Looking Forward to August 28, 2022 -- 12th Sundy After Pentecost

 This week's Scripture Readings are:

• Galatians 5:13-21
• Luke 19:1-10

The Sermon title is Set Aside Old Ways

Early Thoughts: To follow Jesus is to open ourselves to transformation. To follow Jesus is to open ourselves to the possibility that the way we once lived is not the way we will live in the future. To follow Jesus means we may have to put down some things so we can pick something different up.

What do we need to put down? What do we need to set aside to make room for God's transformation to be at work in our lives? What might get in the way of us being able to fully live out God's commandment to love our neighbour as we love ourselves?

Zacchaeus took the chance. He made a real effort to see (and perhaps to be seen by) Jesus. And the encounter transformed him. He pledges himself to be a different man, he pledges his wealth in the service of his transformation. The simple act of being noticed by Jesus, of being welcomed into Jesus' circle (despite the objections of others to that act of welcome) pushes Zacchaeus to embrace God's transforming work in his life. 

Now we do not know all of his story. Maybe Zacchaeus had been pondering these questions for a while. Maybe he had been having a crisis of conscience in his work and role as a tax collector.  Maybe that is why he was so driven to see Jesus as he walked by? All we know is that this encounter results in a public promise that reflects a changed perspective. We trust and hope that he lived out that promise after Jesus left town.

WRiting to the Galatian church, Paul reminds them of a couple of things. One is that as followers of Christ we are called into a life of freedom, albeit a special kind of freedom. Freedom in Christ is not license to do whatever we want. Freedom in Christ is in fact committing ourselves to follow a Rule of Life, a Rule of Love. 

Paul also reminds us to be careful that we do not "bite and devour one another". Paul reminds us that there are things, he refers to the as desires of the flesh, that get in the way of us living out our freedom in Christ. These are the sorts of things that we need to set aside if we are to be open to God's work of transformation.

The big challenge, as I see it, is that many of the things we take for granted about the way the world works tend to fall into that list that Paul gives about the works of the flesh. Much of what is considered normal operating procedure n the world leads us to bite and devour one another. Some of the old ways we need to set aside have become so ingrained into our collective understanding that we do not even notice that they get in the way of our ability to follow the rule of Love. To be truly transformed we may need to have harsh truths told about "the way things are".

Jesus' ministry was all about proclaiming the Reign of God. Jesus invites us to follow a different path, a path of deep transformation. Zacchaeus heard the invitation and pledged to make major changes in his use of resources. He had to set aside a different way of acting and being in the world to live out that pledge. Jesus invites us to be transformed as well. What might we need to set aside to accept the invitation? Where is God trying to transform us?
--Gord