"Family Matters" - Luke 6:27-38 (February 24, 2019)

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Luke 6:27-38

‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

  ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

  ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’

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While strolling through my facebook feed a few days ago, I stumbled across this quote from an Episcopal bishop named Gene Robinson:  “It’s funny, isn’t it? That you can preach a judgmental and vengeful and angry God and nobody will mind. But you start preaching a God that is too accepting, too loving, too forgiving, too merciful, too kind… and you are in trouble.”

That quote, in my mind, is a perfect representation of why today’s passage from Luke’s gospel might just be one of the most controversial portions of the entire book.  I say this because so much of its wisdom flies in the face of much of the tenor of our current national discourse.

Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you, Jesus says while I struggle to love those who think I’m some sort of entitled and selfish millennial.

Bless those who curse you and pray for those who abuse you, Jesus says while we fight over petty things that really don’t advance the Kingdom of God.

If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, Jesus says while our president tweets childish insults to anyone who criticizes him.

From anyone who takes away your coat, do not withhold even your shirt, Jesus says while I have far more coats in my closet that I need.

Give to everyone who begs from you, Jesus says while 1 in 6 Kentucky residents don’t know where their next meal will come from.

Now, before we go any further, I have to make a pastoral disclaimer whenever I preach on this text.  This language we are working with - “love your enemy,” “turn the other cheek” - is in NO WAY intended to excuse or dismiss abusive behavior.  Any preaching on this text that either explicitly or implicitly suggests that someone in an abusive relationship should just get over it and accept it is a gross misrepresentation of this passage.  

Rather, this passage is a continuation of the “wisdom talks” Jesus is giving to the crowd on the level place we were talking about last week.  This passage is about the new kind of family that Jesus is calling his followers to be, a family that conducts itself in a way that is radically different from the culture that surrounds them.

The folks that Jesus was preaching to on that plain knew oppression and retribution all too well.  If a Roman soldier came knocking on your door, it was likely that you were about to get arrested, fined, or otherwise assaulted.  If you were a woman and you were sexually assaulted, your husband could legally divorce you and you might have to resort to prostitution to survive.  If you owed one hundred dollars in taxes and the tax collector demanded 200, you either had to hand it over to him or go to jail.  This was a world where oppression and corruption were rampant.

Jesus, in his exhortation to exercise such radically non-violent behavior, was turning the tables and encouraging his followers to not fight fire with fire.  

And such non-violent responses to violence are usually ridiculed when such movements first begin.  But soon the powers that be stop laughing and start worrying.  They start bringing out the fire hoses.  They start calling the press the enemy of the people.  They start sending in the national guard when black children start to enter a school building.  They start beating and lynching.  History is riddled with examples of political entities, such as the Romans, being humbled by the power of a large group of people exhibiting Jesus’ mandate to non-violent resistance.

And whether you realize or not, just by being in this very room this morning makes you a part of a non-violent resistance, pushing back against a culture that endorses many forms of oppression.  According to this passage, the Christian narrative does not care whether or not someone deserves healthcare, or clothing, or food.  According to this passage, the Christian narrative does not waste any time demanding for a co-pay before giving care.  According to this passage, the Christina narrative considers for-profit prisons to be an abomination.  According to this passage, the Christian narrative has some tough things to say to the credit card and student lending industries.  According to this passage, the Christian narrative is nothing if it is not about restorative justice.

And friends, restorative justice is hard and heavy work.  Restorative justice means doing the work of the Gospel according to Luke, where those in the valley are lifted up.  Remember, Jesus does not give this sermon from on top of a mountain like in Matthew’s Gospel.  Jesus gives these exhortations on a “level place” where all folks have equal access to the kindness and mercy that Jesus implores us to fall in love with.

But at the end of the day, today’s passage is really about the mercy required to do the work of the Gospel.  Here are four examples of how mercy looks like in action.

  • Code/out

  • PCUSA general assembly paying for bail in Louisville - more than $47,000 raised to pay the bail for non-violent misdemeanors here in Kentucky.

  • Lexington free transportation for homeless folks

  • God’s Pantry, GleanKY, The Hope Center, Room In The Inn

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Stephen Fearing

Stephen was born in 1988 in Cookeville, TN, where his parents met whilst attending Tennessee Tech. Shortly after, they moved to Dalton, Georgia where they put down roots and joined First Presbyterian Church, the faith family that taught Stephen that he was first and foremost a beloved child of God. It was this community that taught Stephen that it was OK to have questions and doubts and that nothing he could do could every possibly separate him from the love of God. In 1995, his sister, Sarah Kate, joined the family and Stephen began his journey as a life-long musician. Since then, he has found a love of music and has found this gift particularly fitting for his call to ministry. Among the instruments that he enjoys are piano, trumpet, guitar, and handbells. Stephen has always had a love of singing and congregation song. An avid member of the marching band, Stephen was the drum major of his high school's marching band. In 2006, Stephen began his tenure at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC where he majored in Religion and minored in History. While attending PC, Stephen continued to explore his love of music by participating in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Jazz Trio, as well as playing in the PC Handbell ensemble and playing mandolin and banjo PC's very own bluegrass/rock group, Hosegrass, of which Stephen was a founding member (Hosegrass even released their own CD!). In 2010, Stephen moved from Clinton to Atlanta to attend Columbia Theological Seminary to pursue God's call on his life to be a pastor in the PC(USA). During this time, Stephen worked at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Silver Creek Presbyterian Church, Central Presbyterian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church. For three years, Stephen served as the Choir Director of Columbia Theological Seminary's choir and also served as the Interim Music Director at Westminster Presbyterian Church. In 2014, Stephen graduated from Columbia with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Arts in Practical Theology with an emphasis in liturgy, music, and worship. In July of 2014, Stephen was installed an ordained as Teaching Elder at Shelter Island Presbyterian Church in Shelter Island, NY. Later that year, Stephen married the love of his life, Tricia, and they share their home on Shelter Island with their Golden Doodle, Elsie, and their calico cat, Audrey. In addition to his work with the people who are Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, Stephen currently serves as a commission from Long Island Presbytery to the Synod of the Northeast and, beginning in January of 2016, will moderate the Synod's missions team.