“Perfect Love”

Meditation on Matthew 5:38-48

Feb. 23, 2014

‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” ³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; ⁴⁰and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; ⁴¹and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. ⁴²Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” ⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

***

     The elderly lady in a knitted cap wore a puzzled expression as she stood outside the fellowship hall of Christ United Presbyterian Church in Marshall. She watched as a few church members cleaned the kitchen after the coffee fellowship that followed the worship service. It was almost time to go home.

    I happened to be walking by as I waited for my husband, Jim, the interim pastor, to finish with his confirmation class. I had a rare opportunity to visit the small, downtown congregation last Sunday when I was on study leave. 

   As I was a stranger to the congregation, I didn’t know the lady in the knitted cap. She could have been a member or a first-time visitor, for all I knew. But she hadn’t come for worship at all. She was a regular for “Esther’s Kitchen,” a feeding program of Christ United Presbyterian and the food pantry Second Harvest. With donations and volunteers, the church provides a free meal every Thursday night for between 50 and 80 people.  It’s the only free meal in town.

      A church member named Barb has run the program for the last four years. She plans the meals, shops, and cooks and recruits and trains volunteers to help prepare and serve the food. The meals are open to everyone—no strings attached. You don’t have to be a member or attend church services. You don’t have to be a Christian or listen to a sermon. You don’t have to reveal your income or provide proof of your need. You don’t sign in or pre-register. You can come as often as you like. You can have seconds, if there’s food left after everyone is served—and there often is. And you may be able to take some of the food home with you because all of the leftovers are given away to the folks who come.  Barb makes sure the meals are well balanced and changes the menus frequently to suit people’s tastes. Favorites include shepherd’s pie, sloppy joe, and spaghetti.

      The program began 11 years ago with one free meal on Christmas Eve. When it was well attended and the need was obvious, the church decided to continue offering the free meals. They sought help from other churches, businesses, and nonprofits such as Second Harvest.

      It was and is a big project, a big commitment for a small church worshiping in a large, old building in need of major renovations and repairs. And Barb is a busy person—married with two children and a full-time job. There are times when she would rather not give up every Thursday night for this ministry, which is emotionally and physically demanding.

    But Barb and other volunteers keep on doing it. And the people keep on coming on Thursday nights. In May, the program will expand to 2 free meals a week through a grant from the nonprofit Loaves and Fishes. A staff person will be hired to take over the management of the program and help ease Barb’s burden. But she will stay involved.

     What she likes best about the ministry, she says, is that it provides opportunities for others to serve. Most who serve and partake of the meals are not members of Christ United. Some volunteers are college, high school, or confirmation students fulfilling a community service requirement. Others are families, groups from area churches, or just caring individuals who hear about the ministry and want to help.

    Those who come for the meal Thursday nights come by car or walk, some from nearby low-income housing. They may be employed or out of work. Widows or widowers. Divorced, married, single or single parents. They are young and elderly. They are families with small children. They are seniors living by themselves.

      Like worshipers who gravitate to the same pews every Sunday, visitors to Esther’s Kitchen sit at the same tables every Thursday and save places for people they have met through the program. People come not just for the food, Barb says.  They come for friendship. They come for love!

***

     Our gospel reading in Matthew, part of the Sermon on the Mount, is all about love. Jesus has already told the crowd and his disciples that the merciful and meek, the peacemakers, poor and persecuted are all blessed in the Kingdom of God.  Those who suffer for His sake are building up heavenly rewards.

    But today’s passage may be the most difficult message to receive of all. Jesus’ audience, living under Roman occupation, is living in a culture of violence. He knows the people want to retaliate against the violence and injustice they and their loved ones have endured. And yet he tells them to not to fight back. What’s more, he says to open themselves to even more persecution and suffering! Turn the other cheek—allow the evildoer to strike again when he hits you in the face! And when someone takes your outer garment—your coat—give him also your inner clothing—your cloak!

    This is love in the Kingdom—the love of our Heavenly Father for us revealed through the sacrifice of His Son. We don’t deserve His love. We haven’t done anything to earn it. This love is His gracious gift to all who believe and accept His love. This love gives and gives—and forgives! It doesn’t say “no” to any one with a need. It isn’t concerned about self, but only about the other. This love keeps on loving, even when the love is not returned!

     What Christ is teaching us when he tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us is that there is never a situation in which we are excused from loving. And there is not a person for whom we are not called to love and pray.

    Christ says that if you love those who love you—the people you already know and call your brothers and sisters in the faith—what reward do you have? How are you any different than unbelievers?

    Be perfect, therefore, like your Heavenly Father.

    Be perfect in your love.

***

   When Barb talked to me yesterday about Esther’s Kitchen, my response was, “How can my church be involved? What can I do to help?” It would be for us a new opportunity to serve, to reach out with the love of Christ, a love that seeks nothing in return.

     Before I talked with her, I had already been blessed by some of the fruits of Esther’s Kitchen when I encountered the lady in the knitted cap outside the fellowship hall.

      She had lost a coin purse when she had come for the meal Thursday night, she said. I offered to help her look for it. Inside the purse was a little bit of cash and a meal ticket for the Senior Center that cost $2 or $3. But soon, as we looked, she began to share about her life. And I realized that she had come to the church—to the fellowship hall where she knew people with Esther’s Kitchen—hoping to find someone to talk to. She had a neat story to tell—about a stranger who had come to her aid.

      She had driven her daughter to work and then went on another errand, but could not restart the car when she returned to it. She grew frightened because it was one of those below zero days and she was alone. So she stood in the road, gesturing with her arms. A driver pulled over and asked what was the matter.

    She was startled that he was dark skinned and spoke with a foreign accent. She wondered if she should be trusting this stranger.

    But he didn’t hesitate. He got in the front seat and tried to start her car. When the engine wouldn’t turn over, he went back to his car and returned with a box, she said. He proceeded to do something under the hood of her car with the box. Her car started up right away.

     She was so happy, she said, smiling and clapping her hands. She asked, “What I can do for you?”  She tried to give him some money.

    But he only shook his head and smiled. He took her hand and gave it a firm shake. And then he drove off.

   “Can you believe he did that for me?” she asked. “A stranger?”

    I smiled and said yes.

    She had had a divine encounter. And, if she thought about it, she might realize that it wasn’t unlike her meals at Esther’s Kitchen every Thursday night—served by kind strangers, seeking nothing in return.

     She had been touched by perfect love.

   

Let us pray.

Holy One, we thank you for your love for us—a love we can’t understand, a love that is difficult for us to accept and imitate. Help us, Lord, to be perfect as you teach us in your Word. Help us to love people without expecting anything in return. Give us courage to love people who are hard to love—and may even be unkind to us and scoff at our faith. Prick our hearts to such gratitude for what you have done for us through the sacrifice of your Son that we are moved to acts of kindness for others every day.  And we pray you would bless the ministry of Esther’s Kitchen and Christ United Presbyterian Church. Please guide and strengthen Barb and all the other volunteers who so generously give of themselves, their time, talents, and resources so that people in need may be nourished body, mind, and soul and be touched by your perfect love. In Christ we pray.  Amen.