Romans 2:3-4 “Showing Respect for God”
When you have done wrong, forgiveness is a very gracious thing. But, forgiveness comes from outside of you, from someone else to you; repentance comes from within you. And, repentance means a change from sin to righteousness. To experience forgiveness, causes and encourages repentance; but, repentance can begin before you experience forgiveness. In human relationships, if you’ve done something wrong, you usually are going to have to change your ways, before the one wronged can begin to forgive. In many ways, I think forgiveness is overrated. What is important is turning from what is wrong towards what is right. If you are really repentant, and someone withholds forgiveness, well, you can’t do anything about that. The most important thing is to be at peace with God, acting righteously before God. We would do better to speak of repentance and reconciliation, and leave off talk of forgiveness for a while. If you really desire reconciliation, you will repent/change towards the good, and you will forgive] The yearning for reconciliation or peace with others motivates us to change towards what is good, and motivates us to set aside disagreements, forgive wrongs done. If you love someone, there is a strong desire towards reconciliation; but, what if someone wrongs you, and you don’ tcare much at all for them? The motivation to forgive must come from somewhere other than your yearning for reconciliation.
Paul has begun this letter to the Romans by explaining that God has made himself known in the things he has made, and that there is some reflection of God in the conscience of every human who has a sense of what is right and what is wrong. But, here in this second chapter, Paul turns towards those who believe in God, those who count on God’s forgiveness. And, he has some pretty sharp things to say.
“Do you think that you will escape judgment when you are doing the very wrongs that you judge others for?” “Or, do you despise the richness of God’s mercy, that is meant to lead you to repentance?”
What Paul is saying here is “you cannot mock God and get a way with it.” And, it is mocking God when you take his forgiveness for granted, and continue in those same sins with no change in your life. Dietrich Bonhoeffer called this “cheap grace” which is taking God’s mercy for granted, and failing to realize how costly that grace really is. Grace that couldn’t overcome sin in the world until Jesus, the Son of God, was put to death, buried, and raised as the first-born of a new creation. The people of Israel knew the One True God; they heard the teaching of the prophets, experienced the liberation from slavery; but, the grace of God could not find a resting place among the people, only a few here and there. When Jesus came, the grace of God shone on the earth, but there was no resting place for the Son of God, because the power of sin was so strong in human beings, that they could not receive the Saviour. They rejected that grace of God that they needed so badly. There was something twisted in human beings, that couldn’t be straightened out, except by that one person, Jesus, who shared the divine and the human experience in his flesh and blood. In him humanity was true, God’s grace found a resting place in Jesus human flesh. And, Jesus leads us in that way on this earth. A way in which God can be honored in human flesh. But, there is a cost on this way. Because, God’s grace does not find a resting place in us until we take up the struggle against sin; until we turn against the sin within and without.
What Paul is saying here is: “if you aren’t really bothered by sin, and if you let sin come and go as it pleases in your life without a fight, then you have no business with God’s forgiveness.” Because when you are open to God, when you receive God’s grace, you are filled with respect for God, and a desire to please God. As Paul says: “Don’t you know that God’s mercy is to bring you to repentance.” If you think you are receiving God’s forgiveness, but you are not turning against your sin, then it may not be God’s forgiveness, but just a cheap substitute, cheap grace, which God has nothing to do with. God’s forgiveness comes with the power of repentance, the power to change. Now, change doesn’t come all at once; it is usually a step at a time – with a stumble or two along the way – but, the change keeps going, the eyes of the heart are fixed upon the glory of God.
False religion is built on cheap grace. And, yes, sometimes that cheap grace is accompanied by a lot of false, sentimental preaching. True religion is built on costly grace. And, James gives a good description when he says: “True religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows and keep yourself unstained by the world.”
And, it takes some effort and some struggle to do those things: care for those in need; remain holy/dedicated to God, not lesser gods. I would like for all of us to come before our Holy God this morning, face God’s holiness, to know God’s power, and to give God the pure praise of our hearts. And, if we can come before God in this way, to truly come with that deep reverence for God’s wisdom and power and goodness, with deep gratitude that we are able to seek God and to live before him. If we can start right here, then the grace we will find will comes as forgiveness, and the power of repentance, the power to overcome sin and become living examples of God’s goodness and grace.
But, don’t think you can tell God what to do, when to do it, and don’t think God is waiting around to serve you and me. God is about his business, and we need to come before God with a concern for God’s business/God’s will, and ask humbly that we could be humble workers in God’s business. When we do that, God’s Spirit begins to move within us and through us. We experience ourselves drawn to love and honesty and life, and we experience that there is little room within us for sins like condemning, lusting, envying, and hating.
Can you rest just a minute in prayer? Can you draw near with me and seek that Holy Presence that created all that is and that sustains all that is? Can you let that reverence/ that deepest respect for God awaken in your heart, and guide you?
Let us pray.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Remembering Mary Magdalene
Mary’s life had been changed when she heard the teaching of Jesus, and came to know the healing of God through Jesus. What had once been a life of torment had become a life of purpose. She had come to understand that Jesus was the Messiah of God. But, there were many around them that didn’t see Jesus the way she did. There were Jewish leaders who thought he was a trouble maker, and there were some Roman leaders that didn’t like prophets who caused hostility among the Jewish people. The Romans were the rulers over the Jews in those days, and they had seen what trouble Jewish religious fanatics could be.
But, Mary knew what these authorities didn’t know. She knew the power of Jesus’ holiness. She knew the purity of his presence, and the cleansing air of his teaching. And, then the day came when Jesus’ days were up, when the soldiers came to arrest him, for some trumped up blasphemy charges. Trumped up by those who were threatened by Jesus truth, the truth of God which exposed the falsehood of man. And, after his arrest, he was given a mockery of a trial, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. There were no appeals from the death sentence, just a painful and lonely walk carrying the instrument of death on your own back. And, Mary followed in grief as her Lord walked to his place of execution. As he walked closer to that dark place of suffering, her hope was crushed, her heart was broken. But, she still followed, right to the place where he was hung on a cross, within earshot of the hammers and so that she heard his cry as he died. The male disciples may have fled, but she didn’t – she couldn’t she held onto her Lord as long as she could, the only way she could, through her grief, sharing his suffering of this humiliation and pain.
And, she watched as Joseph of Arimathea asked for the corpse of Jesus, and buried Jesus in his own tomb. And, she watched as they rolled the great stone against the tomb to seal it. But, then on that third day, early before dawn, she went with the other Mary to show respect and love for her fallen master and teacher and friend. She held on to him in her grief, seeking to anoint his body in the tomb. She was grieving his death in the way of her people. There had been no memorial service, no gathering in his honor, for he was buried after being executed as a criminal. Mary was trying to rescue some semblance of decency from this indecent horror done to her lord.
And, as she came in her grief, and looked towards the tomb, she noticed the stone was rolled away, the tomb was opened, and the body of Jesus was gone. One more cause of upset. Not only had he been disfigured and cruelly killed, now someone had disturbed him even in death and caused an even deeper wound to those who loved him. “Woman, what are you looking for?” They have taken away the body of my lord, and I do not know where they have laid him!!!
Mary had discovered the empty tomb, which caused her a terrible fright and poured salt into the wounds of her heart. She had discovered the depths of her own sorrow and pain, the pain that comes from the loss of those we love, and the loss of our deepest dreams and hopes. There she was. She had discovered a depth of pain and hurt and emptiness that she could never have imagined. That’s exactly where she was – in the valley of the shadow of death.
But, then after seeing the tomb empty, and seeing two angels in white sitting, she began to weep and turned away from the tomb. Then, the angels said: “Woman, why are you crying?” She said: “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Not only had this cruel death ripped her hope and dear master from her, but now she was deprived of the chance to mourn him. She turned from the tomb, and saw a man standing. He said to her: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Mary thought he was the gardener and said, begging: “sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
It was a moment of deepest sorrow, and the deepest expression of love. And, the man turned to her and said: “Mary.” And, she turned immediately to him and cried out: “Rabonni, which means “master.”
She discovered the empty tomb, and the depths of her empty heart, and she continued to love him in her sorrow and grief. And, when she felt all was lost, she heard his voice. She didn’t recognize him with her eyes but with her ears. He didn’t make him self known to her by his appearance but by his Word. “Where you there when they crucified my Lord, where you there when they nailed him to the tree, ,where you there when they laid him in the tomb? “ Mary was. And, I hear Mary sing: “where you there when I saw the empty tomb? Where you there when all my hope was gone?” Where you there when he spoke my name out loud? Where you there when my heart began to live? Where you there when my despair was shaken by hope? Where you there when I began to doubt defeat? Where you there when my shaky faith arose on the troubled soil of sorrow? Where you there when I first believed, but couldn’t quite believe? Where you there when I said: "I believe, help thou my unbelief?" "Where you there when my heart began to sing in the freedom of faith!" Amen.
But, Mary knew what these authorities didn’t know. She knew the power of Jesus’ holiness. She knew the purity of his presence, and the cleansing air of his teaching. And, then the day came when Jesus’ days were up, when the soldiers came to arrest him, for some trumped up blasphemy charges. Trumped up by those who were threatened by Jesus truth, the truth of God which exposed the falsehood of man. And, after his arrest, he was given a mockery of a trial, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. There were no appeals from the death sentence, just a painful and lonely walk carrying the instrument of death on your own back. And, Mary followed in grief as her Lord walked to his place of execution. As he walked closer to that dark place of suffering, her hope was crushed, her heart was broken. But, she still followed, right to the place where he was hung on a cross, within earshot of the hammers and so that she heard his cry as he died. The male disciples may have fled, but she didn’t – she couldn’t she held onto her Lord as long as she could, the only way she could, through her grief, sharing his suffering of this humiliation and pain.
And, she watched as Joseph of Arimathea asked for the corpse of Jesus, and buried Jesus in his own tomb. And, she watched as they rolled the great stone against the tomb to seal it. But, then on that third day, early before dawn, she went with the other Mary to show respect and love for her fallen master and teacher and friend. She held on to him in her grief, seeking to anoint his body in the tomb. She was grieving his death in the way of her people. There had been no memorial service, no gathering in his honor, for he was buried after being executed as a criminal. Mary was trying to rescue some semblance of decency from this indecent horror done to her lord.
And, as she came in her grief, and looked towards the tomb, she noticed the stone was rolled away, the tomb was opened, and the body of Jesus was gone. One more cause of upset. Not only had he been disfigured and cruelly killed, now someone had disturbed him even in death and caused an even deeper wound to those who loved him. “Woman, what are you looking for?” They have taken away the body of my lord, and I do not know where they have laid him!!!
Mary had discovered the empty tomb, which caused her a terrible fright and poured salt into the wounds of her heart. She had discovered the depths of her own sorrow and pain, the pain that comes from the loss of those we love, and the loss of our deepest dreams and hopes. There she was. She had discovered a depth of pain and hurt and emptiness that she could never have imagined. That’s exactly where she was – in the valley of the shadow of death.
But, then after seeing the tomb empty, and seeing two angels in white sitting, she began to weep and turned away from the tomb. Then, the angels said: “Woman, why are you crying?” She said: “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Not only had this cruel death ripped her hope and dear master from her, but now she was deprived of the chance to mourn him. She turned from the tomb, and saw a man standing. He said to her: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Mary thought he was the gardener and said, begging: “sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
It was a moment of deepest sorrow, and the deepest expression of love. And, the man turned to her and said: “Mary.” And, she turned immediately to him and cried out: “Rabonni, which means “master.”
She discovered the empty tomb, and the depths of her empty heart, and she continued to love him in her sorrow and grief. And, when she felt all was lost, she heard his voice. She didn’t recognize him with her eyes but with her ears. He didn’t make him self known to her by his appearance but by his Word. “Where you there when they crucified my Lord, where you there when they nailed him to the tree, ,where you there when they laid him in the tomb? “ Mary was. And, I hear Mary sing: “where you there when I saw the empty tomb? Where you there when all my hope was gone?” Where you there when he spoke my name out loud? Where you there when my heart began to live? Where you there when my despair was shaken by hope? Where you there when I began to doubt defeat? Where you there when my shaky faith arose on the troubled soil of sorrow? Where you there when I first believed, but couldn’t quite believe? Where you there when I said: "I believe, help thou my unbelief?" "Where you there when my heart began to sing in the freedom of faith!" Amen.
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