Mercy is the Highest Law

I recently had my first exam for my New Testament Theology class. It consisted of an in class essay on one of three topics. I chose a prompt on the Sermon on the Mount, and it went so well I thought I'd share it. Remember, it was in class, so I didn't get a chance to edit or revise anything!

Without further ado:

    In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus makes three claims that drive the rest of the Sermon on the Mount. The first claim is that he came to fulfill the Law, not abolish it. The second claim is that he will properly interpret the Law, establishing a hierarchy of the least and greatest commandments. The final claim is that he will make one able to surpass the righteousness (justice) of the Pharisees and enter the kingdom of heaven.

    Before showing how these claims are realized in the sermon, it is necessary to establish the hermeneutical key. This key is found in Matthew 7:7-12 and is commonly known as the Golden Rule. It states that you should treat others as you would have them treat you. This means that mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation should be aspects of our daily lives. Jesus takes this simple rule further by saying, “this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt. 7:12) This is crucial. Jesus is explaining the whole point of the Law. Loving your neighbor as yourself is the greatest commandment, and every other law culminates to this one.

    To understand this better, consider the first pericope in Matthew 5:21-48. Each pericope is a group of verses arranged in a triad of three points. The first point states a traditional reading of the Law, the second explains how the targeted evil can only be contained by the Law and not resolved, and the third point is Jesus’ transforming initiative for overcoming the specific evil. So, in the case of the first pericope, found in Matthew 5:21-26, the traditional reading of the Law is, “’You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’” (Mt. 5:21) The targeted evil is murder, but it cannot be resolved because anger and hatred amongst people lead to murder and are worthy of the same punishment on their own. The third point magnificently illuminates how Jesus is re-interpreting the Law. He says that instead of bringing your brother to court, make amends with him and be reconciled to him. Show him mercy and forgiveness. The Golden Rule overrides the lesser law of taking your brother to court, thus the hierarchy of the Law is established, keeping reconciliation as the main point and goal of the Law. Every pericope is structured the same way and exemplifies Jesus’ proper interpretation of the Law.

    Jesus is not preaching these things as some abstract, unobtainable virtue or perfectness. Instead, he is building and shaping a physical community that lives by his “New Law.” This community is not like the Pharisees, who carry out every minute detail of the Law without mercy, completely missing the point. They surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees by living by the Law the way it was intended, through reconciliation. The Beatitudes are proof of this, describing an eschatological picture of justice where the merciful are shown mercy, the meek inherit the earth, and the peacemakers are called sons of God. The Pharisees do not possess these attributes, but Jesus’ followers do (or are at least taught to). They are more just than the Pharisees, and “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5:10)

    By re-interpreting the Law and showing the people how to follow it by example, Jesus is fulfilling it. This fulfillment of the Law is embodied in the prayer Jesus prayed and taught us to pray found in Matthew 6:7-15. This prayer beckons a literal heaven on earth. It encourages us to forgive our brothers and avoid temptation. God’s name is the most exalted, and His will is what we ought to seek. This prayer is the culmination of Jesus’ “New Law” and describes a righteousness that far surpasses that of the Pharisees. Jesus fulfilled it by teaching it and living by it. It is now up to us to follow in his footsteps.
 

the King Beetle on a Coconut Estate

The boys of mewithoutYou have outdone their selves (the case with most of their songs, really) with "the King Beetle on a Coconut Estate." While the lyrics are taken almost directly from a tale told by the Sufi poet Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Aaron still makes them his own, and the accompanying melodies amp the allegory's... ahem, "epic-ness" nearly tenfold. The alternating background instruments, though subtle, suit each character of the story they follow so perfectly. If you don't have goosebumps by the end of the song, you will. The finale is flawless.

Take some time to listen to the song, read the lyrics and reflect upon it. Please, it's so worth it. Then, if you so choose, my thoughts, interpretation and research will be at the bottom of this post.

Here is the song:

http://www.last.fm/music/mewithoutYou/_/The+King+Beetle+on+a+Coconut+Estate

And here are the lyrics:

As the Moon rose and the hour grew late, the day help on a Coconut estate raked up the dry leaves that fell dead from the Trees, which they burned in a pile by the lake. The Beetle King summoned his men, and from the top of the Rhododendron stem: Calling all volunteers who can carry back here, the Great Mystery’s been lit once again. One Beetle emerged from the crowd in a fashionable abdomen shroud, said: I’m a Professor, you see, that’s no mystery to me... I’ll be back soon, successful and proud. But when the Beetle Professor returned he crawled on all six, as his wings had been burned, and described to the finest detail all he’d learned. There was neither a light nor a heat in his words. The deeply dissatisfied King climbed the same stem to announce the same thing, but in his second appeal sought to sweeten the deal with a silver Padparadscha ring. The Lieutenant stepped out from the line as he lassoed his thorax with twine, thinking: I’m stronger and braver and I’ll earn the King’s favor. One day all he has will be mine! But for all the Lieutenant’s conceit he, too, returned singed and admitting defeat: I had no choice, please believe, but retreat... it was bright as the sun, but with ten times the heat! And it cracked like the thunder and bloodshot my eyes, though smothered with sticks it advanced undeterred. Carelessly cast an ash cloud to the sky, my Lord, like a flock of dark, vanishing birds.

The Beetle King slammed down his fist: Your flowery description’s no better than his! We sent for the Great Light and you bring us this? We didn’t ask what it seems like, we asked what it IS! His Majesty’s hour at last has drawn nigh! The elegant Queen took her leave from his side, without understanding but without asking why, gathered their Kids to come bid their goodbyes. And the father explained: You’ve been somewhat deceived... We’ve all called me your dad, but your True Dad’s not me. I lay next to your mom and your forms were conceived, your Father is the Life within all that you see. He fills up the ponds as He empties the clouds, holds without hands and He speaks without sounds, provides us with the Cow’s waste and coconuts to eat, giving one that nice salt-taste and the other a sweet. Sends the black carriage the day Death shows its face, thinning our numbers with Kindness and Grace. And just as a Flower and its Fragrance are one so must each of you and your Father become. Now distribute my scepter, my crown and my throne and all we’ve known as ‘wealth’ to the poor and alone... Without further hesitation, without looking back home, the King flew headlong into the blazing unknown! And as the Smoke King curled higher and higher, the troops, flying loops ’round the telephone wires, they said: Our Beloved’s not dead, but His Highness instead has been utterly changed into Fire!!!

Why not be utterly changed into Fire?

As mentioned before, the lyrics are Aaron's rehash of an excerpt from "The Divine Luminous Wisdom That Dispels the Darkness" by Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, a Sufi poet. The story itself is about seeking truth and what that entails. When the King Beetle's subjects fail to retrieve or reveal to him what the "light" is, he is forced to pursue it himself. He realizes that it's an all-or-nothing decision and even gives up his possessions to the needy before flying head on into the unknown.

An examination of the last line, "Why not be utterly changed into fire?" helps to dispel the song's ambiguity. This line is a quote from "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers."

Abbot Lot came to Abbot Joseph and said: ‘Father, to the limit of my ability, I keep my little rule, my little fast, my prayer, meditation and contemplative silence; and to the limit of my ability, I work to cleanse my heart of thoughts, what more should I do?’ The elder rose up in reply, and stretched out his hands to heaven, and his fingers became like ten lamps of fire. He said: ‘Why not be utterly changed into fire?’

The Desert Fathers and Mothers were among the very first Christian monastics to abandon their homes and possessions to seek God in the solitude of deserts and wastelands. As you can see above, Abbot Lot, in the pursuit of holiness, inquires Abbot Joseph about what more he can do. Abbot Joseph, rather mystically, replies, "Why not be utterly changed into fire?" This sentence represents the inevitable, utter loss of oneself in search of the Great Mystery that is God.

Just as the King Beetle was forced to give up his family, his kingdom, his riches, his entire being for the sake of knowing the truth, we face the same fate in knowing Christ. Jesus tells us to disperse our wealth and become our neighbors' servants. When slapped on the cheek, reveal the other. When credit is due, deny it. We are to love one another, and the definition of love alone is enough to wear oneself out (please refer here).

This song is no aesthetic gem. This is serious, heavy stuff. I could make parallels all day, but this will be my final note. If we want to know the truth, there is a long, abusive road ahead of us. Constant rejection of our bodies' desires, endless, toilsome work at the feet of others and a whole slew of counter-intuitive, irrational Christian ethics are at hand for any Christ follower. Jesus is a stubborn refusal of the world and an utter denial of oneself. It's impossible to answer his call and not lose sight of anything you want to do, see or become in this world, and that is what it means to "be utterly changed into fire" - to virtually vanish altogether. Yet, this is the cost of truth.

But, if it's really worth it, then why not be utterly changed into fire?

Ya subhannallah!

I once saw an interview on YouTube with Aaron Weiss (I'd find and share it with you if my computer had working sound..) in which he diverted any praise or glory cast upon him to God. The media present seemed at least slightly confused, so Aaron explained that any "good" he did (I quoted good because Aaron would surely question the word) came from God and was not his own. He intended it to be very clear that he was a simple instrument of God and deserved no credit for any of his laudable work.

"And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.'"

Mark 10:18 E.S.V.

I must admit that I am many times guilty of this borderline idolatry (quite often, ironically enough, with Aaron himself!). If even Jesus denies being capable of good, it's dreadfully obvious that God is at work within the world, and we ought to give credit where credit is due.

Wealth & Luxury: A Latent Virtue

I sat secure and comfortable in a well cushioned arena chair at the Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis, scrutinizing the functionality of my friend's new iPhone between the sets of Israel Houghton and Chris Tomlin, two artists I'm not particularly fond of, but I was there for God, not myself. I loaded the PhotoSwap application and held the phone up to take a picture of the thousands of people filling the stade in return for, most likely, the lonely bed sheets of a spoiled, angst ridden American teen (quite like myself, although I'm nearly 21). Whilst reviewing the picture after it processed, I noticed something that kept me from hitting "swap." The sea of silhouettes contained across the court and into the opposing stands were blurred and distorted by cell phone lights and camera flashes of their own. In all likelihood, I could've swapped my photo for one nearly identical and then, without noticing the subtle differences, enticed those around me by preaching, "I swapped photos with myself!"

But what's the point of this ostensibly feckless literature? The point is that everyone present had phones, cameras, watches, iPods - you name it. I was immersed in the pinnacle of upper-middle class American consumerism. "These are the people who have what T.V. wants us to have," I thought. We were there to worship God! "Any spoken word of praise or thanksgiving is vain. God isn't the one we really love. He isn't the one we're really thankful for. It's this phone, or that mp3 player, or the instruments and equipment on stage!" That's all I could think about.

I realized the stupendous amounts of money spent on superficial needs and requisites by the American social stratum that I shamefully admit to. Such hypocrisy, such guilt (a reoccurring theme these days). How do I deal with this? Can I deal with this? 2 Corinthians 8:14 says, "At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality..." Equality is a Christian theme and an ideological construct impossible of existing solely within the empirical realm. Though we might not see every man as equal, much less even be capable of such a task, God does, and his vision for us is clearly a community of reliability and interdependence. If we have more than we need, i.e., excess, we should give it to those who need it. Timothy J. Keller gives a terribly convicting sermon on 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, dealing with generosity, hope and money, and his articulations are much more insightful than mine are, so I will simply paraphrase and summarize his wonderful, Biblical account of "Christian Hope & Money."

Keller addresses the "excess" that I have distinguished and agrees that it should be distributed where it's needed (otherwise it rots within us), but he also points out that Paul is not telling us (or the Corinthians) to do just that. Paul's message is that such acts of generosity should be done willingly. 2 Corinthians 8:12 says, "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have." It doesn't matter how much you give; what matters is that you want to give it. The reason for this, Keller explains, is that our society, nay, humanity, is divorced by class distinctions, wealth and poverty. This is not what God intended. We are all equal in his eyes, and we should want to "reweave" the threads of our lives with the threads of others to become whole and fully realized in the Kingdom of God (shalom). This is the basic message of 2 Corinthians 8 & 9, though Keller goes into greater detail, covering problems like the realization of greed and excess and actualizing the power to overcome the material world. I highly recommend listening to the full sermon called, once again, "Christian Hope & Money." I would be delighted to share it with you.

What, then, are my conclusions? It is true that I am disgusted with the excess of material filth and toxins that we live with, but I cannot be bitter about it nor hold it against my neighbor. As Keller points out, most people are unaware of the vice money has over us and the alienation and suffering it causes our fellow man. This is because people aren't regularly immersed in social classes separate from their own, and therefore, since the only communities they're involved with are spending all their money on themselves, it's a justified, guiltless and, most sickening of all, normal and expected act. It's a shame that humanity has become so divided to the point where we're blinded to our own greed. The only thing it seems I can do is change my own monetary habits and try to become the concerned, anxious, generous giver that Paul describes and hope that others will learn from my example, provided that God let my example really be an example at all.

But I see something else. I see deep, underlying human potential - a latent virtue, if you will. I see money being donated, iPods being given away, that third T.V. in your house being given to someone without even a cell phone. I see potential for a sweeping movement of grace, God providing, that could change the hearts of not only young, aspiring romantics like myself, but of any person who believes in the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I see a capacity of unity and responsibility in the body of Christ that embraces the frightful words of John the Baptist in John 3:30, "He must become greater; I must become less." So, come! For the glory and wholeness of God and his people, for the holy equality of all mankind, let us say, "No!" to the American consumerist mentality. Let us see the deceit and harm in T.V. commercials telling us how much greater our lives will be with the newest phone model, video game or clothing accessory. We don't need it, and we don't want it. Instead, let us use our money to support our brothers & sisters in Christ who struggle to stay warm during the winter, provide food for their families and even those who struggle to maintain any shred of hope in the goodness of God. Let's show them that goodness willingly, for they are every bit deserving of our wealth as we are.

Our money, friends, is a gift from God that we need not hoard for ourselves.