Sermon by Reverend Dr. John W. Mann | May 7, 2023

Matthew 7:1-12

There’s a term that seems to have become common in our conversations, both public and private. And that is, “Karma.” Karma is a concept of some eastern religions based on the notion that past actions determine future outcomes. Like when someone in authority, a politician or someone in the public eye, “Gets what’s coming to them,” maybe by some sort of downfall, or they’re caught breaking the law or social norms; we say, “Oh, that’s karma.”

The concept is not confined to eastern religions but is universal. In the Old Testament, God was often the source of justice, of setting things straight, of seeing that people get what they deserve. And life itself, as in actions have consequences, cast your bread upon the waters and after many days it will return to you. In the New Testament it was Jesus who said, “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. The measure you give will be the measure you get.” What goes around comes around.

I’ve met people on occasion who when they discover I’m a Christian minister, will assume that I will “judge” them by some religious standard. I don’t do that; just like a physician doesn’t diagnose people in the grocery store or a psychiatrist isn’t thinking, “What’s his problem?” That would take up too much time and energy.

But we still need to make choices. If there is a blatant wrong or injustice, we can name it for what it is. If we know of someone being abused in some way, we’re not likely to sit back and say, “Oh well, Jesus said not to judge.” We still need to act with careful consideration, especially on issues of trust and safety.

I taught a seminar once at a Church of Scotland retreat for newly ordained ministers. My topic was professional ethics, boundaries and self-care. I approach something like that with the notion that if you’re going to be in this line of work, then you need to look after yourself in a number of ways. It was one of those, “You can lead a horse to water” scenarios.

One of my colleagues was a young man, himself in his 20’s and he was celebrated as a rising star in the church. There were news stories about him. He was serving a big church; he was a good preacher and by all accounts he was a good minister. I met him and thought, yeah, good guy.

I tend to have high expectations of people in ministry, including myself. Expectations such as, be kind, try to be a good listener, study, learn, grow, tell the truth, be honest, observe healthy professional boundaries, have some integrity and learn how to tell a good story. Amongst other things.

In talking to this minister, I discovered he also was an American. He grew up on the west coast and had been in Scotland for a few years. I asked him why he talked with such a pronounced Scottish accent. He said he thought it sounded good and it helped him fit in. I thought, oh well to each his own. I would find it pretty tiring to try and talk a different way all the time. It seemed just a bit phony to me. But whatever, his life, his choices, his consequences.

Not long after that, he was removed from ministry for sexual misconduct involving multiple victims. The newspapers made a big story of it, as they do. Part of me said, “I could have told you the guy was a phony.”

Part of me said, “Before I jump on the judgement train, I should check myself.” It’s important to yourself, honestly. Be you to the best of your abilities. Focus on your strengths and lead with what you’re good at. Be truthful and then you don’t have to remember which lies to tell in which setting. When you are honest, the truth is nothing to fear.

That’s related to the second point in this section, which is value yourself, claim your self-worth. Jesus described this as “Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.”

What is holy, what is precious like fine pearls is you. Your heart and soul. The you that is loved beyond measure. You really are the most valuable thing that you have. Unfortunately, there are people in this world, and maybe you know some, who given the chance will trample over you and maul you.

Sometimes this happens in work or social situations. It gets really difficult when it happens in family systems. We can become so enmeshed in destructive relationships that it seems impossible to find a way out.

My experience with this began at an early age. Both of my parents were quick to react with violence. One time when I was around five years old, my dad beat me with a belt to the extent that I had welts and bruises; even on my hands from trying to protect myself. I was sitting out on the back porch, nursing my wounds and feeling sorry for myself. I experienced a break-through. I was looking at my hands, and it was as if my guardian angel put the thought in my mind, “That’s not how you treat a boy.”

I might suffer the occasional abuse, but I knew in my heart and soul that I did not deserve that. One unfortunate outcome of that was that my parents missed out on what could have been a great relationship with one of their children. Much later, after I was grown and gone, my folks mellowed out some. I could forgive them, because resentment and all those negative thoughts and feelings are a heavy load to carry.

Years later, after we moved back to Minnesota, I conducted the graveside services for my parents. It was just a family gathering. I think we were all sad in the sense of what they had missed out on. Before my dad died, one of my brothers had conversations with him about his life and his regrets. He said that if he could go back and change anything, it would be that he would have been more loving to his children.

Wisdom, when we gain it, is a powerful and beautiful thing. But we don’t gain wisdom from experience. We gain wisdom by reflecting on experience.

Jesus went on to say that if you want something, you have to make it happen. If you want something from God, then it helps to be proactive about it. Ask, seek, knock on the door. It’s interest that he doesn’t say you get what you want.

Ask, and “it” will be given to you.

Seek and you will find.

Knock and the door will be opened.

That all seems fairly non-specific. What is “it?” that will be given to you? “It” is something. It might not be what you want or what you asked for, but “it” is an answer. “It” may not be what we want, but could be the patience we need, the hope, the courage, the strength and the wisdom to face those times, places, events and people that we cannot change.

We will find something, but we have search for it.

The door will be opened – barriers can be got through, but there is no guarantee of what lies on the other side.

What we are likely to discover though, is that God is with us – in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow and death does not alter that fact.

That brings us to the “Golden Rule.” The ultimate Karma, the shore upon which the bread that was cast lands, the last stop on what goes around, comes around. Jesus goes from the way you measure others is how you will be measured, to treat others the way you would want to be treated. If you value the precious treasure that is you, then you can show that in how you treat other people. “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.”

When I was in college one of the classes I took was the history of western civilization. It was a big subject. I wanted to get a good grade and I asked the teacher if there was any extra credit kind of work I could do. He said that if I wanted to get a good grade in his class, then focus on the material and requirements he presented; the lectures, the reading, any written assignments and tests; do well on those and a good grade would result. I worked really hard at it. I didn’t get an A. I got a B. But that was okay because I gave my best effort.

It was a good lesson, because like many areas of life, there is no extra credit. We do well to practice the basics. The ABC’s of following Jesus are not complicated – love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Value yourself. Do the work that is required. Treat people with the same kindness, dignity and respect that you show to yourself. If Jesus is filling out the report card, I’d settle for a B. Amen.