Luke 6: 27-36
Tomorrow is Memorial Day. It is a solemn day of remembrance and honoring those who have made the supreme sacrifice of giving their lives for those things that make this country great. Things like life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the principle that all peoples are created equal. Wherever and whenever these things have been threatened, there have been men and women who have stepped forward and answered the call. This Monday, we specifically honor them and pay to them the respect and remembrance they so richly deserve.
One Sunday morning the pastor noticed little Johnny was standing staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. The young man of seven had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up and stood beside him and gazing up at the plaque he said quietly, “Good morning son.”
“Good morning pastor” replied the young man not taking his eyes off the plaque. “Sir, what is this?” Johnny asked.
“Well son, these are all the people who have died in the service”, replied the pastor. For some time, they stood together silently, staring up at the large plaque.
Little Johnny’s voice was very quiet when he asked, “Which one sir, the 8:30 or the 10:30?”
Life can be hard. War and military conflict make it worse. Service can indeed be fatal. And even if it’s not, there’s still the Bad pay, bad chow, bad conditions, loneliness, boredom, and the list goes on and on. Hey ma, I really do wanna go home. Being a soldier, being in the service, is a sacrifice under any circumstances and our people in uniform deserve a couple of special days when we stop and recognize their role in our lives. I would submit to that only you folks who have endured the military really understand the price you pay.
The saddest part of Memorial Day is that it will continue to be a holiday we will recognize and acknowledge. For we will always need a military. I do not know if the sixth commandment applies to war but I do know that God abhors killing and murder in all its forms. Yet, it is absolutely impossible for me to envision a world without armed warriors to defend that world and keep it free. It is an odd and awful thing that it is only by the threat of violence that peace can be kept and one can hardly believe that that is how God wanted the world to be. To really do justice to memorial day and the people we honor on this day, we should commit ourselves to peace and seeking real lasting peace throughout the world. Yet, In spite of our disarmament treaties with the Russians, we still have the nuclear capacity to destroy the world many times over. All for the sake of peace. Our current armed forces are 90% larger than the armed forces we had at the beginning of World War II. All for the sake of peace. There is always someone, some country who wants to dominate, not cooperate. There is always some group, like the pirates off of Somalia who believe hijacking and kidnapping and terrorism is a legitimate business. There are some who look for supremacy not equality. They look to conquer, not befriend. They were not taught to share as children, they were taught to take what they want by whatever means necessary. They don’t know how to play with others. They don’t know how nor do they want to be fair. They only know how to abuse, hurt, and kill. Very simply, they don’t know how to get along. They rule by power, intimidation, and domination. Peace, real peace, is just not in their dictionary. In fact, peace is their enemy. Yet, to truly honor those who have given their lives for peace, peace is what we must seek.
Jesus had many enemies. Did you ever wonder why? The answer is easy. Throughout Jesus message, in fact throughout the Bible, we are told over and over that our God is a God of peace. Jesus speaks again and again a message of peace, yet in the end, this message brings him to the cross. What does the world have against peace? Isn’t peace good for everyone? That answer is simple. No, peace is not considered good by everyone. Jesus message of peace threatened to undo the world order. Jesus message of peace goes far beyond being a soldier or an instrument of war. Jesus message of peace goes far deeper than whether or not you wear the uniform of a soldier. Jesus message is meant to go to the heart but the heart is the most well guarded human institution of all. Think of the neighbor who is impossible to get along with and will not change. Think of the cantankerous co-worker who is cranky and difficult all the time. Give them some power and how do you think its going to be used? What about the bullies that had to be endured all through school and the hazing that goes on on college campuses? We would like to think these people have changed as adults but psychology proves they do not. Their hearts remain as they have made them: dominating, power seeking, angry, and dangerous.
There are two levels of peace. There is the peace that has to do with the relationships of people. This is our external peace. This is the peace brokered by the United Nations. This is the peace we keep armies for. This is a fragile peace: a peace that breaks down, a peace that is not always reliable. It is a peace backed by the threat of a strong army. This is the peace between nations. And I doubt that nations can relate to each other in any other way.
Yet individuals deal with each other with very similar methods. People use force: people use intimidation: people use stealth, people use manipulation and dishonesty: all to get what they want, sometimes with hardly a thought about cooperating and getting along. The problem for the follower of Jesus is that you do not have that luxury. Hebrews 12:14 tells us to make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy. . . “ You, as a follower of Jesus, are called to do all you can to live in holy peace with all people. This holy qualifier means that not everyone is going to like you because not everyone wants peace. Being a reverend, I can tell you, I am not always the most popular person around. People feel they must change their behavior in my presence. They stop swearing. They stop talking nasty. I appreciate the respect but it would mean more if they had that respect for God and what he wants of them. I would say that they change their behavior because they are scared. It’s almost like I was going to tell on them or something. OOOO, I’m telling God on you!! That’s not peace. That’s trying to behave because you think you’re going to get punished if you don’t. That’s why people didn’t like Jesus. His very existence condemned their lifestyle. His call for real peace, both within and without put a military based society in a very uncomfortable position.
We relate to each other in peace or in violence, in love or in hostility. We can deal with each other in the love, grace, and honesty given to us by God or we can strive for what we want with whatever way is available to us. But Jesus did not give us that option. Jesus said: 27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”Luke 6. You know, I think these are the hardest words that Jesus ever said. There are people I don’t like. There are people who I think have treated me poorly and I don’t want to love them. I certainly don’t want to bless them and if I pray for them, what I really want is to ask God to have them get in a car accident. What do you think of that? I am hardly being peaceful because the violence in my heart won’t allow me to be. I want my enemy to experience bad times and harm because I think that’s what they deserve.
Most of you know I’m a school teacher until June 17. To many kids, that makes me their enemy. But let me fill you in, there are a number of kids that I consider my enemy. They spend most of their energy trying to tick me off instead of doing their schoolwork. It’s really hard to not just write them off. It’s really hard to do the right thing and pray that they get it! It’s very difficult to continue to see them day to day and to love them like Jesus does. It’s very difficult for me to apply this section of scripture to these kids because I don’t want to. Jesus tells me here that when I am treated badly, I must respond in what to me, is a totally unnatural, peaceful, friendly, loving way.
We usually interpret verse 31 which says: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” as a rule to be nice to people. We call it the golden rule, don’t we. And I think to a certain degree, we try to follow it by putting it forth as a principle for everyone to follow. But in the biblical context, Jesus is putting this principle forward as the way to respond to those who have already been mean to you and treated you unjustly. That makes it very different. That makes it a very difficult piece of scripture. We want to do to others as they have done to us. Somebody hits us, we want to hit them back. Somebody steals from us, we won’t ask them what else they want. Someone is our enemy, we do not bless them. Yet Jesus is saying that that is exactly what we must do. The road to a peaceful world and a peaceful heart is found in love, mercy, and forgiveness. This Memorial Day, let us honor those who died for peace by making a commitment to peace.
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
