between righteousness and mercy
April 6, 2025 Lent 5
Candle lighting
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship
We come to worship because we long for mercy.
We long for community. We long for God.
We come to worship because we need a good word. We need connection. We need moral reminders.
We come to worship because we are in between:
hope and grief, faith and doubt, joy and longing, curiosity and conviction.
So we come to worship and God meets us here.
Surely, we are not alone. Thanks be to God for meeting us in the middle! Amen.
Hymn: 202 We lay our hurting world in sorrow at your feet
Prayer of Approach
Loving God, Week after week we return to this space, because we long to see you. Like the crowd we press close so that we can hear you better and know your will for our lives. Like Zacchaeus who climbed a tree to get a peek at you as you walked by, we come to this sanctuary hoping to get a peek of your goodness, of your joy, of your light.
As we worship you this day, help us to express our joy because you see us and you know us. Let us express our gratitude that you hear us. Then O God speak to us through the ancient words of your Scriptures, which for us are life itself. Reveal yourself in the words of scripture and the worship we share, that we may have a glimpse of the love that lingers here. Gratefully we pray, amen.
Call to Confession
Friends, our faith calls us to live with both mercy and righteousness.
Somewhere along the way, however, we have forgotten that truth.
Somewhere along the way, we began arguing about who deserves mercy and whether or not they had acted with enough righteousness to receive it.
Fortunately, God does not act that way.
No matter what mistakes we have made or wrong turns we’ve taken, God consistently meets us with mercy and invites us to try again. So let us lean into that good news, and go to God in prayer:
Prayer of Confession:
Merciful God, When we fail to be righteous, show us mercy.
When we fail to be merciful, show us what is right. Again and again, bring us closer to you. Again and again, show us the way. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Family of faith, hear and believe this good news: When we fail to be righteous, God is merciful.
When we fail to be merciful, God forgives us and invites us to try again. Again and again, God moves closer to us. Over and over again, God shows us the way. Thanks be to God for this unending love. Amen.
Passing the Peace
Hymn: 209
Scripture:
Responsive Psalm 126 p 967
Luke 19: 1-10 p 1630
Sermon: between righteousness and mercy
One of the things that is rarely spoken of is that we are called to be righteous. When we are gathered in with mercy and graced with forgiveness, God gives us his righteousness. In 2 Corinthians 5 we read, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Being the righteousness of God in Christ, means being justified, forgiven, and adopted into God’s family. It is the beginning of a transformative identity for believers. We are called a new being. We are given a new identity. Not just the child of God, but the righteousness of God in Christ. When God looks at us, he sees Jesus.
That is hard to reconcile.
It might be because the whole movement of WWJD notwithstanding, living with the grace, mercy, justice and love of Jesus is so difficult for us. We are all too aware of our own thoughts, and actions which show the ongoing struggle we have with sin. When we have received the salvation given in Christ, there is a whole lot of restoration that still needs to be done.
It’s kind of like buying a fixer-upper house or an old car. You fix one thing and something else goes wrong.
The Psalm that we read this morning describes the joy of the people who are brought home from exile in Babylon. But that joy quickly dwindled as the people faced the reality of the home to which they returned.
They mourned those who had died during the exile and did not make the journey, and they mourned for the home they expected to find.
They did not see the home they expected. The glory of the city their parents spoke of—gone. The awe inspiring beauty of the Temple—gone. Fields and vineyards—destroyed.
There is still a long way to go before the restoration of the people will be complete. The restoration of the land, the city and the Temple were merely reminders of the real restoration that needed to be done.
The commentator Hoezee points out that the people who returned were still as sinful and as dry and as fruitless as the desert.
Nevertheless, with God’s help they were willing to undertake the work of restoration. They were willing to plant the seeds and prepare for the harvest to come.
In this Lenten journey through the messy middle, we have learned that this journey will require great effort, be difficult and even painful as it was for the fig tree. We have also seen that the effort for the friends and followers of Jesus, were also difficult and painful as they learned to find the balance of learning and works, and the balance of resting in grace and serving with joy.
Sometimes we move forward in the journey, sometimes we move backwards in the journey; but in every stage we are learning and growing, seeking and discovering. We have those days when we fail and those days when we achieve success.
All of it teaches us that we cannot make this journey in our own strength, we rely on the strength of God in every moment.
When we undertake to take the journey in the strength of God, we will begin to see how we are the righteousness of God.
We will begin to see Jesus and what he calls forth in us. All the people who flocked to see Jesus in Jericho, were also encouraged to see.
The verb to see, is represented here in the Greek idou, look and behold. The people are called to look and see. Not to just see some itinerant preacher, but to really see him for who he is, not who they want him to be.
That is a task even the disciples had difficulty with.
So clearly today’s story about righteousness and mercy is meant for everyone.
The disciples.
The crowd who press near to get a chance to get a glimpse of Jesus.
Zaccheus who goes to an extraordinary effort to get a glimpse of Jesus.
Even us, who are always seeking a deeper glimpse of Jesus.
Seeing Jesus. Beholding Jesus. Really encountering Jesus, begins with an understanding of our own sinfulness and our ongoing sinfulness. That lesson is brought home in the way in which Jesus sees Zaccheus.
He beholds him.
He sees him inside and out.
He understands him.
The crowd also sees Zaccheus; but focus their sight only on his reputation.
The reputation of a tax collector had many layers of deceit and dishonesty that brought damage to the people. As a tax collector he worked for the occupying Romans, and perhaps even collaborated with them.
The Romans demanded a certain amount of tax per resident; but the tax collectors were able to take more, often as much more as the market with withstand.
So Zaccheus could set his own rate and keep EVERYTHING over what he was required to return to Rome. As a result, he became quite wealthy. No doubt many in the crowd had been cheated by him.
It is perhaps no wonder that they complain that Jesus, whom they expect to be more discerning, goes to stay with a sinner.
Clearly the expectation is that Jesus would recognize that they were victims of Zaccheus, not only innocent, but also superior to Zaccheus and therefore more entitled to host Jesus, be with him and earn his special favour. Zaccheus was a sinner, and no one associated with sinners.
Especially not those who were going to Jerusalem on a spiritual quest.
First, we need to remember that Jesus is still on the journey to Jerusalem. “Going to Jerusalem” had great spiritual implications.
Just like the priest and the scribe in the narrative of the Good Samaritan, Jesus would be expected to maintain a careful watch on what and who he encountered.
He needed to stay spiritually pure, and going to eat with and stay with a sinner was not consistent with the “understanding” of what it means to remain spiritually pure.
How many of you remember the days of Preparation Services? In the week before a Communion Service, there would be a service in which instruction on what the Communion entailed, followed by a time to examine our hearts, confess our sins. Then we would receive a token that would grant us permission to attend the communion service the following Sunday, and the onus would be on us to stay in that pure and forgiven state until that day. In those days NO TOKEN meant NO ENTRANCE.
The practice of elders visiting the people in their district and handing out communion cards came out of the preparation practice.
Elders were supposed to quiz us on the catechism, talk about our sins and remind us of our need to stay pure from sin.
That then evolved into a friendly visit over tea, and the card, if they gave you one, just got dropped in the offering plate and no one ever examined it or any of us to see if we were worthy to receive the “means of grace” that flowed from the communion table.
In our day and age, how often do we wonder if we are worthy to come to the Table?
As we recall the practice of preparation and worthiness, it is a good time to be reminded that we don’t need to be in a state of righteousness to be welcomed by grace. That is the point of grace.
Grace is freely given. Grace does not rely on what we do or fail to do. Grace simply flows out of the love of God for us in Christ Jesus.
This truth is what is so offensive to those in the crowd who complained and offensive to those whom he met along the way.
In the journey to the cross Jesus demonstrates the overwhelming reach of grace and the profound depth of mercy and it is always offensive.
Sinners are given grace and mercy.
Lepers are cleansed.
The woman caught in adultery is forgiven.
People living on the edge of society are invited to the banquet.
People in great debt are forgiven.
Servants are entrusted with the wealth of the Master.
Where will this end?
It ends in Idou—seeing. Really seeing.
Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus but because he was short, he couldn’t see over the crowd. Because the crowd disliked and maybe even hated him, they didn’t let him get closer.
So Zaccheus does the unthinkable.
No grown man who valued his reputation would run ahead, lifting the skirts of his tunic so as not to trip, and then climb a tree. He was risking the exposure of bare skin that was never to be seen in public. If his life wasn’t already scandalous, this alone would demonstrate that he was unworthy.
Then Jesus does the unthinkable, showing his own disregard for the rules of polite society. He stops under the tree and says to Zaccheus, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
This, for Zaccheus, is the beginning of his redemptive journey. He is welcomed into the Kingdom. He sees Jesus: sees, beholds, understands and knows Jesus.
The crowd sees Jesus, but they don’t understand him, or even see the grace and glory of God in him. In fact, they don’t really see him at all. And in contrast to the mercy and grace Jesus offers, they offer judgement.
This is all too often the case when those who think they know what Jesus is supposed to do, get in the way of God’s mercy. In that process we betray the grace and mercy of God, and we forget the great cost of our own forgiveness and even that we are called to bear fruit worthy of repentance.
This is just another one of those examples that Jesus reveals in the parables. Those who are forgiven of great sins are more grateful. But the truth is that we are all forgiven of great things, and living the fruit worthy of repentance is how we show our gratitude and our joy.
Even as the crowd judges Zaccheus for his sins, and complains that Jesus will go to the home of sinner; Zaccheus begins the journey of restorative repentance. He turns to Jesus and says: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Luke 19: 5-6 NIV
Here is a man who was seen, truly seen by Jesus, and encountered the mercy of grace. In response, Zaccheus really sees Jesus and begins his redemptive journey. He accepts not only forgiveness, but also the resulting righteousness.
He also accepts that for him to live in righteousness, he must make amends. He must live the life of the messy middle and do the work worthy of mercy and grace.
That knowledge is seen in his response: Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Luke 19: 8 NIV
The work of mercy and grace will be a hard and difficult task. It is a never-ending task.
Zaccheus made a commitment to this work as a result of seeing Jesus and knowing grace. Because he knew the mercy of being seen, he committed himself to live righteously.
As in all of the other encounters on this journey to Jerusalem, we don’t get to know the end of the story.
Zaccheus has a lot of amends to make. It will require a great loss in wealth, it might even bankrupt him. We may wonder if he gave up his job as a tax-collector. We may wonder if, regardless of his new life, he would still be shunned and judged by the people who knew him.
The journey of righteousness means entering the unknown. Zaccheus will have to learn how to live and work with integrity. He will have to do the steady work of repentance as he learns how to be the righteousness of God.
He will learn a whole new way of living. He will be given a new purpose, a new hope. That purpose and hope will require a journey of faith because he will have no idea what the future will look like.
All of us are also on a journey of righteousness; walking with purpose and hope to a future that God will disclose and open for us at every new turning place. This makes it a journey of constant opportunities to choose the way of God.
Mercy gets us on the road. Choosing to live in righteousness keeps us on the road.
We are grateful for the power of God on this journey. Amen.
Affirmation of Faith
In a world that loves to cast blame and point fingers, Jesus loved by different rules.
He offered mercy. He invited people to dinner. He told stories of love. He chose to bring out the best in others.
We believe that small acts of mercy and compassion have ripple effects in our lives. We believe that small acts of righteousness and justice are integral to a life of faith. So like Christ, we believe in offering mercy, inviting people to dinner, telling stories of love, and choosing to bring out the best in others. With God’s help, may it be so. Amen.
Hymn: 210 Man of sorrows, wondrous name
Offering and Doxology 830
Offertory Prayer
We bring these offerings as symbols of our commitment
to continue the search for peace with justice in our local and global communities.
We offer these gifts because we know that change is possible.
Like Zacchaeus, we know that God’s love can work through us
transforming and enabling us to live in God’s way.
We offer these gifts for the transformation of ourselves and our world for the good of all. Amen.
Gathering Prayer Requests
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
O God of love, we have come to worship you this day as a sign that we are in unity with you. Yet, You and we know, Lord, that each household has a different story of happiness, heartache, and health.
Each has their own struggle with weariness, and worry, sadness, and solitude. Each comes with differing levels of trust, and respond to your leading with a desire to be encouraged or a desire to show their excitement in your presence.
Thank you that you see each of us, for who we are and loving us with great mercy and according to our expressed needs.
Together we pray for those needs, whether expressed or held in our hearts.
We begin with joy:
The coming of spring with its promise of growth, and the harvest to come.
We bring our local concerns
Bernice following the death of her husband, Rick and their families.
We pray for the world
The upcoming election, that we will discern wisely and that the party elected will govern with justice and mercy, giving of themselves to build a stronger nation.
Those recovering from ice storms in ON/QC
Peace in the Ukraine, Russia.
Peace in Jerusalem, Gaza, Lebanon
Strength and aid for all who work for peace, and provide aid to the victims of conflict
Those recovering from tornadoes, storms and heavy rainfall in many States of the US.
Those grieving and rebuilding following earthquakes in Myanmar
As we make our departure from worship, go with us to guide our service. Teach us to follow. Call us to return. Show us how to give away. Embolden us to tell everyone. Remind us when to keep silence.
Keep us alive, Lord, by your mercy. Help us to show mercy to all whom we meet. Help us to recognize them as you recognize them, a beloved child.
We ask these things in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray, saying: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever. Amen
Hymn: 352 And can it be that I should gain
Benediction
Lenten Benediction: As you leave this place, may you find God in every messy middle.
May you know that the world is bigger than two sides. May you trust that you are made in the image of God, and therefore, you contain multitudes. Remember the mercy of God, which calls you, forgives you and establish your identity as a beloved child of God and endowed with the righteousness of God.
So may you move through this world with an open heart, with a curious mind, and with the confidence that you do not go alone. God is with you in the mountains, in the valleys, and everywhere in between.
Believe that good news, and go in peace.
Blessing Song: 646 Lead me Jesus I will follow
Lead me Jesus I will follow, down the dusty pathway all along the sea
Teach me Jesus to be loving your disciple I will be x2
3-Fold Amen