October 23, 2011

The presidential election in America is over a year from now, but already people are beginning to run for the office and political debates are being held. A common debating technique is to ask a candidate a question about some political issue. Then the opponent will start to criticize the candidate for having that position on that issue. The question is a trap. This technique is used in American politics, in Japan, and all over the world where free debate is allowed. It is an ancient devise, as we see from the Gospel stories where the Jews try to trap Jesus by asking him questions that will get him in trouble. In today's Gospel reading, a lawyer, a man who was a specialist in the Law of Moses, asked a question of Jesus to test him.

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" Some of the Pharisees might think the greatest Law is about the Sabbath Day, others about food and purity. So I think that Jesus' answer was a surprise to some of them. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." It should not have been a surprise, because this is what Jesus had been preaching and teaching for three years. And he had been teaching how to keep that first law. To keep the first law, you must keep the second law. He said, "And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." The Pharisees would have said, "Yes, of course" to the first law, but the second law was the problem, because they did not love their neighbor. For example, they did not love their neighbor Jesus. The Pharisees tried to uphold all the Law of Moses, but they failed to uphold the spirit of that law when it came time to put it into practice among people.

Politically speaking, in the Kingdom of God, which is the great commandment? It would be to be loyal to the King and to love the King. The second great commandment would be to love those whom the King loves, to love your fellow citizens of the Kingdom of God. Politically speaking, in the United States, which is the great law? It would be to love your country, and the second great law would be to love your fellow citizens. It would be to serve your country and to serve your fellow citizens. To wave the flag is great, and when your fellow citizens need a neighbor, need assistance, then true loyalty to your country is shown. This is disaster relief, this is protecting the life and dignity of others, this is the absence of greed and hate and prejudice, it is loving your neighbor as yourself.

Politically speaking, which office was Jesus running for? The Catechism Book teaches that Jesus had a three-fold office of Prophet, Priest, and King. But for today's discussion, let us put those three together as Messiah. The Hebrew word is Messiah, the Greek word is Christ, and the English word is Savior. In the New Testament, the Messiah-Christ-Savior is also called the Son of David. This is because God promised David that a son of his would rule Israel. This descendent of David would bring peace and prosperity to Israel. He would not necessarily be a religious ruler, the Priests and the Pharisees wanted that job for themselves. But in times of war or oppression, the Jews were praying for and looking for the Messiah who would save them from their enemies.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" Did Jesus have the qualifications to have that office? Who is to judge who is qualified? And do people really know who or what the Messiah is? And so Jesus asks a question of the Pharisees to help them understand the office of Messiah. They rightly understand that the Messiah-Christ-Savior is the son of David. The New Testament books of Matthew and Luke give the genealogy of Jesus to show that he is a legal descendent of King David, born in Bethlehem, the City of David. But Jesus wants the Pharisees to see that the messianic son of David is not just a descendent of David, that the Messiah is greater than even King David. Jesus said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 'The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet'? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?" This is a bit confusing, because the word Lord first refers to the LORD God and the second to the Lord Messiah, which is David's lord or boss. And how could David's son be his boss? So let me paraphrase it. "How is it then that David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, calls him Boss, saying, 'The Lord God said to my boss the Messiah, sit at the right hand of God, until God puts the Messiah's enemies under the Messiah's feet'? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?" Also, the grammar is in the past tense, putting the Messiah ahead of David in time. If that is the case, how could the Messiah be the son of David if he existed before David?

The Jews could not answer this paradox----but we can. We know that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. Jesus existed before the creation of the world. But at Christmas the Son of God became the son of Mary, the son of David. He is both true God and true man. And in this way Jesus could be the true Messiah Savior. He is not a political king or general. He is the Messiah that loves God and loves the people whom God loves. He has loved us, his neighbors. We are the ones who needed a good neighbor to save us from the oppression of our enemies, especially the enemy of sin and the devil.

Politically speaking, they took a vote. The Jewish council, or Sanhedrin, voted that for Jesus to call himself the Christ, the Son of God was blasphemy deserving death. And above his head on the cross was the sign that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." And there on the cross, the Son of David--Son of God did the supreme work of any king. Showing supreme love to those in his kingdom, he died to save them. Then on the third day he arose again. He ascended and sits at the right hand of God. From there he rules as our Lord, our King, our Savior.

Jesus showed us what the two-fold love-law meant. To really love God we must love our neighbor and be a neighbor to those who need a neighbor.

"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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