September 12, 2004
By Jack Price

I have discovered many new things since moving to Kansas City.  One is a new level of passion exhibited by football fans.  Another is the real flavor of barbecue.  Finally, there is the realization of how loud weather can be.  Since coming to Crossroads Church, I have discovered some things as well.  One is congregation meetings!  Another is called the Enneagram.  Do you know your Enneagram number?  Do you wish you had never heard of the Enneagram?  Do you know my number?

Many of you are quite knowledgeable regarding Enneagram types.  What do you know about “1’s”?   I know they are not all identical, but that there are certain common characteristics.  1’s are often called the “perfectionist” type.  They have an inner critic and can be prone to be self-righteous and judgmental.  1’s can tend to feel unvalued if they are not perfect.  Many 1’s fear making a mistake.  They like to try to improve themselves and the people they love.  The attention of a “1” often goes to what’s wrong and, consequently, they can be critical of others.  In a word, then, 1’s can be Pharisaic.

You may wonder why such attitudes are called “Pharisaic”?  The reason is on display in today’s passage.  Tax collectors & sinners are coming to listen to Jesus.  Tax collectors we know.  These folks called “sinners” are those who transgress the religious  laws and get on the bad side of the Pharisee and scribes.

The Pharisees and scribes are watching these tax collectors and sinners come to Jesus and they begin grumbling and being critical and judgmental – the worst features of 1’s on the Enneagram.  They complain that Jesus is welcoming sinners and that he eats with them.  The fact that he is not eating with them in this particular story does not prevent them from still being angry.  Jesus is giving tacit approval to the lifestyle of these sinners.

The riff-raff are coming to Jesus.  The Pharisees are grumbling at Jesus.  In other words, it’s the usual scenario.

Jesus responds to this situation by telling three parables.  The third and longest one is the parable we call The Prodigal Son.  The first two comprise today’s scripture lesson.  They are told as a result of the Pharisees being pharisaic.  They thought religion was about right and wrong – that they’re right and these others are wrong.  Jesus tells these parable to let them see that they’re wrong in needing to be right and needing others to be wrong, and to treat others as outcasts.

“Jesus told them parables.”  To quote the Cowardly Lion, “Who’s them? “  Is “them” the Pharisees?  Jesus addresses their judgmental attitudes toward these outcast people.  At the same time, Jesus makes “lost” sinners the stars of his stories.

This story about a lost sheep was evidently a familiar scenario for his listeners.  Jesus considers the person’s action a “no brainer.”  Which of you wouldn’t do this?  100 sheep was a large flock then, but even so, the loss of one sheep was still significant.  Also, the person does not abandon the ninety-nine.  They are not endangered.  He leaves them safe in the wilderness – a word meaning “uncultivated pasture land.”  In his version, Matthew says he left the sheep “on the hills.”  They might not even have been left alone.  He goes to find the lost sheep and there is great joy at the finding. 

There is more joy over one sinner who repents.  What does that mean?  There seem to be two possibilities:  God likes sinners better than righteous or all of us are really lost sinners who don’t recognize our need for repentance?  If you see yourself as righteous and not in need of repentance, Jesus does not talk about you in this parable.  Perhaps, however, he is speaking to you.

The second parable uses a similar idea.  This time, a woman appears in the role of God.  She has ten silver coins – that is, ten drachma.  This represents five times the annual temple tax for an adult Jewish male.  It may have been a life savings for this poor woman.  She loses a coin and, since there are probably no windows in her tiny house, she lights a lamp.  The lamps of that day gave precious little light, so she search by feel as she swept the floors of her home until she found the coin.  Both stories reveal high anxiety at the losing and great relief with great celebration at the finding.

The common themes of these parables are:  the focus is on the lost that is found, there is more joy, or great joy, over one sinner who repents, and that the question is not about right and wrong.  The Pharisees and scribes are not right and the tax collectors and sinners wrong, though this was true according to the Jewish temple cult and religious understanding. 

The point Jesus makes is that faith is completely not about being right religiously --religious right!?!  He challenges the Pharisee that, if they are stuck at that point, the first step is to admit you have problem.  One’s desire to be found is easier to admit when you see yourself as lost.

What is this passage about?  Jesus teaches us the importance of accepting others.  His message reveals that God’s grace is profoundly unfair.  There is radical inequity in the fact that God doesn’t favor good people over sinners.  God’s love is not divided.  God loves sinners and God loves Pharisees.  Heaven rejoices anytime anyone recognizes the need and desire for God’s love, God’s grace, and God’s forgiveness.  The truth is that these have already been freely given.

God’s love comes before everything else.  God doesn’t distinguish in love, but loves all absolutely, loves each completely, and loves unconditionally.  God’s grace is unlimited because forgiveness precedes repentance.  Grace is the source of good works.  We are righteous by grace only and even that spirit of grace allows us to trust in grace.

The Crossroads congregation accepts others.  This is a core identity for you.  You may be suspicious of people wearing ties, but otherwise all are welcome.  Acceptance is a core value and a core strength

Jesus also teachings us the importance of accepting ourselves.  Notice that the Pharisees are only acceptable to the extent that they measure up to standard.  A Pharisee must be perfect – without error – or at least try to project that image.  To that extent, they have to borrow self from their role.  The image they take on comes from the Law and they put it one because their authentic self is unacceptable.

            The tax collectors and sinners are already not acceptable.  They are rejected by the Law and assigned to the religious “wrong.”  Their sin is obvious, as is their need, so they are much more open to being accepted.  There is little to no incentive to hold on to borrowed self.  In an outcast role, there can be less investment in image and a quicker path to discovering and owning authentic self, the self Jesus calls, the self that is ready and desperate to be loved.

Crossroads is definitely not religiously “right.”  In fact, there is sometimes a pride in being religiously wrong – in being an out-group.  This can lead to borrowed self as well.  But this congregation seems to desire authenticity on its journey of faith. 

Success comes by this body living into its strengths, into what we love as church.  Success for this body will probably not mean its becoming an institutional super church.  Because of the nature of this congregation’s passion and call, there will probably not be lots of numerical growth.  With work and commitment, there can be enough to remain strong institutionally.  Hopefully, there will be lots of spiritual growth. 

Success will come to Crossroads as we engage in the ministries for which we are passionate.   Such ministry includes inviting those lost to the religious “right” to be found in Christ, to be found in the church.  Abbe de Tourville, in Letters of Direction, writes of the wonder of God’s grace and the freeing power that comes when God finds us and when we take on the ministry of finding others in Jesus’ name:

Accustom yourself to the wonderful thought that God loves you with a tenderness, a generosity, and an intimacy which surpasses all your dreams.  Give yourself up with joy to a loving confidence in God and have courage to believe firmly that God’s action towards you is a masterpiece of partiality and love….  Rejoice that you are what you are; for our Lord loves you very dearly; loves the whole of you, just as you are.