Love is a donut
Maybe, I dunno, maybe we need always to be mindful of the Bible readings for the upcoming Sunday, at least we preachers do even if, as for me, we are not preaching Sunday, as I'm not preaching Sunday, preached last Sunday, so not again. But reading and thinking on the lesson, contemplating, even meditating on.
So, the gospel for this coming Sunday, February 24, the last February in 2019 - - why Time is fleeing so, I dunno that either except that in my own Time I've noticed that whether Time flees depends on whether I am going to the dentist next month, week, day, hour at any age, or I am seven years old and it is December 24, let the reader understand - - is about Love. In the NT, both Jesus and Paul commend Love. Generally we may think of 1st Corinthians chapter 13, which is read at weddings so often even though Paul's NT Greek may be about another kind of Love altogether from the romantic love that is why we are gathered and is on the minds of the bridal couple and everyone in the congregation. But here, it's Jesus in Luke's good story telling about Jesus commanding Love, cast as an imperative verb, action in the imperative.
Neither brotherly, friendship love, nor family love, nor romantic love, but the impersonal love that is not a feeling, but how you treat other people. Here, the enemies that you despise, even hate: you have to love them. It's imperative that you love them. Treat them humanely, respectfully. As a retired military person remembering standing on the deck of a U S Navy warship docked in Danang harbor, watching American planes dive toward enemy positions high in the surrounding mountains and launch bombs, the flash and moments later the thud, this is what always comes to my mind when Jesus says "love your enemies." He's talking to people, each of whom has a different view of who is his/her enemy, of course. There may be Roman soldiers nearby keeping watch lest the crowd get out of hand. In the crowd may be the Jewish tax collector who works for the Roman occupation. Or the man who stole your sweetheart. Jesus is talking to each of those situations. He's also talking to me over two thousand years later as I read this morning's news and seethe with outrage at my political enemies: I do love you though.
Anyway, here's Sunday's gospel reading. Just before each English word for Love, I've inserted the NT Greek word that Luke, writing for a Greek reader, has Jesus (who spoke Aramaic, not Greek) speaking. Jesus said it in Aramaic, Luke quotes Jesus in Greek. You and I read it in English. Each time, it's a form of the NT Greek word αγάπη (agapé), which, as my middle school students from half a generation ago, who are soon looking at thirty, may remember, means kindness, thoughtfulness, consideration, generosity, the essence of the golden rule. OMG, I loved those kids, and I will never stop missing them. My agapé for them was a happy classroom and a box of warm donuts.
Luke 6:27-38 (NRSV)
Jesus said, "I say to you that listen, ἀγαπᾶτε love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
"If you ἀγαπᾶτε love those who ἀγαπῶντας love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners ἀγαπῶντας love those who ἀγαπῶσιν love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But ἀγαπᾶτε love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."
So, the gospel for this coming Sunday, February 24, the last February in 2019 - - why Time is fleeing so, I dunno that either except that in my own Time I've noticed that whether Time flees depends on whether I am going to the dentist next month, week, day, hour at any age, or I am seven years old and it is December 24, let the reader understand - - is about Love. In the NT, both Jesus and Paul commend Love. Generally we may think of 1st Corinthians chapter 13, which is read at weddings so often even though Paul's NT Greek may be about another kind of Love altogether from the romantic love that is why we are gathered and is on the minds of the bridal couple and everyone in the congregation. But here, it's Jesus in Luke's good story telling about Jesus commanding Love, cast as an imperative verb, action in the imperative.
Neither brotherly, friendship love, nor family love, nor romantic love, but the impersonal love that is not a feeling, but how you treat other people. Here, the enemies that you despise, even hate: you have to love them. It's imperative that you love them. Treat them humanely, respectfully. As a retired military person remembering standing on the deck of a U S Navy warship docked in Danang harbor, watching American planes dive toward enemy positions high in the surrounding mountains and launch bombs, the flash and moments later the thud, this is what always comes to my mind when Jesus says "love your enemies." He's talking to people, each of whom has a different view of who is his/her enemy, of course. There may be Roman soldiers nearby keeping watch lest the crowd get out of hand. In the crowd may be the Jewish tax collector who works for the Roman occupation. Or the man who stole your sweetheart. Jesus is talking to each of those situations. He's also talking to me over two thousand years later as I read this morning's news and seethe with outrage at my political enemies: I do love you though.
Anyway, here's Sunday's gospel reading. Just before each English word for Love, I've inserted the NT Greek word that Luke, writing for a Greek reader, has Jesus (who spoke Aramaic, not Greek) speaking. Jesus said it in Aramaic, Luke quotes Jesus in Greek. You and I read it in English. Each time, it's a form of the NT Greek word αγάπη (agapé), which, as my middle school students from half a generation ago, who are soon looking at thirty, may remember, means kindness, thoughtfulness, consideration, generosity, the essence of the golden rule. OMG, I loved those kids, and I will never stop missing them. My agapé for them was a happy classroom and a box of warm donuts.
Luke 6:27-38 (NRSV)
Jesus said, "I say to you that listen, ἀγαπᾶτε love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
"If you ἀγαπᾶτε love those who ἀγαπῶντας love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners ἀγαπῶντας love those who ἀγαπῶσιν love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But ἀγαπᾶτε love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."