“Jesus: Ridiculous and Rude”
By Rev. Jaylynn Byassee
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Reading: Luke 6:27-36
Thank you, friends, for this kind invitation to preach today. I feel at home when I’m in this sanctuary. And I so appreciate the care and love you’ve shown to me, as you seek to do for all those who come to this place of worship. I’m happy to continue with this intriguing summer series on Rude Praise.
As I thought on one of the most difficult and rude passages I’ve tried to understand, this one from Luke’s gospel came to mind. Jesus gets right to the point in Luke and starts these verses in Chapter 6 with the summary of the whole: Love Your Enemies—and then proceeds to unpack it for us.
So, yeah, love your enemies is about the hardest thing we can do. Then being good to those who hate us, blessing and praying for the most difficult people in our lives and loving them. And believe me, whether we admit it or not, there are some people we don’t really want to love—it’s really difficult! And each sentence that you heard read from today’s scripture just seemed to get harder and harder to accept. It doesn’t get any easier to hear them. It simply would’ve been easiest if Jesus had just left this bit of instruction off the table. Feels rude of him to ask us to do something so ridiculous. Something that makes no sense.
So here we are.
A few weeks ago, you heard the wonderful Shadrack Kabango (Shad K) preach the good Word encouraging us to listen. We’re better at listening when it’s what we want to hear. If I’m honest, I’m not ready to hear this scripture today. Which is why I know we probably should. I’d prefer the passage to open with the words “Avoid your enemies.” I think we could do that pretty good! To love them is a little rude of Jesus to expect. Actually, just plain ridiculous. Who does that? And why should we?
Well, I’m going to age myself here, but I’m okay with embracing age. In the early 90’s there was a Gatorade commercial with a jingle that basically said, “Be Like Mike.” It was at the height of Michael Jordan’s career and the commercial was made primarily to have children emulate him. Gatorade didn’t really make any money off it, kinda like the Looney Dog Night at Jay’s games. Anyway, after such a wonderful Olympics, it’s more like we need to: “Be like Summer McIntosh, or Simone Biles.” But we’re not here to emulate athletes. We can admire them! I already miss the Olympics! But we are encouraged throughout Luke’s Gospel, to be like God.
If we lived such a life, if everyone lived such a life where we loved our enemies and gave without expecting return, and blessed those who curse us, and so on, there would be no violence, no revenge, no jealousy, no adamant distinctions between property and possessions, no divisions between class or caste. But we know that that’s not the world we live in. As Christians, we’re called to be like God. God’s word remains true, and we may think it’s some wild rude instruction. Maybe it is. But often what seems like a ridiculous request of Jesus, is precisely what defines how we praise our God.
So, how do we love our enemies? In today’s culture, if you have a public enemy, everyone knows it—social media has raised the hype of sharing hatred like it’s just another part of your day. If there’s an enemy on the loose, chances are we see them as evil, and we don’t want any part of them. But then there’s this Gospel of Luke, and this thing about Jesus teaching us how to live. And part of that living is having a love for enemies and those who aren’t so nice to us. Or maybe we’re the ones who are not so nice to others. Have we ever considered that we might be an enemy to those we neglect and ignore?
When my family was on a sabbatical in England a few years ago, Jason and I visited various churches that were doing refugee support in their communities. One of these small towns had a church that was overflowing with people—almost all of them refugees. Prior to the current minister’s arrival, the church was about to close its doors for good.
The pastor told us that when he accepted the ministry position, his colleagues warned him not to go. The town was not known for its vitality. In fact, it had a depressing reputation. They told this pastor, “You don’t want to move your family there—the schools are horrible, and the city is drab. The pastor thought—well, it’s not the schools or the city that I’m called to, it’s the people. And he realized that if he didn’t take the position as the minister of this church in this town, he would essentially be protecting his own children from Jesus. To not go was avoiding the very reason Jesus needed him to go, to love others.
It's easy to love those who love us already. And it’s not hard to do good to those who do good to us. But Jesus asks us to do what is not easy. To love where there may not be love in return, or kindness back. Ever. In this lifetime. But to follow and love like Jesus loves, we will be transformed in new ways. It’s inevitable!
This isn’t the kind of “love your enemy” as in the “kill them with kindness” philosophy and they’ll finally come around, and you’ll get your way, and they’ll do what you want. This is different. This is prayer for the one with whom we disagree. This could be as simple as a work colleague that you see every day. I was a special needs education teacher back in my younger adult days. I worked with children who had emotional disabilities and came from troubled places and homes. The shelf-life for these kinds of teachers is about three years before they hit burn out. I remember working with a counselor for a specific child. I was the instructor, but she was doing the therapy. I disagreed with her approach. And every day I came to work, I felt more and more bitter. Until finally, I just decided to pray for the counselor—every day. And then, surprisingly, I liked her better. My insides weren’t twisted with bitterness, but I felt more compassion for her and for her role in these kids’ lives. I don’t remember how we finally approached the child, but I do know the child was better cared for, for our relationship being healed. Someone once said, “I prayed and prayed for my enemies, until one day I realized they were no longer my enemies anymore.”
Stanley Hauerwas, one of the greatest theologians of our time, has another take. He writes that just because we’re told to forgive and love our enemies, does not mean that they will cease being our enemies! That tracks, too. We can’t control others’ responses, but we can control ours. “Be like God.” Jesus urges.
If someone is difficult, pray for that person. That doesn’t necessarily mean to allow the pain, or abuse, or any sort of actions that harm us. But pray. When we do, we realize that we can’t possibly accept in our own strength, but with strength from God. Through prayer which brings the Holy Spirit –we might have new life and love for the journey. Now that’s a different kind of strength. That’s something to give praise for.
Where in our world, and in our history, have we seen enemy love work? Back when there was apartheid in South Africa, there were churches that stood for love of black and white South Africans, and for reconciliation. Nelson Mandela wanted a country based on forgiveness, not a bloodbath. Rev. Dr. Peter Storey (my professor in seminary) was a Methodist minister during that time, and he is a white South African. He was chaplain to Nelson Mandela on Robben Island. Robben Island is now a place where tourists can go. Peter can’t. The memory of that place is too painful. Storey’s entire ministry in South Africa was shaped by one simple question: “What does it mean to obey Jesus in apartheid South Africa? And he tried in profound ways to live into the answer each day. What does it mean for us, friends, to obey Jesus, in Toronto, by loving our enemies? What might come of it if we do? In Mandela’s autobiography book Long Walk to Freedom, he writes “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of skin, religion, [or culture], …people are taught to hate. Love comes more naturally.” Teach love!
Luke’s Gospel gives us words that many in our world have heard—not just Christians. That is: The Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But we don’t always do that well. How do we treat others?
In ancient times, relationships were often built on exchange of gifts. I suppose you could say the same for today. Friendships were forged through evenly reciprocating each other’s gifts. I was talking with a friend of mine. He’s Chinese, and he mentioned that reciprocation of gifts is very much a part of their lives. He calls it the culture of reciprocity. He said for example, “If my son graduated and my friend gave him $100, when his daughter graduated, it was unspoken knowledge that he, too, would give his friend’s daughter exactly $100.” He also laughed about how he and his friends would fight over the bill. And even if you paid last time, you were supposed to fight about paying again. With me, I can never remember who paid last time! So, my friends are mostly out of luck!
In our social worlds, there are often unspoken customs that we practice. And when someone doesn’t respond in the way that we think they should, we notice. Jesus isn’t asking us to do something so that we’ll get it back.
There’s no right way to do it—there’s just one way. To Love: because that’s what God does for us. Love for enemies is one of the strangest things about us Christians. It sets Christians apart. Other religions, including those closest to us, simply disagree. Jesus loves his enemies and dies for the ones who crucified him. That’s the heart of our unusual and different story. Flannery O’Connor said: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you odd.” Christians follow a risen Lord. That’s just going to look different.
Back in biblical times, it meant a breach of social conventions if someone didn’t reciprocate a gift in kind. So, it was revolutionary in Luke to treat all persons, no matter their status, the same as if on level ground, like that of the plains that Jesus stood on to speak. Earlier in Chapter 6, it says that Jesus had just chosen his twelve disciples, and the first thing he did was come down the mountain and “stood on a level place.” That level ground is significant.
Jesus’s teachings are revolutionary. They aren’t the natural social norm. We don’t instinctively turn the other cheek if the other one got hit! There was a little boy who was having some trouble in elementary with some bullies. This kept happening day after day. The parents were at a loss as to what to do, or how to help. Finally, the dad said, “hey, today, if it happens again, just look him right here between the eyes and give a little punch.” (To be honest, the dad was truly kidding)—I’ll let you figure out how I know these “parents” so well. When the child came home that day, he was asked about the bully and how the day went. He simply replied, “I took care of it.” I mean, right? I’m kinda cheering for that kid. But inside, we parents were mortified. Did he really punch the bully? The truth is, he didn’t. But somehow, he did “take care of it.” Maybe he did turn the other cheek. Maybe he just didn’t stick around and found other friends to play with elsewhere on the playground. Whatever he did, the bullying stopped.
What we do with our actions and how we live as Christians, should flow out of God’s abundance to us. So that if we actually turn the other cheek, (instead of a little punch), it can be an act of resistance to evil and when we keep doing that, the resistance has the power to transform others, and the world. Now that sounds like something to imitate, someone to give praise to.
The inbreaking of God makes a difference in how we respond to other people.
How we approach people flows out of what we practice. And sometimes we simply practice what we and our neighbours have always done. Relating to people in ways that have become familiar to us. Yet, Familiarity breeds contempt. Angela Davis writes: “Deadliness is in our familiarity in our neighbour, in the cost of living, unaffordable housing, lack of education for all, and rent, housing, and how we accept it.” We shrug and say this is just how it is.
God loves us all not because of what we have done, achieved, or claimed, but solely because of who God is. And because of that love, grace transforms us—while the gospel may be good news for all, the gospel isn’t always easy. But the gospel is always good. And that good is what Jesus is all about.
Another example of history and enemies is the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. There were two different ethnic groups: Hutu and Tutsi. The Tutsi formed the wealthier, more powerful part of society, while the Hutus the lower, poorer part. After the genocide, more than 95,000 children were orphaned. Through an empowerment organization called Zoe Empowers (Zoe is Greek for life)—I was able to be with some of these orphan groups and hear their stories. I was stunned to hear how families of one family had killed members of another’s family, coming from the two different ethnic groups. But, through the profound love and mercy of Jesus, these youth shared life together, and a transformed love for one another. The Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do to you. Even if those before you did not.
Rude and Praise have been your two words for this summer series. And rude simply means offensive, impolite, or ill-mannered. Perhaps you didn’t know Jesus was so rude, but there are many who are threatened by such challenges as loving enemies and mixing with those whom society shuns. Jesus is offensive in that way, and some might say ill-mannered. He doesn’t stay high on the mountain; he comes down and continues to demonstrate a lowering of self and a love of others to share this golden rule. Not so that we would simply do good to another, or help a neighbour when they fall, but so that we would be transformed, just like those Rwandan orphans were transformed and became friends by the grace of God’s love.
Our faith story is first and foremost about God, not about sin. We are not evil people; we are fallen people. All in need of love. CS Lewis jokes: There will be three surprises when you get in heaven:
- Who’s there,
- Who’s not there,
- That you’re there!
We are all fallen, and we are all loved. Teach love, not hate.
We weren’t meant to live the way that we’re witnessing around the world. In our shared humanity: we have more in common than not. But we are divided by our differences. We see this around the world in Gaza, Ukraine, Venezuela, Lebanon, Iran. Differences are exacerbated in our politics here in North America.
This is not a simple love—to love one’s enemies. We think it’s hard to do this—but it costs us more not to do this! It hurts everyone. It’s like drinking poison and hoping someone else dies. Instead, let us give praise to the one who teaches us to love. The psalmist declares this love in Psalm 136. There are 26 verses, and in all 26 are the repeated phrase: God’s “steadfast love endures forever.”
Through all the Rude, through all the Praise, God gets the last word. And that word is forever God’s love.
I’ll close with Pádraig Ó Tuama --an Irish poet and theologian. He about saved my life during COVID when I first discovered him. In his podcast “Poetry Unbound” he reads poetry—not just his own—he reads from all kinds of poets. And then the entire podcast is unpacking the poem—dissecting it, discovering from it, learning from it. Then at the end, he reads the entire poem again, and one can hear it a whole different way—with a little more clarity and understanding. I think this is a beautiful way to study scripture, as well. So, I’ll end with a re-read of just the last few verses in Luke’s Gospel from The Message translation as a summary:
35-36 “I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our God is kind;”
Friends, practice this love, as we would like others to practice it. Our motivation to do so is by the giver of this love for us. Why do we have to love our enemies? Because God does. That is the transforming beauty of our faith. Amen.