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Sermon
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WHEN YOU HELP SOMEONE At roughly the same time, figures like Leslie Weatherhead and Gordon Powell were working at the interface between modern psychology and Christian faith. Weatherhead was at the City Temple in London, and Gordon Powell variously in Melbourne and Sydney. Both, in their preaching, writing and counselling, helped lots of troubled people deal successfully with personal problems. Along with my peers, I was caught up in all this, and saw pastoral counselling as an important phase of my own ministry. But I have always been aware of two caveats. Beware thinking that, because we now have so-called ‘experts’, the job can safely be left to them. Beware also overlooking that a lot of people would prefer, if it were available, to draw the help they need from family member, friend or neighbour. The array of helping people is made up of psychiatrists, psychologists, psycho-therapists, social workers, pastoral counsellors, doctors, clergy and so on. But very important is a broad basic layer (we hope): the gracious, understanding family members, friends or neighbours. Many of us would just as soon go there as to one of the so-called ‘experts’. It’s not that these are ill-equipped or hard to find or too expensive. It’s just that talking over a beer in the pub or a bun at the kitchen table has its own unique appeal. Everyone here this morning has been cast in that helping role; some of you often. I want to unpack today’s gospel story for what it says to us about helping someone who’s down. Luke has Jesus visiting the home of Simon the Pharisee. Forget the negative stereotype of Pharisees; it’s mostly untrue. On the whole they weren’t self-righteous, legalistic, judgmental. In fact they were a lay ‘renewal’ movement in 1st century Judaism. Some scholars think Jesus himself could have belonged to the movement. At any rate, he is visiting the home of this well-known Pharisee. It was the custom that when a distinguished rabbi called, the door would be open to all comers, who were welcome to meet and hear him. Hence the surprise entry of this woman thought to be of ‘ill repute’, shall we say. It’s always been assumed that she was a prostitute – but not, I emphasise, Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was not a former prostitute. Jesus would have been reclining, resting on one elbow; that was the way. To everyone’s consternation (especially Simon’s), the woman kneels behind Jesus, washing his feet with her tears and wiping them with her free flowing locks – all rather inappropriate. Luke says she kisses his feet and rubs them with the perfume worn around her neck. Simon is critical of Jesus for allowing this. Jesus tells Simon a little story about two men in debt to the same money-lender, whose outstandings are cancelled; then chides Simon for being a rather ungracious host. Then he turns his attention to the woman and says “your sins are forgiven.” I want you to notice three things about this episode in Jesus’ dealings with the woman. I
First, Jesus doesn’t judge or scold. He seems to reserve his exasperation for Simon. In fact, there are few instances of people coming to Jesus in trouble who get a serve from him; more often it is the sanctimonious goody-goodies who are the butt of his criticism. You see, Jesus was well aware of what we call ‘Murphy’s Law’. Murphy’s Law says that if something can go wrong, given time it surely will. He would have called it ‘Job’s Law’. Job has to be the unluckiest man in the bible. Everything goes pear-shaped for him. He is a good chap, noted for his piety; successful in life, with ten children and big herds of sheep, camels and donkeys. But disasters take the lot of them and then Job gets a vile skin disorder to top it all off. To make matters worse, his friends tell him all this must be his own fault! He must have caused it all by his sin. Not very helpful to a chap at his wits’ end! Jesus was aware that ‘Job’s law’ means bad things can happen to everyone, given time. It ill-behoves those of us who have had a good run to aggravate someone’s problems by saying “If you had not done this or that, it wouldn’t have happened.” If it is my own stupid fault, I know that without having to be told. Women don’t generally go into prostitution because they like the work; more often than not it has something to do with a miserable background, with financial woes or today, a drug habit. So, first principle in helping another is ‘Remember Job’s Law’ and avoid the scolding. It could be you next time. II
Second, Jesus affirms the law of ‘moving on’. One of my sermons that proved popular some years ago was called “How to Fail Successfully”! That may sound bizarre today, when we have so many books, courses and seminars on how to be a resounding success in everything you do – business, parenting, sex, personal relationships and the rest. Stuff like that has its place, but is not always very comforting when it glosses over Murphy’s Law. One of the tests of a well developed human being is not whether he invariably succeeds in everything he puts his hand to – but whether he can pick himself up and move on when things go pear-shaped. Life was well and truly pear-shaped for this woman. She had lost whatever standing she may once have enjoyed; she was treated by men as a chattel, she had no self-respect; she had become cynical and depressed. Jesus says “Your sins are forgiven”, which is another way of saying, “You can move on.” No one needs to stay fixated at the point where things have gone pear-shaped. The affirmation that God forgives is a religious way of saying ‘by God’s grace you can put this behind you and move on.’ Some of the bystanders say “Who is this fellow that he forgives sins?” In fact, Jesus doesn’t say “I forgive you”, nor even “God forgives you.” He simply says “Your sins are forgiven” . . . and then he says “It is your faith that has saved you.” In other words, if you believe you can move on, you will. When helping another, it’s important to help them feel they have the resources within to move on. III
I said there were three things about this episode that strike me. Third is: Jesus makes the other feel worthwhile. My first funeral in Kensington, New Hampshire forty years ago, was that of a 104-year-old lady, the town’s oldest resident. In the hearse en route from church to cemetery, Carl Brewitt the undertaker pushed an envelope into my hand. “That’s your fee, parson.” I said that I came from a country where clergy (my tradition, any way) didn’t accept fees for funerals. We saw that as something the church could do for people – be there in times of loss and grief. “Well, we’re not in your country now. Take it!” Carl argued that if I didn’t, the family would feel indebted to me, maybe ‘objects of charity’ – and they didn’t need that. This was a different way of looking at the issue, but I could see his point. Jesus’ allowing this woman to wash and anoint his feet could be dismissed as his accepting the normal courtesies of the day, generally extended to someone coming into your house. It could also be seen as having some lofty symbolic meaning – like acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord of all, even people who’ve made a mess. I suppose it could even be read by some cynic as implying that he had a big ego, and revelled in this kind of fussing over him. I want to pursue another line. Jesus more than likely knew who this woman was; after all, he was commonly found among those considered riff-raff. He wanted to help her make a new start if that was what she wanted. It had to be her wish, of course. He wasn’t in the business of forcing anyone. Remember the rich young man? If he didn’t want to sell all he had and follow, Jesus wasn’t about to force him into anything. Same with this woman. Jesus wanted to help her make a new start if that was her wish. He did not want her to feel forever indebted to him, and so he gave her the opportunity to do something for him. That was good for her self-esteem, which he wanted to enhance any way. I want to conclude with this story, told me by a lady named Cynthia. I met Cynthia in 1995 at the Quaker meeting house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was invited to her modest house. Once inside, I guessed her great love. Mixed with photos were native American wood carvings, bead work, rugs and other artifacts. On graduating from ‘college’ Cynthia had found work with the school on an Indian reservation. It was not long before the teaching was reciprocal. Older women taught Cynthia how to cook Indian style, and what plants had medicinal properties. An old lady with no English, and no interest in learning it, ‘adopted’ Cynthia. They would sit together while the older one taught the young woman the bead work, rug making and other arts and crafts. Communication was limited to what Cynthia was learning of the language and signs they made up as they went along. After some years, and with a rich understanding of native American culture, Cynthia left the reservation. It was a hard experience for all. Her adoptive ‘mother’ was very old, bade Cynthia a tearful farewell and handed over the rug that was now hanging behind us in the hallway. A younger woman interpreted. “She wants to say to you ‘I like myself when I am with you.’ Do you understand?” Cynthia understood. She had helped this lady to a powerful sense of worth. I rather think that is what often happened when people met Jesus. ___________________________________________________
An
address presented by the Rev Dr John Bodycomb at St Aidan's
Uniting Church North Balwyn, on 17th June, 2007 IT MAY BE
REPRODUCED WITH ACKNOWLEDGMENT. |
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Page updated 20/06/07