The Church is not a museum for the saints but a hospital for sinners!
The Rev. Dr. Christopher Hershman
When I was in college I knew a woman named Jane. Jane was a Christian and everybody knew it. She was always going to church, and whenever she spoke she talked about, “trusting in the Lord.” I was drawn to Jane because I also wanted to have the kind of unquestioning faith that I thought she embodied. But there were some things about Jane that I didn’t like. Perhaps the main thing was her attitude towards people. Jane acted like she never had any problems, but often criticized others. Jane believed that Christians believe and act in certain ways. She did not associate with people she did not consider to be Christians. And that included most of the people she met. She tended to only hang around with people a lot like her.
I’m sure you have met people like Jane. And I’m sure that you have also had a number of reactions to them. We may respect their faithfulness but have a hard time relating to people who seem to be so perfect. Christians should have particular ways of living. Christians are to have integrity, and radiate faith, hope and love. But if we cut through our denial and illusions about ourselves we realize that we often fall short of the mark. It is our illusion about the possibility of Christian perfection that gets us into trouble. Through the years countless people have told me that they would never go to their pastor or a fellow church member with their problems because they thought they would be condemned for not being perfect. And sad to say, they were probably right!
The Church is not a museum for the saints but a hospital for sinners! That's right. The church is not a museum for saints. It is a hospital for sinners. I once saw a tee-shirt which said, “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” If Christians somehow convey that we think that we’re a club for the perfect, and drive honest sinners away--that’s really awful! Unfortunately, the persons who seem most perfect and who do most of the judging, are also the ones who miss the point of the Bible completely.
The notion that a person can achieve moral perfection is not biblical--it is an idea from Greek philosophers. The message of the Bible is about a righteous, perfect God who comes to imperfect people who are made righteous through relationship with God. In theology books this is called, “the alien righteousness of God.” Whenever we hear the word “alien” we probably think about science fiction movies or people from another country.The word “alien” means, “from outside of us.” Righteousness--perfection--is not something we can accomplish ourselves. The more we try to prove we can live up to some high moral standard, the more we become convinced of our own imperfections.
What really turned me off about Jane was that she tried to act as if she was so perfect and then judged others so severely. It bothered me because it seemed unloving, but it bothered me even more because I knew I wasn’t perfect. I had a hard time being honest with someone so far above me. As time went on, I learned that Jane wasn’t perfect after all. Despite what she tried to convey, she really was lonely, scared and insecure. No one suspected this until one day when she just stopped going to church.
It turned out that at the same time she was criticizing others, she was also seeing a married man and had gotten pregnant. She was too ashamed of herself to go to church anymore. That was a shame because that was when she needed the church the most. It was also when the message of the Gospel could have helped the most, because she finally had to let go of her illusions about herself.
Martin Luther taught that when we hear the Word and receive the sacraments we do not get better on some scale of spiritual and moral perfection. Rather, Christ becomes more and more the center of our lives. The church is not a place for the so-called perfect, but exists for those who struggle with their need for forgiveness. The church is not for those without problems, but rather for those who thirst for the Gospel.
Jesus did not sit at table with the perfect. Instead, he sat with sinners and said,
“...I have come to call not the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:13). Jesus wasn’t put off by a person’s flaws or mistakes. We all have our flaws, and we all have made mistakes. Some of them have been big ones. Jesus came to share God’s love and forgiveness with those of us who know so well that we are imperfect. Jesus knew that the Pharisees may have tried to look good, but deep down--just like Jane--they also had their weaknesses--they just wouldn’t admit it.
Over the years I have learned that I can often be like Jane. It has been hard at times to face my own flaws. It has also been hard to accept God’s forgiveness so that I could be healed.
It is a mystery of life that we cling so desperately to our shame, past mistakes, and all those things we don’t like about ourselves. Or maybe we’re like the Pharisees, think we’re perfect and wear such thick defensive armor that the love of God cannot reach us. We all need to know God’s love and forgiveness in our lives. We need spiritual healing. Yet we often feel so cut off and judged by even those who should be proclaiming the boundless love and forgiveness of Christ to the world.
You need to consider well your own need for spiritual healing. Maybe you have not yet realized that your relationship with Christ is the only thing that can make you righteous and perfect. It is not your worthiness which matters. It is a gift from God.
Will you allow Jesus Christ to heal you? Can you be open to his will for your life? Can you reach out and love others as well, and draw them to be healed? Or do you spend your time verbally ripping them to shreds because you refuse to face your own sins? Jesus Christ offers forgiveness, love and acceptance, even when you feel least worthy to accept them. Pray. Hear the Word. Receive the sacraments. These things draw us deeper into a relationship of faith which can empower and heal.
|