Seven Words

 It fell and it broke.  I knew I was wrong; I remained awake, trying to figure out how to deal with the broken cup.  When my parents came home, my dad asked me what happened.  I sharply answered, “I don’t know.”  I lied; I remember how surprised I was with how easy I found it to lie. I sinned and I immediately felt it.  Nothing more came of the conversation. There was an awkwardness when I was in their presence and of course the void – the constant reminder, the empty space where the cup once stood.  That awkwardness and void transformed me.  It was some time before I apologized for telling the lie, the disrespect I doled out, and the disappointment I caused.  

      Please turn to Luke 18:9-14.  I titled today’s sermon, seven words.  It’s the crux of the message today, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’  I am a sinner.  I miss the mark, I am broken.  As sinners, we are accountable to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.  

     A sin is a sin. Some try to justify sin…but in our hearts we know there is no sliding scale for sinners; we are not here to compare ourselves to others– trying to talk ourselves into thinking we are holier than others. Romans 3:23, states, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  We are all sinners, and we need to repent.

     In this parable we meet a Pharisee, someone looked up to in the community for setting the moral and religious tone.  While praying he thanked God for not being like “them”.  He boasted about his fasting and tithing in earshot of the tax collector (someone looked down upon by society).  The tax collector was praying in humility, sincerely confessing his sinful nature.  Now, let’s fast-forward to today.   A known town vagrant shows up to worship and sits in the back.  Whispering ensues to “keep on eye on him” and heads turn as people sit on edge.  During the prayer of the people, he humbly confesses his addictions and the hurt he’s caused others asking God for help and forgiveness.  Not to be outdone, a longtime member blurts out his extensive list of accomplishments to the church –boasting through his prayer.  Yes, the Pharisee and longtime church goer were not like the “other people” by societal standards, but were they like Jesus in the standard we are called to be?   “Others” (the thief, foreigner and prostitute) and were drawn to Jesus, comfortable with Jesus, and welcomed by Jesus.  A question for us today is, how comfortable are “others” with you?  And…is God pleased with our responses and reactions?  

     The vagrant sought help, he knew that the church was like a hospital for the sick, not a museum for the good.  He understood God’s greatness; he was aware of God’s power and he searched his heart sincerely repenting. Do we?  Do we find ourselves more aware of others sins than acknowledging our own sins?  The tax collector went home justified; the Pharisee did not.  The Pharisee followed the laws but did not respond with a pure heart.  Are we modern day Pharisees?  Are we more concerned with appearance and an accounting of our works than our hearts?  The tax collector’s reaction helps to hold us accountable, urging us to cull a personal and honest relationship with our Savior.  

     As we hear in Jesus’ words, justification is God’s work.  The Pharisee did the right thing but for the wrong reason. His arrogance and pride sullied his attitude, and we find him justifying himself.  Could that be us today? Do we sometimes find ourselves doing the wrong thing and with the wrong attitude, being prideful of our faith and not living it out in humility?  

     This week let’s check our hearts and acknowledge where we stand. I have come to understand this concept better from Pastor FB Meyer who wrote this, "I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves one above the other; and that the taller we grew in Christian character the easier we could reach them. I now find that God's gifts are on shelves one beneath the other; and it is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower; and that we have to go down, always down, to get His best gifts."  Church, we need to work on our humility. 

     To close, it wasn’t the broken cup that caused my problem, it was my lack of repentance and honesty.  I needed to come to terms with my lie and be honest with myself and parents.  Then, I was able to exchange my pride and guilt for the grace and mercy my parents had already extended.  Our relationship grew because of that event primarily due to the way my parents handled it.  And in a much greater way, for a much greater reason this is what we need to do with our Heavenly Father…repent, live in humility and pray seven words…join me, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’   And all God’s people say, amen!

Grace and peace,

Pastor Kerry

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