FORGIVENESS AND COMMUNITY

 LUKE 17:1-10.   THIS GOSPEL TEXT IS A COLLECTION OF 4 APHORISMS  AND IT IS ATTRIBUTED TO JESUS ABOUT FORGIVENESS AND FAITH. WHEN COVENTRY CATHEDRAL 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 AND MADE INTO SILVER PLATED CROSSES. ONE OF THESE IS SET UP ON AN ALTAR IN THE RUINS OF THE OLD CATHEDRAL. BEHIND IT IS A CHARRED CROSS AND WRITTEN ON THE WALL BEHIND THAT, WITH THE WORDS "FATHER FORGIVE". MANY LITTLE CROSSES OF NAILS HAVE BEEN SENT TO CHURCHES AROUND THE WORLD, WHICH HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE WAR. THE COVENTRY CROSS AND EXPERIENCE HAD BECOME A SYMBOL OF FORGIVENESS AND THE NEW LIFE OF RECONCILIATION. I FIRST LEARNED OF THIS WHEN I READ THE BOOK FROM AUGSBURG, " FIRE IN COVENTRY,"  TO FIND HELP IN UNDERSTANDING THE LIFE OF FORGIVENESS, FAITH, RECONCILIATION, WITH GOD, AND OUR NEIGHBOR. WITH OUR SURROUNDINGS AND ALL GOOD NEWS TEXTS TO REINFORCE THIS CENTRAL ACT OF GOD AND TO INVITE OUR RESPONSE. 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. SOMETIMES WE SPEAK OF IT FROM THE HUMAN VIEW OF FRUSTRATIONS AND IMPATIENCE ABOUT INJUSTICES OF LIFE WE SEE EVERYWHERE THROUGH EVENING NEWS; UNRIGHTED OR UNFORGIVEN. IN VIEW OF THIS, WE MUST ATTEND ALL THE MORE TO WHAT WE HAVE HEARD, LEST WE DRIFT AWAY. FOR IF THE WORD SPOKEN THROUGH ANGELS STOOD UNCHANGED, AND ALL
TRANSGRESSION AND DISOBEDIENCE RECEIVED ITS DUE PUNISHMENT, HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE IGNORE A SALVATION AS GREAT AS OURS?  ANNOUNCED FIRST BY THE LORD, IT WAS CONFIRMED TO US BY THOSE WHO HAD HEARD HIM.  GOD THEN GAVE WITNESS TO IT BY SIGNS, MIRACLES, VARIED ACTS OF POWER, AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AS HE WILLED. FOR HE DID NOT MAKE THE WORLD TO COME--- THAT WORLD OF WHICH WE SPEAK--- SUBJECT TO ANGELS. SOMEWHERE THIS IS TESTIFIED TO, IN THE PASSAGE THAT SAYS: "WHAT IS MAN THAT WE SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF HIM, OR THE SON OF MAN THAT YOU SHOULD CARE FOR HIM? YOU MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET." IN SUBJECTING ALL THINGS TO HIM, GOD LEFT NOTHING UNSUBJECTED. AT PRESENT WE DO NOT SEE ALL THINGS THUS SUBJECT, BUT WE DO SEE JESUS CROWNED WITH GLORY AND HONOR BECAUSE HE SUFFERED DEATH: JESUS, WHO WAS MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS, THAT THROUGH ANGELS, THAT THROUGH GOD'S GRACIOUS WILL HE MIGHT TASTE DEATH FOR THE SAKE OF ALL MEN. INDEED IT WAS FITTING,  THAT WHEN BRINGING MANY SONS GLORY GOD, FOR WHOM AND THROUGH WHOM ALL THINGS EXIST, SHOULD MAKE THEIR LEADER IN THE WORK OF SALVATION PERFECT THROUGH SUFFERING. HE WHO CONSECRATES AND THOSE WHO ARE CONSECRATED HAVE ONE AND THE SAME FATHER. THEREFORE HE IS NOT ASHAMED TO CALL THEM BROTHERS, SAYING, "I WILL ANNOUNCE YOUR NAME TO MY BROTHERS, I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE IN THE MIDST OF THE ASSEMBLY"; REMEMBER CHRIST IS GOD'S FINAL WORD OF SALVATION, NOT MERELY BY WORD OF MOUTH BUT THROUGH THE SUFFERING HUMANITY COMMON TO JESUS AND TO THE REST OF MEN. THIS ENACTMENT OF SALVATION WENT BEYOND THE PATTERN KNOWN TO MOSES, FAITHFUL PROPHET THOUGH HE WAS OF GOD'S WORD; FOR JESUS AS HIGH PRIEST PERSONALLY EXPIATED SIN AND WAS FAITHFUL TO GOD WITH THE FIDELITY OF GOD'S OWN SON.
JUST AS THE INFIDELITY OF THE PEOPLE THWARTED MOSES' EFFORT TO SAVE THEM ALL, SO THE INFIDELITY OF ANY CHRISTIAN THWARTS GOD'S PLAN IN CHRIST. CHRISTIAN ARE TO REFLECT THAT IT IS THEIR HUMANITY WHICH JESUS ASSUMED, WITH ALL ITS DEFECTS EXCEPT ITS SINFULNESS, AND THAT HE BORE THE BURDEN OF IT TO HIS DEATH OUT OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD. THIS WORK OF HIS SON GOD DECLARED TO BE THE CAUSE OF SALVATION FOR ALL. ALTHOUGH CHRISTIANS RECOGNIZE THIS FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINE.  THEY MAY GROW WEARY OF ITS REPETITION REQUIRE OTHER REFLECTIONS TO STIMULATE THEIR FAITH.  THE ABSOLUTE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST SHOULD GREATLY STRENGTHEN CHRISTIANS AGAINST ABANDONING THEIR FAITH. THE SON IS HIGHER THAN THE ANGELS. BUT NOW IN THE MESSIANIC TIMES, THE FINAL PERIOD OF MAN'S RELIGIOUS HISTORY
GOD THE SON CREATOR AND END OF ALL THINGS IS THE COMMUNICATOR WITH MEN. THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL IS THE WORD OF CHRIST ADVOCATING PEACE AMONG MEN AND REVANCE TOWARD ALL.