JESUS – BLACK BELT IN MARTIAL ARTS
John 8:3-11; Leviticus 20:10; Matthew 5:17
Rev. Paul Wrightman 11/10/24
RECENTLY I READ A FASCINATING ARTICLE
ABOUT HOW THE COUNTRY OF FINLAND
SOLVED ITS PROBLEM WITH HOMELESSNESS.
FINLAND WAS WELL-AWARE THAT NO ONE
WAS GETTING ANYWHERE WITH THE TYPICAL APPROACH
OF MAKING GETTING A PERMANENT PLACE TO LIVE
CONTINGENT ON ONE’S GETTING ONE’S ACT TOGETHER FIRST.
INSTEAD, FINLAND DECIDED TO TRY A RADICALLY
DIFFERENT APPROACH.
SENSING THAT EVERYONE ELSE
WAS PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE
BY MAKING GETTING A HOME DEPENDENT
ON JUMPING THROUGH VARIOUS “HOOPS,”
LIKE GETTING A JOB, OR GETTING OFF DRUGS,
FINLAND DECIDED TO EXPERIMENT WITH
PUTTING THE HORSE BEFORE THE CART
BY GIVING HOMES TO ALL THEIR HOMELESS FIRST.
THE IDEA WAS THAT IF THE HOMELESS
HAD SOME MORE STABILITY IN THEIR LIVES
BY HAVING A HOME,
THIS ADDED STABILITY WOULD GRADUALLY EMPOWER THEM
TO GET A JOB AND GET OFF DRUGS.
THIS RADICALLY DIFFERENT APPROACH WORKED,
AND NOW FINLAND HAS THE LOWEST HOMELESS POPULATION
PER CAPITA OF ANY DEVELOPED COUNTY.
BASICALLY, HOMELESSNESS NO LONGER EXISTS IN FINLAND.
THERE IS A DIRECT PARALLEL HERE BETWEEN
WHAT FINLAND DID WITH ITS HOMELESS POPULATION
AND WHAT JESUS DID WITH SIN AND BROKENNESS.
THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE OF “RELIGON” IN JESUS’ DAY –
AND IT CONTINUES TO BE THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE
OF MUCH OF CHRISTIANITY IN OUR DAY --
WAS TO INSIST THAT A PERSON FULFILL CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS
BEFORE ONE COULD RECEIVE GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND LOVE.
JESUS TOTALLY REJECTED THIS APPROACH
AND OFFERED GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND LOVE
AS THE ESSENTIAL FIRST STEP
TOWARD WHOLENESS AND RESTORATION.
EVEN TODAY MANY CHRISTIANS –
PERHAPS EVEN A MAJORITY OF THOSE
WHO CLAIM TO BE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS –
WOULD SAY THAT FOLLOWING GOD’S LAW
IS A PREREQUISITE TO BEING OFFERED GOD’S LOVE.
THE SCRIPTURE READINGS THAT I CHOSE FOR TODAY –
THE STORY OF JESUS SETTING ASIDE THE LAW
ON BEHALF OF A WOMAN CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF ADULTERY,
THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW HE SET ASIDE,
AND JESUS’ OWN CLAIM THAT HE DID NOT COME
TO REJECT, BUT TO FULFILL OR PERFECT GOD’S LAW –
WERE PICKED IN ORDER TO ENABLE US TO WRESTLE
WITH THIS ISSUE OF WHICH COMES FIRST,
GOD’S LAW OR GOD’S LOVE?
THE STORY FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
IN WHICH JESUS FORGIVES AN ADULTEROUS WOMAN
(AND ONE SHOULD ASK, BY THE WAY, “WHERE’S THE GUY?” –
PRESUMABLY IT TAKES TWO TO COMMIT ADULTERY!)
IS JUSTLY FAMOUS BECAUSE IT POWERFULLY DEMONSTRATES
A VERY MARTIAL-ARTS-TYPE MOVE ON THE PART OF JESUS.
THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES
HAVE SET A BRILLIANT AMBUSH FOR JESUS
FROM WHICH THEY ASSUME HE CANNOT POSSIBLY ESCAPE:
IF HE EXPLICITLY OVERTURNS THE ‘’THE LAW OF MOSES” –
JEWISH SHORTHAND AT THE TIME FOR ALL THE LAWS
CONTAINED IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES, SOME 613 OF THEM –
THE PHARISEES AND SCRIBES WILL ACCUSE HIM OF BLASPHEMY,
AND TURN HIM OVER TO THE ROMANS FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
IF HE UPHOLDS THE LAW OF MOSES AND CONDEMNS THE WOMAN,
THE COMMON PEOPLE, THE GROUP FROM WHICH
MOST OF HIS FOLLOWERS COME FROM,
WILL JUDGE HIM TO BE A LEGALIST
LIKE THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES AND LEAVE HIM IN DROVES.
THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WAY OUT.
BUT JESUS MAKES A WAY OUT.
IF THE AMBUSH SET BY THE PHARISEES AND SCRIBES
WAS BRILLIANT, THE WAY IN WHICH JESUS TURNS
THEIR AMBUSH BACK ON THEM IS EVEN MORE BRILLIANT.
HE TAKES THEIR OVERWHELMING EMPHASIS ON SIN
AND USES IT AS A FULCRUM TO OVERRIDE PUNISHMENT
WITH FORGIVENESS AND LOVE:
JESUS’ IRONIC CHALLENGE --
“LET ANYONE AMONG YOU WHO IS WITHOUT SIN
BE THE FIRST TO THROW A STONE AT HER,”
LEADS DIRECTLY TO JESUS’ FORGIVING THE WOMAN –
“WOMAN, WHERE ARE THEY? HAS NO ONE CONDEMNED YOU?” . . .
“NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU.”
(WE INTERRUPT THIS SERMON TO BRING YOU
THE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS
WITH SOME IMPORTANT CONTEMPORARY IMPLICATIONS:
THIS PAST WEEK IN THE UNITED STATES A MINISTER
WHO CLAIMS THE NAME “CHRISTIAN” ADVOCATED
FOR THE PUBLIC EXECUTION OF WOMEN WHO REFUSE
TO OBEY THE COMMANDS OF THEIR HUSBANDS.
HE STATED THAT SUCH A MOVE WOULD SERVE
TO PUT WOMEN BACK IN THEIR PROPER PLACE.
ALSO THIS WEEK IN THE UNITED STATES,
TWO FUNDAMENTALIST MINISTERS CARRIED PLACARDS
AROUND A COLLEGE CAMPUS IN TEXAS PROCLAIMING THAT
“WOMEN ARE PROPERTY.”
THEY ADVOCATE TAKING AWAY THE RIGHT OF WOMEN TO VOTE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK JESUS HIMSELF THINKS
ABOUT THESE EVENTS?)
TODAY WE WILL BE CONSIDERING THIS PASSAGE
IN THE LARGER CONTEXT
OF HOW JESUS FULFILLS THE LAW OF LOVE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.
IT IS WAY TOO SIMPLISTIC TO SAY
THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS HARSH AND JUDGMENTAL,
IN CONTRAST TO JESUS,
WHO WAS COMPASSIONATE AND FORGIVING,
AND THAT JESUS’ COMPASSION AND FORGIVENESS
SIMPLY OVERTURN THE HARSHNESS AND CONDEMNATION
THAT WE FIND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
IF WE TAKE THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS SERIOUSLY AS A WHOLE,
AND RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO DISCARD THOSE TEACHINGS
WHICH WE HAPPEN TO FIND UNAPPEALING,
WE ARE FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE OF RECONCILING
CERTAIN TEACHINGS OF JESUS
WHICH, ON FACE VALUE, SEEM TO CONTRADICT EACH OTHER.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IN MATTHEW,
JESUS MAKES THE FOLLOWING BLANKET AFFIRMATION
OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES:
“IF YOU THINK I’VE COME TO SET ASIDE THE LAW OF MOSES
OR THE WRITINGS OF THE PROPHETS, YOU’RE MISTAKEN.
I HAVE COME TO BRING TO PERFECTION
ALL THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN.” (Matthew 5:17)
IN LIGHT OF THIS BLANKET AFFIRMATION
OF OLD TESTAMENT LAW,
JESUS SEEMS TO BE ABOUT THE BUSINESS
OF SETTING ASIDE THIS VERY LAW
IN TODAY’S READING FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN.
TO UNDO THIS SEEMING CONTRADICTION,
I NEED TO MAKE A FEW GENERAL COMMENTS
REGARDING BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO TESTAMENTS.
THE GIVING OF THE LAW WAS UNDERSTOOD BY THE ISRAELITES
TO BE A GREAT ACT OF LOVE ON GOD’S PART.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE,
WERE CONSIDERED TO BE TEN LIFE-GIVING,
LIFE-PROTECTING “WORDS” FROM GOD TO GOD’S PEOPLE.
THEY PROVIDED A FENCE, SO TO SPEAK,
BEYOND WHICH IT WAS DANGEROUS, EVEN FATAL, TO GO.
MANY OF THE LAWS RECORDED IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES
SEEM OVERLY HARSH TO US TODAY,
BUT IN THEIR OLD TESTAMENT CONTEXT
OF TRYING TO CREATE A STABLE AND JUST SOCIETY,
THEY CAN BE UNDERSTOOD AS WHERE GOD’S LOVE
MET GOD’S PEOPLE AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT IN THEIR HISTORY.
ANOTHER WAY OF PUTTING THIS WOULD BE TO SAY THAT
GOD’S LAW, WHICH IS ULTIMATELY THE LAW OF LOVE,
DOES NOT CHANGE.
BUT UNDER THE INSPIRATION OF GOD’S SPIRIT,
OUR HUMAN UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S LAW OF LOVE
DEVELOPS AND DEEPENS.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE COULD SAY
THAT OUR HUMAN UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S LAW EVOLVES.
(AGAIN, WE BRIEFLY INTERRUPT THIS SERMON
TO BRING YOU THE FOLLOWING:
ONE OF THE GREAT IRONIES OF THE HISTORY OF RELIGIONS
IS THAT THE FORM OF JUDAISM THAT JESUS CRITIQUED
SO STRONGLY IN HIS DAY HAS ITSELF EVOLVED
INTO A FAITH THAT IS MUCH CLOSER
TO THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS.
MUCH OF CHRISTIANITY, ON THE OTHER HAND,
INSISTS ON LOOKING BACKWARDS AND EMBRACING
THE HARSHEST ASPECTS OF OLD TESTAMENT LAW.
IT ARGUES THAT SINCE THESE LAWS ARE IN THE BIBLE
THEY STILL MUST BE OBEYED –
EVEN THOUGH JESUS HIMSELF WENT OUT OF HIS WAY
TO REJECT THEM.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK 3500 YEARS
AND RETURN TO THE MALE-DOMINATED PATRIARCHIAL
LAW CODES THAT KEPT WOMEN IN THEIR SUPPOSEDLY
PROPER PLACE.
WHAT WOULD THIS LOOK LIKE IF IMPLEMENTED?:
AMERICAN WOMEN WOULD EFFECTIVELY BECOME
THE PROPERTY OF THEIR HUSBANDS, MIRRORING
THE WAY WOMEN ARE NOW TREATED IN AFGANISTAN.)
MANY WOULD SAY THAT GOD’S DEEPEST AND HIGHEST
EXPRESSION OF LOVE WAS EMBODIED – INCARNATED –
IN THE PERSON OF JESUS OF NAZARETH.
BACK TO OUR QUESTION:
HOW, THEN, DOES JESUS FULFILL GOD’S LAW
WHEN HE SEEMS TO BE SETTING IT ASIDE?
TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION
WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES THE FURTHER QUESTION:
“WHAT DOES FULFILLMENT MEAN IN THE CONTEXT
OF FULFILLING THE LAW?”
ARE WE LIMITED TO AN EQUIVALENCY DEFINITION OF FULFILLMENT,
IN WHICH EACH OF THE 613 COMMANDMENTS
RECORDED IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES MUST BE OBEYED EXACTLY?
OR CAN WE CLAIM A PARADOXICAL FULFILLMENT
OF ALL 613 COMMANDMENTS IN THE PERSON OF JESUS HIMSELF,
SPECIFICALLY IN THE FORGIVENESS THAT HE FREELY OFFERS?
IN PHRASING THE QUESTION THIS WAY
IT’S OBVIOUS THAT I THINK WHAT I’VE JUST CALLED
“PARADOXICAL FULFILLMENT” IS THE WAY TO GO.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A STRONG PARALLEL HERE
WITH NEWTONIAN PHYSICS BEING PARADOXICALLY FULFILLED
IN QUANTUM PHYSICS.
QUANTUM PHYSICS DID NOT NEGATE
THE TRUTH OF NEWTONIAN PHYSICS,
IT SIMPLY SUBSUMED THE TRUTH OF NEWTONIAN PHYSICS
INTO A HIGHER ORDER.
IN MUCH THE SAME WAY,
THE LESSER PERFECTION OF OLD TESTAMENT LAW
IS SUBSUMED INTO THE HIGHER PERFECTION
OF JESUS’ LAW OF LOVE.
IF THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF GOD’S LAW
WAS TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO LIVE TOGETHER IN SHALOM
BY LIVING LIVES OF WHOLENESS AND INTEGRITY,
WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES HOW THAT SHALOM,
HOW THAT FULLNESS OF LIFE WITH GOD, NEIGHBOR, AND SELF
ACTUALLY COMES INTO BEING.
ONE OF THE GREAT INSIGHTS OF JESUS
IS THAT THE LAW, IN AND OF ITSELF,
HAS NO POWER TO BRING ABOUT ITS OWN FULFILLMENT.
JESUS CONTRASTS THIS POWERLESSNESS OF THE LAW
TO FULFILL ITSELF
WITH THE POWER THAT HE GIVES TO THE WOMAN
IS OUR READING FROM JOHN’S GOSPEL WHEN JESUS SAYS TO HER:
“I CERTAINLY DON’T CONDEMN YOU EITHER.
GO, AND FROM NOW ON, BE FREE FROM A LIFE OF SIN.”
THINK BACK TO HOW I BEGAN THIS SERMON
WITH THE STORY OF HOW FINLAND OVERCAME
ITS PROBLEM WITH HOMELESSNESS:
IT SOLVED THE PROBLEM BY GIVING ALL ITS HOMELESS PERSONS
A HOME FIRST,
WHILE EVERYONE ELSE WAS PUTTING
THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL SORTS OF REQUIREMENTS
AS THE NECESSARY CONDITION OF EARNING A HOME.
THERE IS AN EXACT PARALLEL HERE
WITH WHAT JESUS HIMSELF DOES.
RELIGION TEACHES THAT FORGIVENESS MUST BE EARNED.
THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT MUST BE MET
BEFORE FORGIVENESS CAN BE OFFERED.
JESUS DOES ANOTHER MASTERFUL MARTIAL ARTS MOVE HERE
AND FLIPS THIS WHOLE UNWORKABLE SYSTEM ON ITS HEAD.
HE OFFERS GOD’S FORGIVENESS FIRST,
KNOWING THAT THE REALITY OF GOD’S
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND FORGIVENESS
IS THE ONLY POWER IN THIS UNIVERSE
CAPABLE OF EMPOWERING A BROKEN PERSON
TO BEGIN OR BEGIN AGAIN A JOURNEY TOWARD WHOLENESS.
IN CASE AFTER CASE IN THE GOSPELS, JESUS OFFERS FORGIVENESS
WITH ABSOLUTELY NO STRINGS ATTACHED.
THE PERSON WHOM JESUS FORGIVES REMAINS FREE –
FREE TO EMBRACE THE HEALING REALITY OF GOD’S FORGIVENESS
AND TO BEGIN OR TO CONTINUE LIVING IN AND FROM
THE REALITY OF GOD’S LOVE –
OR FREE TO PLAY GAMES WITH GOD’S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS,
SIMPLY GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF
ACCEPTING GOD’S FORGIVENESS WITH NO REAL INTENTION
OF ALLOWING GOD TO EMPOWER ONE TO CLEAN UP ONE’S ACT.
RETURNING TO OUR QUESTION OF HOW JESUS FULFILLS,
OR PERFECTS THE 613 COMMANDMENTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT,
THE ANSWER WOULD BE THAT HE FULFILLS AND PERFECTS THEM
BY GIVING PEOPLE THE POWER TO LIVE THEM,
AND THAT HE GIVES PEOPLE THE POWER TO LIVE THEM
BY GIVING THEM GOD’S OWN LOVE AND FORGIVENESS.
AND THE RESPONSE THAT JESUS HOPES FOR FROM US
AFTER RECEIVING GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND LOVE
IS NOT THAT OF BECOMING A “PERFECT” PERSON OVERNIGHT.
JESUS KNOWS HUMAN NATURE WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW
THAT MOST REAL CHANGE AND GROWTH IS NOT IMMEDIATE,
BUT GRADUAL.
JESUS IS SIMPLY REFLECTING THE UNCONDITIONAL NATURE
OF GOD’S OWN FORGIVENESS WHEN HE TELLS PETER
THAT HE MUST BE WILLING TO FORGIVE SOMEONE
WHO SINS AGAINST HIM NOT SEVEN TIMES,
BUT SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN TIMES – OR UNCONDITIONALLY,
JUST LIKE GOD. (See Matthew 18:21-22)
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA IS SIMPLY ECHOING JESUS IN THE GOSPELS
WHEN SHE REMINDS US THAT
“FORGIVENESS IS THE FOUNDATION OF GOD’S BEING.”
WE CAN SAY THAT GOD’S FORGIVENESS
IS THE DEEPEST AND HIGHEST FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S LAW
BECAUSE GOD’S FORGIVENESS IS THE ONLY REALITY
CAPABLE OF EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO STRIVE TO LIVE GOD’S LAW,
WHICH, ULTIMATELY, IS THE LAW OF LOVE.
OF COURSE THE LOVE WHICH JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT
IS A LOVE THAT GOES WELL BEYOND SIMPLY FEELING GOOD
AND EMBRACES UNCOMPROMISING, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
TOWARD GOD, NEIGHBOR, AND SELF.
IT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED OVER AND OVER AGAIN
THAT THE THREAT OF REJECTION AND PUNISHMENT
DOES NOTHING TO HELP A PERSON CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.
IN FACT, THIS PUNITIVE APPROACH DOES EVERYTHING
TO HELP A PERSON CHANGE FOR THE WORSE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED
OVER AND OVER AGAIN
THAT LOVE AND FORGIVENESS ARE THE TWO BEST CATALYSTS
FOR PERSONAL AND SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION.
MANY OF US UNDERSTAND JUST HOW TRUE THIS IS
FROM OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
JESUS UNDERSTOOD THESE DYNAMICS.
HE HAS THE HIGHEST RESPECT FOR GOD’S LAW,
GOING SO FAR AS TO SAY
THAT HE DID NOT COME TO REJECT IT,
BUT TO FULFILL, OR PERFECT IT.
BUT HE ALSO KNOWS
THAT THE LAW, IN AND OF ITSELF,
CANNOT BRING ABOUT ITS OWN FULFILLMENT.
ONLY GOD’S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS
CAN EMPOWER A PERSON TO STRIVE TO LIVE GOD’S LAW,
A LAW WHICH IN ITSELF IS LIFE-GIVING AND GOOD.
ONE COULD GO SO FAR AS TO SAY
THAT THE MOST CONCRETE EXPRESSION OF GOD’S LOVE FOR US
IS FORGIVENESS,
GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ALL ALIENATED OURSELVES
FROM GOD, NEIGHBOR, AND SELF,
AND STAND DESPERATELY IN NEED OF FORGIVENESS,
WHICH IS JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR RESTORATION.
BY NOT CONDEMNING THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY,
JESUS IS SHOWING US THAT GOD’S DEEPEST WILL
IS NOT REJECTION, BUT LOVE,
NOT PUNISHMENT, BUT RESTORATION.
AMEN.