Unpacking Our BIC CORE VALUES: SHINING LIKE STARS IN THE SKY Called To Be Peacemakers Matthew 5:3-12 & 38-46 Layne Lebo January 28, 2018 Of all the Brethren in Christ core values, the one we re looking at today is the one I find most challenging to live out personally and to preach. The Core Value we re exploring is PURSUING PEACE. The Brethren in Christ, along with Mennonites, Quakers and most denominations with Brethren in their name, are known as peace churches, based on their opposition to war. But as the BIC value statement makes clear, pursuing peace is much broader than simply opposing war. Our denomination s statement reads, We value all human life and promote forgiveness, understanding, reconciliation and nonviolent resolution of conflict. Pursuing peace includes war, but it also speaks to how followers of Jesus interact with people every day. In most letters the Apostle Paul wrote in the New Testament, he has a section that speaks specifically to how followers of Jesus interact with others. And in Philippians chapter 2 verses 14-16 he writes, Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. The bar to shine like stars isn t set very high. There is grumbling, quarreling, complaining and bickering all around us. We encounter relational dysfunction nearly every day. If we ve committed our lives to Jesus and his Spirit lives in us, we don t have to work extremely hard to shine like stars. All we need to do is show up, love and care for people and steer clear of the negative stuff that swirls around us. Each of us is called to pursue peace every day. Growing up Brethren in Christ, I knew we were a peace church from the time I was a child. To me that simply meant we didn t see participating in war as consistent with Jesus life and teaching. I knew that my father and other men within our church had registered as Conscientious Objectors. Rather than being drafted or serving in the military, they had done voluntary service at state hospitals or at mission sites in this country or around the world. As my 18 th birthday approached, the Vietnam War had been over for nearly a decade and there 1
was no longer a military draft, but I assumed that my male church friends and I would register as C.O. s. But during my junior year of high school one of my best friends from church, a guy named Phil, told me he was going to sign up for the Army to be a military police officer. I didn t know quite what to do with that, but prior to my 18 th birthday I did register as a Conscientious Objector. I stayed in touch with Phil throughout his stint in the Army, but I was busy with college and outside of my interaction with my friend I didn t give much thought to the BIC peace position until I went to seminary and was confronted with the reality that the Peace Position wasn t a widely held position within the church. The uniqueness of the Peace Position became especially real for me in a philosophy class I took during my first year of seminary with a professor, named Jerry Walls. Jerry was in his mid-30 s and was an avid sports fan and so we hit it off right away. I developed a friendship with him and his family and he also coached our seminary basketball team. He became comfortable enough with me that he began calling me out in class, challenging my presuppositions related to the Peace Position and asking me to defend my views which at that point I couldn t do very well, because I didn t own them for myself. Dr. Walls always called me Lebo. And one day in front of the entire class he said, Lebo may say he s a pacifist, but if you ve ever seen him on a basketball court, you know that s not true. He was mostly joking I think but his statement still rings in my mind nearly 30 years later, because it highlights the tension between what we say we believe and how we live our day to day lives. My ambivalence about our BIC peace position didn t end with my seminary philosophy classes. After seminary I became McBIC s youth pastor and I began the process of applying for ordination within the BIC Church. I wrote a 20 page doctrinal questionnaire about my theological views on various issues. As I walked through that process I was asked to do further work on two topics one was our BIC stance on sanctification. Can you guess what the other area was? That s right our BIC peace position. Some of my evaluators questioned my understanding and ownership of our BIC Peace Position and I was asked to read a book by a Messiah professor named, Dr. Martin Schrag. Later Dr. Schrag and I met to discuss what I d 2
read. I knew the tents of our denomination s peace position and some of those resonated with me, but I struggled (and still do to this day) to see the issue as black and white. Before I go any further, I want to look at some of Jesus words from his Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapter 5 verses 3-12 and 38-46. These verses are the starting point for the peace or non-violent position held by the BIC and other peace churches. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:3-12 These words of Jesus known as The Beatitudes have been identified as the basis for his upside down kingdom. I like that description because it points to a kingdom that looks very different from the kingdoms of this world that we re familiar with. The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted are not esteemed in our world in fact, they re viewed as weak but they are held in high honor in Jesus kingdom. Let s look now at verses 38-46 of Matthew chapter 5: You have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? Matthew 5:38-46 3
Jesus spoke the words recorded in the Sermon on the Mount as a Jew to a Jewish audience living under the oppressive captivity of the Roman Empire. The Romans were notoriously harsh and condescending to the peoples of the nations they ruled. Jesus references to being slapped on the cheek, handing over a cloak and being forced to travel a mile, point to demands Roman soldiers could make of the citizens of occupied territories. As you can imagine, people treated this way by soldiers would burn with anger at the abuse, but they wouldn t have any recourse for righting these wrongs. Rather than harboring anger and unforgiveness and stewing over these wrongs, Jesus challenges his fellow Jews to choose to extend forgiveness rather than resentment. For Jesus and his audience, pursuing peace wasn t about the justification for a young man to participate or abstain from war. Pursuing peace was a moment by moment choice for people living under oppressive Roman rule. In his teaching Jesus moves beyond the Old Testament justice framework God had set up for the Israelites which was known as eye for eye and tooth for tooth a framework that is foundational to our legal system in this country and challenges his followers to resist retaliation; to give freely without concern of being taken advantage of; and, to love our enemies, rather than hating them or plotting our revenge. We don t have Roman soldiers forcing us serve them and demeaning us, but our daily interactions with people in our family, at our workplace, in our schools and in our neighborhoods provide ample opportunity for us to resist retaliation and extend forgiveness to people to pursue peace. As we think about how the BIC interpret Jesus words, it s important for us to understand the BIC approach to Scriptures. Another word for how we approach and interpret Scriptures is hermeneutic it s a fancy word that you can use to impress your friends this week. The word hermeneutic simply means the paradigm or framework through which we interpret Scripture. The BIC, as I mentioned two weeks ago, were known early in their history as people of the book, because of their commitment to God s Word as revealed in the Bible. The Brethren in Christ view all of the Scripture as God s authoritative Word, but we give special emphasis to the New Testament. Within the New Testament we have always given priority to the words and actions of Jesus and particularly to Jesus Sermon on the Mount Matthew 4
chapters 5-7. So, these words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 5 have always carried special significance for us. Listening to Jesus words, you might ask the question, How do the Brethren in Christ and others who hold to a position of peace and non-violence make the jump from Jesus words to his followers about their personal interaction with others to a position that says, War is wrong and shouldn t be supported by followers of Jesus? That s a great question As I said, the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount the passages we just read from Matthew chapter 5 are the starting point. In those verses Jesus describes a kingdom that looks radically different from the kingdoms of this world. But beyond Jesus teaching, his way of life embodied peace and non-violence. We see this most clearly in Jesus arrest and crucifixion. On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus ate the Last Supper with his disciples and then went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. While there, Judas betrayed him with a kiss, and Jesus was taken captive by a large mob led by the chief priests and elders. When men stepped forward to arrest Jesus, Peter pulled out his sword and hacked off the right ear of the high priest s servant, Malchus. Jesus reattached Malchus ear and healed him and He said, Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Matthew 26:52 And Jesus went on to say that He could thousands of angels to his defense, but that wouldn t accomplish God s purposes. In this short statement Jesus succinctly defines the problem with violence and war it always escalates and it never completely solves problems. And in John s Gospel account of Jesus arrest, Jesus answers the governor Pontus Pilate s questions to Jesus about being a king, with these words, My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place. John 18:26 Jesus non-violent approach culminated on the cross where He extended forgiveness to those who had wronged Him and submitted Himself to death. In our war obsessed world it s been mostly forgotten that the Church of the first 300 years following Jesus death was pacifist. Followers of Jesus saw participation in war as inconsistent with the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. It wasn t until the 4 th Century when the Roman Emperor Constantine apparently for political purposes declared Christianity the 5
religion of the Roman Emperor, that a marriage between the Roman government and the Church occurred, which changed the way followers of Jesus viewed government and war. As followers of Jesus our commitment to Jesus and the kingdom of God supersedes our commitment to any earthly kingdom. And while nations war against competing nations, followers of Jesus are committed to helping people enter the Kingdom of God, not defeating them as enemies because they are part of a different country. I ve tried to quickly lay out for you the peace position of the BIC Church, but this position isn t without its challenges and inconsistencies and there are many followers of Jesus that don t hold to this view. I find much merit in the peace position, but here are a few of the issues I and others wrestle with as we try to reconcile the peace position with our lives and with other aspects of Scripture. As an American I enjoy benefits and freedoms that have been won and sustained through our military government. I also pay taxes that support our military government. How can I choose to conscientiously object while enjoying the benefits provided by others who serve? While Jesus words are applied to governments and war by peace churches, He never directly addressed war, but confined his comments to individuals. And when He interacted with a Centurion a Roman military leader and commended him for his faith in God, He didn t call him to leave his job as a soldier. In Romans chapter 13 the Apostle Paul writes to the early church in Rome and challenges them to submit to the rulers who are over them. In verses 1-7 he clearly states that governments and rulers have been established by God to bring punishment on wrongdoers. Those challenges notwithstanding, I m supportive of our BIC position on peace and non -violence, but I m sympathetic to the fact that many followers of Jesus take a different stance. One of the ideas that I find attractive is that the BIC and other churches that embrace the peace position have a prophetic role to play in our society we ll talk more about this next week as we explore the value Living Simply. Living in a nation where military strength is worshiped and where we assume military might equals safety and security followers of Jesus can point people to the truth of Psalm 20:7 & 8: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. 6
I love history and one of the things I m intrigued by and read extensively about several years ago, was the failure of the church in Germany in the 1930 s and early 1940 s to oppose Hitler and Nazism. Not only didn t the Church in Germany oppose Hitler, most of the Church supported him. The failure of ministers and the church in Germany to oppose Nazism is complicated, but it can be traced to an obsession with German nationalism and restoring Germany to its former greatness. Many German Christians lost sight of their primary allegiance to Christ and his kingdom and made compromises that were inconsistent with the Scriptures. Our situation in America is very different, but for the last half century or so, followers of Jesus in our country have tended to place their faith and confidence which can only rightly be given to God in the ability of our government and military to provide protection and security. As followers of Jesus and as his Church, we re called to give our allegiance to Jesus Christ and his kingdom and to remind people that true security and resolution of conflict only comes through Christ. Perhaps you ve made this connection already, but what I ve shared today is also the backdrop for why McBIC and most other BIC churches don t have American flags in our churches and why we don t highlight military holidays like Memorial Day and Veterans Day. It s not that we re not grateful for our country, for the freedoms and blessings we have in this country and for the sacrifice of those who ve served our country in the military. Our challenge is, Can we show allegiance to our country and our military, while reminding people that our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God? Does focusing on loyalty to our country in the context of worship help us celebrate our unity in Christ and our allegiance to God s Kingdom? I m grateful for men and women who have served in our military and I take the opportunity to thank veterans I know on Veteran s Day, but is the service of military personnel more valuable than missionaries who serve in foreign nations sometimes giving their lives in sharing the Good News of Jesus? Or what about the thousands of men in the 1940 s-1970 s who opted for Conscientious Objector status and served for two years as volunteers in this country or in other countries? (I ve been able to identify approximately 20 men connected with our congregation who served as Conscientious Objectors surrounding WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.) Is their service less significant than those who served in our military? 7
I ve talked a good bit about the BIC peace position as it relates to governments and war and that s important, but as I ve said, pursuing peace has profound implications for each of us personally as followers of Jesus. What does it look like for us to embody Jesus upside down kingdom? How can we be peacemakers in our daily lives? What does it look like for you and me to extend grace and forgiveness, rather than looking for revenge and hating our enemies? Is turning the other cheek practical or just Jesus pie in the sky theology? Our world is marked by war and violence, but it s equally marred by relational dysfunction. There is so much drama in relationships We see it every day in our places of work, in our schools, in our neighborhoods and communities and even in our own families. I m convinced that Jesus words about peace and non-violence and forgiveness and reconciliation apply especially to our daily lives where the rubber meets the road. In our quest to apply Jesus words in the Sermon on the Mount, I want to make sure we don t focus on involvement and or support of the military to the exclusion of our interaction with people every day. It s in our daily relationships that you and I have the best opportunity to shine like stars in the sky. Listen to these words from the Apostle Paul found in Romans chapter 9 under the heading, Love in Action Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God s wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:9-21 8