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“What God Really Expects of Us”
- Luke 18:9-14 |
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One Sunday, two people came to the same
worship service. One was dressed in a modest but attractive dress. Not a hair
on her head was out of place – and her shoes matched her purse – clearly
expressing a sense of reverence by her fashion. She was a charter member of the
congregation who often taught one of the adult Sunday school classes. She was a
member of the church board and an elder. On that particular morning, her heart was filled with her love for God. During the quietness of communion she prayed silently: “O God, I thank you that my parents brought me to church, that Sunday school teachers and youth group sponsors taught me the Bible in my adolescence, and that my heart is filled with a love of your church and a strong commitment to do your will. O God, you know that I make sure that ten percent of the family income is given to your work – right off the top. You know that I volunteer weekly at Micah Ministry. You know that I tutor underprivileged children downtown. I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve your kingdom.” The other worshipper was a little different. He was dressed in blue jeans and a golf shirt. His tennis shoes were dirty and worn. No one had ever seen him in the worship service before. He had gone to church for a while as a kid, but stopped when his parents did. When he had gotten in trouble with the IRS for messing up on his taxes, he lost his job and his marriage didn’t make it. Someone invited him to join a spiritual life group – and even to help out with various church mission projects – but he declined to take part in the group – and when he said he’d help out with something, he didn’t even show up, leaving everybody in a bind. Actually, he wasn’t even sure why he was in church that morning. He was lousy at prayer – he didn’t know the right words to say. On that particular Sunday, the silence of communion time made him pretty uncomfortable. He experienced it as an overwhelming burden pressing down on him. All he could do is rock gently as tears touched the edge of his eyes. Hand in a fist, he hit his chest in punctuation as he muttered: “Mercy. Mercy God! God – have mercy on me, a sinner.” After the worship service, both people went to their respective homes. Quite honestly, the elder just didn’t get a whole lot out of the service that week. Nothing that morning had touched her heart. Oh well – sometimes that happens – maybe next week. The man went back his apartment, sat in the darkened room, and was overcome by a mixture of joy and grief. Something had happened to him in the worship service. He couldn’t explain it, but something inside of him told him that God loved him – and he believed it. The parable in today’s lectionary is not about us as much as it is about God. It is not so much about telling us about how you and I are to behave as it is about how God behaves. Two people came to church to worship. If we were able to ask them why they came, I’m not sure that they could have even told us – but they were there – and down in the depths of their souls they – like the rest of us – probably went to worship hoping to be brought close to God. What is significant about the parable is not particularly what the people did, but rather what God did. God came close to one of them and not the other. One received a blessing. The other did not. Why did God make that choice? I don’t know about you, but the elder appears to be an ideal Christian model. What minister would not like to have fifty or a hundred like her in church? She’s my hero – the one I expect God to bless! I want God to find favor with the one who has lived a life of service and stewardship. But in today’s parable, the humble one, the unfaithful one, got the blessing. I hate it when God doesn’t play by my rules. This parable is a time when God fooled us. It seems to indicate that God expects something different from us than what the Church has always told us. God blessed the one who was humble. Have you ever tried to act humble? You can’t! When it comes to humility, it is a question of character. Either you are humble – or you aren’t. The word humility is related to our word humus, meaning earth, or earthy. To be humble is to be low – close to the ground – near the bottom. The tax collector of the parable wasn’t trying to be humble. He was already down at the bottom! He had defrauded his neighbors and worked for the enemy government. He was a sinner, and his conscience let him know it. He wasn’t trying to act like he didn’t know what to do in church - - he really didn’t know what to do! What about you? Are you sure you should be here today? Many of us – maybe all of us – have secrets. Many of us – maybe all of us – have done things that we shouldn’t have. There are Sundays when we look around the room and everyone else looks so sincerely joyful – so close to God – so near to getting life “right.” And you? Maybe, sometimes, you feel far from God – disconnected – distant – empty. And maybe when it comes time for prayer – maybe you don’t know what words to think or to whisper. In those moments when we are so spiritually low – so down on the ground – we get in touch with what humility is. The good news of Jesus’ parable is that it is in those humble moments – in those “low” days – that God meets us and blesses us. It doesn’t make much sense, does it! I mean, you’d think that God would give us the gift of grace when we are pumped so full of spirit – so obedient – being the model Christian – so energized by service to others. You’d think that the pay-off of blessing would come when we are actively doing Christianity! At least that would be the way it would be if God did the expected. Today’s lectionary indicates that God has different expectations of us than does the world. We’ve been taught that it is when we give generously in the offering plate, when we can say the Lord’s Prayer with the fullness of sincerity, and a Bible verse is on the tip of our tongues for every occasion – we’ve been told that it is in those moments that we find God’s favor. We’ve been told that those are the things good Christians do – and when we “do” Christianity, God finds favor in us! Today, Jesus teaches us something else. His parable suggests that if you are humble – down – close to the earth – empty-handed – unsteady – unsure – void of ego and arrogance – if you empty yourself – let the old ways die – and stand before God with arms at your side and truly give yourself over to God – then that is what God desires from us more than anything else. Surrender. Humility. Complete dependence on God. The humble one beat his chest in repentance and in expression of the brokenness of his life. He held out empty hands to receive the gift of grace that God offers. He didn’t know the words to say to God. Instead, he listened for what God would say to him – and he responded. I hope you knew before today that God plays by a different set of rules than the world. The world encourages competition – winning – judging yourselves against others. Of the followers of Jesus’ way, something different is required – but – hey – that’s who God is! It’s true that God wants you to worship and pray – tithe and serve others. But what God wants most of all is for you to come close. Lay your life on the altar. Open wide your empty hands. And I tell you – you will go down to your home justified – forgiven – blessed - - rather than the other. Thank God! Let us pray: Blessed Redeemer, we’ve come here today to meet you. We often fail to be the people we’d like to be. Our neat appearance – our sincere intentions – our joyful praises are often discounted by our thoughts and our arrogance. Forgive our failures and deceits. Be merciful to this bunch of sinners. In the name of your Son, Jesus, we ask it. Amen. |