Wintertime Spring Cleaning ~ Matthew 5:21-37 ~ Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
Six years ago, I was a fool in love…
I needed the perfect gift for Elizabeth in our first Valentine’s Day together.
Unsure of what to do, a friend suggested Bath and Body Works. And I thought this was a great idea.
But you have to understand one thing: in that store I was more out of my element than a monkey at a computer.
As soon as I walk in, I’m met by a sweet, fruity smell so strong you could sit on it. Then came the saleswoman, who probably worked on commission. Once I tell her I’m looking for a Valentine’s gift for my girlfriend, she puts a shopping bag on my arm. "She’ll love this," she kept saying as she filled the bag.
I walked out with enough fruity lotions, body washes and hand sanitizers to keep a small army clean and smelling like a fruit salad for years.
Later that day, I bought Elizabeth a fake plastic rose for fifty cents; something to make her laugh…
Well, let me tell you what happened. She enjoyed the Bath & Body Works gift. But, she loved that fake plastic rose!
In fact, that rose has followed us these last six years. Repeatedly, she’s says, "I love my rose." And that is alright with me.
The lesson to be learned is that there are things in our lives that we could count as valuable and even desirable—but that doesn’t necessarily make them true treasures. Conversely, there exist some incredible treasures that we do not always treat as such.
How many of you have ever bought an expensive gift for a small child—and the he/she seems to be have more fun playing with the box or the bubble wrap it came in—rather than the gift itself?
We never really outgrow this as adults. I daresay we grow even more foolish than children.
Naturally, if we call ourselves Christians, we call Jesus our greatest treasure. And [hopefully], we thank God for the treasures that are our bodies and minds; our loved ones; our homes; and all the daily necessities of life.
However, there are some treasures that we pour our lives into; spending all kinds of time and money both to attain and maintain them: things we gotta have; things we gotta do; things we gotta know; people we gotta please. Our hearts burn with desire for these treasures. We can’t think of life being "good" without them.
But would Jesus call these things treasures? Or would he call them trash?
From God’s perspective, true treasures draw us closer to God. They are tangible expressions of God’s love—and they enable us to obey God’s will and live as disciples. But some things we call treasure do the exact opposite.
Just consider the absolutely jarring words of Jesus in our Gospel today:
"If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. If your right arm causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away."
Please don’t take this literally, because our eyes and our arms DO cause us to sin—and they always will. But don’t brush his words aside either. One of sin’s devastating consequences is its power to pull us away from God. But so can some things we call "treasure." What God calls trash, we call "my freedom," "my right," even "my responsibility." It’s getting "what I deserve" and "looking out for number one." Feeling safe and secure. Being happy. Being superior. Being "in the right." Yet these things we call "treasures" won’t lead us to God. Some things must go…
Anger is the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of sins. Bitterness can blind you to all the good things God is doing. Grudges keep old wounds open and deprive us of enjoying relationships as gifts of God. We can become so consumed with lust and desire for what is not ours and for what we really don’t need that we don’t enjoy life. If unchecked, it’s another perfect breeding ground for all kinds of sins that can wreak massive destruction upon ourselves and others. Self-centeredness reduces others only to what we can get from them. Pride tempts us to make ourselves like Jesus, thinking we can please everyone; fixing everyone else’s problems and saving them from trouble. It is with pride that we make promises we cannot fulfill.
Think of all the stress and all the misery that we needlessly inflict upon ourselves, trying to build lives outside of our faith and God’s will for the world.
If you believe that Jesus died and was raised, and you are baptized into his death and resurrection; and you believe that God is faithful, then why build your life outside of what God desires for you?
Jesus’ words may be harsh and shocking, but that’s how much he wants you to live in his peace and come into the joy of showing forth his love to the world. This is why he is inviting you to some "wintertime spring cleaning" of your life, so that you may live more deeply in his goodness. The Holy Spirit is going to be "pulling you" to take a look at your life and clean a few things out. Perhaps you’ll be letting go of a prize possession or passing on that something you’ve been wanting to buy for a while. Perhaps you’ll be giving and serving in ways you haven’t done before. Maybe you’re being invited to heal a broken relationship. The Spirit may be even readying you to break free of a sin that’s been dragging you into misery.
Whatever the case, Christ inevitably brings change to our lives. His gift to you is peace and new life—and he will give you the grace and strength you need to make changes and clean the trash out of your life so that you can live the kind of life God intends. So don’t be afraid to cast off and throw away—because Jesus brings an opportunity to be whole and at peace than we would’ve ever known before.
I needed the perfect gift for Elizabeth in our first Valentine’s Day together.
Unsure of what to do, a friend suggested Bath and Body Works. And I thought this was a great idea.
But you have to understand one thing: in that store I was more out of my element than a monkey at a computer.
As soon as I walk in, I’m met by a sweet, fruity smell so strong you could sit on it. Then came the saleswoman, who probably worked on commission. Once I tell her I’m looking for a Valentine’s gift for my girlfriend, she puts a shopping bag on my arm. "She’ll love this," she kept saying as she filled the bag.
I walked out with enough fruity lotions, body washes and hand sanitizers to keep a small army clean and smelling like a fruit salad for years.
Later that day, I bought Elizabeth a fake plastic rose for fifty cents; something to make her laugh…
Well, let me tell you what happened. She enjoyed the Bath & Body Works gift. But, she loved that fake plastic rose!
In fact, that rose has followed us these last six years. Repeatedly, she’s says, "I love my rose." And that is alright with me.
The lesson to be learned is that there are things in our lives that we could count as valuable and even desirable—but that doesn’t necessarily make them true treasures. Conversely, there exist some incredible treasures that we do not always treat as such.
How many of you have ever bought an expensive gift for a small child—and the he/she seems to be have more fun playing with the box or the bubble wrap it came in—rather than the gift itself?
We never really outgrow this as adults. I daresay we grow even more foolish than children.
Naturally, if we call ourselves Christians, we call Jesus our greatest treasure. And [hopefully], we thank God for the treasures that are our bodies and minds; our loved ones; our homes; and all the daily necessities of life.
However, there are some treasures that we pour our lives into; spending all kinds of time and money both to attain and maintain them: things we gotta have; things we gotta do; things we gotta know; people we gotta please. Our hearts burn with desire for these treasures. We can’t think of life being "good" without them.
But would Jesus call these things treasures? Or would he call them trash?
From God’s perspective, true treasures draw us closer to God. They are tangible expressions of God’s love—and they enable us to obey God’s will and live as disciples. But some things we call treasure do the exact opposite.
Just consider the absolutely jarring words of Jesus in our Gospel today:
Please don’t take this literally, because our eyes and our arms DO cause us to sin—and they always will. But don’t brush his words aside either. One of sin’s devastating consequences is its power to pull us away from God. But so can some things we call "treasure." What God calls trash, we call "my freedom," "my right," even "my responsibility." It’s getting "what I deserve" and "looking out for number one." Feeling safe and secure. Being happy. Being superior. Being "in the right." Yet these things we call "treasures" won’t lead us to God. Some things must go…
Anger is the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of sins. Bitterness can blind you to all the good things God is doing. Grudges keep old wounds open and deprive us of enjoying relationships as gifts of God. We can become so consumed with lust and desire for what is not ours and for what we really don’t need that we don’t enjoy life. If unchecked, it’s another perfect breeding ground for all kinds of sins that can wreak massive destruction upon ourselves and others. Self-centeredness reduces others only to what we can get from them. Pride tempts us to make ourselves like Jesus, thinking we can please everyone; fixing everyone else’s problems and saving them from trouble. It is with pride that we make promises we cannot fulfill.
Think of all the stress and all the misery that we needlessly inflict upon ourselves, trying to build lives outside of our faith and God’s will for the world.
If you believe that Jesus died and was raised, and you are baptized into his death and resurrection; and you believe that God is faithful, then why build your life outside of what God desires for you?
Jesus’ words may be harsh and shocking, but that’s how much he wants you to live in his peace and come into the joy of showing forth his love to the world. This is why he is inviting you to some "wintertime spring cleaning" of your life, so that you may live more deeply in his goodness. The Holy Spirit is going to be "pulling you" to take a look at your life and clean a few things out. Perhaps you’ll be letting go of a prize possession or passing on that something you’ve been wanting to buy for a while. Perhaps you’ll be giving and serving in ways you haven’t done before. Maybe you’re being invited to heal a broken relationship. The Spirit may be even readying you to break free of a sin that’s been dragging you into misery.
Whatever the case, Christ inevitably brings change to our lives. His gift to you is peace and new life—and he will give you the grace and strength you need to make changes and clean the trash out of your life so that you can live the kind of life God intends. So don’t be afraid to cast off and throw away—because Jesus brings an opportunity to be whole and at peace than we would’ve ever known before.
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