“Loving your neighbor as yourself” is a hard commandment to get your mind around especially as we have watched Hamas attack the neighboring country of Israel, and Israel retaliate into Gaza, seeking vengeance and retribution. Innocent children and people have lost their lives and have been injured and there is not an easy answer for Israel or Palestine in this war between Israel and Hamas.
Hatred festers and spills over; Hamas had been planning their surprise and heartless attack for a while. And Israel of course has to defend itself and its people, but how to do that and hold the knowledge of the impact on the innocent, is a task unfathomable, without any simple solutions.
So then to have our Gospel text this morning begin with,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” and for Jesus to reply, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ and a second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”; was a bit jarring. Our current world situation is a present reminder of how we consistently are unable to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Throughout history we have glimpses of individuals being able to love their neighbors and others as themselves, but the commandment does become a little murkier when you attempt to apply the principle to nations and states and world governments. (Which may be a good reminder that we are not responsible for larger application of principles — we are responsible for that which we can control, which are individual daily decisions.)
How would you apply a concept such as loving our neighbor as ourselves in dealing with other nations? Diplomacy and international relations are complex tight-ropes that our government is constantly walking, and “loving your neighbor as yourself” looks much more dubious and complex when approached through the lens of international relations.
But for us individuals, the concept seems more attainable, more doable. To love another, to treat them as we would want to be treated is something I think that is possible.
To love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, that is the greatest commandment,
And a second is like it.
The second is like it.
Jesus was asked for one commandment, but he goes further and adds a second. Somehow loving your neighbor is as important as loving God. Love for God means coming to see other people as God sees them. All are objects of God’s love. To love God with all your being, you must love others.
The command to love your neighbor as yourself is from Leviticus 19:18. And, not many verses later, we find the command to love the alien (stranger) as ourselves (Leviticus 19:34): “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
You remember the nation of Israel down in Egypt, the brothers went to find food, and found their brother Joseph. For four hundred years we are told, they were enslaved Egypt. And then Moses was raised up by God to lead the people out of Egypt.
Moses in Deuteronomy today has reached the end of his life. He has led God’s people out of slavery, parted the Red Sea, provided for them along the way, dealt with their grumbling, and provided the 10 Commandments for them. He has had a pretty stellar career, but he has had a mishap along the way. And a reminder for each of us, to not think to highly of ourselves lest we fall.
In Numbers 20, God commands Moses to bring water to the people by speaking to a rock. Instead, Moses speaks to the people and strikes the rock with his staff, twice. Moses did not follow God’s command, and God reprimands Moses, informing him that he would be prohibited from entering the land; the Promised land that the people had been hoping for and Moses had been working toward.
This punishment seems harsh, especially considering that the water shortage experienced in Numbers 20 is a repeat scene. (and of course, Moses’ faithful, unswerving obedience up to this point).
The absence of water, the grumbling of the people, and rocks providing water, are all part of the same situation described in Exodus. In Exodus 17:1-7, Israel is also without water. There the people also quarrel with Moses. And in this instance, God does tell Moses to strike the rock with his staff. Obeying God’s every word in Exodus, Moses strikes the rock, and just as God promised, water pours forth. The accounts in Numbers 17 and Exodus 20 are similar, but have far different outcomes for Moses. In the Numbers account, Moses strikes the rock when told to only speak to it, and is punished by God for it. Whether it was a sign of anger or just taking things into his own hands, possibly a sign of arrogance, we don’t know. But God punishes Moses for this disobedience, for not listening to God, and Moses is not allowed to enter the Promised land.
Because Moses did not follow God’s instructions in Numbers 17, (and I suspect it has more to do with the spirit in which Moses did his actions) he is left to see the landscape of the promised land but not enter. And Moses died there and even though he was old, we are told that he did not die from old age, for “his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated,," but rather he just died and was buried, at the Lord’s command.
This account of Moses and his not being able to enter the land seems harsh. But perhaps it teaches us something else about the kingdom of God, (besides the importance of obedience and being aware of our dependency on God)!
It might be that Moses teaches us that none of us are sufficient to in and of ourselves. That the next generation is coming? And we build on those things. Moses had mentored Joshua, he had been with him, and now Joshua would lead the people into the Promised Land. Moses would never experience first hand that promised fulfilled.
I have been thinking about these things a lot recently as I have been reading and pouring over our history books. St. James comes from a line of faithful people. And each generation building a little on the generation that came before. A people with vision and dedication — not a perfect people — but a people committed to this parish. And everyone played a part. And no one’s part in our history was any greater than anyone else's’. They each built on one another and we build on them.
Plans were discussed years ago about the possibilities of building on to St. James. Lin Kogle even drew a picture offering a possibility of what could be. In the past year, the Marshall family gifted the church some money and a committee was formed to discuss what to do with that money. It was decided and approved by the Vestry to put some of that money toward the possibility of building on to the church. Office space, a place for people to meet, a choir room — these are all possibilities. Having space in our building for groups to meet during the week and an accessible office that we own, are all ways that we can minister and continue to be present in the community. Ministry is not just Sunday morning. Worship is Sunday morning. Ministry occurs during the week — between the services. It is what you and I do with our weeks and our days.
Moses took the people as far as he could and then Joshua took over. It is exciting and humbling to see the hand of God moving between the generations and time and space.
There are many Moses in St. James’ story. And there certainly were times the people squabbled. But how reassuring to rest in the confidence of God’s continual movement through it all.
Our part in the story is ensuring sufficient bench strength for the parish in this generation, being faithful in our generation, and providing for the next. That includes your presence, your participation, your vision, your voice, your prayers. It includes you doing the ministry God has called you too. Everyone matters in the family of God. It includes you showing up with love and practicing loving your neighbor as yourself. Both inside these walls and without.
Loving your neighbor — including having vision for the community and tomorrow is part of loving God we are told. It is just as important we are told. It is how we show our love for God. It is how we love God. Amen.
Hatred festers and spills over; Hamas had been planning their surprise and heartless attack for a while. And Israel of course has to defend itself and its people, but how to do that and hold the knowledge of the impact on the innocent, is a task unfathomable, without any simple solutions.
So then to have our Gospel text this morning begin with,
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” and for Jesus to reply, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ and a second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”; was a bit jarring. Our current world situation is a present reminder of how we consistently are unable to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Throughout history we have glimpses of individuals being able to love their neighbors and others as themselves, but the commandment does become a little murkier when you attempt to apply the principle to nations and states and world governments. (Which may be a good reminder that we are not responsible for larger application of principles — we are responsible for that which we can control, which are individual daily decisions.)
How would you apply a concept such as loving our neighbor as ourselves in dealing with other nations? Diplomacy and international relations are complex tight-ropes that our government is constantly walking, and “loving your neighbor as yourself” looks much more dubious and complex when approached through the lens of international relations.
But for us individuals, the concept seems more attainable, more doable. To love another, to treat them as we would want to be treated is something I think that is possible.
To love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, that is the greatest commandment,
And a second is like it.
The second is like it.
Jesus was asked for one commandment, but he goes further and adds a second. Somehow loving your neighbor is as important as loving God. Love for God means coming to see other people as God sees them. All are objects of God’s love. To love God with all your being, you must love others.
The command to love your neighbor as yourself is from Leviticus 19:18. And, not many verses later, we find the command to love the alien (stranger) as ourselves (Leviticus 19:34): “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
You remember the nation of Israel down in Egypt, the brothers went to find food, and found their brother Joseph. For four hundred years we are told, they were enslaved Egypt. And then Moses was raised up by God to lead the people out of Egypt.
Moses in Deuteronomy today has reached the end of his life. He has led God’s people out of slavery, parted the Red Sea, provided for them along the way, dealt with their grumbling, and provided the 10 Commandments for them. He has had a pretty stellar career, but he has had a mishap along the way. And a reminder for each of us, to not think to highly of ourselves lest we fall.
In Numbers 20, God commands Moses to bring water to the people by speaking to a rock. Instead, Moses speaks to the people and strikes the rock with his staff, twice. Moses did not follow God’s command, and God reprimands Moses, informing him that he would be prohibited from entering the land; the Promised land that the people had been hoping for and Moses had been working toward.
This punishment seems harsh, especially considering that the water shortage experienced in Numbers 20 is a repeat scene. (and of course, Moses’ faithful, unswerving obedience up to this point).
The absence of water, the grumbling of the people, and rocks providing water, are all part of the same situation described in Exodus. In Exodus 17:1-7, Israel is also without water. There the people also quarrel with Moses. And in this instance, God does tell Moses to strike the rock with his staff. Obeying God’s every word in Exodus, Moses strikes the rock, and just as God promised, water pours forth. The accounts in Numbers 17 and Exodus 20 are similar, but have far different outcomes for Moses. In the Numbers account, Moses strikes the rock when told to only speak to it, and is punished by God for it. Whether it was a sign of anger or just taking things into his own hands, possibly a sign of arrogance, we don’t know. But God punishes Moses for this disobedience, for not listening to God, and Moses is not allowed to enter the Promised land.
Because Moses did not follow God’s instructions in Numbers 17, (and I suspect it has more to do with the spirit in which Moses did his actions) he is left to see the landscape of the promised land but not enter. And Moses died there and even though he was old, we are told that he did not die from old age, for “his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated,," but rather he just died and was buried, at the Lord’s command.
This account of Moses and his not being able to enter the land seems harsh. But perhaps it teaches us something else about the kingdom of God, (besides the importance of obedience and being aware of our dependency on God)!
It might be that Moses teaches us that none of us are sufficient to in and of ourselves. That the next generation is coming? And we build on those things. Moses had mentored Joshua, he had been with him, and now Joshua would lead the people into the Promised Land. Moses would never experience first hand that promised fulfilled.
I have been thinking about these things a lot recently as I have been reading and pouring over our history books. St. James comes from a line of faithful people. And each generation building a little on the generation that came before. A people with vision and dedication — not a perfect people — but a people committed to this parish. And everyone played a part. And no one’s part in our history was any greater than anyone else's’. They each built on one another and we build on them.
Plans were discussed years ago about the possibilities of building on to St. James. Lin Kogle even drew a picture offering a possibility of what could be. In the past year, the Marshall family gifted the church some money and a committee was formed to discuss what to do with that money. It was decided and approved by the Vestry to put some of that money toward the possibility of building on to the church. Office space, a place for people to meet, a choir room — these are all possibilities. Having space in our building for groups to meet during the week and an accessible office that we own, are all ways that we can minister and continue to be present in the community. Ministry is not just Sunday morning. Worship is Sunday morning. Ministry occurs during the week — between the services. It is what you and I do with our weeks and our days.
Moses took the people as far as he could and then Joshua took over. It is exciting and humbling to see the hand of God moving between the generations and time and space.
There are many Moses in St. James’ story. And there certainly were times the people squabbled. But how reassuring to rest in the confidence of God’s continual movement through it all.
Our part in the story is ensuring sufficient bench strength for the parish in this generation, being faithful in our generation, and providing for the next. That includes your presence, your participation, your vision, your voice, your prayers. It includes you doing the ministry God has called you too. Everyone matters in the family of God. It includes you showing up with love and practicing loving your neighbor as yourself. Both inside these walls and without.
Loving your neighbor — including having vision for the community and tomorrow is part of loving God we are told. It is just as important we are told. It is how we show our love for God. It is how we love God. Amen.