From the Daily Lectionary for Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Easter
Matthew 5: 17-20
‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
One of Matthew’s chief concerns is the perceived legitimacy of the Jesus Movement within the tradition of Judaism. The early Gospel scribes took great pains, using typology and other devices at their disposal, to proclaim this movement a re-articulation of their ancient traditions and practice. A ‘new’ religion was not their goal. This was to be a radical renewal of the faith as it had been handed down through the generations. There were myriad faddish cults springing up all around the ancient near east, but for the Gospel writers the Jesus Movement would not be one of them. It would be a revitalization and renewal of the venerable tradition, a renewed orthodoxy.
Matthew is making that point in our reading. Jesus is not preaching and teaching the abolishment of the ‘Law and the Prophets,’ upending the tradition, that is to say, challenging the core of Jewish religious life, but instead his aim is to more thoroughly put it into practice in the face of calamitous occupation by a foreign power, in a time of national despair. Liberation, according to the ancient lore, gave the people of Israel life. So for Matthew, the heart of the tradition and practice is to do justice; to bring about liberating justice in an unjust world order. That has always been the call of the people of Israel, and it seems that when times are the most challenging, that call requires a renewed commitment and fervor.
In the past three readings in the fourth and fifth chapters of Matthew, the scribe uses the word ‘justice’ seven times. Our translation opts for the word righteousness… but justice is the word. The glue, if you will, that holds together the tradition, the ‘Law and the Prophets,’ is that God loves God’s people, and Matthew’s premise is that justice is the means of God’s love in the world; the means by which people may live together in deference to the common good; that shared abundance is the way of life in God’s kingdom. No less in our own time, this premise challenges, convicts the powers that be, whose modus operandi is self-interest. Our faith has always been counter-cultural, but the church has often chosen to keep quiet about it.
Our world is racing towards plutocracy. Wealth is more and more in the hands of the elite few. The middle class is dying. Corporate profits now take precedence over the common good. Surely we know by now that “trickle down” economics is a sham. Our government now has become infrastructure for the powerful and wealthy elite. Our faith that calls for equality, and mutuality, and peacemaking, and shared resources and wealth, is needed now more than ever in the public square. It matters to us that dishonesty is now acceptable among our elected representatives. It matters to us that racism is rampant. It matters to us that people are scapegoated according to social status and class. It matters to us that all people have access to healthcare. It matters to us that we welcome the immigrant. It matters to us that we have fair taxation. Justice matters to us. It is the legacy of the Faith. My hope is that the church reclaim her prophetic role in the world. As costly as it may be, someone has to speak the truth, and do all in her power to make it so.
A Prayer for our Country (BCP p. 820)
Almighty God, who has given us this good land as our heritage: We humbly ask you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless this land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way, Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with gratitude, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
