Super Bowl and Lustful Thoughts
This sermon can be listened to here
Gate Pa – 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time- Year A - 2020
Readings:
Psalm
Psalm: 119:1-8
First Reading Deuteronomy 30: 15-20
First Reading Deuteronomy 30: 15-20
Second Reading
1 Corinthians 3: 1-9
Gospel Matthew 5: 21-37
What I want to
say:
What
does it mean for Jesus to fulfil the law? This week we are given examples of
how Jesus reads the law. It is to create a community where all can thrive, not
just the rich and the powerful. Where the poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn
etc… are able to be all God desires for them. This happens when we see and
treat each person as our sister and brother, and when we take responsibility for our reactions to each person.
The
use the reaction to the Super Bowl half time show as an example of both how
this does not happen, and how it might happen.
What I want to happen:
People
to reflect on their own reactions to all this.
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Jesus calls some people who have been engaging
with him
fisherman and others
fisherman and others
inviting them to follow
To embrace a new identity
A new way of seeing the world
To be his disciple
And after a short while he gathers them
Up a hill
Overlooking their world
All they had known of life
Violence always lurking on the edge
Poverty defining each day
The constant demand of upholding honour
Surviving Rome
Paying the masters
And gesturing at this world
he invites them
To imagine a
world where the most important people are:
the poor in spirit,
those who mourn,
the meek,
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
the pure in heart,
the merciful,
the peacemakers,
those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
How
different would this world be?
This is a
world where all flourish
A community
that gathers around all
Where the
common good is held as paramount
Where all
are treated with honour and respect
And given
what they need to thrive
This is not
our world
He finishes with, "Blessed
are you when people revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be
glad, for your reward is great in reign of God,
for in the same way
they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Imagine this world
for a moment
When we imagine THIS
world
Live in this world
Help this world
come into being
Then we are the
salt disc of the earth oven;
helping God’s reign
to bubble away
When we imagine THIS
world
Live in this world
We are light
living the reign of
God
living so others will
see God's goodness.
He continues
Don't think that my
teachings replace or reduce the law and the prophets.
And don't think you
can skip the details.
Details count.
But something more
than the details is also needed.
You must align your
whole self with what God desires
And what does God desire?
This world just described
Held in the
beatitudes
This is the reign
of God
This is what the
law and the prophets are all about
What did you hear?
What stands out?
What surprised you?
What questions do
you have?
How do you want to
respond?
2. He goes on
But
Jesus doesn’t stop there
He goes
on
He offers
examples of what he has been talking about so far
Only
most of the time
Because we cut up the bible into little bits with separate
headings and chapters
And because we chop it up Sunday by Sunday
And because we hardly ever read the whole sermon on
the Mount in one hit
We miss
it
We hear
Jesus doing the very thing he said he was not doing
We hear
him offering a new law.
But
this not a new law
This
is a reading of the law
A reading
based on everything he has said before
E reading
based on the beatitudes
And
the world imagined in them
He
begins with a commandment
-
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times,
o
a way of speaking honourably of one of the commandments
-
‘You shall not murder’; and
‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’
-
But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you
will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be
liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the
hell of fire.
When
our relationship with each other are broken
When
we fail to see the other as our sister or brother
When
we place our own flourishing ahead of everyone else
Then
our community is not all that God desires
The
beatitudes are not lived out
We open
the door to exclusion
Belittlement
Violence
Murder
3. Sexy thoughts
“You
have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
But
I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed
adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it
out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than
for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
How do we
understand this?
Superbowl 2020
half time show
J Lo and Shakira
First time
Latinos have headlined hald time show
Big deal
100 million people
tune into this thing
Huge
Immediate response
was really positive
Shakira and
Jennifer Lopez have officially made history together with their jaw-dropping,
energetic and Latina-powered Super Bowl halftime show.
The Colombian and
Puerto Rican artists spotlighted some of their biggest talents Sunday night at
the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, from Shakira playing various instruments to
J.Lo’s impeccable dance moves.
They also used
their stage time to send a subtle political message when Lopez's daughter Emme
got onstage to kick off her mother's 1999 hit “Let’s Get Loud.” Their
performance brought awareness of the humanitarian crisis at the Southern border
when dark patches of the field were illuminated by several neon structures with
children caged inside.
Latino people across America and beyond
effusive
Loving seeing two idols with 2 biggest Latino
hip hop artists singing Spanish
The Latina powerhouses also paid tribute to
their roots by incorporating different choreography, such as the Afro-Colombian
Champeta and Puerto Rico’s salsa.
“So proud.” “Beautiful.” “Important.”
“Significant.”
All not happy
One Latino writer living in mostly white,
mostly liberal upper middle class area was surprised some neighbours posted on
social networks how uncomfortable they were
-
Lot crotch shots
-
Gyrating hips
-
Skimpy clothes
-
What thing 50 and
43 year olds thinking?
-
Family show
-
What going to
tell their children
Picked up steam
Uncomfortable became outrage
-
“Disgusting!”
“Trashy!” “Slutty!”
-
Corrupting their children
-
Tempting happily
married men
-
Is this what
Jesus talking about in todays passage
-
These women tempting
men to look at these two woman with lust
-
if so they committed
adultery with them in their hearts
One uber Christian commentator thought so
Invited lawyers contact him
Sue J-Lo and Shakira, NFL, and TV network for
putting these thoughts into his head and making him fit for hell.
That is how this passage has been read for a
long time by many people
Some form of that used often rape trials by defence
I know she said no
But she dressed to say yes
She put these thoughts into my client’s head
She has had sex before
This is all her fault!
Still used today trials in this country
Is that really what Jesus meant?
4. Alternative
Not if we put this passage back into context
sermon on mount
Not when we ready beatitudes first
Not if we keep in mind world Jesus is inviting
us to imagine.
Jesus is clearly saying that if we live for
the other
So that all thrive
How we see people and react to people is our
responsibility
"This is how I want you to conduct
yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to
make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you,
24 abandon your offering, leave immediately,
go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work
things out with God.”
So how might men respond to that show?
-
With joy
-
Applauding the
energy and wonder of the show
-
Standing with
their political statements
-
Rejoicing at
Latino culture taking central stage
-
How we respond is
entirely up to us
What about you
What do you think Jesus is saying?
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