Sermon for November 2, 2008

 

Scripture: Matthew 23:1-12

Rev. Christopher Fazel “Morality”

 

I would argue that this section in Matthew is in the middle of a much longer section that covers two and a half chapters, in which Jesus delivers a discourse on morality. In this section, Jesus (much in the style of Socrates) engages in a series of debates with, and in some sections tirades against, the standard-bearers of the moral codes of his day – Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes. So, I would expect that this entire section is rich in insight concerning how Jesus Christ understood morality.

Now, to be sure, the word morality does not appear in this section. In fact, the word morality does not appear in our entire Bible. The word “morality” comes from a Latin word, “moralitas” and it means "manner, character, or proper behavior." So morality is something akin to “minding your manners.” Moralities are the codes of social interaction that hold a social group together. They range from such social conventions as the shaking of hands and “Good day to you” to entire legal codes prohibiting theft, murder and bearing false witness, and everything in-between. The purpose of moralities is to encourage the good and prohibit the bad. Good and bad are determined by general consensus on what builds up or tears down the perceived health of the social group – be it a tribe, a religion, a nation, or a wide-ranging culture. In that way, moralities function in social groups much like the liver and kidneys function in the body. They circulate and purify the good by filtering out the bad. 

At least that’s how they’re supposed to work. However, in this great debate between Jesus and the moral conservators of his day, Jesus points out that moralities can become toxic. Indeed Jesus at his most dramatically prophetic denounces their moralities as rotten and in need of replacement. If you really want to read some fiery rhetoric, read this section – especially the “Woe to you “paragraphs in chapter 23. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in you stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!” You see, addressing the filtering function of morality, Jesus is saying, “Your morality is not filtering right. It has become hardened around specific dos and don’ts and has become ineffective in preserving justice, mercy and faith.” Jesus understands that moralities themselves are not the good. They are social organisms that are intended to preserve the good. But once those social organisms come to be regarded as the “Good,” itself, moralities can morph into objects of idolatry. Or to follow the liver metaphor, they become cirrhotic – as in “cirrhosis of the liver.”

Now Jesus ends this tirade with a warning and a promise, and it goes like this: “For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” Man! What does he mean by that? Well, I’ll tell you what I think it means. Like a liver, a morality has a great ability for self-renewal. And in this closing statement, Jesus tells us how to heal and how to maintain in good health, a living morality. And here’s how to do it. One and all must resist the temptation to rest comfortably within a fixed moral code, and instead train your hearts and minds to seek and to recognize the Good when it appears among you. 

The Good will often challenge existing moral structures, because the Good is life, and life is always change. God is still speaking, and moral structures must learn to listen. As John Denver said, “Some answers are no longer true.”

So, then we must ask, “How are we to recognize the Good when we see it?” And for the answer to this question, Jesus and the New Testament, and the Bible in general are quite handy. The Bible is quite clear in describing the ideals that emanate from and lead to the Good. Paul is particularly good at summarizing these ideals, and Galatians 5:22 is among his best, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” This is a thorough, though not exclusive, list of the ideals our faith and scripture hold up as expressions of the Good that we call God. 

As stewards of a healthy morality, we must apply these lenses to the world that appears among us, if we are to determine what is good. For example, in the area of domestic relationships, we must not stop with the question, “What does our moral structure tell us about who should or should not form domestic relationships?” We must ask in addition, “In which relationships do I see the evidence of -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?” Once we have identified the flourishing of those ideals within a domestic relationship of whatever mix of gender, race, religion, or economic factors, we must affirm that it is good. Our own Biblical parameters lead us to that conclusion. On the other hand, if these ideals are not in evidence, then such a relationship is not as healthy as it could be, no matter how conventional it appears. 

Or take religion. Religious groups who manifest these ideals must be good, regardless of their forms and customs. Conversely, if a religion fails to manifest these ideals, then not even the name of Jesus will keep it from turning to dross.

The moral code must always be responsive to the evidence of the ideals that reveal the Good. If and when we learn to recognize the presence of the Good among us, we will remain safe from a cirrhotic morality that strains out gnats and swallows camels. Then we will be able to sing together, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” Thanks be to God. Let us pray.

First Congregational United Church of Christ of Anoka • 1923 Third Avenue South, Anoka, MN 55303 • 763-421-3375