Today we celebrate All Saints Day. Most typically I am up here telling you about how your salvation comes into being. But today I get to answer the questions, “So I have been baptized and claimed by Christ and as a result I am one of the saints, now what?” What does the life of a saint look like in today’s world?
But before I answer those questions I need to tell you a story. I have been told by some in the congregation that the experiences that I share with you about the homeless men that helped shape me as a pastor are not relevant to this community however I am going to tell you one today because I think that you will find relevance in it.
My friend Steve was in his fifties when I had first met him. He was a resident at the Bethel Rescue Mission in Des Moines and worked there in exchange for his rent. Steve had tried several times to stop drinking. When I had first met him he was one year sober and was well on his way to turning his life around. He knew the rules at the shelter better than anyone and he actually trained me on how to work the desk which involved filling out reports, enforcing security issues, allowing people access to the building, and even deciding who would not be able to stay that night as a result of a disciplinary action.
Steve fell a month later and returned to drinking and camping along the river. Sometimes we can only ignore our pain for so long by immersing ourselves in our work. He was burned out from working 12 hour days. It seems that he had replaced working with drinking and as long as he stayed locked in the shelter he would not go out and drink. You see unless we invite Christ into and help us to deal with our past hurts and traumas we will never be free from them. The devil knows exactly where your pain buttons are and how to push them. He is a ruthless coward who doesn’t fight fair.
About 6 months later my friend Albert came to the mission and told me we had to do something about Steve. Albert is a hopeless alcoholic in his fifties on the streets of downtown Des Moines. The victim of sexual abuse and mental illness my hope for Albert’s recovery is fading. However I talk to him each week and even took him to dinner a couple of weeks ago; much to the dismay of the restaurant employees. Albert is the perfect example of saint and sinner. He knows Jesus is his savior, in his own diminished capacity, and spend his life caring for homeless people in Des Moines. If only he would use his skills to care for his own needs. But Albert understands that he is a sinner and God loves him regardless. Albert is a saint, he understands the concept of loving and caring for his neighbor more than anyone I have seen. Once he asked me why I looked so stressed and I told him that money was so tight I didn’t know how I was going to buy the baby milk. He took me to a dumpster in an alley where he was living am took out $20 form his hiding place and gave it to me. It was all the money he had. He loves Joey, Ally and Gabby and had met them several times and couldn’t stand the thought of having the money to get Gabby her milk. Let say it again, “HE WAS LIVING BEHIND A DUMPSTER WHICH HE ATE OUT OF BUT GAVE ME ALL OF HIS MONEY BECAUSE HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT MY KIDS.” Albert loves his neighbor, Albert loves my family.
Albert told me that Steve as in a camp and his feet were rotting and he could not walk out to get to the hospital. So I went with him to the camp and called an ambulance helping them carry Steve 300 yards over sand weeds and gravel to the ambulance. After he was treated at the hospital we took him back to the shelter to recover.
This time I thought Steve had the booze licked. He started to talk to me about his childhood and how he had abandoned his son because he didn’t want to do to the son what had been done to him. His heart was pure and beautiful. We prayed and prayed and asked Jesus to come into his past and heal it. Eventually we contacted his son in Ohio and attempted to start a dialogue with him. He was reluctant at first but eventually invited Steve to come out and stay with them for Thanksgiving to meet his 2 year old granddaughter for the first time.
I had lost touch with Steve as I moved to St. Paul to go to seminary. I had heard from Albert that he was back in Des Moines and not doing well. I made a mental note that I would look in on him at his camp one Friday as I was going through Des Moines. Time got away from me and I never made it to see him. Steve was found dead in a weekly rent sleazy hotel in Des Moines last Thursday morning. Steve knew the Lord and professed Jesus as His Savior but he dealt with chronic depression. He had gone to Broad Lawns Hospital in Des Moines to be treated for his depression and as usual they prescribed him lithium and kicked him out. When they found Steve he was black from the waist up which means he had a stroke and had broken every blood vessel in his upper body. He must have overdosed on lithium and alcohol. Why did my friend have to die alone? What must those final hours of his life been like? Staying a in a sleazy hotel room alone unable to call for help listening to his breath get shallower and shallower until it was no more. My heart is broken for Steve and I know that this is most likely how Albert’s story will end as well.
In today’s gospel reading Jesus tells us how we are to live as his called and claimed saints. “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” The Kingdom of Heaven is not for the super spiritual that boast about and find fulfillment in their good works and try to set themselves above everyone else as special. NO! It’s for people like Albert and Steve who know that they are broken and know that they only hope they have is in the mercy of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
“Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” My heart is broken and I cannot tell you how much I blame myself for not being there for Steve. My rational mind knows that there is no way that I could have known that this would be the night or that this was where I was needed however my irrational feelings are tearing me apart. All I can do in my time of complete and utter turmoil thinking that I failed and lost one which God had called me to serve is to cling with all my effort to the promise that God is merciful and has ended the pain that Steve was in both emotionally and physically. I trust and cling to the promise that Jesus Christ is Holding Steve in His loving embrace was we speak.
“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” The meek “πραΰς,a \{prah-ooce'}” in Greek meaning: 1) mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness. Those who are daily afflicted with the pains and traumas of the past that destroy any hope of a happy future; and know that their righteous and hope for peace and serenity comes not from anything in this world but form the hope in the one who has taken all of their pain and died with it destroying all of the punishment for due to them because of their wretched existence. Faith in JESUS CHRIST!
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.” Those who know that they do not belong to this world and daily are reminded by the devil, society, and their own sinful desires that are broken, unwanted, and unacceptable. Those who for once in their lives hunger and thirst to be acceptable to someone anyone! JESUS PROMISES HERE THAT THEIR HUNGER AND THIRST WILL BE SATISFIED!
“Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.” Jesus promises us that if we show mercy we will receive mercy. Mercy means: “The act of sparing, or the forbearance of a violent act expected.” If someone angers you and you feel the need to strike out against them in a violent way but rather show mercy and forgive them then your Lord will show you mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Blessed are the “kath-ar-os” in Greek. “Katharos” means: 1) clean, pure 1a) physically 1a1) purified by fire 1a2) in a similitude, like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit 1b) in a levitical sense 1b1) clean, the use of which is not forbidden, imparts no uncleanness 1c) ethically 1c1) free from corrupt desire, from sin and guilt 1c2) free from every admixture of what is false, sincere genuine 1c3) blameless, innocent 1c4) unstained with the guilt of anything. Who here claims to be katharos? The book of Romans chapter 3 tells us that not one is found pure. However this is the state that the Lord God sees you in on account of the work of Jesus Christ. You may not be pure but Jesus has made you pure in the sight of God because he gave to you His purity by the shedding of His blood.
“Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called sons of God.” Be the peaceful presence to your neighbors. Like Albert when you find someone afflicted, either physically or mentally, bring them peace by helping them or getting the help they need.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Dallas Willard, a professor of religion and philosophy at USC, wrote a book entitled, “The Divine Conspiracy.” In it he says that the divine conspiracy is the promise that since you have been made righteous through your faith in Jesus Christ all of you worldly troubles are over. Quite the contrary Willard says, now that you are counted righteous all the powers of Hell are coming after you. Jesus promises here that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are persecuted because they belong to him.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” How many times are you called hypocrites or are your actions described as unloving because you profess Jesus Christ as your Savior; or because you hold fast to any type of Christian moral principle?
So in answer to the questions now that I am saved so what and what does a saintly life look like in this world? Today Jesus tells us recognize that we are poor in spirit, to look to Christ in our mourning for comfort, we should approach all situations with meekness, we are to hunger and thirst for righteousness, show mercy, be pure in heart, be peace makers, and rejoice when we are persecute on account of Christ.
But what does that have to do with Steve and Albert? Everything! Because all of these characteristics we are to have and do for one purpose, for the sake of our neighbor. These things matter to your neighbor! Confirmands this is our small catechism. Memorizing the content of this book may not seem worth wile or even entertaining. But the day you sit at the death bed of someone and have these words memorized and can recite tot them the promises of Christ bringing them comfort and peace before death; that is the day when your neighbor doesn’t have to die alone in a sleazy hotel room with no preacher to deliver Christ’s promises. These WORDS MATTER, THEY BRING COMFORT AND PEACE NIT TO MENTION ETERNAL SALVATION. THESE ARE NOT JUST WORDS ON A PAGE THEY ARE THEY POWER OF GOD, HIS COMMANDS HIS PROMISES. AND TELLING THEM TO YOURSELF AND DOING THE GOOD WORKS IN THIS BOOK MAY NOT AMOUNT TO A HILL OF BEANS TO YOU BUT THEY MEAN EVERYTHING TO YOUR NEIGHBOR. Especially in their time of suffering. YOUR ARE ALL PRIESTS, JESUS HAS GIVEN TO YOU THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. WHENEVER YOU ENCOUNTE ONE WHO ASKS, CONFESSES, ORSHOWS THE LEAST BIT OF INTEREST IN JESUS CHIRST YOU TAKE OUT YOUR KEYS AND LOOSE THEM OF THEIR SIN. YOU PROCLIM TO THEM THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS ON ACCOUNT OF CHIRST. So they do not have to die alone or suffer another minute without being reminded of Jesus Christ and His promise. This is what you are to do as a saint claimed by Jesus from Himself. You belong to Him and He has given you the authority to claim others for Him. Let us pray.
Lord Jesus we thank you that you have given us the keys to your Kingdom. Lord we ask that you give us the boldness and awareness to recognize when we are in the presence of one who is in need of your promise. Lord Jesus I commend to you the soul of my friend Steve. Have mercy on him and welcome Him into your eternal Kingdom. Lord I thank you for the lives of each and every baptized saint before me today. Continue Lord to use this congregation and Your Church to further Your Mission in Jefferson County. In the name of Jesus we pray.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Reformation Sunday
“You awake us to delight in your praise; for you made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” The Confessions of St. Augustine.
Restless hearts that find peace in God, this is one of Augustine’s most famous quotes. Rest, peace; those are such nice words. Can you imagine an eternity of rest and peace? Right now I can’t even imagine 5 minutes of it let alone all of eternity.
But this is the promise that Jesus brings to us today in our gospel reading. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
Abide, Jesus uses the Greek word “meinate” from the root word “meno.” Meno means: remain, dwell, continue, tarry, endure. The depth of the meaning of “meno” is to stay in one place for a extended period of time; to dwell, literally to live. If you live in my “logos,” the word. Do you remember how the Gospel of John starts out? In the beginning was the logos, the word, and the logos, was with God and the logos WAS GOD. Jesus is telling us that if we dwell in Him then we are His true disciples and therefore we will know the truth, the truth the Jesus is not only the word of God but He is God! This is THE TRUTH! Jesus says, and knowing this sets you free. Free from sin free to love the law and follow it.
This is the promise that we heard from Jeremiah in our Old Testament reading today, this is that very promise fulfilled, Jesus Christ the Savior, God Himself addressing us, as He does, with words. And not just words, not just hot air expelled for the sake of something to say. NO! Words from God do something. This proclamation from the very mouth of God Jesus Christ declares to you that if you live in His word you are His true disciples and you will know the truth and you are now free from your own efforts to live up to the law to justify yourself because there is a new way in which God is justifying you and that is through your faith in His only son Jesus Christ. Your faith in His word, not belief in your own efforts to behave yourself rather faith in the promise of eternal life and freedom proclaimed to you by God Himself.
Your heart no longer need be restless; it need no longer cling to whatever lover of God that comes along. You are free from idol worship; you are free from the search to find the truth. The truth is here and the truth is NOW! Jesus Christ is the truth He is God and He is standing right here with us today proclaiming to you through His called and your ordained preacher that you belong to Him!
You no longer have to look to Abraham and the covenant of the Old Testament to see what God expects of you, Jesus dies to end that old covenant and now there is a new one and that new covenant says there is no longer any law for you to live up to to be justified, or righteous before God. He has done it all, FOR YOU! IT IS FINISHED! IT IS DONE! SIN AND YOUR OLD FLESH ARE DEAD AND GONE FOREVER AND NOW YOU CAN SIMPLY REST YOUR RESTLESS HEART, MIND, AND CONSCIENCE IS THE PROMISE GIVEN TO YOU FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD HIMSELF!
“Truly, truly, I say to you everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever.” You have sinned and are a slave to sin. You cannot free yourself from the demands and the accusations of the law. You are in prison and it is a life sentence and the only way out is to receive a pardon from the governor. Your freedom comes not from your love of good nor your love of sinful things but through the proclamation from the one who has the authority to pardon you and set you free by simply speaking it into existence. The walls of you prison, death itself, can no longer hold you because they could not hold your Savior.
On this day we celebrate the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Here is what Luther was told by God Himself through His written word the Bible. Just in case you were wondering and were not for sure. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD! JESUS CHRIST DID EVERYTHING NECESSARY FRO YOU TO BE COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD! JESUS CHRIST ROSE BODILY FROM THE DEAD! THE DISCIPLES DID SEE HIM IN THE FLESH AFTER HIS BURRIL! THIS MOST CETAINLY IS TRUE! THE BIBLE IS JESUS CHRIST THE VERY WORD OF GOD AND YOU DO NTO INTERPRET IT IT INTERPRETS YOU. IT SAYS THAT ON ACCOUNT OF YOUR BAPTISM CHRIST CLAIMING YOU AS HIS OWN YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN! THIS IS TRUE, THIS IS REAL! THIS IS WHAT I WOULD SACIRFICE MY LIFE FOR , THIS VERY PROCLIMATION. I WOULD STAND BEFORE DEATH ITSELF AND SAY, “I AM SCARED THIS IS TRUE BUT I WILL NOT DENY MY SAVIOR! NEVER! DO TO ME AS YOU WILL! BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY TRUTH THAT I KNOW WITHOUT A DOBUBT. I AM NO DIFFERENT THEN THE DISCIPLES BEFORE ME! THEY KNEW IT JUST AS I KNOW IT AND THEY DECLARED IT TO ME AS I HAVE DECLARED IT TO YOU AND NOW YOU KNOW IT! AMEN AMEN AMEN AMEN!
Restless hearts that find peace in God, this is one of Augustine’s most famous quotes. Rest, peace; those are such nice words. Can you imagine an eternity of rest and peace? Right now I can’t even imagine 5 minutes of it let alone all of eternity.
But this is the promise that Jesus brings to us today in our gospel reading. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
Abide, Jesus uses the Greek word “meinate” from the root word “meno.” Meno means: remain, dwell, continue, tarry, endure. The depth of the meaning of “meno” is to stay in one place for a extended period of time; to dwell, literally to live. If you live in my “logos,” the word. Do you remember how the Gospel of John starts out? In the beginning was the logos, the word, and the logos, was with God and the logos WAS GOD. Jesus is telling us that if we dwell in Him then we are His true disciples and therefore we will know the truth, the truth the Jesus is not only the word of God but He is God! This is THE TRUTH! Jesus says, and knowing this sets you free. Free from sin free to love the law and follow it.
This is the promise that we heard from Jeremiah in our Old Testament reading today, this is that very promise fulfilled, Jesus Christ the Savior, God Himself addressing us, as He does, with words. And not just words, not just hot air expelled for the sake of something to say. NO! Words from God do something. This proclamation from the very mouth of God Jesus Christ declares to you that if you live in His word you are His true disciples and you will know the truth and you are now free from your own efforts to live up to the law to justify yourself because there is a new way in which God is justifying you and that is through your faith in His only son Jesus Christ. Your faith in His word, not belief in your own efforts to behave yourself rather faith in the promise of eternal life and freedom proclaimed to you by God Himself.
Your heart no longer need be restless; it need no longer cling to whatever lover of God that comes along. You are free from idol worship; you are free from the search to find the truth. The truth is here and the truth is NOW! Jesus Christ is the truth He is God and He is standing right here with us today proclaiming to you through His called and your ordained preacher that you belong to Him!
You no longer have to look to Abraham and the covenant of the Old Testament to see what God expects of you, Jesus dies to end that old covenant and now there is a new one and that new covenant says there is no longer any law for you to live up to to be justified, or righteous before God. He has done it all, FOR YOU! IT IS FINISHED! IT IS DONE! SIN AND YOUR OLD FLESH ARE DEAD AND GONE FOREVER AND NOW YOU CAN SIMPLY REST YOUR RESTLESS HEART, MIND, AND CONSCIENCE IS THE PROMISE GIVEN TO YOU FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD HIMSELF!
“Truly, truly, I say to you everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever.” You have sinned and are a slave to sin. You cannot free yourself from the demands and the accusations of the law. You are in prison and it is a life sentence and the only way out is to receive a pardon from the governor. Your freedom comes not from your love of good nor your love of sinful things but through the proclamation from the one who has the authority to pardon you and set you free by simply speaking it into existence. The walls of you prison, death itself, can no longer hold you because they could not hold your Savior.
On this day we celebrate the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Here is what Luther was told by God Himself through His written word the Bible. Just in case you were wondering and were not for sure. JESUS CHRIST IS GOD! JESUS CHRIST DID EVERYTHING NECESSARY FRO YOU TO BE COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD! JESUS CHRIST ROSE BODILY FROM THE DEAD! THE DISCIPLES DID SEE HIM IN THE FLESH AFTER HIS BURRIL! THIS MOST CETAINLY IS TRUE! THE BIBLE IS JESUS CHRIST THE VERY WORD OF GOD AND YOU DO NTO INTERPRET IT IT INTERPRETS YOU. IT SAYS THAT ON ACCOUNT OF YOUR BAPTISM CHRIST CLAIMING YOU AS HIS OWN YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN! THIS IS TRUE, THIS IS REAL! THIS IS WHAT I WOULD SACIRFICE MY LIFE FOR , THIS VERY PROCLIMATION. I WOULD STAND BEFORE DEATH ITSELF AND SAY, “I AM SCARED THIS IS TRUE BUT I WILL NOT DENY MY SAVIOR! NEVER! DO TO ME AS YOU WILL! BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY TRUTH THAT I KNOW WITHOUT A DOBUBT. I AM NO DIFFERENT THEN THE DISCIPLES BEFORE ME! THEY KNEW IT JUST AS I KNOW IT AND THEY DECLARED IT TO ME AS I HAVE DECLARED IT TO YOU AND NOW YOU KNOW IT! AMEN AMEN AMEN AMEN!
Luke 18:9-24
Me church; I don’t care who you are that’s funny.
In today’s gospel reading we see this attitude of” it’s all about me” in the prayer of the Pharisee. Bothe men have gone to the temple to pray therefore both men are seeking an encounter with the divine. But which man’s prayer is heard? A better question would be which man’s prayer is not turned inward upon himself?
Our gospel passage for today starts with the setting of the parable. “He (Jesus) also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt.” No I know that there are no people in this congregation who think more highly of themselves than they should because most of you come here every weekend and hear me tell you that your works count for nothing. Are you tired of hearing that yet? But let’s still see if there is anything that we can learn from this man’s self righteous dissertation on himself.
The Pharisee , STANDING BY HIMSELF, prayed, God I thank you that I am not like OTHER MEN, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” Standing by himself, this shows his utter love for himself separating himself from everyone else. God, thank you; is this really a prayer of thanks or is it an exhortation of himself. He seeks to demonstrate this exhortation by listing his good works. It is clear that this man thinks that he is righteous before God because of these works. But similar to moral of the parable of Unworthy Servant from a couple of weeks ago; when you do what is expected of you there is no reward. This man is clearly under the delusion that he can gain righteousness before God through his own actions. In other words his relationship with God is not a proper one because his relationship hinges upon the works he has done for God and not on trust in the grace that God has given him for his short comings.
In contrast we have the tax collector. You will remember that tax collectors were social outcasts as they were viewed as betrayers of their people. They were residents of their respective community who collected money for the Romans; most were crooked and collected more than what was required keeping the difference for themselves. Keep in mind in this time in history if you could not pay your taxes all of your possessions could be seized. Let me put that in perspective, women and children were considered as possessions. So your family could literally be sold into slavery for not paying your taxes. Do you see the kind of wretchedness that tax collectors represented? Consequently, for Jesus to use a tax collector as the one who was found righteous was scandalous indeed. But in chapter Luke 5:31-32 Jesus says, “31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” And in Luke 15:17 He says, “7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
The tax collector has much different posture about himself than the Pharisee. “But the tax collector, STANDING FAR OFF, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but BEAT HIS BREAST saying, GOD, be merciful to me, a SINNER.” This is a true confession of a true sinner who has been afflicted by the law who realized that he was in desperate need of the grace of God. This prayer is not asking to be judged by the law. This man does not seek justice for if God gave him based upon justice then he would immediately be put to death and sent to hell on account of his sin. No1 this man seeks the gospel, he seeks grace and forgiveness; the tax collector’s pray is the type of prayer that brings celebration in heaven.
I realize that both prayers may seem inwardly focused however they are not. The Pharisee focuses his prayer on his works and the tax collector focuses his prayer on the work of God.
So, what does a parable about two Jewish men praying in the temple? Well let me break it down.
1. This parable shows us that through the law God is just. He doesn’t accept the prayer of the self righteous.
2. It shows us that through the true repentance of sin God is merciful.
3. It illustrates for us that God truly does desire mercy not sacrifice Jesus stated in Matthew 9 & 12 echoing the proclamation of the prophet Hosea.
4. It forces us to ask ourselves if we have the heart like the self righteous man or a heart like the humble broken sinner.
Today I will confess to you that I indeed have the heart of the humble broken sinner. You see it has been brought to my attention that I have failed to live up to the expectations of a few people in our congregation. I publically acknowledge that their expectations were both valid and reasonable and that the failure is totally and completely mine. I am learning each day what it means to be a follower of Christ just like the rest of you and there are times that I will fall short. I simply wanted to thank you for your patience with me thus far and ask for your forgiveness and mercy in the future. I am not trying to exude a false sense of humility here nor am I looking for affirmation. I have been wrestling night after night with how I could make it up to or how I should handle this situation. I am really tired of looking for solutions as it has been impossible for me to rest. While I was writing my sermon the answer to this dilemma came to me, I am not to try to fix it with righteous actions instead I am to simply ask for forgiveness and mercy and go on learning what I can from my mistakes and trying not to repeat them in the future.
Let us pray, Lord Jesus Christ, the mercy and grace of God has been shown to us through Your death and resurrection. Today Lord we acknowledge that you did in fact come to die for us so that we may have life and have it abundantly. An abundant life is one of the easy yoke, one free from worry, guilt, and anxiety. I humbly ask Lord Jesus that you send your Holy Spirit to each and each man, woman and child in this congregation with the purpose of the nurturing of faith. Faith in the promise that Your yoke is the easy on and faith in the promise of everlasting life given to each in their baptism and in the sacrament of The Lord’s Supper in which we are about to partake. I ask all of this in Your holy and precious name. Amen
In today’s gospel reading we see this attitude of” it’s all about me” in the prayer of the Pharisee. Bothe men have gone to the temple to pray therefore both men are seeking an encounter with the divine. But which man’s prayer is heard? A better question would be which man’s prayer is not turned inward upon himself?
Our gospel passage for today starts with the setting of the parable. “He (Jesus) also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt.” No I know that there are no people in this congregation who think more highly of themselves than they should because most of you come here every weekend and hear me tell you that your works count for nothing. Are you tired of hearing that yet? But let’s still see if there is anything that we can learn from this man’s self righteous dissertation on himself.
The Pharisee , STANDING BY HIMSELF, prayed, God I thank you that I am not like OTHER MEN, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” Standing by himself, this shows his utter love for himself separating himself from everyone else. God, thank you; is this really a prayer of thanks or is it an exhortation of himself. He seeks to demonstrate this exhortation by listing his good works. It is clear that this man thinks that he is righteous before God because of these works. But similar to moral of the parable of Unworthy Servant from a couple of weeks ago; when you do what is expected of you there is no reward. This man is clearly under the delusion that he can gain righteousness before God through his own actions. In other words his relationship with God is not a proper one because his relationship hinges upon the works he has done for God and not on trust in the grace that God has given him for his short comings.
In contrast we have the tax collector. You will remember that tax collectors were social outcasts as they were viewed as betrayers of their people. They were residents of their respective community who collected money for the Romans; most were crooked and collected more than what was required keeping the difference for themselves. Keep in mind in this time in history if you could not pay your taxes all of your possessions could be seized. Let me put that in perspective, women and children were considered as possessions. So your family could literally be sold into slavery for not paying your taxes. Do you see the kind of wretchedness that tax collectors represented? Consequently, for Jesus to use a tax collector as the one who was found righteous was scandalous indeed. But in chapter Luke 5:31-32 Jesus says, “31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” And in Luke 15:17 He says, “7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
The tax collector has much different posture about himself than the Pharisee. “But the tax collector, STANDING FAR OFF, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but BEAT HIS BREAST saying, GOD, be merciful to me, a SINNER.” This is a true confession of a true sinner who has been afflicted by the law who realized that he was in desperate need of the grace of God. This prayer is not asking to be judged by the law. This man does not seek justice for if God gave him based upon justice then he would immediately be put to death and sent to hell on account of his sin. No1 this man seeks the gospel, he seeks grace and forgiveness; the tax collector’s pray is the type of prayer that brings celebration in heaven.
I realize that both prayers may seem inwardly focused however they are not. The Pharisee focuses his prayer on his works and the tax collector focuses his prayer on the work of God.
So, what does a parable about two Jewish men praying in the temple? Well let me break it down.
1. This parable shows us that through the law God is just. He doesn’t accept the prayer of the self righteous.
2. It shows us that through the true repentance of sin God is merciful.
3. It illustrates for us that God truly does desire mercy not sacrifice Jesus stated in Matthew 9 & 12 echoing the proclamation of the prophet Hosea.
4. It forces us to ask ourselves if we have the heart like the self righteous man or a heart like the humble broken sinner.
Today I will confess to you that I indeed have the heart of the humble broken sinner. You see it has been brought to my attention that I have failed to live up to the expectations of a few people in our congregation. I publically acknowledge that their expectations were both valid and reasonable and that the failure is totally and completely mine. I am learning each day what it means to be a follower of Christ just like the rest of you and there are times that I will fall short. I simply wanted to thank you for your patience with me thus far and ask for your forgiveness and mercy in the future. I am not trying to exude a false sense of humility here nor am I looking for affirmation. I have been wrestling night after night with how I could make it up to or how I should handle this situation. I am really tired of looking for solutions as it has been impossible for me to rest. While I was writing my sermon the answer to this dilemma came to me, I am not to try to fix it with righteous actions instead I am to simply ask for forgiveness and mercy and go on learning what I can from my mistakes and trying not to repeat them in the future.
Let us pray, Lord Jesus Christ, the mercy and grace of God has been shown to us through Your death and resurrection. Today Lord we acknowledge that you did in fact come to die for us so that we may have life and have it abundantly. An abundant life is one of the easy yoke, one free from worry, guilt, and anxiety. I humbly ask Lord Jesus that you send your Holy Spirit to each and each man, woman and child in this congregation with the purpose of the nurturing of faith. Faith in the promise that Your yoke is the easy on and faith in the promise of everlasting life given to each in their baptism and in the sacrament of The Lord’s Supper in which we are about to partake. I ask all of this in Your holy and precious name. Amen
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