Aren’t We All?

Luke 7:36-50
"If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him - that she is a sinner" (Luke 7:39). According to Luke’s gospel this is what Jesus’ host was thinking to himself as a certain woman of the city tended to Jesus during dinner. Jesus, of course, knew the thoughts of his host and responded with a parable about forgiveness. But both Luke and the Pharisee of Luke’s story refer to the woman as “a sinner.” Aren’t we all sinners? Couldn’t this be said of anyone who touched Jesus?

Luke and the Pharisee in the account are using the term “sinner” in a very particular way. Whatever this woman was known for—prostitution?—it was significant enough to set her apart from the rest of her community, like the large “A” that Hester Prynne is forced to wear in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. That much is never questioned in Luke’s story. The woman tending to Jesus is guilty of something that her society does not accept as appropriate. Yet, in reflecting the grace of God Jesus is willing to offer forgiveness to this particular woman anyway, to claim her as one of God’s children, and to lift up her actions as commendable compared to the sparse hospitality shown Jesus by his host.

The point seems clear. We may wish to judge one another, to point out the faults of those around us, to call others to account for their misdeeds, but if Jesus was willing to forgive a woman of her sin—a woman who was without question guilty—then perhaps we should not be in too big a hurry to condemn or judge others. Jesus will always have the final word anyway, and in grace that final word may come as a real surprise to us.

Prayer: Lord, may we who have been forgiven by you, find ways by which to forgive one another. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It’s Not All Up To Me

Luke 18:9-14

One of my earliest sermons–written for my intro to preaching and worship class in seminary–was based on today’s passage from Luke. It was one of the more wretched sermons I’ve ever preached. At the time, of course, I was actually proud of the effort but I had a great deal to learn and fortunately my preaching has improved over the years.

Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 18:14). Jesus was condemning the self-righteousness of the Pharisee and offering assurance to those who, like the tax collector, come to God with humility. This is a powerful reminder of God’s concern for the least and the lost, but it points as well to the fact that we don’t always know what we are capable of. As a preacher I am often amazed at the response I get from folks following worship. It seems that when I’ve preached what I thought to be a solid–if not profound–sermon there is little comment. But when I’ve preached a sermon that I did not feel particularly good about, one that could have been so much better in my opinion, I’ve gotten sincere thanks from people who found meaning and hope in my words. Go figure.

The truth is that it’s not all up to me. I have a role to play in the life of the church but it is only by the grace of God that my words or actions make a difference. Like all of us I should do my best to God’s glory but beyond that I can only trust God to accomplish the divine purpose. It may be that my “wretched sermons” are the ones that touch lives while the ones that I feel proudest of are far less meaningful for community of faith. If that is true, so be it. The last thing any of us need to do is to exalt ourselves before the Creator. We need to leave our egos out of the equation and pray that the Holy Spirit will work through us. Humility really is far more pleasing to the Lord.

Prayer: O Lord, help us to serve you with humility and to put our faith in you alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

NOTE: Beginning on February 25, I will be including blog posts each Saturday written by "guest bloggers" who will offer their insights on the readings for that particular day. I deeply appreciate the willingness of these folks to share their time and talents with us. Be sure to stop by on upcoming Saturdays to see what they have to say.