1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-10
Psalm 51:1-18
We all do it – at one time or another – we all do it. We all ask, why me? Why me Lord? Why must it be me – who has to do all the work? Why do I have to deal with all the hurt? Why do I have to be the grown up? Why do I have to be the one who makes all the sacrifices? Why Lord? Why me?
At one time or another we all catch ourselves in the act of self-righteousness. Now, to be righteous, is not a bad thing – to be righteous is to walk in a way that is honorable, virtuous, moral, exemplary – in religious terms one might liken it to walking in the path that God has set before us, thus, something that does not come easily, but with hard work, dedication and commitment, it is something to strive for.
But when the internal self expectations, or the external “God’s expectations” are taken to the extreme, and one’s own sense of righteousness leads to taking the actions and experiences of others for granted, then we begin to have a problem. “For there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
In our reading from the Hebrew text, Exodus, we encounter the Israelites as they wait at the foot of the
God’s wrath and indignation is an unknown threat to the many – but it is soothed, and stopped by the one. Moses invites God to have patience with his fickle people – and by doing so, gives the followers the opportunity to repent, to change their ways, and to be patient as they await the fulfillment of their needs – and wants. In this first text, God learns something about the people – and though this part of the story is not written, I believe God learns something about forgiveness – our Psalm reflects on this truth. God knows something of having his own heart broken again and again by the sins and hurts that we cause to ourselves and others when we approach our lives and our work, not with humility and openness to transformation, but with a haughty sense of self-importance and ownership – self-righteousness.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; *
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
God learns that the experience of a repentant people turning to him, and the ability to forgive those sins is one that satisfies, and it is a gift that we, as a broken and inescapably sinful people, cannot help but offer again and again our repentance as a sacrifice to God.
Our Gospel text reflects a different version of the story – a flip of it, really. Jesus is being watched, seen by the Pharisees as he shares a table fellowship with tax collectors and sinners. They grumble at the sight of this and he responds with a few parables, a few stories that might shed some light on the situation at hand, and on a new way of thinking through the needs of the individual and the needs of the community.
Asking the Pharisees to put themselves in the place of a lowly shepherd, he entreats them to see life from a new perspective – that of one who is not so certain that all their good works will be sufficient to get them into heaven. In his story there are many well-behaved and “righteous” sheep, which have done their duty, stayed with the flock, managed to keep from getting lost, either by their good decision-making, or like most sheep, their good following along with the community allowing the shepherds & dogs to do their work herding.
But one sheep has lost its way, thus calling upon one shepherd to leave and go in search of it. (In a herd of this size there were likely several shepherds caring for the flock of 99 left behind.) The one sheep is likened to the one who sins, the one who does not, cannot bring themselves to the altar of forgiveness, and thus the one who loves the sheep and cares for the needs of the community at large seeks out to find it, and rejoices at the finding of that individual. Upon its return, its restoration to the community, and thus the completion of the whole, there is to be much rejoicing. The economic sanctity of the community at large is returned to a position of health and wealth, and the assurance that each community member is needed and wanted is assured. Yes, the repentant sinner is needed and wanted and desired to be returned to its place at the table with the righteous.
If you have been following the Gospel texts for the past few weeks, and have looked ahead you might see a pattern that is forming. A few weeks ago, Jesus told the parable of a banquet where he warns that one ought not take a place of honor, but a place of humility in the seating arrangement, because it is the host who will bestow that place of honor, and in God’s eyes it is the poor and those in the greatest need in this life who will receive that place in the kingdom. In the coming weeks we will hear the story of poor Lazarus, who is given that seat in God’s heavenly kingdom, while the one who unrepentantly walked past him every day, did nothing more than offer the crumbs from his abundant table, and the consequences of that lack of repentance.
Jesus’ challenge to the Pharisees, and as I see it to us, is one that truly does cause grumbling. “Why not me, Lord? Why not put me at the head of the table, in the place of honor for all the good that I have done?” It is one that challenges us to remember that we are called upon to be both the righteous, living in the way that God has set forth for us, caring for those who need it most, and the repentant sinner – to recognize our own role as the sheep who has lost it’s way, and the loving voice of the shepherd is calling to us to bring us back into the fold.
One way that we enact this righteousness, and this repentance is in our time gathered here. As a righteous people we bring ourselves to the house of God to learn in community, in practice, in fellowship and in opportunities to teach and learn here where God is in action in our lives, and where God is calling us into action on his behalf. And as we gather for communion, we reflect on the places where we have lost our way, where we have hurt ourselves and others, and where we are in need of God’s wholeness, healing and forgiveness to bring us back into the fold of the community at large.
So which of these stories do you and I fit into?
Are we the righteous – annoyed that God doesn’t give us great kudos for all the good that we are doing?
Are we the bored, impatient, stiff-necked people, tired of waiting and looking for something else to capture our attention?
Are we one of those lost and being sought by God?
Are we like Moses/Jesus, point to those in the greatest need of God’s loving-kindness and saying, “Go there, to them, they need God.”?
Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners because they needed him. He criticized those who assumed God’s favor shone upon them because they were so Good and fulfilling of their duties. On this commissioning Sunday, as you leaders and participants in the life of the community approach your call to follow God, you who are commissioned in your ministries, you who are leaders in the community: do you do so with an expectation of praise?
It is not self-righteousness, displayed for the benefit of others that we are called into. But as one amongst the many, we are called to celebrate with those who have found their way back to the fold, and to rejoice with the one whom having lost the irreplaceable, has found it again.
Why me Lord? Why must it always be me?
Delivered by The Rev. Mary Catherine Enockson
The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, Rock Hill, SC, September, 16, 2007.
