Last week, we ended with Jesus’ words in his second discourse “You have heard, but I say…”
This section deals with Jesus giving six interpretations of scripture.
I cannot address all six fully, but we can make some brief observations about what Jesus says in the first two.
It is important to establish that for those who say they believe in Jesus as The Christ/Messiah, then what he says and does should take precedence over everything else.
Jesus again speaking to the peasant class of people whose lives were being ground into the dirt by the policies of Rome and whose days were overburdened by the Scribal laws that added insult to injury, to those Jesus literally tells them that the Pharisees are dead wrong about the law.
Jesus says in verse 21 of Chapter 5, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, Do not murder…But I say to you, anyone who is angry with a brother or sister is liable to judgment.”
When Jesus says “But I say…” We know that in grammar, the BUT is a contrasting conjunction, meaning that it eliminates what came before the BUT and focuses on what comes after the BUT.
I must emphasize again that Jesus is Lord of the church; therefore, what he says takes priority over everything else, including what the Old Testament says and what Paul says.
That is going to be troubling to people who are influenced by a Eurocentric Constantinian version of the biblical faith.
It is a challenge to what you have been taught and socialized to understand about the bible, but it will free you up from denominational dogma and religious rigidity that does not serve you well in practicing the faith and, according to Jesus, hinders you from an authentic relationship with God.
Jesus Subversive message is not just for the domination system of Rome but, his subversive message is also against the religious bullying from people who see religion as something to control people for financial benefit and who refuse to see this faith as something to critique the political and social structure to help free people from social bondage.
There are religious people today who only want “thou shalt not,” and reject the “Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful and blessed are the peacemakers.
There are those in the church, both pulpit and lay, who only want an “eye for an eye…”
These people also ignore Jesus’ words, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
There are those who claim to be followers of Jesus but who are more connected with the Roman citizen Paul who said “Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power,” even when that Government uses oppressive policies to profit off of people like chattel slavery, Jim Crow and Second-Class citizenship.
These people who are not “pro-life,” but “pro-birth” in particular of white babies because they fear the “browning of America,” refuse to prioritize the commandments of Jesus when he said, “In as much as you have done it or not done it to the least of these you have either done or not done it unto me.”
There are those like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day who Jesus said that “They do all their deeds to be seen by others[on television, podcast and talk shows]; for they make their phylacteries broad [Big Bibles] and their fringes long[extravagant robes]. They love to have the place of honor at banquets [state dinners] and the best seats in the synagogue [at mega fest] and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces[high-end shopping districts] and to have people call them rabbi, [Bishop, Apostle, Overseer], but who do nothing to help those truly in need.”
Jesus’ message “You have heard, but I say…” is a check and correction on how the law and the prophets should be viewed. Jesus is advocating for the spirit of the law that lifts those from the bottom up and not a crowning of those from the top down.
Jesus’ words “You have heard, But I say…” is a direct repudiation of the empty religious blabbering of Pharisaic people of his day and our present day who are quick to say “Thoughts and Prayers,” when children are butchered by automatic weapons at a school or in the neighborhood but who refuse to have the spine to stand up to the NRA or gun manufacturers who only care for profit and not people to put a ban on weapons of war being in the hands of citizens.
Beloved this is a subversive message by Jesus against the status quo who either mislead the masses based on the alien ideology and theology of the oppressor or who out of the desire to be popular and who seek their own personal prominence over the real needs of the people they are supposed to serve.
Jesus’ words are a recalibration of who really matters in the biblical text and, that is, Jesus himself. In the language of the culture, Jesus is saying, “Forget what you heard, and listen to what I say.”
True worshipers listen to and replicate in word and deed what Jesus said and did as a lens to look through when reading any other part of the bible because Jesus’ words and actions take precedence over everything else.
Uhuru Sassa, beloved.
Rev. Dr. John E. Jackson, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ-Gary, 1276 W. 20th Ave. in Gary. “We are not just another church but we are a culturally conscious, Christ-centered church, committed to the community; we are unashamedly Black and unapologetically Christian.” Contact the church by email at [email protected] or by phone at 219-944-0500.
