Whose Yoke part II

Pentecost 3 year C 07
Luke 7:36-8:3
Sin isn’t simple is it?

‘When the Pharisee who’d invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he’d know who’s touching him... and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.’

In Luke’s version of the anointing of Jesus’ feet…
a Pharisee named Simon invites Jesus over for tea. While all the guests are enjoying their meal…
a woman with a terrible reputation as a sinner suddenly rushes arrives... because she heard Jesus is going to be there.

Holding an expensive jar of perfume, she kneels behind Jesus weeping… her tears falling all over his feet. She dries his feet with her hair…kisses them and pours the perfume over them.

And Jesus host who’s watching all this… sees it as proof that Jesus couldn’t possibly be a mind reader… or else he’d never have let her touch him.

But Jesus the young rabbi certainly seems to be able to read Simon’s mind… and decides to teach him a lesson with a story.

Simon...Jesus says..."Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One of them owed him five hundred denarii, and the other only fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both men. Now Simon which of them will love him more?"

And Simon replied,

"I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." ..."You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Then to underscore his point Jesus does this incredible thing...he insults his host... You didn’t bother to give me any water for my feet, you didn’t give me a kiss or anoint me with oil... but she did. And in my rabbinical opinion...Jesus says... her many sins have been forgiven—because she loved a lot.

And then Jesus the rabbi at a dinner party...
does another astounding thing... usually reserved for priests in the Temple... he announces to the woman

"Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you;
go in peace."

This is too much for the other guests...who are muttering to each other, "Who is this...
who even forgives sins?" [pause]

What does this story teach us about Jesus’ understanding of God and sin and forgiveness?
How does it give us more insight into what it means to be under rabbi Jesus’ yoke?

We learned last week that rabbi’s were always debating the meaning of scripture...and we learned that a rabbi’s interpretation of scripture...his list of does and don’ts...what was allowed and what was forbidden...his list was called the rabbi’s yoke...
and his students were under his yoke.

And we learned that as Christian’s...as followers of Jesus... we are under his yoke...

Well sin... was one of the things the rabbi’s loved to argue about. One perspective...one school of thought...one yoke... was based on the ancient priestly Temple cult.

Those who favoured this perspective...
argued the problem with sin…was that it cut people off from God… until they put things right. Sinners couldn’t even get close to the holy of holies until they paid for the wrong they’d done.

And under this yoke…people could only put things right… one sin at a time. Under this ancient priestly system… each time anyone broke one of the rules of the Law… an appropriate sacrifice had to be made through the priests in the Temple. They talk about paying a ransom or cancelling a debt. Wiping the slate clean.

Under this system worshippers identified with the animal as their substitute. And once the appropriate sacrifice was made… then officially… their relationship with God was restored…
until the next time they sinned.

You see under this system the animal's blood only provided… a temporary solution. [pause]

A different understanding of sin… had been taught by the great prophets… who rejected the sacrificial Temple system as corrupt: The prophets declared that no one could put things right with God… unless they actually showed a change of heart…
by putting things right with other people…

So the prophets taught repentance instead of sacrifice. Israel and its people could only ‘put things right’ with God…by restoring what was wrong, by turning over a new leaf, by living a new life. Just listen to the words of Ezekiel the prophet
‘when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they’ve committed and does what is just and right, they shall save their life.’

And there was another school of thought on sin and forgiveness…that could be heard through the prophets… Anyone who bound themselves to the name of the Lord…anyone… even foreigners…even pagans…even gentiles…even prostitutes and eunuchs.

...who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-
these I will bring to my holy mountain...
Isa. 66:20
by the act of faith in God…even the outsiders and the misfits and the unclean are forgiven and restored… receiving through faith the gift of forgiveness…

that can’t be earned. And Jesus said to the woman…
Your sins are forgiven your faith has saved you…
go in peace… Jesus is coming down firmly on the side of grace…his yoke is one of grace… [pause]

And so as we look at the biblical evidence we find Jesus living… in a Jewish culture where people don’t agree on either the problem or the solution…
for sin…

we can see that some steadfastly saw sin

As a legal problem…where guilt requires punishment

Others saw it as a problem of contamination where the stains of shame and disgrace… require exclusion until they have been wiped clean.

Still others saw sin… as a problem of broken relationship… between us and God… and between ourselves and others…a problem which we could fix for ourselves.

From the perspective of Jesus’ host…the woman in the story is legally guilty and ritually unclean. As a punishment … she should surely be cut off…excluded… from touching rabbis and from the worshipping community…
and by implications from God.

And suddenly Jesus announces for all to hear…
that only one thing can sort her out…not law…not sacrifice…the only thing that can solve her problem
the only thing that can save her…
is faith… in his mercy and grace.

Time and time again… this take on sin… is the Jesus message in the gospels. And as people under Jesus yoke…we take on his understanding…What this means in our daily lives is that we define the problem of sin and its solution the way Jesus did. We remember that the only thing that can save us… is faith… in his mercy and grace. And we remember Jesus prayer and his commandment to forgive others as we are forgiven…we remember to be a people of grace…

in a few moments as a forgiven people of grace… we will sit with him… at his table… outside the ritual and cult of the Temple…even beyond the long arm of the law… in grateful thanks for his invitation…
accepting there is nothing we can do to save ourselves… except believe and follow him.