Sixth Sunday of Epiphany

Sunday, February 12, 2023
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Los Alamos, NM

Our Common Lectionary provides this Gospel Text for this Sunday in English, following the excellent translation found in the: New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. However, I find the following text in English (by Eugene H. Peterson of Blessed Memory) an incredible and insightful translation from the Koiné Greek. See footnote.¹

[The text in Greek is found at the end of the Sermon.]

Matthew 5.21-22 [Jesus says to the crowd:] “You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.

23-24 “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.

25-26 “Or say you’re out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don’t lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you’re likely to end up in court, maybe even jail. If that happens, you won’t get out without a stiff fine.

27-28 “You know the next commandment pretty well, too: ‘Don’t go to bed with another’s spouse.’ But don’t think you’ve preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those ogling looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt.

29-30 “Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here’s what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile. And you have to chop off your right hand the moment you notice it raised threateningly. Better a bloody stump than your entire being discarded for good in the dump.

31-32 “Remember the Scripture that says, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him do it legally, giving her divorce papers and her legal rights’? Too many of you are using that as a cover for selfishness and whim, pretending to be righteous just because you are ‘legal.’ Please, no more pretending. If you divorce your wife, you’re responsible for making her an adulteress (unless she has already made herself that by sexual promiscuity). And if you marry such a divorced adulteress, you’re automatically an adulterer yourself. You can’t use legal cover to mask a moral failure.

33-37 “And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.

1Peterson was born on November 6, 1932, in Stanwood, Washington, and grew up in Kalispell, Montana. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Seattle Pacific University, his Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from New York Theological Seminary, and his Master of Arts degree in Semitic languages from Johns Hopkins University. He also held several honorary doctoral degrees. In 1962, Peterson was a founding pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Bel Air, Maryland, where he served for 29 years before retiring in 1991. He emphasized the message of Jesus as being communal rather than individual in its nature. He was the James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, from 1992 to 1998. Pastor Peterson died October 22, 2018 at the age of 85.

Βιος Ρηματα Εργα!
(Life is Words and Deeds)

+ In nomine Domini. Amen.

It is wonderful for Beverly and me to be with you this morning. I am deeply indebted to my Sister-in-Christ Pastor Nicolé for asking me to be here while she is away – it is, as with all things holy, a gift – and I am very grateful.

The Title of this Sermon is in Greek: it reads Βιος Ρηματα Εργα!

A long time ago – (1965) in a State far away (Pennsylvania) – at a magnificent Lutheran University (Susquehanna) – 11 of my friends and I decided that we wished to live off-campus beginning in our Sophomore Year. We approached the Dean with our request, and he said, “Certainly. I have a house for you to live in on University Avenue. But in order to do that, you will have to form a Fraternity. I want to add another Fraternity to those already in existence here at Susquehanna.”

We agreed, and became the Twelve Founding Brothers of a local Fraternity which we called BETA RHO EPSILON – the Greek letters standing for “Brotherhood, Respect, Equality” the principles in which we believed and wanted to live out in our home off-campus.

As we began our Fraternity-Life we knew that in order to induct new brothers into our life together we would need what was called Esoteric Wisdom, that is secret words in Greek that we would whisper to each new Brother, words that would capture the essence of our life together.

All eyes in the room that night turned toward me. I was the only Greek Major at Susquehanna University. I said, “I’ll consult with Dr. Freed.” Dr. Gladys Freed was the head of the Greek Department. She was the sole instructor; and, in time she was the professor who influenced me the most. Frequently I was the only student in her class. We continued a healthy correspondence after I was Ordained. And, before she died, she sent to me several of her books of the New Testament in Greek with her own notes and translations. She is the Saint to whom I pray before I begin translating anything!

After explaining our situation, she said, “Hmm. Beta Rho Epsilon. How about Βιος Ρηματα Εργα. That means –,” She paused, “ Benjamin [she always called me Benjamin], what does it mean?”

I replied, “It means ‘Life is Words and Deeds.”

“Very good,” said Dr. Freed. “See you in class Monday morning.”

Those words have stood by us, the original Twelve, now reduced by death to Eleven. Even though our little local fraternity was adopted by a national group to whom we have no allegiance, each of us have a great allegiance to each other for all these years (these days in a monthly Zoom meeting). The words ring clear to us: Βιος Ρηματα Εργα – Life is Words and Deeds.

And so that is the Title for today’s Sermon: Βιος Ρηματα Εργα – Life is Words and Deeds.

Now, my task is to take these 16 verses from Matthew and speak to them, and speak to you, so that hopefully in doing that the Good News is proclaimed.

Only two portions of this selection appear in any of the other Gospels: the verses on Murder and Anger show up only in the Gospel of Luke; those about Divorce and Adultery appear in all three: Matthew, Mark, Luke. Nothing from this reading occurs in the Gospel of John.

I translated these verses carefully from the Greek. I read them in Latin. I read them in French. I also read this passage in the sterling translation by Dr. Norman Beck currently of Texas Lutheran University in Sequin.

I will not put you into the place of listening to my own explication of the fascinating words in the Greek text – suffice it to say that every sentence that has come to us from the Gospel Storyteller of the First Century CE whom we call Matthew contains a word worthy of an entire Sermon.

Having gone through all these “readings” I then turned to Eugene Peterson’s delightful and insightful THE MESSAGE. It is there that I find it most understandable in terms of Biblical context, Historical context, and Language context. You and I can I believe, best grasp the meaning of this story thanks to THE MESSAGE.

Pastor Peterson was truly a gift to the Church. Many years ago another of my colleagues – Pastor Carl Walker (the son of two of my own parishioners in Santa Fe) passed along to me Peterson’s work The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction. Peterson had just written the book and Carl had just read it during his three-month Sabbatical and he handed it over to me to read for my own Sabbatical that year. Which I did.

After reading the book, I wrote to Peterson a letter of gratitude for what he had provided for us Clergy. Eugene had a peculiar but delightful habit of taking the letter you had sent to him and on the reverse side of it, or around the margins wherever there was room – would write his reply – so when you received his missive in the mail you had not only the very letter you had written him, but the words he had written to you!

He wrote, “I envy you! You must know the joy of being a Parish Pastor!”

I never forgot that, and those words on the opposite side of the letter I had sent him were more than enough to see me through all the years of parish life until I retired – even the times when there was no joy. And beyond!

Peterson knew Greek. He taught it. He understood it – not just the Lexicon, not just the definitions, but the nuances of each word. And, he also understood the faith of the early Christians; he could see it, sense it, know it – and just so that is what comes to us in THE MESSAGE.

I highly recommend each of you find a copy and read through at least the Gospels, if not more.

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So, what is all this about?

Let’s put it all in the context of how Matthew tells the story.

In the previous chapter Jesus experienced his time of fasting and temptation in the Desert, walked out of the Desert into the Galilee and settled himself in Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. There he began his Ministry, calling the first four of his followers: Peter and Andrew, James and John. With them, he goes about talking about the reign of God, it’s goodness and peace, it’s healing and love. People bring all kinds of folks with various illnesses to Jesus.

Our Chapter, chapter 5, begins with the Beatitudes (Blessed are you who are poor in spirit, κτλ.)¹ After changing the way God thinks of people from what the world says or people themselves say, he tells those who are following him that they are like salt, seasoning the world, they are like burning lights, illuminating humankind.

Then he tells them that his purpose is not to destroy God’s Law nor the words of the Prophets, but to fulfill them – and, most especially, that this fulfillment for anyone following him that they should be more righteous than the righteous.

Then come our verses: about Anger, about Adultery, about Divorce, and about making Promises.

Following what we read today, Jesus turns the “eye for an eye” practice upside down and teaches love of neighbor instead of retaliation of neighbor.

And in the next Chapter (6) comes his prayer that we call “the Lord’s Prayer.”

So, there you have the context.

It’s important to know this, to read the Gospel this way, to learn the story this way because – all we get on Sunday mornings are little snippets as it were of the Gospel, and we forget their place in the whole picture.

We should always read the Story this way. Every Sunday when you hear the Gospel read in Church, one of the questions you should have after hearing it is: I wonder what came before and what follows? And you can easily answer that by reaching for a Bible. Which you should do!

Otherwise, you have an incomplete story.

It’s like going to someone who is sobbing and telling them “Stop it!” without first asking “Why?” or “How can I help?” Once you know the reason for the tears, then and only then can you give the comfort that is required. You must go deep and deeper into humanity, and just so also into the Story which you and I carry in our hearts into humanity.

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What Jesus is doing is taking the things that people of faith in his time and his place know very well, and turning them around, even on end, providing a new and compassionate understanding and command.

“You have heard it said,” he remarks; or as Peterson translates, “You’re familiar with the command to the ancients.”

First, Murder. So, as did those in the Galilee in the First Century, we listen and say, “Well I don’t do that; so, I’m good here.”

But Jesus says, “If you are angry with a brother or sister, it’s just as bad. If you call someone Stupid without thinking, or the invective Idiot comes out of your mouth so quickly, you might be liable. “The simple fact is that words kill.”

When I first read this lectionary for today, I thought, Well that’s just enough, maybe I’ll take Pastoral Privilege and end the reading right here and then we can all go home and get ourselves ready for Lent which is coming very soon.

However, the problem with being a preacher in a liturgical tradition is that you cannot just cut and paste, you are driven (by Ordination vows if nothing else) to take all of it – just as Jesus continues to explain “all of it” to the crowd – and when we bring this Story into our midst, explains it to us.

He goes on: “Going to worship? Perfect. Ready to be holy before the Holy One. Wonderful. Did you have a misunderstanding with a friend and that friend is angry with you and you are not so content yourself? Drop everything, go and fix it, then come back and worship God.”

What is more important? Your self-righteous self? Or, making amends?

What if you run into someone – an old enemy comes up to you? Run away? Pass by on the other side? No, Fix it!

Don’t go to be with another’s spouse, but more importantly realize that your heart can be made unholy even without the act itself.

Does Jesus who then goes on to talk about removing eyes and hands, really mean that? Or is it hyperbole, to make you think!!

It’s hyperbole. Because, says Jesus, this is deep, this is serious, the Reign of God which is happening right now in Galilee (and I say right here in Los Alamos and Santa Fe and everywhere else), the loving forgiving compassionate healing Reign of God is only possible when we speak and think and live the truth.

In other words, You and I (We) cannot say I love God, We love God and go around not loving or (worse) ignoring our neighbor. It is not possible, one is linked with the other, one cannot happen without the other.

Look, we come here each and every week to listen to the Story, and then to take a morsel of bread and sip of wine knowing that when we do this the One whom we Follow comes to us, lives with us, lives in us, goes with us.

But, this is only training for what happens when we pass through those doors at the other end of the Nave. If, when we leave, our lives are filled with anger, and suspicion, and lies, and half-truths, and words that hurt – and we live not asking forgiveness, not seeking amends, then we have missed the mark entirely. If when we leave here we do not become (as Martin Luther said in the 16^th Century) “a little Christ to one another” – then we have not heard the Story of the Good News and the Love of God. But when we do, if we do, then in each of us the Reign of God inches closer and closer; and not only are we healed, but those around us as well. And, in fact, the entire world.

My Sisters and my Brothers: Βιος Ρηματα Εργα – Life is Words and Deeds.

May it be so. And let us all say: AMEN.

Deo Gratias (+)

The Rev. Benjamin Larzelere III
Retired

1Κτλ is the Greek way of saying et cetera (etc). It is “Kai Ta Loipa”, lit. “and the rest.”

Matthew 5.21-37

21Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, Οὐ φονεύσεις: ὃς δ’ ἂν φονεύσῃ, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει. 22ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει: ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, Ῥακά, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ συνεδρίῳ: ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ, Μωρέ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός. 23ἐὰν οὖν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κἀκεῖ μνησθῇς ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ, 24ἄφες ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρόν σου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, καὶ ὕπαγε πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, καὶ τότε ἐλθὼν πρόσφερε τὸ δῶρόν σου. 25ἴσθι εὐνοῶν τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ σου ταχὺ ἕως ὅτου εἶ μετ’ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, μήποτέ σε παραδῷ ὁ ἀντίδικος τῷ κριτῇ, καὶ ὁ κριτὴς τῷ ὑπηρέτῃ, καὶ εἰς φυλακὴν βληθήσῃ: 26ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, οὐ μὴ ἐξέλθῃς ἐκεῖθεν ἕως ἂν ἀποδῷς τὸν ἔσχατον κοδράντην. 27Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη, Οὐ μοιχεύσεις. 28ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ βλέπων γυναῖκα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι αὐτὴν ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ. 29εἰ δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔξελε αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ: συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου βληθῇ εἰς γέενναν. 30καὶ εἰ ἡ δεξιά σου χεὶρ σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτὴν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ: συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου εἰς γέενναν ἀπέλθῃ. 31Ἐρρέθη δέ, Ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, δότω αὐτῇ ἀποστάσιον. 32ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ἀπολύων τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας ποιεῖ αὐτὴν μοιχευθῆναι, καὶ ὃς ἐὰν ἀπολελυμένην γαμήσῃ μοιχᾶται. 33Πάλιν ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, Οὐκ ἐπιορκήσεις, ἀποδώσεις δὲ τῷ κυρίῳ τοὺς ὅρκους σου. 34ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως: μήτε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὅτι θρόνος ἐστὶν τοῦ θεοῦ: 35μήτε ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὅτι ὑποπόδιόν ἐστιν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ: μήτε εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, ὅτι πόλις ἐστὶν τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως: 36μήτε ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ σου ὀμόσῃς, ὅτι οὐ δύνασαι μίαν τρίχα λευκὴν ποιῆσαι ἢ μέλαιναν. 37ἔστω δὲ ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν ναὶ ναί, οὒ οὔ: τὸ δὲ περισσὸν τούτων ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐστιν.