"A Whole New Paradigm" a sermon for the Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost, YEAR C Scripture: Proverbs 25:6-7; Psalm 112; Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; Luke 14:1, 7-14 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Some things about human nature really haven’t changed in 2000 years. Even today there are still some people that have too high an opinion of themselves, perhaps even more so than then. Maybe that’s why we secretly take some delight at the thought of someone who thinks they’re important taking the “walk of shame” that Jesus describes in today’s parable of the dinner guests. Just imagine how incredibly embarrassing it would be to be escorted, in front of everyone, from the place of greatest honor down to the place of least honor. We all know people who have a better opinion of themselves than they really ought to. We know how they pretty much only go out of their way or do nice things for people who can do something for them. I think I’ve noticed that in some of the guest lists for weddings that seem to have been determined by the size of the gifts the people invited might bring! I know I’ve read some letters by brides whining to “Dear Abby” about the value, (or perceived lack thereof) of gifts they had received for their wedding. There is certainly a sense of “quid pro quo”, (I do something for you and you will do something for me), going on. The point that Jesus was making was that the way they believed, thought, and acted was not God’s way. It isn’t the way truly righteous people behave, because believers are not concerned with self-promotion and self-glorification. Christ’s way is clearly different; it is to look to God’s grace instead of looking out for our own interests. It’s a whole new paradigm, a whole different way of thinking. We need to understand that grace is God’s undeserved love for undeserving sinners. As Lutherans we believe that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone. Good enough, for a beginning, but we also need to know what grace has to do with how we think and live. This is the connection that Jesus is trying to get the Pharisees to understand when he taught them in the parable that reveals the connection between the love of God and Christian humility. First of all, a believer in Christ has a completely different idea of self-worth. Most of the world finds self-worth in what one does or has done, doctor, parent, athlete, president, hero, etc.; what one is, their race, class, height, weight, beauty, brains, etc.; or they find their worth in how one is honored by other people, by their salary, rank, privilege, awards, influence, etc. A Christian is different because they know God’s law. In knowing God’s Law we realize that what we have done and keep on doing is sin. The fact of the matter is that we break every one of our Creator’s commandments in one way or another, and we keep on doing it, because our sinful nature always wants to go the opposite way from what God wants. And the believer knows that what they are a sinner just like every other human being on the planet, we understand that we are desperately in need of forgiveness and we absolutely unable to save ourselves. Anyone who follows the way of grace understands that we do not deserve any honor from God, because our sin and rebellion merit us only death. Understanding and accepting these things does a pretty good job of humbling a person, it’s hard to think too highly of yourself when you know how undeserving you are. Even knowing that is not what makes it possible for a believer to think and act the way Jesus encourages us here. What makes the difference is God’s grace; we realize that despite our natural unworthiness God loves us. God sacrificed his own Son, sending him to suffer and die on the cross to take away each and every one of our sins for each and every one of us. If we matter that much to God, and we do, all people do; then human ideas of status and honor fade into insignificance. Such things are no longer that important when you realize that you’re already a guest of honor at Christ’s never-ending and glorious feast in heaven? Grace also teaches believers, who have been given Christ’s perfection, to put others first, the same way Jesus did. We are not only recipients of God’s love by faith, we are also its distributors, and so we are able to love our neighbors without regard for who or what they are or aren’t, just as love our fellow believers, spouses, and siblings the same way, because that’s how God loves us. You see now how radical a change God’s grace makes in the way a believer thinks and behaves. It really is a whole new paradigm. In the eyes of the world this is outrageous. Doing things the way Jesus wants us to leads to surprising things happening; the humble can be lifted up, as Jesus’ parable shows. When a person humbles themselves, others can then lift them up, and perhaps higher than they would have placed themselves. Think about it: isn’t a promotion or award given to you by your boss for your work well-done so much better than one you fought and schemed and bargained for? This is the lesson that Jesus teaches: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus also had something to say about doing something good for someone with the expectation of getting something good in return, that “quid pro quo” that I mentioned earlier. In the eyes of the world this is normal, but the way of grace is different. Jesus encourages us to do good for those who cannot repay us, whether it’s feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, or helping those less fortunate than we are. This is not easy, our world has us pretty well conditioned to not do anything for nothing, and our sinful nature doesn’t like “wasted effort” of helping people who can’t help us. But once again, God’s grace makes the difference in our hearts. Because that’s exactly the way God’s love, God’s grace works, isn’t it? Think of all the things he has given, gives, and will give, not only to you, but to everyone on the earth. Physically we have sun and rain and food and shelter and clothing and countless things besides; spiritually we have the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation in Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the sacraments. The Lord hasn’t given us any of those things expecting to be repaid. This is God’s grace at work. Believers have that same love at work in their lives; we have the opportunities to show God’s love fill our lives and are unique to each one of us. Maybe it’s writing a check to charity. Maybe it’s inviting the unpopular girl to your birthday party. Perhaps it’s finally actually responding to that family that needs help. Maybe it’s offering a job to single parent without references. If you pray about it, God will open up more and more opportunities to be like him in giving to those who can’t give back to you. The joy of it is this, we will get something back. Jesus says here that we will be blessed for the love we show and give to others. We “will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Our reward and our treasure is in heaven. This does mean that we can’t see our rewards in the here and now when we do these things. In this we can still be confident that they’re infinitely greater than anything we could gain here on earth. Jesus guarantees they will be repaid in countless blessings at the resurrection of the righteous, at the end of the world, when he comes to take his faithful people home with him to heaven. The way of grace leads us to heaven. That’s where we belong, and even though we’re strangers and aliens in this world, we still live as citizens of heaven. We know our true worth. We know our place and our purpose and so we live with humility toward ourselves and love for others. God’s grace is a whole new paradigm, it changes the rules we live by. We have been saved by the grace of God in Jesus Christ; this is a much better way to live, showing God’s love and grace in our lives. Thanks be to God, Amen.
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 03:52:46 +0000