Pastor Christa von Zychlin

Our Savior’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Hartland, WI.  53029

Sermon preached Sept. 12, 2004

Scripture:  Luke 15:1-10

Luke 15
¹Tax collectors  and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. ²So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, "This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them." ³Then Jesus told them this story:
⁴If any of you has a hundred sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the ninety-nine in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? ⁵And when you find it, you will be so glad that you will put it on your shoulder ⁶and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, "Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep."
⁷Jesus said, "In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over ninety-nine good people who don't need to."
⁸Jesus told the people another story:
What will a woman do if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them? Won't she light a lamp, sweep the floor, and look carefully until she finds it? ⁹Then she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, "Let's celebrate! I've found the coin I lost."
¹⁰Jesus said, "In the same way God's angels are happy when even one person turns to him."  

HOW DO YOU MAKE AN ANGEL GRIN? 

Our Gospel story starts not with grinning, but with a bunch of people grumbling.  Did you notice that?  Do you ever grumble?  (all asked to stand)

You see, the Bible is a living document, it contains within its words the living Word of God and we’ve got to put ourselves into “BEING THERE” and let the Lord of the Bible speak to us, too, through the old old words.

And these particular 2.000 year old words of this story help us to admit that

Among other things, we are by nature grumblers… and God, of course, knows all about this.

And what’s more, you know what?  Religious institutions, be they synagogues, mosques, churches, or just a gathering of “churchy people” tend (… and this may shock, absolutely shock some of you J  but churches can be places where people REALLY like to grumble.

And here in the Gospel of Luke chapter 15 verse 1, it’s the religious leaders, the teachers and the “oh so good & moral Pharisees” – the people like us church members, who don’t like the fact that Jesus is paying way more attention to the new people, the outsiders, the “tax collectors and sinners” then to them, the “good givers” and long time members of the religious institutions.

Let’s again, put this into today’s world”  I think maybe the Tax collectors are like: owners of big car dealerships and say, tax attorneys and corporate executives.  Tax collectors were the people who built the big houses on the lakes and have the newest & biggest boats & had other people wondering how did HE make so much money?

And the “sinners” of Jesus’ day are roughly equivalent to the “sinners” today.   The people living together without the benefit of marriage, the people who drive without car insurance, who don’t show up for the parents meetings at school, who never volunteer for anything, who set a bad example by drinking and smoking… the people who can’t speak English because they’re from some other country & we’re not even sure if they’re legal or not, the people with Kerry bumper stickers on their cars (just kidding about that last one… I don’t think Pastor Wayne has had time to put his bumper sticker on just yet)

And surprise, these two very different groups of people, the rich tax collectors and the designated sinners are getting up close to hear what Jesus is saying!  His words are fresh, and they want to hear more, and they’re all crowding around because what they’re hearing is good news for something deep, something achingly deep in their souls.

And the good church people, the volunteers, the painters of Sunday School rooms and the cookers of potluck dinners… some of ‘em, they start grumbling.  Why’s Jesus spending his time with those people?

And Jesus tells two of the most delightful stories in the New Testament.

There were 99 sheep but one was lost, so the shepherd goes out to find the one lost sheep.   And Jesus doesn’t go into any detail whatsoever about exactly why that sheep was lost:  was it a stubborn old man sheep or a young grouchy teenager sheep, or a little lost child sheep.

Jesus says whatever the reason, whatever the “fault” he wants to recover the very last one.   Turn I t around, bring it back in.   And there will be rejoicing in heaven.

Then Jesus tell the story of  woman with her ten shiny silver coins..   One of ‘em, how does it happen?  Gets dropped, gets mislaid, rolls off into a corner, and when the old lady finds it… she throws a party.   And what a party it is.  Her beautiful collection is complete again.

And just so, there’s rejoicing in heaven, says Jesus”:

When the business man who hasn’t been to church since confirmation Day 1971… when he rolls into the church parking lot in his new SUV, let there be no grumbling about where he’s been these last 35 years – YOU don’t know what it took for him to darken the doors of a church again… and there just might be some major cheering going on among the angels. 

When the young mom who thinks she’s never going to get enough sleep again, never going to be beautiful again, never going to even like her husband again after this morning’s fight, let there be no grumbling when the baby begins to fidget or when she absolutely refuses to sign up for teaching Sunday School this year.  Because when she comes to church and surprise, it’s the same Bible reading as they had for their wedding day, (I Corinthians 13) “Love hopes all things, endures all things, believes all things, love never ends…” and she says, I’m sorry, Jesus.  And begins to hope again, begins to love again.   There’s confetti being thrown in the Kingdom.  There are horns being blasted in the sky.

Or there’s the Teenager who’s forced to go to church all the time, but she’s just doubting.   She’s just doubting whether it’s really true that there’s a God who loves her.   Church is just a big show for certain people, as far as she’s concerned, but then she heads up for communion with rings on her nose and tattoos on her way too lovely belly.   Let there be no grumbling about the clothing she wears..   As she receives the warm wine of Jesus’ forgiving blood, there just might be earfuls of Halleluiahs raised up in eternity.

In today’s Gospel according to St. Luke, Jesus says, I want every last one of you to come into God’s fold, to turn away from despair, to turn into God’s love.

There is a saying that I’ve always liked:  “The church is the only institution that exists first & foremost for those outside of its community.”

Think about that…. There’s government, the firs station, library, schools, sports clubs, country clubs… and then there’s the Church.

Here at this church, by the grace of God, we’re learning to be shepherds.

And sharp eyed women and men with brooms that sweep people in, instead of sweeping them away.

Whether it’s rich tax collectors, or sinners, Afghani refugee families, or Mexican immigrant families, whether it’s the guy with the new SUV & the “W” sticker to match, or the fuel efficient car with the Kerry slogan,

When one person who didn’t grow up in a Christian home begins to find out who Jesus is

When one kid who’S been going to Sunday School all his life suddenly figures out the God of the Bible is the God of his life..

When one angry or hurt individual receives the healing sacrament of forgiveness at the Lord’s Table

When someone who is lost is found

Jesus says, there’s no time for grumbling in a church where that’s the focus… looking for the moments when a sinner turns ‘round…

There’s no time for grumbling when we’re busy preparing to receive each other (‘cause we’re all sinners sometimes) with open arms, hope, and lots of celebration.

May we, here at Our Savior’s Church, make the angels positively grin for joy.   AMEN.

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