Good News in Every Corner

Moses pleads with the Lord, who very rightly is angry about what his stiff-necked people have been doing and should simply destroy them and start over.

And for the sake of the promise, the covenant he had made with Abraham and descendants, the Lord relented and did not destroy them as they deserved.

Psalm 51 has traditionally been ascribed to the situation of David reflecting on his sin with Bathsheba.

The Psalm-writer can confidently dare to speak with the Lord because he trusts that the Lord will have mercy, and can make something good come out of the mess into which the one praying has stumbled.

Either Paul or a friend of Paul who writes 1 Timothy, does so with confidence, speaking of the Lord's infinite patience, of his offer of mercy, of his over-flowing grace and good gifts.

And this brings us to the Gospel reading, with its double stories of the rejoicing over the found sheep and the found coin; rejoicing which Jesus says is in heaven as well as on earth.

The mercy of God is there in every one of these readings today.

But we do not always grasp that the mercy and joy is there for us.

There are the times that we frankly feel like outsiders to it all.

I grew up on a farm about 10 miles from town and about a million miles away from town society.

In 9^th grade, one of the long awkward years, I was invited to a townie party up on Highland Avenue.

We were permitted to use the side door to the home.

I was most uncomfortable; I didn't fit in.

I realized that I was part of the decoration at the event, the wallpaper; I was there, but wasn't really in the event, and never would be.

I never went to another of those.

These kinds of un-graceful divisions in society are nothing new – we can go all the way back to the story of Cain and Abel to recall how even brothers relate poorly.

Lurking in the background of today's Gospel, there seem to be at least four different ways in which the people can relate with each other:

--one might ignore others completely.

--one might leave banquet scraps for the poor.

--one might eat with someone of whom he approved.

--one might host the meal.

Ignoring people is the one thing that Jesus does not do.

Here's the banquet table, just like we talked about two weeks ago with Sam the Pharisee.

It is a very exclusive thing, with limited seating, plus room for the guest of honor.

Most people in the village are simply ignored.

Sam Pharisee doesn't see, or even think about them.

We talked about the poor who would be in the shadows outside, listening, waiting for the banquet to be over and the guests to leave so that perhaps some of the leftovers could come to them.

We remember that Jesus caused quite a stir when he went to that house and did not allow there these rigid divisions to continue.

And in today's reading, he has done it again.

He has not ignored anyone.

He makes everyone present into guests when he hosts this meal, and eats with them.

This is truly an amazing event.

A meal is much more than food, in the ancient understanding of things.

To offer an invitation to table was to offer peace, brotherhood, and forgiveness.

That is exactly what Jesus means to do when he invites all sorts of people to his table.

Sam Pharisee and Jacob Scribe are upset about it, too; the rigid protocol has been broken.

First the host in flowery language says how much his house is honored to have the guests present.

Then the guests ask God's blessing on the host.

With all this talk, Sam and Jacob show each other how much superior they are to these other folks, the sinners.

(That means not only wrong-doers, but also those in despised professions such as tax collectors or shepherds.)

But Jesus will allow no one to act in a superior way, since he himself is become the host.

“This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them,” Sam and Jacob complain to each other. “Can you imagine that!”

Since they still do not comprehend the expansive mercy of God and what their reaction to it should be, Jesus tells stories.

There were 100 sheep and one is lost; what should be done?

Let's not get hung up on worry whether the 99 should be left in order to search for the one; the shepherd would have made provision for that, and Jesus isn't focusing there.

The central element in the story is the two-fold joy of finding: the joy of the shepherd, and the joy of the community at the restoration.

Then just to make sure that we have heard that central point, Jesus tells another story about the found coin, and the rejoicing that takes place there as well.

It is good news for all who are found.

One of our favorite games when we hear these stories from Jesus is to ask where we see ourselves in the story.

So where do we fit into these stories of joy?

(1) Are we the lost sheep?

--not evil, just sheep that are prone to wander.

--when we are lost, we lie down and refuse to budge

--we have to be carried back to safety; we don't make it on our own.

Have we or someone we know acted like that?

--lying down in the dangerous wilderness, immobilized by illness, drugs, alcohol, loneliness, or despair, and who needs a shepherd's strong arm and a rejoicing community?

The good news is God's persistence, even when others give up.

(2) Are we the 99?

Are we left to our own devices in the wilderness?

--Do we stick together, trusting that the shepherd will return?

--do we use 99 sets of eyes to watch for danger?

--do we encourage each other?

--do we scatter and make the shepherd's job all the more tedious and dangerous?

The good news is that despite the dangers, there is celebration at the end when all 100 are restored.

(3) Are we identifying with the friends and neighbors of the shepherd, passively watching the action,and only blooming at its climax?

I talk with folks who because of age or infirmity say that they have no part in the congregation anymore.

The good news is that whatever our present limitations, we have an important stake in the final celebration, and perhaps some additional celebrating along the way.

Our poster-child for that is Louella, who is only 100 years young tomorrow.

(4) Now, whom have we left out? ...the shepherd of course.

Yes, we are to identify with the shepherd also.

Jesus is the great Good Shepherd, but he has chosen us as assistants.

Every baptized person has a part in the shepherd's role,

--to seek out another lost one

--to stick with the hard job of getting the lost into the community.

It sounds like work, and it is.

The good news is that the relationships to be established are up to the Spirit, not to us.

...and further, that the hard work will not be in vain, because God will bless the efforts , and there will be joy in the whole community in heaven and on earth.

So then, there is Good News, no matter where we see ourselves in the story told by Jesus.

How amazing is God's grace!

He is not satisfied with halfway measures; he will bring us together so that at length we can celebrate as the whole community that bridges heaven and earth.

It's Good News in every corner:

Salvation unto us has come

By God's free grace and favor.

So first we sing and feast,

and then we go and search joyfully,

knowing that the outcome of our work is in God's hands,

The God who saved us by his grace.

Your blessed name we hallow. Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.