03-07-2010

Sermon For 3-7-10

“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you.”

“Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you;”

The core of these questions being asked to Jesus that he repeats back is “Does God punish people in proportion to their sin and offense?” 

And the answer Jesus gives… “No, I tell you”.  Not just once, but twice, and then he tells a parable about it.

So God do not punish people in proportion to how bad we or God thinks their sin is…You know, If it wasn’t Jesus responding “No,” I might have a harder time believing it, but apparently God does not punish people or make people suffer in proportion to how much sin those people have have committed.  God does not make people suffer more, even if they sin more…

But why is this?

Well, for starters, the Bible says the wages for all and any sin is death, but also the Bible says that God is not really invested in punishment as a solution to the world’s problems.  Sure, it works some of the times, but it is not the solution to sin.  Sin is the broken relationship between humans and God, and simply, that relationship is not healed through punishing people.  “No, I tell you”, Jesus tells us, that relationship is restored, renewed and resurrected only by God’s faithful grace…

Well, I encountered a real life test case of this subject, while reading the news this week… The story from the Associated Press begins…

Republican Virginia State Delegate Bob Marshall said at a press conference last week that God is taking “vengeance” on parents who have had abortions by making their other children disabled, according to the News Leader in Central Virginia.
“The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically,” he reportedly said. “Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children.”
“In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord,” he added. “There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest.”
Then, Marshall posted a statement on his Web site distancing himself from the comments.
“… I regret any misimpression my poorly chosen words may have created as to my deep commitment to fighting for these vulnerable children and their families.”

Well, so what can we learn from his poorly chosen words and his then regret.  But more to the point, what do the divinely chosen words of Jesus, have to tell us about how God really deals with human nature and sin.    

 “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you.

Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you;”

And, in fact it is Jesus who directly goes to those who are suffering…

Jesus is the one who goes around to every sinful life, and I do mean every sinful life, including those who think that are doing just fine on their own, and including the troubled, the sick, like the parable’s fig tree.  But then, instead of chopping them down with punishment, instead, Jesus gives his Holy Spirit towards renewing them, re-fertilizing them, resurrecting them for life. 

In fact the very next story that is told in Luke, is about exactly this…It says,

“And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.  When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 

Did you hear that???  She was crippled for eighteen years, not even just three like the fig tree, but does Jesus come and cut her down, “No, I tell you.”  Rather Jesus heals her, allows his Spirit to re-grow and renew her life from the inside out, she finally stands up straight again.

And one might think, well then the religious folks are going to love this, wouldn’t they? 

But the next sentence says, “The leader of the synagogue, (was) indignant because Jesus had cured on the Sabbath.”  Wow, you certainly can’t please them all…

No, neither rules nor punishment, nor even repentance, can fix the major problem created by human sin.  Because sin isn’t so much about actions; rather it is about our relationship with God.  And as it turns out, only God can fix this relationship.

Part of the healing process, Jesus says, includes some repentance, but keep in mind, repentance isn’t the goal, resurrected and renewed life is the goal.  Christians are invited to focus on what God’s good goal is, and not simply, what to do when things go wrong, using God’s healing tools, such as, repentance. 

          But since the time of John the Baptist, Jesus has challenged lives of faith to grow beyond repentance and punishment.

Jesus invites us to trust that God’s plan to fix the world is the right plan.  That Jesus’ goodness in place (instead) of our own sin- is good enough for us all.  God’s offering for sin is good enough for us all; Jesus is saying that this resurrected relationship is not about punishment, it’s about love–God’s love.

Our repentance for sin is great, but it is a mistake if we think it saves the soul.  Our repentance heals the soul, true; however, it does not save the soul, only God can do that.

To save the soul, neither punishment nor repentance, is not enough for sin. 

Only God’s grace is enough for sin.

Believe this.  Believe God has been Good enough for you,

and now… be good with God.

Amen.