Sermons

Third Sunday of Lent
Sunday 7 March 2010

Diane Flynn

Readings: Luke 13: 1-9

Consequences and Second Chances

There are always consequences to our actions aren't there? I'm sure we adults can all think of something that we have done in the past that had a consequence on our lives and for some; it may not have been a good consequence and may have had a major impact on our lives.

The first part of our bible reading this morning reminds me of consequences - Jesus is warning the Jews that there will be dramatic consequences in their lives if they don't heed what's going on around them! He tells them to repent or perish - he is referring to what is happening to some of the Jews under Roman Occupation at that time and he refers to two instances where some of them have died/been killed by the Romans. Jesus is trying to point out to the Jews that if they carry on trying to resolve the Occupation in their own strength instead of trusting in Gods strength, then the same thing i.e. death may happen to them.

He is warning them of consequences if they carry on the way they are going.
He doesn't want that to happen - He is looking out for them
God didn't want that to happen - he wanted the best for his people - and he is warning them via Jesus to hear what he has to say, to turn away from darkness or suffer the consequences.

What's that got to do with us?

Well we can map some of this to words that are said in the baptism service
Baptism is a Church sacrament, what our Church Tradition calls "an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace"
Grace is Gods love freely given to us, regardless of our relationship with Him - he always loves us , no matter what.

Via this sacrament, God is encouraging us to turn to him via Jesus.
God is looking out for us, just as Jesus was looking out for the Jews in our bible reading.

The questions asked of parents and Godparents today and at our own baptism ask if they will help the children to turn away from darkness and turn to Christ, God in their lives.

Do you turn to Christ as the light of the world?
I turn to Christ
Do you repent of all your sins?
I repent of my sins
Do you renounce all that is evil?
I renounce evil

Being baptised means turning away from all that is against God and it means turning to Him, via Jesus - away from evil and badness, towards God's love and light

God wants what's best for us -his children - just as parents and godparents want the best for their children.
And surely we want to know this - that God is looking out for all his children

Back to the consequences for a minute: We as parents warn our children of consequences from certain actions in their lives don't we and we eventually have to let them go into the world trusting that they will make good decisions and have good consequences to their actions and deeds.

We as Gods children have been given guidelines and warnings and then he lets us go out into the world
He hopes that we will heed him and ask him to help us in our lives but sometimes we think we can do everything without him and we let go of him -
- We might let go of Him, but do you know what, He NEVER lets go of us - ever!

That leads me onto the second thing about this reading: second chances

God always gives us second chances

The second part of the bible reading tells of a fig tree, which didn't have any fruit after 3 years, but it is given another year to hopefully be fruitful. The fig tree represents us - humanity and this parable, this comparison is Jesus' way of saying to the Jews, God my Father will give you a second chance. Allowing the fig tree to flourish was Jesus way of telling us that we as humanity are given another chance by God. - The opportunity to make things right with God.

Well that's what baptism does for us -it gives us a second chance with God - not necessarily needed right now by these little ones - who hopefully haven't done anything wrong - other than giving their parents some sleepless nights
No baptism isn't a one off event - its for ever - we belong to Jesus, to God forever - baptism is for our whole life.

We are cleansed and made right with God by our baptism
And therefore, no matter what happens, no matter if we do make wrong decisions later on in life and the consequences affect our lives, we still belong to Jesus, to God, we are still baptised - we still can have a second chance - a new beginning!

I pray the baptism service this morning will remind us all, that no matter what happens in the future, God has hold of us - we are His - forever. We just need to turn to Him and he will always give us that second chance

God wants to love us and for us to know His love for us - he wants a relationship with us.

God is very near - He's not a distant God, a far off God. He proved that to us by sending Jesus to show us what he is like and to share in our lives not just 2000 years ago but still today and in fact Jesus knows about baptism - he was himself baptised.

Earlier in his Gospel, Luke describes Jesus being baptised by John the Baptist, and 'as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from Heaven
' you are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'
God said that to his son
Well just imagine Him saying those words to these young ones today
Just imagine Him saying those words to you when you were baptised
Put your name at the front of that sentence:
You are my child, whom I Love. With you I am well pleased.

So we thank God for baptism - for His love for us and for Him giving us a second chance in our lives.

© St Edmund's Church, Roundhay