2nd Sunday after Trinity – Sermon 190
Prayer to start
May the words of my lips and the thought of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
AMEN
Introduction
Well the World Cup is here!
Was it worth waiting for? – was the England Match – the spectacle we hoped for?
If last night’s match didn’t capture your heart – maybe the next one will – or the tennis – with Wimbledon just round the corner
We go through life – with great expectations – from events – from people – from God –
God – too expects great things from us – but all too often – we fall short of His mark –
Our readings – this morning – contain everything from – adultery – murder – deception – sacrifice – love – forgiveness – (a bit like Coronation Street or Eastenders – at the moment)
They show us- that despite our failings – the condition of our heart – is so important to God – that He’s prepared to do – everything He can to keep us –
Point 1 David and his sins
Our OT reading is well known – from a chance walk on the roof of his Palace – David catches a glimpse of – Bathsheba – the wife of one of one his most valiant soldiers – and falls for her – He commits adultery with her – and she becomes pregnant –
David – plots – to kill her husband – and take her for his wife – by sending Uriah to the battlefront – together with a letter – instructing – that he be – placed – in a position where he can’t escape death
When Uriah – is killed – and after – a suitable period – of mourning – just as he planned –Bathsheba becomes his wife – and bears him a son –
Because of his crimes – David’s – heart had been turned away from God – and now God reaches out to him – through Nathan – to help him see the truth about himself –
Nathan tells David a parable – one close to his heart – about a poor man who owned a lamb – and cared for it as if it were a member of his family – until – a rich and powerful man – came along – and used his influence to rob – the man – of the only precious thing he had in the world – just for his own enjoyment –
Nathan’s words struck deep into David’s heart – and he didn’t like what he heard
‘As the Lord lives- the man who did this deserves to die – He shall pay for the Lamb four times over – because he has done this – and shown no pity”
Nathan said to David – “You are that man!”
As so often is the case – we see the splinter in someone else’s eye – but not the plank in our own
There were many times – when David could have stopped the crimes – he was committing – but he didn’t – eventually he became so entangled – in his sin – that it corrupted him – completely
Sin is about – missing God’s mark – God hates sin – so when we sin – the first step towards restoring our fellowship with God – is to repent and accept His judgment –
David – was quick to pass judgment – on the rich man in the parable – but through it – he saw himself – and afterwards – his repentance was complete and genuine –
In this passage we see God – reaching out to David – to forgive and restore –
Because of David’s confession – and plea for mercy- God lifted the words – of judgment – that David – pronounced on the rich man – and applied them to him –
David himself would not die – but his lambs – his sons – would feel the consequences –
Although we don’t always realize it – our sins extend far beyond our own lives – to our family – our friends – and even strangers we’ve never met –
We all try to hide from them – like David – but we only make things worst – when we try to cover them up –
God will eventually – expose – our secrets to us – and their effects on those we touch – And as with David – although life sometimes gets worst before it gets better – we can be assured that God will use the experience – to accomplish his rescue plan for us –
Point 2 Fellowship and Sacrifice
In or NT lesson – we have a another confrontation – this time between Peter and Paul – and it’s Paul reminding Peter of the truth –
Some Jewish Christians – in the Galation Church –wanted the Gentile Christians – to be like them – to follow the Jewish Law – (and be circumcised) – and tried to claim – that unless they did – they wouldn’t be saved –
And Peter was beginning to be swayed by them –
Paul’s response was clear – stop messing with the message – the truth should not be compromised –
Paul reminds us that our salvation is not won by anything we do – we are all justified before God – in the one way – the way of the cross – and it has nothing to do with who we are or what we have done –
We are made right with God –not by our own actions – only by God’s actions –
Paul was speaking from personal experience – he once tried – to win God’s favour – by obeying every rule and regulation –
But eventually through God’s grace – came to realize that it was those same rules and regulations that were keeping him from God –
When Paul gave himself to Jesus – the change in his life – was so great – that the only way he could describe it -was to say – he’d been crucified with Christ – the man he used to be was dead – he’d become a new person – with Jesus Himself – inside him –
The Gospel at its heart – is not about us striving to be like Jesus – but about Jesus working within us – Yes He wants us to become more like Him – so that out lives speak to others – but not with our own efforts – but – from His presence within us – and by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit –
Just as a glove is useless without a hand in it – so we are useless without Jesus inside us – to fill us with His power – to enable us to do all the things He wants us to do –
Margaret Thatcher – tells of a visiting an old people’s home – going from room to room – shaking peoples hands – meeting senior citizens – who had lived there a long time –
One elderly lady who showed no signs of realising whose hand she was shaking – was asked by Mrs Thatcher – ‘Do you know who I am?’ – No dear came the reply back from the lady – but I should ask the nurse if I were you – she usually knows-
As Christians we must all begin again – in Jesus –
We must lose everything including the memory of who we were before – and accept and learn to live in a new identity – with Jesus as our foundation –
Those who have been justified by Jesus – live justly
Those who have been made holy by Jesus – live holy lives –
Those who have experienced Jesus’ love – love others – and those who have experienced Jesus’s forgiveness – forgive others –
which brings us on to our Gospel reading – and the story of Jesus at the house of Simon the Pharisee –
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Point 3 Love and Forgiveness
When we look at a painting what do we look at first? – the colour? – the contrasts? – the light?
Do we come up close – or stand well back? –
Do we look at the people first? – the characters in the scene – Some people focus on one person – the main character –
In our Gospel reading we have one of Luke’s great masterpieces – though several others are mentioned – three characters stand out – Simon the Pharisee – Jesus – and an unnamed woman –
Simon the host – is not completely against Jesus – at least not to start with – he may have – heard rumours – that Jesus is a prophet – and invited him to his house – to see for himself –
the woman is an unwanted guest – doors would remain open in Jesus’ time – allowing beggars or passers by to simply wander in –
She had come to anoint Jesus – as an expression of love – for receiving God’s forgiveness – but when she finds herself before him –
she is overcome – and before she can get to the jar – his feet become wet with her tears –
trying to make things better – she lets down her hair – to dry them – and kisses his feet – which disgusts the other guests and Simon – who thinks she is flaunting with him –
eventually she anoints his feet – and her task is complete –
The party is completed with Jesus – who turns the tables on the Pharisee – when he reacts to the woman’s action –
Its not her but – you- he says you who are guilty of poor hospitality – failing to provide a true welcome – its Simon who should have anointed him – washed his feet – given him a kiss of welcome –
Its not her but you who have failed to appreciate God’s generous love – you can’t even see it – when He sits in person at your table
Its not her but you who should seek forgiveness – her faith has saved her –
In Luke’s painting social convention is thrown out of the window – forgiveness and love set new standards – raise new expectations – people are seen as God sees them
The parable Jesus told – was about being let off a debt – a debt that couldn’t be paid –
What Jesus was saying was that the amount of love we give – is usually dependent on our awareness of the forgiveness we want to receive –
Simon wanted little from God – so he gave little – the woman wanted everything – so she gave everything –
What we need to realize is that – God gives us much more than we can ever know – so like the woman – we all owe much more than we can ever pay –
Conclusions
God who cannot tolerate sin – allowed Himself to be treated as if He had sinned – for our sake – so we can be set free – and He continues to reach out for us today – even when we fail Him –
The heart of the matter – is that if we belong to God – however short we fall – He will continue to give us His Grace -and use us for His Glory –
Have we given our heart to Jesus today?
If we have – then for God – that really would be an event worth waiting for –
Prayer to finish
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
AMEN