What Are We Doing?

Gospel: Luke 6: 43-49

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and not put into practice what I teach you?"  Good question.  The answer is not a good one.  In ancient times towns and villages were regularly overtaken by conquering generals.  Townspeople would like the streets as the army approached and shout "Lord, have mercy!"  This was a way to curry favor with the new general in the hopes he would spare them and share some of his war booty with them, which generals would do in order to create good will among the people.  

In short, we shout 'Lord' to curry favor with the deity, to promote our own self-interest in avoiding punishment and perhaps calling down favor upon us.  We may even do what the deity says to us, but only because it promotes our self-interest and for no other reason. If we feel that the deity's command does not suit our interests we set it aside and seek mercy later on.  This is a transactional relationship and not one of love at all.

We do not do what Jesus asks because we do not love.  We treat him as any other transactional relationship we have in life.  That we treat anyone else in a transactional way is itself problematic because we do not see them as persons, as images of God, as another Christ.  The law of love is designed to change all that in us.  Jesus taught us to call God 'Father' not 'Lord', a title of love, not fear.