Obstacles to Grace
Sermon by Stephen Ricketts
Providence-Fort Washington United Methodist Church
Jeremiah 1:4-10; Luke 13:10-17
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 25, 2013
In today’s gospel reading we meet three people. First, there is the woman “who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.” We really know very little about her; like so many people in the gospels (especially women) we do not even know her name. We do not know if she was married or had children; we do not know if she was rich or poor; we do not know what had left her unable to stand upright. For all that we do not know, we find ourselves drawn to her and her situation. Many of us here have back pain and there have been times when I could not straighten up because of the pain. So, we are sympathetic to her; and, if we were present I am sure many of us would have been quick to assist her in any way possible.
The next person we meet is Jesus. Actually we already knew that Jesus was there – we know he was “teaching in one of the synagogues.” That means that a group of people (probably men) was gathered around where Jesus was sitting listening to his every word. We do not know what Jesus was discussing, but it is likely he was explaining a passage that had previously been read aloud. In addition to teaching Jesus was also aware of what was going on in the synagogue. Like today, some people arrive early for services and some come in later so there would have been “movement” in the synagogue and Jesus was certainly aware of the comings and goings around him. But, when this particular woman entered, Jesus stopped what he was saying and called her into his circle. Notice that Jesus is the one who took the initiative; the woman was probably trying to stay in the background, so she was probably more surprised than anyone else when Jesus called her over. Then Jesus did something that truly amazed everyone present; with a simple word and touch he set her free from her infirmity and she was able to stand again without pain.
It is at this point that we meet the third person, the “synagogue leader.” If this was a silent movie this would be the point where the music changes to a minor key and everyone starts booing and hissing – the villain has stepped onto the stage. Instead of praising God that the woman had been released from her infirmity this man can only condemn Jesus for “working” on the Sabbath. How could he be so callous and cold-hearted? I say we all gather some stones and take him out immediately and stone him. Anyone want to join me in casting stones on this cruel and mean-spirited Pharisee who clearly deserves our wrath and condemnation?
Well, maybe we should not be so hasty. I seem to remember Jesus saying something like “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.” Maybe we should try and understand the Pharisee a bit better before we start throwing stones; maybe we should look at ourselves before we condemn others. I believe the Pharisees get a bad rap in the gospels. Now, I do believe they could be rigid but they probably do not deserve all the criticism we pile on them. We need to remember that first and foremost they were fundamentally good and faithful Jews who truly wanted to please God by following the laws handed down from Moses. They believed it was possible for everyone who truly loved God to follow the Law. One of the ways they helped people follow the law was by interpreting the law in such a way that it was understandable to everyone. The Law says “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy …you shall not do any work (on that day)” Clear enough until someone asks, “What is work?” The Pharisees tried to answer that question by defining work in such a way that people could know if they were indeed following God’s Law. Rules about things like counting steps or not lighting a fire helped people know they were following the Law. The Pharisees were not trying to punish people; they truly wanted to help God’s people follow God’s Law. So, on that day, the “synagogue leader’s” first concern was to help the congregation follow God’s Law as faithfully as possible; and that is a good thing. In many ways I find myself sympathizing with the synagogue leader. I too want to help God’s people follow God’s Law. I too would resent some travelling preacher stirring up trouble in my congregation by preaching a new and innovative message. I too would feel obligated to speak up if someone clearly transgressed the Law of Moses.
At the same time, I want to celebrate that this “daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years”, has finally been set free. I feel the tension. On the one hand, I want to be faithful to God and to all of God’s commandments. At the same time, I want to be compassionate and generous to all of God’s children. What happens when these two collide? What happens when following God’s law seems to obligate me to ignore a human need? Clearly, this has become an obstacle to grace for me.
I guess the first observation to make is that God’s laws do not apply to God. While God calls us to rest on the Sabbath in solidarity with those who cannot rest on any day, God continues to work every day. The sun shines and the rains fall on every day including the Sabbath. We have an advantage over the synagogue leader in that we know Jesus is free to be about his Father’s business every day. Today, we need to be alert and recognize when God is at work and get involved in God’s project no matter the day. For example, I believe God is at work among the homeless of D.C. we serve along with others at the House of Peace. Are we “working” when we travel to be with them and distribute food and other things they need? Yes, we are working, but we are not breaking the Sabbath because we are clearly following Christ’s lead.
Next, I believe that when we are faced with a choice between being compassionate and following the dictates of the Law that compassion wins. The rabbis of Jesus’ day knew it was permissible to lead an animal to food and water on the Sabbath; they knew it was permissible to render life saving aid to people on the Sabbath. The question is do we do the minimum required to save a life or do we attempt to do the maximum possible to give life to those in need. Jesus seems to come down on the side of doing the most possible to help those in need whenever we encounter them. The leader of the synagogue had a point – was there any particular reason to heal this woman on the Sabbath? She had been crippled for eighteen years; what difference would one more day make? Jesus’ actions clearly say that we must do the most we can to enhance life rather than the minimum required to save a life.
I also believe we cannot use Jesus’ actions that day as an excuse to violate God’s Law. Jesus chose to heal on the Sabbath when the opportunity presented itself because it allowed him to make a point about God’s love. However, much of what Jesus did took place during the rest of the week; Jesus did not seek out opportunities to break the Sabbath. This means that our ministry must work within established frameworks as much as possible. At the same time our ministry must work around established frameworks whenever necessary. Should we visit the sick and homebound Monday through Saturday? Yes, that should be our normal pattern. And, should we visit them on Sunday? Yes, as often as necessary. Should we fight evil and injustice and inequality on Monday through Saturday? Yes, of course we should, and that should be our preferred option. And, should we fight evil and injustice on Sunday? Yes, we can never let evil off the hook by not fighting it on Sunday. Now, we should never seek excuses to break the Sabbath or any other of God’s commandments; we should strive to keep them as best we can. But, I believe God calls us to put our service to others before everything else.
The challenge, as I see it, is that being faithful to God and God’s call to be a faithful servant is hard work that requires much discernment. It is much easier to follow the rules; rules provide us with black and white choices that are relatively easy to make. But choosing justice and compassion may require us to go against the status quo. It is much easier to side with the synagogue leader and do as we are told. Choosing justice and compassion requires us to listen carefully for God’s voice. Choosing justice and compassion means following Jesus even when the world would have us go in a different direction.
It has been hard to avoid thinking about the March on Washington that took place fifty years ago this coming Wednesday. The men and women who participated in that March had to make a choice. If they stayed at home and followed the established rules they would stay out of trouble. But if they went where they felt Christ was leading them then there were no guarantees. That day, many chose to step out in faith and try and change the world. I, for one, am glad so many of them made the hard choice. I am glad they chose to believe in the dream that all of God’s children can live in peace and harmony. I am glad they put compassion and justice first.
As I look out in the world today, I see a lot of “synagogue leaders.” I see people who want to play by the rules even when those rules deny justice to others. I see people who want to enforce rules that keep people from living life to the fullest. I see people who want to enforce rules that help them maintain their place in society. I also see some people who are willing to challenge the rules and reach out in compassion to those who are suffering. I believe Christ is ready to remove the obstacles that keep his grace from flowing into all people. I believe Christ is calling us to put justice first. I believe Christ is calling us to release all those Satan has kept bound for too many years.
Amen.
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