Preached at All Saints Chapel on 13 June 2010
Proper 6C
(2 Samuel 11:26-12:15 / Galatians 2:11-21 / Saint Luke 7:36-50)
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Proper 6C
(2 Samuel 11:26-12:15 / Galatians 2:11-21 / Saint Luke 7:36-50)
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
To begin my homily this morning, I want each of you to recall in your mind all the money you owe different folks, be it your mortgage, car payments, credit cards, student loans – every penny you owe to anyone on planet earth. Now… if I paid off your mortgage off, paid off your car payment and all your credit card debts, no questions asked – what would your reaction be? Would you be grateful? Would you be my friend? Would you be willing to help me if I needed help with something? Would you remember my birthday? And what if I told you that if you got into financial trouble again I would write another check, and pay it off – no questions asked. What would your reaction be then? Not only are your original debts paid-off, but all your future debts as well.
I dare say you’d be more than grateful, more than willing to be my friend, more than eager to lend me hand and help me with something, and not a single birthday would pass without some token of respect, love, gratitude and appreciation. I would be honored in your life and in your family forever, because I saved you from bankruptcy, made sure you had a place to live, and secured you future by paying off all your debts, and providing for any future problems you may encounter.
Now… I want each of you to think for just a moment of all the bad things you’ve ever done, all the things you may be ashamed of in your life, all the hateful words you may have said, and all the insensitive attitudes and grudges and spiteful things you’ve done to others. Think for just a moment of all the lies you’ve ever told, the curses you’ve uttered, the stupid arguments and fights you’ve had with loved ones, the commandments you may have broken, the hypocrisy you may have demonstrated, and the impatience and unwillingness to treat others as you want to be treated. Think of all the selfish acts, the self-righteous attitudes, the intolerance for others, and even the indifference you may have shown towards God, his Word, and his Church.
Now… ask yourself, if you had to pay $10 a piece for everything on this list, how much would you owe? Ten dollars for every curse, every argument, every lie, every immoral act, every indecent word, every vengeful and hateful act, every commandment you’ve broken, every stupid and shameful thing you’ve ever said, thought, or done – how much would you owe? The total amount due would be pretty staggering, wouldn’t it? If it were due today… could you pay it? There’s no federal bailout money to help you; and no family or friends to help you either – because they all have to pay too. You are on your own with this huge debt. AND unless you pay it, you will be judged and locked up for the rest of your life and then some? What would you do? What could you do?
Now… listen to these words: “If we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness.” We often say these words during the Mass as we prepare to confess our sins, but these words are more than just a preparatory phrase for some formal act during worship; but rather, they demonstrate the very heart of God’s grace, God’s love, God’s generosity, and God’s willingness to forgive us – not of just the small things – but of EVERYTHING!
For those of us who claim Christ as Savior, these words mean that God has forgiven all those bad things you were just thinking about that you have done in your life. God has erased all that you would owe if you had to pay $10 for every one of those things on your list. In his goodness, in his generosity, in his compassion, in his mercy, God has declared your account “Paid in Full” because Jesus, by his death and resurrection has paid your account himself. That’s pretty staggering too, isn’t it?
Yet, despite all that God has forgiveness us, we sometimes fail to demonstrate same attitude and same gratitude towards God that we would show towards someone who paid off our mortgage, cars, and credit cards? Understanding just how much God has forgiven us, how much God does for us, how much God provides for us, and how much God is willing to keep doing for us, why do often fail – or refuse – to honor him, and do the precious little he asks in return? Why too, do we often fail to demonstrate this life of forgiveness and grace by refusing to forgive others and extend to them the same level of understanding, patience, and generosity that Christ is trying to communicate to us through what we have read this morning in the Gospel lesson?
Oftentimes, our approach to God and his expectations of us are met with scorn, indifference, flat out refusal, and excuses. Oftentimes when presented with opportunities to serve God and demonstrate our gratitude, our faithfulness, our joy and our love for God by serving him, we grumble or complain.
The one thing about Christianity that distinguishes it from so many other religions is that while there is indeed judgment and punishment for our misdeeds and refusal to obey and comply with God, our faith, and our level of obedience and service and commitment is supposed to be motivated – not by fear – but rather by love and by a sincere, overwhelming sense of gratitude to God for canceling our debts, forgiving our sins, providing for our needs, and assuring us of everlasting life.
Much more can be accomplished with love, gratitude, and enthusiasm as the motivators, than could ever be done through fear and guilt.
The women in the Gospel lesson today did what she did – not out of fear or selfishness – but out of gratitude, humility, and love for Jesus. The Pharisee was motivated by pride, ambition, selfishness, and what others might think of him.
Let me ask you – what is your motivation for doing, serving, giving, and living for Jesus? This is NOT a sermon about giving - as I don't preach on giving. This is a sermon on the Heart. And the question we need to address is this: Is your motivation a genuine and sincere and overwhelming gratitude and love that realizes that IF you had to pay, you couldn’t and that Jesus could and DID?
What motivates your attendance, your giving, your level of participation and service in and through Church? Is it fear – the fear of judgment, the fear of what others might say or think about you? Are you motivated by duty, obligation, pride, ambition or even selfishness? Maybe you lack any real motivation and are just going through the motions.
God has done so much for us. He has forgiven of so much. Shouldn’t we then demonstrate just how grateful we are, and make the decision that we are going to do, serve, give, and live in such a way that honors Christ and recognizes all that God has done and is doing for us?
Today, let these lessons touch your heart, and show you where you might be lacking, where you need to improve, where you need to make some changes – both in your attitude and gratitude towards God and even in your attitude towards others. Let your motivation be love; and in so doing, you will be putting in practice in a practical way the Great Commandments – to love God with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength; and to love others as much as you love yourself.
This is the key to joyful, grateful, exciting Christianity. Amen.
I dare say you’d be more than grateful, more than willing to be my friend, more than eager to lend me hand and help me with something, and not a single birthday would pass without some token of respect, love, gratitude and appreciation. I would be honored in your life and in your family forever, because I saved you from bankruptcy, made sure you had a place to live, and secured you future by paying off all your debts, and providing for any future problems you may encounter.
Now… I want each of you to think for just a moment of all the bad things you’ve ever done, all the things you may be ashamed of in your life, all the hateful words you may have said, and all the insensitive attitudes and grudges and spiteful things you’ve done to others. Think for just a moment of all the lies you’ve ever told, the curses you’ve uttered, the stupid arguments and fights you’ve had with loved ones, the commandments you may have broken, the hypocrisy you may have demonstrated, and the impatience and unwillingness to treat others as you want to be treated. Think of all the selfish acts, the self-righteous attitudes, the intolerance for others, and even the indifference you may have shown towards God, his Word, and his Church.
Now… ask yourself, if you had to pay $10 a piece for everything on this list, how much would you owe? Ten dollars for every curse, every argument, every lie, every immoral act, every indecent word, every vengeful and hateful act, every commandment you’ve broken, every stupid and shameful thing you’ve ever said, thought, or done – how much would you owe? The total amount due would be pretty staggering, wouldn’t it? If it were due today… could you pay it? There’s no federal bailout money to help you; and no family or friends to help you either – because they all have to pay too. You are on your own with this huge debt. AND unless you pay it, you will be judged and locked up for the rest of your life and then some? What would you do? What could you do?
Now… listen to these words: “If we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness.” We often say these words during the Mass as we prepare to confess our sins, but these words are more than just a preparatory phrase for some formal act during worship; but rather, they demonstrate the very heart of God’s grace, God’s love, God’s generosity, and God’s willingness to forgive us – not of just the small things – but of EVERYTHING!
For those of us who claim Christ as Savior, these words mean that God has forgiven all those bad things you were just thinking about that you have done in your life. God has erased all that you would owe if you had to pay $10 for every one of those things on your list. In his goodness, in his generosity, in his compassion, in his mercy, God has declared your account “Paid in Full” because Jesus, by his death and resurrection has paid your account himself. That’s pretty staggering too, isn’t it?
Yet, despite all that God has forgiveness us, we sometimes fail to demonstrate same attitude and same gratitude towards God that we would show towards someone who paid off our mortgage, cars, and credit cards? Understanding just how much God has forgiven us, how much God does for us, how much God provides for us, and how much God is willing to keep doing for us, why do often fail – or refuse – to honor him, and do the precious little he asks in return? Why too, do we often fail to demonstrate this life of forgiveness and grace by refusing to forgive others and extend to them the same level of understanding, patience, and generosity that Christ is trying to communicate to us through what we have read this morning in the Gospel lesson?
Oftentimes, our approach to God and his expectations of us are met with scorn, indifference, flat out refusal, and excuses. Oftentimes when presented with opportunities to serve God and demonstrate our gratitude, our faithfulness, our joy and our love for God by serving him, we grumble or complain.
The one thing about Christianity that distinguishes it from so many other religions is that while there is indeed judgment and punishment for our misdeeds and refusal to obey and comply with God, our faith, and our level of obedience and service and commitment is supposed to be motivated – not by fear – but rather by love and by a sincere, overwhelming sense of gratitude to God for canceling our debts, forgiving our sins, providing for our needs, and assuring us of everlasting life.
Much more can be accomplished with love, gratitude, and enthusiasm as the motivators, than could ever be done through fear and guilt.
The women in the Gospel lesson today did what she did – not out of fear or selfishness – but out of gratitude, humility, and love for Jesus. The Pharisee was motivated by pride, ambition, selfishness, and what others might think of him.
Let me ask you – what is your motivation for doing, serving, giving, and living for Jesus? This is NOT a sermon about giving - as I don't preach on giving. This is a sermon on the Heart. And the question we need to address is this: Is your motivation a genuine and sincere and overwhelming gratitude and love that realizes that IF you had to pay, you couldn’t and that Jesus could and DID?
What motivates your attendance, your giving, your level of participation and service in and through Church? Is it fear – the fear of judgment, the fear of what others might say or think about you? Are you motivated by duty, obligation, pride, ambition or even selfishness? Maybe you lack any real motivation and are just going through the motions.
God has done so much for us. He has forgiven of so much. Shouldn’t we then demonstrate just how grateful we are, and make the decision that we are going to do, serve, give, and live in such a way that honors Christ and recognizes all that God has done and is doing for us?
Today, let these lessons touch your heart, and show you where you might be lacking, where you need to improve, where you need to make some changes – both in your attitude and gratitude towards God and even in your attitude towards others. Let your motivation be love; and in so doing, you will be putting in practice in a practical way the Great Commandments – to love God with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength; and to love others as much as you love yourself.
This is the key to joyful, grateful, exciting Christianity. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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