Episodes
Sunday Mar 06, 2016
Pit or Potential?
Sunday Mar 06, 2016
Sunday Mar 06, 2016
A homily preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli at Foundry UMC, March 6, 2016, the fourth Sunday in Lent.
Text: Luke 15:1-3,11-32
The parable that we’ve just heard is among the most well-known of Jesus’ parables. It’s been allegorized, philosophized, pulled apart, put together, painted, and looked at from pretty much every angle. I, myself—in order to try to open up the story in a fresh way— have preached from the perspective of the fatted calf! But at the end of the day, Jesus is telling a story about a family whose relationships are broken. And the story is about a father and two sons. Neither of the sons are particularly appealing characters and the father seems to make less-than-wise choices himself. Understood in the cultural context of Jesus’ time, the actions of every character in the story are shameful: the younger son disrespects his father in every possible way. The elder son also disrespects his father—first by accepting the early inheritance (instead of rejecting this in protest of his younger brother’s behavior) and secondly by refusing his father’s invitation to share in the celebration when the younger son had returned. The father would have been seen as weak and disgraceful for granting the younger son’s insolent demands.
But when that son appears at the end of the road, the father is out the door like a flash…the son he’d imagined as gone forever is back! It is a time for rejoicing. Regardless of what would be considered appropriate behavior, the father just loves the son—offers grace and embrace and forgiveness. And when the elder son throws his temper tantrum about it, the father extends the same love and tenderness to him.
At the heart of the Gospel is the promise that God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness are extended to everyone—even those deemed unworthy. The reason Jesus tells this parable is that he was giving the good stuff to people who didn’t “deserve it” and this set some religious folks off. “Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” (Luke 15:1-2) Jesus welcoming sinners, having mercy on sinners, loving and forgiving sinners is the point. Love and forgiveness is the point. //
Anyone undertaking a renovation project has to determine whether the project is a hopeless pit or whether there is real potential. A visionary designer looks at a dilapidated building, surveys what is run-down, broken, dusty, cramped, abused, neglected and sees the possibilities there. Jesus does that with people. Jesus looks at folks and sees not a “pit” but amazing potential; and Jesus doesn’t only see the potential but offers what is needed to bring about a life-giving renovation.
Carlo Carretto, a monk and spiritual master in the 20th century writes, “[Jesus] loves us as we are, at whatever stage of our journey. He loves the potentiality in us. The potentiality for conversion, return, love, light…Yes, God loves what in us is not yet…God, loving what is not yet and putting faith in us, continually begets us, since love is what begets. By giving us confidence, God helps us to be born, since love is what helps us to emerge from our darkness and draws us to the light…Love creates the divine environment for us, making transformation possible. By feeling ourselves loved, we are prompted to set out on the way of salvation.”[i] Another way to explain the renovating power of God’s love is found in the words of Sufi mystic poet Hafiz: How / Did the rose / Ever open its heart / And give to this world / All its / Beauty? / It felt the encouragement of light / Against its / Being, / Otherwise, / We all remain / Too / Frightened.[ii]
One of the first things we learn in Sunday School as children is that “Jesus loves me.” But my suspicion is that most of us think, deep down, that God only loves the parts of us that we or someone else think are “good enough.” But what we learn today is that the father loved his children when they were at their very worst. He saw what they had done, he yearned for them to turn and to return. But he loved them all the time. That love created the possibility for the sons to be transformed. Love truly felt and received helps us to be brave, to come alive, to be renewed.
I would wager we each harbor a little of the younger son, a bit of independence and self-centeredness—that spiritually sophomoric child who presumes that freedom means taking from life and not counting the cost, who wants to do whatever we want when we want, regardless of the price to ourselves or others. We each hold a piece of the elder son, the demanding critic, the rigidly, resentfully dutiful child, who keeps score and demands payment and gold stars for doing exactly what she is supposed to do. The good news is God loves you anyway and always. God forgives you. God loves the potential in you, God believes in you and is always ready to welcome you to the party in your honor when you finally make it “home.” You will know you’ve arrived when you realize that it’s OK that others are invited to the party…and when you begin to go out and invite others to join you—even when they’re still a long way off…
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