LENT 4

                         March 14, 2010

the Rev. Ken Kroohs

(Joshua 5:9-12; Ps. 32; 2^nd Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3 & 11b-32)

YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE

St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, High Point, NC

MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ... AND THE MEDITATIONS OF ALL OUR HEARTS ... BE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU --- OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER AMEN

    Which is your favorite gospel? .... I believe there are 4 gospels because each presents a different viewpoint. NOT a different message — just telling it in different ways.

    With my personality I frequently find Mark to be my favorite. I like Mark because he does not waste anytime. Mark takes the attitude: “don’t worry about the introductory stuff – here is the bottom line”. One of Mark’s favorite words is “immediately” – Mark just gets on with it.

    When I am in a different mood, the part of my personality which loves puzzles turns to John. John is the gospel of signs. John records various events and actions which point to Jesus as the messiah, and to God. When I am looking for the message which points to God ... which goes beyond Mark’s simple and direct style I like John.

    Matthew brings us the great commission – Jesus’ last instructions to us. Because they are His very last instructions I believe they are particularly important: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy spirit. Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you, always, to the very end of the age.”

    Luke however is the one I turn to when I wonder “what does it mean to be a Christian?” ... What does it mean to obey everything Jesus has commanded us? .... On a day to day basis – Luke provides more direction. I say that because Luke is the one who speaks most about people who have been neglected or abused. Luke focuses on the outcasts of society. It is not surprising that Luke gives more positive press to the women. Most of what we know about Mary comes from Luke. Matthew tells us about Joseph whereas Luke tells us about Mary.

    Luke tells us about the good Samaritan. Think “illegal immigrant” if you want to get even a taste of how the Samaritans were considered. Luke tells us about the widows mite and much more.

    And Luke tells us about the prodigal son ... or the loving father ... or the unforgiving elder son.

    Parables are a funny form of literature. On the one hand you should not over analyze them. Don’t try to make every little thing mean something. A parable has a major teaching point and that should be the focus.

    But a parable does not have inaccurate elements so you can gain some insights looking into the details. Being too focused on the details can be like studying the brush strokes of a great painting without every standing back to see the action picture. But sometimes those brush strokes can be informative.

    When we are told the younger son asked to feed the pigs we are not to worry about what he fed them, but notice that feeding pigs was the lowest possible action by a Jew. He has sinned – against heaven – against God through his wild living as what he then did.

    When the older son refuses to be gracious we tend to identify with him. The younger son had done everything bad ... including reducing the value of the estate the older son would later inherit. The older son had worked hard for their father and did not expect the father to acknowledge the younger son at all. The older son deserved everything he could get. You get what you work for — right? And the younger son is being handed what he never earned.

    I told you Luke focused on those who did not deserve help in the eyes of society but here he goes too far. Here Luke might be talking about the man who has a death bed conversion and avoids the consequences of a life of crime. .... Oh wait a minute, that’s the thief on the cross who is the only person in all of scripture who is promised he will be with Jesus in heaven.

    Turn to page 858 in the Prayer Book. ........ This is part of the Prayer Book called the “Outline of the faith” or ‘Catechism’. If you never have read through this it is really pretty interesting.

    On the top of page 858 is possibly the single most important statement. It is not about baptism, or communion, or worship styles, or even serving others. At least it is not directly about any of them.

    Rather this is about ‘grace’ – how God interacts with us. And we don’t really understand it. Fascinatingly, grace is easier to understand intellectually than just about any other part of our religious training! Grace is more difficult to accept – but easier to understand.

    Consider the background of the song “Amazing Grace” – the author was a slave trader ... a sinner by any definition even at those times. He mis-treated God’s children and yet ... and yet he says he was forgiven. “How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed”.

    How wonderful it is for us if we can believe in the parable ... believe God will come running out to meet us once we are willing to turn back. <<elderly son so no reason to need grace>>

    But notice what John Newton wrote before that ... twas grace that taught my heart to fear ... That was the older son’s problem ... and I suggest it is ours. We don’t “fear” enough. Usually in scripture the word translated “fear” is better translated “awe”. .... “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord” is better translated “the beginning of wisdom is awe of the Lord”

    But in the case of this son, “fear” is exactly the right word. Not ‘fear’ as much as ‘fear of punishment’ as ‘fear’ in the sense of ‘fear of being left behind’. We should be like a little child who is afraid their mother has left them alone in the store. Really the mother is standing right behind the child but the child does not understand that so is ‘afraid’.

    We should fear we will be left behind NOT because Jesus – God will leave us. We could be left behind, left away from God, because we refuse to be with God.

    And we ‘fear’ because all of that means change ... change in who we are. The younger son needed to change. The older son needed to accept the need for change. We are more like the older son most of the time.

    And the joy and wonder is God’s grace ... God’s favor towards us, unearned and undeserved, by grace God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and strengthens our wills.

    “Undeserved!” “Unearned!” — do you honestly, sincerely, deep in your being believe that? .... Flip side ... do you honestly, sincerely, deep in your being believe God will have favor towards you? ... One side seems to be an arrogance that we get what we deserve, and we deserve God’s favor. ... The flip side is the equally arrogant although it doesn’t feel that way ... attitude that God could not like you enough to give you God’s favor.

    Same basic attitude – whether we believe we already deserve it or could never be given it we are saying that our actions determine God’s attitude towards us. That our actions control God.

    Said that way it seems a tad less likely doesn’t it? That our actions control God. .... But that is really our belief. Either we have earned God’s love or never could receive God’s love.

    The older son believed he hard earned the love – and was shocked to discover it was not about earning it. It was about understanding that God will always be with us and give us everything. The younger son believed he was so bad he could never be returned into the household.

    As we go on with the definition of ‘grace’ we have been told about the forgiveness of sins enough so, even though we don’t understand it, let’s focus on “enlightens our minds”, “stirs our hearts” and “strengthens our wills”. It is through God’s gift of grace we understand at least part of what is told us, become encouraged to follow the path, and have the strength to do so. Again, not through ourselves but through God’s gift.

    I said grace was easier to understand but more difficult to believe. We can understand a gift – we may be uncomfortable about it or try to repay it but we can understand it. What we cannot believe is that God would give us so much we clearly do not deserve.

    It is difficult, if not impossible for us to understand that “through many dangers, toils, and snares we have already come: ‘tis grace that brought us safe thus far, and grace will lead us home.”

             AMEN

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CLICK HERE TO RESPOND: I would enjoy reading your comments about this sermon. Please feel free to discuss content or presentation. (If you wish to use another email system send your comments to: ken@st-christopher.com)