A Bigger World Matthew 5:1-12

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A Bigger World Matthew 5:1-12 In 2014 advertising agency Leo Burnett received a gold award at the Cannes Lions for the following campaign for Jeep in France.

(Doe) Now you can probably tell perhaps by turning your head on the side what the upsidedown animal is as well? Can you? (Seal) Yes! It s a seal.

1 A Bigger World Matthew 5:1-12 In 2014 advertising agency Leo Burnett received a gold award at the Cannes Lions for the following campaign for Jeep in France. Can you see what it is in the picture? (Giraffe) Now. Turn the image over and what do you see? (Penguin) There was also this one. What animal is this? (Doe) Now you can probably tell perhaps by turning your head on the side what the upsidedown animal is as well? Can you? (Seal) Yes! It s a seal. At first the images look like nothing special just a dark animal on a hessian background, but once you flip them over, you can appreciate the agency s artwork. Each image is a completely different animal depending on from which direction you view it. This was the last pair of images in the campaign. (Elephant and Swan)

The motto of the campaign was See what you want to see ; a play on words for, as the agency explained, they were inviting people to journey, to find an animal at the other end of the world, perhaps,

He uses beatitudes short, common-sense, sayings that usually summed up conventional wisdom. Something like, blessed are those who eat apples, because they will keep the doctor away.

2 The motto of the campaign was See what you want to see ; a play on words for, as the agency explained, they were inviting people to journey, to find an animal at the other end of the world, perhaps, to change their perspective, their standpoint, to buy a Jeep. In our reading today Jesus also challenge his disciples, his listeners to change their perspective and standpoint. He uses beatitudes short, common-sense, sayings that usually summed up conventional wisdom. Something like, blessed are those who eat apples, because they will keep the doctor away. Or blessed are those who listen to announcements. They will be here at the right time next week! But Jesus beatitudes turn conventional wisdom on its head. Rather than inviting people to see what they want to see or to see what everyone sees, the beatitudes invite them to see what God sees. And God s perspective is completely upside-down or bottom-side-up for in God s kingdom those who are blessed or favoured or lifted up to a place of honour (finding a direct translation for the Greek makarios in English is hard) are not the (use titles that congregation came up with during children s talk for people our world usually honour) but the poor in spirit, those who grieve, the meek, people who long for righteousness and justice, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peace makers, and those who are persecuted. It is like God is looking at the picture from the other side. Or just that God sees a much, much bigger picture than we can see. This painting is by English artist David Hockney and those of you who know more about art than I do will know it is a reproduction of a 17th-century painting The Sermon on the Mount by Claude Lorrain. Hockney became fascinated by this painting and produced several his own versions which culminated in one massive work of art which he calls a sermon on 30 canvases a bigger message. In a curious kind of upside down twist to this art story, however, a recent Los Angeles artist has reinterpreted some of Hockney s - just as Hockney did with the Sermon on the Mount. Ramiro Gomez Jr. has taken some of Hockney s paintings from the mid-sixties like A Bigger Splash that represents a definitive era in modern American art, and an iconic portrayal of luxurious life Southern California and asked, not just where are the people, but where are the help? Where is the invisible presence of the underclass the gardeners, the housekeepers, the pool man who provides for others to enjoy such an opulent life style? These works are titled Domestic Scene but could also be called, The Bigger Message.

3 Now the message of the beatitudes is found not only here in Matthew but also in the book of Luke. Scholars point to this, among other sections, as evidence that these two gospels had Mark and another source called Q from Quelle meaning source in German. But there are differences. In Luke, Jesus preaches on a level place. In Matthew, he ascends the mountain which, like Hockney and Lorrain s paintings, hints of Moses meeting with God on Mount Sinai. In Luke, he is surrounded by a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from as far as the coast of Tyre and Sidon. In Matthew, he gathers, perhaps, just the inner circle of disciples. (Another debate on comparative crowd sizes!) But the biggest difference is in the message. Luke s sermon (and Q s) has four beatitudes that are addressed directly to the poor (the word used ptochos describes the desperately poor, those forced to beg to survive), the hungry, those who are weeping and those undergoing persecution. To them Jesus says, Yours is the kingdom of God. The reign of God is not yet fully realised but in Jesus it has come near and in God s honouring of the ptochos the reign and rule of God has begun. God has turned our world upside down! At the candlelight vigil at the ACCC on Wednesday night an Aboriginal elder from Canberra was praying for Aboriginal communities around Australia and referred to a long list of problems levels of incarceration, school retention, life expectancies and drug addiction and at the end she said, Lord, we need we need to know Jesus. And I must confess that part of my brain said, But what about tackling all these problems! but then I thought, No. We need to know Jesus. We need to know this God who comes and turns the world upside down to value those who have been put at the bottom. This is the good news. But in Matthew s sermon the message has undergone some revision. Gone is the direct proclamation of the kingdom. Instead the writer is concerned with inculcating in Matthew s community the behaviour of residents of the kingdom of God. The references to those who mourn and those who are persecuted have been retained, but blessed are you who are poor has become blessed are the poor in spirit and blessed are you who are hungry has become blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Now sometimes you get the impression that Matthew s version is the poor cousin. That Luke s world-altering proclamation is the stronger text. But Matthew's emphasis is not on a vague spiritualised understanding of being poor in spirit whatever that might mean but on those who genuinely seek to be in solidarity [in spirit] with the ptochos, the desperately poor and broken. It is not on a euphemistic hunger and thirst for righteousness, but on those whose hunger and thirst for righteousness matches the desperation of those without food and water to feed their families. And this theme of righteous living, of kingdom living, continues. God will honour those who show mercy. God will honour the pure in heart, the word from which we get the term catharsis. The pure in heart are those purged of a worldly outlook, who see the world as God sees it. In contrast to the promise of pax Romana, God will honour those who bring peace through justice. And God will honour those persecuted for righteousness. Matthew s sermon challenges the community of faith to not only acknowledge the reign of God, but to live out its mores and values.

I made a light of them earlier, but our Australia Day awards honour some incredible people.

I am thinking of this year s local hero Vicki Jelli and former Australian of the year, Rosie Batty.

On Wednesday night, draped in a Tiwi flag, Sister Anne Gardiner was honoured for 63 years of service to the Tiwi people helping to preserve their language and culture and strengthen their community.

4 I made a light of them earlier, but our Australia Day awards honour some incredible people. People who drawing on Luke s version of the beatitudes are themselves the poor and broken and oppressed who work to transform our society. I am thinking of this year s local hero Vicki Jelli and former Australian of the year, Rosie Batty. And drawing from Matthew s version there are people who give their lives to being in spirit with the poor; who spend their lives hungering and thirsting for righteousness. On Wednesday night, draped in a Tiwi flag, Sister Anne Gardiner was honoured for 63 years of service to the Tiwi people helping to preserve their language and culture and strengthen their community. Anne s world was turned upside when she was in highschool by a image an image of another world of six Our Lady of the Sacred Heart missionary nuns sitting in a canoe, resplendent in their crisp white habits, being paddled between the Tiwi islands. Source: F.X. Gsell 1954 She grew up in Gundagai and one day St Joseph s College two visiting OLSH nuns gave her and each of her friends a copy of the photo while they were playing basketball. I kept that photo close Sr Anne said. I suppose I looked at the adventure, in a canoe like that. I wasn t thinking too much about spiritual things at that stage but the photo kept coming out, and that s when I knew I wanted to join the daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. She arrived in the Twi Islands when she was 22. I got out of the plane, she said, and the children all ran up to me, pinching my skin and saying you look so young....i didn t know very much about indigenous people at all. I was enthusiastic. I was full of life. I wanted to change the world, but I think the people there changed me. As did the advice she received on her way to Bathurst Island from Bishop Francis Xavier Gsell who had founded the Tiwi Catholic mission in I asked him What will I do? I m going to Bathurst Island. And he looked down through his beard and looked deep into me and said two words, Love them.. In verse 11 of Matthew s sermon the text suddenly directly addresses the listeners. It goes from third person to second person. They have been hearing about all the other virtuous souls upon whom blessings are being pronounced on them. And suddenly Jesus is speaking to them. And Jesus says, Love them. Share their lives. Mourn with them. Care for them.

5 Hunger and thirst for justice for them. Show mercy and grace to them. Know they are God s chosen people. Be a peacemaker. Advocate for them. And you too will be honoured when you persevere in this way of life. Rejoice and be glad for there is a place for you in the kingdom of God. And you also involves us. Jesus also says to us Love. Show solidarity. Mourn. Care. Hunger and thirst for justice. Demonstrate mercy. See the world God sees. Bring peace peacefully. Advocate and be prepared to bear the consequences. We are called to turn our heads on the side to see God s upside down world and to try and live in that world until the day that it is right side up. References Series on the Teachings of a Galilean Sage: The Sermon on the Mount 2014 by John William Bennison, Rel.D., March 19, 2014

THE NEW REALITY --- THE BEATITUDES

THE NEW REALITY --- THE BEATITUDES Water from Rock, January 10, 2017, Tim Smith The Gospel of Matthew concludes with Jesus Great Commission sending His disciples to the whole world: Matthew 28:18-20 18