By Contrast...Let Us Be Guided By The Spirit

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

Lectionary 13, Year C – 26 June 2016

Text: Galatians 5:1, 13-25 and Luke 9:51-62

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

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Our lesson from Paul’s letter to the Galatians today includes one of the most famous parts of the New Testament: the list of the fruit of the Spirit. They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

But before we get to this list of the fruit of the Spirit, Paul writes about the flesh. When Paul talks about “the flesh” he is referring to our sinful selves – that part of each of us where we are self-focused and self-absorbed. Paul gives a whole long list of the works of the flesh: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.

Paul makes it clear that while we have the freedom to do these things, these are not the types of behaviors that build others up. These are not behaviors that show our love for our neighbor. Since loving our neighbor is to be a priority, Paul urges the Galatians toward the fruit of the Spirit instead. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Generosity. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self control. This is the fruit that is borne when we are guided by the Spirit, and following the Spirit’s ways.

Contrast the fruit of the Spirit with the enmity shown in our gospel lesson today. Jesus is traveling with his disciples and he’s going through Samaria. Luke says that the Samaritans refuse to host Jesus because his face is set toward Jerusalem.

Please realize that the Samaritans were religious people who just happened to practice their religion differently than the Jews. The Samaritans mixed Jewish religious practices with pagan practices. The Temple in Jerusalem that Jesus is so determined to reach isn’t a holy place for the Samaritans. Their temple is located right there in Samaria.

Luke 9 gives us a little view into the strife between these two peoples.

On one hand, the Samaritans don’t want to host a religious leader who’s heading toward a sacred place that is not their own. On the other hand, when Jesus’ disciples hear this, they ask Jesus, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”

Now, Jesus was a Jew. He could’ve said, “Sure! Let’s do that.” But instead, Jesus turns and rebukes his disciples. And then, they travel on. And no one is consumed by fire from heaven.

The few verses of this story show us that if it is left up to us, our very human desire can be to wipe our enemies off the face of the earth.

I’ve talked before about one of my favorite TV shows, “The West Wing,” a political drama that was on about fifteen years ago. In one episode, one of the staffers is meeting with a Russian delegation, preparing for the U.S. President to travel to a summit where he will meet with the Russian President.

Tensions over this meeting are very high. One of the topics to be discussed is the proliferation of nuclear weapons around the world. And as the U.S. President’s staff is trying to figure out how to raise concerns about Russia providing nuclear weapons to other countries, the Russian President sends a message through his staff to the U.S. government: “We must lead the way and stem the tide of nuclear proliferation and we must start with ourselves, for why should two nations still possess power to destroy each other ten times over; surely, once is enough.”

In this fictional story told from a secular point of view, what the Russian President is urging is moderation. He’s suggesting that they meet in the middle of the extreme feelings of fear that are felt on both sides. This restraint stands in contrast to suspicion and panic.

It seems to me that this restraint is what Jesus is going for, too, in today’s gospel story. Sure, we can call down fire upon the heads of our enemies. But the kingdom of God that Jesus is ushering in – this kingdom isn’t brought about by cruel subjection, and it’s not brought about by wiping anybody off the face of the earth. The kingdom of God is a reign of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

Paul says that there is no law against these things, and, in fact,  he says that the law is summarized in one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Martin Luther used to describe sin as being curved in on oneself. In Luther’s view, when we are curved in on ourselves, we use every gift that God has given us only to benefit ourselves, only to build ourselves up. When we are curved in on ourselves, we contemplate only ourselves, whether an individual, a group, or an entire nation. What is best for me? What will make me feel the best about myself? What will best eliminate my fears?

“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit,” Paul writes.

Paul understands that to live by the Spirit is steadfastly in juxtaposition with how we want to live ourselves, and certainly with how the world wants us to live. That’s why he starts off with the two words, “By contrast…” When we curve in on ourselves, we don’t see others, we don’t care about others, we can’t love others. When we follow the Spirit’s leading, we see others, we care about others, and we love others.

When everything around us says to live our lives according to the fear, hatred, anger, and jealousy of the world, by contrast, let us be guided by the Spirit. Let us love as we are loved. For Jesus’ sake, and in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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