As preached by Brother Luke
Holy Wisdom Church
Holy Wisdom Church
The Egyptian
novelist and Nobel Prize winner, Naguib Mahfouz, wrote a novel set in Pharaonic
times entitled Akhenaten:
dweller in truth[1]
Probably more people remember his wife Nefertiti, in part because of the
mystery surrounding her missing tomb and the popularity of her figurine in the
tourist trade. But the Pharaoh was famous, or infamous, because he chose to
break away from the pantheon of ancient Egyptian gods and to worship one god,
Aten the sun disc, a god of love, peace and joy. His faith was in a
monotheistic god. This was heresy in Egypt, a movement away from the gods of
war and power. The security of the state was at stake. This Pharaoh paid the
price for his heresy. Today’s scripture readings would not have been well
received in ancient Egypt.
This struggle
between War and Peace is in the West too. I have been drawn to a series of
novels by Peter Tremayne set in 7th century Ireland. The heroine is
known as Sister Fidelma, who is at once a religious, a high level legal
official and the sister of the King.[2]
Christianity in Ireland at that time was known as the New Faith, as
distinguished from the old gods. And many people still adhered to the old ways
and the old gods and this is repeatedly brought out in the stories. Even some
adherents to the New Faith were drawn to the judging and war like god of the
Old Testament rather than the God of love and compassion that we are reminded
of in todays readings. Are people today any more ready to believe in a God who
is love than were people in ancient times?
If love were
not suspect enough, love your enemies is off the charts. No chance that would
become a popular idea. So, how might we understand this text? Abraham Mitrie
Rihbany, a Syrian, of Orthodox Christian
heritage, who became a Presbyterian minister, migrated to America in 1891. He
was a popular preacher and speaker and his book: The
Syrian Christ[3]
is based on a series of articles he wrote for the Atlantic Monthly. In the
book, his goal is to shed new light on the meaning of scripture by putting the
biblical language into the local cultural context. This he does primarily by
referring to Arabic and Hebrew expressions.
On this
morning’s Gospel passage he recalls hearing a Western preacher refer to this
quote from the “Sermon on the Mount” as the “Sarcasm on the Mount” since loving
one’s enemies is not humanly possible. This conclusion follows from a
misunderstanding of the language. Rihbany points out that the word for love in
Arabic and Hebrew covers a wide variety of meanings. Other words, such as
“like”, do not exist in Arabic or in the Bible. So love can simply mean like or
approve, or be favorably inclined toward, it can also mean to have good-will
toward or to be well disposed toward.
Of course it can also mean love in its truest sense.[4] The text implies that what we are called to do is a matter of the will. Love, however, is something that flows from the soul and is not of our doing. Love cannot be by command.
Of course it can also mean love in its truest sense.[4] The text implies that what we are called to do is a matter of the will. Love, however, is something that flows from the soul and is not of our doing. Love cannot be by command.
However, to do
right by others is within our power. This is what Jesus is calling on us to do
in this text. He is not asking us to do something that is humanly impossible.
When we feel we have been wronged by someone, a reflexive desire to strike back
can well up in our hearts. Acting on that is a matter of will. Jesus is telling
us love is the better path rather than hate. We are called to be a redeemer and
a builder not a destroyer.
Remember the
story about the woman caught in sin. The crowd gathered with the intent to
stone her. Jesus does not scold them or rebuke them or drive them away, he
simply asks that the one without sin cast the first stone. No one did. The
realization spread through the crowd that we are all sinners. We are one with
the very person we despise, we accuse, we condemn, the one our emotions taunt
us to hate. But as Pogo says: “we have met the enemy and he is us!”
So, when the
urge to strike back at someone we perceive as a threat, as an enemy in the
biblical language, wells up inside us, Jesus is cautioning us to back away from
that urge and instead choose the path that can bring reconciliation, as St Paul
reminds us. Jesus is challenging us to choose to make the situation better and
not worse.
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
