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WHEN WE MAKE A MESS
A sermon preached February 10, 2008 at University United
Methodist Church, East Lansing by John Ross Thompson
Psalm 32
32:1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
32:2 Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose
spirit there is no deceit.
32:3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day
long.
32:4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up
as by the heat of summer. Selah
32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I
said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the guilt
of my sin. Selah
32:6 Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of
distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
32:7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you
surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah
32:8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel
you with my eye upon you.
32:9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper
must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.
32:10 Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those
who trust in the LORD.
32:11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all
you upright in heart.
Matthew 4:1-11
4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by
the devil.
4:2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.
4:3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command
these stones to become loaves of bread."
4:4 But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but
by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle
of the temple,
4:6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is
written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they
will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"
4:7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to
the test.'"
4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world and their splendor;
4:9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and
worship me."
4:10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship
the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"
4:11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
For many persons, Lent is not a favorite time.
It’s a time to walk closer with God through Jesus Christ.
We make a determined effort to be more Christ-like.
When we do, we realize how far we fall short of all that Christ asks of us.
This is a downer.
Yet, it’s an open door to a better life.
I find in myself and in many others a reluctance to talk about sin. Some
persons even fail ever to use the word “sin.” Given our Methodist tradition of
emphasizing grace and unconditional love, it’s unusual for me to preach directly
about it. However, today is different, especially because of our two scripture
passages.
Psalm 32 is clearly about what sin can do to us, and how one can find
wholeness through confession and the forgiveness of God. Jesus’ temptation in
the wilderness is more than an historical narrative. Temptation is a continuing
challenge for all of us.
This week, Pastor Alice Townley gave me an illustration about a couple who
refused to go back to a church because the church members there confessed they
had sinned. I doubt that they would find many other churches where this would
not happen!
This past Wednesday, as I was welcoming parishioners to the Lord’s Table on
Ash Wednesday, I was struck with the realization that our United Methodist open
invitation to all persons to come to Communion would also mean the same if we
said, “Only sinners are welcome.”
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” is one of the messages
from the Book of Romans. Romans also makes it clear that it’s a sin if you
think it’s a sin. Sin is disobedience. It’s doing wrong or not doing what we
know we should do.
French writer Andre Gide says it this way – “Sin is whatever obscures the
soul.”
Sin is universal. In modern language, it’s when we make a mess.
I don’t often quote Mae West, but, on the lighter side, she said, “It ain’t
no sin if you crack a few laws now and then, just so long as you don’t break
them.”
Here are some better quotes about sin, which obviously is a popular subject
through the years:
George Bernard Shaw – “The worst sin toward our fellow creates is not to hate
them, but to be indifferent to them; that’s the essence of inhumanity.”
Benjamin Franklin – “Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but is
forbidden because it is hurtful.”
Elbert Hubbard – “People are not punished for their sins, but by them.”
Kahlil Gibran – “Should we all confess our sins to one another, we would all
laugh at one another for our lack of originality.” (On Ash Wednesday, we had a
prayer of confession asking God’s forgiveness for our boring sins, such as
pride, self-centeredness, and indulgence.
In the Temptation, Jesus is identified with the 40-day tradition in the Old
Testament:
Moses fasted for 40 days while on the mountain with God.
Elijah went without eating for forty days.
The Lenten 40-day period of penitence was chosen because the church
had
come to think of 40 days as a time of
testing.
Note that Jesus overcame these temptations through the knowledge of his
identity, his purpose, and God's will for humankind.
The temptations of Jesus point more to inner struggles than to attacks
from outside sources. The temptation to turn stones to bread points to the
temptation that comes to many to be self-serving (4:3). The temptation to
bow down to Satan in order to rule all the kingdoms of the world (4:5-6)
highlights the human lust for power and dominance. The temptation to make
a spectacular jump from the pinnacle of the Temple points to the human need
to be noticed or valued. What happens when we are finally alone with no one
but the hidden self for company? Do our greatest temptations come from without
or from within?
First century philosopher Seneca said “Other men’s sins are before our eyes,
our own are behind our backs.”
The answer to sin is so simple that we can overlook the formula:
- Admit we do wrong, which includes failing to do what is right.
- Repent, turn around, make a profound determination to do better.
- Live a better life.
One person said the best prayer he ever heard was: "Lord, please make me the
kind of person my dog thinks I am." We can also think of that prayer as asking
God to make us the kind of person a young child looks up to.
Think of Lent as a time when we realize how sinful we are, or how incomplete
we are, and like a child look around with fascination and wonder at the world
that God created.
Does sin mean we are worms or worthless creatures? Absolutely not.
We are created by a loving Creator, and we are created in the image of God.
In our Road to Emmaus Lenten study this year, I was surprised that the
Ash Wednesday reading was not about how sinful we are, but focused on the fact
that God has created us to enjoy the world. Thomas Traherne, a 17th
century poet, tells us there that all is a gift – “It proceeds from the most
Perfect Lover (God) to the most perfectly beloved (us).”
Other
Traherne quotes that speak to us include these:
- “The world is a mirror of Infinite Beauty, yet no man sees it. It is a
Temple of Majesty, yet no man regards it. It is a region of Light and Peace,
did not men disquiet it. It is the Paradise of God. It is more to man since
he is fallen than it was before. It is the place of Angels and the Gate of
Heaven.” First Century, Meditation 31
- “You are as prone to love, as the sun is to shine.” Second Century,
Meditation 65
- “As nothing is more easy than to think, so nothing is more difficult
than to think well.” First Century, Meditation 8
- “Souls are god's jewels.” First Century, Meditation 15
So, then, why do we continue to sin? Not because we must, but because we
choose to. Remember that sin is a choice.
Lent is a season when we intentionally choose something else.
It can be a time to give up something or to add something to our lives, but
it is most of all a time to choose the life of a beloved child of God.
John Schneider’s column in today’s Lansing State Journal quotes Pastor
Mark Inglot of St. John Student Parish in East Lansing. His explanation of why
so many persons come to Ash Wednesday worship services is “Sooner or later, most
people come to realize that self-gratification is not taking them where they
want to go."
Yesterday, I looked up the weather forecast for the day, and it said Saturday
would be “dreary.” Yet, the snow on the trees and buildings continued to be
beautiful. We have a choice in what we see and what we choose to call it.
God’s plan is that we choose life and live it to the fullest.
The Lenten book’s devotional for today says that when we are in Christ, we
are people who share. Share all that we have and all that we are. Share the
joy.
When we realize we are sinners, we realize how much more God created us to
be.
When we make a mess, we realize the beauty that we are meant to create.
It’s our choice.
Prayer of God’s People: Almighty God, your blessed Son was led by the
Spirit to be tempted by Satan. Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by
many temptations. And, as you know the weakness of each of us, let each one
find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord.
Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer, U.S.A.
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