Lent A Season of Repentance. Luke 18:9-14 with Pastor Barry Kerner
Lent A Season of Repentance.
Luke 18:9-14
Pastor Barry Kerner
We disciples of Jesus are celebrating our communal Lenten pilgrimage, a 40 day spiritual journey that will hopefully enable us to better appreciate and celebrate the life giving death and eternal resurrection of our Lord and Savior, the very feast of our salvation. These forty days of Lent should be both a grace filled periods of self discovery as well as a spiritual journey that will enhance our relationship with the Jesus Christ. The evangelical call of the Lenten season is very simple: recognize our sinfulness repent and believe the good news.
This period of preparation for the feast of our salvation should be a time of humility, sincere repentance, and conversion. Saints and scholars throughout the centuries have emphasized that humility is the portal to holiness. Humility should not be too challenging for us here at Delphi Falls United Church. Let me explain that statement. I am so grateful to be part of this fellowship for so many different reasons. One reason is that this particular gathering of believers is a very clear reminder that God in his infinite wisdom chooses Who He wills to carry out His Mysterious plan of salvation. Any study of salvation history will clearly illustrate that God has persistently used eccentric characters with a wide variety of personality quirks, idiosyncrasies and moral blemishes to carry out His divine will. We in this sacred congregation certainly are no exceptions.
Every disciple of Jesus Christ must remain cognizant of the undeniable fact that whatever proficiency, experience or charisma we possess is an unmerited gift from our gracious God. The words of Paul should resonate in the ears, hearts and minds of every disciple. What do we have that we have not received? 1 Corinthians 4:7 asks us “For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?”
During this season of lent as well as every day of our life we must be perpetually aware of the simple reality that we are nothing and the Savior is everything In this age of entitlement where self fulfillment and self actualization has been deified, such an insight may be very challenging to accept, process or internalize but it is nonetheless an undeniable reality.
We are all invited to develop a childlike recognition of our utter nothingness and our total dependence upon the Father of Mercies. Experience has clearly demonstrated that when our blessed Redeemer perceives us as integrally convinced of our nothingness, He takes us into his arms so that we can become strong and secure in his tender and compassionate embrace. It is my firm conviction that all of who bear the precious name of Christian must seek the grace to imitate our savior Jesus Christ. We must use all of our God given resources, capabilities and charisma so that the status and message of the One Who Set Us Free will increase while our sense of importance and need for self- fulfillment will diminish.
Now some of the wisest and most spiritual individuals I know are those who work a 12 step recovery program. I have come to realize that these programs are for those who actually want what they have to offer and not for those who simply need it. If it was for those who needed recovery, they would have to hold their meetings in stadiums and not the basement of churches. An integral part of this program is that those who are seeking recovery are required to consistently take a moral self inventory which will reinforce their awareness of their ongoing need for recovery, fellowship and abstinence.
We Christians must also conduct frequent realistic moral self-inventory. 2 Corinthians 13:5 tells us, Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test? An authentic self examination will enable one to recognize those capabilities, personality attributes and life experiences that can be utilized to invite others to Jesus. Once these gifts have been identified than he must give thanks for them and than seek the grace that will enable us to enhance those particular assets. However, we must also have the courage to identify those shortcomings, flaws and personal issues that have the potential to alienate others from Him who is their one and only hope for eternal salvation. Once we ascertain the identity of these problematic behaviors and attitudes than we must seek the guidance and grace to monitor and eradicate them from our lives.
The healthy and mature disciple of Jesus Christ will have a realistic self- image. He knows that on his most altruistic, orthodox and compliant day he remains a sinner with a desperate need of the Savior’s guidance and grace. All Christians have a perpetual need for community, ministry and reconciliation. Once a disciple denies that he is a sinner, he ignores his need for a savior.
During this season of lent, let us make a special effort to examine our life on a daily basis. Are you walking the walk with the One who has redeemed you? Have you sought His grace today that will enable you to follow his example and gospel of love, forgiveness and justice? Have you disappointed your loving Father? Have you ignored the invitation of the Savior to imitate Him? Have you turned your back on the sanctifying and convicting voice of the Spirit? Socrates once said that the unexamined life is not worth living. This philosophical pearl of wisdom is also applicable to us disciples of the Jesus Christ. Today examine your life. Now I know that the temptation to monitor the behaviors, sins and weaknesses of our siblings is always a great temptation. But do not worry about others. Place the spotlight of the gospel upon yourself. I am certain that if we take a grace inspired moral inventory we will verify the words of Paul found in Romans 3:10, “there is none righteous no not one.”
I wish to look at the passage from Luke’s gospel that illustrates the way each of us should approach the All Holy God of Mercy and Justice.
Luke 19:9-14 9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else,Jesus told this parable:10“Two men went up to the temple to pray,one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
In this passage, two men approach God. One was filled with self reliance and the other was filled with his desperate need for a Redeemer. The prayer of the tax collector should be the essence of our interactions with the Lord God and that is very simply: God have mercy on me a sinner.
When he compares the tax collector and the Pharisee, to illustrate this point, Christ utilizes the two extremes of the first century Palestinian spectrum of social acceptability. It would be equivalent to a contemporary parable about a priest and a pimp, a deacon and a drunk or an evangelist and a national traitor.
At the time of Jesus there were approximately 6000 Pharisees. The term means the separated one. They were acknowledged for the strict observance of the law. They were good upstanding citizens and pillars of their community. They knew how to conduct themselves at worship services. I am certain that they dressed properly when they went to the temple. The Pharisee in this parable probably perceived himself as a hard working, God fearing, descent and religious person. In all probability many would have agreed with his self assessment.
Now let me emphasize that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being God fearing, pious, ethical or moral. These are all commendable goals. However a false sense of self sufficiency is always lethal to our spiritual development and welfare. There is no room for self sufficiency when it comes to eternal salvation. Our only hope is in God and his infinite mercy. When I trust in my own merit, I am setting myself up to reject the grace, compassion and mercy of our Loving Savior. When our spiritual ego is so inflated that we are unable to see our own shortcomings and sins than we fail to recognize our need for the liberating and healing grace of our Blessed Savior. Nothing is more dangerous to our spiritual well being than loosing sight of our need for Jesus.
The Pharisee’s prayer in Luke’s gospels illustrates that self-centeredness has the high potential to generate spiritual snobbery, hypocrisy and narrow mindedness, where we will judge our siblings in the Lord. I can always find someone whose sins and shortcomings are more evident than mine. I can very easily fall into he trap of focusing on the splinter in the eyes of my siblings while I ignore the beam in my own eye.
Let us take a look at the tax collector in the parable. It is safe to assume that few if any cherishes the IRS agents who have a necessary but unpopular job. In the time of Jesus, the tax collectors were despised and hated. They had the apparent well earned reputation of being extortionists and predators but even more so they were collaborators with the hated oppressors, the Roman occupiers. The Tax collector in the parable might be equated with those American citizens who joined forces with the Taliban or Alquida. He may have been a thief, a liar, a seducer, a hedonist or perhaps even a murderer. Like many in this sacred congregation, he made choices in his life that has set him apart from the social norm. But when he approaches the Omnipotent God, he holds no delusions about whom or what he is, he makes no excuses, he does not try to negotiate with the God of Justice, he simply asked for mercy. He understood that God loves us not because we are good but because He, God, is good.
Because of this grace inspired awareness and endeavor he left the temple changed. Now there are thousand upon thousand who persistently leave a worship service the same way they arrived. Today I invite you to imitate the Tax collector. Be authentic with yourself. Like John the Baptist admit that you may have questions. Like the apostle Thomas admit that you have doubts but above all admit that you are a sinner and that you are in desperate need of the saving and healing grace of Jesus the Liberator of mankind. Imitate the tax collector and go home today justified and forgiven. The Scriptures makes it perfectly clear that God will never turn his back on a humble broken heart. In 1 Timothy 1:15 Paul put is this was, 15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
A humble realistic self assessment is the first step in true repentance. However it is never sufficient to merely recognize that we are sinners. Each of us must also seek the grace of our blessed Savior to change so that we can better imitate Him in the ways of obedience, service, justice and love. True repentance has nothing to do with negotiating a deal with the Judge of the living and the dead. Authentic repentance does not look for loop holes, extenuating circumstances or explanations for our behaviors.
Let me present an illustration of true repentance, Dr. Bernard Nathanson was one of the busiest abortionists in the nation. He performed over 75 thousand abortions. He was convinced that he was practicing his profession in a dignified and ethical manner. However once the ultrasound was invented and he was able to see the beating hearts of the prenatal child, he had a grace inspired moral conversion and he came to realize that the children he had been exterminating were not merely masses of tissue but precious human lives made in the image of the triune God. He stopped performing abortions and became active in both the right to life movement as well as his own Faith community. This is authentic repentance. It is not simply an emotional reaction of guilt and shame, not the mere verbalization of regret. Repentance always involves a conscious, grace inspired decision to change certain behaviors so that we can follow the sacred example and liberating gospel of Jesus Christ.
None of us can change the past. But so long as there is breath in your lungs and blood pumping through your veins, there is still time to repent and believe the good news that salvation is available.
Tradition says that his name was Dismas. The Penitent Thief hanging next to Jesus on the cross. The Gospel of Luke describes him repenting and asking Jesus to, “remember him when Jesus arrives at his kingdom.” The other, as the impenitent thief, challenges Jesus to save himself and both of them to prove that he is the Messiah.
Here this day, no matter what you have done, ask your Redeemer for the grace to humbly repent from your sins, verbalize your contrition, make amends when it is feasible and make a conscious deliberate decision to follow our Blessed Savior’s example and liberating gospel.. When you are forgiven much you will fall in love with Jesus. There is grace, mercy, forgiveness and hope for anyone who humbly repents and simply asks for the grace of conversion. Remember Jesus Christ came to save that which was lost.
During this sacred season of Lent, each of us is invited to look upon the face of God. And when we turn toward God, we will find a Father full of compassion, a Savior rich in mercy and a Sanctifier anxious to assist us.
Today Jesus invites us to make this Lenten season a time of repentance, holiness and charity. Take extra time each day to enhance your relationship with the Living God. Increase the frequency and duration of your prayer. Make time to read the scriptures especially the passion narratives. Find the time to read Psalm 51 which begins, Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Let it be an inconvenience. Intensify your efforts to be more compliant with the demands of the gospel especially acts of charity and generosity but do them in secret. During these upcoming days, make a substantial effort to be reconciled with someone with whom you are angry or who has done you an injustice. Reach out to one brother or sister who has left the faith or who does not know the Suffering Messiah. What a beautiful way for any of us to celebrate Easter this year, knowing that because of our gesture and example a fallen sibling has returned to the Living Lord.
To Jesus are all honors, praise and glory both now and forevermore.