3 Jul 2022
The Gospel. St. Luke xv. 1.
Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
These parables come as a response. Christ is accused of receiving sinners and eating with them, identifying himself with sinners. But Christ’s response shows that he does this, not to be defined by the sin of those around Him, but for the sake of our redemption.
Sheep and coins--they belong together. You need to know that the parable of the Prodigal Son follows close after these. For what is being emphasized here is God’s reaching down to us in of our sins. God is seen, in metaphor, seeking the lost, and God accepts the penitent who makes some motion of return to him for that movement is the motion of God’s grace in him. Our two parables make this point unmistakably clear. The sheep and the coins are utterly unable of themselves to move towards God. It is God’s grace which literally picks them up and carries them, gathers them up to himself, and to the community which His love alone creates. We are reminded that our joy is to be found in the free gift of God towards us in the giving of His Son.
These are not solitary pleasures; these are the joys of the Church. They embrace heaven and earth, angels and men, neighbours and friends. The rejoicing in our parables is why we pray to and praise God.
Jesus’ point against the complaints of the Scribes and the Pharisees is that we are all sinners in need of constant repentance. We are all less than what we should be because in a very important way we too have experienced being lost.
Our Anglican liturgy gives eloquent testimony to this understanding, an understanding which can be seen from these parables. The pattern of contrition, confession and satisfaction runs throughout the liturgy. Its focus is our recognition of sin and grace because the recognition of our sin and the great blessing of God’s grace lead us into joy.
Like the lost sheep and the lost coin, we are lifted up into the joys of heaven. We are lifted up out of the wilderness of our waywardness and out of the dusty forgotten corners of our own spiritual self-neglect. It is what we are given to see in these parables. We are sinners all who stand in constant need of God’s redeeming grace, and we are returned into the fellowship of joy. Even more we shall see, in the parable of the Prodigal Son, which follows today’s parables, we are returned into the joy of the Father’s love.
Humility is the recognition of ourselves as sinners and our grateful acknowledgment of God’s redeeming grace given for us and at work in us today. We rejoice with Him who has reached down to exalt us into His love. Jesus calls us to rejoice with Him in His love for us and in His love for the Father.
Source: The Third Sunday after Trinity
Fr. David Curry
Christ Church, Windsor, AD 2001
The Decalogue.
God spake these words, and said:
I am the LORD thy God; Thou shalt have none other gods but me.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD thy God in vain.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Honour thy father and thy mother.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Thou shalt do no murder.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Thou shalt not steal.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Thou shalt not covet.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and write all these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee.
For Our Country.
Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bishop Ed Tompkins
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