"HOW SHALL WE MOVE ON FROM HERE?"

Dr. James L. Mayfield
Tarrytown United Methodist Church

October 7, 2001

Text: Luke 17:1-6

On September 11 when those planes were deliberately crashed, some of the ugliest forms of sin and evil exploded into our awareness. Our naive sense of safety was among the victims. When the twin tours collapsed, so did the way many of us had been viewing the world. It is not the world that has changed. It is our view, our perception of the world that has changed. Now we see more clearly than ever before the world as it is. We understand in a more profound and painful way the meaning of sin and evil. With a new sense of urgency, we are aware the world is not as God intends and that the world needs to change.

It is time for us to get on with the business of being the Church, the people of God in God's world. The basic business of the Church is the conversion of the world. I am not talking about getting more names on church rolls What I understand "conversion of the world" to mean is changing the world from the way it is to the way God intends it to be. This is the basic business of the people who the Church: to be the followers of Christ God uses in transforming persons so that the world becomes as God intends.

We who are the Church, we who love to sing "Here I am Lord," we are to be the instruments of God's healing grace enabling the people of the world to live together in peace. But if we are to do this, then we who are the community of faith must first master the art of living together in peace with one another. Therefore, the place to begin transforming the world is right where we are -- both in our individual, personal lives and in our life together.

In the passage we read today, Jesus was talking to his disciples and telling them some of what is involved in living together in this world. He began by clearly stating that bad things do happen -- things that tempt one to lose faith, things that tempt one to abandon striving to love others as God in Christ has loved us. "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come," Jesus said.

He was keenly aware of the realities of sin and evil. In fact, Jesus was so aware of the realities of sin and evil, he warned his disciples (and in the process warns us). "Woe to anyone who participates in sin and evil and in the process causes someone to lose faith and to give up trying to live, loving God and neighbor. "Be on your guard," Jesus warned.

Jesus knew our tendency to sin. Jesus knew our tendency to live self-centered lives rather than God-centered lives. He knew that because we tend to be self-centered, we all too often do what is harmful to others and fail to do the good we should be doing and in the process cause others to stumble and fall. This is why Jesus warned his disciples and he warns us, to be careful, to be on our guard lest what we say and do harms others and makes matters worse.

Now remember, the people Jesus was warning were not his enemies. Jesus was talking to his friends, his disciples.

As we move on from September 11, part of what this passage tells us is: "You who are followers of Christ, you claim and proclaim good news for the world, watch out that you do not make matters worse. Be on your guard that you who are being sent to be instruments of God's redeeming grace do not allow yourselves unintentionally to become instruments of the devil."

To keep that from happening, Jesus told the disciples they would have to help one another. He was aware that because of our ignorance and our sinfulness we all too often discover we have done more harm than good. So, in addition to telling us to be on our guard, he tells us to help one another become and be the persons God intends us to be. For us not to distort the Gospel, for us to be the persons God intends us to be, we must help one another.

I am convinced this is why Jesus said: "If another disciple sins, if another disciple violates relationship with you or with others or with God, call that person into accountability." "Don't ignore it," Jesus was saying. "Don't gossip about it with other people. Don't gripe or complain," Jesus was saying. "Go to that person and talk to him or her. Point out the damage that is being done. Help that person get in touch with God's vision for his or her life. Remind the person of God's love and of his or her role in being an instrument of God's love." This and more is what Jesus was saying when he advised the disciples to help one another by holding one another accountable.

As we move beyond September 11, we who claim to follow Christ, along with everyone else, will be severely tempted to be less that our best. God knows, we need to help one another.

But Jesus knew that more than likely, we are not going to always be our best and will need to repent. And so, Jesus said: "If there is repentance, you must forgive." It is important to remember repentance is not merely an apology for either having done what is wrong or for having failed to do what is right. Repentance is changing behavior so that the wrong is no longer done and energy is put into doing good.

Jesus was telling the disciples and us, at least a couple of things. He was telling us that when we are made aware of the wrong we did, it is not enough merely to apologize. When we are called into accountability for having failed to live as God intends us to live, what is called for is change of behavior.

What Jesus said next, can be a little misleading in English. "If the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive." At this point it is helpful to remember Jesus was a devout Jew. This means, he was using language the way the Old Testament uses language. In Hebrew the verb "to say" means more than it does in English. In Genesis we read: "And God said, 'Let there be light;' and there was light." There was no disconnect between saying it and doing it. What Jesus was talking about was not merely saying the words "I repent" but actually repenting, changing behavior. So, what Jesus was really saying is, that as long as the person keeps trying, we are to keep working with that person, regardless of the number of failures. He knew that for us to become and be the persons God intends us to be, we cannot give up on one another or ourselves. This means a lot of forgiving is going to have to be done. On this point, we might learn something from the way members of A.A. forgive and work with one another time and again and time and again.

It was at this point the disciples said, "Increase our faith!" This is what I say also. This kind of investing ourselves in others takes faith -- faith in God and faith in the power of God's grace. However, if we are to become the community of faith, hope and love that God can use in transforming the world from the way it is, to the way God intends the world to be, then helping one another live faithfully is what we must do.

"Increase our faith!" the disciples begged. Helping one another become the persons God sees we can be, requires faith. Our problem is we have a tendency to doubt not only our ability to be as tenaciously loving as Jesus wants us to be but also to doubt that even if we could do that it would not really do any good or make any real difference in the world. "Increase our faith," they begged.

Jesus told his disciples, it did not take superhuman faith. Just a little confidence in God and God's grace would enable them and us to be used by God is ways that are beyond our imagining.

As we move beyond September 11, how can we have this faith that will allow God to make maximum use of us? This table and all it means and stands for is a good place for us to begin. Here we are not alone. Here we meet Christ in a Holy Communion, and on this World Wide Communion Sunday we are also aware of being in communion with brothers and sisters in the faith all around the planet. Here is a good place to begin -- a good place to begin moving beyond the recent horrors and a good place to begin once again our journey of faith that will enable us to help one another live as God intends us to live. Here is where the change in us can begin, the change in us that will enable us to be more effectively used by God in transforming the world.

God, give us the faith we need to work with one another so that together we can be used by you in converting the world from the way it is to the way you intend it to be. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer:
Let us thank God for the gifts and blessings we have received.

We have come here with a variety of concerns and problems.
Let us ask God for guidance and help.