2025 09 14 Proper 19 C
Jeremiah 4.11-12, 22-28 Psalm 14 1 Timothy 1.1-2, 12-19a Luke 15.1-10
Sometimes the scriptures we
read are baffling. Today we have this
warning about a hot wind that comes to destroy; a wind of judgment. Then we have our Gospel reading that speaks
of God’s mercy. That stark difference will
always seem baffling unless we ask God to send His Holy Spirit to show us what
he is wanting to say to us today, through the stories and experiences of the
chosen people of long ago.
There is a word that jumped
out at me in the reading from Jeremiah.
In primary school settings that word would have children coming up to
tell the teacher, “So and So said the S word”.
Children often think that the word “Stupid” is a bad word… well it sure
isn’t nice – especially if it is being said about you!
“"For my people are
foolish; they do not know me; they are stupid children; they have no
understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do
good." I looked on the earth, and
it was complete chaos, and to the heavens, and they had no light.”
Is this a description of
long ago? Or is it a description of our
world today? God, who created each human
being, who delighted over each one as they were formed in their mother’s womb, and
rejoiced at their birth – and ours… looks at what these children have done with
their free will. There are wars…. There
is corruption. There is manipulation. there is an abuse of power. There is a grabbing to take ownership. To
have stuff… jealousy and factions. Has
the world ever been so polarized over issues?
God says, “I looked on the earth, and it was complete chaos…” WHERE IS THERE HOPE?
In our readings, though
painting a grim picture, we do find there is hope. Psalm 14 verses 5 & 6 tells us; “…..
God is with the company of the righteous. You would confound the plans of the poor, but
the LORD is their refuge.”
There is good news; God is
with the righteous! But who are
they? The Bible tells us that none is righteous,
and we see in our readings that God looked at His people – HIS HOLY PEOPLE, and
found chaos. Ouch… here is a warning for
us!
Our Psalm tells us that God
looked at humanity and found that all had gone astray and none do good. All have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God. The New Testament book of Romans
3:10- reiterates this as it says, ““None is righteous, no, not one; no one
understands; no one seeks for God. All
have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not
even one.” This verse is part of the
prelude to the famous passage about faith and it goes on to explain that we can
only be righteous through our faith and connection to Jesus. Then, we have the righteousness of Jesus – it
is never self-righteousness.
Righteousness is about being “right” in the eyes of God – and none of
us, in our own efforts can be blameless and right in his eyes….
…But God knew this and made
a way for us. When we rely on God and trust
in the sacrifice of Jesus to unite us to God, we become people of faith and we
become those considered by God to be righteous.
And now we can breathe a
little easy – because this is us. This
is the good news. It isn’t our good
deeds or who we are or what family we are born into that make us “Righteous” or
“right” before God, but we become righteous through only the sacrifice of Jesus
and our faith in God.
There is always a warning to
take to heart. Even the chosen people of
God, who experienced miracles of extreme proportions, still became “stupid
children”. They took for granted that
they belonged to God, and they relied on the sacrifices they made instead of having
faith in God and walking in relationship with him. But how can we continue to have faith in God
and ensure we don’t make this same mistake as those ancient chosen people?
In our reading from St. Paul
to Timothy, we find that St. Paul was once one of those “Stupid Children”. He explains it this way, “….. though I
was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy
because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.”
Now, St. Paul was a zealous, God-fearing Jew, but he was a persecutor of
the church because he didn’t understand the heart of God.
God dramatically revealed
himself to St. Paul, and suddenly Paul could see the truth – suddenly he
understood the heart of God. Jesus
was the key…. When Paul persecuted the Christians, God showed Paul, that he
was actually persecuting Jesus. There is
a connection. St. Paul understood that
Christ was united to the Christian.
This event taught him what he would later teach others about the body of
Christ. … We are the body of Christ,
because the Holy Spirit of Jesus dwells in us.
Jesus was born to bring
sinners back to God. Jesus is the Lamb
of God. Jesus was born to be the
ultimate sacrifice such that no other sacrifice would ever need
to be made. BUT we do need to constantly
remember and constantly rely on that sacrifice, remembering that we are
righteous in God, only because of Jesus.
Saint Paul tells us; “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 immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and
receive eternal life.”
God’s amazing love is a
message the world needs to know. We need
to proclaim it and make it known to those “Out There”. But, it is a vital message for us here. It isn’t just people “out there” who “get it
wrong” – or who are sinners…. But we too, as long as we are clothed in human
flesh, just as easily can get it wrong or go astray, and we need to constantly
remember that Jesus came to save sinners.
Jesus didn’t leave 99 sheep of his flock to look for a sheep who didn’t
already belong to him. He was looking
for his own sheep who had gone astray. We
are never too far gone, or too far away from His love. Such is the mercy of God. May we always remember that we are so loved,
he will always look for us and ever call us back – we will never be too far
from his love. There is one sacrifice
for sin and that sacrifice covers all sin, past, present and future.
I think this is best
illustrated by this song, written when I thought that God would reject me, but as
I said to God, “you must hate me”, I was instead, immediately flooded by an
incredible sense of His unconditional love…..
YOU CAME FOR ME – By Niki Power copyright 2002
So deep within my heart
There's a burning desire
To be the girl you want me to be
So pure and so good,
Oh, if I only could...
I'm so grateful that you love the girl you see.
And I thank you that you
came to heal the hurting
For the sick, possessed, and
show eternity
But I thank you most that
you came for the sinner
And that means most that you
came for me.
I've run away from truth
And the knowledge within me
To follow what my foolish heart would care.
I've struggled inside
That can not be denied
I'm so grateful that I know you were always there..
And I thank you that you
came to heal the hurting
For the sick, possessed, and
show eternity
But I thank you most that
you came for the sinner
And that means most that you
came :|| for me.
