2nd Chances

Christ the King Sunday

As some of you know today is a day that the church calls Christ the King Sunday—it is celebrated every year on the last Sunday before Advent.    It is what I call a theme Sunday.  We have three or four theme Sundays throughout the year where the church like to highlight a certain subjects or ideas. I strongly dislike theme Sundays.   In the late winter – we have Good Shepherd Sunday—  where we’re invited to think about Jesus as a shepherd and are usually regaled with sermons about how dumb sheep are.  Then in the spring we have Trinity Sunday which no preacher ever wants to touch with a ten foot pole and today we have Christ the king Sunday. 

Now I read this week that years ago—in some corners of the church this Sunday was not Christ the King, but rather it was called Judgement Sunday. 

Anybody remember Judgement Sunday?

I don’t see anyone curled up in the fetal position so I am taking that as a no. 

Judgement Sunday must have been a real downer on Church attendance—I am guessing that once people got wind that Judgement Sunday was coming—they came down with a case of the sniffles or the measles or did just about anything else that they could do to avoid going to church on that particular Sunday.

Thank God we got rid of Judgement Sunday.

Now if there ever was a time for judgement or for anger and condemnation –Jesus on the cross would have been that time –but interesting enough—there is not anger or judgement at all from the cross in the story we hear today.  As people are shoving sour wine in Jesus face, as they are spitting on him,  mocking him and harassing him---Jesus’ response isn’t to say “wait till I get down off here-- you are so screwed.”, but rather  it’s “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

A few lines later  we hear the criminal who by his admission deserves crucifixion ask Jesus simply to remember him—Jesus doesn’t  say, “There is no way you deserve to be in my kingdom.” Rather Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in paradise. “

On this Christ, the king Sunday-I think that the question we have to ask ourselves is what kind of king is Jesus and what does this story in particular tell us about Jesus as king.

Is he a king bent on hellfire and brimstone on Judgement or wrath or vengeance? I don’t think so.

David Lose president of Luther Theological Seminary in Philadelphia says that Jesus in this particular passage show us that he is the king of second chances.  The Crowd, the criminal, the soldiers who put the nails in his hands. The people who condemned him to die— offers  of second chances.

I don’t know that any of you would argue—that Jesus is about giving second chances—and third chances- and fourth chances, --what does Jesus say about how many times his followers have to forgive? 

Not seven times but rather 70 x 7. 

When I think about 2^nd and 3^rd chances—I think about all of the possibilities for the restoration of relationships that have failed—I think about how relationships might be restored and rebuilt when we give folks a second chance.

I think about the heavy burdens all of the guilt and shame that might  be  lifted off folks when we give folks a second chance.

I think about the opportunity to let go of disappointment and sadness – when we can let go of those times we wished we had a second chance. 

I don’t know where you might need a second chance—I don’t know where you might need to give that someone a second chance.  I don’t know what relationships you might need Jesus to step into and help you with.

But I do know he is the king of “Father forgive for they know not what they do”--- he is the king of 2^nd chances.  

Second chance can begin right here uttering a name—lifting a person in prayer to the gates of heaven and imagining Jesus restoring that relationship.

Second chances can begin with an I’m sorry—I am going to work my hardest never to let that happen again. 

Second chances happen right here when we get on our knees and confess to God those things we have done and those things we have left undone.  They begin with a commitment to change patterns of behavior and embrace new ways of living.

What about the second chance opportunities we may never have or the ones we’ve squandered? Might it do us some good to let go of that—have you ever invited Jesus into that deep disappointment or those missed opportunities and asked to be healed?

Before I go any further let me be clear about something—there are certain situations where 2^nd chances might not be appropriate- in fact they may continue to bring  harm upon someone where patterns of behavior continue—I’m thinking of cases of Domestic Violence—sexual abuse, emotional and spiritual abuse.  

Please don’t think that my words today condoning those behaviors and encouraging someone to give those serial abusers a second chance. 

Sometimes relationships become so damaged that reconciliation and the restoration of a relationship might not ever be possible or even beneficial for one side.  

Jesus reigns from on high he is a Jesus is a king –a king of second chances—the kingdom we bring with us out t through those doors includes the possibility of second chances in our own lives and in the lives of those we love-- in our communities and those around us.  Thank God, Jesus is not about three strikes you’re out—let’s imagine a kingdom where healing is possible because we too can be people of 2^nd chances.

AMEN