Sermons

“Matters of the Heart”

Psalms 15; Matthew 5:1-12 – Tesa Hauser

Vista La Mesa Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), La Mesa, California – February 2, 2020

Holy God bless the speaking and the hearing of these words so that we will remember the ministry you have called us to. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

When we read the beatitudes, it can feel like a punch to the gut. Reading Psalms 15 does the same thing. We begin to wonder if we are living up to God’s expectations in our lives as Christians. Are we blameless?  Are we blessed? Do we dwell in God’s sacred tent? However, I would claim that those are the wrong questions to be asking. As Christians there are questions that come up from these two texts, but those are not it. Let’s take a look as to why those are the wrong questions, and what questions we should be asking instead.

What is blessing? We hear people use the term blessed all the time. It’s all over social media to talk about good things that have happened to someone or the accumulation of their wealth. There is even a hashtag. Passing a test when you thought were going to fail or catching a yellow light before it turns red are all seen as blessings. These modern ideas of blessing are nothing new. One school of thought in ancient times attributed wealth, health, birthing boys, and status as blessings from God or gods. Those who weren’t blessed had done something wrong or their ancestors had done something to upset God/gods and therefore were not #blessed.

But what does blessed mean in the Christian sense? Blessed and blessing has everything to do with our covenant relationship with God. We are blessed because we are in relationship with the living God. God has called us blessed, we have God’s favor, and there is nothing we have done to gain it. This is easy to forget so let me say it one more time; God has called us blessed, we have God’s favor, and there is nothing we have done to gain it. Blessing has to with God’s goodness, love, and faithfulness. The question I think we should ask is what do we do with God’s blessing? Let us look at Psalms 15 and the idea of being blameless to answer that question.

Being blameless is not about being perfect, it is marked by ethical rightness. Those who are blameless do the right thing and act morally; they speak the truth and practice holding their tongue to not slander against their neighbor. The blameless are generous to the poor and are not shaken by what comes their way. Blessed are the blameless, for out of God’s blessing we should choose to live this way. Understand, this is not a prescription, a checklist per se of everything we need to do before we are blameless. We are human, we will mess up. Psalms 15 is a description of what it means to live in relationship with God and God’s people, it is a journey. Those who walk blameless understand who God is, they understand that God has called them blessed and do what they can in order to live an ethical life, to do what is right. Again, you aren’t doing these things to gain blessing; you do these things because you are blessed. One of the most radical things about this Psalm for Christians is that each one of us is the temple. We are the temples filled with the Holy Spirit to live out a blameless life. God has given us everything we need to live a blessed and blameless life, which includes the Church.

For the ancient Israelites, their relationship to and with God was always communal. The prophets spoke about issues that affected the people of God, and God made a covenant with a community of people. The beatitudes and Psalms are about reorienting the values as a community and questioning the ethics by which we live our Christian lives as the people of God in the world. The early Church tried to follow Jesus’ radical reorientation of values. If you join us in Bible Study, you will see in Acts how the early church shared their wealth and possessions among all people that no one was without. The wealthy did not give up everything, but they gave so much that they were able to provide for all people who were in need. These scriptures do not focus on individual ethics or morality, they share how the people of God should live their lives in the world. Matthew 5:1 mentions that Jesus’ disciples go to him, but only four of the twelve have been called at this point in the text. The disciples are not the twelve, but the Church, all of us Christians reading the Gospel of Matthew.

So, as the blessed people of God, individually and the Church, how do we walk the blameless path and do what is right? This is where we look towards the beatitudes. In them, Jesus echoes Psalm 15, and reminds us of who God is, who/what God cares about, and what the ethic of God’s people should be. The first three beatitudes remind us that God cares about those who are not typically seen as blessed. Those who do not hold power, status, or wealth are blessed by God. There are complexities involved in those who are poor, poor in spirit, mourning, and meek. God sees those and understands. There are narratives in American society about the poor/poor in spirit, they are excuses people give to not help a fellow human and child of God. I don’t need to expound; you can think of what people say and believe about the poor that are not of the heart of God.

Others are poor in spirit because there isn’t much that has provided them with hope. People’s spirits are not “poor” to begin with, they are broken and beat down by the difficulty that is this life. The hope seems to leave, the brightness of life seems to fade. And yet, they will inherit the kingdom of God. Those who mourn, may not be mourning someone who has lived a long and good life. There are people who are mourning the loss of people they loved due to violence’s of all kinds: gun violence, domestic violence, bullying, and so much more. They may be mourning a life they could have had, of hopes and dreams that will never be fulfilled due to the unjust systems of this world.

This month is the 8^th anniversary of the fatal shooting and murder of Trayvon Martin. He was 17 years old when he died and would have turned 25 this upcoming Wednesday. Trayvon and I were the same age when he died, but I have had the last 8 years to grow, and to learn and to accomplish much. My mother has had the privilege to see me graduate, marry, and follow my call. That will never happen for Trayvon, and his mother will never get those memories. They will never get justice, but the God of justice will comfort them.

Verses six through nine are talking about people who follow God’s will and participate in a life of God’s justice following Jesus. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for justice, they will be filled. They acknowledge people are struggling in this word, understand the complexities of unjust systems, and know that they matter to God, and so they matter to them. Psalms 15 and the beatitudes seem like daunting and difficult lives to fulfill. How do we always show mercy? Are we meant to constantly, without pause, hunger and thirst for righteousness when our own lives are difficult and heavy? Intertwined in the beatitudes are God’s grace along a call to action. The grace of God surrounds us and uplifts us when it is difficult to keep doing the work.

That grace is known because you are in relationship with a God who is just, who is faithful, who speaks truth, and shows mercy, who called you blessed. It is a reminder that as Christians, as the Church, we should not be satisfied, that we should not be comfortable with how things are going, even if it causes people to persecute you. That our lives, our ethics, are meant to be aligned with God’s truth. We will hunger for justice; we fight for justice so that there will not be another Trayvon. We will show mercy to those who have been shoved aside and not provided a second chance, we will show love for our enemies. We will be pure in heart telling the truth and speaking out against what is wrong. We want all people to live a life filled with peace, not worrying about where their next meal will come from or having to choose between feeding their children or paying rent.

We should not be comfortable with how things are going. Here in America, we have our own beatitudes, we have our own ideas of blessed.

American Beatitudes

“Blessed are the ambitious, for they will earn much.”

“Blessed are those who pull themselves up from their bootstraps, for they deserve everything that is theirs.”

“Blessed are the rich and powerful, for they will be above the law.”

“Blessed are the highly educated, for they will be the gatekeepers of knowledge.”

“Blessed are corporations, for they have will have high profit margins that make their leadership and shareholders rich.”

“Blessed are you when people claim you have certain privileges that have allowed you to advance in life, for they just complain and do not work hard enough.”

“Rejoice and be glad, the reward is a comfortable life.”

I am thankful for this country, I think it is great, and the opportunities I have had are beyond amazing. But as Christians, our identity is found in Christ who models and call us to live out the beatitudes he gave to us.

When I used to think about the Sermon on the mount, I used to imagine Jesus was sitting calmly and peacefully on the ground, speaking to his disciples with a soft and quiet voice. Although Jesus is saying controversial ideas and making uncomfortable statements, the disciples are all huddled together quietly and attentively paying attention to Jesus, not picking the grass or thinking about lunch. We don’t actually know the response of the disciples, we don’t get their side, their commentary on the occasion. Now, I can’t imagine that Jesus’ voice was anything but soft and low. What he was saying gathered the crowds, he knew they were around and is the reason he chose the spot sit. He spoke loudly that it caused people to wonder who this bold man was, and it caused other people to gather around and listen. However, this was a life with Jesus. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, but the typical definition of peace cannot be used here. Jesus was not quiet, he was loud, and caused crowds to gather. People drove Jesus out of town because of the raucous nature of his teachings. Jesus was anything but peaceful, and why is that? Because he wanted to make sure as many people heard what he had to say, so that many were able to know God, and be transformed.

Jesus exemplifies the beatitudes with his life. During his ministry, he acknowledged the poor, he comforted those who were mourning, he gave space for the meek to use their voice. He walked everywhere he went, hungering and thirsting not for bread or water, but the justice of God. He showed mercy yet spoke out against wrong living as people of God. He was persecuted and ultimately killed for all of this. We are blessed Church. Will we use what God has given us to do become more Christlike? To be the Church that comforts the mourning, bestows mercy, is pure in heart, and works hard to be blameless as temples of the living God? Or will we go back to our comfortable lives, afraid to walk in the will of God? Alleluia and amen.