“Choose Life”
Deuteronomy 30: 15-20
February 13, 2011
It would have been called a ‘barn-burner’ of a sermon in today’s parlance. One preached to a
congregation likely numbering in the hundreds of thousands -- all camped out on the plain across the Jordan
River from the Promised Land. They had been a while getting there -- forty years -- since their escape from
Egypt. Many who had left that land did not live long enough to get to this momentous day -- and even more -had never known slavery building Pharaoh’s monuments and palaces.
But their rock and their father -- and yes their pastor -- “was there” for his people through all this time -the one who led God’s people through one of the most remarkable stories in the entire Bible -- the Exodus. No
-- Moses had never given up on them: For with God at his side -- he convinced Pharaoh to set his people free -led them into the wilderness and saved them from certain at the hands of Pharaoh’s chariots by parting the Red
Sea. He prayed for manna and water from heaven so they would not starve -- ascended Mt. Sinai to receive the
gift of God’s law -- then descending -- and chastised them as God’s prophet for worshipping the golden calf.
And now in today’s lesson -- he has finally brought them to within a stone’s throw of the land of milk and
honey.
But God had told Moses he was not to cross over with them. Rather - he was to ascend Mt. Nebo to die
at the age of 120 years. So on his last day -- Moses preaches his farewell sermon to his people camped on the
plain. And it was indeed a barn-burner of a sermon -- beginning some 26 chapters before today’s lesson which
is the final paragraph. Now two things about this morning’s lesson from Deuteronomy: First I promise -- cross
my heart -- that my last sermon at Community Church will not be 26 chapters long. But second -- and most
important -- in the midst of Moses’ admonitions to choose life or death == Moses gives us instruction about
what choosing life can look like. And on the other hand -- Moses also teaches on the meaning of “choosing
death” -- that is turning away from God’s commandments -- or put another way -- the slow process of giving
ourselves to what does not matter.
Andrew Connors observes that we are a nation of “choosers.” Paper or plastic? Small, medium or
supersize? Fries or coleslaw? And that’s just the beginning, such as considering how many different models
and equipped cars you can drive. Think about our choices concerning the place where we live -- and then -what will fill it up. And of course -- there are more simple choices like choosing what type of food we’ll eat.
For example -- if you’ve ever visited a grocery store in Europe -- you’ll see that Europeans have only about five
types of breakfast cereal from which to choose -- and all of those choices involve some type of granola -- no
Frosted Flakes for them. In this country, of course, the breakfast cereal selection can take up an entire aisle -and that’s before you get to other breakfast foods like jam, butter, bread, pancake mix, syrup, eggs and breakfast
meats.
Connors comments that because we are choosers by the fact that we live in our consumer-oriented
country -- today’s lesson may not sit as well with people who are used to getting many, many choices all to their
liking. No -- this morning’s lesson offers only two choices -- and is not really even an “offer.” Rather -- it is a
strict request that we choose one -- or the other -- period. Yes, Moses tells his people -- obey God’s
commandments and you shall live. But for those whose heart turns away -- they will perish. But Connors
continues -- what makes this lesson even more difficult is that it could come across as the biblical foundation
for the theology preached in some Christian traditions -- some televangelists -- for example -- who blame
hurricanes and the spread of AIDS on those “whose hearts turn away” and so choose death -- for Moses makes
very clear they will perish. And so -- God may come across today as sounding too autocratic this morning -- in
conflict with the free grace we’ve come to expect from God’s Son, our Savior. For just where this morning is
God’s gift of forgiveness to the repentant, where is Jesus’ love for all people -- sinners included?
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Of course - the truth of today’s lesson is that there will be serious -- life changing consequences that can
be just like death when we make choices that are in our own selfish interest -- that is -- counter to God’s
commandments. Marriages are destroyed when promises are not kept. Friendships end when one does not love
their neighbor as their self. And irresponsible--that is greedy -- financial decisions eventually, run their course
as they did on Wall Street. Are those examples of God’s judgment? Frankly, I don’t know. Because
misfortune, Connors says, is not necessarily connected to God’s judgment. And I would add that regardless of
what Moses says to us today -- I frankly question if God’s hand is in any human misfortune. For that God of
judgmental actions is not the God the Holy Spirit reveals to me in the scriptures.
What I do know about God -- with all certainty -- are several things that are suggested in this morning’s
lesson: First, even with all of Moses’ warnings about God’s judgment -- God will always -- not just sometimes
-- but God always remain faithful -- loving us still -- in spite of our bad choices. Certainly -- we see that played
out over and over again in the scriptures - even in the Exodus story. The people whined and grumbled -doubting God -- about their situation in the wilderness -- “there’s not enough to eat” -- “there’s not enough to
drink.” So God sent manna to gather in the morning and made water gush from a rock. Then after being
bountifully fed and their thirst quenched -- the people even doubted God’s presence with them in the wilderness
-- so they crafted a golden idol to fall down and worship. Yet God remained faithful still -- betrayal after
betrayal -- and eventually brought his people to the land he had promised them so many years in the past.
I also know something else about God this morning: Throughout Moses’ last sermon on the plain -ultimately the emphasis is on God’s mercy, not God’s judgment. He says earlier in his sermon: “... the Lord
your God is a merciful God, he will neither abandon nor destroy you -- he will not forget the covenant with your
ancestors that he swore to them. Yes we are reminded today that God is not only ever faithful -- God is always
merciful -- for as Sibley Towner says -- God’s hands are not tied to mandatory sentences of death because of
our transgressions.
For you see -- that more than anything else -- God desires that his beloved people
choose life -- not death. What’s more -- the choice for life always remains open no matter how far or for how
long we have turned away from God. For quite simply -- there is nothing we can do or say that will make God
stop loving us -- craving relationship with us -- desiring that once again -- we will choose life. For sisters and
brothers -- God always gives us enough room to make a new start in our lives -- to reaffirm our belief and
allegiance to Him -- and so -- start living all over again.
What does choosing life look like? I have to admit -- I am preaching to the choir this morning -because you already know a lot about what it means to choose life -- you have chosen life here. We’ve been
talking about all of that the past 2 weeks -- embracing the Beatitudes in their innate simplicity, hopefulness and
compassion. Being Christ’s salt and light in the world. So yes -- unless you just fell off the proverbial turnip
truck -- or arrived from an alien planet -- you know that choosing life means to love God with all our heart, and
our mind and soul. It means give to the poor. Fight for justice. Care for the hurting. Treat others fairly and
share food with the hungry -- in other words -- keep God’s commandments so you will truly live passionately,
joyfully and be blessed by God. Bu yes Virginia -- we know that already.
Brett Younger though, has suggested other (and yes additional) ways to choose life -- sacred possibilities
we may not have considered before. I quote him verbatim because they are quite simply, delightful: Younger
says choosing life means: you can learn things you have told yourself you would never learn. Enjoy simple
things. Play with children. Laugh often, long, and loud. Smile even when you don’t feel like it. Cry when it is
time to cry. Be patient with your own imperfections as well as the imperfections of others.
Walk around the block. Turn off the television. Invite a stranger to lunch. Quit doing what is not worth
your time. Do something so someone else won’t have to. Give money to a cause you care about. Stop arguing.
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Apologize to someone, even if it was mostly his fault. Forgive someone, even if she doesn’t deserve it. Have
patience. Stop having patience when it’s time to tell the truth. Figure out what you hope for and live with that
hope.
Worship with all your heart. Pray genuinely. Love your church. Believe God loves you. Remember
the stories of Jesus. See Christ in the people around you. Share God’s love with someone who has forgotten it
or never even known it. Delight in God’s good gifts. See that all of life is holy. Open your heart to God’s
Spirit. Search for something deeper and better than your own comfort. Live in the joy beneath it all. And
friends -let God make your life wonderful.
Yes -- we can choose life in Christ in amazing ways -- that list is only a start. Moses tells us today -- “I
set before you life and death -- blessings and curses. Choose life.” I’d like to amend that a bit: Sisters and
brothers: “Continue to choose life” -- that is life abundant -- in your home --with this congregation and in our
community -- wherever life takes you. Continue to choose life in a variety of astonishing ways -- that life God
and His Son intend and desire for us -- a holy life lived --- joyfully -- passionately -- gratefully -- and
reciprocally -- that is -- forever sharing the abundant blessings of our lives -- of our life itself.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Anne Stewart Miller
Montauk, New York