Back to Sermon Index Forgiven and Made New June 1, 2008 2 Corinthians 5:17-6:2 How many of you have worn or do wear glasses or contacts? I remember when I got my first pair of glasses. I was stunned that you could see the leaves on trees! Until them the world had been a blurry place...where everything outside of the reach of my arm was unclear. The funny thing is, you don't know that everyone else sees the world differently. You assume that what you see, the way you see it, is what everyone sees. And then suddenly you get a new set of glasses and everything comes into focus! What a wonderful experience, but hard to take in. at first, riding in the car when I could see everything in detail speeding by, made me sort of afraid. We had a friend who had a similar experience. He had ridden his bicycle to the eye doctors to pick up his glasses...and when he put them on he could not ride his bike home, all he images whizzing by made him dizzy. It took a little while to get used to seeing the world through the glasses...and then afterwards you couldn't live without them! They made a difference in what you saw in the world and how you were able to live! Paul talks about seeing things a new light in today's passage. He begins by saying that he used to judge people by the popular standards of the world, seeing them through the lenses of the world. He judged them by their level of education or intelligence, By the abilities and accomplishments, and by their appearance and attractiveness. He used to judge others and put everyone into various boxes...some considered good and some bad. He added to the normal filters those which came from his Pharisaic tradition and background. Some people were considered unclean regardless of how hard they tried or what they accomplished, they would never be good enough...for they were not like him. There was, in Paul's assessment of the world, racism at work as well as religious bigotry. For him, many were considered "others" who existed only to provide the fuel for the fires of hell. And even among his own religious brethren, there was a great sense of comparison and judgment. His and the world's judgments were harsh. And Paul judged himself even harder than the rest. He tried in vain to live up to a religious regiment of action and ritual that was impossible to follow. In his heart of hearts, he saved his harshest judgments for himself...who went through the motions and followed the rituals but had a heart as cold as stone. There was definitely something missing. And then it happened. On that fateful journey of judgment and condemnation, where Paul, then Saul, journeyed to Damascus to root out these Christians whom he hated! He was on his way to find them and to take care of them; which meant for some the exile from their home, family, community and job...and for a few it meant imprisonment and death. He had already tasted the blood of Stephen as he was stoned to death in judgment and hatred. And as he rode along, planning his actions...suddenly Jesus was before him, shining like the sun in the blinding light of love and grace. In an instant, Saul's view of the world changed forever. For him, all things were suddenly made new. The story told in "the Acts of the Apostles" tells of scales falling from his eyes after his vision of Jesus. He saw the world with new eyes. His view of everything changed...beginning with himself, His own heart and mind. He suddenly felt loved. And he knew that all his sins...the little hidden ones and the huge obvious ones, were forgiven and washed away by the grace of God poured out in the blood of Christ Jesus. The scales fell from his eyes and he sees himself anew...through the eyes of Jesus. And Jesus sees us not as worthless sinners who deserve judgment and condemnation, but he sees us with the eyes of love and compassion. He sees us as his own children, who were lost and are now found. He sees us as beloved and precious, precious enough that he would and did die for us! Paul saw himself differently. And he also saw the world differently. Paul writes that he used to judge the whole world through worldly standards...even himself, even Christ Jesus. But now he has changed. His stone cold heart was melted in love and reborn in grace...and he sees himself as a beloved child of God and sees everyone else through the lenses of love. His new eyes do not over look the obvious sins of others nor do they refuse to see the world as it is. In fact, Paul sees it now more clearly than ever. He sees the world as it really is, and he sees the hope that exists for it and its people. That God loves them. That God loves them so much that he does not just sit in heaven and wait for the few, the holy or the dedicated or the lucky to find the truth. No. God loves us so much that he sent his only Son into the world, that the world might be saved through him. Paul sees in Jesus the hope of the world. He has experience the new life and he now sees that same life as possible for all, even the worst and most brutal sinner. Even those filled with hatred and prejudice can be made new in the love of Christ. If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creature. The old has passed away and God makes all things new! Anyone. Anyone, even the worst sinner. Even me, Paul says, even me...even you. We can know the grace of God in Jesus and be made new! We begin afresh... We are given new life. And that life is renewed over and over again. We are on a journey with Jesus and his grace is not something that we experience once and then we are on our own. No. As we live in him, we are being renewed over and over again. His grace is new each day, and he continues to love us and forgive us. We renew our faith in worship and through communion...the act that Jesus gave us to use to remind ourselves that we are loved and forgiven...that his blood was shed for our forgiveness and his body broken for our life. Each of us sees ourselves differently ,and then see the world differently...through the eyes of his grace. And we each have the privilege of representing Christ to others. As the "young people"...even using the term "young people" means that I am old! But they use the term "Represent"...you have to represent..." You have to represent your school, your neighborhood, your town, your gang...whatever. People learn what it means to be from San Jose, or Lincoln High, or where ever from you. You are the picture of what it means to be from here. And you are the picture of what it means to know the love of Jesus. We are given the ministry of reconciliation. Of bringing people together with God so that they can experience the grace and Love of Jesus like we have. How do we do this? By our actions first and foremost. What we do speaks louder than what we say. People see us and use us to judge the faith and what it means. Paul says that we are Christ's ambassadors. We are the ones who represent Jesus...Our actions reflect upon him, and we have the privilege of speaking for Him...and we are each ambassadors. Just as our country sends ambassadors to various countries who represent the United States and speak on our behalf...Jesus sends us. But we are each sent to where we already are! Did that even make sense? Jesus does not say that we as Christians all should go to the same place and do the same thing...each of us has our own circle of influence and our own place in the world...our own family, our own friends, our own place of employment or activity... You are Christ's ambassador to the gym, to the grocery store or the school or the job or to your family...wherever. But it all begins with seeing with new eyes, seeing Jesus. Back to Sermon Index