Epiphany 7C - 2025
Sermon for Epiphany 7C
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
The Rev. Andrew McLarty
Last week, we heard Jesus begin his Sermon on the Plain, proclaiming blessings for the poor, the hungry, and the weeping, while warning those who are rich, full, and comfortable. Today, Jesus continues this sermon with a radical call to love—a love that defies human logic and reflects the heart of God. This is not a sentimental love but a transformative love, one that challenges us to live as children of God.
Jesus begins with a series of commands that stretch us beyond our comfort zones: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,” These words are not easy to hear, let alone live out. Our natural inclination is to retaliate, to protect ourselves, or to withdraw when we are hurt or wronged. But Jesus calls us to a higher standard—a divine standard. He calls us to love as God loves, to act in love and grace even when it is difficult.
Why? Because this is who God is. Because God is Love- and if we are God’s children, we should be Love, too. It’s easy to love those who are kind to us, who think like us, who look like us, who spend like us. As Fred Craddock reminds us, "Christian behavior and relationships are prompted by the God we worship, who does not react but acts in love and grace toward all. This is what it means to be children of God."
God’s love is not a response to our worthiness; it is a gift freely given. While we are still sinners, Christ died for us.
How do we respond to the person who has hurt us deeply? How do we treat the stranger, the outcast, the one who is different from us?
To paraphrase Jesus’ answer to these questions: "It is easy to love the people you like. It is much harder to love the jerks, but I’m telling you to love the jerks." And let’s be honest—we’ve all been jerks at some point in our lives. There was a time when we were difficult to love, and yet someone loved us anyway.
So, what does this mean for us, here and now? How do we live out this radical call to love in a world that is often divided, hostile, and broken?
First, we must begin with prayer. We cannot love like this by our own strength. We need the “Holy Spirit to pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love,” To soften our hearts and open our eyes to see others as God sees them.
Second, we must remember that this way of love is not just an individual calling; it is a communal one. As the body of Christ, we are called to be a community of radical love and hospitality. Because God is Love- and if we are God’s children, we should be Love, too.
This is not an easy path. It will cost us something. It may even lead us to the cross. But it is the way of life, the way of freedom, the way of joy. For in giving ourselves over in this way, we become more fully who God created us to be. Because God is Love- and if we are God’s children, we should be Love, too.
May we have the courage to take up this cross. May we love boldly, generously, and recklessly. And may our lives bear witness to the boundless love of God. Because God is Love- and if we are God’s children, we should be Love, too.
Amen.
