Let’s set this story in a contemporary setting, shall we? Jesus, a budding sensation, has been promoted by an earlier celebrity called John the Baptist. He has gone through some hard times--having been tempted to show off his talents—and having received a rather hostile reception when he spoke at his home synagogue. But now that he has some loyal followers and has put on a number of impressive performances—he’s going to appear "live in Rockefeller Plaza" on NBC’s Today Show which has advertised his free Friday concert long enough to draw a great crowd of his followers as well as "a great multitude" from Oklahoma, Ontario and yes, even Ohio! Now what?

Well, of course, the crowd intently watches and listens. Jesus looks straight at the loyal followers--the disciples—not just the 12 but the "great crowd of disciples" and proceeds to say the most unlikely, confusing and definitely NOT warm and fuzzy things! Can Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, Ann Curry and Al Roker placate this disappointed crowd by shaking hands and kissing babies during the commercial breaks? Or will the cameras have to stop panning the scene so the viewers back home won’t notice that the curious have drifted away to buy souvenirs at the nearby NBC store? I hope I have your attention now, because I’m leaving the contemporary comparisons behind.

Jesus begins "But I say to you that listen…" Right away we’re made aware that these words are meant for those who are thoughtfully attentive. What’s more, at the end of the whole speech (vs. 46-47) Jesus asks why anyone would call him Lord if he or she weren’t going to do what he said. After all, he wants to emphasize that polite listening is not the goal. Faithful living is.

Now these verses are very, very familiar to us. Most of them appear in the book of Matthew and even if we weren’t Christians, we would likely know that Jesus said them. What is important…what is vitally important is that we hear them in the proper context. After all, you can’t hear these words from thousands of years ago as though they were written for our literal understanding today! It is even more important that we have the correct context because these words have been used as weapons to hurt the very people that Jesus came to serve.

So be very, very, clear on this! Jesus, love in the flesh, God on earth, is in no way condoning abusive or violent behavior. He is not saying that theft is permissible or that anyone is required to give away everything that anyone asks for. And I say to you--if a pastor or a congregation, tells a husband, a wife, teenager or child to tolerate abuse (sexual, physical, verbal)—that pastor or congregation is not preaching the Gospel! And if a church, any church, tells you that you are forgiven your obligation to provide shelter, clothing, food, medical care for you or your family if you will but give all you have to Jesus, that church is NOT a church of the Gospel. We must be sure that no one misinterprets these verses in this way and we must support those who have been dreadfully wounded by perverting the words of Christ.

OK, so we’re back to the problem, the situation of Jesus’ day. Those Jews and Gentiles who had chosen to follow the teachings of Jesus had enemies because of it. The enemies of what we now call Christians were those who hated, outlawed, denounced and rejected followers of Christ as a group. These gathered folk needed some direction in how to act in response to such opposition. They also had been taught what we might call the conventional wisdom of the day.

For example: In the Greek world, one might have heard "I consider it established that one should do harm to one’s enemies and be of service to one’s friends." The Essenes of Qumran were directed to bless their own members and curse those who did not join them or those who defected. The Jews (including Jesus) knew the old principle of retaliation that we can read about in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. If anyone needed a paradigm shift—it was these people, wouldn’t you say?

What then of the command "Do not judge." What did Jesus mean, precisely? After all, we know how often Yaweh judged his people for a lack of obedience, faithfulness and righteous living. Jesus judged routinely. He judged the tax collectors and the sinners worthy of his presence. He judged the corruption of those who bilked worshippers out of their money. He judged his disciples for not letting children come to him. How would we know Jesus’ guidelines if he hadn’t showed judgment in his dealings with others? "Judging here, according to Joseph Fitzmyer, refers "to the human tendency to criticize and find fault with one’s neighbor." Try this paraphrase out, then: "Do not criticize and find fault with others and you will not have others criticize and find fault with you." Certainly, then, the measure you use with others will be the measure that is used on you.

So the problem was this: people who believed in the one God of Israel found themselves being called to respond to this Jewish leader who defied all conventions. He resisted temptation. He healed miraculously. He stood up to injustice. He spoke with women in public. He summoned children to come to him. He shared meals with outsiders. He taught new standards. He challenged authorities. In human form he showed us the face of God. Now what?

We need to consider our own situation. We consider ourselves disciples of Christ—why we even have affiliated ourselves with the label Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. Though each of us may approach Jesus with different motivations and varied needs, we are indeed a crowd, a multitude, seeking to listen and to act in accordance with what Jesus tells us to do. So here we sit. Now what?

Can we think a little about who stands in opposition to the faith we are trying to practice and live out?

Who is our enemy because we want to follow Christ?

Who hates us because we strive to be faithful?

Who curses us or abuses us because we won’t listen to conventional wisdom?

Who desires to take away what belongs to us?

I have given these questions so much thought in the past few weeks.

I have cajoled my family into discussion. I have called out to my classmates as class was dismissed, "Who’s preaching this week? I want to know…who’s the enemy? Not the personal thorn in our side, but who is the enemy of our faithfulness?" I’ve specified.

I have discussed these issues with my current biblical studies professor. And I have even entertained these questions with a group of our friends who had dinner together this week. Frankly, I was surprised at the sincerity with which the questions were answered. Repeatedly, people brought up situations in which they felt provoked because individuals or groups challenged their discipleship.

A child spoke of the person who says they are going to follow Jesus but then changes nothing about the way she or he lives. A youth mentioned circumstances where classmates showed disbelief that someone he knew actually went to church. A man wondered if the enemy is our materialism that threatens to divert us. A classmate said that our collective enemy is anything that keeps us separated from God, while another questioned, "Are we the enemy of our own faithfulness?" Two friends reflected on the opposition they feel from Christian groups that boldly proclaim that their own interpretation of the bible or world events are definitive for everyone else. It is the sense of self-justification without humility, sincerity and charity that feels so threatening.

It seems to me that following Jesus would be a lot easier if this force of opposition was clearly identifiable—sort of like the British fighting in the American Revolutionary War marching across a hillside decked out in their red uniforms. Instead, I’m afraid, the enemy is wearing camouflage fatigues and hiding in unexpected places. We never quite know when this force will catch us off guard and we will respond with retaliation and retribution. Joseph, after all, in the scene we heard about this morning, had time and distance before he was ready to provide for the brothers who had betrayed him earlier.

Being unprepared, we will likely escalate the conflict and walk away in a self-righteous huff. And when we do that we will be fitting in with a society that all too frequently entertains name-calling and condescending attitudes as well as violence and oppression towards those who frighten or offend for any number of reasons.

Now what? We know our frail human nature. We understand that we are broken people living imperfect lives. We see ourselves struggling to know what it means to follow this man, Jesus, who says the most puzzling things. The way ahead is unknown. What shall we do with this knowledge?

Jesus calls us to listen and act on what we hear from him. Even if there is one of those bright yellow handbooks called the Bible for Dummies (at your local book store in April) , we cannot grasp the Bible’s meaning with a quick read-through. We cannot realistically be disciples without nurturing our own understanding of the radical lives that Jesus calls us to live. We cannot hope to be faithful if we continually criticize others in order to feel better about ourselves. And we cannot tell ourselves, ever, that we are done working for the reign of God. As a wise professor (twinkle in his eye) replied to a student’s comment about a difficult assignment—"Life is hard! Get tough!"

Is that the end of the lesson for us today? Hardly.

Remember, today’s scripture commands us to love, do good, bless, pray, give, lend, be merciful and forgive. But is also assures us, and I want you to hear this and claim this—that our reward will be great, we will be the children of the most high, we will not be judged, we will not be condemned, we will be forgiven, and GOD WILL BE MERCIFUL. GOD WILL BE MERCIFUL.

Now what?