Sermon

Lost coins, open tables… and burning the Qur’an?

Scripture Text:

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon:

Instead of spending the past few weeks reflecting on the ninth anniversary of September 11, on families who lost loved ones, on the memorial being built at Ground Zero, on the status of our military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, on military families and all they’ve sacrificed, on Muslim Americans and the fact that many mosques and Muslim families have toned down their biggest religious celebration of the year, which in 2010 has been this weekend, in honor of September 11…  instead of hearing about any of those things, our national media has been directing our attention to one pastor and his church’s plan to burn copies of the Qur’an, and to the plans of a moderate Muslim group to build a community center and mosque two blocks from Ground Zero. Our attention has been drawn to two issues that have a lot of potential for shock,  but that are laughable when we hold them up to the real issues facing the people of our country: unemployment, long stints of combat service for our military men and women, the economy, our own state of Illinois up to its ears in debt and unable to support its colleges and universities or the organizations who care for the disabled and the mentally ill, and a growing number of Americans who practice a religion mostly unfamiliar to many other Americans: Islam.

There’s a lot to be afraid of.

When we get afraid, we look for scapegoats or for something to focus on that’s more direct and simple than the things we’re probably really scared or angry about. This happens in our lives every day.   And I wonder if it’s happened to our country in these past few weeks, too.

In today’s reading from Luke, Jesus tells us two parables about mercy: the lost sheep and the lost coin, whose owners drop everything to go searching for them.   The Pharisees and scribes have complained that Jesus eats with sinners; not unlike the media today, they are trying to stir up some scandal! But Jesus doesn’t react with indignation or defensiveness.  He reacts with subtlety, intelligence, and even an invitation. He tells two parables… and invites the Pharisees and us, today, to look for ourselves and our lives in his words.  And he invites us (he doesn’t command us) to act like he does.

He doesn’t judge the Pharisees and scribes.  He’s not judging the tax collectors and other “sinners” who he’s eating with and talking to.  He just tells two stories: a shepherd goes looking for a lost sheep, a woman goes searching for a coin, and when the lost item is found, the shepherd and the woman practically throw a party to celebrate!   (In the ancient world, rejoicing almost always involved eating.)  And Jesus tells us, “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need any repenting.”

In the face of the judgment of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus is teaching about mercy and joy.  He’s talking about sharing a meal, rather than shunning or criticizing or, for that matter, burning anything.  Or anyone.

But judging is much easier than being merciful.  Much less sharing a meal. Searching for a lost sheep is much more challenging than just shrugging your shoulders and saying: “Stupid sheep!”   Looking for a lost coin isn’t easy either: the woman has to light a lamp and sweep the house… why not just be glad for the other nine she has instead of going to all that trouble? To search after the people we consider “sinners”… what would that look like? To share meals with them? Not to get angry or judgmental, but to be merciful?  Believe me, this is where I look to Jesus for help, because I can’t imagine myself sitting down for a merciful meal with Pastor Terry Jones.

But I know Jesus would like me to.

And I know our country would be a better place if, instead of choosing fear or judgment, Christians and Jews and Muslims shared a few more meals. We would leave the judging to God.  Maybe we could even find some things to rejoice about together. Like: that we live in a country where we’re all free to worship according to our conscience, that we all worship a God who calls us to care for the needy and to love one another, that we read from three holy books with many of the same stories: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Jonah, David and Goliath, and the Qur’an even tells a version of the birth and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, that we all lost people of our faith in the attacks of September 11.

Maybe that’s what we should get together and share meals about next year. Let us not let our fear and anger be directed to the wrong places, where they will do more harm than good.

Mercy is more powerful than judgment.  We see that more clearly than anywhere else in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

A shared meal is more powerful than a press conference.

Focusing on the reality of people’s suffering is more powerful than focusing on a scandal.

Pointing to God’s promises is more powerful than pointing fingers.

Love casts out fear.

Amen.

Uploaded on October 3, 2010 in by RevHeidi

Comments are disabled for this post