Realizing Forgiveness
Sermon
HOLY COMMUNION IS ...
Thirteen Communion Messages
How do you normally react when someone offends you in some way? Perhaps they do something to embarrass you in public. Or maybe they humiliate you in front of your friends. How do you respond when someone swindles you out of money or sells you something that turns out to be worthless? All too often our human reaction to such situations is to seek revenge! We begin plotting ways to even the score, to get them back for what they did to us. This, all too human way of reacting, was illustrated for me this summer at the beach when I saw a young lady wearing a T-shirt which said, "I don't get mad ... I get even."
You see, some people pride themselves in their skill for getting revenge ... in their ability to be one up on the next person ... to always have the last word or a cutting comeback. But one of the best stories of revenge I've seen is one I read not long ago:
There was a quiet truck driver hauling a load across country. Late one evening, he stopped at a roadside diner for supper. As he was eating, three rather rough-looking motorcyclists roared-up to the diner's entrance. All eyes were upon them as they strolled into the dining room wearing dirty leather jackets. For some reason, they selected the quiet truck driver as the target for their hatefulness. Walking over to his table, the motorcyclists began laughing at him and cursing him. One of them poured salt and pepper over his head. Another threw his pie onto the floor and smashed it with his boot. The third dumped a cup of coffee into his lap. After all that abuse, the trucker got up from his table without uttering a word. He calmly paid his bill and left the diner. The motorcyclists made fun of him as he left. One of them said, "He's the biggest coward I've ever seen. He sure ain't much of a fighter." The cashier behind the counter peered through the window and replied, "No, he ain't much of a driver either. He just drove his truck over three motorcycles out in the parking lot."
That's what we might call "Instant Revenge." And there is something in us that rejoices in the quick thinking of that truck driver because we conclude that somehow he redeemed himself from that embarrassing situation. He got even! We wish we could be so clever and quick thinking to always even the score when someone "gets one on us." In this worldly society, we think we must be skillful and astute in our ability to get revenge because we know that most often that's the way it is in human relationships. When we hurt or anger someone, even by accident, we fully expect that someday, somehow, the person will get us back.
Because of our frequent experience of vengeance in our human relationships, there is little wonder that we have projected those expectations into our divine relationship with God. We know how vengeful we become when someone offends us. We know how vengeful others become when we wrong them. So we conclude that God will seek vengeance upon us when we do wrong or offend him in some way. Unfortunately, too many of us perceive God to operate like a vengeful Santa Claus in the sky: "He's making a list and checking it twice ... gonna find out who's naughty and nice." And once God discovers how naughty we really are - how unfaithful we've been - he'll get us ... in his desire for revenge, in his desire to get even with us.
How often I have sat with persons whose lives have been touched by tragedy. Almost inevitably they will ask, "Why is God punishing me like this?" Their conclusion is that the tragedy they endured was God's way of getting revenge for their sins. It was God's way of evening the score. There was a member of a congregation whose twelve year old son died of leukemia. He honestly believed that God killed his son to punish him for not being faithful to the church. So many sincere Christians today have what I call a "Maude Finley theology." Like that TV character said so often, if you do something wrong, "God will get you for that."
But this is merely a projection of human ways into God's ways. Jesus showed us so clearly and beautifully that God does not deal with us that way under the New Covenant. God does not treat us the way we treat each other. We can see an example of this in Luke 9:52ff. One day Jesus and his disciples were going through a Samaritan village on their way toward Jerusalem. Now remember, there was mutual hatred between Jews and Samaritans. The townspeople would not permit them to travel through their village because they were Jews heading to Jerusalem. In anger James and John said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" A very human and vengeful reaction. But Jesus sternly rebuked them for their desire for revenge. Why the stern rebuke? Because Jesus knew God's ways are different from human ways. Jesus wasn't vengeful. He simply took another road to Jerusalem.
When we offend God with our sinful, rebellious, living, He does not seek vengeance upon us. The Almighty's vengeful wrath was unleashed upon the sins of humanity when Christ became sin on the cross. With all the sins of the world on his shoulders, Christ died an agonizing death in order to receive the punishment that you and I deserve ... in order to accept the vengeful wrath on our behalf. Christ paid the penalty of our sin; therefore God is no longer seeking to even the score. He is no longer seeking vengeance. Now he's seeking to help us realize forgiveness! Let me illustrate: An elderly pastor was watching several children play in his yard when he noticed one of them with a BB gun pointed toward his livingroom window. The next thing he heard was the shattering of glass; then all the children ran away. Pastor Jamison had the window replaced the very next day. It wasn't long before he learned the identity of the child who had pulled the trigger - his name was Dave White. As time passed the other children drifted back to play in the yard again, but Dave stayed away. When asked why, the others said Dave was afraid that Pastor Jamison was angry and would hurt him if he returned. One day while in a store, the pastor saw Dave and greeted him in a friendly manner saying, "Dave, I paid for the window and as far as I'm concerned everything is all right. Come on back and play with your friends." But it was several weeks before the youngster got the courage to come back. He heard Pastor Jamison say that everything was all right - but somehow he still wasn't sure.
One afternoon while the children were playing, the old man came outside with cookies and Kool-Aid for them all. Dave stood back as though the refreshments weren't for him. The pastor said, "Come on Dave, these are for you too." It was then the boy realized that what Pastor Jamison had said was true ... everything was all right.
You know, Holy Communion serves a similar function for us children of God. Time and again we hear God's Word telling us that we are forgiven, but for some reason we doubt it; we don't believe it! For some reason we still think God wants revenge. So to reinforce his Word - to help us realize his forgiveness, our Living, Loving Lord comes into our midst bringing us, not cookies and Kool-Aid, but bread and wine. But more happens than the mere quenching of thirst and hunger - we receive refreshments for our heart and soul. The bread reminds us of Christ's body - beaten, pierced and broken for us. The wine reminds us of Christ's blood - spilled and poured out on the cross for one purpose - that you and I might be forgiven and reconciled to God.
Maybe you haven't shattered a window in God's house, but perhaps you've broken God's heart by your lack of faithfulness in worship and in the study of his Word. Confess that to God, then come to Holy Communion and realize that he has forgiven you. Have you thrust that spear more deeply into Christ's side by your apathy toward the hurting and hungry in this world? Acknowledge that to God, then come to his table and realize that you are forgiven. Have you shattered God's will through the way you treat your family or the way you conduct your life when no one sees or hears the secret thoughts and desires you entertain in your mind? Confess those to God, then come to his table and realize that you are forgiven.
We live in the painful reality that all of us are sinners. We all fall short of God's glory and expectations of us as his children. Too many of us fully expect God to get us - to get even - to vent the pain in his heart onto our lives with vengeful wrath - after all, that is the way we so often treat others and are treated by them. But this morning, God invites us to a special meal of bread and wine where he will meet us to remind us not of his vengeful wrath but his forgiving love. To remind us that when Jesus Christ died, it was so we could be forgiven: "This cup is the New Covenant in My blood which was poured out for you and all people for the forgiveness of sin." When you rise from the Lord's table today, I hope you will feel refreshed. I hope you will realize that you are fully forgiven and free to start life again ... free from the past. I hope you will realize you are forgiven.
You see, some people pride themselves in their skill for getting revenge ... in their ability to be one up on the next person ... to always have the last word or a cutting comeback. But one of the best stories of revenge I've seen is one I read not long ago:
There was a quiet truck driver hauling a load across country. Late one evening, he stopped at a roadside diner for supper. As he was eating, three rather rough-looking motorcyclists roared-up to the diner's entrance. All eyes were upon them as they strolled into the dining room wearing dirty leather jackets. For some reason, they selected the quiet truck driver as the target for their hatefulness. Walking over to his table, the motorcyclists began laughing at him and cursing him. One of them poured salt and pepper over his head. Another threw his pie onto the floor and smashed it with his boot. The third dumped a cup of coffee into his lap. After all that abuse, the trucker got up from his table without uttering a word. He calmly paid his bill and left the diner. The motorcyclists made fun of him as he left. One of them said, "He's the biggest coward I've ever seen. He sure ain't much of a fighter." The cashier behind the counter peered through the window and replied, "No, he ain't much of a driver either. He just drove his truck over three motorcycles out in the parking lot."
That's what we might call "Instant Revenge." And there is something in us that rejoices in the quick thinking of that truck driver because we conclude that somehow he redeemed himself from that embarrassing situation. He got even! We wish we could be so clever and quick thinking to always even the score when someone "gets one on us." In this worldly society, we think we must be skillful and astute in our ability to get revenge because we know that most often that's the way it is in human relationships. When we hurt or anger someone, even by accident, we fully expect that someday, somehow, the person will get us back.
Because of our frequent experience of vengeance in our human relationships, there is little wonder that we have projected those expectations into our divine relationship with God. We know how vengeful we become when someone offends us. We know how vengeful others become when we wrong them. So we conclude that God will seek vengeance upon us when we do wrong or offend him in some way. Unfortunately, too many of us perceive God to operate like a vengeful Santa Claus in the sky: "He's making a list and checking it twice ... gonna find out who's naughty and nice." And once God discovers how naughty we really are - how unfaithful we've been - he'll get us ... in his desire for revenge, in his desire to get even with us.
How often I have sat with persons whose lives have been touched by tragedy. Almost inevitably they will ask, "Why is God punishing me like this?" Their conclusion is that the tragedy they endured was God's way of getting revenge for their sins. It was God's way of evening the score. There was a member of a congregation whose twelve year old son died of leukemia. He honestly believed that God killed his son to punish him for not being faithful to the church. So many sincere Christians today have what I call a "Maude Finley theology." Like that TV character said so often, if you do something wrong, "God will get you for that."
But this is merely a projection of human ways into God's ways. Jesus showed us so clearly and beautifully that God does not deal with us that way under the New Covenant. God does not treat us the way we treat each other. We can see an example of this in Luke 9:52ff. One day Jesus and his disciples were going through a Samaritan village on their way toward Jerusalem. Now remember, there was mutual hatred between Jews and Samaritans. The townspeople would not permit them to travel through their village because they were Jews heading to Jerusalem. In anger James and John said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" A very human and vengeful reaction. But Jesus sternly rebuked them for their desire for revenge. Why the stern rebuke? Because Jesus knew God's ways are different from human ways. Jesus wasn't vengeful. He simply took another road to Jerusalem.
When we offend God with our sinful, rebellious, living, He does not seek vengeance upon us. The Almighty's vengeful wrath was unleashed upon the sins of humanity when Christ became sin on the cross. With all the sins of the world on his shoulders, Christ died an agonizing death in order to receive the punishment that you and I deserve ... in order to accept the vengeful wrath on our behalf. Christ paid the penalty of our sin; therefore God is no longer seeking to even the score. He is no longer seeking vengeance. Now he's seeking to help us realize forgiveness! Let me illustrate: An elderly pastor was watching several children play in his yard when he noticed one of them with a BB gun pointed toward his livingroom window. The next thing he heard was the shattering of glass; then all the children ran away. Pastor Jamison had the window replaced the very next day. It wasn't long before he learned the identity of the child who had pulled the trigger - his name was Dave White. As time passed the other children drifted back to play in the yard again, but Dave stayed away. When asked why, the others said Dave was afraid that Pastor Jamison was angry and would hurt him if he returned. One day while in a store, the pastor saw Dave and greeted him in a friendly manner saying, "Dave, I paid for the window and as far as I'm concerned everything is all right. Come on back and play with your friends." But it was several weeks before the youngster got the courage to come back. He heard Pastor Jamison say that everything was all right - but somehow he still wasn't sure.
One afternoon while the children were playing, the old man came outside with cookies and Kool-Aid for them all. Dave stood back as though the refreshments weren't for him. The pastor said, "Come on Dave, these are for you too." It was then the boy realized that what Pastor Jamison had said was true ... everything was all right.
You know, Holy Communion serves a similar function for us children of God. Time and again we hear God's Word telling us that we are forgiven, but for some reason we doubt it; we don't believe it! For some reason we still think God wants revenge. So to reinforce his Word - to help us realize his forgiveness, our Living, Loving Lord comes into our midst bringing us, not cookies and Kool-Aid, but bread and wine. But more happens than the mere quenching of thirst and hunger - we receive refreshments for our heart and soul. The bread reminds us of Christ's body - beaten, pierced and broken for us. The wine reminds us of Christ's blood - spilled and poured out on the cross for one purpose - that you and I might be forgiven and reconciled to God.
Maybe you haven't shattered a window in God's house, but perhaps you've broken God's heart by your lack of faithfulness in worship and in the study of his Word. Confess that to God, then come to Holy Communion and realize that he has forgiven you. Have you thrust that spear more deeply into Christ's side by your apathy toward the hurting and hungry in this world? Acknowledge that to God, then come to his table and realize that you are forgiven. Have you shattered God's will through the way you treat your family or the way you conduct your life when no one sees or hears the secret thoughts and desires you entertain in your mind? Confess those to God, then come to his table and realize that you are forgiven.
We live in the painful reality that all of us are sinners. We all fall short of God's glory and expectations of us as his children. Too many of us fully expect God to get us - to get even - to vent the pain in his heart onto our lives with vengeful wrath - after all, that is the way we so often treat others and are treated by them. But this morning, God invites us to a special meal of bread and wine where he will meet us to remind us not of his vengeful wrath but his forgiving love. To remind us that when Jesus Christ died, it was so we could be forgiven: "This cup is the New Covenant in My blood which was poured out for you and all people for the forgiveness of sin." When you rise from the Lord's table today, I hope you will feel refreshed. I hope you will realize that you are fully forgiven and free to start life again ... free from the past. I hope you will realize you are forgiven.
