February 18, 2018
HAVE YOU WALKED IN THEIR SHOES?
Lent 1, 2018
Mark 1:9-15
“Have you walked in their shoes?”
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
This past week I heard a song on the radio station, although I’m not sure which one, that I hadn’t heard for quite a while. Please don’t judge my taste in music. In their song, “What It’s Like,” Everlast describes the judging that a homeless man and a young woman seeking an abortion receive. Because of the language in the song I can’t repeat many of the lyrics. The end of each of the first two verses end similarly: “God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes ‘Cause then you really might know what it’s like to sing the blues.” and ” God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in her shoes ‘Cause then you really might know what it’s like to have to choose.” “Then you really might know what it’s like.”
I have a feeling the song was played in reaction to much of the news we’ve heard and seen this past week. In someone’s judgment this song needed to be played because others felt the right or need to judge.
This has been another week of tragedy in our country. Paul Bauer, Chicago Police Commander, killed by four time convicted felon Shomari Legghette. 17 killed at Douglas High School in Parkland Florida by Nikolas Cruz whom CNN informs us came from a “broken childhood.” Chicago Tribune’s Saturday headlines: 6:35 a.m. “1 killed, 9 wounded in city shootings including 16 year old boy.” 9:30 a.m. “3 people shot while sitting in traffic.” By 5:35 p.m. that changed to 4 people shot while sitting in traffic. This morning 7:07 a.m.: 3 dead, 9 wounded in Chicago shootings, including 3 who jumped on CTA bus after attack.
I’m not judging anyone individually. But, our nation, the entire world, has a heart problem. Whether we ban all weapons or not… we will still have a heart problem. That problem is sin. And sin causes us to hate and hurt others and ourselves. This is a problem that we cannot solve. At the same time sin causes us to have another heart problem…a problem of judging others. When tragedy strikes we are quick to point the blame. When tragedy strikes we are quick to judge the hearts and motives of all who are involved from the victims, those who should have done something, and the person guilty of the atrocity.
The truth is that our lives are filled with tragedies and atrocities. Our lives are filled with pain, suffering, and death. Our communities have been plagued by suicide and mental illness. We lose loved ones to sickness and disease as well as tragic accidents. Daily our news cycles are filled with reports of murder, rape, robberies, abuse, and the like. Even in our own homes we are plagued by our own sin. We have a bad day and lash out at others. We fight with our spouses and our children. Our children fight with one another. We bicker with neighbors. We quarrel with friends. Relationships are lost and broken. All of this is because of our own heart problem; the problem of sin.
We don’t need to walk in the shoes of someone else to understand that something is wrong and sinful. Sadly we also rarely try to understand and help others when they face hardship. Truthfully we don’t want to walk in other’s shoes…we don’t want to go through our own problems much less someone else’s problems.
Tragically we are all poor miserable sinners that deserve nothing more than death and damnation. God would have every right to punish us…abandon us…give up on us. But He didn’t. God hates sin. God punishes sin. God condemns sin. But God also did something about it. God sent His Son.
Saint Mark in his Gospel is very brief in his description of Jesus’ temptation. He writes: “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.” (Mark 1:12-13)
Jesus was tempted by Satan. No more no less from Mark. But this text, ever so brief, is telling us that Jesus has walked in our shoes. Jesus was tempted by Satan just like us. Matthew and Luke tell us that Jesus was tempted after being in the wilderness for forty days. Forty days without food or drink. Forty days alone. At His weakest Jesus was tempted by Satan to eat, to give up, to take the easy way out in His mission. But Jesus did not sin. Jesus did not give in to temptation.
“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:17-18) “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)
God knows each of our weaknesses and all of our sins…and yet he doesn’t judge us to be worthless or beyond His love and forgiveness. Jesus has been tempted just like us…in the flesh…but didn’t sin. Yet He doesn’t look down on us and abandon us.
Lent is the beginning of the Church Year where we focus not only inwardly as we repent for our sin…but more importantly on Jesus. Lent is the journey to the cross. It is a hard journey. It is a journey that leads us to see what our sins have done to us and this world. It is a journey where we see what our sins have done to our Lord. But it is also a journey where our Lord willingly and lovingly carries us…and all of our sinful baggage with Him. It is our Lord’s journey to save us.
This world has a heart problem. Sin is killing us…all of us whether we acknowledge it or not. But Christ was born to save us. He is the answer. Through Him we are forgiven. Through Him we may forgive others. Through Him we may love others. He is the answer that the world needs now. And you dearly beloved and forgiven children of God are His chosen tools and people to share His love. By God’s grace let us joyfully share the wonderful news of God’s love for all sinners. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
