Consistency and the Gospel

Consistency and the Gospel
Trinity IV, 2011

Rev. Stephen E. Stults
St. Barnabas Anglican Church
July 17, 2011

Luke 6:37 37 ¶ Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

It’s been said that the Bible contains all the answers to man’s quandaries, no matter what they may be. Christians claim that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, infallible and inerrant, containing all truth. Christians say that no matter what your question or problem, the Bible can answer it, or at least shed light on it in a real and meaningful way.

That’s a mighty big claim. “How can a book, written over thousands of years by many, many voices contain such truth?”ask modernists and liberal scholars. How can such a book that’s been translated into more languages than any other book in history have any semblance of consistency or coherence, and how can it have any application to modern folk today?

That’s an excellent question, one that’s been asked ever since the canons of the Old and New Testaments were finalized. When critics begin their attack on Christianity, they usually begin with the Bible. Bring down the Bible, they say, and one can bring down the Christian religion. Prove the Bible to be ultimately inconsistent or untrue and one can destroy Christianity. Some sects and cults, such as the Mormons and the Jehovah Witnesses, even have their own versions of the Scriptures, edited and expurgated to fit their own doctrinal views. Thus, as we are all very well aware, there are those in this world, inspired and energized by Satan, who would like nothing better than to see Christianity fail.

Yet, despite attacks from all angles and from all perspectives, Christianity prevails. Christianity prevails despite its own best efforts to shoot itself in the foot. By that I mean that Christians still spend a great deal of their efforts fighting, disagreeing or feuding with each other. Despite our numerous enemies without, within we are still our greatest own enemy. In the famous words of Pogo, “We have seen the enemy and he is us.”

Yet, Christianity prevails. The Word of God still speaks to people with a gentle force that is unreckoned in this world. The Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion are still efficacious to those who use them faithfully. The Holy Spirit of God still hovers over His People, guarding, guiding and shepherding them. The promise of Christ still holds true: “Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Finally, the Golden Thread of the Gospel, despite two thousand years and innumerable translations, still shines brightly through the ages

That Golden Thread of Truth shines brightly in today’s Gospel as well. Today’s Gospel shines with at least two threads, one dealing with reciprocity, the other dealing with hypocrisy. There is actually a connection between the two, although we will speak mainly of that great failing of mankind, hypocrisy.

This portion of the Gospel comes from one of Christ’s great discourses from Luke 6, called “The Sermon on the Plain.” The entire sermon is simply self-evident truth. For example, in the section chosen for today’s Gospel, Christ tells us several principles on which we should base our lives, for they provide the basis on which one can build a society.

Allow me to summarize them briefly:
1. Judge not and you shall not be judged.
2. The measure that you give is the measure that you get.
3. Can the blind lead the blind?
4. The student is not above his master.
5. Avoid hypocrisy
Of all these points, the two on which we will focus on reciprocity and hypocrisy. They may be the most fundamental of all because the relationship principle they embody carries through to all of human relations. That principle is simply the quality of consistency. Being consistent in all of our actions, speech, and intentions really brings us the most benefit out of life and keeps our relationships pure.

Being consistent underlies the law that undergirds society. It’s been called the “reciprocity rule.” What it says, basically, is that what you put into something is what you’ll get out of it. The more you give, the more you get. Reciprocity is also the return or “mutual-ness” expected or felt in relationships among people.
When you pay a compliment, it’s only expected that the recipient says “thank you.” It’s like the payment or acknowledgement of the compliment. When you are courteous to others, it is expected that you receive courtesy in return. Yet, it doesn’t always happen, and that can be an occasion for wrath and even sin for us. Recall how you feel when you admit someone into a line of traffic ahead of you and they do not acknowledge your courtesy. It doesn’t feel good, does it? Sometimes, it even raises our ire.

As an aside, imagine the wrath God the Father will exhibit to those who ultimately reject His great offering, Jesus Christ. The Father gave us the very best that He had. How would you feel if someone rejected the best present that you could offer? I shudder to contemplate that wrath on a divine level.

Reciprocity is a key principle in life. It works in finances, it works in the workplace, and it certainly works in marriage. It’s almost too simple, for it says that the more effort, money, time and emotional involvement one invests in something, the more one will receive. Of course, there are exceptions, as life always has variations, but in general, it works and it works largely.

The other lesson which rests on the principle of consistency is probably the greatest of all: avoid hypocrisy. Live as you would have others live, treat others as you would have them treat you, and do what you say that you will do. Don’t do things personally that you would condemn in others. Don’t condemn (judge unfairly) someone when you do the same thing. In short, have integrity in everything that you do.

This is one of the greatest lessons Christ can teach us. When we are consistent in our actions and our speech and when our actions mirror our beliefs, we are the way to true godliness and peace. Best of all, we seek to avoid that most common accusation leveled against us Christians: “You’re all a bunch of hypocrites.” You see, when one tries to live a godly life and to adopt high standards, it’s only natural that one will fail occasionally, or even often. This is when our enemies attack us, for they seize upon our occasional failure and hold that up for the norm. For example, every time a famous evangelist falls, they rejoice and trumpet the prevalence of hypocrisy in Christianity. What they don’t see are the millions of ordinary Christians going about their lives and trying the best they can to emulate Christ. What they don’t see is the attempt to avoid hypocrisy and to remain consistent.

Yet, that urge to judge unfairly, or to condemn unrighteously, is so strong amongst all of us. It is so easy to see others’ failing and conveniently forget our own. It is so easy to point the finger of blame at another, while, as the old saying goes we have three fingers pointing back at us.

Perhaps the bigger question is why? Why do all of us, at some time or another, take such perverse joy or even pleasure at highlighting the failures or misdeeds of others? Is it to take a mis-guided sense of superiority? Do we, even in a small way, want to think ourselves a bit better than the other person? Or, is it a way to take attention away from our own misdeeds and failings? Perhaps. Why do we, even in the tiniest sense of moral superiority, want to vaunt ourselves over others?

Now, there is no way that any of us in this room would openly rejoice over the misfortunes of others, even in the minutest way. That is too crass, too heartless, and too remote to consider. Unlike the rough crowd in Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, who hurled abuse and refuse on the poor unfortunate as he was tied to the whipping post, we could never do that. It is unthinkable.

Yet, in the recesses of all of our souls is that knowledge that we are fallen. From that sense of fallen nature, however deeply buried it may seem, comes a need for self-justification, a need to say that, basically, we’re all right. From that comes a need to see ourselves better in some way, however small or great that may be. Thus, springs the root of hypocrisy.

The point is, without true self love, we are all hypocrites. As long as there is some need for self-justification, we will be inconsistent simply because we are all fallen, sinful creatures in need of a Savior. We cannot justify ourselves, either to man or to God. We cannot love ourselves without this knowledge, because without the justification of Christ in our souls, we are still flawed and empty. Our love for ourselves, without Christ, is a lie because we actually love the fallen human nature that is our native state instead of the redeemed, forgiven, risen soul that now belongs to Him. Without Jesus Christ, all love is false, because He is the source of all true love. When we realize our true value in Him, we will love ourselves and we will be consistent.

That’s really what we are about today. We are learning to love Christ. We are trying, though this love, to preserve sanity and godly order in a world gone its own way. As always, keep your eyes fixed firmly upon Christ and all will be well. As with the rule of reciprocity, the more that we cling to Christ, the more strength, love, joy and peace we will receive.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.