13th Sunday after Trinity – Sermon 104

13th February 2011 Off By Derek Buckthorpe

Prayer to start

May the words of my lips and the thoughts of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and honour of our Lord Jesus Christ

AMEN

Introduction 

 

Life is about choices ! – We all have choices to make – where we live – who we share our lives with – what we eat – how we spend our time –

Some are more difficult to make than others –

Some more important than others

In our Gospel reading Jesus reminds us – that – as Christians we will have some – hard choices to make – about our commitment – and our priorities – towards God and each other –

With the help of our readings we are going to look again at the choices on offer and see which ones we should be making

 

Point 1  The choices that we make

“Today I offer you a choice of Life and Good – or death and evil”

when written – like that most of us would have no difficulty in making the right decision –

We all want to live – we all want to be good – at least most of the time –

But if we read on a little further

“Love the Lord your God, obey Him – hold fast to Him – Keep His commandments – statutes and Laws – conform to His ways” –

the words become more difficult –

When it comes to things like obedience – love – commitment – things are never quite so black and white –

We all have other pressures and tensions that try to pull us in a different directions –

Lets look at the example given to us by Paul  

 

Point 2        Choosing Love & forgiveness

 

 

In his beautiful and touching letter – only 335 words long – Paul appeals for the life of his friend – Onesimus – who has become like – a son – to him –

He is a runaway slave and a thief, but his friendship with Paul has helped him become a Christian.

His master is Philemon – who is also a Christian – and the owner of the house in which the local church meet –

Paul knew that his friend’s journey of faith would not be complete until he stopped running away from his past – so he sent him back with this letter – to answer for the crimes he committed.

His letter to Philemon is an appeal to accept him – not as a slave – but as Jesus would accept him – in love and forgiveness – In other words – allow him to begin again – with a clean slate -and continue his work for the Gospel

Here Paul shows Philemon what it means to put Christian values first –

Many people will expected – Philemon to teach him a lesson – probably his house group included –

but Paul gently reminds him that the most important lesson that people need learn is not about their past crimes – but that they can be accepted as full members of the church – and that their sins can be forgiven –

Paul tells us that as disciples – we are here to help win people for Christ – and restore them to a right relationship with God –

‘Welcome him as you welcome me
Forgive him as you forgive me
Hold nothing against him – as you would hold nothing against me just take him back – the way you would welcome me back”

Paul doesn’t pull rank – whatever decision Philemon makes – it must be of his own free will
He even offers to pay for Philemon’s loss

Love and forgiveness can transform lives – it can also bring countless benefits to the forgiver –

Like Onesimus we are all law breakers – debtors to the grace of God – we all have a debt which we cannot pay – Jesus paid our debts once and for all on the cross – it was sufficient for Paul and Philemon – it should be sufficient for Onesimus too

By accepting him back – Philemon will be demonstrating to others – what it means to be a Christian – what it means to put God and others-before himself –

But showing such grace will be costly – God’s grace although free – is never cheap –

He will have to act in a way that will go against tradition – resist the tensions and arguments from his family – and friends – and from other slave owners – he will lose face in the community – and possibly in his church

  

 
Point 3     Choosing God –

 

To be a disciple Jesus tells us that we must put our commitment to Him before anything – or anyone else – even those closest to us –

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, even his own life, he cannot be a disciple of mine”

Here the word “hate” really means “loves less’ or in this case “commit less’

– to be a disciple – of Jesus – He must be first – but that doesn’t mean that our families should be last –

When on holiday – one thing about being the one with the camera – is that you’re never in the picture

If we are not careful – it can happen in life too – we can be so busy doing the Lord’s work – that we never see things from the other side of the lens –

So for Christians – its just as important to spread God’s love and forgiveness into our homes and families – as it is to the neighbours over the fence –

There may be times though – when our commitment to Jesus will bring us into conflict – when faithful living involving growing and stretching – will bring pain on ourselves and on our family life

Friends and neighbours that Jesus grew up with found it difficult to take Him seriously – they rejected Him – people will reject our faith too – even from within our families –

It can be particularly lonely – if we are the only Christian in the house –

Our young people too can be vulnerable – they might be the only one in the class or year – that goes to church – and as a result become a target in the playground

Being a Christian means we will be faced with some hard choices –

Jesus makes no excuses for this – but encourages us to carrying our cross with clear-eyed calculation and commitment –

Many people think Jesus’ command to take up the cross – is the same as bearing the sufferings – and burdens of this world – not true – its not the way we put up with that dodgy back – or those migrane headaches – that measures our commitment to Jesus

Its the way we show – our love – our compassion – forgiveness and – reconciliation – to others – in difficult circumstances –

It’s the way we reach out to our families and others – in His name – knowing that Jesus has come – died and risen – for us – and for them and every friend and stranger we meet –

Christian living involves counting the cost on ourselves and – others and deciding which crosses we will carry – then carrying them to the best of our ability –

one thing we can be sure of – is that the load will never be too heavy for us to bear

One parishioner asked her rector what he thought total commitment meant – holding out a blank piece of paper he said – “sign at the bottom” and let God fill in the rest –

Jesus tells us to examine ourselves to see if our faith is really genuine – test ourselves to see if what we are really doing is what Jesus would do in the same situation – it applies to every aspect of our lives –

It cost Jesus everything – to give us what we don’t deserve – and He asks us to surrender everything in return

As He reminds us in the last verse of our Gospel reading – we need to give up what we can’t keep – in order to gain what we can never lose –  

Conclusion    

 

So are we ready to respond to Jesus’ lead-

The choice is ours – to follow or not to follow –
To carry or not to carry – to live or not to live –
What do you choose?

 

Prayer to finish

In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit

AMEN