SETTING THE CONTEXT

The disciples were beginning to understand that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus began to teach them the really hard lessons. This lesson in our passage was too much for Peter. It was absolutely unacceptable. Jesus was very stern with him, as stern as he had ever been with Peter, for if he was truly going to follow Christ, he was going to have to learn this lesson about self-sacrifice.

Read Matthew 16:21-28

What does this life of self-denial look like? Paul in his letter to the Romans helps us see how we can translate Jesus’ calling into our way of living. In this passage he spells out for us the marks of the true Christian.

Read Romans 12:9-21

THE SERMON
There was a hamburger commercial while I was growing up that said, “Have it your way.” The generation of us who grew up with that message obviously took it to heart because my generation has been labeled the “me generation.” As a baby boomer I have come to expect choices, I really like choices, and I want things my way. Add to that a more recent fascination with “reality” TV. It is now entertainment to watch people do just about anything to win and then have the satisfaction of voting them out of the competition or watching the lead character turn them away week after week. Then we get to watch the “inner thoughts” of the other cast members as they criticize, scheme and complain about what’s been going on. We have become a culture of voyeurs who like to watch those “in the wrong” or less capable get punished. We live in a culture that is in many ways far from the way Jesus called us to live, far from the way the Bible calls us to live.

The way of Jesus is diametrically opposed to a “me-centered” way of living as we see in the Gospel according to Matthew. Jesus’ way is the way of self-sacrifice. His way is being totally “God-centered” that is what it means to surrender our lives. God in God’s infinite wisdom knows that if we are all only “out for number 1” (which is a very self-centered cliché) our world, God’s creation, will be in complete anarchy. Without any regard for the common good, everything will eventually be destroyed, the most vulnerable in our communities, our communities themselves, those who live far from us, the environment, and other creatures. God’s creation itself insists on interdependence. It is a very intricate, delicate web of life and if one part of creation is suffering or being destroyed the rest of creation suffers. We can also see many examples where that destructive impact can last for generations. This call to self-denial and self-sacrifice to live God’s way is not just some intellectual exercise; it must inform how we live our lives every day. As Psalm 119: 93 says, “I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.”

The Bible offers us some clear guidelines about how to live the way of God and the way of Christ. The Apostle Paul’s words are as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago. “Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil. Hold fast to what is good. Love one another and outdo each other in showing honor.” As if that wasn’t hard enough it gets harder. “Bless those who persecute you. Show compassion. Live in harmony with each other. Have humility. Don’t seek revenge, take the high road. As much as you can control, live peaceably with everyone. Leave judgment and vengeance to the Lord.” Now this is a key statement because we all, I think, want to see people who wrong us get what they justly deserve. Both passages today tell us to leave judging and punishment to God. It only makes sense because only God knows the deepest recesses of the heart and knows the truth in its fullest, which makes God the only one who should judge. Besides Paul says not only will you be following the way of God but you will drive your enemies crazy with kindness! This begs an important question; can others look at us and see God at work in our lives? Can others see the marks of the true Christian in us?

The founder of our denomination, John Wesley, wanted to help people bear the fruits of discipleship in their lives. People came to him seeking his help and so he instituted classes which were accountability and nurture groups. And he established the General Rules as he stated, “It is therefore expected of all who continue therein that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation, first by doing no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind; Secondly: By doing good and Thirdly: By attending upon all the ordinances of God.”^[i] Now in my (military) background, ordinance has to do with bombs, but in Wesley’s day it meant all the spiritual practices that draw us closer to God. A United Methodist bishop, Bishop Rueben Job, has called these “Three Simple Rules.” In his book by that name, he wrote that Wesley “knew that everyone needs help to live a holy and good life in a world like ours. … He was fully aware that one could have all the structures and systems right but could lose the power of God that translates into a Christ-like life – a way of holy living that is constantly reforming and renewing the individual and the community.”^[ii]

The first simple rule is to “do no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind, especially that which is most generally practiced.” Now Wesley gets very specific. These are some of the evils he names, “the taking of the name of God in vain; Disrespecting the day of the Lord, either by doing ordinary work or by buying or selling; drunkenness; buying or selling slaves; fighting, quarreling, brawling, a brother in Christ taking another brother to court; returning evil for evil or railing for railing; the using many words in buying or selling; uncharitable or unprofitable conversation, particularly speaking evil of judges or of ministers; (I like that one!) Doing to others as we would not have them do to us; Doing what we know is not for the glory of God, such as putting on gold and costly apparel (in other words showing off our wealth), taking such entertainments that we would not do in the name of Jesus, singing those songs or reading those books (or I say watching TV and Internet pieces) which do not increase our knowledge or love of God; softness and needless self-indulgence; Laying up treasure upon earth; Borrowing without a probability of paying; or buying goods without a probability of paying for them.”^[iii] All of these are examples of ways we do harm. The only example I see that is not directly relevant today is slaveholding, but I have to say when we buy goods that are made by slave-like labor it certainly is doing harm. Now I know that “doing no harm” is not always clear cut. Take for instance buying goods from other countries. Unless some agency is constantly checking to see if factories are mistreating their workers it is hard to know which thing to buy and which to avoid. If we stop buying all foreign goods, we harm many folks who are just trying to earn an honest living and support their families just like us so that is doing harm. But on the other hand, when we don’t support local and US-made products it just encourages more factories to move overseas and that causes harm. So yes, I realize that there is a great deal of complexity in doing no harm. It may be a “simple rule” but it is sometimes difficult to enact. But that should not dissuade us from doing the best we can, making our decisions with that question in our minds, “will my action do no harm?” We are not to be a “me-centered” people. We are to be “God-centered” and that means that God’s claim on our lives needs to be evident to everyone in contact with us.

When someone cuts you off in traffic and you want to curse them out, you’ve got to think to yourself, “Do no harm.” When someone sells you a product that breaks on your way home, and you take it back to customer service steaming, you’ve got to think to yourself, “Do no harm.” When you talk to your insurance company about the claim they denied, you’ve got to (you tell me now) do no harm. When you talk about the political conventions with a person of the opposite political persuasion, you’ve got to do no harm. When you feel like going to Whiskey Row and getting drunk – do no harm. (That’s right because harming our own bodies is an act against God, for our bodies belong to God who created them.) When you’re going to fill your head with shows that humiliate another for entertainment or if you are among the millions who watch internet pornography – do no harm. If you’re going to get even with that person who “done you wrong” – do no harm. If you’re going to buy that big screen TV or new car that you can’t afford – do no harm. When you want to let someone you don’t like or don’t agree with really have it – do no harm. What is the First Simple Rule? Do no harm. Now we know it, your homework is to use it to live by. Amen.

Sermon delived by Rev. Nancy Cushman on August 31, 2008.