This past week Canadian news
headlines have been filled with a story which has and continues to shock the
Canadian public. This is the disturbing case of Colonel Russell Williams.
Charged with the murder of two female Canadian soldiers, his is a sordid tale
of the abuse of power and perversion. And we should pray that justice has and will be served and that God will
effect healing amongst for family members of those murdered and victimized by this
man. Yet as the weeks and months
pass by there will surely be more said about this case, more disturbing images.
And as the images flash across our
television screens most Canadians naturally distance themselves,
psychologically, from the
disgraced colonel.
The other
day, as I saw photographs of this man, and an artists depiction of him
sitting with his head down in the
courtroom, I thought to myself, “I am glad that I am not him”. I would rather
be anyone but him. I’m sure that all Canadians would share this sentiment. I am glad I am not him. This thought
makes sense when we think about William Russell, and it makes sense when we
think about other people, too. Driving down Main and Hastings, looking at
people standing, some sitting, on the sidewalk—some in drug induced hazes;
others wandering aimlessly looking for the next fix. I am glad that I am not
any of them either. I am sure I am not the only one who has thought that
either—about them and about many other people. And it begs the question: On what basis is this judgment made?
Obviously, if I decide that I am better than someone else, I have to have a
reason for it. There has to be a reason to believe myself to be morally
superior to a criminal; spiritually superior to an atheist, physically superior
to someone laying in extended care.
What is the core reason most people believe themselves
to be better than others? What is the justification? The truth
of the matter, the fact of the situation, is that human beings naturally
believe that the reason lies in themselves. That is, they will find the
justification inside themselves. It is the goodness of “I” which separates me
from a disgraced colonel. It is the work ethic which “I” possess which
separates me from the homeless drug addict. “I” would never do such a thing as murder
because “I” am incapable; “I” am a good person.
But is we
read the Gospel narratives, and attend to the teachings of Jesus with any
honesty, we see that the one thing Jesus shatters, destroys, explodes, is the
concept of self-righteousness, and the illusion of human sinlessness—that goodness is rooted in ourselves.. The
Apostle Paul writes in the third chapter of Romans that all have
fallen short of the glory of God. No one
is righteous—not one. But the Pharissees, the Holy men of first century
Palestine, didn’t get that. They thought
that they were morally superior, purer, and righteous on the basis of their own
strength, and therefore superior to others. With that attitude in mind, the
only thing they had to do for God was thank Him for how perfect they were.
We see that
in today’s gospel lesson. Tax collectors were a particularly despised group,
known for their corruption and exploitation of their own people. They were
thought to be the lowest of the low. The Pharisee gives God thanks for not
being like thieves, rogues, adulterers or the tax collector he stands next to
at the temple. But it is the tax collector who confesses his sin to God, and
asks for repentance, and it is the despised tax collector, and not the
self-styled holy man who gets it, and is upheld by Jesus. And Jesus calls on
his followers to model themselves on the attitude of the tax collector in the
story. Christians must always remember who they are. They are forgiven sinners,
made righteous not on the basis of anything they have done or anything they
have not done. Negative comparisons with others do not justify us in the eyes
of God-- only Christ does. Statements we may speak to ourselves beginning with phrases
like “ at least I’m not like him”; "at least I don’t do what she did;"" I’m glad
I’m not one of those" don’t help us one bit.
Yet, how
often in the Christian church have people
thought themselves better than they ought, and on the basis of negative
comparisons with others. Church
gossip and cliques most often find their route in some kind of judgment about
other people, usually around some superficial matter. At its worst
self-righteousness has masked itself as holiness, and has been the basis of
wars, conquest, and domination of others. What would Jesus think of something
like the crusades? Or the Spanish Inquisition, which saw the torture and murder
of thousands? You know the answer and scripture tells us clearly.
And
scripture tells us also that
repentance lies at the very heart of the Christian life. Repentance is the
frank admission to God of one’s sinfulness and failings. It is calling on God’s
mercy and compassion for those things which have been done and those things not
done. Repentance keeps us humble. As our Lord tells us today, “ those who
humble themselves will be exalted.” But let us be clear about what today’s
gospel lesson is saying and not saying. It does not mean that we cannot be outraged by injustice, appalled by
brutality, and angry at those who murder innocent people, and call for justice
to be served. What it does mean is that we can never and should never think
ourselves higher than we ought. What it means is that we should forever be
thankful for the good lives we have been given, the moral sense we have been
given, the compassion we have been given—for these are all gifts of a
compassionate God.
Thankfulness
and repentance indeed go together—hand in hand. Two weeks ago this nation
celebrated Thanksgiving.
Households across this country got together to give thanks. Every week
this household of faith gathers to give thanks, but also to repent of our
individual and collective sins. Every week we say pray together, forgive us
our trespasses, which is to mean
forgive us our sins. When we confess our sins in the order of confession and
forgiveness, and absolution is pronounced, we respond by singing glory to God. This is radically counter-cultural.
In modern
culture and society many people profess a belief in God, but this is sadly, too
often, a god of their own construction, a god who demands nothing, a god whose
job it is to give us more goodies, certainly not a god who demands repentance.
But this is
not the God who is described in scripture. The triune God demands repentance.
The triune God has demanded the perfect
fulfillment of His Holy Law. Such fulfillment is not something we could ever achieve The good news of the
Gospel is that we don’t have to work our way into heaven. Christ has done all
of the work for us. Christ has poured out his love upon us. God’s Grace and
Mercy has been given to us without condition.
But let us
never labour in the illusion that we don’t need God’s mercy and forgiveness.
God’s mercy and forgiveness is the life-blood of the Christian. When we partake
in Holy Communion, we celebrate our participation in the New Covenant—the
centre piece of which is the forgiveness of sin. Baptism is God’s great and
glorious sign of forgiveness to all who receive it in faith—this is why it is
so worthy of our thanksgiving. Repentance and thanksgiving are responses to God’s great love for us given through Jesus.
Repentance
and Thanksgiving are the antidotes to a “cheap grace” mentality which says that
I can do anything I want and God will love me and forgive me. Yes God’s love
and forgiveness is constant, but the question becomes: Will I love God? Or will
I become the type of person who shuts God out, rationalizes, makes excuses for
sin, and walks the path of self exultation and self righteousness Today’s Gospel Lesson makes it clear
that confession and forgiveness are foundational to the Christian life.
In today’s
epistle reading, we heard the final written words of St Paul, a man whose early
life was spent persecuting Christians, until the resurrected Lord came to him,
converted him, and called him to a life of repentance, gifted him with joy, and
gave him a mission. Even as he sat waiting for what many historians believe was
his impending execution he gives thanks to God for rescuing him from the lions
mouth, for rescuing him from the power of sin and death, and giving him the
great and glorious gift of eternal life—the same, the very same, gift God has
given to each and every one of us through his son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
