Sunday 03/27/22 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “Who Deserves New Life?” (“New Life Is Coming” Series: Part 4 of 7)
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 32
New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Gospel Lesson: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Some of us may remember that
as kids we played various sports and games. We played them sometimes formally
on teams or in leagues. Some of these sports had coaches that would tell us
what position we were playing, what number we were batting, etc. Sometimes
though, many of us had pick up games. Maybe we played basketball, soccer, dodge
ball, kick ball, etc.
Sometimes we even picked
team captains. In fact, in organized sports, the captain of the team sometimes
has that “C” on there jersey, so that everyone knows that they are indeed the team
captain. Sometimes in Phys. Ed. class we picked team captains, but it often
seems that in organized sports that the team captain had already been chosen.
For those of us that chose team captains, or if the teacher choose team captains,
we then know what will happen. We might think, “Will I get picked last?” or “I
hope I do not get picked last!” Maybe we were an athlete that was the team
captain, or maybe we got picked immediately. We all know though that there were
always a couple of kids that got picked last.
It was not that we necessarily
disliked these kids, but we wanted to win. To win, we needed the best people,
and the few last kids chosen, in our determination anyway, would not help us
win. It could easily become a reality though that the last few kids chosen could
begin to be seen as less important by others. I mean if we were to “pick so and
so, or so and so,” well, we will probably lose. So, did the kids that got picked
last then, did they begin to feel less important to the other students that
were already chosen?
When we try to see the
world through the eyes of God, through the eyes of Jesus Christ, who are the
few kids picked last? Meaning, if God was a team captain, who does he pick
first? The scripture indicates to us that through His son Jesus Christ, he
picks us all. This reality runs contrary to our culture and to who we are
sometimes as humans.
For example, I have never seen
an Olympic event where the reporters were flocking to the person who came in fifteenth,
after the race. The first, the second, and the third-place winners have distinctive
elevations on the victory podium, and distinctive medals. Do not misunderstand here
me, I do not think that competition is bad. I think that competition is a good
thing, and it is what makes a market economy grow, it is what makes products improve,
it is what make teams get better, and it is what pushes us to get better. This
being said though, is the person who came in fifteenth place, just as important
as a person, as the athlete that won the gold medal?
From the standpoint of the
Olympic event, obviously the gold metal winner is indeed the best, and the best
athlete in the world at that event. Does God love the gold metal winner more
than the person that placed fifteenth, however? In sports and in other facets
of our lives, people who perform the best, get more recognition, and beat out
the competition. Yet, we are all equal as people in the eyes of God.
My late Grandpa Winkelman
said it best, “Don’t forget who you are and where you have come from.” If you
go great places in this world, and if you achieve great things, be humble. Remember
that we are created in God’s image, and that our earthly successes are made possible
by our God given gifts, graces, and talents, and through the love and the support
of our families and friends. So, are there winners and losers in many things in
the earthly sense? Yes, of course.
Be assured though, that
God loved the person who came in fifteenth just as much as the person who won
the gold medal. It is important sometimes for us to remember that our earthly success
does not make us better than others, in the sense of being a child of the
living God. We are all equal to God.
This morning, we have one
of my favorite parables or stories from Jesus in the gospels of Luke. This
parable or story, once again, is the parable of “The Prodigal Son.” There are
two sons, and one, the oldest son, stays loyal to his Father, but the other son,
the youngest son, runs off, blows his inheritance, and dishonors his father,
family, and community.
So far in our “New Life Is
Coming” sermon series, we talked about dealing with trial and temptation, we talked
about the need to stay strong in our faith, even when things are hard. Last
week we talked about how we all need to repent of our sin and wrong doings, as
we are all works in progress. We all can improve, and we all, especially in
this season of Lent, are called to draw closer to Christ. In this season of Lent,
we will have “New Life” in Jesus’ resurrection on Easter morning, we are invited
to have “New Life” in drawing closer to Christ, and we pray for “New Life” in
the form of this pandemic coming to manageable close.
This morning however, in talking
about the parable or the story of “The Prodigal Son,” my sermon is called, “Who
Deserves New Life?” Who deserves to be picked for the dodgeball team, and who
does not?
We are remined this
morning in Psalm 32:1:
1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Ps. 32:1, NRSV).
There are winners and losers in various capacities here on earth
but are all equally loved by God. We are all offered forgiveness, and we are
all offered the opportunity to have our sin covered, through Jesus Christ.
We are reminded in this vein from the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians
5:16-21, for this morning once again, starting in 2:17 that:
17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us (2 Cor. 5:17-19, NRSV).
Here on earth, there are different levels of achievement
and success, but at the end of the day, we are all God’s children. God loves
the small child in Ukraine just as much as the small child in Sidney. God loves
the older faithful brother of the father, just as much as the younger “Prodigal
Son” of the father. Are there consequences for our actions? Absolutely, but God
loves us all the same. First place, last place, faithful son, wayward son, God
loves us all the same.
With this said, let us
look at our gospel of Luke reading for this morning once again. Starting in
Luke 15:1 it says:
15 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Lk. 15:1-2, NRSV).
Jesus
is treating everyone the same, even the outcasts, the people who are rejected,
and I would imagine even those chosen last for the dodgeball team. Why? The answer
is because God loves us all equally.
To better explain this point, Jesus then tells us the
story or the parable of “The Prodigal Son” once again. Picking up in Luke 15:3,
this is what it says of Jesus:
3 So he told them this parable: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands”’ (Lk. 15:3-19, NRSV).
The
youngest son of the father foolishly took his whole inheritance early. The
youngest son went to a distant country and blew his inheritance on dissolute
living. After he spent everything, a famine hit the land, and he was hungry and
with out food. The youngest son began to feed pigs, which in Judaism is an unclean
animal to be avoided. He is feeding animals that his faith says are unclean and
should not be eaten. He has no food, he is homeless, broken, and penniless.
He
decides therefore, that we will go home and beg his father’s forgiveness. At
this point though, we will return home not as the son of his father, but as a
servant or an employee. You see, the youngest son, “The Prodigal Son” no longer
feels worthy to be his father’s son, or to have his father’s love.
So, the
broken, penniless, dirty, homeless, and hopeless “Prodigal Son” makes the long
journey back to his country. “The Prodigal Son’s” father, having not heard from
him for some time, thought him dead. I mean the country that “The Prodigal Son”
fled too, had a famine, and he had not heard from his son. His youngest son
must have died.
“The Prodigal Son” begins his long journey
home, and his father, with his home and land in elevated place can see far down
the road from his house. The father one day sees a man walking down the road.
Who is this tired, sad, and tattered man? Suddenly the father thinks, this man
looks like my youngest son that has died. Then the father realizes that this
man is indeed his youngest son. The gospel of Luke reading then picks up in
15:20 saying of “The Prodigal Son”:
20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found’” (Lk. 15:20-32, NRSV).
So,
what are the takeaways from the story or parable of “The Prodigal Son”? Well
one, “The Prodigal Son” clearly made some poor choices. I mean how many of you
here would give one of your children their share of their inheritance now.
Further, “The Prodigal Son” did not come in first place in the Olympic event.
Instead, the prodigal son came in dead last. He had disgraced his father, his
family, his community, and the teachings of his Jewish faith. By all accounts,
no one would flock to him, sure God loves him the same as his faithful older
brother, but he is in trouble.
“The
Prodigal Son’s” father is man of great wealth and prominence. Men of this stature
at this time composed and carried themselves in a very regal and very fancy
way. For “The Prodigal Son’s” father to run barreling down the street at his
disgraced son was not only frowned up but was inappropriate. For “The Prodigal
Son” was ritually unclean, needed to repent of his sin, and deserved to live
out the rest his days in shame and disregard. Jesus ate with sinners and went
to the outcasts, the lesser than, and the people that society said were no good
though. “The Prodigal Son’s” father, however, comes running to his son. He has
a robe put on him, sandals put on his feet, and ring put on his finger. He
triumphantly brings his disgraced “Prodigal Son” home, and orders that the
fatted calf be slaughtered for a celebration feast. There was music, celebrating
and excitement.
Then
the older brother of “The Prodigal Son” heard this noise and this commotion at his
father’s house. As a result, the older brother came home and found his
disgraced younger brother with a robe, sandals, a ring, and a feast being
prepared.
The
older and loyal son was angry at the father, and asked him how he could treat his
disgraced son this way? The older son that he had always been loyal to him,
never disobeyed him, and has never even been given a young goat to have a feast
with his friends. The father then told the oldest brother, but you have always been
with me and have always had a share my bounty.
Or to put it another way, the father
told his oldest son, we know you were the best, we know you won the gold
metals. We know that your youngest brother came in last, but I love him just as
much as I love you.
In fact,
the father said to the oldest brother, I know that you think it is unfair that
I slaughtered the fatted calf to honor your brother, and that I have never even
given you a young goat. Finishing in Luke 15:32, the father says to the oldest son:
32 But we had to
celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to
life; he was lost and has been found’” (Lk.
15:32, NRSV).
Friends,
on this earth, we may have winners and losers. We may have those win trophies
and those that achieve great success, and those who do not. Even so, whether we
come in first place or last place. God will run after us with everything he
has.
The
world has winners and losers, but everyone to Jesus is worth a celebration, a
feast, a robe, sandals, and a ring on the finger. For if we are lost, God will
stop at nothing to reconcile with us, and whether we come in first or last, God
loves us just the same.
So, as
my sermon title says, “Who Deserves New Life?” To be honest friends, do any of
us truly and fully deserve the love of God? I mean who is truly the greatest
and who is truly the worst? So “Who Deserves New Life?” Nobody, but who gets freely
offered it? Everybody.
God
the Father will pursue us, even when we have made a mess of things. We will
still have earthly consequences for what we do but make no mistake the father
will pursue us all. For as “The Prodigal Son’s” father said once again this
morning Luke 15:32:
32 But we had to
celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to
life; he was lost and has been found’” (Lk.
15:32, NRSV).
Come home anew today to God, to Jesus Christ
today. Amen.
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