No Exceptions

A Sermon based on Matthew 5:43-48

Jesus taught the people saying, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48 I want to talk with you this morning about what is going on in the world. Id like to talk with you about hatred, terrorism, torture, and genocide. Can you imagine a worse subject for a Sunday morning sermon? If we read the paper, listen to the radio, or watch the news, we cannot avoid hearing about events too horrifying, too tragic, too catastrophic to even imagine. They are happening in Iraq, Sudan, Palestine, Israel, Afghanistan, North Korea, Americaand nearly every other country, region, and territory around the globe. So why, David, do you bring this up now, in church, when we are bombarded with such sickening news every other day of the week? ...Well yes. It is sickeningand I believe we need help with it. Jesus words to us this morning seem to offer us little comfort. Listen again, this time from the NIV Bible which you have at your seats. Jesus says, "...love your enemies and pray for those persecute you." When we consider these words in light of the horrific things that people and nations perpetrate against one another in our world today, they are confusing. They are troubling. Thats putting it mildly. They are outrageous! And so I can imagine that some of us might well be thinking something like this: "Wait a minute, Jesus. You are telling me I should love the terrorists who carried out the unspeakable horrors of September 11th? You are telling me I should pray for the coldblooded killers who targeted hundreds of children and their parents in a Russian school and slaughtered them with the push of a button? How could you ask that of me?! May every one of them burn in hell for what theyve done!" Make no mistake. This is exactly what Jesus is saying to us. At the heart of our faith is a message of love and forgiveness which is so radical, so extreme, it is nothing short of scandalous. If we consider what it would mean to uswhat it would cost usto love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, we might well say to ourselves: "No! Absolutely not! No way!" I suspect that this is exactly how most people in Jesus day reacted when they heard him speak of these things.

So what are we to do with this seemingly impossible teaching of Jesus? Well first I think it is important to understand what Jesus is NOT saying to us. He is not saying, "Like your enemy." Jesus is not telling us what to feel. He is not saying, "Dont feel horrified, anger, pain, or heartbreak at the evil which your enemy is doing." And Jesus is certainly not telling us that the suffering, death, and destruction caused by our enemy is okay. He is not saying that these are things that we are to overlook or excuse. Far from it! This really is evil! Okay, Jesus, were with you so far. But this still doesnt help us understand what you mean when you tell us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. How exactly are we supposed to do that?! Isnt it the truth that we have enough trouble dealing with some of the people we encounter in our every-day lives? Take, for instance, the guy in the car behind you, blasting his horn so youll get out of the way and he can continue driving recklessly through traffic at 85 miles an hour. Or do you remember that inconsiderate shopper who just parked her grocery cart, packed with at least 40 bags and boxes, in the 10-items-or-less Express Line? To our young people who go to school every Monday through Friday, I ask you: How much do you feel like forgiving that bully who has been insulting, punching, and pushing you or your friends around every chance he gets? And for some of you who get up and go to work, theres that tyrant of a boss you have to face every day. And lets not forget those people you never quite see but who you know are there. Because they are always throwing their cigarette butts, empty beer bottles, and other trash on your front lawn. Our lists could get pretty long, couldnt they? Yet in all likelihood, none of these people are terrorists or any other kind of criminal. But the things they do sure can make our blood boil! Which brings us right back to Square One: "How, Jesus, are we supposed to love or pray for any of these people?!" And we hear: Silence. Then suddenly, right out of the blue, it hits us: "Wait a minute. This is just one verse out of the whole Bible. One verse! Maybe we could just sort of skip over it. What do you think? Tempting, isnt it? * * * * * Not long ago I was driving west on Interstate 78. A blue van was in the next lane over, just ahead of me. My eyes were drawn to a bright white bumper sticker where I saw the following words: God Bless the Whole World. Then right below them, in parentheses, it read: (no exceptions). Now thats a switch! Over the past three years, we have become used to seeing God Bless America signs and bumper stickers. And without a doubt, we have heard that song sung many times, on many occasions. That bumper sticker made me think. It is indeed a good thing to call upon our God and ask for Gods blessing upon our country. But what about the rest of the world? Does not this whole crime-filled, war torn, and tragic-but-still-beautiful world desperately need Gods blessingGods helpGods touch? You and I know that it does.

So I ask you today: Can we go beyond God Bless America? Can we also find it in our hearts to say: God bless the whole world? I must admit to you that something about that bumper sticker troubled me. It was those two words in parentheses: (no exceptions). "No exceptions?" Not any? That means "God bless: the drug dealer, the thief, the rapist, the pedophile, the terrorist. "God bless Osama bin Laden." Who could say that? And actually mean it! I bet Jesus could. Could we? Before we answer that question, we would do well to remember that the raging, hate-filled parents who beat the living daylights out of their children right here in our own communitiesthey were once children too. They were once innocent. In almost every case, they faced the savage blows of a brutal parent. Utterly alone. That child, now a violent parent, needs a blessing. The suicide bomber, the torturer, and the cruelest of tyrantsthey were once children too, innocent and good. How they became capable of such evil, we will never know. But that child, now an adult, committing terrible atrocities, needs a blessing. When we become filled with fury and judgment about people and events beyond our understanding... When we would inflict violence on our own children at home or on people we do not know around the world... When we look upon ourselves with hatred and then cover our faces in shame We need a blessing. We all need a blessing. Every last one of us. We may not be ready to ask Gods blessing on Osama bin Laden. Perhaps a better place to begin is with that impatient driver whos blasting his horn at you so youll get out of the way. I cant tell you where to start. Thats up to you. But we must start somewhere. Our whole anguished planet is crying out to be touched...and blessed...and healed by God. May the day come, and may it come soon, when with humble voices we shall say: "God bless the whole world. No exceptions."

AMEN.
Rev. David H. Turner October 3, 2004 Parsippany United Methodist Church 903 South Beverwyck Road, Parsippany, New Jersey