February 18, 2001 7th Sunday after Epiphany

See also:

 

Genesis 45:3-11, 15
I Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50
Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40
Luke 6:27-38

Genesis 45:3-11, 15
Forgiveness is at the heart of divine and human love. The process of forgiveness allows us to transform the past and embrace divine lures that beckon us forward. The influence of the past is profound. Each moment of experience arises from its predecessors, whose influence is the source of both possibility and limitation. Negative streams of experience are especially limiting. We all know persons who "play the victim," identifying their current pain and limitations solely with events that occurred decades before. Forgiveness is the gift of a new vision of the self and its possibilities, a self that envisages itself as an artist and creator of its own experience, one whose previous experiences become the materials for the artistry of each succeeding moment. This commitment to self-creativity and to letting go into the future must be embodied moment by moment, as no doubt it was in Joseph’s life. For Joseph, as well as for ourselves, this commitment to forgiveness and letting go arises from a vision of reality in which the divine purpose is at work even in the most difficult situations.

In Joseph’s adult interpretation of reality, the treachery of his brothers was not random or accidental but reflects the sovereignty of God. "And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve your life." Joseph’s affirmation raises important theological questions: was God responsible for his brothers’ treachery? was his slavery and grief over losing his family God’s will? were his brothers merely the pawns of divine determinism? Or, on the other hand, was God involved in this tightly woven chain of events not as the source of the brothers’ mischief and evil, but as the force working for good in these potentially life threatening situations? While the notion strict divine omnipotence may give comfort to us at times, this comfort is bought at a tremendous spiritual and theological price, for it makes God the source of pain as well as joy, cancer as well as remission, terrorist acts as well as the reconciliation of enemies. As theologian John Hick notes in Evil and the God of Love, our pain can only be justified if a happy ending is insured for all who suffer. For Hick, the evils that contribute to the process of soul-making require salvation beyond the grave.

While process thinkers affirm the possibility of universal salvation in our post-mortem adventures with God, they challenge traditional notions of divine power, including Hick’s, and assert that even the assurance of a happy ending does not nullify the real pain humans and non-humans experience in this present moment and lifetime. Eternal blessedness does not diminish the horror of Auschwitz, the recent genocide in Africa, or the sexual abuse of a child. In a world in which pain is real and often overwhelming, process thinkers affirm the spirit of one translation of Romans 8:28, "in all things God works for good." Joseph can forgive his brothers precisely because he has aligned himself with the divine aim at reconciliation throughout his life – by attending to divine guidance through dreams, by seizing possibilities for service and advancement in Pharoah’s court, by maintaining a hopeful attitude even in prison, and by letting go of his alienation from his brothers.

Recent medical research suggests a forgiveness factor corresponding to the faith factor. Unforgiveness depresses the immune and cardiovascular systems. A heart of stone literally shuts down the energies of life and may even clog our arteries. Letting go of the burdens of the past literally lightens our physical, emotional, and spiritual load, and returns us to a state of wholeness and vivacity. Without contributing to the guilt that many feel over their relationships, this passage can be used as a challenge and encouragement to persons to let go of the past and begin. Regardless of our past, we become a new creation.

As a companion to the sermon, the pastor might invite the congregation to participate in a brief guided meditation in which persons identify old grudges and zones of unforgiveness and then place these burdens in the hands of Jesus. They might even wish to surround their "enemies" with the healing light of God. This prayer exercise could be part of the prayers of confession or a time of silent prayer during the prayers of the people. In either case, the goal of this spiritual exercise is spiritual liberation and not regret over past grudges or lost time spent in harboring ill will.

I Corinthians 15:35-38,42-50
The lectionary’s continuing focus on the relationship of Jesus’ resurrection to our ultimate destiny may, by this point, have tried the theological patient of the rationalists in our midst. But, the focus is not accidental. Christian faith finds its basis in a vision of reality that assures persons that their lives and actions have eternal consequence. Forgiveness is possible only in a world where we can "take up our crosses" with confidence that there is more to life than "getting even" or "winning through intimidation."

Paul is not attempting to describe the mechanics of Jesus’ or our own resurrection. His goal is to place our lives in an eternal perspective. Yet, the preacher must caution her or his congregation that Paul’s emphasis on the enduring "spiritual body" does not nullify the wholistic nature of Christian faith. The reality of the resurrection of the person asserts in the boldest terms that our whole lives matter to God eternally. God’s tender care that nothing be lost includes God’s embrace of our embodied struggles as well as our spiritual aspirations. Authentic Christian theology weaves together spirit and body in a seamless whole. Although the body may die, the impact of embodiment is felt beyond the grave. The image of the spiritual body points that everlasting life in which our whole person finds healing and completion in the continuing adventure of companionship with God beyond this lifetime.

Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40
The Psalm proclaims the radical security which comes from aligning ourselves with God. While the meek seldom appear to inherit the earth in the short term, a life of integrity and spiritual commitment issues in a deep and abiding happiness. "Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will act…be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in a time of trouble." From Socrates to Martin Luther King, sages have proclaimed that it is better to suffer than commit injustice, regardless of the apparent benefits of self-interest. Those who align themselves with God’s aim for their lives will be "rewarded" by the experience of companionship with God in the midst of the many events of their lives. This is not a linear one-to-one correspondence but a pervasive sense of trust that "all will be well" (Julian of Norwich) because God’s plan for our lives is abundance and joy.

The wicked will experience their own "reward" because they have lost connection with God. Like the branches that wither and die (John 15), the wicked are alienated from the vital spiritual wellspring of divine companionship. Still, the "wicked" are not beyond redemption. Those who trust in God are called by their lives and words to share an alternative way of living. Further, we ourselves fall into the path of "wicked" if we see this passage in terms of "us versus them" or the righteous and unrighteous. We are all in this together as we seek to overcome the temptation of self-interest, individualism, and revenge. When our very self-righteousness becomes a weapon to batter our opponent, our "justified" condemnation and violence may blind us to God’s call in our own life.

Luke 6:27-38
Luke’s version of the Sermon of the Mount presents an impossible ethic for the spiritually, emotionally, or relationally immature. The homilist is tempted to warn the congregation with the words, "do not try this at home, or without the proper protective equipment." Jesus’ words are a challenge to our spiritual complacency and our feelings that we have somehow arrived spiritually and ethically. Following Jesus’ call to forgiveness, mercy, and pacifism, requires our commitment to growing into a life-changing view of ourselves and the world. We must be convinced not only intellectually but also emotionally and viscerally that our well-being and the well-being of our neighbor are ultimately one reality. We must grow into the "wisdom and stature" that enlarges our sense of self to include our spouses, children, strangers, enemies, and even the non-human world. Jesus call is for us to become "mahatmas" and "bodhisattvas" whose self embraces the whole world. This is surely the wisdom of Paul’s image of the body of Christ in which all share in the same joy and sorrow, in which our self-actualization as individuals is bound up with the self-actualization of everyone else. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, we are inextricably bound in a web of relatedness: I cannot be what I am intended to be until you become what you are meant to be, and you cannot become what you are meant to be until I become what I am meant to be."

This is an ethic we grow into day by day. Again to use Pauline language, we must embody the transformed mind of Christ in order not to conform to the individualism that issues in acts of retaliation and revenge. This profoundly countercultural ethic is grounded in prayer. During the heat of the Reagan administration’s arms build-up, my wife Kate and I participated in protests at the nation’s capital, sponsored by Sojourners Peace Fellowship. Those who chose to participate in acts of civil disobedience, and oddly enough this meant praying in the rotunda, prepared themselves with personal and small group prayer. Such soul force was incarnate in Christ’s forgiveness of those who crucified him as well as in twentieth century "saints" such as Gandhi and King.

If our character is formed in accordance with our most deeply held beliefs, then Jesus words challenge us to metaphysical transformation. Followers of Jesus explore an alternative vision of reality, which calls us to sacrifice of interests of the small self in order to grow into the fullness of Self that God intends for us.

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