MPC
10th March 2019.March 10 - Luke 5:17-26 - "The Best Things Jesus Ever Said: Forgiveness"
MPC
10th March 2019.
Phil Campbell
I wonder for you, what makes it to the list of the best words you ever heard?
Maybe the words, it's a girl. In the maternity ward.
Maybe it the words, it's not cancer? At the doctor. I was talking to someone the other day who gives people that kind of news. And she says she loves it when she gets to say that.
Maybe the words I love you too. In that incredibly awkward moment in a relationship where you've gone out on that very long limb and taken the ultimate risk of saying the L word first. And there's that long pause. Where you're hoping the response isn't just... thanks.
The Sydney Morning Herald on Friday ran a feature for International Women's Day. That asked a bunch of leading women; what were the words from your mum or your mentor that most inspired you.
Gladys Berejklian says, "Even though when I started primary school I couldn't speak English, m mother said to me, 'If a teacher asks a question, don't be afraid to stick your hand up and have a go, even if you get it wrong.'"
Which she says, "has helped me all my life to speak without fear in any situation." Including as Premier of NSW.
Whatever you'd list as the best words you've ever heard, we're launching a new series this morning, looking at the words of Jesus that our teaching team has voted as nine of the best things Jesus ever said.
The things Jesus said that we reckon if you haven't heard before, or you haven't considered, then you really should. Because they're really good.
And it comes at a time when Jesus is getting so much bad press. That you might be hard pressed to imagine he actually said anything good at all.
Because, I don't think there's been a time in the history of our culture when Christianity has been so much on the nose. And we need to acknowledge that. Because you can't avoid the headlines every day about Cardinal Pell. And I know that the decision is still in the appeal process, and I know some people are saying there wasn't enough evidence, and I know some people want to question the process; but the reality is the Royal Commission is clear that much too little has been said and done for much too long. About the institutional abuse of kids.
And no matter that it's mainly the catholic church; and that for 500 years we've been saying we're the reformed version and we're different and all that stuff. It's just not a distinction most people around us are going to make.
And so the church as a whole, and Christian faith in general, and Jesus in particular, have been hugely reputationally damaged. By the terrible things that have been done in the darkness. And then consistently covered up. Maybe you're here this morning. Sceptical. Maybe even profoundly hurt.
Look, the other guys on the team voted me down on this, but in the light of all the scandal I wanted to start our series with these words from Jesus that a whole lot of cardinals and bishops and choir masters should have taken to heart and didn't.
Because it's Jesus in Matthew 18 calls a little child to him, and says "if anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."
I don't know if you've ever listened to much that Jesus has said before.
But you'd have to say at least he's direct. If only more people took him seriously.
But look, those words from Jesus didn't make the cut for our series. Though nine other cutting edge statements did. That are either challenging, or confronting, or comforting in all kinds of ways that are worth hearing. Every week, leading up to Easter.
And so here's the first one. Jesus says to a guy, "friend, your sins are forgiven."
Now maybe you don't think that's a big deal. Maybe you don't think it's relevant. Maybe in your own life you think you've got way bigger problems that whether or not your sins are forgiven by God.
Maybe you haven't ever really tangled with what the Bible says about humanity, and you think the whole idea of people being sinners is just rude. Because I guess for those of us who have been Christians for a while we get kind of dulled to how negative that sounds. To talk in terms of sins and forgiveness.
My wife Louise had been reading a Christian book about marriage; and she was chatting to a friend about it. Her friend says, "Tell me what it's about." The book's by Paul Tripp, a Christian counsellor; it's called So What Did You Expect. And the main point of the book is, he says in the Christian world view, all of us are sinners. And he says in the book, if you're a sinner married to another sinner; why would you expect there'd never be any bumps in the road? That's just normal.
And as Lou was explaining the idea of the book to her friend, she says there was this awkward silence. And she says, "What's wrong?" And Monique is sitting there quite confronted. And she says, "You've just implied I'm a sinner." Which wasn't her view of herself at all.
Here's the sticking point, I think. Because the biblical definition of sin isn't so much you're a person doing a whole lot of socially unacceptable things.
The Biblical definition of sin; right from the opening pages of the Bible... is more just... pushing God to one side.
Over-riding his rightful rule and putting yourself in his place.
Which you can do in some pretty socially acceptable ways. Most of the time, anyway.
Until of course you find yourself head to head with someone else who's 'God of their own little universe.' And then there's hell to pay. Which is the point Paul Tripp was making in his marriage book. If I'm inclined to push the real God aside and make myself number 1 in the universe and if you're by nature inclined to the push the real God aside and make yourself number 1 in the universe. Expect sparks.
And look, the Bible says that's all of us. Without exception. That's human nature. That's our world. I'm number 1. Because I'm worth it. And it's just as much true of religious people and self righteous people and impressive people; as it is of the kind of shonky Internet con-guys they keep exposing on A Current Affair. That's sin. And it's that kind of sin that then plays out in all the particular instances we call sins. That whether we intend it or not, whether we acknowledge it or not, are part of day to day life as a human.
And I guess it's only when you get some sense of the truth of that. That you get to see why the words of Jesus we're focusing on this morning are some of his best words. Because he's here to do something about that. First and foremost in relation to God, and then in relation to one another.
It's the story of the guy who's brought to Jesus on a stretcher in Luke's gospel chapter 5.
And look, this is a guy who doesn't so much have a rose coloured view of himself; but has got so many other problems; that maybe he's thinking the sin problem is way down the bottom of his list. Here's a guy who's literally paralysed. And total dependent on his friends for everything. Eating. Drinking. Getting around.
So while Jesus is teaching, surrounded by this bunch of religious heavyweights called the Pharisees who are always trying to catch him out; there are people coming from everywhere. Thinking they're going to hear or see something great. Or maybe get healed.
And out right on the outside edge of the crowd there's this little bunch of guys; and they're carrying their paralysed friend on a mat. And they're trying to push through to get him to Jesus, and people are packed so tight there's just no way in.
And so; and this is a famous story; so they cart him up to the roof, and they start lifting off the roof tiles and making a hole through to the lounge room. So they can lower the guy on his mat right into the middle of the crowd. right in front of Jesus. Which if you're following on the sheet is verse 19.
So here's the surprise. Here's what Jesus says. In verse 20. And it's the last thing they're expecting to hear.
It's not, and I'm guessing here, it's not what they're here for. It's not the reason they've brought their paralysed friend on his mat and they've dismantled a guy's roof tiles... is there insurance for that?... and it's not the reason they've dropped him in front of Jesus.
But when Jesus sees their faith, verse 20, he says these words. He says, "friend, your sins are forgiven."
Which doesn't just irritate the paralysed bloke and his carrying friends. It's hugely irritating to the Pharisees and the law teachers, because they're thinking to themselves what you might be thinking too, what business is it of his. to forgive sins. Given that sin is against God.
You can see what they're thinking in verse 21. Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins... but God alone?
And it's a very reasonable question. Which hints, at this point in the unfolding story, it hints at just how important he is. It hints at his astonishing God given authority. It hints that he's the one an ancient prophecy was talking about when it said one like a son of man would come; and rule at the right hand of God.
And look, Jesus knows what they're thinking. So he say, which is easier? Verse 23. Talk's cheap. anyone can say "your sins are forgiven." Maybe they are, maybe they're not.
How about if I say to the paralysed guy get up and walk?
Which he then does. Get up and walk! And the guy then does. Gets up and picks up his mat. And goes home praising God. Because it's clearly God at work in letting him walk again, and it's just as clearly God at work in forgiving his sins. So he's not only a walking man, he's a walking and forgiven man.
Which, verse 26, amazes everyone. And fills them with awe.
Now I'm guessing, if you were that guy, you'd maybe go home thinking the best words you heard from Jesus that day were the words get up and pick up your mat and walk. Because those words, and I don't want to minimise this, those words are going to change your life. For the next twenty, thirty years.
But can I put it to you that the better words were the other words. "Friend, your sins are forgiven." Because those words are going to change your eternity.
A Christian friend of ours lost his dad the other day. Six weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer. Our friend said to his dad the day before he died, "Dad, how do things stand between you and God?"
And his dad said, "I hope I've done enough." Which the way Jesus puts it, kind of misses the key point, doesn't it?
I mean, if you're thinking you don't have a sin problem, and that to suggest you do is just kind of rude. I guess you'll be living life on the principle that you're not actually such a bad person, and there'll be the occasional stuff up along the way, but pretty much you're thinking the good. Will outweigh the bad.
And I guess that's your working hypothesis, that if there is a God, and if he is a judging God; then that's as good as it gets. You're hoping. You've done enough.
But you'll never quite be sure. Which I'm thinking on your last day... will at best leave you slightly uneasy. At worst, terrified.
So how is it with the guy who came on his mat, and went home forgiven and walking.
What do you reckon he's saying. on his last day?
Jesus told me. Not just that I could walk again. But that my sins... were forgiven. All of them. And if that's true, it means I can face God on the last day with a clean slate. Without fear. Confident.
And it counts as one of the best things Jesus ever said because he actually delivers on it not just for the one guy on the mat; but for countless Christians ever since. Which by definition if you are one you'll know are just forgiven sinners.
There's a cost to pay for that forgiveness. And as you read the gospel story unfold, and if you join us over the next few weeks, you'll get to see that play out. As he suffers a punishment that's the punishment for all of us.
Which leaves us humbled. But confident. In the fact that we're not impressive people, not better people than other people. But forgiven people.
But again. A word to you if you're here today and you're not thinking the words "your sins are forgiven" should make the cut in the list of the best things Jesus ever said.
Maybe you're religious. And you think you're religious enough. That God's going to be impressed with your efforts. To reach him on your own terms. Be aware that the Pharisees in our Bible passage were exactly like that. And you might want to think that through.
On the other hand maybe you're just not persuaded that sin is even a thing. That there's even any problem.
I heard recently about a fascinating book by Seth Stevens Davidowitz, who used to work for Google.
The book's called Everybody Lies. What The Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are.
And I want you to think about it for a moment and get in touch with the honest you. Who you really are.
Because he says, there's a huge difference between the version of you that most people project on social media. And the real you. That comes through in what you search for on Google.
Because he says, everybody. lies. He says, surveys don't work, because we just tell surveys what we think they want to hear.
He says, social media is full of lies, because we just want to make our lives look fantastic. And we find it hard to face the truth about ourselves. And our lives. And we just hide behind a veneer.
And so he drills down into Google search data to get to the real truth. Because he says when we search Google, we're looking for honest answers. To our real lives.
And you catch a glimpse of that reality. Every time you do a Google search and it auto-completes what everyone else is asking for.
So here's the contrast. Facebook. Search for husband on Facebook, and it's all my husband is my love. Or my husband is such a hunk.
It's all romance and butterflies. Look at the perfection of my life and wish it was you.
That's Facebook. The version of truth we want to project.
Whereas with what we type into Google... you get the unvarnished truth.
And so here's the reality.
Google auto-complete. Start typing in the words my husband. And the list of options shows the most popular ways that millions of people around the world finish the same sentence. What most people search for.
So type in the words my husband... and you get my husband is selfish. My husband ignores me. My husband is having an affair. And worse.
It's not a pretty picture.
And look, this isn't just having a go at husbands, though most of us can lift our game. But saying something about the reality of living life. Seth Stevens Davidowitz says, "People are telling Google stuff they won't tell anyone else."
Here's a clip; he spoke to a Google Staff Seminar in New York. And I want you to listen what he says near the end. Just a 50 second clip.
Did you catch it. He says, "I think my book is kind of depressing." Because it's looking at people as we really are. He says, "It's dark horrifying disturbing material. But I put jokes in it so you won't notice how miserable all the findings are." And so laugh. So you don't cry. And he says, "I think there's value in knowing the truth, even if it's sometimes disturbing."
Maybe you've come to the point of taking an honest look at yourself. And see if maybe the Bible's diagnosis is true.
Or maybe you don't want to. Because you're afraid of what you'll find.
If that's the case, and you do finally come to that point, here's the good news. All you need to do is come to Jesus. Heck, your friends can even drag you on a mat.
And when you come to him honest, and you come to him in faith, you'll hear the words addressed to you. "Friend, your sins are forgiven."
And I reckon at that point they will be some of the very best words from Jesus you ever heard. As they were for so many of us here today.