"Second
Chances"
a condensed version of the
sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, March 11, 2007 at Union Congregational Church in Somonauk, Illinois.
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We’ve spent time the past two weeks encountering reality from a different perspective. We’ve explored Temptation and Danger already – this week we look at second chances.
Miss America made some bad decisions – and people said that she should forfeit her crown. But then Donald Trump had something different to say.
"This is the land of second chances – we’re going to give her a second chance."
Did anyone catch the gist of the thing he said?
But if she messes up this time – she’s out.
Some people were paying attention to this whole scenario and they said to each other – "Doesn’t that sound like something from the Bible? – you get a second chance but if you mess up you’re toast?"
I’ve heard that before. God’s given you a chance to repent – but if you don’t – you will perish.
I think I know where it comes from. Here is something that sounds like it from this morning’s reading. It’s easy to look at Luke 13:1-9 and find a dire warning about the future. When we do that, however, we might be missing the point.
Jesus was posed with the question of divine judgment and wrath. The crowds came to him with tragedies and asked if the people involved were being punished for something. A common belief of the time was that pain and premature death were signs of God’s wrath. Some people still have that view of God.
"Don’t be surprised if terrible events occur in your city – you just voted God off the school board!" (Paraphrase from Pat Robertson)
How did Jesus respond to the question of divine judgment and wrath? NO!
And then he sent a message – "Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did."
Why did he say that? Why do we repeat it so often – out of context?
Jesus was talking to people who were his followers. And yet he still warned them to repent. Repent from what?
What is it that Jesus showed the most disdain for? When have we seen Jesus angry or "less than courteous" with others? It is when people were oppressing others and had an attitude of knowing it all and having God fit into a neat and tidy worldview.
God is not neat and tidy -- and I think Jesus wanted to throw a perspective shifter in there so the people to stop trying to make things fit into a neat and tidy box. Things didn’t fit into that box.
Tragedy can strike anyone – anywhere. It’s not divine retribution.
When Hurricane Katrina struck Mississippi and Louisiana – it wasn’t God’s anger. When over 160,000 people were killed in Indonesia after the Tsunami it wasn’t divine retribution. In the dozen or more natural disasters to hit Indonesia over the past two years – leaving thousands more dead – don’t look for God’s wrath. As Cyclone George pummeled Northwest Australia this week and while Cyclone Jacob comes on its heels we aren’t seeing God’s anger. When people die every day in the tragedy of war it’s not God’s anger. It makes me sad and angry when in disaster I hear people saying that God is punishing the sinners.
You have it from Jesus’ mouth – are these things happening because the victims are sinners?
NO
But if you really want God’s justice – you are all toast!
Did I say that differently than "unless you repent, you’ll all perish?"
Yes – because I think the parable takes us in that direction. The parable gives us a flavor of what the writer of Psalm 130 was experiencing. Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? {4} But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. (Vss. 3-4)
Jesus’ parable is all about a fig tree that isn’t bearing fruit.
Fig trees grow well in the Mediterranean area. They bear good fruit. They also use a lot of nutrients in the soil. It would make sense to take an unfruitful, yet still resource-hogging tree and cut it down so that the other trees could better bear fruit. But Jesus twisted things again by telling of the gardener who wanted to nurture the tree more.
‘let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good. . . ‘
Yes – I’m neglecting to talk about the "if it doesn’t, you can cut it down part" again.
Why? Because the point of the parable isn’t about cutting the tree down – that’s what everyone would expect. The point of the parable is that the gardener wanted to give the tree more time to bear fruit.
We’re missing the point when we see this passage and the parable in it and think "repent or die" instead of "God shows mercy even when it makes no sense at all"
And that is the point of this passage. And it is a reality that we have in Jesus.
God is a God of second chances.
Do you remember last week when I talked about what our job was and what God was really good at doing?
But you still want to know – "How long will the second chance last? Is it like Miss America’s second chance? If we mess up again are we toast?
The phrase Jesus uses in the parable, "If it bears fruit next year," doesn’t come across as "in exactly a year" as we measure time. It’s an expression that means "in the future." And it is in keeping with Jesus message of love and forgiveness that is at the core of his ministry here on earth. Jesus message of love and forgiveness is at the core of Jesus ministry, period. (I mean, comma, J )
Let me explain that little "aside." The comma is the symbol of the stillspeaking initiative of the United Church of Christ. It comes from the words of John Robinson who did not travel with the pilgrims to the new world, but in sending them off, said "There is yet more light to break forth from God’s word." It also comes from a love letter from Gracie Allen to George Burns. She wrote: ‘Never put a period where God has placed a comma." God is not finished – God is not absent – God is not silent. God is still speaking. Our denomination has been actively sending out the message for the last 3 plus years. You can link to the stillspeaking website and others from our church website.
Jesus has a message of love and forgiveness. How does that relate to us? I think that it tells us – as a church and as individuals, that God has not given up on us. God is still working, caring and nurturing the church and each of us so that we will bear fruit. How long will God wait? I don’t know. It may be a stretch here, but if "7 days" of creation took billions of years, a "year" would be something close to eternal.
I do think our reading today is a call to repent – to turn away from what keeps our focus off God. But repent isn’t just "turning away." It is also "turning to."
How can you focus on "turning to" God today – this week – this month?
This one may be too easy – and it might get a bit annoying. Every time you turn – try to think of turning your focus to God. You don’t have to say a prayer or stop and tell someone what you are doing. Just pay attention to it for at least a day or two. I think if you do that it will become a natural thought that comes to you every time you turn. Turn to God – our God of second chances.
Close with prayer.
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