Let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No." For whatever is more than these is from the evil one

 

 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right eye causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  

"Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.  

"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."

 

- Matthew 5:27–37 

 

This week we are reading through the Sermon on the Mount, in preparation for Lent, which begins next week.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

 

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  The issue here, my study Bible tells us, is not the God-given mutual attraction of men and women, but the selfish promptings of lust.  Sin does not come out of nature, it says, but out of the distortion of nature for self-indulgence.  When thoughts enter our mind involuntarily, those are not sins.  They are temptations.  They only become sins if they are held, built up, entertained.

 

"If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right eye causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."  Of course, Jesus is speaking figuratively here.  He is using these images to teach us how important it is to take decisive action to avoid sin and continue in purity.  Notice He speaks of the right eye and right hand; these would be even our "favored" parts of ourselves, the things we most depend upon.  Even these, Jesus says, can be deadly to us.  If we consider these images, we'll note that an eye can gaze with an improper covetousness on things that it shouldn't, a hand can reach out to take what doesn't belong to us.  

"Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery."  In contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, my study Bible comments, and because of the misuse of divorce in Christ's time, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (see also Matthew 19:8-9) and emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  That Jesus mentions the possibility of divorce due to sexual immorality is a teaching that shows us that marriage -- like other relationships -- can be destroyed by sin.  

"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."   My study Bible comments that trust cannot be secured by swearing an oath by things that are not in a person's possession anyway, but only by simple integrity. 

If we continue our thoughts from yesterday's reading, we can start with the last part of today's Gospel passage, in which Jesus teaches us to let our "Yes" be "Yes" and our "No," "No."  Once again, in preparation for Lent, we might take these words of Christ to suggest an important practice of economy with our words.  What do our words mean?  How do we use them?  If we want to take a closer look at Christ's words about swearing oaths we have only to look at the story of the death of John the Baptist (see Matthew 14:1-12).  Essentially, in that story, although the King understood John the Baptist to be a holy man, and although he felt very badly, it was because of an oath he swore in front of his nobles and "great men" of his kingdom -- and the rash sway of his own emotions by the dancing of his queen's daughter -- he gave the orders to behead John the Baptist and present his severed head in a grotesque display of heedless and vicious excess.  In that case, Herod's swearing before the "grand" people of his court, and his own vainglory involved in doing so, complicates this story.  But it also adds to our understanding about why we do best to stick to humility in economizing with our words.  We don't need to make vain proclamations about what we think or believe, and we don't need to make them public or excessively vehement.  For to do so is to step into a trap of vainglory, and to risk being unable to step down from such a place when it's necessary.   The humility of using only our necessary words to make a point, to defend ourselves, or to make a public statement is something that will stand us in good stead, help us to learn how to use our language well, and keep us in a safe and good path that our Lord asks of us.  So, while we think about abstaining during Lent, and risking temptations, let's add this precaution to our own use of language, and help ourselves to become more thoughtful and precise in so doing.  In an age where vehement language and excessive swearing is the stuff of internet memes and viral videos, let us consider what it is to be the opposite:  to learn how to use language with richness and real aptitude.  Perhaps we will become more distinguished in our capacity for expression by doing so, in imitation of the integrity of our Lord.

 

 

 

 

For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter

 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.  For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.  Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.  And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.  Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

- Mark 7:24-37

On Saturday we read that the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Jesus, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."   When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from the outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So he said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.  For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.  Jesus has gone to the north of Galilee, to a Gentile region.  It seems that He wishes to withdraw from public attention after His encounter with the Pharisees and scribes who came from Jerusalem and criticized His disciples (see Saturday's reading, above).  On that occasion, Jesus responded to them, as He frequently will in His clashes with the religious rulers, with a good offense, challenging the emphasis on the traditions of the elders that were held by the scribes and Pharisees, which could obscure the true intent of the Law given by God.  But this hostile scrutiny on His ministry is something that for now He apparently wishes to avoid, and so He goes to Gentile territory, far away from Jerusalem, and wants no one to know He is in a house there.  But it is simply impossible to hide Him.  Mark tells us, He could not be hidden.  This gives us the flavor of what His ministry is like at this time.  Not only does He not want to be known, but His ministry before His Passion is first to the Jews (Matthew 15:24).  Hence, His ministry is first to the "children who must be fed" -- and at this point, we should add, He seems to be rather exhausted and so has withdrawn for a time.  The dogs He refers to mean little dogs in the language of the text, house dogs or puppies, which would be under the table.  But this woman's faith and persistence is drawn out only further by His putting her off.  It is her persistence that shows real faith, and for her very response, struggling with Christ, in some sense, as Jacob struggled with the angel (Genesis 32:22-32), she is positively rewarded by Him.  She also shows a remarkable humility by her response, but she is not put off.  She still desires a share in God's grace, and replies not by responding in anger, but with a further plea that shows her intelligence, wit, and trust in Christ --- also revealing her love for her daughter.

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.  Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.  And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.  Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."   Leaving the northern region of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus remains by going through what is essentially Gentile territory.  In the Decapolis, however, there are mixed populations, with Jews living among the Greek-speakers of this Greek and Roman region of ten cities.  My study bible comments on the fact that, looking up to heaven, Jesus sighed.  It notes that this is a sigh of divine compassion for the sufferings of our fallen human nature.  Once again, Jesus makes some attempts for His ministry to remain without great publicity:  although He "opens" the ears of this man, and loosens his tongue so that he is able to speak plainly, he commands that they should tell no one about this miraculous healing.  But nothing about Him can be hidden, everything He does is astonishing beyond measure -- and the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 

There is a very interesting, and subtle, correlation here among these two stories about the spoken word, about language and communication.  Of course, we know that Jesus Himself is the Word (John 1:1).  He is the personification of the divine capacity for creation, the Word by which things were spoken into existence, "by whom all things were made" (Creed; John 1:3, Colossians 1:16).  As the Word, Jesus responds also to our communications with Him, as evidenced in the story of the Syro-Phoenician woman, who wants a healing for her daughter.  She lives to the north of Galilee, and she's a Greek speaker.  I think it's reasonable to make the connection in today's reading also that Greek is the language of our text, the original language in which Christianity came to the world outside of Israel.  In Jesus' time, this was the international language, the language both of commerce and literature of all kinds.  It was the language of the academy, of education -- of science, literature, history, philosophy.  So it's not an accident that He's here in this territory with this "Greek" woman.  But language plays a great role here.  Jesus, who is the Word, retorts sharply to this woman:  "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."    What are we to make of this?  Jesus is referring to the children of the house of Israel, to whom He has come first in His ministry; they must be filled first.  To call her a dog, or "little dog" is hardly a nice thing, particularly in the context and association of the time (but to be fair, He's referring to the puppies which are part of the home).  But the real notice here is the character of this woman.  She takes what it is He gives her, doesn't argue with Him or repudiate what He says, but rather turns it into her reasonable plea:  "Even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  It might seem strange to our modern sensibilities, but this is the stuff of the faith He's looking for.  She's persistent, she's intelligent, she's humble enough to be entirely flexible and unflappable in her response to Him, and without being offended or giving offense; she remains respectful of who He is and does not challenge His authority, but also appeals to His humanity and compassion.  That is quite a remarkable woman, and she remains a model for all of us and our own communication in life.  Then there is the story of the man who is both deaf and unable to speak.  Jesus opens his ears and loosens his tongue, but He doesn't want these people to tell others what He has done.  He has had enough publicity; but the world is too astonished by the things He does for them to do anything but further proclaim His works.  In the communication of both the Syro-Phoenician woman and the newly-acquired capacity for speech and hearing that is given by Christ to this young man, we find a depth of emphasis on language and its use that runs like a thread beneath the text.   How are the good things of God communicated to the world?  How does our language reflect who we are, and what we are?  Can we be like this Syro-Phoenician woman, and think on our feet, conveying both a plea and respect at the same time when we're first put off?  Do we use our intelligence to skillfully communicate?  Through the the healing of the deaf and mute man, Jesus gives us a sense of the God-given gift (looking up to heaven, He sighed) of reciprocal communication, of language and speech.  In the verbal exchange of language we find not only our humanity, but the higher capacity we have as human beings to express our faith, to convey the good, the true, and the beautiful.  We may use our God-given intelligence, our compassion, our love.  We may be God-like, putting the good things within us into action in the world through speaking them, expressing them.  We also participate in the life of God through communication, receiving and speaking in the language of prayer -- which can even include the potential fullness of silence in such a context.  For today, let us be truly grateful for the skills of communication given to us by God, and consider how we may use them.   Such a gift confers "God-likeness" (Genesis 1:26), but so much depends upon how we choose to use it -- and make the best (or worst) of it.