Genesis
45: 3–11, 15; Psalm 37: 1–12, 41–42; I Corinthians 15: 35–38, 42–50; Luke 6: 27–38
This
is the homily given at St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania by Fr. Gene Tucker
on Sunday, February 24, 2019.
"I CAN CHANGE, I GUESS"
(Homily text: Luke 6: 27-38)
Not
too many years ago, there was a wonderful comedy show which came out of Canada,
and which was seen on Public Television. Its title was the “Red Green Show”.
The show featured a men’s
club, with a men’s clubhouse, and a series of short vignettes.
But the one feature that
was always the same was the “Men’s Oath”. Men would come into the clubhouse and
file into the benches. They’d sit down, and then the leader would say, “All
rise”, and they’d stand up. The leader would say, “Let’s recite the Men’s Oath”.
They all repeat the Men’s
Oath, part of which says, “I’m a man, and I can change, I guess.”
Since Jesus’ teaching,
heard this morning, is about change, let’s adapt the Men’s Oath and apply it to
the situation that Jesus faced in His earthly ministry, and to our situation
today. And since we shouldn’t pick on men (too much, anyway), let’s change
“men” to “person”.
So, let’s begin.
I’m a person, and I can
change, I guess: I/we
can change and learn to love others in the way that God already loves me/us. In
the culture and society in which Jesus moved and worked, love was in short
supply. The leaders of God’s people aren’t portrayed in a very favorable light.
They seemed to relish their favored place in society, and they seemed to
zealously guard their place in the scheme of things. They cared little for the
people they were supposed to be leading. The world in those days 2,000 years
ago was a pretty unloving place. Life was hard and difficult. It was uncertain
and often short.
I’m a person, and I can
change, I guess:
I/we can learn not to condemn others, even just a little. Jesus’
audience who had gathered around to hear His teaching knew quite a lot about
condemnation. Remember how often the Pharisees chastised Jesus for hanging
around with “tax collectors and sinners”? The attitude, common in those days,
was to avoid people who were considered to be “sinners”. There was no
forgiveness, only condemnation. Sinners were to be avoided, not associated with
in the hope of reforming their lives, or in trying to understand their
situation so as to improve it.
I’m a person, and I can
change, I guess:
I/we can be generous in my/our treatment of others. Way back then,
during Jesus’ earthly ministry, the common attitude was that if a person was
healthy and was rich, then the reason those good things were part of that
person’s life was because they were obeying all the requirements of the Law of
Moses, and had been blessed by God as a result. But Jesus’ teaching, set before
us this morning, informs us that God doesn’t think or behave that way. God’s
goodness and grace isn’t dependent on a person’s ability to be righteous by
their own merits.
I’m a person, and I can
change, I guess:
I/we can recognize that God’s goodness which I/we receive isn’t meant to
be hoarded, but it is to be shared with others and passed along to others.
Change is the basic
message of Jesus’ teaching, heard this morning. But change is at the very heart
of nearly all of Jesus’ teaching and interaction with others. He seeks to break
down the “default settings” found in human hearts that are unresponsive to
God’s action. For God’s way of thinking and doing is radically different from
our ways of thinking and doing.
And that’s the bottom line
of our relationship with God.
AMEN.
