Know that all lives are mine
In this section of Ezekiel, God appears to be saving then destroying then saving Israel, all depending on Israel’s sin. One thing I find interesting is that God clarifies that the sin of the child doesn’t affect the parent, and the sin of the parent doesn’t affect the child; each shall be judged on their own behavior. Not only that, but God specifies that if someone repents, regardless of past sin, they shall be redeemed, and if a good and faithful person sins, they shall be condemned, regardless of their past. These are both traits that I thought were novel, with Jesus’ proclamation, but it’s much older than Jesus’ words. As God says in Ezekiel, Turn then, and live. Simple, powerful and redemptive, regardless of what we’ve done in the past. Turn then, and live.
This morning’s commentary focuses on the God’s possession or authority over all lives. God has expectations about how we are to live, what we are to believe, and how we are to act. The commentary asks what we think about divine expectations. Humanity, in general bristles at the idea that there are expectations about anything, or at least Americans. We’re so ruggedly self-determining. “You’re not the boss of me” could be the tag line for modern day America.
So what do I think about divine expectations? If I were try to follow the complicated Levitical law, or what the Pharisees prescribed, or even the 10 commandments, it would be hard. I don’t keep the Sabbath very well, and sometimes I do covet. I have managed not to murder.
But if I were to think about the way Jesus summed up the law and God’s expectations, I find I am better able and more willing to try. Love God, Love your Neighbor. Love God sums up the first of the 10 commandments, and Love your Neighbor sums up the latter commandments, but put so succinctly, I can understand and I can strive to do these two. To be clear, they’re simple, but not easy.
I actually don’t have any problem with God’s expectations of me, as clarified by Jesus. Part of the beauty of these simple but not easy rules is that they can apply to anyone of faith, regardless of the flavor. In the Christian realm, Evangelicals and Roman Catholics should be able to agree that we should all Love God and Love our Neighbor. Muslims, Jews and any other people of faith should be able to agree that we should all Love God and Love our Neighbor.
And even beyond people of faith, every human being regardless of whether they have any type of religion or faith at all should be able to ascribe to the second part – Love your Neighbor. Atheists and secular humanists and people who’ve never thought about either of those things have a sense that we should love our neighbor. That’s the premise of the book by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, the Rev. Mpho Tutu, Made for Goodness. If we were not made for goodness, our news stories would be full of the rare instances when goodness prevailed. But rather, we are always so shocked and surprised when evil or hatred or corruption prevails, that it’s what makes the news. It makes the news because it rocks us to our core, a core that is Made for Goodness.
I would definitely struggle with following a laundry list of divine expectations, regardless of whether it was a list made by Roman Catholics, Amish, Orthodox Jews, Muslims or anyone else. But relying on Jesus’ list, I can remember those two, and every day, keep trying
In this section of Ezekiel, God appears to be saving then destroying then saving Israel, all depending on Israel’s sin. One thing I find interesting is that God clarifies that the sin of the child doesn’t affect the parent, and the sin of the parent doesn’t affect the child; each shall be judged on their own behavior. Not only that, but God specifies that if someone repents, regardless of past sin, they shall be redeemed, and if a good and faithful person sins, they shall be condemned, regardless of their past. These are both traits that I thought were novel, with Jesus’ proclamation, but it’s much older than Jesus’ words. As God says in Ezekiel, Turn then, and live. Simple, powerful and redemptive, regardless of what we’ve done in the past. Turn then, and live.
This morning’s commentary focuses on the God’s possession or authority over all lives. God has expectations about how we are to live, what we are to believe, and how we are to act. The commentary asks what we think about divine expectations. Humanity, in general bristles at the idea that there are expectations about anything, or at least Americans. We’re so ruggedly self-determining. “You’re not the boss of me” could be the tag line for modern day America.
So what do I think about divine expectations? If I were try to follow the complicated Levitical law, or what the Pharisees prescribed, or even the 10 commandments, it would be hard. I don’t keep the Sabbath very well, and sometimes I do covet. I have managed not to murder.
But if I were to think about the way Jesus summed up the law and God’s expectations, I find I am better able and more willing to try. Love God, Love your Neighbor. Love God sums up the first of the 10 commandments, and Love your Neighbor sums up the latter commandments, but put so succinctly, I can understand and I can strive to do these two. To be clear, they’re simple, but not easy.
I actually don’t have any problem with God’s expectations of me, as clarified by Jesus. Part of the beauty of these simple but not easy rules is that they can apply to anyone of faith, regardless of the flavor. In the Christian realm, Evangelicals and Roman Catholics should be able to agree that we should all Love God and Love our Neighbor. Muslims, Jews and any other people of faith should be able to agree that we should all Love God and Love our Neighbor.
And even beyond people of faith, every human being regardless of whether they have any type of religion or faith at all should be able to ascribe to the second part – Love your Neighbor. Atheists and secular humanists and people who’ve never thought about either of those things have a sense that we should love our neighbor. That’s the premise of the book by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, the Rev. Mpho Tutu, Made for Goodness. If we were not made for goodness, our news stories would be full of the rare instances when goodness prevailed. But rather, we are always so shocked and surprised when evil or hatred or corruption prevails, that it’s what makes the news. It makes the news because it rocks us to our core, a core that is Made for Goodness.
I would definitely struggle with following a laundry list of divine expectations, regardless of whether it was a list made by Roman Catholics, Amish, Orthodox Jews, Muslims or anyone else. But relying on Jesus’ list, I can remember those two, and every day, keep trying
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