Pentecost 14, 2022
Exodus 32:7-14
Psalm 51:1-11
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-10
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Well, by way of fair warning, this sermon is not going where you think it is going. Or where I expected it to go, for that matter. Because even though any set of readings comes up for us every three years, sometimes the preacher notices something they didn’t notice before. And it ends up changing everything they thought about the reading. Sometimes the Spirit gives a little nudge to look more carefully at the text. And that’s what happened to me this week, with this gospel lesson. I noticed one little thing, and everything changed. So let’s jump in . . .
The first thing to sort out is that we mustn’t conflate all our shepherds into one person. Over in John’s gospel, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd (like in the window in our parish hall, with Jesus carrying a sheep over his shoulders). All my life, I have just sort of reflexively brought that shepherd into this story we just heard, imagining it is Jesus leaving behind the 99 sheep to go find the lost one. But, it turns out, that is not what is going on here. And we can see that when we notice the word “repentance” in this reading.
Here in Luke’s gospel, Jesus tells both of these stories (about the lost sheep and the lost coin) in response to something. As we heard, All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” And that’s why Jesus tells them these two parables. (There’s a third parable after these two about the prodigal son, but we already had that reading during Lent.) And at the end of each of these parables, Jesus says there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.
And this is where it gets interesting, where I felt the Spirit move this week. Because just ask yourself, who is repenting in both these stories? The word for “repent” means to turn around. So who is repenting? Not the sheep. Not the coin. The sheep has wandered off and is not turning around. The coin is a coin, so it’s not doing anything except laying wherever the lady accidentally dropped it. The sheep and coin do not repent, and are therefore not the cause of the rejoicing in heaven. So who is repenting?
Strange as it is to say, the answer is, the shepherd and the woman are repenting. Through their carelessness or neglect, they have allowed something very precious to slip beyond their grasp. The shepherd needs to repent—to turn around—and go find the sheep. The woman needs to repent—to turn around—and go look for the coin. And we can see how this fits with the story based on how it starts.
All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” The Pharisees and the scribes are the ones needing to repent. Through their carelessness or neglect— just like the shepherd and the woman—they have allowed something very precious to slip beyond their grasp. They are willing to lose these tax collectors and supposed sinners just like a sheep that has wandered off, or a coin that is lost.
Jesus is saying that the scribes and the Pharisees need to repent and welcome everyone to the table, these tax collectors and sinners who Jesus welcomes and eats with. They want to keep the sinners out, but Jesus is telling them there will be rejoicing in heaven if they would turn around, repent, and seek out those they want to exclude. Jesus is not the shepherd or the woman in these parables; the Pharisees and scribes are. I told you this wouldn’t go where you and I were expecting! So then, what about us? How do we fit into these parables?
Well, more than anything, these two parables are a warning to us. Or, maybe a reminder to us. When we find ourselves doing things, or saying things that might drive others away, or keep people out, we need to repent—to turn around—and go find them again. Just like Jesus, the church needs to be the place that welcomes sinners. Because that’s what we all are: sinners in need of forgiveness, which is the very thing that binds us together.
At some point, each and every one of us has been the lost sheep or the lost coin in these stories. Probably more than once! And maybe we even feel that way right now. And yet, here we are, gathered together in the presence of God and one another. Here we are, being the place that welcomes sinners and eats with them. All are welcome, no exceptions. I am welcome, and you are welcome, and all the lost sheep and lost coins are welcome. Because we are sinners who welcome other sinners, and together we turn around, and feast at this heavenly banquet with the One who welcomes sinners . . . and feeds us. And today, there is rejoicing in heaven.
Amen.
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