“Mum, is God a gown-up or a parent?” A friend was confused by her 5-year-old’s question. “I’m not sure what you mean,” she said, “What’s the difference between grown-up and a parent?” “Well,” the child said, “Grown-ups love you when you’re good and parents love you anyway.”
What a good question! Is God a grown-up or a parent? Does God love you only when you’re good? Or does God love you away, that is, any way you are? that’s what the Gospel lesson about: what is the nature of God’s love? Is it really complete and total and unconditional? Really? And if it is, what that mean for us? Do we we have to love everybody too? Or are there some people allowed to dislike because God doesn’t like them either?
Today’s Gospel finds the Pharisees and Scribes definitely acting as grown-ups. They have done a fine job of figuring out all the dos and don’ts of good and bad behaviour. And, they have, like Santa Claus, made list of who’s been naughty and nice, they’ve checked it twice, and they have separated themselves from the bad people, the “tax collectors and sinners.”
Problems start when Jesus acts more like a parent than a .grown-up; that is, even though he knows that people with whom he is going to eat are not acceptable, nice or good people; he’s going to party with them anyway.
This upsets the “grown-up” , the Pharisees and the Scribes because thought He was on their side. They thought he was one of them. They thought that because he knew so much about the Bible and talked about giving your all for the Kingdom of God he was an obviously good man, and must be a Pharisee or scribe or someone acceptable to the Pharisees and scribes and . . . . . .well, they couldn’t figure this behaviour out. What was he doing eating with those people? Doesn’t he know who they are, and what they’ve been doing? It is an unfortunate part of basic human nature that we try to figure out who’s in and who’s out;
It is when this separation-ism works its way into our Religion that it is especially scandalous. Not only do we decide whom we like and whom we dislike, who’s in and who’s out; we turn into grown-ups and judge the behaviour of others and love them only when they’re good and then put the blessing or curse of God upon our choices and prejudices; we know God is a grown-up too and will, of course, agree with us
This is what the Pharisees and the scribes did. Not only did they decide these people were violating God’s rules of good behaviour; they had further decided that GOD rejected bad people and would have nothing further to do with them, and so, all good People should unite in rejecting and shunning them as well. Therefore, when they saw Jesus’ eating and drinking and partying, with these “tax collectors and sinners,” they were appalled and seriously questioned his good person credentials. Jesus, as was typical of him, responded to their distress by telling them stories, stories about who’s in and who’s out, and about how God feels and acts toward those who are out.
The two stories have what we might call “God figures,” people who, according to Jesus, act like God. One a shepherd, the other a woman. These were interesting choices for Jesus to make, as shepherds and women were out as far as the Pharisees and scribes were concerned. Because of their nomadic, outdoor lifestyle, shepherds were unable to keep most purity laws. They slept, bathed, ate, lived outdoors. And women were always problem for strict Pharisees, who preferred to neither see them not speak to them anymore than was absolutely necessary.
Jesus’ stories about the 99 and the 1 sheep and the woman and her lost coin have two simple points. First, just as a shepherd values his lost sheep enough to spare no effort in looking for it, just so, God values all people enough to spare no effort in looking for them. God values us the way the woman values her coin and will spare no effort in getting us back.
These are incarnational stories, stories about God in Christ coming into the world to seek out and find God’s lost creation. Jesus is the shepherd seeking out those not in the fold, Jesus is the woman, sweeping through he house, looking high and low for a valuable possession.
Remember those feeling of discovering that one is lost. where is everyone else, and how do I find them? I was remembering when my son was missing in a busy shop. We had taught him to just stay put - to let them find him. If we are open to having the good Shepherd find us, we won't stay lost for long. If we search around aimlessly, and explore all sorts of fruitless paths, it's harder for us to be found.
And telling stories about the parties given by he shepherd to celebrate finding his lost sheep and the woman celebrating finding her coin, Jesus is chiding the Pharisees and scribes over their grouchiness in criticising Jesus spending time with “tax collectors and sinners.” Look, he says, God is really happy these people are interested in spiritual things That is cause for celebration.
He question for us is; are we grown-ups or Parents? Do we only love people when they’re good and like us, or do we love them anyway, including any way they are? Do we make lists of ins and outs, goods and bads, acceptables and unacceptables? Or do we, like Christ the good shepherd, the good wife, go into the world looking for those whom god has placed in our care, which is everyone.
What is the Gospel (the good news) for us today? Is God a grown-up or a parent? Does God love us only when we’re good, or does God love us anyway? God has clearly been revealed as a loving parent who never ever stops loving us. Christ came to seek us out. Christ has promised to hold on to us until the end of the age
This God of Jesus, who loves lost things, is the God I want to proclaim. God is looking for us. Sometimes its a long journey, and with some people it takes a lifetime before they allow themselves to be found.
These 2 parables tell of the nature/activity of GOD and direct us in discipleship and urge us to re-evaluate our lives of faith/work and of church to include welcoming those who have become lost from the fold. Remembering the lines from the hymn; "I once was lost, but now am found" might be a good place to start.
Prayer
God our holy Shepherd, you are the hope of those who are lost, and joy of those who are found. Save us from the silly notion that we always know best, and call us back from paths that lead to confusion and desolation. Bring us at last, with all your people, into that fold where nothing can ever again be lost.
Amen
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