7
Epiphany C February 24, 2019
Genesis
45:3-11, 15 Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42
1
Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50 Luke
6:27-38
We in America have attained fascination with the martial
arts. They are exotic and foreign practices from Asia. The practice
of them seem to promote self-discipline, respect for authority and others, and
knowing that martial arts is really about never having to really use them in
practice; it is the practice of restraint to be used only for self-defense.
Surely the ancient martial arts had the context of
preparing warriors for actual battle of both an offensive and defensive
sort. Martial arts would be training for battle and when battle did not
exist, it would be the practice of readiness for battle. But when war was
not happening, they would be sporting events to foster the competitive edge.
It is likely that most members of the armed forces training
to go to battle today learn some martial arts. But for most of us it the
romanticized Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Mr. Miyagi, waxing on and waxing off
for entertainment and good recreational exercise. But the martial arts
for us, are mainly dislodged from the original contexts of preparation for
battle, and thankfully so.
We could also say that for us, thankfully, the beatitudes
of the Gospels are dislodged from the conditions which generated them.
The conditions of freedom can result in quite a variety of
experiences. Some of them are not so pleasant. But what about
people who have lived for long time in slavery? What about people who
have lived for a long time with their country occupied? What if you
are a member of a minority religion in an Empire that requires you to worship
the Emperor as a god, and your religion doesn't allow you to do this? If
you live under sustained conditions of oppression and lack of social, economic
and religious freedom, you still have to live. Much of the Bible was
written by people who had sustained misfortune and lack of the social freedoms
that we have and take for granted.
What do people of the Bible have to say to us to don't live
in oppression? Can we ever say that we can identify significantly with
their circumstances?
I believe that the beatitudes of Jesus represent a sort of
spiritual martial arts that was forced upon oppressed people. The people
to whom Jesus came needed a spiritual martial arts both to survive and to live
with enjoyment. Why do you think that the beatitudes were important to
reformers like Gandhi and to Martin Luther King, Jr.? They represent a
way to resist and maintain a cause for justice and at the same time live in
such a winsome way that you might attract people to join you because of your
extreme kindness, the extreme kindness of forgiveness, the extreme kindness of
a non-retaliatory way of living.
In our prayers we pray for safety of all, so we pray that
the conditions which require the beatitude way of life never occurs. We'd
rather live without enemies, without abuse, without someone who would strike us
on the cheek, or without bullies who would take our coats and steal our goods.
The beatitude spiritual martial arts were a special way for
oppressed people to live, and we do not want the conditions of oppression in
the first place.
When people are oppressed, certainly they have the option
of open revolt and retaliation. But people end up being killed or
imprisoned. The other option is to learn how to fly under the radar and
that is where the beatitude style of living comes in. How can I live in
such a super winsome way that even my oppressors cannot help but be impressed
and stumped and ask: "Where does this person get the interior strength to
love one's enemy, to do good to those who hate, to bless those who curse, to
pray for those who abuse, to refuse to retaliate when someone strikes?"
I would suggest to you that we in the land of the free and
home of the brave should reject the conditions which required the beatitudes as
a way of life. The entire purpose of laws is to keep people safe, to
respect the rights and dignity of everyone. So, we need to reject the
conditions of oppression and injustice which required the early followers of
Jesus to have to live such super kind lives just to survive.
But ponder this: What if we were to transpose a
beatitude lifestyle to our time and place when we do not experience the same
conditions of oppression? How do we live without allowing ourselves to
even have someone whom we would designate as an enemy? What if we found
no reason and no one to hate? What if we are fortune enough to not have
people who hate us, how much easier it would be to be good to people who are just
mildly irritating to us? What if we could adopt only the language
of blessing and never have a reason to curse others? What if we prayed
equally for those with whom we agree and those with whom we disagree?
What if we learn the deft language art of turning our linguistic cheeks and
offer verbal roses to those who might want to be argumentative or angry?
You and I do not live in the same conditions which required
the radical lifestyle of the spiritual martial arts of the beatitudes for
survival and maintenance of dignity. So how do we live? We should
live to make sure that we are never consciously or indirectly on the side of
the forces of oppression, suppression or mistreatment of any people.
We should honor the people who lived with such grace and
forgiveness in the times of supreme oppression and we should work to eradicate
every form of oppression and injustice.
Remember today, we are the equivalent of the favored people
of the Roman Empire; we have the power and wealth. How can we translate
the beatitude lifestyle of oppressed people to be our lifestyle as people of
privilege and power?
We can be thankful that the ideals and laws of our country
calls us to honor the dignity of all people.
The challenge for you and me today is to translate the
spiritual martial arts of the beatitudes which derived among oppressed people
into our lives as those who would live such kind lives as to bring the loving
regard of Christ to all people in this world. Amen.
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