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27th
October 2013 - Proper 25 - Revd. Preb Maureen Hobbs |
Sermon for last after Trinity, Proper 25
2 Timothy
4. 6-8, 16-18
Luke 18. 9-14
Years ago I remember seeing a T-shirt in a magazine... It bore
the message on the front " I'm not perfect." And on
the back,
"...but God's still working on it!"
It has been said that there is an eighth deadly sin, more lethal
than all the other seven ....
Incidentally, shall we have a bit of revision here this morning?
Who can remember what the first seven deadly sins are? ( pride,
lust, gluttony, sloth, envy, wroth and greed are the usual culprits
.... Though we can probably all think of a few extra headings
to add to that list too!). So what do you think would be the
eighth deadly sin? (There was a big hint in this morning's
gospel.... ). Self-righteousness. It is indulged in by those
of us who like to think - or at least like other people to think,
that we are innocent of the other seven! Those who belong to
the religious elites - priests, rabbis, mullahs and the like
are
perhaps particularly prone to it. Some Pharisees like the one
In our story, succumbed to this sin - though there is absolutely
no reason to think they were any more inclined to fall into this
trap than any of the rest of us.
The self- righteous think that they know better or more than
'ordinary' believers. The professionally pious sometimes conceal
their own doubts or uncertainties for fear of unsettling others
( which is of course unbearably patronising). But when a
religious leader does not always collude with this conspiracy,
the public - or at least media - opinion can really turn on them.
Just think back to the controversy that surrounded David Jenkins
when he was Bishop of Durham, or even Rowan Williams. People
can get very upset if 'those in the know' admit to not always
accepting the orthodox view or teaching.
When I read this story of the Pharisee and the Tax collector
at there prayers! I am reminded of the story of the Sunday School
teacher ( not anyone here I hasten to add!) who, having taught
her class about this story said, "Now children, let's close
our eyes and put our hands together and thank God that we are
not like that nasty Pharisee". So easy to fall into the
same trap!
When people ask me how to pray to God - apart from starting with
the LP of course, I often think that this story is not a bad
place to start.... Taking the Tax collector as our model.
Just to stand before God. To feel that there is no corner of
ourselves or our souls into which God's penetrating gaze cannot
reach and to beg him for mercy as a result ... Well we could
all do a lot worse than this. It is the origin of the so-called
'Jesus prayer' which, across the centuries, Eastern Orthodox
saints have said in their hearts with every breath they take.
" lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
This prayer for Eastern saints is a good one for Western sinners
too!
And a good thing too that in the rite of penitence and reconcilliation
- which is the proper name for Confession, the priest, having
given absolution should always ask that the penitent should pray
for him or her too. Not one of us is above the need of forgiveness.
We are works in progress on which God is truly always working.
But not one of us too is above the need sometimes to feel really
angry with God that bad things happen to us - for no good reason
that we can fathom - and it just isn't fair! Well that is OK
too. I do not think God ever minds a bit of righteous anger -
especially when expressed on behalf of a loved one rather than
just ourselves ... Because at least then we are being truly and
authentically ourselves. We are raw emotion - not putting on
any kind of act. Not pretending to be something we are not. Not
falling into the trap of being self - righteous, or of just uttering
platitudes.
But to return to our two main characters this morning, the Pharisee
and the Tax Collector... Is it always wrong to thank God that
one has avoided various sins? To thank God for the gift of self-control?
Is it wrong to audit one's life before God?
But the Pharisee's final mistake is in the phrase " I am
not like other people". This man sees God, as shorthand
for a set of rules, rather than someone with whom we can have
a real relationship. And he does not even really see the Tax
Collector
as a real person - only as a representation of everything which
he is not.
Consider the phrase, " I am just as good a Christian as
all those hypocrites who go to church". How many of you
have heard something similar? What we should perhaps be thinking
this morning as we leave this place is how we can help others
to see that Jesus intended his church should be filled with those
who know perfectly well that they - that we - have not achieved
perfection?
I am not perfect ..... But God's still working on it!
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