Mercy and repentance

Sermon - 16/09/07 – Trinity 15 (Proper 19) – Year C
Preached at St Michael’s, Sharman Cross School, Solihull 10.30am Eucharist, 16/09/07
Readings: Exodus 32:7-14 (1 Timothy 1:12-17) Luke 15:1-10

When I was a boy, about 9 years old, it was very clear to me that my parents wanted me to be good at school. And by and large I was good at school, but not all the time. There was one occasion when a group of us had got into trouble for messing around and we had to spend our break inside writing out lines. Well, things like this happened from time to time and as I sat down with the others at the start of break to do the lines I was not unduly concerned. But then a terrible thing happened. I heard, very clearly, my father’s voice in the hallway. I realised that my father was visiting the school, as he often did (he was the local rector). I realised that he was about to walk through the classroom and he would find me, writing my lines for having been naughty. For me, it was one thing to be punished at school, it was quite another to have it known about at home. I was thrown into a terrible panic.
When my father finally entered the classroom I fell of my chair, in my panic, and tried to hide under the table. Of course it was hopeless. The teacher fished me out from under the table, and I hung my head while it was explained that I was writing lines for messing about earlier that morning. My Dad said something like, “Oh dear! So you’re in trouble for messing around are you?” He picked me up and hugged me, and while still hugging me he carried on discussing a completely different matter with the teacher. Eventually he put me down, and went on to the next classroom. I went back to writing my lines. The incident was never mentioned again, but I was changed person.
I had an overwhelming sense of relief that my crime was not going to cause problems at home. I also had a huge sense of gratitude to my Dad who continued to love me and support me even though I had done something wrong. I had learnt something about mercy and I had experienced repentance.
The readings that we read this morning make us think about mercy and repentance. Mercy is love and compassion expressed towards those who are in difficult situations. There are works of mercy that seek to help those with bodily needs, so we try to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the homeless. There are also works of mercy that seek to help those with spiritual needs, so we try to console those who mourn, we try to patiently put up with the faults we perceive in other people and we try to forgive the sins of others. It is especially this mercy towards those who sin, that we think about in today’s readings.
In our OT lesson we hear about God who is angry with the Israelites because they have made a calf of gold and started to worship it, rather than worshiping the one true God. God says that his wrath will burn hot against them and he will destroy them all. but Moses, who scriptures tell us was the most humble of men, courageously pleaded with God and he managed to persuaded God not to wipe out the Israelites totally. Now had we read on a bit we would have discover that that was not the end of the matter. Moses returned to the Israelites very angry; he ground their golden calf into a fine power, mixed it with water and made the people drink it. Later 3000 Israelites died by the sword, and many more through a plague on account of the golden calf, but after that it seems that there was real repentance. Certainly God was able to continue to help the Israelites on their journey to the promised land.
Repentance. That is the other key word from our scripture readings today. In the gospel reading Jesus told the story of the lost sheep. When the sheep is finally found there is great joy. Jesus says that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents that over 99 righteous people who need no repentance. Similarly he tells the story of the woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. She searches high and low, and when she eventually finds it there is great rejoicing. Similarly, says Jesus, there is joy in heaven when one sinner repents.
Repentance means saying that we are sorry, and starting again in obedience to God. It means putting God in the first place in our lives, and letting everything else (houses, families, jobs, holidays) letting all these things find their right place under God.
So as we leave this church today, let us try to put into practice mercy and repentance. First of all let’s have an attitude of repentance ourselves. Let’s make sure that God has first place in our lives and that everything else is done in obedience to him. And after that, let’s have an attitude of mercy. Especially when we encounter faults in other people, let’s have an attitude of mercy. In fact it is the love and compassion of our mercy that is the most helpful thing in bringing them to repentance.