Forgiveness

3/1/26

2nd Sunday of Lent

Message; “Forgiveness” 

Scriptures: Psalm 32:1-7, Romans 4:1-8, and Luke 7:36-50.

Psalm 32:1-7.

(1) Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

(2) Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

(3) When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

(4) For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah

(5) Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord “- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

(6) Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

(7) You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

Romans 4:1-8

Abraham Justified by Faith

(1) What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 

(2) If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about–but not before God. 

(3) What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

(4) Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 

(5) However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 

(6) David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

(7)”Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

(8) Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

Luke 7:36-50.

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

(36)Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 

(37) When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 

(38) and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

(39) When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is–that she is a sinner.”

(40) Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.

(41) “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 

(42) Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

(43) Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

(44) Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 

(45) You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 

(46) You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. (47) Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven–for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

(48) Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

(49) The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

(50) Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

This is the word of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Our scriptures this week,seem to tell us there are two kinds of people in this world. So I decided to make up a list. Here’s just a few.

The world is divided into two kinds of people. Those that suck the life out of everyday, and those that let every day suck the life out of them.

The world is divided into two kinds of people. Those who walk into a room and say, “There you are!” and those who say, “Here I am!”

The world is divided into two kinds of people. Those with the courage that hangs on, and those with the courage that lets go.

The world is divided into two kinds of people. Pitchers and catchers . . . .

The world is divided into two kinds of people. Those who finish what they start and those who start and never finish. 

The world is divided into two kinds of people. Those who divide the world into two kinds of people, and those who don’t.

Can you take one more?

The world is divided into two kinds of people. Those who are “control junkies,” and those who are “out of control.”

 Any control freaks out there today, besides myself?

 We control freaks count every contingency, manage every moment. Each step we take in life is precisely plotted, before our foot leaves the ground. By trying to control the actions of others around us. We live in the illusion that we are in control of our own lives, and our own future is fixed.

 The truth? We “control freaks” are no more in control of our lives than anyone else.

 Look at all that happened during the pandemic that was out of our control. Or in more recent events like the cold weather storm that crossed our nation, the out of control tragedies with the loss of electricity, the shortage of water, the unheard of cold temperatures. It’s enough to drive “control freaks” crazy!

 This winter’s cold wave across the states may have made the “out of controllers” among us feel justified. By taking big risks, refusing to plan ahead, springing into spur of the moment decisions, “out of control” people might seem to be embracing the unknown, courting chaos.

 Yet in reality “out of control” people have simply found a different way to control their own lives.

They plan to have no plan. “Out of control” people lead the way and live their way. They have a difficult time in following other’s.

 So the “control freaks” and the “out-of-controllers” are really just flip sides of the same record. Both having the same song on either side. The repeating message of this one record is, “I did it my way”. Frank Sinatra on one side and Elvis Presley on the other.

 But there is a true opposite to this, let’s call it,”A Controlled Centered Attitude “. Better known as,”Faith”. We encounter the alternative in our first reading. In Psalm 32, David writes a grateful testimony of joy for God‘s love of forgiveness toward those who with integrity, confess their sins and are receptive to Gods rule in their lives.

 Paul reminds us in our second reading in, Romans 4, Abraham, instead of “my way control” Abraham opted for faith. Already an old man, wandering in a land where he was a resident alien, Abraham listened to the words and promises of a deity he barely knew. “Abraham believed God.”

(Note that the Bible doesn’t say “Abraham believed in God.” No, rather “Abraham believed God.” 

 There was no lack of gods to “believe in” within Abraham’s world. Pagan culture devotedly believed in a multitude of gods, deities who dished out curses and crops, demanded blood, and were bought off with gold. Abraham believed in God enough to start out on a long journey as directed by God. But until Genesis 15 there is no real dialogue between God and Abraham.   

 Abraham goes where he is told and does what he is instructed without any

comment. He has no comeback to these divine directives. It is not until Genesis 15:2 that Abraham finally speaks back to God, mourning the fact that he still has no child, no heir for his own house. When God consoles Abraham and once again promises him descendants as numerous as the stars, we read the first report of Abraham’s personal reaction to this divine dialogue: “He believed God”,(Genesis 15:6). Abraham’s faith was born in the relationship that grew between himself and God.

 Remember this! Faith is not to “believe in God.” Faith is to “believe God.”

Abraham believed God. He believed God had a purpose. He believed God had his back. When Abraham believed God, he surrendered control of his life over to God without reservation or hesitation. Abraham trusted and obeyed God, and stepped forward in faith.

 In our gospel reading, Luke tells us of an encounter Jesus had with two kinds of people. Simon who believed in God, and the Sinful Woman, who believed God.

 Jesus is invited to join Simon the Pharisee for dinner. Why Simon invited Jesus is anybody’s guess. Maybe Simon sincerely wanted to know Jesus. Maybe dinner was a trap. Maybe Simon was just curious and decided to find out for himself about the man of growing notoriety.

 Whatever the motive, Jesus accepts the invitation.

 Dinner parties of the rich and famous in our day take place in secluded mansions or heavily guarded ball rooms. Such was not the case in Jesus’ day.   

 Dining happened in open courtyards, in public, in an open kind of place.

While Jesus and Simon ate bread and drank wine, pedestrians passed by.  

 Some of them stopped to listen. One was a woman of the night who lived a sinful life in that town. When she saw Jesus reclining at Simon’s table, she stood beside him weeping, wetting his feet with her tears. Then doing something no respectable woman would do in public, she let her hair down

and dried the tears with her hair, kissed his feet, and poured perfume on them — quite a moving sight that causes Simon concern and gives Jesus the opportunity to teach a powerful lesson about forgiveness. The scene leaves Simon and his guests and us with the same questions.

 What does the lesson in forgiveness have to do with what’s taking place? And, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

 Forgiveness is a debt canceled. In trying to explain things to Simon, Jesus tells a story. It’s a story about two men who owed money to a certain money lender. One owed 500 denarii. The other owed 50. But neither could pay. So the lender canceled the debt for both of them. Now which of them will love him more? Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

 But Simon still didn’t understand what Jesus was teaching. So he pointed out what the Sinful Woman had done. She believed Jesus was the Messiah, and gave Him the love he deserved.

 She had ,”A Controlled Centered Attitude”. She, believed God! She had Faith!

“Forgiveness”, is the cancellation of a debt. Forgiveness is free but it is not cheap. It requires,” A God Controlled Centered Attitude”.

“Forgiveness”, is made possible by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. By His blood, the debt of sin is canceled. Only if we “Believe God”.

“Forgiveness” is life restored. Paul reminds us if we have “Faith”, ”A God Controlled Centered Attitude”, as he wrote in Colossians 3:2-4. ”Set your mind on things above, not an earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life, appears, then you will appear with him in glory.”

 Let us never forget that God takes people where they are and loves them back to life. He not only restores our souls, He restores our self-worth, our value. That’s what “Forgiveness”, is all about. It’s a life restored, brought back to life.

 Make this Lenten season be about “Forgivness”, let’s not pretend that it is significant to deny to ourselves chocolate or red meat or whatever. 

What would be significant this Lenten season would be if we could strive to deny ourselves, not just deny to ourselves.

 Deny our self-centered self-concern. Deny our need to control our destiny. Deny the “MY Way”, directionality of our lives and instead have “Faith”, ”A God Controlled Centered Attitude”.

The World is divided into two kinds of believers. Those who, love little, believe in God, and those who, love much,“Believe God”.

 Faith is not to believe in God. Faith is to “Believe God”. 

 Forgiveness is ours when we , love much, have faith, and Believe God.

It is time to have faith, have trust, and believe God. This Lenten season will you become, like David, like Abraham, like the Sinful Woman? Love much! Become a,“Believe God” disciple and faithfully follow Jesus all the way to Jerusalem.

That’s what this Lenten season is all about. Jesus died on the cross so that we may have,”Forgiveness “! If we,”Believe God!”

In His Service,

Pastor Joe