Luke 7:1-17,
36-50
There is a
lot in this reading today.
A few
comments:
The army
officer would have been Roman, and we don’t know what the background of the
slave is.
Why help a
Roman officer?
Why heal the
slave, why not set the slave free?
Then the
story of the widow’s son. Jesus does not ask the woman if she wants her son
back, he acts out of compassion.
The people
in these two healing stories are either outsiders or vulnerable or both.
To get
attention and gain some credibility, surely Jesus would have been better off
healing someone famous or important, like a national leader, chief priest, or a
rock star. Notice the people who Jesus healed, the slave of a Roman officer and
a widow.
Then the
story of the woman who washes Jesus feet. The woman labelled sinful by the host
of the meal.
One thing
that stood out to me in these three events, is that Jesus spoke, and something
happened.
Jesus didn’t
go to the slave; Jesus spoke and the slave was healed.
Jesus
stopped the funeral procession and said, “Young man, get up!” and he did.
Jesus said
to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
In the Bible
we see the power of words:
In the creation story in Genesis one, God spoke creation into being
In John’s
gospel we read of Jesus, the Word of God
I think of
the power of how we use words in worship:
Words
declaring Forgiveness
Words of
blessing, such as the peace.
The words of
Jesus to us are powerful:
Healing
Offering
grace
Saying I
love you
Words that
include
Our words
are powerful:
Encouraging
Supporting
Welcoming
Shunning
Undermining.
Words are
powerful!
A story that
made the news this week is Daniel & Leila Abdallah who created i4give Day
as a remembrance of the four angels, three of their children and a niece, that
were tragically killed on the 1st of February 2020.[i]
[image of I4give logo https://www.i4give.com/
They are a Maronite
Catholic couple
Leila told
the media during the days after the accident. “The guy, I know he was
[allegedly] drunk, driving on this street. Right now I can’t hate him. I don’t
want to see him, [but] I don’t hate him,”
“I think in
my heart to forgive him, but I want the court to be fair. It’s all about
fairness. I’m not going to hate him, because that’s not who we are.”[ii]
I’m not
going to hate him, because that’s not who we are.” – nothing about what
he deserves, or about the driver’s remorse. that’s not who we are.
What a
witness to grace.
[image https://www.i4give.com/ page with heart]
Danny &
Leila Abdallah. “Forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself and
others. The more you practice the better you become at it and it allows you to
live peacefully and to heal. Forgiveness is more for the forgiver than the
forgiven” [iii]
Here is
another quote about forgiveness:
When we
don’t forgive, when hold onto hate, when we want retribution, our hearts and
lives become clogged with hate, fear, anxiety, and rage.
Forgiving
allows you to not be tied to the past, to not let the one who hurt you continue
to have power in your life.
I think
forgiveness can also set the person being forgiven free, as well as the person
forgiving.
Forgiveness
doesn’t mean no consequences, but it allows a person to not be held by their
past.
I am sure
there are things in your past you would prefer did not happen – some would be
mistakes, and some intentional.
Have you
accepted the forgiveness of God?
Have you
forgiven yourself?
And there
will be some people in our past we never want to see again, can you forgive
them?
I
wonder if by grouping these stories together Luke is making a connection
between forgiveness and healing.
When
people talk to me about the pain and hurt in their life, some of that is
physical, and ongoing continual pain is hard to bear.
Generally,
I find the hardest pain for people to deal with is the pain that comes from
rejection by someone close;
broken family relationships;
shame or
guilt.
Shame
is a focus on self,
guilt
is a focus on behaviour.
Shame is “I am bad.”
Guilt is “I did something bad.”
Notice
the difference?
How many of you, if you did something that was hurtful to me, would be willing
to say, “I’m sorry. I made a mistake?”
How many of you would be willing to say that?
Guilt: I’m sorry. I made a mistake.
Shame: I’m sorry. I am a mistake.[iv]
Brene Brown
Shame
can be incredibly difficult for people to deal with. It often comes from words,
and actions, that tell people they are not wanted, they don’t count, life would
be better without them.
God
never says that to us. Never!
What
we hear in the gospel, the good news Jesus came to live out, is that
· we are
loved,
· you are
loved
· your sins
are forgiven
· you are
freed from what holds you shackled to the past
· you get to
start anew
It
doesn’t mean the past did not happen,
But
we don’t need to stay in that place.
People
in abusive relationships leave, they may forgive, but that doesn’t mean they go
back to the abuse.
If
you get a bad haircut, you forgive the hairdresser, but remember to go
somewhere different next time. Why hold onto the anger, all it does is eat us
away from the inside.
[image https://www.i4give.com/ image with broken chains]
Our
words have power,
They
can bring hope and joy and peace into someone’s life
Or
despair and shame and hurt.
What
do you use your words for?
Are
you following in the ways of Jesus and using your words to heal and forgive?
Danny &
Leila Abdallah. “Forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself and
others. The more you practice the better you become at it and it allows you to
live peacefully and to heal.” [v]
May
you find healing in the grace of God
And
may you work with God in offering that grace to others.
Silence
Prayer
God
who brings grace and peace
Help
us to hear and accept your words to us
I
love you
I
forgive you
You
are free
Jesus
the Word, whose words bring healing and hope,
Help
us to use our voices in ways that heal broken hearts and broken lives.
Amen.
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