Mt Baker Park Presbyterian 3/14/2010

Sermon Title: Forgiveness
Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Matthew 6:6-15, Matthew 6:25-32

(Introduction)
Last week, our gospel reading was from Luke 13, and we heard about a fig tree being cut down (expand). Today, we're going to hear about another tree.

(2 Corinthians 5)
We start with 2 Corinthians 5, where Paul is writing a letter to a church in Corinth around the year 57 AD. Corinth is about 50 miles west of Athens, a big, wealthy port town, made up of diverse individuals- Greeks, Romans, Mediterraneans, with no dominant religion. Paul started a church there, about five years earlier. Of all the churches that Paul started, the church at Corinth, seemed to be the most demanding. One problem was that there were religious leaders who were trying to persuade the Corinthian church that Paul's theology was in error. Others thought that he was preaching from selfish ambition. Still others thought that Paul did not have the powerful presence that the Corinthian church expected from apostles. In 2 Corinthians 5:12 he defends himself against detractors. Paul asserts that this is not an ego trip for him, but it is the love of Christ which motivates him. This letter was written largely to refute these, and other, accusations. Paul says, "Here is my theology", and we jump into the middle of his argument, at Chapter 5.

(2 Corinthians 5:16).
We'll begin with verse 16, where Paul writes "From now on (from the time of Christ's death)... we regard no one from a human point of view".

That means that we no longer view people with the world's standards (their outward appearance, social status, wealth or power). These things make no difference to God. We now know people by God's perspective. I like the way that the Message version of the Bible says it, "we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside".

(2 Corinthians 5:17).
The next verse says: If anyone is "in Christ" or "united in Christ" or "ingrafted in Christ" or "believe in Christ", "he is a new creation: the old is passed away". This is not an original idea from Paul. The gospels also talk about being a new creation. You might remember Nicodemus in the Bible, who wanted to know what it meant to be a new creation, "How can a man be born again when he is old?" (John 3:4). Isaiah talked about it in the Old Testament, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do not you perceive it?" (43:18-19). We believers are new creations in Christ. Through God's forgiving grace, we become new people.

What does a "new creation" look like? We are awake to new perspectives on life. The old ways of self-centered living are gone. Things which were not important before, are now important. For me, it was going to church. Before I was Christian, I was an atheist-- cinnamon roll and tea in bed with the Sunday morning paper. There was no way that I would ever give that up. That all changed when I realized who was "in Christ".

This new perspective, this being a new creation, affects our relationship with God AND it also affects our relationship with others. We have a new way of thinking about others. God invites us to be less judgmental and see others with forgiving eyes. They struggle as I struggle. They hurt like I hurt.

(Example)
Earlier this year we moved to a new house, and we invited many friends to our "Open House". At one point in the afternoon, I found my friend, Lisa, and her two girls looking out a bedroom window at a young birch tree, filled with tiny birds, called bushtits. There may have been about 20 of them, flying among the branches, eating the seeds, hanging upside down, bending the thin, graceful branches. They were SO close, if the window were open, you could touch them. They captured our attention for awhile. I thought: What a great tree. What a great window. What a great house. This was a change for me, because I really wanted to move closer to this church, and this house is still far away. But the view from the window has peaceful and the birds were so happy flitting about. I could bring a chair in here, and watch the birds during my times of prayer. When children came to visit, they could be entertained by my birds.

The next day, my husband, Carlos and I went to work in the yard of the new house. I was in the backyard, raking and Carlos was working on the side of the house. I heard Carlos sawing away, and I couldn't imagine what he was working on. I asked from around the corner, "Did you cut down that tree?". Yes. I was devastated. All I could think about were the birds. "Let's go home, I can't work anymore". That evening, I was sad. I was angry. I was disappointed. "Why did you cut down that tree?". Because it was too close to the house.

I prayed, "Lord, what are you saying here? What are you doing here?" I knew that I COULD stay angry, but that I SHOULD forgive. I knew what God wanted me to do. But first I turned to the prophet Jeremiah (who I had been reading), and wondered, "What would Jeremiah do? (WWJD)". Jeremiah would say, "Look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of God". Of course you would point to Jesus, you're a prophet. Wanting to look toward my pitiful self, I said, "You're no help". Then I wondered, "What would Jesus do (WWJD) ?". Jesus said, "Show compassion and mercy and forgiveness and love". Wanting to keep score, I said, "You're no help". Then I wondered, "What would priest and contemplative Anthony DeMello do?" (WWDD?) I opened his book called "Awareness" and I read, "Think of somebody you do not like, who causes negative feelings to arise. The first thing you need to understand is that the negative feeling is inside of you. Someone else in your place would be perfectly calm. Now, understand another thing, that you're making a demand. Then say to that person, 'I have no right to make any demands on you'. Let the dictator in you come out" (page 90). Wanting to make a demand on Carlos, I said, "You're no help".

But each one said the same thing: Look to Jesus and forgive. We cannot live in the past, thinking, "If only that didn't happen to me", or " I can't let go of it". And we cannot dwell in the future "If only he would apologize, then everything WOULD be better". Don't be attached to expectations (what SHOULD be). God is NOW; in the present. Be in the present, with Jesus. Be free. Like the birds on the birch tree.
"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything is new!"


(2 Corinthians 5:18).
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ."
What does it mean to be "reconciled"?

If you have a dislocated shoulder, it is in the wrong relation to the rest of your body. It is useless for the work for which it was created, and it suffers much pain. If it is to be healed, and freed from pain, and fitted for work, it must be brought into right relation to the body. In the same way, man, through sin, came into a wrong relationship with God. Sin severs us from God and we are unable to do the work that calls us to do.

So "reconciliation" is an adjustment; it is restored peace between man and God. Reconciliation means that God restores us to right standing. We are fitted for his work.


(2 Corinthians 5:20).
"We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God"
Another translation says "We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to God!'" or
"We beg you on behalf of Christ to become reunited with God", or
"Be friends with God; he's already a friend with you".
"Since you are reconciled, BE RECONCILED". Act like it!

Why do I have to be reconciled?

What if you feel that you were created "good"? Didn't God said that everything He created was good? Then why do I need to be reconciled? Yet, using my birch tree as an example, my first response to Carlos was "not good". I let my anger and disappointment govern me. Why is that? Because we all sin. We have a broken relationship with God and with others. Our sin is evident in the ways we turn away from God , and how we turn away from our fellow man. Paul writes to the Romans "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". In Psalm 51, David says, "I've been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong SINCE BEFORE I WAS BORN." We are spiritually separated from God at birth.

The good news is that we don't have to remain separated from God. For me, choosing to believe in Jesus, and BE reconciled to God was the best decision I ever made in my whole life. Only one death in all the history of the human race has saving power for the whole world. In verse 19 Paul wrote that "God was reconciling the WORLD to himself". Our sin demanded a perfect sacrifice and Christ was the perfect sacrifice. It is both a gift and an invitation. The result of Jesus’ sacrifice is that our broken relationship with God has been healed. We have been reconciled. Christ suffered and died for ALL. ALL have sinned and ALL are reconciled. (Verse 18) And all this is from God! The source of everything is God. He created us. He sent his son to die for us. He reconciled us to himself through Jesus.

How important is it to be reconciled to God? Above all else, God's wants you and me to get to know Him. To be in right relationship with Him; and no barrier remains for us to have a relationship with God. In all of the Old Testament and the New Testament, God is calling us to himself.

The WHOLE point of Jesus' death and resurrection is that we might be in relationship with God and with others. This is the core of our Christian faith. Here is some free advice: If someone ever asks you, "Why did Jesus have to die?", here is an answer: Jesus died to RECONCILE us to God. So that we can be in right relationship with God. That's it. This is what differentiates Christianity from all other religions - Christianity is based on what God has done through Jesus Christ; other religions are based on what we must do to earn God's favor.
God forgives us and we forgive others. Does this sound familiar? We've heard that earlier this morning.

(Matthew 6:6-15)
If you don't have a Bible open right now, take a pew Bible (blue or red) and turn to Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 12, it should be around page 5; that's about two-thirds through the book.
"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us." The Greek word for "forgiveness" comes from two words meaning "to send" and "away from". To forgive is "to send away" or "let go". Let go! Let go of destructive feelings like fear and revenge. We are capable of resisting the desire to return evil for evil. We can do better than just managing our anger. Let go of it!

Is it easy to let go? No. You may say, I have been holding on to these feelings for 25 years. I can’t let go. Or, you may say, you don’t know how much it hurt. It's impossible to let go. Jesus was on dying on the cross and said, “Forgive them”. Paul wrote letters from prison about forgiveness. And all this is from God. Nothing is impossible with God.

You might try some things:
1. Talk to God about being unable to forgive. You may find yourself arguing with God, like I did. In prayer, tell him that you can't forgive. He can help you. 2. Pray with others. Take a risk and confess your sins. You might even pray for the person who you cannot forgive; that's living in God's righteousness. God can change lives. The person who hurt you is God's beloved child. Return to your own belovedness. That's the righteousness of God in verse 21. Then wait. Healing takes time. Forgiveness will start to break through. Forgiveness is a process. Our life with God is a journey. This journey finds us forgiving our imperfect parents and the people who have wounded us. We discover that we can forgive them, just as we have been forgiven.

Now keep reading in Matthew and look for verse 26, "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?". The birds are back! Be free like the birds on the birch tree. Forgive others as God has forgiven you. Live in the present. You are a new creation; everything old has passed away. Plant a NEW birch tree. Wake-up. Choose freedom. Choose forgiveness.

Let us pray (from Henri Nouwen):
Lord, help us to forgive those who have wounded us. Help us to remember that they are limited people with limited ability to love, just like me. Amen.