Words for Worship
Ministry Today
Texts:
Matthew 21.33-43
Matthew 5.1-12
The origin of words can be interesting.
Take one that started in medieval Venice. Now, back then that city of crafty merchants knew they needed an injection of capital to refloat their sinking economy. So they hit on the idea of inviting the persecuted Jews of Europe to serenissima with their wealth. The only condition was that they stayed within a walled-in compound. And that prison-like enclave happened to be in an area used for foundry slag. The Venetian slang for slag was - ghetto.
Today the word ghetto carries with it the constant indictment of many nations for their ill treatment of their Jewish citizens over nearly two thousand years. Indeed, we cannot forget that the Nazis tightly packed them into areas of the cities of Eastern Europe during World War II. And these ghettos were but stepping stones on the road to extermination of European Jewry. Because, by 1943, these rancid and overcrowded slums were but holding areas for the death camps.
But what has that to do with the Gospel of Matthew? Well sadly too many have misused its texts to justify this great crime which is a true blot on human history.
Yet when we read Matthew’s work, we notice that whilst it seems to have an anti-Jewish bias - deep down it is intensely Jewish. It employs Hebrew Scripture extensively. It points out that Jewish prophecies were being fulfilled in Christ. It exhibits a detailed knowledge of Israelite ethics and religious behaviour. And it even seems to have a structure based on 5 sections just as does the holiest of Israelite writings.
In fact, it is easy to conclude that Matthew - albeit writing around the end of the first Century in Asia Minor was himself a Jew – a messianic Jew – a Jew who accepted Christ as Saviour and Lord. And it is only when we grasp this fact, do we start to understand what we need to understand about Matthew’s good and bad news to a gentile world.
For you see it is now believed that Matthew was a member of a small Jesus believing community who were breaking away from their parent synagogue. And just as all schisms invariable end up being enormously painful and stressful - so it was here. Therefore Matthew wrote to encourage his fellow Jewish Christians and tell them how to proceed with confidence into a very big and very hostile world.
And he starts out by saying what many religious break away groups realise. That is their new religious community must be morally as well as spiritually better than what they were leaving behind. And that meant, to him, not a slavish and pedantic obedience to the letter of the law. Instead he was a calling for a wholehearted living out of the spirit and essence of the law. Since, that is the very way of living encouraged by the profound ethical teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. That is the way of living that leads to the truly holy life which is tolerant, merciful and peace-making and which is wholesome by reaching out to the stranger and different amongst us. That is the way of living that does beautiful things simply because we want to be righteous gentiles in the sight of God.
Because at the end of the day, Matthew goes on to emphasise, that such deeply heartfelt behaviour alone brings the law to full perfection. That it is this behaviour, alone, which demonstrates that we are genuinely different from our unbelieving neighbours. More important still, it is only this sort of eye-striking behaviour that does mission for the Lord. Since it is our lifestyle that get others to sit up and take notice; that entices curious to want what we have and that has any hope of meeting Christ’s final command. The edict that Matthew sums up at the end of his Gospel, when he wrote – Go and make disciples of all the nations and teach them obey every this I have commanded.
Richard Wilson is well-known as the grumpy old party in ‘One foot in the grave’. And it was from that series his infamous catchphrase arose. Since he greeted every sling and arrow of outrageous fate with the words – I don’t believe it. Yet he also admits people ask him to say another of his exclamations. It comes from his playing Eddie Clockarty of Carntyne Promotions in the rock opera Tutti Fruiti. For he constantly summoned his cheeky – in Glaswegian galas’ – assistant with the cry – Miss Toner. But Miss Toner was not without her quips either. For once on a train with Eddie he shouts to the other passengers he’s wi me, Am no wi him!
Well, as I remark every Christmas, Matthew’s gospel if had a subtitle - it would be – God with us. For, he wrote nearly every line to highlight Christ’s incarnation as the Son of God. Yet, Matthew in our first lesson does give us a warning as well. Since, he is in no doubt that Christ died to overcome the effects of our failings and misdemeanours. However, we in turn, debase that sacrifice when we fail even to attempt to approach to Olympus of the beatitudes; when we personally do not confront our prejudices; when we allow bigotry influence our community and when we fail to oppose those in society who are racist. And it is then we hear God saying – you may think you are with me – but I am certainly not with you!
This week’s BBC4’s thought for the day had on the irrepressible Rabbi Lionel Blue. He finished his talk with a quotation of his grand father. Since apparently he told Lionel that we live in this world as Jews so that we don’t have too in the next. Well, if you are struggling with some aspect of Christ’s teaching, you may feel the same way. For not for nothing is his highest ethical and moral instruction reported by Matthew referred to as the counsels of perfection. Yet even their contemplation alone is valuable. For they ever remind us of what is God’s immutable will. They point us in the way of righteousness for ourselves, our communities and the nations. Moreover, they make attractive all that it means to be a Christ’s disciples in our generation. And above all, they condemn outright the hatreds and compromises that lead to both the mini and major ghettos that blight our species history.
For we live as Christians today not so that we can behave differently in the future. Rather we live as Christians since we have been bought at a great price. We live as Christians to show the world we are different. And supremely we live as Christians, now, so that we are in good practice for the day of all our tomorrows.
Amen
Offering
HYMN………
Matthew