The Readings
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A hot wind comes from me out of the bare heights in the desert toward my poor people, not to winnow or cleanse-- a wind too strong for that. Now it is I who speak in judgment against them.
"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 lo, it was waste and void;
and to the heavens, and they had no light.
I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking,
and all the hills moved to and fro.
I looked, and lo, there was no one at all,
and all the birds of the air had fled.
I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert,
and all its cities were laid in ruins
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.
For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
Because of this the earth shall mourn,
and the heavens above grow black;
for I have spoken, I have purposed;
I have not relented nor will I turn back.
The Epistle
1 Timothy 1:12-17
I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Gospel
Luke 15:1-10
All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."
So he told them this parable: "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, `Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
"Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, `Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
The Sermon
Lets look first at this reading from
Jeremiah chapter 4. Once again Jeremiah is a purveyor of gloom and
doom. There is no joy in this reading. God tells us things are to
go badly for the Jewish people. God speaking through Jeremiah says,
“I speak in judgement against them, 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.”
He basically says he is going to wreck their world because of their
evil ways.
However, God always leaves the door
open for the Jewish people and for us. At the very beginning of
Chapter Four the Lord says, “If you willl return, O Israel, return
to me. If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no
longer go astray, and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you
swear, as surely as the Lord lives, then the nations will be blessed
by Him and in him they will glory.”
We are not that different from the
people of Israel. We have our own idols. They may not be clay
figures that we pray to. They still can be things that keep us from
a closer relationship with God. Look inside your hearts and find
those things that are a barrier between you and the Lord.
In Paul's letter to Timothy, he
recognizes his evil ways. Paul admits that he was a blasphemer, a
persecutor, and a man of violence. He also recognizes the changes
that Jesus made in his life. He says, Jesus came into this world to
save sinners like himself.
That message still holds true for us
today. Jesus has given us a clear message through the gospels how we
can develop a closer relationship with God. Just like Paul we need
to turn from our own sinful ways and follow his teachings; listen to
his messsage of love.
This reading from Luke is one of my
favorites. I love the quote attributed to the Pharisees, “This
fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” I just want to say,
“Well, duh, of course he does.” Jesus came to this planet to
roll up his sleeves and do the mission he had come here to do. He
knew the world would not change if all he did was hob nob with the
social elite or even those who were already spiritually sound.
His analogy of the lost sheep and the
lost coin still resonate with us today. So, what do we take away
from this Gospel message. Jesus expects us to follow in his path.
He wants us to find the lost sheep in our world and offer to them the
salvation that Jesus has given us. He wants them to have a seat at
the table as well.
Amen
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