Sermon for the Third Sunday after Pentecost, June 13, 2010
Solemn Mass
By the Reverend Stephen Gerth
Year C: 2 Samuel 11:26–12:10, 13-15; Psalm 32:1-8; Galatians 2:11-21; Luke 7:36-50
 

Luke doesn’t tell us what the woman has done in today’s gospel lesson. But he wants us to know she has been forgiven much and, because she has been forgiven much, she loves Jesus greatly.

Saint Luke is probably at his best when he writes about forgiveness. In Luke, when a single sheep is lost, the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find it,  bring it home, and rejoice with his friends that the one that was lost is found.[1] In Luke, when a father sees his prodigal son returning, the father himself runs to the son, embraces him, kisses him.[2] In Luke, Jesus goes to the house of the tax collector Zacchaeus because Jesus is there “to seek and to save the lost.”[3] Again in today’s gospel, Jesus recognizes a woman’s repentance. He declares her sins are forgiven and says to her that her faith in God has saved her.

What is this faith? My own sense, very briefly, is that in Luke, the evangelist has a certain confidence that God takes our past as it was and helps us grow and live in new ways in the now and in the future.

In Luke’s version of the parable of the sower, some seeds fall on the path, some between rocks, some among thorns, and some on good soil. For him, faith is like the seed that falls on good soil. Luke puts it this way. Faith is found in those who hear “the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.”[4] Luke also works in repentance whenever he can in his gospel.[5] In Luke, new good soil can replace what was there before.

For whatever reason, I get the power of responding to God’s Word, not only in Luke but in Matthew, Mark and John. I believe I hear Jesus himself in Matthew’s gospel when Jesus speaks of the Son of man declaring, “when you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”[6]  I hear Jesus in Mark’s gospel when he says, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God’s.”[7] I hear Jesus when he asks the man born blind whom he has healed, “Do you believe?,”[8] and I know I do.

There are lots of other things I don’t understand about faith, repentance, belief – or in reference to today’s Old Testament lesson, there are a lot of things I don’t understand about power, preference.

Why does King David’s innocent child die instead of David who arranges a murder for the sake of his lust?[9] Why did God love the murderer more than the child?

Why did God like Abel’s offering more than Cain’s?[10] Why does Abraham love Isaac and not Ishmael? Why does God allow Isaac to bless Jacob more than Esau?[11] Why does God’s own son have to die? In the midst of all the wonderful and exquisite joy of life, why is it so hard for us to be human beings?

A lot of sin, even serious sin, is pretty straightforward – lying, cheating, stealing, violence, the evil of murder in all its forms.

At Evening Prayer we have been hearing lessons from Deuteronomy. The primary concern of the Deuteronomist is idolatry – it was problem he saw at the heart of his world. Running through his work also is concern for the poor.[12] Failing to do unto others as we would have others to do us will always be us.

One of the more frightening biblical stories I learned as a young child was the story of Lot’s wife, who was saved from Sodom but disobeyed the angel’s instruction not to look back at the burning city – and she was turned to a pillar of salt.[13]

My own place in the journey is to try to learn as much as I can about my past and at the same time seek to be new in the future. And I think both things are important.

Last week I got an email from a weekday member of the parish community. He and his wife were in Rome. He didn’t send a picture, but he said the Vatican Gift Shop was selling Galileo items. I would not be surprised if they weren’t selling well. But until the Roman Church, for which I have great respect, can find a way to be broadly honest about its past, about Galileo, I don’t think they are going to be able to deal forthrightly with their challenges of our day.

To give equal time to us, there’s an Episcopal parish in Lexington Virginia that changed its name from Grace Church to R.E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church after the Civil War. Will American history ever come to terms with what he did? – and it turns out Lee had slaves beaten cruelly who were caught trying to leave to gain their freedom.[14]

I am looking for opportunites for the future in my relationships with my siblings and my parents. I’m looking for new approaches so that past can be set aside and something new grow.

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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