Fourth Sunday in Lent
Joshua 5:9-12; 2
Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Focus: A new way of living in a new place.
Function: What is it that makes people want to exclude? The Gospel of Christ beckons us to open the doors. Jesus’ way is always inclusion. Open the ever-widening circle.
Luke recounts that there were many tax collectors and sinners coming near to listen to Jesus. Luke also recounts the Pharisees and scribes – the holy ones – were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Did you ever ask yourself why this was a problem? This is an important question, because we divide and segregate people. We establish standards, laws, and guidelines on who is acceptable and who is not. We make regular decision about who is included and excluded. Why? What is there in our make up that feels as if we need to draw these lines of inclusion and exclusion?
These scribes and Pharisees were drawing the lines according to what the Bible says, or at least what they believed the Bible says. They had the codes and laws of Pentateuch and believed that God had given them those laws and they believed that God wanted them separated, the clean from the unclean.
On that day, Jesus was breaking the law. He was violating what the Bible said about who was acceptable and who was not. The righteous were outraged that Jesus violated the boundaries. Into this context, Jesus taught them the parable of the prodigal son. It is a story of unbounded love of the Father who welcomes back the son who strayed. There were no conditions upon the Father’s love. There were no injunctions to go and sin no more. The Father’s joy was predicated on the good news that the child that he thought was dead is alive and returned home.
What a horrifying discovery to find that the brother so indignant. He could not understand how the Father could let him back in. He could not get past his own sense of entitlement for never having strayed like his brother. He was angry that grace, acceptance, and forgiveness were being given instead of firm adherence to the rules and the consequences for infraction of those regulations. This brother wanted limits upon the Father’s grace, acceptance, and forgiveness.
What is there within us that cannot believe the unbounded, unlimited invitation of the Father? We need to try, at the least, to come to some understanding about the human desires to limit, because God wants far more from us.
Paul touched the nerve. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view. We once knew Christ from that human point of view, but no longer. Jesus has changed all the rules. In Christ, there is a new creation. Everything old has passed away. Everything has become new. We do not operate under those old rules anymore. Jesus broke down all the boundaries that separated people. Jesus broke down all of those distinctions that might label someone clean or unclean, slave or free, male, or female, Jew or gentile. We have been put in a new place. Our sins no longer separate us from God. Christ has broken down the barrier between sinners and God – without any boundaries or limits.
Our goal in being faithful disciples of Jesus is deeply involved in the processes of human existence in breaking down the barriers that divide us from any other segment of humanity. Where are we separating one from another? In Jesus’ name, we must now begin to break down the barriers because Christ has already done it. Where do we draw the lines in the sand and say, “you can pass no further?” In Jesus’ name, we must now begin break down the barriers because Christ has already done it. God’s love is unbounded. God’s grace is unbounded. God’s invitation is unbounded. Ours must follow suit in Jesus’ name.
©Copyright by Rev. Dr. Kipp W. Zimmermann,
Friday, March 16, 2007