Reflection 12 September 2010

Year C Proper 19 12 September 2010
Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28 Psalm 14 1 Timothy 1: 12-17 Luke 15: 1-10

“Turn the beat around.... I love to hear percussion... turn it upside down... got to have percussion.”

The sermon that we heard last week from Fr. Don Ford contained the message that we are to be the salt of the earth preserving the goodness in life. It reminds me of the song I’ve quoted, “Turn the beat around”, as our purpose as Christians, is to be directly opposite the direction that the world seems to be going in.

Jeremiah 4:11-12 tells us: “At that time this people and Jerusalem will be told, "A scorching wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward my people, but not to winnow or cleanse; a wind too strong for that comes from me. Now I pronounce my judgments against them."
The message of Jeremiah came to the people and to Jerusalem. Who are these people that God is warning?

Throughout the readings we find the messages from God are both for his people and those who harm his people. It was written in an ancient time and for that particular situation and time, but it has been handed down to us for a reason. We can be sure that if God was upset with his people in the time of Jeremiah then he has the potential to be upset with us if we fall into the same ways.

Jeremiah 4:22 tells us God judgment of His people in these words: "My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good."
The Psalmist also tells the same in Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

Two aspects define the people that God pronounces judgment on, one is that they do not know or believe in God and they do not do good. We don’t have to look very far to see that we live in a world where most don’t believe in God, and on the whole there is a lot of corruption and evil. But what is most upsetting is that God is speaking to His people.

There are people who are saying “there is no God” and God is grieving because he calls them His people.

Psalm 14:3 “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

We know that all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Yes... every single one of us. When God says that there is not one who does good he really does mean it and he is looking with a much greater vision than our own.

Once upon a time it was a given that we were all sinners, but now it is not “politically correct” to indicate any such thing. And so what happens is that we now have a generation of “good” people who think everyone else is “evil”. Citizens who live by a new set of standards, thinking that they are “tolerant”, “progressive” and showing God’s grace, but unaware that they have just swapped one set of rules for another.

When we examine our lives and attitudes we don’t have to look too long and hard to discover that we are not as “good” as we’d like everyone else to think we are. This could be a drastic situation, but it is in fact a relief to know that I don’t have to struggle and strive to be “as good as the Jones’s”, or struggle and strive to be good enough to make God’s grade.... I don’t make the grade – but neither does anyone else who has ever walked this earth – bar one. Jesus!

1Timothy 1:15,16 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”

This little reminder from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy reminds me of the story behind the hymn Amazing Grace. Penned by the one time slave trader, John Newton, the songwriter knew well what it meant to be the worst of sinners and saved by God’s amazing grace, but do we have the same understanding of forgiveness and renewal or are we like the inspector, Javert, from Les Miserables, who believed that a person could no sooner change as a leopard change its spots.

We are sinners who live in a world of sinners, but some of us have been redeemed. God’s warning still stands for those who do not turn to him. Does this concern us? It should, because it grieves God.

Our Gospel reading is about the lost sheep and the lost coin. It explains to us how there is much rejoicing in Heaven over the sinner who repents. I want to turn this “upside down” and ask you to imagine that you are that lost sheep. How do you imagine it feels to be a lost sheep? Frightened, distraught and striving to find “home”, but with no ability to do so.
Then imagine that God finds and rescues you! Ah, yes.... some of us are remembering.....

My point is that God cares for a world that we, the Church, seem to have grown weary of trying to reach. There, but for the grace of God, go you and I, distraught and lost sheep – who are most likely putting on a brave face and pretending that they like being lost.... and maybe some are too stupid to realize that they are lost and may even have hurt us – but God is grieving.

Jesus brings us salvation and it becomes a done deal, but as we live this life we are on a journey to become the people that God purposed us to be. Sometimes in that journey even the saved and found sheep of God’s fold can wander. We can lose sight of our shepherd and become panicked, thinking that we are lost – though we really are not. This is a situation when we the Church need to be there for each other. We need to support, encourage and remind each other of who and what we are in Christ. When someone can’t see the face of Christ, we need to let them know that He is still there.

We walk to the beat of a different drum from that of the secular world. Where the secular world proclaims popular lies, we must proclaim the truth. The world will say that everyone is good (unless you are a criminal) and has no need of God. We proclaim the truth that we are all sinners who need God and he has provided the sacrifice to save us (and criminals).

Are we seeking the lost for Christ and proclaiming the good news? Are we supporting and encouraging each other in our Christian journey? We must ensure that there is mercy and forgiveness in our dealings with each other, because this is what God has shown us, and as His body on Earth, we follow the example that Jesus set when he welcomed sinners.