Rev. David Holwick W
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
July 21, 2013
Leviticus 19:15-18
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I. Controversy or comfort?
A. I faced a dilemma as a pastor this week.
1) I have finished a short series on Romans 10.
2) Do I preach on the hot current event, or the theme of
contentment?
a) I decided to go with the controversy.
b) Contentment will be the theme next week.
B. It is a controversy that brings up many issues in our society.
1) Last year, a young black man was killed while walking
through a neighborhood.
a) It has brought out many emotions and protests.
b) Black Americans see it as an example of profiling at
its worst, and the double-standard of American
justice.
c) Many white Americans, but not all, see it as an example
of a confrontation that ended in justifiable
self-defense.
d) Everyone should agree it was a tragic mistake.
2) It is not just White vs. Black.
a) The episode brings our fear of other groups and the
violence in our society.
b) If we are Christians, true Christians, can we break the
cycle of false perceptions and confrontation?
II. How do you perceive other groups?
A. Our racial divisions have been put under a harsh light.
1) President Obama famously said that Trayvon Martin could
have been his own son.
a) This Friday, he said it could have been his younger self.
2) Attorney General Eric Holder had a story of his own. [1]
When he lived in Georgetown, he was running through a
neighborhood one night.
Police pulled him over for questioning.
It turned out he was running to catch a late movie.
He showed them his prosecuting attorney credentials and
they sheepishly let him go. [2]
3) New Jersey has its own version of this, where blacks seemed
to be targeted for tickets on the Jersey Turnpike.
B. We make very quick assessments of other people.
1) It is based on a lifetime of interaction, but also of how
our attitudes are molded by our own group.
2) Does a hoodie make you a dangerous person?
a) Probably not. It is just a piece of clothing.
b) But it is an image that is associated with a thug
mentality, thanks to hip-hop music.
c) This is one of the dilemmas of prejudice - sometimes
our perceptions are correct. But not always.
3) The tragedy of the Central Park Five.
a) In 1989 a gang of mostly black teenagers apparently
attacked a jogger in Central Park and beat her
almost to death.
b) Four of the boys gave confessions and another was
convicted based on their testimony, and all five
served their full sentences in prison.
c) But in 2002 another criminal confessed to the attack,
said he acted alone, and his DNA matched.
C. Being suspicious of someone of a different race is nothing new.
1) The twelve tribes of Israel often warred against each other.
2) Foreigners were treated as unclean, and given the most
menial tasks like cutting firewood.
3) In the New Testament, Jews would go miles out of their way
to avoid passing through Samaria.
a) There was mutual distrust and hatred.
b) Jesus, of course, broke the taboo and led a Samaritan
woman to salvation.
D. Christians should see people as God does. Acts 10:34-35
1) When the apostle Peter recoiled at having to meet a Gentile,
God gave him a vision that turned him around.
a) Peter announced, "I now realize how true it is that
God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from
every nation who fear him and do what is right."
b) Peter is not saying that all people are basically good.
1> He is saying that God accepts those who are good.
2> Their color or ethnic background mean nothing to
him.
2) Leviticus 19:15 reinforces this.
a) If you are poor, don't assume a poor person is right.
1> The same goes for rich people.
b) Justice needs to be blind, and fair.
3) How quick are you to judge others?
a) When you watch one of those judge shows on TV, do you
know right away who is guilty and who is innocent?
b) Don't be too smug in your assessments.
c) As Jesus himself said, the judgments you use on others,
determines how God will judge YOU.
III. We all fear crime and violence.
A. Crime breeds fear.
1) Mr. Zimmerman was part of a community watch program because
several homes had been broken into.
a) Events like that make you distrustful of outsiders.
b) And news media stoke that fear by constantly repeating
the details of the worst crimes.
1> It was interesting that the Star-Ledger’s front page
article was headlined, “Zimmerman Acquitted.”
But just below it, with a larger type, was the
headline “Committed to a Life of Crime.”
A close-up photo of a black man’s eyes ran across
most of the page.
Shawn Curtis got off light on previous arrests, and
had now been arrested in a brutal home invasion. [3]
2> One letter to the editor the next day noted putting
the two articles together sent a mixed message.
2) High crime rates make people lose confidence in authority.
a) If they can't trust law enforcement, they take things
into their own hands, often with tragic consequences.
b) Remember the popularity of "Dirty Harry" and Charles
Bronson's "Death Wish" movies in the 1970s?
3) The Old Testament book of Judges details a similar period.
a) There was no king and no central authority so people
did whatever they wanted.
b) Terrible crimes were committed and no one felt safe.
B. Christians understand the world is a dangerous place.
1) Sin and violence is not a problem due to other people -
it is a problem for ALL people, including us.
a) Christians don't think humans are naturally good.
b) We think all people are a mixture of good and evil.
2) Society will be civil when its citizens respect morality.
a) This is why the Bible calls for personal repentance
and godly living.
b) It is more important to control ourselves than to
generate fear about others.
3) We need to respect government authority over us.
a) Societies need to be guided by rules and laws.
b) If everyone decides for themselves what is right and
wrong, society will fall apart.
IV. Love can be stronger than fear and hate.
A. Love needs to be passive and active.
1) In Leviticus 19 we are told some things NOT to do:
a) Don't slander other people. 19:16
b) Don't do anything that endangers their life. 19:16
c) Don't hate anybody. 19:17
d) Don't seek revenge. 19:18
2) We are also told some things to DO:
a) Rebuke them when you have to. 19:17
1> When people do wrong, we should call them to account.
2> Just don't pull out a revolver when you do it.
b) Love them as yourself. 19:18
1> Many people assume Jesus invented this phrase.
2> He didn't - he quoted the Old Testament.
3> It simply means do positive things for others, just
like you would want them to do to you.
B. Love is not just for people who are just like you.
1) Think of Jesus praying for his enemies who had crucified him.
2) Slogan chanted by some protestors - "No justice, no peace."
a) Threatening rhetoric - brings to mind the Newark riots
of the 1960s.
b) It is frustrating when the system doesn't work the
way we want -- just think of our own local fiasco with
the Fennimore dump.
1> The taking of a human life is much more serious
than the odor from a landfill.
c) The answer to injustice should not be more violence.
3) Christians can take risks for love's sake.
a) Paul - sometimes it is better to be wronged than to
overreact and commit injustice. 1 Cor 6:7
b) The other person's soul may be more important than my
safety.
1> Pray for them, help them, work with them.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
[1] “Obama: 'Trayvon Martin could have been me',” by Tom Cohen, CNN,
July 19, 2013; <http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/19/politics/obama-zimmerman>
[2] “Attorney General Eric Holder denounces ‘stand your ground’ laws,” by
Manuel Roig-Franzia and Sari Horwitz, Washington Post,
July 16, 2013; <http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-07-16/~
politics/40606714_1_trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-neighborhood~
-watch-volunteer.>
[3] “Committed to a Life of Crime,” by Ted Sherman and Christopher Baxter,
Star-Ledger newspaper (Newark, New Jersey), page 1, July 14, 2013.
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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