s healing strategy.

This story – the story of the Exodus – is at the heart of Israel’s faith. This is the story they reenact every year in the Passover meal. This story says – God delivered us, God loved us, and God brought us salvation.

Israel is freed from Egypt, not by having more horses or chariots, but by trusting in God alone. The Exodus story constantly reminded Israel that life is truly a gift from God – it is all grace – and they are never to oppress others or to trust in military might.

Now, after God delivers the Israelites from Egypt – God begins to restore shalom by forming a new people shaped – not by greed, violence, and abusive power, but by compassion, mercy, and care for one’s neighbor.

To form a shalom people – God gives the children of Israel the Ten Commandments. Our tendency today is to think of these commandments as “restricting our freedom” or even as “oppressive.”

But these commandments are to teach the people how to be human again after years of being slaves. These Laws are signposts pointing the Israelites toward the shalom of an ordered, fair, and loving community.

These Laws were not restrictive to them – they were life giving.

The Sabbath Commandment – to take a day a week off from work was a constant reminder that they were not in Egypt anymore and that their value as human beings did not come from how many bricks they made for Pharaoh.

Sabbath was a reminder that God had delivered them from bondage and that God is a God of mercy and that God loves them and will provide for all of their needs.

The Ten Commandments and the many other laws that followed such as – not charging interest, not mistreating foreigners, and not taking advantage of the widows and orphans were all meant to help the children of Israel extend God’s mercy to others as God had been merciful to them.

So, the giving of the Law was all part of God’s healing strategy in the world to extend grace to Israel.

Then, after Israel settled in the Promised Land they were not to have any human king like the other nations. Their only king was to be God alone. For many years they had Judges who helped unite the tribes and helped them settle their differences.

But a time came when Israel was unable to live with God as their only king. They wanted a king like all of the other nations.

In First Samuel chapter 8: 7 God says to Samuel about the people’s wish for a king – “they have not rejected you but they have rejected me from being king over them. Just as they have done to me from the day I brought them out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you.”

Samuel then warns the children of Israel that if they get a king they will be sorry later.

• He told them that a king will draft their children to be soldiers for a standing army.
• A king will take your sons and daughters to work for him.
• A king will tax your income to support his court officers and the military.
• And a king will make you a slave.

What Samuel said would happen certainly did. There were a few good kings but by the time of King Solomon Israel had become an empire oppressing others.

It had a standing army, military bases, and was even exporting arms to other nations. Solomon is now the new pharaoh, Jerusalem is the new Egypt, and the Law is forgotten. Israel is no longer practicing shalom.

Over time Israel misconstrued God’s blessings as favoritism and entitlement. They become indifferent to the God who saved them and they lost their calling to be a blessing to others.

Their unfaithfulness led them into exile and slavery all over again. In the biblical story exile is not only a place. Exile is forgetting God and failing to convert your blessings into blessings for others.

But even in exile God does not forget Israel. God raises up prophets to keep alive the Law’s central thrust of shalom – the ideals of peace, justice, compassion for the weak and needy, and accountability to God.

In the midst of exile and despair, prophets rose up and proclaimed – not the end – but the beginning of something new.

As the people lived in exile the prophets saw in the story of the flood a picture of God’s mercy extended to Israel.

Isaiah 54:9-10 says – “This is like the days of Noah to me: just as I swore that the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and I will not rebuke you…my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you.”

Even in exile God’s response to human sin and evil remained one of patience and radical mercy. God never gave up on the Children of Israel – no matter how far they strayed.

At the close of the OT, the Israelites are still searching for shalom. The prophets know that the people need a new exodus – a new liberator.

The prophet Isaiah, more than any other prophet, talks about a new kind of ruler emerging. In Isaiah 9:6 he says – “for a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

These kinds of promises from the prophets fueled fervent hopes among the people that a Messiah – an Anointed one – would come to liberate them from foreign oppression and usher in a time of shalom.

When Jesus burst on the scene in first century Palestine he surprised the people.

He surprised them because they were looking for more of a warrior type who would defeat the hated Romans and free them from oppression.

But instead, Jesus identified closely with the God of mercy seen throughout the OT and with Isaiah’s suffering servant figure. The scriptures Jesus quoted, the language he spoke, and the images that mattered most to him from the OT identified him as a new shalom-maker.

Jesus comes to restore shalom to a fallen and sinful humanity. The Apostle Paul says of Jesus in First Corinthians 15:22 – “For as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.”

Or in Second Corinthians 5:17 Paul writes – “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.”

The NT wants us to see that through Jesus a new creation is coming into being. Jesus enters the chaos of our world and brings about a new creation.

Jesus heals the sick, gives sight to the blind, and helps the lame walk. Jesus clearly aligns himself with the God of mercy in the OT and the prophets vision of shalom.

So, what we learn throughout the OT is that the most powerful force in the universe is still God’s steadfast love and mercy and forgiveness. God’s healing strategy does not change throughout all of history.

Through out history God extends mercy over and over again to restore humankind to our created purpose – to live in harmony with God, one another, and all of creation.

This all may sound very nice, but I know that many of you still have questions about all the violence in the OT.

Next Sunday I want to look at some of those difficult stories of violence and war in the OT but we must not start with them.

We must always start with God’s healing strategy  - which is that – God is merciful and compassionate and refuses to use force or coercion to change us or the world.

The good news this morning is that God never gives up on us. God’s love is stronger than our fears. Even when we stray and go into exile – God keeps extending mercy to us.

In response to our brokenness – God patiently seeks to heal us and restore us to wholeness.

So, even today, through Christ, we can experience God’s shalom in our lives and we can become agents of God’s healing and hope in our world.

May we each come to know God’s peace, walk in God’s peace, and learn to extend God’s peace to others.

This is God’s healing strategy for the world. Amen.

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