A Sermon for the Second Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. Patricia Gillespie

Deuteronomy 11:18-21,26-28
Romans 3:21-25a,28
Matthew 7:21-27
Psalm 31 or 31:1-5,19-24

(Preacher stacks up a pile of theology /bible study books and sings/says)

Words! Words! Words! I'm so sick of words!
I get words all day through; First from him, now from you!
Is that all you blighters can do?
...
Don't talk of stars burning above. If you're in love, Show me!
...
Never do I ever want to hear another word.
There isn't one I haven't heard.....

Today I think Jesus agrees with Eliza Doolittle from "My Fair Lady" shouting, "Show me!"

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."

But how can I do it if I don't know what it is? Those guys Jesus mentions who did all those apparently good things in his name are sent away, so what are we supposed to do? How many books do I need to read before I can figure out "the will of my Father in heaven"? Two of today's readings talk about action: Deuteronomy about obeying the commandments of the Lord our God; and Matthew about doing the will of the Father in heaven and acting on Jesus's words. But our readings leave out the parts about just what these commandments or words are.

So how can we be sure our choice will be for curse or blessing? How do we know whether we are building on sand like those crying, "Lord, Lord." Or the rock like the wise ones who act on Jesus words? It's a theological building code that doesn't give details about the materials. Sure, I know better than to build on sand. As a child in Florida I watched the sand foundation of a neighbor's house washed into the ocean. The house would have tipped into the water and washed away had we not pushed something big and solid in for support. Big rocks are hard to find in Florida, so we used old junked cars. (We won't speculate about how the Bible might sound had Jesus lived in Florida.)

Sand is lots of little bits that shift around .... like lots of books with different ideas. A rock is big and solid and stable - there is just one. Again and again, in the psalms and elsewhere, God is called the rock. Today in our psalm we heard: "Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe." Not a bunch of shifting bits and pieces, but just one, big and solid and stable rock.

That's what our Old Testament reading is talking about.

(Hold up mezuzah) Do you know what this is? It's a mezuzah

It means "doorpost" as in our first reading today. This one came from Israel and it is to put on a door frame to remind you of God's presence. And what goes inside is the commandment that our reading left out.

(Sing or say:) Sh'ma Yisrael Adonai Elohaynu Adonai Echad. It means: "Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (and it continues) ... listen to the commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul....

Those words are from Deuteronomy. The first part, the "shema" is from Chapter 6 which parallels today's reading. And the part about loving the Lord your God comes just before our reading today. This is the commandment we are to teach our children. This is the way to blessing. This one God is the rock on which we build our lives. And the commandment is to love.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that it is not the commandments or the law itself that justifies us (that literally straightens out our lives), but the righteousness of God in one human person – Jesus.

In Jesus we see the will of God in action – we see how a rock acts, what a living rock does -- it is something we can build our lives on. And the answer is the same – it is love.

Jesus does those same things the evildoers did: prophesying, casting out demons, and doing deeds of power. But he didn't do them, crying out "Lord, Lord" and trying to earn himself a place in the kingdom. He did them for love. Jesus knew the shema - that God is one and that the commandment is to love God.

In Jesus God became human and suddenly it looks like loving God includes loving people. Love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul, AND love and serve your neighbor as yourself.

Our gospel today is the conclusion of the sermon on the mount. That whole section from the "blessed are"s of the beatitudes to the warnings about false prophets. For three chapters Matthew gathers things that Jesus said to help us know how to act on the words Jesus speaks. And the answer is the same – it is love.

But love is not about knowing all the words from lots of chapters in lots of books. It is about doing God's will. It is acting, not just hearing. Love acts not in order to earn your way into the kingdom. An act of love is a natural response to accepting God's love for us. Check out what Jesus has to say about God's love for us and how we can respond with love. The sermon on the mount is an instruction book for love. (This is only part of it. Sometime take time to read the whole thing: Matthew chapters 5-7.)

Hear what Jesus said:

Blessed are you.
Let your light shine.
You will be cared for like the birds and the flowers.
Be reconciled to your sister or brother.
Get rid of the parts of you that lead you to sin.
Give to those who beg.
Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.
Pray and give and fast in secret.
Forgive.
Do not judge.
Ask and you will receive.
Treat others as you would have them treat you.

Hear these words, Jesus said, AND act on them.

Just do it. It's God's will. Don't talk of love. Show the love now.