COMPASSION NOT LIMITED TO CERTAIN DAYS OF THE WEEK
Matthew 12:1-13
Rev. Paul Wrightman 10/23/22
THE FOLLOWING IS A SERMON THAT PASTOR PAUL
GAVE BACK IN 2018.
A GREEK CLASS AT A PRESTIGIOUS SEMINARY
WAS GIVEN THE ASSIGNMENT TO STUDY THE STORY
OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN.
THE STUDENTS WERE TO DO AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS
OF THE BIBLICAL TEXT, OBSERVING AND COMMENTING
ON ALL THE MAJOR TERMS AND SYNTACTICAL FACTORS
WORTH MENTIONING.
EACH STUDENT WAS TO WRITE THEIR OWN TRANSLATION
AFTER HAVING FINISHED THEIR COMMENTARY.
AS IS TRUE IN MOST LANGUAGE CLASSES,
SEVERAL OF THE STUDENTS CARED MORE
ABOUT THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE ASSIGNMENT
THAN ITS INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION.
THE MORNING THE WORK WAS TO BE TURNED IN,
THREE GREEK STUDENTS TEAMED UP
AND CARRIED OUT A PLAN TO PROVE THEIR POINT.
ONE VOLUNTEERED TO PLAY THE PART OF THE VICTIM.
THEY TORE HIS SHIRT AND PANTS, RUBBED MUD AND KETCHUP,
AND OTHER REALISTIC-LOOKING INGREDIENTS
TO SERVE AS "WOUNDS," AND MARKED UP HIS EYES, FACE, AND HAIR
SO THOROUGHLY THAT HE WAS NO LONGER RECOGNIZABLE.
THE VICTIM PLACED HIMSELF ALONG THE PATH
THAT LED FROM THE DORMS TO THE GREEK CLASSROOM,
WHILE HIS TWO ACCOMPLICES HID AND WATCHED.
THE VICTIM GROANED AND THRASHED ABOUT,
SIMULATING GREAT PAIN.
NOT ONE STUDENT STOPPED.
THEY WALKED AROUND HIM, STEPPED OVER HIM,
AND SAID DIFFERENT THINGS TO HIM.
BUT NOBODY STOPPED TO HELP.
(Adapted from a true story by Charles Swindoll in his book
The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, p. 105.)
THERE IS A SAD AND DEADLY CONNECTION
BETWEEN THIS CONTEMPORARY INCIDENT
AND THE INCIDENT DESCRIBED IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING.
THAT SAD AND DEADLY CONNECTION IS THIS:
IN BOTH CASES, LEADERS OF THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT
FAIL TO RESPOND TO SOMEONE IN NEED.
IN THE EXAMPLE FROM OUR OWN DAY,
THOSE FUTURE CHURCH MINISTERS MIGHT VERY WELL BE GETTING
AN "A" IN BIBLICAL GREEK,
BUT FAILED MISERABLY IN ACTUALLY LIVING OUT THE MEANING
OF THE PARABLE THAT THEY WERE STUDYING.
IN THE EXAMPLE FROM JESUS' DAY,
CERTAIN PHARISEES TAKE ISSUE WITH HIS HEALING ON THE SABBATH,
AND WANT TO FORBID JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES FROM DOING SO.
THE COMMANDMENT TO HONOR THE SABBATH AND KEEP IT HOLY --
ONE OF THE ORIGINAL TEN COMMANDMENTS --
WAS STATED IN THE MOST GENERAL OF TERMS.
TO BE SURE, WORK WAS NOT ALLOWED ON THE SABBATH,
BUT THE MEANING OF "WORK" WAS LEFT UNDEFINED.
THIS WAS DONE ON PURPOSE SO THAT CERTAIN LEGALISTIC TYPES
WOULDN'T GET CARRIED AWAY IN COMING UP WITH THEIR OWN
NARROW DEFINITIONS OF WHAT HONORING THE SABBATH MEANT.
SO, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL OPEN-ENDEDNESS
OF THE SABBATH COMMANDMENT?
YOU GUESSED IT --
CERTAIN LEGALISTIC TYPES DID GET CARRIED AWAY IN COMING UP
WITH THEIR OWN NARROW DEFINITIONS
OF WHAT HONORING THE SABBATH WAS ALL ABOUT.
BY JESUS' DAY SOME OF THESE RELIGIOUS FANATICS
HAD PILED ON SO MANY ADDITIONAL LAWS
CONCERNING WHAT COULD AND COULD NOT
BE DONE ON THE SABBATH THAT THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS,
IN PLUCKING AND EATING GRAIN ON THE SABBATH,
WERE CONSIDERED GUILY OF BREAKING NOT JUST ONE, BUT FOUR
IMPORTANT SABBATH LAWS:
BY PLUCKING THE CORN THEY WERE GUILTY OF REAPING;
BY RUBBING IT IN THEIR HANDS THEY WERE GUILTY OF THRESHING;
BY SEPARATING THE GRAIN AND THE CHAFF
THEY WERE GUILT OF WINNOWING;
AND BY THIS WHOLE PROCESS, THEY WERE GUILTY
OF PREPARING A MEAL ON THE SABBATH.
(William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume Two, p. 26.)
JESUS DOES NOT HESITATE TO CHALLENGE AND TO CORRECT
THESE ORAL ADDITIONS TO THE WRITTEN LAW ON THE SABBATH
CONTAINED IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
HE CITES THE EXAMPLE OF KING DAVID IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES,
WHO BROKE THE LITERAL LAW STATING THAT ONLY THE PRIESTS
WERE ALLOWED TO EAT THE SACRED BREAD IN THE TABERNACLE.
DAVID'S FOLLOWERS WERE HUNGRY, SO THEY ATE,
AND WITH DAVID'S BLESSING, AND PROBABLY PARTICIPATION.
JESUS THEN CITES THE EXAMPLE
OF THE TEMPLE PRIESTS IN JERUSALEM
CONTINUING TO OFFER SACRIFICES ON THE SABBATH,
EVEN THOUGH THE ACT OF MAKING THE SACRIFICE
WAS OFFICIALLY CONSIDERED TO BE "WORK."
THEN JESUS -- IN A BREATHTAKING DEMONSTRATION
OF HOW AT-EASE HE WAS WITH HIS OWN AUTHORITY --
ARGUES FROM THE LESSER TO THE GREATER
BY STATING THAT SOMEONE FAR GREATER
THAN THE TEMPLE PRIESTS, THE TEMPLE SACRIFICES,
OR THE TEMPLE ITSELF WAS STANDING IN THEIR MIDST.
IN DOING SO, HE IS MAKING THE AMAZING CLAIM
THAT HE IS "LORD OF THE SABBATH,"
THAT HE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE
WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE ON THE SABBATH.
BY QUOTING THE PROPHET HOSEA THAT GOD DESIRES
"MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE," (Hosea 6:6)
JESUS MAKES IT UNMISTAKABLY CLEAR
WHAT HE CONSIDERS GOD'S OWN PRIORITIES TO BE,
AND THAT GOD'S OWN PRIORITIES LIE DISTINCTLY
IN THE DIRECTION OF HUMAN NEEDS TAKING PRECEDENCE
OVER RITUAL LAWS.
IN TODAY'S GOSPEL, JESUS IS UNEQUIVOCALLY TEACHING
THAT IF RITUAL LAW CONFLICTS WITH HUMAN NEED,
WE GO WITH THE NEED AND NOT WITH THE LAW.
ACCORDING TO MANY OF THE PHARISEES OF JESUS' DAY,
IT WAS CLEARLY AGAINST THE LAW FOR A PERSON
TO RESCUE A SHEEP ON THE SABBATH.
HE REFERS TO THIS NO-PULLING-OUT-SHEEP-FROM-PITS-
ON-THE-SABBATH LAW, ONLY TO TRASH IT:
"SUPPOSE ONE OF YOU HAS A SHEEP AND IT FALLS INTO A PIT
ON THE SABBATH; WILL YOU NOT LAY HOLD OF IT AND LIFT IT OUT?"
HERE JESUS IS IMPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGING
THE COMMON-SENSE WISDOM OF THE PEASANTS
AND SHEPHERDS WHOM HE KNEW SO WELL --
THE NEED OF THAT SHEEP OUTWEIGHS THE REACH
OF THE SABBATH LAW.
AND AGAIN ARGUING FROM THE LESSER TO THE GREATER,
JESUS GOES ON TO STATE
"HOW MUCH MORE VALUABLE IS A HUMAN BEING THAN A SHEEP."
IN OTHER WORDS, IF THE NEED OF A SHEEP
TO BE PULLED OUT OF A PIT OUTWEIGHS THE RITUAL LAW,
HOW MUCH MORE DOES THE NEED
OF A HUMAN BEING FOR HEALING OUTWEIGH RITUAL LAW.
I INVITE YOU TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST
THE BLATANT DISREGARD FOR THE NEED
OF A FELLOW HUMAN BEING DEMONSTRATED
BY THAT GREEK SEMINARY CLASS
WITH THE FOLLOWING FROM ANDREW DAVISON,
A RETIRED PROFESSOR AT COLGATE-ROCHESTER SEMINARY
WHO WRITES:
"DR. ALBERT SCHWEITZER WAS EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS OLD
WHEN I VISITED HIS JUNGLE HOSPITAL AT LAMBARENE,
ON THE BANKS OF THE OGOWE RIVER.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THE DEEP AND PROFOUND EFFECT
OF THAT THREE-DAY VISIT, WHICH INCLUDED OPPORTUNITY
FOR SOME LEISURELY CONVERSATION
WITH THAT GREAT HUMANITARIAN.
BUT ONE EVENT STANDS OUT IN A SPECIAL WAY.
IT WAS ABOUT ELEVEN IN THE MORNING.
THE EQUATORIAL SUN WAS BEATING DOWN MERCILESSLY,
AND WE WERE WALKING UP A HILL WITH DR. SCHWEITZER.
SUDDENLY HE LEFT US AND STRODE ACROSS THE SLOPE OF THE HILL
TO A PLACE WHERE AN AFRICAN WOMAN
WAS STRUGGLING UPWARD WITH A HUGE ARMLOAD OF WOOD
FOR THE COOKFIRES.
I WATCHED WITH BOTH ADMIRATION AND CONCERN
AS THE EIGHTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD MAN
TOOK THE ENTIRE LOAD OF WOOD
AND CARRIED IT ON UP THE HILL FOR THE RELIEVED WOMAN.
WHEN WE ALL REACHED THE TOP OF THE HILL,
ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR GROUP ASKED DR. SCHWEITZER
WHY HE DID THINGS LIKE THAT, IMPLYING THAT IN THAT HEAT
AND AT HIS AGE HE SHOULD NOT.
ALBERT SCHWEITZER, LOOKING RIGHT AT ALL OF US
AND POINTING TO THE WOMAN, SAID SIMPLY,
"NO ONE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO CARRY
A BURDEN LIKE THAT ALONE."
(Illustrations Unlimited, p. 119.)
I THINK THIS ONE LINER BY DR. SCHWEITZER,
"NO ONE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO CARRY
A BURDEN LIKE THAT ALONE,"
IS ONE OF THE BEST SHORT DESCRIPTIONS
OF THE REASON FOR JESUS AND HIS MINISTRY
THAT I'VE EVER HEARD.
IT IS CLEARLY THE SENTIMENT OF JESUS HIMSELF
WHEN HE TELLS US THAT "INASMUCH AS YOU HAVE DONE IT
FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF MINE,
YOU HAVE DONE IT FOR ME." (Matthew 25:40)
LEO TOLSTOY FLESHES-OUT THIS SOLIDARITY OF JESUS
WITH THE DOWN-AND-OUT IN HIS FAMOUS SHORT STORY
FEATURING THE SHOEMAKER MARTIN AVDEITCH:
ONE NIGHT MARTIN AVEDITCH, A HUMBLE SHOEMAKER,
DOZING OVER HIS OPEN BIBLE, SEEMED TO HEAR A VOICE SAYING:
"MARTIN, LOOK THOU INTO THE STREET TOMORROW,
FOR I AM COMING TO VISIT THEE."
CONVINCED THAT THE LORD JESUS WAS GOING TO VISIT HIM,
MARTIN AWOKE THE NEXT MORNING WITH NERVOUS EXCITEMENT.
BUT NO ONE SHOWED UP THAT DAY EXCEPT A SUCCESSION
OF PENNILESS AND PITIFUL SOULS:
AN AGED VETERAN, A SHIVERING MOTHER AND NEWBORN,
AN OLD PEDDLER WOMAN AND A FRIGHTENED BOY
WHO HAD FILCHED ONE OF HER APPLES.
WITH A KIND HEART, MARTIN CARED FOR EACH PERSON,
BUT AS EVENING FELL, HE WAS DISAPPOINTED
THAT JESUS HAD NOT VISITED THAT DAY.
PUTTING ON HIS SPECTACLES, HE TOOK UP HIS BIBLE WITH A SIGH,
AND IT OPENED TO MATTHEW, CHAPTER 25.
MARTIN READ: "FOR I WAS HUNGRY AND YOU GAVE ME FOOD;
I WAS THIRSTY AND YOU GAVE ME DRINK;
I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU TOOK ME IN."
"LORD, WHEN DID WE DO THESE THINGS?"
LOOKING ON DOWN THE PAGE, MARTIN READ:
"TRULY, TRULY I SAY TO YOU, INASMUCH AS YOU DID IT
FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN,
YOU DID IT TO ME."
TOLSTOY CONCLUDES BY SAYING:
"THEN MARTIN AVEDEITCH UNDERSTOOD THAT THE VISION
HAD COME TRUE, AND THAT HIS SAVIOR HAD IN VERY TRUTH
VISITED HIM THAT DAY, AND THAT HE HAD RECEIVED HIM."
(Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, p. 511.)
GIVEN THE EXTREMELY CHALLENGING TIMES
WHICH WE'RE GOING THROUGH AS A NATION,
I'M BEING ASKED MORE AND MORE
WHAT I THINK IS A GOOD RULE-OF-THUMB
BY WHICH TO NAVIGATE THESE IMPOSSIBLE TIMES
SPECIFICALLY AS A CHRISTIAN, A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.
A GUIDELINE WHICH I HAVE PERSONALLY FOUND VERY HELPFUL
IS TO ASK MYSELF THE QUESTION "WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?"
IN OTHER WORDS, BASED ON EVERYTHING
THAT WE KNOW ABOUT JESUS IN THE GOSPELS,
BASED ON HOW JESUS RESPONDED TO PEOPLE BACK THEN,
HOW WOULD JESUS HAVE ME RESPOND TO PEOPLE RIGHT NOW?
I HAVE ADDED A SECOND QUESTION:
"WHAT WOULD JESUS ASK?"
IN OTHER WORDS, GIVEN ANY OF THE MULTITUDE OF
PROBLEMATIC SITUATIONS IN WHICH OUR COUNTRY
FINDS ITSELF IN TODAY, WHAT WOULD JESUS ASK
ABOUT THAT SITUATION, AND PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY,
"WHAT WOULD JESUS ASK ABOUT THE PERSON OR PERSONS
CALLING THE SHOTS IN THAT SITUATION?"
IN THE CONTEXT OF PREPARING THIS SERMON,
I FOUND A THIRD GUAGE BY WHICH TO MEASURE A SITUATION,
AND THE PERSON OR PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING
THAT SITUATION.
THAT THIRD GAGUE IS ALBERT SCHWEITZER'S STATEMENT:
"NO ONE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO CARRY
A BURDEN LIKE THAT ALONE."
IS SOMEONE CREATING IMPOSSIBLE BURDENS
FOR OTHERS TO CARRY?
LEARNING FROM JESUS IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING,
WHEN WE BECOME AWARE THAT SOMEONE IS CREATING
IMPOSSIBLE BURDENS FOR OTHERS TO CARRY,
THE JESUS-LIKE RESPONSE WOULD BE TWOFOLD:
FIRST, TO OPPOSE
THAT PERSON WITH ALL THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ONE --
JESUS AS JESUS OPPOSED CERTAIN OF THE PHARISEES.
AND SECOND, IT WOULD BE TO HELP THE PERSON
WITH THE IMPOSSIBLE BURDEN TO CARRY THAT BURDEN,
JUST AS ALBERT SCHWEITZER HELPED THE AFRICAN WOMAN
TO CARRY HER LOAD OF WOOD.
IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE FOLLOWING
BY TED ENGSTROM IN HIS BOOK THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE.
HE WRITES:
"I WAS CLEANING OUT A DESK DRAWER WHEN I FOUND
A FLASHLIGHT I HADN'T USED IN OVER A YEAR.
I FLIPPED THE SWITCH BUT WASN'T SURPRISED
WHEN IT GAVE NO LIGHT.
I UNSCREWED IT AND SHOOK IT TO GET THE BATTERIES OUT,
BUT THEY WOULDN'T BUDGE.
FINALLY, AFTER SOME EFFORT, THEY CAME LOOSE.
WHAT A MESS!
BATTERY ACID HAD CORRODED
THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE FLASHLIGHT.
THE BATTERIES WERE NEW WHEN I'D PUT THEM IN,
AND I'D STORED THEM IN A SAFE, WARM PLACE.
BUT THERE WAS ONE PROBLEM.
THOSE BATTERIES WEREN'T MADE TO BE WARM AND COMFORTABLE.
THEY WERE DESIGNED TO BE TURNED ON -- TO BE USED."
ENGSTROM CONCLUDES:
"IT'S THE SAME WITH US.
WE WEREN'T CREATED TO BE WARM, SAFE, AND COMFORTABLE.
YOU AND I WERE MADE TO BE "TURNED ON" --
TO PUT OUR LOVE TO WORK,
TO APPLY OUR PATIENCE IN DIFFICULT, TRYING SITUATIONS --
TO LET OUR LIGHT SHINE."
AMEN.