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| Rev. Canon George Sinclair |
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(Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday, January 11th, 2015)
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Broadcast Notes:
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'Is religion harmful?'
-Jesus on religion
This is a shortened version of a
sermon I gave earlier to my congregation, Church of the Messiah. The sermon is
part of a series where I preach through the book of Luke. The series is
entitled "The Gospel of Luke: Jesus for Pagans and Skeptics" (Longer
version: 44 minutes: http://messiahchurch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2014-11-09.mp3).
Read Luke 14:1-14
Jesus Heals the Man with Dropsy
14 On one occasion when Jesus[a] was going to the house of a leader of
the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. 2 Just
then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. 3 And
Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the
sabbath, or not?” 4 But they were silent. So Jesus[b] took him and healed him, and sent him
away. 5 Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child[c] or an ox that has fallen into a well,
will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?” 6 And
they could not reply to this.
Humility and Hospitality
7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of
honor, he told them a parable. 8 “When you are invited by
someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case
someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9 and
the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person
your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But
when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your
host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be
honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For
all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will
be exalted.”
12 He said also to the one who had invited him, “When
you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or
your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and
you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the
poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be
blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the righteous.”
Footnotes:
a. Luke 14:1 Gk he
b. Luke 14:4 Gk he
c. Luke 14:5 Other ancient authorities read a
donkey
1. The true stories of Jesus are
a profound critique of religion.
2. Jesus is not telling me to
think and act like I am nothing. In a world which thinks in terms of
"tower" or "cower", He calls me to consider who the living
God is.
3. No human being ever has, or
ever can, put the living God in their debt.
4. The gospel is the true story
of Jesus, in compassion, humbling Himself to live among us, and heal our
gravest wound by dying on the cross in our place.
5. As the gospel grips my heart,
I am nudged and drawn grounded and shaped.
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Jesus’ death upon the cross is an act of healing
that comes from God, that has the power to heal our deepest wound, which is our
separation from our creator.
Friends, I urge you to consider, and to think,
about Jesus. It’s not turning toward religion, but to the one who will heal our
deepest wound.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for
Jesus. Thank you for what He did on the cross. Thank you that He loves us.
Thank you that YOU love us. Thank you that you want to heal our deepest wound
and our lesser wounds, as well.
And help us, Father,
to turn ourselves to Jesus, to trust in the love of Him.
- Rev. Canon George Sinclair
Church of the Messiah
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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the
following link:
http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/28442/good_news_139_jan11.mp3
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