Saturday, June 15, 2024

A Compass for Heroes



Sermon for the third Sunday after Trinity

It sounds rather rough 
on the ninety nine sheep who stay.

No one rejoices over them.

The lost sheep 
is the subject of much joy
more than the others that stay.

The lost coin
is the subject of much joy
more than the others
that remain in the purse.

The Prodigal Son
is the subject of much joy
more than his elder brother
who stays and looks after the father.

There is more joy in Heaven
over the one who repents
than the ninety nine 
who need no repentance.

That makes the ninety nine
seem undervalued 
and forgotten.

It seems that
Our Lord values
sinners and tax collectors 
more than those who try to 
hold fast to the religion
that they have always received.

It seems that Our Lord's love
is not unconditional.

It seems that Our Lord 
likes those who need help
as if to satisfy His own need
to be seen as their saviour,.

Our Lord has a hero-complex!

[PAUSE]

If that were true
then Our Lord would be
no better than 
the Scribes and Pharisees.

His actions would be 
all for show.

We know that this can't be the case.

The miracles
are signs that Our Lord 
is not delusional.

His Resurrection is a sign
that His testimony is true.

His Ascension is proof
that He has no hero-complex:
he is greater than any hero.

If Our Lord loves
sinners more than Pharisees 
then what's gone wrong?

[PAUSE]

Who said that Our Lord 
loves sinners more than Pharisees?

That's an assumption 
that we make when we think 
that what our Lord says
means some people
are more valuable than others.

Listen to what He says.

"Joy shall be in Heaven 
over one sinner that repenteth,
more than over 
ninety and nine just persons,
which need no repentance."

The key is what 
we understand by repentance.

[PAUSE]

We know this already.

Repentance means
to turn to the Lord.

Like the needle of a magnet
always points north,
so do we return to Christ
after our deviation into sin.

To repent means to realign ourselves 
to Christ.

This means that
if we need no repentance,
then we must already be 
aligned to Christ.

If we need no repentance 
then what matters more 
to us is not whether we are valued
but whether we value what 
Jesus values.

If He rejoices 
over a sinner's repentance
then the righteous 
will also rejoice!

It is the hearts' joy
of the ninety and nine
to see the smile on the Lord's face
as He runs out to meet
the Prodigal Son,
as He carries back the lost sheep
on His shoulder,
as He brandishes aloft
the lost piece of silver.

It isn't that He values
the Scribes and Pharisees less
than a repentant sinner.

He loves them just as much
but He waits for them
to turn to Him 
and believe in Him
and receive Him as He is.

[PAUSE]

We know ourselves 
to be sinners.

We spend our lives
struggling against 
the sins in our lives,
falling, repenting,
falling, repenting...

Yet our struggle 
is always met with joy
because the very fact 
that we struggle with sin
is a sign that we are struggling 
to turn to Christ.

And Jesus sees that struggle
and knows that you are struggling 
for Him
and that is a sign of your love 
for Him
even if it is far from perfect.

And that makes Him rejoice.
And that makes the angels in Heaven 
rejoice.
And that makes the ninety and nine
rejoice.

[PAUSE]

Of course there is more joy
in Heaven 
when you repent of your sins.

It's because you are of more worth
than a universe filled
with silver pieces.

Because you are worth
the Cross.

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