Why do you say "thank-you", and how do you say TY in your life? By the
way - thank-you is abbreviated as TY for the rest of the sermon...
Do you say TY when you receive your paycheck? Probably not, since you
earned it. Does the clerk say TY when you give them the money at the store?
Probably not, unless they are very courteous; since you owed them and you are
just paying your debt.
Do you say TY when you get a genuine gift? I know it may be hard to be
enthusiastic about some gifts, like a vacuum cleaner, socks, or yet another
Father's Day tie; but don't we try to say TY anyway; or write a thank-you??
A genuine TY comes without any nudging. It is also known as gratitude.
We may not SAY TY every time with words, sometimes we say TY by our actions and
by what we do.
All three readings are about how we say TY to God for all He has done and
continues to do for us. But we are much like David and Simon: we don't even
begin to realize how much God gives us. We fail to say TY. But "the LORD has
put away our sin" on the Cross, and He works in your life to realize you are
forgiven. The outcome of that gift is a life that wants to say TY any way it
can.
Luke tells about a man and a woman. God gave Simon money, influence, and
many other things: but Simon forgot they were gifts. Simon had God's
forgiveness-in-the-flesh, Jesus Christ, at his banquet; but his actions were to
doubt Jesus and show Him very little courtesy, much less a genuine TY.
No one knows who the woman was. She had some of the same things Simon had
- but not any good social standing.
But she had something wonderful. She knew God had forgiven her thru
Jesus, all the enormous debt of her sins. When she realized it, we don't know.
But when she realized Jesus was in town, she went to say TY by washing His
dirty feet with her tears, wiping them with her hair, and anointing them with
perfume.
David had Nathan and Peter had Paul to help them realize the debt of their
sins. The woman recognized her sins, and her Savior. But what about Simon?
And what about you?
Jesus told an outrageous parable. One man owed 2 months wages, and
another nearly 2 years wages. No matter HOW rich you are in the money-lending
business, no one is so rich that they can easily write off the whole debt.
But if such an impossible situation happened: who would be more grateful,
who would give a more hearty and lasting TY?
Here's the sad part. Simon couldn't see himself owing God anything at
all. Do you see YOUR debt?
Simon saw his generosity toward a wandering Teacher that was not living up
to his expectations. God was not living up to Simon's expectations. Simon's
actions showed he loved himself with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
He did NOT love his neighbor, this woman. Jesus finally asked him, "Do you
even SEE this woman?"
Here is the application. When it comes to the debt YOU owe to God for all
the wrongs, failures, faults, and lovelessness in your life: you barely see
the tip of the iceberg of that debt. You do not have, nor can you ever earn,
enough to pay God back: not 50 denarii, nor 500, nor 5 trillion. How can you
possibly say TY?
Do you truly treat Jesus with honor in your home and your life? Or do you
treat Him as Simon did: a Teacher who doesn't know what is really going on in
your daily life?
Do you even SEE people around you for whom Christ died? Are you actively
kind or do you ignore them and even put them down? Is your TY to God a genuine
change in how you live day-to-day; or is it a barely-civil once a week bother?
Which person are you living like?
God the Holy Spirit must crush us with the Law so we genuinely believe we
have NOTHING to offer God. The LORD has saved us without any great work or
shred of goodness in me. Living a good life, like Simon, does not get us any
forgiveness. Nor does all that the woman did earn it. You can not begin to do
nice things to make up for your bad. Doing that means YOU are reassuming the
debt you owe for sins. So.
How does this story end? "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." The
Holy Spirit had given her the gift of faith. She believed that all of the
LORD's wrath against her sin had been removed, and she was out of eternal
danger. God was not at war with her; He was at peace. God has given you the
gift of faith in Baptism, and cared for it thru the power of the Word. The
danger of hell has been removed since you have been rescued by Christ's work
for you.
God's gift of faith does not look to what you or I do. Faith looks to the
cross of Jesus Christ, where every spiritual debt was paid for in full:
Simon's, David's, yours, mine, and all people; even the unnamed woman in Luke's
Gospel.
Jesus KNEW the sinful woman touching Him - every offense, failure, and
flaw. He deeply knew the sinner named Simon. He knows you. Everything. He
knows your past. He really DOES know what's going on in your life right now.
He knows the details of your future. Even with all that, (knowing not only the
iceberg tip of your sin as you do, or even the visible part, but the entire
berg AND ocean it's in) God loves you & claims you as His own dear child.
No doubt there were continuing consequences from the woman's lifestyle.
Her past haunted her in familiar faces of wicked lovers, old habits, places and
objects that would remind her of her many sins. David, and you & I, are also
reminded of past offenses against God. But the forgiveness you hear each
Sunday in His House, in devotions at home, or where ever the Gospel is
proclaimed, changes your life, gives you strength and hope. We look back as
First Peter 3:21 directs us at our Baptism: God saved us thru His gift of
Baptism, and no matter how often our conscience condemns us, you and I can be
certain of salvation and peace by the cross.
The Law always condemns us. Only the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus in
His life, death on the cross, and resurrection, saves us. When we confess our
sins, we can be sure of God's absolute forgiveness.
That same Gospel also changes us daily. Jesus does NOT tell the woman:
"I forgave you, now shape up and live a good life or else!" God says: "go in
peace." The peace of the cross. The debt you could not pay is forgiven.
This peace says, I don't have to earn God's love. He already gave it. My
feeble praise can not be an adequate thank you. God does not need any praise.
But the enormity of His gift works many changes in you and me. God doesn't
force me to say TY. But the joy of His salvation makes me want to say thank
you. I live my TY because I choose to - - in many ways.
TY can show up as a kind word to a person who needs it. TY shows up in
your offering for local or distant missions. TY shows up in your attitude at
home.
TY shows up in how you do something good for a person without expecting
any benefit from them, or God, in return.
TY shows up in how you use your unique God-given talents in the places God
puts you for the good of His kingdom; to build up, reach out, and grow in
Christ.
A real TY is not forced: it bursts from Christian faith and shines to all
the world.
Most of all, TY is living your faith in Christ-crucified for ALL your
sins, and following Him: going about your life in modesty, joy, and peace.
May each of us, for whom Christ died, live (!), justified by grace thru
faith, and active in our lives to keep saying to God: TY! Amen.
Pastor Michael Harman,
St. Peter LCMS - Newell, IA
vacancies at ...
Immanuel, Pomeroy
First Evangelical, Fonda
