Turned Around (again)

Luke 13:10-17

This morning Jesus is welcoming and healing someone who just did not fit in.

There's an old story about a church very much like ours -- a "nice" church, a "respectable" church. One Sunday the people of that congregation had gathered for worship, all decked out, not exactly like their grandmothers and grandfathers would have gone to church but respectable you know, when a man walked into the sanctuary who just didn't seem to belong.

He was scruffy in appearance. He smelled of beer (which, judging from his lurching walk, he had consumed in great quantity the night before).

The usher handed the man a bulletin, and motioned him toward an out-of-the-way pew (maybe right there…..). But the man ignored the suggestion, and staggered down the center aisle to the front pew, and planted himself there.

So far, so good, thought the ushers -- that is, until the minister began his sermon.

"Hallelujah!" shouted the newcomer.

The minister gave him a stern look, and continued on. Not a moment later, the visitor interrupted him again. "Praise the Lord!" he proclaimed.

One of the ushers came over and whispered to him, as nicely as he could, "Sir, we don't do that here!"

"But I've got religion!" the man objected.

"Yes, sir," said the usher. "But you didn't get it here!" ¹

Do you think that the people really though he "had religion"? That he was in touch with God, with all this shouting and hollering?

We read this morning about another person who was way out of line in a religious establishment.

It was Jesus. Jesus was way out of line as far as the elders in the synagogue were concerned you know. Way out.

As far back as the Jewish people could remember, they were called to set themselves apart, to be a separate people from all the others that surrounded them in the world.

As the old testament prophets talk about, they saw themselves surrounded by the evil, and themselves as a little island of light in the darkness. Think of the Philistines, the Amorites and the Edomites, …all those "ites". The Israelites were to be different. Of course part of the prophet's message was also about how they really weren't quite as different as they could be. That they were falling far short of what God was calling them to. And that in the final analysis they were to be a blessing to all nations.

For the Israelites, the separation from evil went beyond just staying separate as a people. We read about how the people were to shun those who were seen as unclean, that they were to be separate, to stay far from those that seemed not to be blessed by God. We read of how they were to purify themselves when they made mistakes.

It was a dangerous world. It was perilous. It was almost as if the good was not strong enough, the good was in danger of being swallowed if it got too close. Stay safe. Stay at home. Stay separate.

And yet did Jesus? Did he stay safe, stay away, stay separate?..... He was out among the great unwashed, speaking to them, touching them, eating with them. Announcing that the blessing was for all, for each of them…for us…. for you.

What amazing news. God loves each one of us. Each one. No he doesn't love all that we do…. in fact I am sure that I, that each one of us greave him greatly every day. But Jesus came and died so that you, and I could know, that the good, that our God is greater, more powerful, more loving, than ANYTHING.

Did you hear what Jesus said to the leaders of the synagogue about the woman he healed? He said "this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years". "A daughter of Abraham", - those don't sound like much to us, but they would have shot thorough the synagogue like an electric shock. Jesus is pointing out that she was not a dirty thing to be avoided but primarily a daughter of Abraham, a loved child of God. Perhaps she didn't lead the most pure life, perhaps she was not clean, not following all of the synagogue rules. But she was, according to Jesus, a most loved child.

We have a big change in understanding here. Evil is not too strong. Evil will not prevail in the end. The Jews did know this - of course they knew it - think of all the wonderful things that God did throughout their history - , but Jesus came announcing that Love is so strong that evil is BLOWN away in the final analysis.

Sometimes that isn't how it seems though, is it. People often ask me about how could it be that a good God lets bad thing happen in the world. Of course bad things happen…we have choices and we make the wrong choices ALL the time. We make these bad choices as individuals and we interact and effect each other. We make bad choices as communities, and as the entire human race. But Jesus in his death, and resurrection, showed that Love, the love of God, is greater than anything else. It transcends the horror of sickness. It transcends the horror of poverty and depravity - evil. And, as the world saw, once and for all on that first Easter morning, it transcends the power of death itself.

Of course, we are supposed to be wise. We are not to dabble in sin, in evil ways, sort of getting up close and personal with evil and going NA, na na na na…to evil. We often get burned in that kind of activity. We need to guard our hearts and our minds.

But we are to not be afraid. Our God is greater….He that is in us, is greater than he that is in the world. Paul says we are to "be in this world but not of it." Sometimes we put the emphasis on the wrong foot. In this world… not overcome by it, not owned by it, not controlled by it….but in the world.

Once upon a time, it was thought, only the holy and the truly righteous were fit for the kingdom of God.

Once upon a time, it was thought, only the good were supposed to be seen in church.

Once upon a time, it was thought, only those who earned love, could be loved.

Jesus has turned it around. Over and over his is reaching out to the unclean, touching them, healing them, and NOT becoming unclean in the process. Our God is great. Our God is sovereign. No matter how it may seem, His grace is greater than anything else. It is not confined by this human world. It is not confined by all the human rules and regulations we try to set up for ourselves.

We have a message for the world. It is not one of being good; although we should all aspire to goodness, only God is truly good. It is not one of trying to be good; although we each are called to strive to live as God is calling us.

It is one that God's grace, his love is reaching out to every one, every one, and that his love, and healing, and transformational power, is stronger than anything else, and it will change us. This message is meant for all. Our families, our friends, our neighbors, and our enemies. Now that is a message worth telling.

Hallelujah, …….Praise the Lord…..and Amen

©2004 Steve E. Timpson

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¹ Based on a story from a collection of illustrations by Tim Zingale

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