November 25, 2007
(Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King; Proper 29)
The Paradox of Forgiveness
by
The Rev. Joe Behen, Clergy Assistant
Jeremiah 23:1-6 • Canticle 16
• Colossians 1:11-20 •
Luke 23:33-43
(From
The Lectionary Page)
Today is the Church’s celebration of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday of the Church year, and this feast is the last word that the Church has to say about the Jew from Nazareth that we follow. I love the contrast between the images that come to mind with the word “king,” and what we find in the story of the earthly ministry of Christ. Today’s gospel lesson serves to heighten this contrast. The mocking inscription of Jesus as the King of the Jews while he hangs helplessly with criminals. The ridicule of soldiers and religious leaders suggesting that Jesus cannot save himself, while we know that it is through the very event now taking place in the gospel that salvation does in fact happen. And so, Christ as king is a mystery, a paradox if you will, that the Church lives with. How does this apparent contradiction take flesh in our lives, and what is to be learned from our daily experiences that seem to be opposing each other, and often opposing our faith?
We don’t have to look far to feel the paradox that exists in this world. War, disease, and violent crimes rob the innocent of life. Our self-made environment of buildings, pavement, and autos creeps relentlessly and often thoughtlessly across the planet, gradually replacing the natural environment. The air we breathe reflects human impact on the earth we live in, as does the water we drink and the food we eat. We and our children are formed by the multitude of things that make the world go, from sitcoms and reality shows to radio and internet advertising. All of these things affect us in various ways right down to our most basic assumptions and desires, and often without our even knowing it.
But still, our world reflects much that speaks about God before it speaks about us. There is something about being in a place that seems to be in its natural state that attracts us, even begs us to be part of it. If you’ve ever been in the more remote parts of Colorado when the Aspens are turning, or if you’ve been paralyzed by the sun sinking through the clouds with all its radiant colors, then you know what I’m talking about. I’ve also found many relationships to highlight what must be God’s image. I watched a man walking through the grocery store recently with a little girl that looked to be about four years old. They were holding hands and talking, occasionally laughing together. The two of them seemed to be oblivious to all else but each other. For each of them, I thought, the joy of the others company was all that mattered to them for that moment. This kind of relationship, I thought, can only come from God.
And so it is that we live in a place of paradox. The pain of sickness, hurt, separation, and death is the same place in which we find healing for the soul and unexpected joy. Again, it is this paradox that is at the heart of the reading we just heard from Luke. You might even say that here we find the most extreme contrast possible – Jesus taking on the torture, abuse, and disgrace that happens when the brokenness of this world is confronted by the fullness of God’s love. But far from being condemned by God for creating and participating in the darkness of the world, Jesus simply forgives us. This is the most important point to take away from the paradox – forgiveness is God’s response. This forgiveness tops out the paradox charts. It is so unexpected that we don’t know what to do with it. The question at hand is this: can we become a people who live out this forgiveness?
Buechner says that, “the pride that keeps us from forgiving is the same pride that keeps us from accepting forgiveness.” [Buechner, Frederick. Beyond Words: Daily Readings in the ABS’s of Faith (Harper San Francisco, 2004) p. 119] In other words, to the degree that we can take into our being the forgiveness of God, offered freely, we can forgive others. Our own tradition also teaches about this connection. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The guys that meet on Thursday mornings for bible study went on a retreat this past weekend, and for this retreat they read a book about the Lord’s Prayer. In this book, authors Hauerwas and Willimon tell us that, “forgiveness is a gift, a gift that is first offered to us, before we can offer it to others.” When we understand ourselves to have offended someone, our relationship with them is paralyzed until forgiveness is offered by the one offended. It is the humble and thankful acceptance of this forgiveness that allows the relationship to grow once again. We see this lived out in today’s gospel, as Jesus’ act of forgiveness is what elicits the repentance of one of the criminals.
I imagine that this criminal was astonished by the mystery of what he saw that day. Jesus’ complete innocence should have produced a self-righteous anger, but in Jesus, it produced mercy. This contrast is evident to both criminals, but they respond quite differently. The first one must have simply thought Jesus to be crazy. He didn’t get to the cross like others had, and once there Jesus didn’t respond like the world had taught he himself to respond. Jesus must simply not get it. The other criminal must have seen Jesus lose his possessions, right down to his clothing, and including even his human dignity, and thought Jesus to have nothing left. He was apparently shaken to his core to discover that Jesus did in fact have something left. He could choose to forgive. To forgive or not to forgive is the last possession on earth that he has. And it is forgiveness that has the last word.
It is Christ’s forgiveness, then, that Luke would have us understand as connecting us with paradise. The repentant criminal, while suffering the pain of his participation in the world’s sin, is promised that this very day he will be with Christ in paradise. Is Jesus referring to heaven here? And if so, what would Luke have us to understand heaven to be based on this statement. Scholars disagree, but it’s hard not to connect the term paradise with the creation stories of Genesis. There, in the first chapters of Genesis, we find humans in full relationship with God. God is referred to there as walking through the garden, talking with humans. Now, while we may not want to take this in the most literal sense, we can say that a fullness of relationship with God is possible, but is obstructed by sin. Paradise, then, among other things, could be restored relationship with God. Sin as the obstacle to paradise is removed through forgiveness.
In the act forgiveness by Christ, “God is refusing to hold our sin against us, refusing to let our sin have the last word in the way the world is moving.” [Willimon, William H. and Hauerwas, Stanley. Lord Teach Us: The Lord’s Prayer & the Christian Life (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996) p. 84] The paradox of our lives remains. Our daily experience of life can be at once both the pain of brokenness, and joy of wholeness, unlooked for forgiveness of such power that it alone can have the last word. Can we, as individuals and as a community, let forgiveness be what our life looks like? Forgiveness is shocking. It is unexpected, and it is a paradox. But, is it the one real choice that we actually have? After we confess our sins in just a few minutes, the priest will pronounce God’s forgiveness. Let’s take in the shock of, as Luke would say, “not getting what we deserve, but being with Christ in paradise.” Let’s allow the shock of this pure gift to inform the rest of our life.
