Meditating on Proper 14: Right and Wrong

 

Proper 14

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

What do we mean by right or wrong? What are we praying for? What are we asking God to do?

We often think in terms of right and wrong in our culture. Do not steal. Stealing is wrong. Honesty is right. Do not commit adultery. Adultery is wrong. Faithfulness is right. Do not kill. Killing (murder) is wrong. Healing or helping is right. These seem pretty basic and down to earth. It’s how we teach our children and it’s how most of us live our lives. Or at least that’s what we tell ourselves. But do we really live this way>

Do not kill, says the Good Book, and yet Jesus says those who hate their brothers or sisters have murdered them in their hearts. Do not commit adultery, says the Good Book, and yet Jesus says those who have lusted for someone not their spouse have already committed adultery with them in their heart. The speed limit is 25 through town, but who stays at or below 25 when driving to church or the store? Jesus doesn’t speak to that directly, but in our hearts we know we are, at best, speed demons (or at least know enough to keep our eyes open for speed traps and cop cars). Oi vei!

Right and wrong seem normal to us. It is how we’ve grown up; it’s how we live. But in Jesus’ day and culture, the question was less of what is right and wrong and more of deciding what is honorable, or what is shameful. 

We are commanded to not steal, but it would be shameful for us to allow someone to go to bed hungry. So the God who commands us to not steal also commands us to leave food along our borders so that sojourners may have the gleanings from our crops and eat. 

We live in a capitalist society and so accumulating millions and billions of dollars is considered not only “right,” but A right (or maybe even THE right). That there are people sitting on millions and billions while their neighbors are hungry, homeless, and lacking basic healthcare is shameful. It’s not a matter of right or wrong, but of shame and honor. Those who feast while others waste away to nothing are not just shameful, but enemies of God. It doesn’t matter if they have been baptized, confirmed, or received Jesus as Savior and Lord. If they sleep while their neighbors die, they are an abomination to God and an embarrassment to society.

So we pray to God to help us “think and do always those things that are right” by which we mean honorable, loving, kind, and decent. Why? Because we “cannot exist without (the Divine One).” 

We acknowledge, too, that we cannot do the right or honorable thing under our own power, inspiration, or steam. Try as we might, we always fall short. Millionaires and billionaires don’t mean to be chintzy, for the most part, but do want to take full advantage of tax laws that enable them to grow fat and powerful while others wither away and die.

It is natural for us to worry about tomorrow, to store away what we may need, to think of ourselves first (for the most part). We’re no more evil than the super-rich, but we are equally in need of a savior who can help us overcome the more shameful attributes that hold us back from demonstrating the glory and love of God in the way and to the degree Jesus did (and does). 

So our collect today invites us to take a fearless and moral inventory of our lives, our attitudes, our thoughts and deeds and ask God to help us raise the bar so that we might bring honor to our faith, our lives, and to our God.