Don’t Spit into the Wind
Scripture Psalm 67 read responsively and Matthew 15:10-20
Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~August 14, 2011
Unity Presbyterian Church ~ Terre Haute, Indiana
Psalm 67 is a song of Thanksgiving and praise for the blessings of God. It is also an encouragement to pass the blessings on so that all the people of the earth praise God.
1May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.
3Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
4Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
6The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.
7May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.
Matthew 15:10-20
Dietary rules may make for a healthy body free of addictions, but what really is destructive is what is found in our hearts and minds.
10Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” 12Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” 13He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” 15But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? 18But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”
Sermon
When I read this scripture I thought of the Jim Croce song’s refrain:
You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim,
When you spit into the wind it comes right back at you and you get slimed. Like Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Carribean.
Anger can destroy both the one on the receiving end as well as the one spewing such rage.
Gossip the root to slander is less visibly destructive of all parties involved but it still is. It sucks people into the vortex of curiosity and then prying and finally spreading itself to others like a virus.
These are just two of the evils that come out of the human heart that we know defile us. No amount of hand washing can make us feel clean again. During Jesus’ time there were numerous rituals for cleansing of the body, food, and home. They were codified into law. Jesus is pointing to the “keepers of law” that the Pharisees had become with he said “the blind leading the blind.” Encouraging people to practice a ritual rather than a life changing action.
The external laws of cleanliness and defilement were to reflect the effects of sin in the world. They were helpful for a devout Israelite to avoid the impurities as a way of following a life of purity. But as is so often the case, it was easier to focus on the external rituals and forget the spiritual reality behind them. Jesus is teaching that true religion must deal with the true nature of men and women, not just the outer performances. If we are honest with ourselves, we eventually realize that no outer performance of a ritual will ever bring cleanliness. Like Lady Macbeth, long after she had washed her hands dripping with Duncan’s blood, continued to be preoccupied by hand-washing. So great was her sense of guilt that no amount of water and the ritual incantation of “Out, damned spot! out, I say” could restore her peace of mind or ability to sleep.
I have enjoyed a new Cable series this year called “Necessary Roughness” in which the counselor works with athletes to face their mental health problems hopeful before their lives are destroyed. When asked by a wide receiver with anger issues, how to deal with his anger. She replies “forgiveness.” A TV show is singing our song. So why are Christians so quiet about what leads to true purity of heart and mind. We have been given a ritual that seems to model ritual cleansing, but it is so much more. In our baptism we are freed of sin but even more we are freed to forgive. That leads to new life in our bodies, in our minds and in our hearts. So what comes out of us is clean love and joy. So don’t spit into the wind. It will just make a mess of you and everyone around you. Instead be like Valentine and Truby. Here is one of my favorite pictures of these two beautiful women. Obviously one is a woman of color and one of much lighter skin tone. But when I took this picture our church, Unity, was just claiming its own idenity from our former congregations. Truby was from Washington Avenue and Valentine was from Westminter. This picture symbolized the love that we had all come to see in each other. It is their expressions that enliven my spirit. Each holds the other in a warm accepting embrace filled with laughter and love. This is the gift of Jesus Christ. May God’s forgiveness cleanse you of any evil, and may your light shine brightly with love and hope. Embrace the good and wash the evil away. Amen.
Resources:
Jesus And The Traditions Of The Elders (Matthew 15:1-20) Study By: Allen Ross. See: http://bible.org/seriespage/jesus-and-traditions-elders-matthew-151-20
See: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article638886.ece. refers to Shakespeare’s play Macbeth.
