The Message from Sunday, March 20, 2022, Third Sunday in Lent

 

The Message from Sunday, March 20, 2022
Third Sunday in Lent

Scripture Reading:
Luke 13:1-9

“Sin is Sin”
by Rev. Patricia Rainey

A few years ago, I was playing in another church orchestra. It was a Sunday evening. We had finished our rehearsal and were going to start the service. Suddenly the door of the church opened and a man who no one knew came running down the aisle crying and sobbing loudly. He threw himself onto the alter. The pastor went to him and held him. It turns out that he had fallen away from God. He had a responsible government position but had done something illegal. He had been caught and was going to court the next day. He expected to get a long prison sentence, and he was very afraid. At that moment the service became a prayer service for the man that no one knew. People prayed that he would not go to jail, and that he would not be afraid. The next day came, and a miracle happened. He was not sentenced to jail. They accepted his plan for reimbursement, and he was set free. This miracle occurred because of the faithful prayers of a loving and generous church. But was he any more sinful than the rest of us who were praying for him? Was his sin greater because he had government clearance? According to the Bible...NO. We all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God. The Bible does not rate sin on a scale, with some sins worse than others. Sin is sin and we all have sinned and come short of God's glory.

In Luke 13:1-9, the Bible reveals that Pilate had mixed some Galilean blood with their pagan sacrifices. Then Jesus asked if they were worse than other Galileans. He said "I tell you NO! But unless you turn from your sins, you will all die too." Jesus is not rating sin from bad to worse. He is saying that you have to turn away from sin. But let us not forget redemption. When Jesus talked about the fig tree, the landowner had complained that there was no fruit on the tree. So, it should be cut down. But the gardener wanted to give it another year. Fig trees are very slow to grow fruit. The fact that the gardener wanted to give it more time should reminds us that God is patient with us as we grow and change to be more Christlike. And may we be reminded that the tree that Zacchaeus climbed to get a better view of Jesus was a Sycamore tree...a type of fig tree.

A few years ago, I watched TV as a serial killer was sentenced to life imprisonment. Family members gave impact statements as to how the death of their loved ones impacted their lives. Most were angry and wished bad things on the killer. But one lady said that she forgave him.

She forgave him because it was the godly thing to do and she wanted freedom to move her life forward.

The two points of this sermon I would like to make are:

1. We must turn away from sin, all sin, and

2. Jesus forgives us.

The man who was caught doing illegal things in his government job is no worse a sinner than the rest of us who were praying for him. Let us not judge one another.  For judgement is in the hands of God, and those who believe in Jesus Christ are washed clean by the blood of Christ, our sins forgiven.

To conclude, I would like to share with you one more short story. I once read a story of a little boy who was often naughty. His dad asked him if he would like to talk to him about his latest escapade. The child refused. When his dad asked him why he said, "If I tell you, you will yell and scream. If I tell God, He will forgive me and that will be the end of it!!!

Scripture Reading:
Luke 13:1-9