December 2, 2007
"Are You In The Red?"

Theme: The only debt we should owe anyone is the debt of love; love fulfills all of God’s requirements; love your neighbor as yourself; don’t forget that we are closer than ever to meeting Jesus!

Scripture:
(Rom 13:8 NRSV) Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

(Rom 13:9 NRSV) The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

(Rom 13:10 NRSV) Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

(Rom 13:11 NRSV) Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;

(Rom 13:12 NRSV) the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;

(Rom 13:13 NRSV) let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.

(Rom 13:14 NRSV) Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.


First service introduction:
(We had a lovely wedding yesterday. Megan Donnellan married Jeffrey Nuzzalow. They lit a unity candle in the service, as many couples do now days. They asked whether or not they should extinguish the two candles that they used to light the unity candle. Most couples inquire about this. I explain that they can either extinguish them or leave them lit to represent their own unique personalities. It is always interesting to see if couples leave them lit or extinguish them. I heard about a wedding where the bride and groom put their individual candles back into the candleholders with their flames still burning. Then the bride, with a gleam in her eye, bent over and blew out his candle. The congregation burst into laughter.

The church in Rome that Paul wrote to was a wedding of sorts – the wedding of two very different cultures – Jewish and Gentile (non-jewish) people. It was indeed an inter-racial group. The Jews were imposing their will upon their non-jewish brothers and sisters. They insisted that the 613 rules of the Jewish faith should still be kept even after they were saved by Christ! It was a marriage on the rocks.]

Second service introduction:
[We had a lovely wedding yesterday. Megan Donnellan married Jeffrey Nuzzalow. It was a nice celebration of young love. There is something special about weddings: two becoming one, commitment, sacred vows. Sometimes the holiness of it really overwhelms me. Somehow, by God’s power, I regain my composure.

There is a funny little story called the seven stages of the married cold –the husband’s reaction to his wife’s colds during seven years of marriage. It goes like this:
First year: “Sugar dumpling, I’m really worried about my baby girl. You’ve got a bad sniffle and there’s no telling about these things with all the strep going around. I’m putting you in the hospital this afternoon for a general checkup and good rest. I know the food’s lousy, but I’ll be bringing your meals from the expensive restaurant downtown. I’ve already got it all arranged with the head nurse.
Second year: “Listen, darling, I don’t like the sound of that cough and I’ve called Doc. Miller to rush over here. Now you go to bed like a good girl, just for Poppa.”
Third year: “Maybe you better lie down honey. Nothing like a little rest when you feel lousy. I’ll bring you something. Have we got any canned soup?”
Fourth year: “Now look, dear, be sensible. After you’ve fed the kids and got the dishes done and the floor finished, you better lie down.”
Fifth year: “Why don’t you take a couple of aspirin?”
Sixth year: “I wish you’d just gargle or something instead of sitting around barking like a seal all evening.”
Seventh year: “For Pete’s sake, stop sneezing! Are you trying to give me pneumonia?” (Hewett)

There is a lot of truth to this little story. We start off in wedded bliss, but something happens along the way. Sometimes, we take way too much for granted, don’t we? We must learn to honor one another even after the honeymoon is over.

We have lost the concept of honor in our culture, and it shows! The Orientals have a great way to honor one another – they bow. We could take a clue from that, stop, and just say to our beloved or to our kids, “Wow, I can’t believe that you’re my spouse (or my child)! Gee, I am so glad that you are here!” Try that sometime, and after they get over the shock, it will be appreciated – if you are genuine. Honor one another.

The church in Rome that Paul wrote to was a wedding of sorts – the wedding of two very different cultures – Jewish and Gentile (non-jewish) people. It was indeed an inter-racial group. The Jews were imposing their will upon their non-jewish brothers and sisters. They insisted that the 613 rules of the Jewish faith should still be kept even after they were saved by Christ! It was a marriage on the rocks.]

Paul wrote to tell his friends that the only debt that should be owed is the debt of love. When it comes to loving, we should always be in the red. Besides, he made it clear that the debt of the Jewish law was impossible was a burden too great. That was one reason that Christ came, to fulfill the law in himself and to become the way to everlasting life. To go back into the sacrificial system would be a huge step backwards. It would trample on the grace of God. It would demean the cross! Paul’s claim is that salvation is by grace through faith – not of works! The only law to be followed is the law of love!

Ted Stallard undoubtedly qualifies as the one of "the least." Turned off by school. Very sloppy in appearance. Expressionless. Unattractive. Even his teacher, Miss Thompson, enjoyed bearing down her red pen -- as she placed Xs beside his many wrong answers. If only she had studied his records more carefully. They read:

1st grade: Ted shows promise with his work and attitude, but (has) poor home situation.

2nd grade: Ted could do better. Mother seriously ill. Receives little help from home.

3rd grade: Ted is good boy but too serious. He is a slow learner. His mother died this year.

4th grade: Ted is very slow, but well-behaved. His father shows no interest whatsoever.

Christmas arrived. The children piled elaborately wrapped gifts on their teacher's desk. Ted brought one too. It was wrapped in brown paper and held together with Scotch Tape. Miss Thompson opened each gift, as the children crowded around to watch. Out of Ted's package fell a gaudy rhinestone bracelet, with half of the stones missing, and a bottle of cheap perfume. The children began to snicker. But she silenced them by splashing some of the perfume on her wrist, and letting them smell it. She put the bracelet on too.

At day's end, after the other children had left, Ted came by the teacher's desk and said, "Miss Thompson, you smell just like my mother. And the bracelet looks real pretty on you. I'm glad you like my presents." He left. Miss Thompson got down on her knees and asked God to forgive her and to change her attitude.

The next day, the children were greeted by a reformed teacher -- one committed to loving each of them. Especially the slow ones. Especially Ted. Surprisingly -- or maybe, not surprisingly, Ted began to show great improvement. He actually caught up with most of the students and even passed a few.

Time came and went. Miss Thompson heard nothing from Ted for a long time. Then, one day, she received this note:

Dear Miss Thompson:
I wanted you to be the first to know. I will be graduating second in my class.
Love, Ted

Four years later, another note arrived:

Dear Miss Thompson:
They just told me I will be graduating first in my class. I wanted you to be first to know. The university has not been easy, but I liked it.
Love, Ted

And four years later:

Dear Miss Thompson:
As of today, I am Theodore Stallard, M.D. How about that? I wanted you to be the first to know. I am getting married next month, the 27th to be exact. I want you to come and sit where my mother would sit if she were alive. You are the only family I have now; Dad died last year.

Miss Thompson attended that wedding, and sat where Ted's mother would have sat. The compassion she had shown that young man entitled her to that privilege.

Let's have some real courage, and start giving to "one of the least." Sometimes I get the impression that we are a bit divided here – we have an “us” versus “them” mentality. We must remember that at the foot of the cross, we are all on level ground. Now, don’t get me wrong; we are doing great things, but we still have some work to do!

Our efforts to reach the least, the last, and the lost may produce a Ted Stallard. Even if that doesn't happen, we will have been faithful to the One who has always treated us -- as unworthy as we are -- like very special people. (Jon Johnston, Courage - You Can Stand Strong in the Face of Fear, 1990, SP Publications, pp. 111-113.)

One last thing, remember that love is not a feeling. It is a choice. God chose to love us when he sent his Son that first Advent. God continues to love us, even when we don’t deserve it. Let us keep that in mind as we relate to others. Now, let us prepare for Holy Communion; in communion we meet the lover of our souls!