+Z’ev

Today’s assigned readings:

1 Samuel 10:1-16, Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 21:23-32

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
Romans 4:13-14

“Law” here, in St Paul, is the Greek word, νομο - Nomos. Generally when I read this passage - I want to hear it mean “the Jewish law”. (Wouldn’t that be what Paul was talking about?)

The Complete Jewish Bible renders this verses with a few variations from the same word: For the promise to Avraham and his seed that he would inherit the world did not come through legalism but through the righteousness that trust produces. For if the heirs are produced by legalism, then trust is pointless and the promise worthless.

Not through legalism…

I think that “legalism” is a justifiable reading from Paul’s earlier text, as when at verse 4 he says Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. Doing work to get a reward… that is not faith. But doing work to get a reward - doing work because it has to be hard, you know… it mustn’t be this easy. That’s legalism. Yet we know that St James says faith is dead without works to manifest that faith. How do we tell the difference?

Legalism is one of these irregular nouns:

I have a tradition.
You are using works-based righteousness.
They are legalistic Pharisees.

The old Zen proverb says, “Before enlightenment: Chop wood. Carry water. After enlightenment: Chop wood. Carry water.” And our human nature says “No, it can’t be that easy. Let’s get some stuff in here, some incense, some bells, some icons, some robes.”

This balance of faith and works always gets the best of me - on all my journey. It’s a short walk:

I go from joy in fun things, in joyous things to legalism very quickly.

Do my co-religionists fail to have the correct understanding of what ever they are doing?
Do my co-religionists fail to do the correct things?
Do I?
We’re all going to hell - and that may be virtual or not.

What’s really fun is that I’ll pile works on: it’s not enough to do what’s there. Let’s do more… more… MORE! Until:

Collapse.

If we look at the two sons in Jesus’ parable I’m rather like the one who says yes and fails to follow through: not because he didn’t intend to but rather because he just got too busy shopping.

“Son, go and work in the vineyard today.”
“I go, sir… let me get my vineyard boots, let me find my vineyard books, let me first wash my hands, and of course there are the prayers of hand-washing-before-vineyard work: can someone find my prayer book, I’ve forgotten that prayer. Hey, where’s my head covering and prayer shawl? I need the prayer book! Hurry! Dad wants me to go into the vineyard! Hey, you, have you any oil, the prayer light is out in the prayer room. OMG, look! Someone get the maid, this household altar is filthy…

“I need to fast first - dad wouldn’t want me to violate the fasting rules, would he? Yes, I said I would go, and I am going, but I have to do all the right things: God will strike our vineyard down if I go in impure. Hold on…

“Son? Did you go to the Vineyard last week like I asked?”
“Father, I expect to get there next Thursday, God willing.”

Meanwhile, Sara Miles, without any of the “right” theology, taking communion without baptism, hanging out with atheists, queers and other unsavoury sorts - opens up a food pantry and starts feeding the hungry at the altar of God.

It’s real easy to get bogged down into legalism. It’s a personal thing, I want to be clear. I don’t think there’s anything built in that is “more legalistic” about Orthodoxy or Roman Catholicism or Judaism or Shintoism or whatever other path you may wish to look at. But *we* take it there. Humans become legalists and we make legalism out of whatever we put our hands to save when by grace we’re moved to love.

The problem is that we don’t like grace… taking something for free requires humility. It requires us to admit our loss, our inability to be worthy which, ironically, is all God wants from us. Grace means admitting our weakness. There is NOTHING to do. There is NOTHING we can do. Grace means being open. Grace requires of us nothing more than being so open that the Grace can flow from God, through us to others. It’s important to note that flowing “from God though us” is often really “from God through others to us…” We’re never really first in line.

God asks us only to sit still, shut up and love - him and others and self: and then bring others to the party. Some who seek to follow God in the way of Jesus actually get this!

Seven Mantra
To Creator, obedience
To creation, service
To each other, community

In all things, love
In all things, love

For life, prayer
With possessions, simplicity
In our world, creativity

In all things, love
In all things, love

Ok! Thanks! Now I’ve got it: all we need is Love! Let me get my vineyard boots, let me find my vineyard books, let me first wash my hands, and of course there are the prayers of hand-washing-before-vineyard work: can someone find my prayer book, I’ve forgotten that prayer. Hey, where’s my head covering and prayer shawl? I need the prayer book! Hurry!…

Sit still, shut up and love.
Bring others to the party.

John comes and says turn to God, live and do the work you have to do in a just manner. This is what ALL the Hebrew prophets - indeed all true prophets - have said throughout all history. And we find that too easy to be meaningful. The tax collectors got it. The prostitutes did too. The queers and the non-theists get it. Do we?

Do justice.
Love Mercy.
Walk with God.

Chop wood.
Carry Water.

Sit still.
Shut up.
Love.

Other’s will be banging down the doors to get to the party. Really.