Jesus: But I say to you

Who is Jesus?  A bible study through the season after Epiphany during which you use the See-Judge-Act methodology.  Aida Irizarry-Fernandez describes this way of bible study as an "action/reflection process rooted in liberation theology and thinking." (Engaging the Bible: Critical Readings from Contemporary Women chapter III "A Communal Reading" page 17)  You'll need an open heart, a willing spirit, and a creative imagination to explore the text in this way.  When you finish your study, discover your own breath prayer.  The breath prayer is an ancient form of repetitive prayer which will emerge from your engagement with the biblical text.  
 

Study Suggestion:  Why not consider asking a few people to join you in a "communal" reading using this See-Judge-Act method!  

Matthew 5:20-37          "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire.  So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.   Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.  Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.  "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of un-chastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.   "Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.'  But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.  Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

Movement 1/See (Read the Text closely/Examination:) We pay attention to the story, the characters, and their original context.   Re-create the scene in your mind’s eye.  Consider time, place, and people.  Consider what you learn from your five senses.  What do you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch?    Visualize what Jesus was doing as he engaged other people … family, friends, strangers and enemies.

This is our third week with the Sermon on the Mount as we continue to listen to Jesus teaching his disciples and followers.  Before we begin our study we make a mental note of Matthew 5:18, in which Jesus tells the disciples quite clearly that he does not intend to abolish traditional Jewish teachings.  He says, “until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter,^* not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.”    

When Jesus says “you have heard that it was said,” he is referring to the Law of Moses, the “Torah,” the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.   We refer to the Hebrew Bible as the “Old Testament.”  Jesus makes it clear that he is not replacing “old” teachings with “new” teachings.   He is calling his disciples, and anyone else who wants to follow him, into a deeper spiritual life, a life that goes beyond outside actions to the motivations underneath them.   

This week we begin with viewing the text from the point of view of Jesus.  Jesus is strong, clear and to the point.  There are four transitions in our study passage.   In each one Jesus recalls certain ethical laws that are common to the Jewish community and then he says, “But I say to you …”   Let us think like a teacher.  What is Jesus inviting his listeners to think about?    What kind of behavior does Jesus address in these teachings?  How common are each of these laws, one by one, to humanity?   How does it seem that Jesus feels about these issues?    How important do they seem to be to him?   

Now we move to the other side and wonder with the disciples, “What am I to think about these things Jesus is telling us?”   How am I to feel?    What changes am I being called to make? 

Movement 2/Judge (Look at your Life/Spiritual Discernment:) We seek to examine our own lives as we live in community ... search the text as you keep it in its original context and bring it into the "now" through the act of cross-cultural reading.   Consider why Jesus acted as he did and said the things that needed to be said.  Concentrate your attention on Jesus as you seek to be formed in his image and live as he lived.  

Anger, lust, divorce, integrity … These issues touch our world just as much today as they did in the days of the early Christians.   Do any of these issues touch your life in a personal way?   How do these issues touch the people in your church family or your community?   

What is the good news in this passage?  What do you see as God’s purposes as you discern them from Jesus?    What does God want from you as a faithful, growing disciples?

Movement 3/Act (Take action in Light of your Faith/Transformation:) We are called to work so that the reign of God can be realized in the world today.  Work with creativity and compassion, follow the Spirit, meditate on the Word and expect that God will show you how to take action as you apply what you have learned.  

What steps does my community and I need to take in order to be responsive to the invitation we hear in the biblical text?   How will we encourage ethical behavior?   As we change how we will affect those who are around us?  How can we build a better world for the whole human race to share together?

Prayer:  “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.”  (Luke 12:48b NRSV)  As we are called to act, we sincerely seek the empowerment of Spirit and we are changed.  We become more like Christ.  I invite you to discover your breath prayer 

• Take time to quiet yourself within. Acknowledge and then let go of all your busy thoughts.
• Allow a “new” name for God to emerge or simply use the name you usually use when you pray to God
• Consider the invitation to follow Jesus that emerged during your time of study
• Work with your words until you have about 6-8 syllables which is the most comfortable to breathe … or pray this one: 

(breath in) Jesus let me hear … (breath out) what you say … 

As you continue to pray your prayer as you breathe throughout the day, you may find that God’s invitation seeps into you and that God’s love begins to flow in to you and out from you into a world that hurts.  
 

It was really hard to find music for this particular passage but if Music is a Pathway to God’s Presence for you … Listen to Ancient of Days by the Oslo Gospel Choir recorded live at St Janskerk in Gouda, The Netherlands.  This performance truly has an “emerging church” feel ... contemporary music in a Gothic Cathedral.  I love it!  The large Gothic Church is one of the few churches in the world today that still retains stained glass in all its windows. Of the seventy-two windows on display throughout the gothic church, sixty-one date back to the sixteenth century.