Liberally Sharing of Grace

It doesn't happen often, but this week was one where I just couldn't wrap my mind around any of the assigned Scripture readings. Nothing was breaking through...until I happened to listen to the reflection offered by the Rev. Canon Dana Corsello at Washington National Cathedral. Listening to her words, and then looking at the Scriptures, I finally found what was there the whole time: God's grace is abundant, it goes wherever it wants, and when we accept it and live by God's love...we can offer that same grace to others.

At least that's what I got out of all my wrestling and struggling. And it sure beat talking about Jacob and Esau and red lentil stew.

See what you think. 

Text: Texts: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, Romans 8:1-11

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I recently heard a story told by one of the priests at Washington National Cathedral that seemed relevant to our readings today.

She was talking about scrolling through Instagram and reading the experience of a Japanese Soccer fan who had come here for the World Cup.

 But this wasn’t about the soccer games.

This was about eating at a Mexican restaurant.

This man had never been to the States before…and so he was unaware of some of the customs of hospitality that we take for granted.

He’s in this Mexican restaurant….and places his drink and food order.

He’s talking with his friends when the basket of chips and salsa arrive.

Confused…he stops the waiter.

Motioning to the basket he says, “We did not order this.”

“It’s OK,” says the waiter, “They come with the table.”

The Japanese man was awe struck.

These chips…this overflowing basket of chips with salsa…comes with the table?

In his post…the man went on to talk about the cultural difference…the fact that in Japanese restaurants…the idea of giving food away for free was a foreign concept.

His post went on to note that after they’d finished the first basket of chips …My goodness! Another basket of free chips arrived.

Chips for free.

Without asking.

And accompanied by what he called a sampling from the seemingly bottomless well of salsa.

This experience seemed to rival any sort of awe-inspiring play on the soccer pitch!

Something good… hospitable…for free.

Aside from the feeling of goodwill we can get from seeing a foreigner enjoy the perks of eating at a Mexican restaurant in America….this story makes for a great analogy about the nature of God’s grace.

Like chips and salsa that come with the table…

It’s free.

It’s abundant.

We don’t need to earn it and we can’t buy it.

We just need to be willing to accept it and let it fill us up.

And because we’re filled with such grace… and because of grace we have experienced this sense of freedom…we are more able to share it with others.

That is the hope…the dream… that God has for us.

This is similar to the sower…going about…freely tossing seeds here…there and everywhere.

It doesn’t matter if it’s the right time of year… or the best season… or the most ideal soil.

These seeds are going to get thrown because that’s what the sower does.

In this case…our “sower” is Jesus.

The “seeds” he’s spreading are his teachings…his healings…his kindness…all the Love…the grace of God…that is within him.

He’s using this metaphor of a sower to a people familiar with this farming practice.

Unlike today…where farmers carefully measure the acidity of soil…and plan and rotate crops…the farmers of ancient Palestine used this scattering method…knowing that some plants would grow… and others would not.

So Jesus’s audience would at the very least grasp this image of a sower.

Whether they understood it as meaning the spreading and growing of God’s Love… and could take in that message… was another matter.

For some…they hear it and don’t care…or they care too much about other things.

These are the ones who want power over others…or more money... and prestige.

They don’t want to receive this gift…especially if it means changing their outlook…and becoming a person who cares about the well-being of others.

This is what Paul is driving at in his letter to the Romans with his talk about “flesh” and “Spirit.”

They’ve set their hearts and minds on the “things” of the world that might bring about instant gratification…but will not serve them in the long run.

Now I know a lot of people find Paul’s writings to be challenging.

And yes—in our 21^st century ears—he is long-winded and his letters can lead one to think: “T-L-D-R”…the short-hand for “Too Long, Didn’t Read.”

And this one from chapter eight has been really badly  misconstrued…and has led some to believe that our bodies are bad and evil and sinful.

To sound like Paul for a moment, “Is Paul saying the human body is horrible? No! Not at all!”

Don’t forget that we are made in the image of God.

All of our limbs…ligaments…the breath in our lungs….these are all blessings given to us.

Heck—as Paul even says…Jesus took on human flesh.

And that’s an important part of what Paul wants us to hear in this portion of his letter.

It was through Jesus’s actions…both his loving ministry of mercy…compassion…and justice in the world…and going to the cross as an innocent man… that Jesus did the work of freeing our fleshy humanity from that the sin that got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden of Eden in the first place… and his actions transforms us into a new people to carry on the God’s mission.  

By living in Love…and dying in Love…and being raised again out of Love…Jesus gave all of us who were baptized…a shot at new life…new breath… and the fire within of the Spirit.

Now…sadly…this doesn’t mean that sin…the force that seeks power over others and drives a wedge between us and God and each other…is dead and gone forever.

We’re all aware of that.

Our news media reminds us of it daily.

People still hurt and abuse other people…as well as animals…and the planet.

Cancer and other diseases still claim lives.

Those holding earthly power still attempt to dominate others through violence.

There is always this perpetual struggle between those who are self-serving…and those who are joining in the mission to spread more Love…and grow up more people who want a world where everyone enjoys that grace that’s like those free chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant.

But what Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and the Gospel lesson this morning are encouraging us to hear is that when we choose to live into the liberating life found in Christ…and when we set are sights on achieving a world where there is health…healing…and hope with unconditional love… we have a power source of the Spirit… ready to help us grow that garden of Love…and boost our efforts.

These lessons speak to how it is through God’s power working in us and through us …as a community… we can achieve infinitely more than we can ask or imagine in the mission of caring for each other.

We may live in a world where there are stony paths or  rocky soil… and places where weeds have been allowed to choke the life out of people.

But still we go. 

We may have rocky soil or thorny bushes growing in our own hearts.

But we are still loved…and encouraged to never give up on the grace that is there to help us cultivate the goodness that is within us.

If we keep doing our best with our hearts and minds fixed on Love… we can and will be able to freely sow hope out in our communities.

In the name of our One Holy and Undivided Trinity.