2 February 2020
Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians
1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12
John Wesley once wrote, “The love of God in Christ
alone feeds His children; but even they are to be guided as well as fed”. In fact, Wesley believed preaching about Divine
Love could be counter-productive unless the Divine Law is emphasized. Even well-intentioned preaching on the love
of God could veer toward a dangerous sentimentalism
and result in the feeding of the disease of sin rather than effecting its cure.
(William Arnett, Professor of Christian Doctrine, Asbury Theological Seminary).
In that spirit, then, I submit what one of my
instructors emphasized. When we think of
“commandment”, we must go beyond the Ten, get past the concept of “rules” or “legalism”,
and learn to appreciate the entire Law of Moses. Then when we roll into the New Testament, we
must consider that every word which comes forth from the mouth of The Lord’s
Messiah – who has said, “The Word you hear is not Mine, but is from the
Father who sent Me” (John 14:24) -has the force of those same “commandments”
which are affirmed and validated – not added to or taken from - in the
Scriptures of the New Testament.
As our Sunday evening study group continues to slog
through Paul’s Letter to the Romans, we are experiencing the perceived
tension between Law and Grace, especially as Paul seems to jump from one foot
to another: “the Law is good and holy and just – BUT – we are not under
law but under grace”. Yet, in
Wesley’s theology, we cannot be true to One if we neglect the Other. That is, it is as dangerous to preach Grace
without Law as it is to preach Law without Grace.
Though it may seem Paul contradicts himself, there is
a consistency we often overlook – especially when we quote Romans out of
context. The penalty for sin –
disobedience to the Divine Law - according to that Law is death. When Christ Himself was put to death, that
penalty was paid.
Yet nowhere in Paul’s letters is it ever stated, or
even alluded to, that the Law itself died.
The Eternal Word of the Eternal God cannot die. This fundamental Truth cannot be
overemphasized as we remember the One who is “the Word which became flesh”,
as declared by John’s Gospel; the One who clearly stated He “did
not come to do away with the Law or the prophets”.
Thinking about the Beatitudes in the context of Law
and Grace, I wonder if we may need to consider these assurances are much more
than distant promises to come for those who suffer. Note the transition from verse 6 to verse 7 (Matthew
5). In the first few verses, Jesus
refers to those who are “poor in spirit”, “who mourn”,
“who are meek”, and “who hunger and thirst for righteousness”.
For these, the blessings to come are Promises
Made. But do we have to die before
these Promises are realized? Heaven
forbid!
When we move into verse 7, the emphasis seems to shift
from those who “suffer” to those who are “merciful”, who are “pure
in heart”, and who are “peacemakers”. That is, we move from Promises Made to
those who suffer and into Promises Kept by those called to address that
suffering. Even still, it should not
escape our notice that Jesus then assures those who will stick their necks out;
i.e., “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of Heaven”.
None of this is to say Jesus is not referring to that
Day of The Lord when the Glory of the Eternal Kingdom will be finally and fully
restored; not at all. But if it is true
that the Gospel is as much about here-and-now as it is about what-is-to-come
– and it must be if it is the Living Word - we are challenged to look at
these beatitudes much more carefully and to consider them as much Promises
Made by Him as they are Promises to be Kept by His own people.
The “dangerous sentimentalism” Wesley
had referred to, which often comes by preaching what we think of as “Gospel” –
that is, all Good News all the time for “me” – comes when we give ourselves
permission to excuse ourselves from the sufferings of others. That is, while we may acknowledge the Promises
Made to be as good for others as they are for us, we do not consider often
enough that delivering on these Promises is the whole of what it
means to be the Body of Christ – which is the Church. It is the Law of The Lord summed up in, “You
shall love your neighbor as yourself”.
It is the Law of The Lord proclaimed in the Gospel
of The Lord!
“Dangerous sentimentalism”
is arrogantly proclaiming “only God knows my heart” while Jesus clearly
states, “From the mouth comes the abundance of the heart”, and
“You will know them by their fruits”. Our hearts for The Lord are revealed
in our works of mercy and piety (worship) as the Divine Heart is concealed
by our lack of mercy and piety. It is
the proclamation that while my cup is full, you need
to get your own.
“Dangerous sentimentalism”
declares justification without sanctification, forgiveness
without repentance, baptism without church
discipline (order and accountability), grace without discipleship
(that is, life apart from Christ), grace without the Law;
all dismissing our need to “go on to perfection”. In the realm of the Beatitudes, it declares
and embraces only for oneself Promises Made but denies Promises must
be Kept by those who are redeemed, who are called to and equipped
for works of mercy, who claim to be called by His Name.
“Dangerous sentimentalism” is
the death of the Methodist movement – which is a people - while trying
to breathe life into the Methodist institution – which is little more
than a human hierarchy contained in and by lifeless buildings. It is Talking the Talk while demanding
and expecting others to Walk the Walk.
Promises Made
by The Lord and kept by those who are called by His Name is our
assurance that the Gospel of The Lord lives now and will endure long after we
have breathed our last. It is disciples
making disciples who are also equipped to make disciples themselves. It is the Commission of The Lord entrusted to
His people. It is the Law. It is the Gospel. It is Christ.
Amen.
