Temptation -- a Lectionary Meditation

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7



Romans 5:12-19


Matthew 4:1-11

Temptation

“There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.” (Mark Twain)

Two stories of temptation lead off the Lenten journey, reminding us that temptation is an ever present challenge. Though, as Mark Twain notes, there are ways of dealing with temptation, the most effective being – run for the hills! Or better yet, never take risks, and you’ll not have to deal with problems such as this. But if we want to live fully and put ourselves in a position to grow and mature in our faith, then we must face the prospect of falling prey to temptation. It is, in fact, the central theme of the biblical story. Richard Rohr writes:

It is not that suffering or failure might happen, or that it will only happen to you if you are bad (which is what religious people often think), or that it will happen to the unfortunate, or to a few in other places, or that you can somehow by cleverness or righteousness avoid it. No, it will happen, and to you! Losing, failing, falling, sin, and the suffering that comes those experiences – all of this is a necessary and even good part of the human journey. [Richard Rohr, Falling Upward, (Jossey Bass, proof copy), p. xxii]

It is important that as we take in these stories that we not forget that falling down is part of the journey, but growth comes as we get up and move forward in the presence of God. In this week’s lectionary readings there are two stories of temptation – one referring to Adam and Eve and the other to Jesus. In the middle we come across Paul’s meditation on sin and redemption – through one man sin comes into the world, through the second man its effects are overcome. In Genesis God puts a tree into the middle of the garden and says – don’t eat or you’ll die. In Matthew, Jesus is baptized by John and then is immediately driven into the Wilderness by the Spirit so that he might be tested. Are we ready to be tested? That is the question.

In the first story God puts a man in the garden and tells him to till it and tend to it. He can eat of all the trees in the garden, except one, and if he eats of this Tree of Knowledge he’ll most assuredly die – though Genesis doesn’t tell us how this will occur (Gen. 2:15-17). But, as you read this warning, you have to know that something untoward is going to happen. You can’t put a tree in the middle of the garden that has really good looking fruit on it and then say – don’t eat. You know he’ll eventually bite into the fruit. With this warning in place, the lectionary guides have us skip over the section where God creates the woman as the man’s companion, and takes us to the encounter between the woman and the Serpent, who according to the writer of this text is the craftiest of God’s creations. Note here that the reference isn’t to the devil, though later interpretive tradition will make this connection. The Serpent says to the woman: “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden?” Of course, God didn’t say anything of the sort. God said you have all that you need, so stay away from that tree in the middle of the garden. If you eat it, you will die. The woman knows the truth and responds accordingly. But the key to the discussion is the suggestion by the Serpent that the reason God doesn’t want them to eat of the fruit is that upon eating it they will be like God, knowing both good and evil. The Serpent promised wisdom, but God asked for trust, trust that was quickly broken. And upon eating the fruit, the eyes of both are opened and they discover that they are naked, and so they cover themselves with fig leaves. Yes, shame enters the picture and the two whom God created to be companions are now alienated from each other. And as the story goes on, they hide even from God, suggesting that alienation from God had also crept into the picture. While we talk about sin here, the real issue is one of broken trust. But, as Rohr points out – that is part of life. The question is – how will we respond to the realities. Will we get back up and seek reconciliation? Will we allow that original trust to be restored?

Before we turn to Matthew’s temptation story, we turn to Romans 5, where Paul talks about the consequences of the man’s transgressions. Although the woman is often blamed for the Fall, Paul is of the mind (maybe it’s his chauvinism) that the man is responsible. Of course, Paul is also concerned about creating a parallel situation. Adam is seen as the one who breaks trust with God, and therefore allows for sin and death to enter the picture. The passage opens with one of the most pregnant verses in the New Testament. Taken literally it seems to give support to the doctrine of original sin. Paul writes that it was through a man (Adam) that death came into the world because of sin, and death spread to all humanity because all sinned. Paul is reaching back to Genesis 2-3, and offers his explanation as to why sin is so prevalent and why death is experienced by all. Because of Adam we all die, and the culprit has traditionally been seen as original sin. We sin because of Adam and we die because of him. It seems so genetic, but not so fast. Note that Paul says that death spread to all because all sinned, not because the man sinned. Sin was present since the beginning of human history – that is the implication of the text, and it has had devastating effects. It is also clear that sin is not simply disobedience of the Law, because sin and death existed prior to Moses.

The key point in all of this is the role that Adam (the man) plays in the story. Paul says that Adam is the type of the one to come. And while sin and death was introduced into the world through the actions of the first man, through the work of the second Adam (Christ) comes grace. Thus, if many die because of the first man’s sin (setting the world in motion toward disobedience), so in the second Adam’s obedience this is turned around. In a statement that almost sounds universalist in intent, Paul says that “because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through one man, Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17). We must face the reality of sin – however it may have come into the world – but the good news is that in Christ its effects have been overturned. Forgiveness is ours.

When we read Matthew’s Temptation story, it’s easy for us to discount the threat to Jesus’ identity. We just assume, or at least many assume, that Jesus is divine and therefore there’s really nothing to be concerned about. It’s all just a test, to which all the answers have already been given. There’s really no chance that Jesus would actually have failed or fallen. But if we take such a view. If there’s nothing really at risk in the incarnation, then what’s the point? Is it a mere exercise for our enjoyment? Is the devil too stupid to know that Jesus couldn’t fall, so God was having a good laugh? If these tests are real and God’s purpose could have been thwarted, then Jesus is – in Paul’s terms – the Second Adam. In his obedience he shows us the way to rebuild trust; how to walk in righteousness. But as the story goes, the devil gave it his best shot, but it wasn’t good enough. The temptations were truly seductive. Bread to end hunger; a spectacle to draw followers; rule over the world in exchange for a small bow. And yet in each case, Jesus stood strong in the Spirit. Jesus chooses to live by the words that come from the mouth of God; chooses not to put God to the test; and Jesus chose to worship God and not the devil. In the end the devil goes away, and the famished savior is tended to by the angels. It is in the obedience of the Second Adam that the disobedience of the First Adam is reversed. But obedience is more than playing it safe. Obedience involves taking necessary risks so that one might grow in faith and practice.

Temptation is part of life. We will fall, lest we believe that perfection is something to be guarded to such an extent that we’re not willing to live life in the presence of God. That is not, I believe, what God calls for us to do. It is in reality the way of death and not life. Let us then pursue God’s purpose for our lives, by living boldly in the world.

I Have Sinned: A Word for Ash Wednesday

Psalm 51:1-5 (NRSV)

To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.


1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgement.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived me.

Ash Wednesday is a day of introspection, reflection, and repentance.  Marked with ash, we are reminded that we are sinners in need of forgiveness.

Psalm 51, which is traditionally attributed to David, a man known to be close to the heart of God, reflects upon David's own transgressions.  In this Psalm David cries out to God "I am a sinner" after Nathan rebukes him for his affair with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 12:1-7).  In this back story to the Psalm, David spies out Bathsheba, begins an affair that leads to a pregnancy, and finally to the death of Bathsheba's husband -- because he is too honorable to sleep with his wife while his troops are at the front.  Nathan confronts David with his transgressions, telling a parable of two men, one rich and one poor.  The rich man, who has many lambs, takes the poor man's one lamb and slaughters it to put on a feast for his friends.  David is furious, and then Nathan says to him:  "You are the man!"  This revelation leads to David's act of repentance, an act of repentance that is expressed through this Psalm (even if David likely didn't write it).

David's cry of repentance is very different from those we're used to seeing on television from politicians and preachers.  This is no maudlin confession like the one given by Jimmy Swaggart, which was more show than anything.  In this psalm we see an expression of deep anguish and repentance.  It also reflects the realization that it is almost impossible to escape from sin's hold on our lives.  The 5th verse says it clearly:  "indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me."  Lest we get caught up in debates about whether sin is a genetic defect or not (as St. Augustine essentially taught the church), the focus is on the reality of our own sinfulness -- whatever the cause.  We're all tainted.

Although the chosen passage ends with the confession that sin conditions one's life, the prayer itself begins with a different confession.  In this is the good news.  Even as the penitent cries out, seeking God's mercy, the person making this confession roots the request in God's steadfast love.  Biblical commentator James Luther Mays writes:

Confession of Sin is already on the way to justification because it is first of all a response to grace.  It is the act in which we humans acknowledge what we are before God and what God is for us.  We are sinners; God is gracious.  (James Luther Mays, Psalms: Interpretation Commentary, WJK, 1994, p. 199). 

As we begin the Lenten journey, we do so knowing that while we are all sinners in need of mercy and forgiveness, "God is gracious."  Without this knowledge we might fall into despair.  With this knowledge, we have the confidence to continue the journey, knowing that God's steadfast love is ever present with us.

(Amended version of reflection published in the 2011 Lenten Devotional of Central Woodward Christian Church, edited by John McCauslin).  

Set Free to Serve -- A Sermon

This sermon was preached on Thursday, September 16, 2010, at Northwestern Christian Church in Detroit, as part of a three day revival.  The CWCC choir joined me in sharing a message of freedom and service with this congregation pastored by my friend and colleague, the Rev. Eugene James.

*****************************************************

Set Free to Serve

John 8:31-36

Two years ago I went to a pastor’s conference in Chicago, and before I left, someone, I think it was John Lacey, told me that I needed to connect with the Rev. Eugene James while I was there. With that in mind, I had my eye out for this pastor from Detroit, and on that very first day, as I took the elevator to my room, I found myself standing right next to a man named Eugene James. From that moment on, Eugene and I have built a strong friendship and a strong partnership in ministry. We’ve done a lot of talking and a lot of dreaming about joint ventures in mission, and while we’ve done more talking than doing, I know that good things are on the horizon. I am also pleased to affirm Eugene’s calling, along with that of Maggie Mills, to serve as co-regional ministers of the Michigan Region during this important time of transition, because I have great trust in their wisdom and spiritual discernment. So, having said all of this by way of introduction, I want to say how pleased I am to have received an invitation to bring my choir and share a message at this week’s revival.

The theme for the revival is simple and straightforward. If you’re a follower of Jesus, then you have been set free so that you might serve. Over the past several weeks I’ve been taking to heart this theme, and pondering what it is I should share this evening. What is it that God would have us hear from John’s gospel about the message of freedom that comes from Jesus? And what are the implications that can be drawn from this powerful statement:

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

Yes, if you know the truth, which means if you’re willing to follow the teachings of Jesus, then you will be set free. For as Jesus says to his critics: “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” We come here tonight to hear a word about freedom and service, two words that don’t seem to fit very well together in our society, and yet in Christ, they belong together, even as a hand fits in a glove. But, we must ask two questions: From what am I being set free and where will this freedom to serve lead?

1. The Starting Point

The Disciples tradition, out of which both our congregations emerge, isn’t big on confession of sin. We’re a pretty optimistic people and so we don’t spend a lot of time focusing on sin, especially original sin. But, experience tells us that there’s a dark side to life. There is evil in the land, and we dare not ignore its presence. But, not only is evil present in the land, but all of us at one time or another get caught up in its web. Whether we like to admit it – and it seems as if the people Jesus was talking to didn’t want to admit it – we all have experienced bondage to sin and need to be set free so that we can experience the blessings of God’s presence in our lives. We need to be set free from this web so that we can truly love God and love our neighbors.

If we’re going to be set free, however, we’ll need to know what it is we need to be set free from. Paul pointed out that the Law is there to shine a light on those areas of our lives that are contrary to God’s vision for our lives. Although we can summarize the commandments of God in two very succinct statements – love God and love your neighbor – we need more details. That’s what the Ten Commandments and the other laws do for us – they help us understand how we can love God and love our neighbors.

Sin, to give a simple definition, involves our failure to love God with our entire being and our failure to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. If we’re to be set free from this bondage, this slavery to sin, then we first have to acknowledge that we have a problem – something that Jesus’ audience couldn’t acknowledge. But, as we know from the many Twelve Step programs, you have to acknowledge that you have a problem, before you can get help.

So, what is it that we should confess? What is it that we need to acknowledge before we can be set free by the grace and mercy of Jesus? Could it be a false idol, such as a nicer and fancier vehicle, a bigger house, or fame and fortune? Could it be the kind of self-doubt that keeps us from recognizing that we’re created in the image of God, and therefore makes it impossible to embrace our gifts and callings from God? Could it be anger, jealousy, or unfaithfulness? Could it be the stereotypes, prejudices, and suspicions that separate us from one another?

I must say that I’m deeply disturbed by the growing polarization in our society. I’m concerned about politicians, pundits, and so-called religious leaders who seek to gain power by dividing us from one another. Paul may have said that in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male and female, (Gal. 3:28), but even the church has failed to live out this promise. Therefore, if we’re to be set free then we must first recognize our condition so that God can begin to transform us into the people we’re meant to be. And then as God changes our hearts and minds, we can better reflect the glory that is God in and through our own lives. Then we can sing with complete honesty that old song: “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

2. Set Free for a Purpose

If we start with the premise that each of us needs to be set free from something, then the next question has to do with the nature and meaning of this freedom. We may all desire to experience freedom, but I doubt if we all define the word in the same way.

As I stand here tonight in this pulpit, I’m quite conscious of the fact that I’m a white pastor of a predominantly white congregation, who has brought an all-white choir, to share a message of freedom in a predominantly black church. I’m a historian by training, so I know the history of our nation. I know about the long struggle for freedom and civil rights that has marked the African American story in this nation. I know the story, but I’ve not experienced it. Therefore, if I’m going to address this theme with integrity, then I must make this confession. Although I can speak to the issues and I can sing the spirituals with gusto, I know that my experience and that of my ancestors is different from the African-American experience. But, even if I can’t completely understand the full meaning of freedom as it is understood in the African-American community, I take refuge in the knowledge that in Christ we are indeed one, and that in him we can experience true freedom.

By making our confession, we’re ready to hear the good news. God has provided us with a road to freedom, a road that leads out of the land of slavery into the land of promise. And the one who will be our guide along this journey is Jesus. Just as Moses guided the people of Israel out of Egypt and toward the promised land, Jesus shall do the same for us. And even though Moses died before he could cross the river, leaving the rest of the journey in the hands of Joshua, the Gospel story tells us that Joshua’s namesake, the one we call Jesus of Nazareth, not only leads us out of slavery but he also leads us across the river.

In the story of Good Friday, we hear the bad news that the Romans had cut short his journey. When they laid him in the tomb, Jesus’ followers thought that it was over, that they’d never get to cross to the other side. But the message of Easter tells us that God has turned aside the attempts of those who would keep the world in bondage. By raising Jesus from the dead, God provided a way for us to cross to the other side of the river so that we might experience true freedom.

The message seems clear; if we will embrace Jesus as our Lord and embrace his teachings, which call for us to love God with our entire being and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, then we will experience true freedom. But freedom isn’t an end in itself. With freedom comes responsibility, which is a message that many of us neglect to hear and embrace.

This is the point that Paul was making when he responded to those who claimed that “all things are lawful.” “All things may be lawful, Paul says, but not all things are beneficial. True freedom isn’t the opportunity to do whatever we want, whenever we want. True freedom means seeking to do that which builds up the entire body. As Paul told the Corinthians, seek that which builds up. “Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other” (1 Cor. 10:23-243). In difficult times, like this, it’s easy to put our own wants and desires first, and take advantage of our liberties at the expense of others, but the word that we hear from the scriptures is this: Take hold of your freedom, but do so in a way that is responsible, so that the body might be built up.

3. Gifted For Service

When we hear the word freedom in our cultural context, we often hear it in very individualistic ways. This is especially true right now, in this political season. Everybody is looking out for themselves. They want what they think they’re entitled to get, and if that means getting what they want at the expense of others, then so be it! Unfortunately, what is true in the political realm, is often true in the church. Too often we define the church in terms of our individual wants and desires. In the New Testament, however, the church is defined in terms of community. The church is a body, whose members may be different from each other, and yet in Christ and through the Holy Spirit of God, they are made one.

To get a sense of what we’re called to be and do, as people who have been set free by Jesus, we need to look at the fourth chapter of Ephesians. In Ephesians 4 we hear a word to the church about God’s gifts to the church, gifts that are intended to be used for the up building of the body of Christ, so that we might come “to the unity of the faith, to maturity, the measure of the full stature of Christ.” As we continue reading, we hear a reminder that we’re no longer children, who are tossed to and fro by doctrines, trickery, and deceit. Now there’s nothing wrong with being a child, if you’re a child, but if you’re an adult, then childish behavior and attitudes aren’t appropriate. So, if we’re to be truly free, then we must move toward maturity in our faith.

So that we can hear this message clearly, I’d like to read from the fourth chapter of Ephesians (verses 4:1-16).

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it is said, ‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.’

9(When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended* into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

As you reflect these words of scripture, consider the words that begin the chapter:

Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God.

Although he’s writing this letter from prison, he knows that in Christ he is free, and that he has been set free to build up the body of Christ. In hearing this call to freedom, he encourages us to make use of our freedom by conducting ourselves “with all humility, gentleness, and patience.” We’re being called to affirm the oneness of the body of Christ in the way we live our lives.

Having been set free, God has given us gifts for service. In this letter five gifts are mentioned – Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. Each of these gifts are expressions of leadership in the church, but there are other lists, such as the ones in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 that broaden the spectrum. Each of these gifts is given to us so that we might be equipped for service to the body of Christ. God gives this gifts so that we can bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ – the very gospel that has set us free so that we might serve.

As we move toward a time of decision, I want to pose these questions: Are you ready to be set free? Are you willing to embrace the call to walk according to the way of Jesus? And if you’re ready to be set free, are you ready to take on the responsibilities of a life worthy of this calling? And if you’re willing to take on these responsibilities, are you ready to serve according to the gifts that God has poured upon the church, so that it might be built up? Are you ready to be set free to serve?

 

Preached September 16, 2010

at Northwestern Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Detroit, MI

 

Table Grace -- A Sermon

Luke 7:36-50

H.L. Mencken described a Puritan as a "person with a haunting fear that someone, somewhere is happy."1 Unfortunately that description could apply to many Christian communities. Churches are often places of discord, abuse, and fountains of hate, even though this stands in contrast to Jesus’s message of grace, love and forgiveness. This attitude is often enabled by a legalism that is contrary to Jesus’ message of freedom, healing, and acceptance.

Unfortunately, this reality has led large numbers of people to conclude that the church of Jesus Christ is the last place to go if you’re looking for a word of hope or happiness. The word on the street is that churches are places of ostracism, exclusion, and condemnation, where no one dares to laugh, lest they offend God and their neighbor. I hope that’s not true here, but that’s the reputation we must deal with!

1. AN INVITATION TO DINNER

This reputation of legalism and exclusiveness isn’t new. You see it on display in the attitudes of Simon the Pharisee and his friends, who are sharing a meal with Jesus, as they responded to a woman who enters their meeting without an invitation. But, not only wasn’t she on the guest list, but she was a known sinner; a woman who lived across the tracks and down the back alley. It’s possible that some of the people in that room knew her by more than reputation, but they would never admit to it. Yes, whatever it was that she had done in life, she now lived as an outcast. She was a persona non grata – a person without grace.

When she entered the room, she went over to where Jesus lay at table and knelt before him. As she knelt down, she began to weep uncontrollably, bathing his feet with her tears. Then, perhaps unconsciously, she unloosened her hair, something no woman did in polite company, and began to dry his feet with her hair. Finally she began to kiss his feet and anoint them with the costly perfume she had brought with her in an alabaster jar. These actions, not just those of the woman, but those of Jesus as well, scandalized Simon. How could Jesus, he wondered out loud, let this sinner, this unclean person, touch him like that? It was unseemly, even obscene. Here, he was supposedly a prophet of God, allowing himself to be touched by an unclean woman. Surely no self-respecting prophet would let such a thing happen.

2. THE STORY

Simon’s outburst, led to a brief story. Jesus responded to Simon by telling him a parable about two debtors. One man had been five-hundred denarii, which was a lot of money, and the other had received fifty denarii. Now, fifty is quite a bit of money – maybe two months’ salary, but it’s nothing in comparison to the 500, which might be equal to a couple of year’s salary. When it came time to repay the debt, neither of these borrowers could repay, and so the lender forgave the debts rather than casting the men into debtors’ prison. Then, Jesus asked Simon: "Which of them will love him more?" With reluctance Simon admitted that it was the one who owed the most who loved the most.

Yes the woman was a sinner, but so was Simon. The only difference was that she recognized this fact, perhaps because her sins might have been more obvious. So, it would seem that since she had been forgiven more, she loved more. Simon, believing he was sin-free and pious, had little use for the woman or forgiveness. And therefore, unlike her, he had no need to show gratitude to God or anyone else.

The woman’s actions seemed scandalous, but not only were they acts of gratitude, they contrasted strongly with the actions or lack thereof of Simon. You see, Simon had invited Jesus to dinner, but he failed to act as a proper host. That’s because a proper host greets the guest with a kiss and anoints with oil. The host also makes sure that the guest’s feet are washed. Simon didn’t do any of this for Jesus, but this “sinful” woman did what Simon refused to do.

You see, Simon’s problem was that, like us, he had different categories of sin. So, he concluded that whatever sins he might have committed, they were nothing compared to the sins of this woman. She was impure, perhaps even a woman of ill repute. But Jesus responded to his unspoken sentiment by saying: "those who are forgiven little, love little" (vs. 47).

3. THE TABLE OF GRACE

Well, I’ve been in the church all my life, and I’ve seen the “good, the bad, and the ugly” in the church. I’ve seen families disown their children in the name of God, and I’ve heard Christian leaders utter racial slurs and speak hatefully of others. I’ve seen churches split over such little things as the color of the carpet or the doors. I wish I could say that I wasn’t part of the problem, but I know I’m as guilty as anyone else. Certainly, God is weeping at seeing us fight, gossip, and defaming others. Perhaps we’ve not yet understood the message of grace. Perhaps we’ve not understood the depths of our own sinfulness, and the promise of forgiveness. And, so because we think we have little to be forgiven of, we show very little love to others, especially those who are different from us.

As we come to the Table of the Lord this morning, it’s appropriate to confess to God that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and grace. It’s also important to remember that the table isn’t just for the saints. It’s also for sinners. If this isn’t true, then none of us would have the right to come to the table.

The good news is that the Table of the Lord is truly a place where sinners gather to receive a word of grace and comfort. Bread and Cup are signs of Jesus' body and blood, which beckon us forward so we can find peace, hope, and joy. This is a table of grace that’s open to anyone who recognizes the need for that grace. It doesn't matter what you’re wearing or how you look or even how much money you make. In welcoming both the woman and Simon, Jesus welcomes all of us into his family.

It may sometimes seem like we’ve heard this message of forgiveness one too many times. Shouldn’t we have already gotten the message, so that we can move onto bigger and better things? Simon’s response to this woman, who entered his home without an invitation, reminds us that we can never hear this message too often. Indeed, it is this message of forgiveness and grace that will allow us to live out our core value of acceptance. As a church we’re able to accept others, because we’ve already been accepted by God.

This is a message that requires more from us than mere assent. It is, as William Willimon writes:

For Jesus, forgiveness is not some doctrine to be believed; rather, it is a feast to be received, a party to which the outcasts are invited, a gift to be received with empty hands. So Jesus not only tells a parable at the table, he becomes a parable, a sign to us of what God is up to in the world. In Jesus, God is busy inviting the whole world to the table.2

The invitation has been given to everyone who will hear and receive it: Come to the table and enjoy the bounteous grace of God, for your sins are forgiven, and you have been saved. Go in peace.

1. Quoted in Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing about Grace? (Zondervan, 1997), 29
2. William Willimon, Pulpit Resource, 29 (April, May, June 2001): 53. 

Preached by:
Dr. Robert D. Cornwall
Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Troy, MI
Third Sunday after Pentecost
June 13, 2010

Way of Sin, Way of Grace -- Meditation

With the lectionary we are able to work our way through the Scriptures, hearing the voice of Scripture in its various forms.  I began today writing a weekly devotional meditation for the newly relaunched Disciples of Christ blog [D]mergent.  With the demise of the journal Disciples World, Disciples are being creative in finding ways to communicate.  I invite you to check out the posts on this new blog.
**************************************************

1 Kings 21:1-21a

Galatians 2:15-21
Luke 7:36-8:3

The Way of Sin and the Way of Grace

There is a way of life that leads to destruction. It’s one that is marked by qualities such as cruelty, deceit, and greed, qualities embodied by the characters of Ahab and Jezebel. In the story found in 1 Kings 21, Ahab wants something that’s not his, and when he can’t have it he pouts. His wife, however, who seems much more clever than Ahab, and having a keen understanding of power, achieves Ahab’s desire through deceit and craft. In the end, an innocent man is executed on the basis of false but scandalous accusations, allowing the king to seize the desired property. Enter the prophet Elijah, who declares to Ahab that a life such as his will lead eventually to destruction.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read the story of a woman who was known to be a sinner – the nature of the sin isn’t recorded so it’s left to our imaginations, and you know where that leads. According to the Gospel, the unnamed woman enters the home of a religious leader, a pious fellow, who was hosting a lunch that featured Jesus as special guest. The host of the party, a Pharisee named Simon, is scandalized when she began to wash the feet of Jesus with her tears and with her hair – and Jesus didn’t object. Indeed, the real scandal in this case wasn’t the action of the woman, but those of Jesus, who didn’t reject her actions. The pious ones in the crowd, were scandalized that a holy man such as Jesus would allow himself to be defiled by the touch of a sinner.

In two stories, one from the Old Testament and one from the Gospels, we see expressions of sin. In the first story there is deceit and greed, in the second – self-righteousness. The woman is declared a sinner, but we don’t know the nature of her sin. By her faith, her trust in God’s grace, she is declared forgiven. But are Ahab and Simon ready to receive forgiveness?  (to continue reading, click here)