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Saturday, August 10, 2024

Justice in the making


Sermon for the eleventh Sunday after Trinity

You see the difference 
very clearly.

The Pharisee 
parades his deeds.

The Publican 
admits his need 
for forgiveness.

The Pharisee 
is humbled
by the justification 
of the Publican.

But what does this mean?

What does it mean
to be justified?

[PAUSE]

Too often
we think of things
in terms of Law:
guilt and innocence,
convicted and acquitted,
condemned and redeemed.

The trouble is,
with human justice,
it doesn't go very far.

If a man kills a little girl,
he goes to gaol,
but the consequences 
of that act continue.

The law cannot free that man
from his crime.

Even if the girl's parents 
forgive him
that death will always 
be with him.

This is true,
even of St Paul
who, as Saul,
is complicit in
the murder of St Stephen 
and the persecution 
of the first Christians.

Yet, we are all very ready
to put St Paul's sins aside
in favour of recognising 
his life's work 
building up the Church 
spreading the Gospel 
and giving up his freedom
and his life 
for the love of God.

But all this 
does not change the fact
that St Stephen is dead
and the persecution has happened.

[PAUSE]

This is where we
begin to see what 
"justified by faith" means.

If justification were 
just God banging a gavel
and saying to St Paul 
or to the man who killed
the little girl,
"I declare you innocent!" 
we know something would be wrong.

Even if the killer 
were honestly,
completely 
and utterly sorry,
for God to say,
"you are now innocent"
seems a gross affront
to the girl
and those who nourn her.

And if God says,
"I declare that my Son 
is guilty and not you"
is even worse.

For then God 
punishes the innocent 
for the sake of the guilty
even if the innocent 
is God Himself.

To think of justification 
only in terms
of law, crime, punishment 
and acquittal
renders it empty
of any power
to deal with evil.

There is something more.

[PAUSE]

All a judge can do,
is say, "you're innocent."

With God,
things are different.

God can say,
"Let there be light!"
and there is light.

God can say,
"Be thou clean!"
and you are clean.

God's words
create things,
restore things,
make things real
give things substance.

God's words 
can make a person innocent.

Don't ask how 
because we can't 
see that happening 
except in glimpses.

We catch a glimpse 
with St Paul
because,
somehow,
we can set aside St Paul's 
persecution of the Church
in the light of his conversion.

Somehow,
beyond our understanding 
and limitation 
of human justice,
St Paul is made right
and those he harmed
are in glory with God
in exquisite joy,
missing nothing 
filled with grace
and love.

What God gives 
to justify a human being
is Himself,
for if to justify something
makes that thing good,
then God must be present
because God is what it means
to be good.

It is the presence of God
that heals the wounds of sin
because sin is separation 
from God.

St Paul's faith
is the first point
of his justification
and through his works
he continues to grow
in justification 
because he brings more
people to God.

Justification is about
growing a greater awareness 
of God's goodness 
in our lives
and bringing Him 
into the injustices in the world.

[PAUSE]

The Pharisee 
justifies himself 
and keeps God out of the situation.

The Publican 
acknowledges
the need for God
and invites Him in
by pleading for mercy.

He knows he has a need
for God.

And so God provides 
the Publican 
with righteousness
in order to live
a better life.

St James says that
we cannot have faith 
without doing good works.

We need to work 
at our faith 
by exercising our choice
to do good things
and avoid sin.

To do good things is
how we repent
by turning away from the bad.

We see the Publican
begin his journey 
of repentance anew
and receiving the healing
of his life that he needs
in order to grow closer 
to God.

This is our faith, too,
and, by recognising the need
for God's healing
and asking for His mercy
we shall be made right with Him
and all the evil we do
will be undone by Him
for the salvation of all who love Him.

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