WHEN THE COVENTRY CATHEDRAL IN ENGLAND WAS BLITZED IN NOVEMBER, 1940, DURING WORLD WAR II AND DESTROYED BY FIRE, A LARGE NUMBER OF NAILS FROM MEDIEVAL TIMES WAS FOUND IN THE RUBBLE. MANY OF THESE WERE GATHERED UP AND MADE INTO SILVER PLATED CROSSES. ONE IS SET UP ON AN ALTAR IN THE RUINS OF THE OLD CATHEDRAL. BEHIND IT IS A GREAT CHARRED CROSS AND WRITTEN ON THE WALL BEHIND THAT, THE WORDS, "FATHER FORGIVE."
MANY LITTLE CROSSES OF NAILS HAVE BEEN SENT TO OTHER CHURCHES IN OTHER COUNTRIES WHICH HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE WAR. THE "COVENTRY CROSS" AND EXPERIENCE HAD BECOME A SYMBOL OF FORGIVENESS AND THE NEW LIFE OF RECONCILIATION. IT IS THE EXCITING NEWS OF LIFE FROM DEATH: OF RENEWAL AND THE LIFE AND FAITH OF A CONGREGATION IN ENGLAND. IT HAS SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT LIFE IN ALL OUR CONGREGATIONS. THAT IS THE GOOD NEWS: FORGIVENESS, FAITH, WITH GOD, OURSELVES AND OUR NEIGHBORS, AND THE EARTH. THIS IS THE MESSAGE, THAT HAD THE APOSTLES CRY OUT TO THE LORD;
"INCREASE OUR FAITH." THE LORD REPLIED. " IF YOU HAD THE FAITH THE SIZE OF A
"MUSTARD SEED," YOU COULD SAY TO THE MULBERRY TREE," BE UPROOTED AND PLANTED IN THE SEA," AND IT WOULD OBEY YOU. WHO AMONG YOU WOULD SAY TO YOUR SLAVE WHO JUST CAME IN FROM PLOWING OR TENDING THE SHEEP IN THE FIELD, ' COME HERE AT ONCE AND TAKE YOUR PLACE AT THE TABLE? ' WOULD YOU NOT RATHER SAY TO HIM, PREPARE SUPPER FOR ME, PUT ON YOUR APRON AND SERVE ME WHILE I EAT AND DRINK; LATER YOU MAY EAT AND DRINK? DO YOU THANK THE SLAVE FOR DOING WHAT WAS COMMANDED?
SO YOU ALSO, WHEN YOU HAVE DONE ALL THAT YOU WERE ORDERED TO SAY.:
' WE ARE WORTHLESS SLAVES; WE HAVE DONE ONLY WHAT WE OUGHT TO HAVE DONE!'
WE ADORE OUR GOD WHO HAS BROUGHT US INTO A LOVING RELATIONSHIP, AND WE RECEIVE GOD'S GRACE THAT CONTINUES TO BUILD UP OUR FAITH. THERE ARE MANY SIDES OF FORGIVENESS. OUR TEXT, IS LIKE ALL GOOD NEWS TEXT, ARE THERE TO REINFORCE THIS CENTRAL ACT OF GOD AND TO INVITE MAN'S RESPONSE
SOMETIMES WE SEE IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GOD WHO TAKES THE INITIATIVE AND SHOWS HIS LOVE AND CARE FOR US.
SOMETIMES WE SPEAK ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF GOD'S DEED IN JESUS CHRIST; HOW HIS LIFE, WORDS, HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION, HIS PRESENCE IN OUR MIDST AND HIS PROMISES ARE AT THE CENTER.
LUKE 7 TELLS THE STORY OF THE WOMAN IDENTIFIED SIMPLY AS A SINNER WHO POURED OINTMENT ON JESUS FEET, KISSED THEM, AND WIPED THEM WITH HER HAIR. JESUS SAID SHE LOVED MUCH BECAUSE SHE WAS FORGIVEN MUCH.
THE BIBLE IS NOTHING LESS THAN THE STORY OF FORGIVENESS SEEN IN A THOUSAND PERSPECTIVES. SOMETIMES INDIVIDUAL, SOMETIMES CORPORATE, SOMETIMES LONG INVOLVED SITUATIONS THAT END HAPPILY , SOME TIME TRAGIC CONCLUSIONS. IN OUR DIALOG WITH GOD THROUGH OUR PRAYERS, WE HEAR A DOUBLE ANSWER: " JUSTICE SHALL SURELY COME; THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." THE ONLY WAY TO SURVIVE, TO LIVE, IS TO HOLD FAST TO THE CENTER OF LIFE WHICH IS GOD. DANIEL MADE THE SAME POINT WITH A DREAM IMAGE. IT HAD A GOLDEN HEAD, SILVER CHEST, BRONZE TORSO, AND IRON LEGS, THIS REPRESENTED FOUR ANCIENT KINGDOMS, BUT IT COULD BE CRUSHED WITH A HUGE STONE! IT IS NOT THE STONE OR THE MATTER OF OUR INTENSITY OF OUR FAITH, BUT THE GOD OF OUR FAITH, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM,ISAAC, JACOB, THAT IS WHY FORGIVENESS IS POSSIBLE. YOU MUST HAVE FAITH IN THE ONE WHO SPEAKS THE WORDS, " I FORGIVE YOU". OR IS IT OF LITTLE COMFORT.
WE NEED NEVER WORRY THAT WE WILL BE ASKED TO FORGIVE MORE THAN GOD HAS FORGIVEN US. FORGIVENESS AND DISCIPLESHIP IS A CALL IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT DEMANDS AN ONGOING LIFE STYLE OF FORGIVENESS. WE FREQUENTLY
UNCONSCIOUSLY TRYING TO DISTORT GOD'S GRACE AND FORGIVENESS INTO A POWER WHICH WE CAN GRASP, OVER WHICH WE HAVE CONTROL BY WHICH WE MANIPULATE. WE SEIZE PERHAPS THE VERSE WHICH TELLS OF FAITH SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE TREE TO BE TAKEN UP AND ROOTED IN THE SEA OR THE STRONGER MATTHEW VERSION, " FAITH TO MOVE MOUNTAINS." WE ALMOST NECESSARILY SEE AS A POWER WHICH PERMITS US TO DO THOSE THINGS WE DESIRE DONE; A SUPER HUMAN FAITH, A MAGICIAN, A FAITH THAT COMPELS THING TO BE DONE. BUT FAITH IN THE VERSES OF OUR TEXTS IS INTIMATELY CONNECTED WITH FORGIVENESS. IT IS THE SUFFERING SERVANT WHO IS THE PROMISED "MESSIAH." IT IS THE "LAMB" WHO IS THE VICTOR. THIS MEANS THAT DISCIPLESHIP MAKES COMMON CAUSE WITH JESUS.
PAUL WRITES FROM PRISON TO TIMOTHY: FOR THIS GOSPEL I WAS APPOINTED A PREACHER AND APOSTLE AND TEACHER AND THEREFORE I SUFFER AS I DO, BUT I AM NOT ASHAMED, FOR I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED AND I AM SURE THAT HE IS ABLE TO GUARD UNTIL THAT DAY WHAT HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO ME. " THAT IS THE FAITH WE ARE TALKING ABOUT." FAITH DOES NOT REMOVE FAILURE." "TEMPTATION TO SIN ARE SURE TO COME," SAID JESUS, " BUT WOE TO HIM BY WHOM THEY COME." THIS IS A HARD WORD. BUT DO WE NOT MOST OFTEN SEE OURSELVES AS BEING THOSE TEMPTED RATHER THAN SEEING OURSELVES AS CAUSING OTHERS TO SIN? IS THIS NOT THE VERY "ORIGINAL SIN" OF THE POWERFUL OVER AGAINST THE POWERLESS? LORD ACTON WROTE, " POWER TENDS TO CORRUPT AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY." ABRAHAM LINCOLN USED THIS VERSE IN HIS SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS ON MARCH 4, 1865. IT WAS DURING THE WANING MONTHS OF THE CIVIL WAR WHICH BY THEN HAD TAKEN 600,000 LIVES. THE WORD IN THE TEXT IS "SKANDALON," SCANDAL, AN OFFENSE. AN OCCASION FOR STUMBLING IS THE ROOT MEANING; WE HAVE TRANSLATED IT, "TEMPTATION TO SIN". HE SAID, " THAT AMERICAN SLAVERY IS ONE OF THOSE OFFENSES WHICH, IN THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD, MUST NEEDS COME, BUT WHICH, HAVING CONTINUED THROUGH HIS APPOINTED TIME, HE NOW WILLS TO REMOVE, AND THAT HE GIVES BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH THIS TERRIBLE WAR. THEY BOTH READ THE SAME BIBLE AND PRAYED TO THE SAME GOD, AND EACH INVOKES HIS AID AGAINST THE OTHER. THE PRAYER OF BOTH COULD NOT BE ANSWERED; THAT OF NEITHER HAS BEEN FULLY ANSWERED."
I STARTED THIS MESSAGE WITH A REFERENCE TO COVENTRY CATHEDRAL, THEIR EXPERIENCE OF PERSONAL RENEWAL AND THE CROSS OF NAILS. IN THE MODERN CITY, HATE BETWEEN RICH AND POOR, RULERS AND RULED, IS MUCH EASIER TO PREACH THAN LOVE; BUT UNLESS LOVE IS BOTH PREACHED AND PRACTICED THERE WILL BE NO ONE TO LISTEN.
THERE YOU HAVE IT. LUTHER BEGAN HIS 95 THESES: " WHEN OUR LORD JESUS SAID REPENT, HE MEANT THE WHOLE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER SHOULD BE REPENTANCE." IRENAEUS, ONE OF THE CHURCH FATHERS, SAID CENTURIES AGO, " THE GLORY OF GOD IS MAN FULLY ALIVE." THAT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE FORGIVEN!
St. PAUL SAYS WE HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST; AND IT IS NO LONGER WE WHO LIVE, BUT IT IS CHRIST WHO LIVES IN US. AND THE LIFE WE NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH BY "FAITH" IN THE SON OF GOD. WHO LOVED US AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR US.
"AMEN"
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