June 13, 2010

“Forgiven and Made New”

Psalm 5 read responsively and Luke 7:36-8:3

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ June 13, 2010

Unity Presbyterian Church ~ Terre Haute, Indiana

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

Psalm 5:
The psalm ends with a message of hope but our lectionary excludes verses 9-12, perhaps because the lectionary compilers are cautious about reading the vindictive language of verse 9. When we exclude such words from our reading of scripture, do we run the risk of not hearing the voices of victims of violence? Is not the psalmist just uttering the kinds of things that those who suffer, including us, utter when greatly oppressed? If we listen, we will hear such words, in angry protests from victims all over the world, even in the Gulf of Mexico directed toward BP. The inclusion of such words in the psalms gives us permission to speak what might really be deep within us at times when we suffer greatly. It also gives us permission to pray on behalf of such people who may even express things from which we would recoil. In any case, the psalmist surely guides us in that such deep feelings and responses are best uttered before God, who both knows us deeply and judges all, especially the oppressors, in righteousness and with fairness and understanding. Forgiveness can only come when the pain has been named.


1Give ear to my words, O Lord; give heed to my sighing.
2Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield.

Luke 7:36-8:3
The story of a woman anointing Jesus is told in some form in all four gospels: what were the elements in the original story: tears or oil; Feet or head; Bethany or Galilee; Mary or a local prostitute? The parable Jesus tells in response to Simon’s criticism redirects our attention to what is important, which is to receive the lost with acceptance and love. The result is the lost may end up in ministry with or even to us.

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” 40Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “Speak.” 41“A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” 43Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” 48Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

8 Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

SERMON
The back drop to this dinner at Simon’s home is the hospitality code of the ancient middle east. The environment of the desert and arid land in most of the Middle East is harsh. For a traveler, access to water and food was a matter of life or death. Over time the need to provide for the traveler became a norm for guests in one’s home. When Jesus came in, Simon normally would have offered Jesus water with which to bath his feet or have a slave wash his feet. Simon offered neither. No water for Jesus. And normally, Simon would have offered olive oil to soothe Jesus’ hands and feet, but Simon did not offer him olive oil either. He did not even welcome him with an embrace. Had he invited Jesus to his home just to insult him? We do not know. Although we do know there was conflict brewing between Jesus and the religious leaders. But someone else wanted, even needed to express her welcome and thanks to Jesus – a local prostitute. We do not know why she expressed her love in such an extravagant fashion. Perhaps he had healed her or a family member or friend. In return he gave her the greatest gift of all, forgiveness of her sins. Why would forgiveness be more important than health or life itself? As Paul wrote in Romans, “The wages of sin are death.” Every time we refuse to be forgiven or refuse to give forgiveness, we all die a little inside.

Sometime a person, who has lost a family member because of a crime, is so anger and filled with the desire for revenge, it poisons their entire beings. They are so focus on what they’ve lost, and what they wanted the dead person to be, and do, for them, that they completely miss the opportunity they’ve been given to learn about real love. Instead, they seem to believe that hatred, even to the point of killing, will satisfy their thirst for vengeance and will somehow bring them healing. So, with hardened hearts and stiff lips, they say, “I’ll never forgive.” And the sad thing is that in wishing to send someone to hell they end up sending themselves there as well.

Sometimes our own sins are the ones that close us off from God’s forgiving love. Why would we hold on to destructive and sinful behavior? Lets take a look at this woman who comes to Jesus in thanksgiving and receives the gift of forgiveness. From Simon’s comments we know she was a sinner, possibly a prostitute.

RESOURCES:
Weekly Comments on the Revised Common Lectionary, Theological Hall of the Uniting Church, Melbourne, Australia. By Howard Wallace.
Romans 6:23
Hamama-Raz, Y., Solomon, Z., Cohen, A., & Laufer, A. (2008). PTSD symptoms, forgiveness, and revenge among Israeli Palestinian and Jewish Adolescents. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21, 521–529.