Proper 26C
October 31, 2010 / St. Mark’s, Westford, MA
Youth Sermon
On page 93 of The Book of Common Prayer is Canticle 17, The Song of Simeon, taken from the Gospel of Luke:
Lord, you now have set
your servant free *
to go in peace as you
have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to
enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of
your people Israel.
Peace and freedom are the consequences of seeing Jesus, who is the Savior, who is the light of the nations.
In his first inauguration speech in January, 1963,
George Wallace, the four-term governor of Alabama,
stated now-famous words:
“Segregation today. Segregation tomorrow. Segregation forever!”
In June, 1963 Wallace tried to prevent,
by standing in the doorway to the registration building,
two black students from enrolling
in the publicly-funded University of Alabama.
In September, 1963, he tried to prevent
four black students from enrolling in various elementary schools
In 1972, an assassination attempt was made on Wallace.
The attempt left Wallace paralyzed from the waist down.
Something must have happened to him as a consequence of the assassination attempt.
Perhaps he began to cultivate empathy.
In the late 1970s, Wallace had a conversion experience;
he became a born-again Christian.
He stated, “While I had once sought power and glory, I realized I needed love and forgiveness.”
Wallace spent his final term in office seeking to undo the wrongs that he caused.
Zaccheus sees Jesus.
And in his seeing Jesus, which includes him deeply knowing that Jesus sees him, that Jesus loves him,
Zaccheus is freed from the paralyzing need
to give himself worth, value, significance, and importance
by elevating himself through harming others.
There is no doubt that Jesus cares for the poor and the oppressed,
that he cares deeply for those who are angry at and hurt by Zaccheus and others like him in the world.
But by seeking to stay with Zaccheus,
not only does Jesus emphasize God’s at times seemingly inexplicable and confounding love
for everyone, including, especially those whom individually or collectively we might bristle at
or even despise,
Jesus is also seeking to address at one of its sources
a cause of pervasive and perpetual injustice and oppression.
It doesn’t seem fair that Jesus is choosing to spend time at the home of someone who hurts people.
It is as if Jesus is choosing to stay at the home of a bully,
not for the purpose of punishing,
which is what we might think is fair or what we might desire as a kind of revenge,
but simply to share in conversation and food with that person.
It seems so wrong if you’re on the receiving end of torment, of injustice, of teasing, of bullying,
that Jesus should spend time with the person who is hurting you.
And yet in God’s gracious outpouring of love,
God wants to give each of us what we need in order to restore us
in holy wholeness to ourselves, to our communities, to our God.
George Wallace could not have been born again without God’s outpouring of love.
When people are afraid, when people feel threatened, when people feel uncertain and insecure,
often they will seek to harm others
in order to make themselves feel special and important.
They are not at peace. They do not know deeply the love of God.
As Christians we know that perfect love casts out fear.
As Christians we know who and whose we are:
we are the children of God,
you are the child of God.
In our baptisms, according to the Book of Common Prayer,
we were sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever.
God really does love everyone.
God really does seek to be in relationship with each one of us.
Nothing can separate us, nothing can separate you, from the love of God made known in Jesus Christ.
God’s generosity doesn’t always make sense,
and sometimes it feels that God is betraying us
by seeming to love someone who has hurt us.
But thanks be to God that Jesus doesn’t write any of us off.
Have faith in God and love God.
Because God has faith in you.
God loves you.
You are wonderfully made.
Seek Jesus as Zaccheus sought Jesus.
And in seeking
you will see and find your God who loves you.
Lord, you now have set your servant
free *
to go in peace as you have
promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to
enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of
your people Israel.