The cost of love

  We know and understand that God is the ultimate demonstration of Love as this is what God is. So, when the Gospel from Matthew has Christ saying that Love of God and Love of neighbour are the two most fundamental aspects of the Law we have no issues with the proclamation (Matt 22:37-39). Over the past few weeks we have heard of the generosity of God and how we should be committing everything to God's purposes and if we have not yet realised why, the present Gospel passage gives us no better reason but love. In working out love in our lives we commit to God's purposes for in what other way can we show the abundance that God gives to us but by following in his footsteps of love as shown by the Christ. Yet almost in the same breath of the word love we are also reminded of things that spring not from love of the other but from our own selfishness (Lev. 19:15-18).

This, then, is the paradox within which we have to work out God's love in our lives. We are enjoined by God to live the life that is reflective of God's love, but we are almost always ruled by the desires of our heart. If the desires of our heart are not God centred love then we are a long way from being Christ centred. The idea that love is at the centre of our hearts is a valid one, however, more often than not our idea of love is not God's idea of love as the latter does nothing for us in the immediate future or in the present now. Our love is more often than not something that is heart bound but centred on our own selves rather than on the idea of the other. So how do we see the working out of God's love in the community if our hearts are centred on ourselves? Following Reinhold Niebuhr, the theologian, the outpouring of God's love needs to be concretised in the instrument of justice, not just for humanity but also for God's world. To often we are prepared to let things take their course in the world, as surely our laws and those in charge are just, in working out the benefits for citizenship. Martin Luther criticised this approach as facere quod in se est or to put in in modern terms doing the best we can in the moment. In this case the best we can is to leave it to others and allow the peace of our hearts to dwell in the love of ourselves and forget about the other.

Strange fruit result from our selfish interpretations of love and apathy

In recent weeks we have been speaking about commitment and specifically our commitment to our God and God's call upon us. In using justice as an instrument of love in the world we engage in a political future that creates the impossible as a reality. It is only when we concretise love into the reality of our everyday do we begin to see love in action. A reminder of this is the protest song out of the American South "Strange fruit" which even today brings out the horrors of what Christians can do in the name of God for the sake of our own self-deluded beliefs. In our commitment to God's love in the world we also commit to its outworking using the instrument of justice. Not the justice of the self, which is so often seen in the halls of politics and the dramas of our 'civilisation' but rather the justice of God that does mean putting to the side our own dreams and wants for the dreams and wants of God. Does this mean that we all should line up with the protestors or become involved in the 'climate strike'? Only if God calls us to this but God does call us to see that justice is the reality and not the parsimonious wants of the rich and powerful. It means that we cannot let things take their course, as we so often do, believing in a better future while allowing the injustices of the present to continue into the future.

Love demands an action; love demands a commitment; love demands solidarity. Our commitment begins within our hearts by bearing our gifts before God. By giving ourselves to our local communities to bring God's love; by working for justice locally, nationally and globally. Our local actions will reflect onto the national scene, if and only if, we are committed to the task as the body of Christ acting with the one heart of love that is Christ's own. The consequence of influencing and demanding local justice that is national we begin to impact globally as we bring the needs of love to the attention of the world. So often we begin at the top and try to work down whereas love begins with our hearts and then outwards. This means that our start must be where we are, not where we want to be, in other words locally for we live locally. Only when we fulfil our commitment to our local communities in terms of justice and love can we begin to reach outwards. In transforming our local communities, we begin to transform that which is greater as others take heart from God's love poured out by our shared communal experience.

God's love demands much of us but most importantly we need to recognise that we are asked to ensure that justice is done to the living, however horrifying the past may be. Christ showed us the horrific side of personal injustice when he died on the cross but God is a God of the living (Matt. 22:32) and it is to the living that we owe God's love by seeking justice. We have too many witnesses (martyrs), from Christ's death on a cross to the Rwandan genocide and the George Floyds of recent times, to humankind's ability to do evil; we have too few witnesses to God's love in action that changes our world towards that which Christ proclaimed in truth. So we are reminded to be committed in our giving of ourselves as a sacrifice and witness to the truth of God's transforming love, no matter what it takes for it is a requested sacrifice.

God and Caesar can co-exist

  In the passage from Matthew that is read today we have the very famous quote which is often misused for either political or pecuniary gain; "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God that which is God's" (Matt. 22:21b) or similar depending on translation. Even today this is applicable but what is Caesar's and what is God's; how do we discern what is correct; do we have to rely on some formulaic response or does everything belong to God? The saying raises so many questions as to what is appropriate and what is not. It can have so many meanings that we have to worm our way around many corners of interpretation to find one that applies to ourselves in the current age.  Perhaps in our complacency we try not to make any decision as to what we actually need to give either financially or in time and talent to God. What is clear through out the Gospel and Paul's letters is that we need to give our all.

To render to Caesar and to God could look something like this for many Parish churches throughout the world but it depends on the resolve of those involved. It means that people have to be committed to God and have the faith to step out of the ordinary. There is a parish in the Anglican Communion that is a joint plant between the Anglicans and the Presbyterian denominations. In their founding documents it was agreed that they would give away all the loose change that was placed in the Sunday plate to God, that is to mission work throughout the world. In order to satisfy Caesar (the Diocese and the need for ongoing running costs) the decision was made to rely purely on the envelope system what we would now call it DG or direct deposit. Their faith understanding was that they were obliged to give to God and did so by placing their loose change, notes etc that they had in their wallets when they came to worship, not just what they thought was the right amount but what they had in their pockets at the time. In addition to this chance giving all of the parishioners gave money to their best ability to Caesar by way of the envelope or DG. The parish continues to thrive through the blessings of God as they maintain their commitment to this way of honouring both God's presence in their lives and the needs of Caesar in the form of the Parish expenses.

Render to Caesar in the Church as much as to God

When we read scripture in this way we find an additional means for us to secure our commitment to both God and the needs of the everyday. It is on occasions such as these that we can see why we often neglect what can be seen as something that is apart from but close to God. We are often very good at giving to God in terms of our charitable works but Christ also mentions Caesar in this passage. We make sure that this refers to our civic duty (taxes, rates, etc) over which we grumble and moan. We then do not see anything else but ourselves as we understand that we have made our commitments in the small amounts of energy we place on the side for the work of God and the ongoing work of the denomination we belong to. When things that we love or have loved deteriorate we then find it in ourselves to blame everyone but ourselves for the lack whether it is in ministry, charitable donations, advocacy or anything else inside or outside of the Church. Our lack of foresight in terms of the things we love are often the issues around our sense of dedication and commitment. Often the issue is we do not apparently own the buildings, owe for electricity, need to maintain the Church's property (note not ours). It all belongs to the nebulous 'Church' and is their responsibility without realising that we are the Church.  

In Isaiah 45, God sends Cyrus to raze the nations and to take up the reigns of righteousness let lose by the people of Israel. The lack of commitment has passed things over to another, so that they learn the lesson of commitment to God as their wishes and wants have turned them away from God's presence in their covenant and its promise. Paul is quick to praise the Thessalonian church (1 Thess. 1:1-10) for its steadfastness in God. They have become an example within the burgeoning faith community due to their commitment. It is a commitment in faith to those things that bring God into the midst of the community. If we allow ourselves to be drawn away from that commitment then we languish and it will come as no surprise as our presence in our communities contracts. Often this contraction is due to our contraction in being committed to our faith journey with the other in community as we rely on, not God, but alternate agencies to do what we used to do to foster community. 

We need to be active in the same way as the Thessalonian church was active but not in the same way. I know that this is a contradiction but we are not living in the Roman Empire. Our actions need to be the same in that they need to be outpouring of God's love in the life of the community. This means that however aged we may be, however incapacitated we may be, however neglected we think we are and however impoverished we believe we are; we need to be active in the application of God's presence and the outpouring of God's Spirit in the world. We are not as poor as we believe. I suspect that if each person was to forgo a cake, a coffee, a drink, a lunch, a piece of chocolate and the money / time we spend on the frivolities of our lives went towards God or Caesar in our faith community our communities would be richer places. I am truly amazed at our own selfishness in terms of time, talent and finances within our communities. I have had people come looking for food and petrol with the latest technology dangling from their hips who have rejected the food that those with no finances have donated for their need. Yet this selfishness has been conveyed to an impoverished generation by their forefathers in the faith community as they have denied the other and indulged themselves. God cannot be seen face to face if we do not show God's face to our communities and we cannot do that if we are ourselves selfish with out time, talents and money.

Accepting the invitation

 Some years ago, when my daughter was much younger than she is now, had an invitation to go to a get together with "mates".  She was not sure whether they were going or had pulled out, did not want to bother her Dad if it was going to be a non-event, had no way of contacting the others (surprising in this day and age of instant comms) and all the other incipient anxieties that many of us have experienced one way or the other.  Who hasn't?  The invitation says 6.00 for 6.30 and no one is outside at 6.05.  Do we dress or do we go casual?  Anxieties that are so common place for some that they are really only irritants.  We boldly go with what we think is the correct response.  So what if we are early.  Perhaps we can ask to look inside if our friends cannot be seen outside.  These are easy response to soothe the troubled mind.  What if the questions are of a bigger or rather greater nature?  The Israelites were waiting for Moses and were filled with the same fears (Ex. 32.1-14).  They had an invitation from God but were waiting for him.  Their fears were expressed in the form of an alternative to God, the golden calf, as God did not appear to be with them at the time.

Those that were invited in Christ's parable (Matt. 22.1-14) find themselves trying desperately to get out of going.  If we worry about the minor details we are also prone to saying yes as a matter of politeness knowing that we will not turn up for the event in any case.  We have no qualms about this.  We want the person to know that we are friends but are really not wishing to be put out.  It is we that matter not anything else.  We are invited by Christ to form a relationship with Christ and with God and just like those other invitations we accept out of politeness. To be honest means that we have to change our lives and centre God above everything else.  It is like changing our clothes to go out to that gathering to which we have been invited.  In deed changing our clothes is perhaps easier than changing our lives for Christ.  Often we pretend, as it easier to wear an appearance than it is to make an inward change.

When will you accept God's invitation?

The invitation we accept but have no intention of going to.  The social grace of the appearance of intentionality in attending rather than the actuality of attending.  If we were to truly accept then our lives may actually be changed.  The invitation that we actually accept and participate in is the one that changes our lives totally.  Even when we have our last minute doubts outside the venue or whether our friends are actually going to be there.  In loosing heart at the last minute we condemn ourselves just as much as when we chicken out with a polite acceptance that means nothing.  We find other things to attract our attention and divert them away from God / Christ, just like the golden calf.  If we are to be honest with ourselves our whole life should be different to the one we have accepted as we pretend to live as Christ has invited us to do.  The abundant life that is Christ has been subverted by structure that is in place for our convenience.  We have had innumerable opportunities through out the ages to make changes in how we live our lives in Christ.   Each time we have been invited out of our own lives and out of the lives we have made for ourselves we become frightened.  We are like those that sit outside the venue debating as to whether anyone else is going to turn up.  If we do not see our friends we turn away.  We use any excuse to drive away and do it ourselves.  We find any excuse, rules, regulations, societal pressures to not attend or accept the invitation honestly.

We are invited into abundant life in Christ.  We are invited to love God and our neighbours as our selves.  At what point are we going to see that acceptance means change.  It means a move away from our own self indulgences into a more permanent life that is filled with the abundance that comes with the grace of God.  It means a move away from petty cruelty of lost invitations and moments to a life filled with God's presence and opportunities.  It means a fulfillment of our desires without the worry and struggle that comes with the task of doing it ourselves. SO when will you truly accept Christ's invitation?

A commandment between friends

 Do we have to obey the ten commandments (Ex. 20) or are they just moral guides to our living in the world?  What happens if our moral guides become so over interpreted and restrictive that we can no longer reflect God's love into the world? About nine years ago I posted on the legalistic viewpoint that we have turned our faith communities into following as opposed to the rule of love that is expansive and welcoming of all.  In today's reading we follow Moses reception and delivery of the basic tenets of the third covenant, the 10 commandments, and so I pose the question above.

In trying to understand these laws both the Judaic and Christian faith have interpreted them in many different ways. According to scripture at the time of Christ the interpretation was rather legalistic and Christ kept on poking at religious authorities with this in mind. The writer to the Ephesians (whether Paul or Timothy or some other) has this same thing in mind. Despite having been brought up in a culture where the Law mattered the author is still striving towards a perfection that is beyond the Law (Phil. 3).  If this is a true reflection of our own journeys in faith then we too should be striving to go beyond that which is laid down by law. Only when we fully understand the ramifications of the law will we be able to surpass the law. Yet, we strive only with the interpretation and simply to fulfill our interpretations by being legalistic around what, where and how we should respond. The exact interpretation of the law is the requirement to our mind and yet we bend that to our will and our wishes rather than seeing beyond the legalistic response. Let us look at the commandment at Genesis 20.15 (Do not steal for those that did not know). What is theft? Does the Australian government steal when it unfairly distributes the GST revenue or is this acceptable?  By whose interpretation of theft do we go on?, How do we determine whose right? and we could go on. If this is the case lets set up judges, but do they have it right? what about juries, etc, etc, etc. The interpretation of the three words Do not steal. depends on point of view and who instituted how property was distributed, etc. We become bogged in a quagmire of interpretation when we actually need to see the crux of the whole.

Do we steal when we eat well?

Christ circumvented the interpretive dilemma by giving us a complete "law" - Love your neighbour as yourself.  This "law" is a condensate of the final laws of the 10 commandments (Ex. 20.13-17) and forms how we need to relate to each other. The golden rule so to speak. A rule we are unable to fulfill because we are so weighed down with our interpretive quagmire that we think we can not reach dry ground and must delve deeper and deeper into the marshy depths of our own wants and needs.  It really is simple when we think about it.  However, because of our own requirements for power, prestige, authority, admiration from others, etc we flounder in how we treat others. This operates within our diocese in the current receiver environment as we see the receiver taking what should be ours without understanding that the receiver is taking what we would be giving to keep the diocese alive. We do not really care about what our neighbours want, we only care for our own benefits, our own fitness to rule. It is the Darwinian concept of survival of the fittest that consumes us not the requirements of the other.  Indeed when our deficiencies are highlighted through the action of a prophet we become enraged and try to obstruct, obscure and otherwise discredit the one who is pointing our faults out.

Such behaviour is outlined in Christ's parable of the vineyard (Mtt, 21.33-46) a telling story against the religious authorities of the day that is as equally relevant for the Church today.  It is only when we actually begin to give away our limited power and authority do we begin to live as Christ wants us to. Protection of what we consider to be sacrosanct is not necessarily what God holds to be sacrosanct.  It is only God that matters not our human made rules and regulations.  God requires us to fulfill the commandment of love not our needs, because in fulfilling God's requirement the rest comes through God's grace.