“Because you’re worth it”
OT Isaiah 43:1-7
Gospel Luke 3:15-17,21-22
HC 10/01/10 10.00 a.m.

I grew up in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and at that time there was a song called “Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree” remember it? Very twee in the way it was told, but it is based on a story that has been used for years in preaching circles.

There was once a family of a man his wife, their older son and their other children. The older son was a rebel and after a disagreement with his parents left home and went off to the big city. There he got involved with the wrong sort and eventually went to prison for theft. In prison he reflected on his position and realized that he had gone wrong. Just before his release he sent his parents a letter and said, I know I have made you ashamed of me and I am very sorry. I would like to come back home but understand that you might not want me. On my release from prison, I will be travelling on the train that passes by the back garden of our house. If you want me to come home, would you please put a white blanket out on the back fence. If it is there I know I can come home, If not I will just continue on my journey. On the day of his release he boarded the train, and as he approached his parents’ house he was straining to see if a white blanket was there. Instead of one white blanket, there were white blankets everywhere – on the fence, on the trees, on the back windows of the house, on the roof- giving the unmistakable message – “please come home”.

This story has echoes on the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, doesn’t it? Parents who are just desperate to be reconciled to their child and to have them back in the family again. Rightly the father has not gone and bailed the son out , he has let the son ‘come to himself’ , the thief has made his journey back himself, as in our story, right has to be shown to be right – or as Tie a yellow ribbon put it – “I’ve come to know what is and isn’t mine”.  Now that repentance is genuine, there can be true reconciliation. The story of the prodigal son has been called the greatest short story in the world, and it is a favourite of many. I led a Lent course on this four years ago and we only scratched the surface of the meanings that could be got out of this story. Why is it such a favourite? I think that it is because we can all identify in some way with the characters, especially the prodigal son, in the way that perhaps we rebelled as young people, or in the father, dealing with a difficult situation with his children, or with the older brother jealous of the younger son’s acceptance back into the fold. The whole point of the story is that the Father just wants to be reconciled with his son – your brother was dead and now is alive again. Jesus told this story, together with the story of the lost sheep and the lost coin, and said – there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, than over 99 righteous who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7) Why was Jesus telling these stories? To show that even if we sin, there is a way back through repentance? Yes, of course that is one interpretation. But more than that, I think, it is saying something of the Father’s overwhelming love for humankind, and his desire that they be brought back in a relationship of love and trust with Him. He will do anything to bring about the reconciliation, because he loves his people. This does not mean to say that His people can behave as they like – far from it. They have been given the right and just laws as the people of God, and God expects them to keep them and suffer the penalty if they do not.

This is in fact the background to Isaiah in our first reading. The first 39 chapters are about the coming judgement on Judah which came about through the babylonians –But the people of Judah had learned their lesson, and now they were going to be welcomed back and restored, just like our story of the prisoner who returned home, and the later chapters of Isaiah are a message of hope and restoration. Our bible reading is from chapter 43 and it is full of the promise of God’s love and restoration after the penitent people of Judah have returned home.

1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

God has created us and redeemed us – the word redeeming meaning buying back as in redeeming a pawnbrokers pledge.

There is a story about a boy who spent weeks and weeks crafting and painting a sailing yacht and at the end of this time it looked wonderful. The boy went out to a big lake near his house and launched the boat. The sails got caught in a gust of wind and the boat sailed right over the lake and disappeared out of sight. Eventually it landed on the other side of the lake, and another small boy picked it up, and gave it to his mother who was organising a toy stall at her church’s jumble sale. The first boy went to the jumble sale, and saw his boat and wanted it back. “ I am sorry” said the woman “ But it was given to me to raise money for the church, and if you want it you must pay for it.” The boy eventually decided to buy it. As he left the church hall he was heard to say “This boat is twice mine. Once because I made it, and twice because I bought it back.”

We as Christians are twice God’s – once because He made us, and twice because he has bought us back – redeemed with the precious blood of His son Jesus Christ.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Whatever difficulties you will face- these problems will not overcome you, however big they seem and however small you feel you are in comparison. “Our God is a great big God and he holds us in His hands” as the children’s song goes. I wonder if you are going through a problem or difficulty that seems insurmountable. It is not too big for God to deal with. He may not take you out of it, but He will be with you in the middle of it – as it says in Psalm 23
Ps 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.

3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.

God says he will not withhold anything from you, in order to bring you back into a relationship with Him.
As it says in Romans 8
Ro 8:31 ¶ What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?

Jesus is Lord! Yet from His throne eternal
In flesh He came to die in pain on Calvary’s tree.
Jesus is Lord! From Him all life proceeding,
Yet gave His life a ransom thus setting us free.

Do you know the answer to the joke – “Why have elephants got Big Ears?”
Answer – “Because Noddy won’t pay the ransom!”

But God has paid the ransom, for you and me in the price of His son’s life
“John 3: 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
He has paid the ransom because He loves you, and as the Ladies cosmetic commercial Loreal says
“Because you’re worth it” The price God paid for you was His own son, and God thinks you’re worth it. That is how much God loves you.

5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth-- 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

The invitation is not just to a select few, but to all peoples from the north, south, east and west –from the ends of the earth – everyone who is called by my name who I created for my glory, whom I formed and made. That is you and me and everyone you know – all have the potential to take advantage of the Lord’s ransom, and invitation to be brought home. But this is an invitation, marked RSVP please come home, like our story of the ex-prisoner. As in our story, the father’s heart was for reconciliation, but the son had to want to come home. When he did make the effort, the welcome was there for him, and in our story of the prodigal son, the feast was prepared and new clothes given.

That invitation to come home still stands- we can leave home in all sorts of ways can’t we – even the older son, who stayed at home physically was not really comfortable at home, as his reaction when the younger son came home proved. Home in this case, is a place of unconditional love and acceptance – what the bible calls grace. We are loved and accepted not on what we do but on the fact that God first loved us. We cannot earn God’s love by good deeds, but good deeds are the proof that God’s love lives in us. I wonder if I can ask the question – Are you at home with God. Are you living in the knowledge of God’s grace and acceptance? Do you know that you are forgiven and accepted by God, or do you think that there is still something you must do? If you think like that you will always be in a sense of guilt before God. Please let that go – God just wants you to know his grace and love – if there is sin in your life, turn away from it, say sorry for it, and take hold of his forgiveness. If you cannot let go of the guilt, seek some help – come and see me or one of the clergy. Do not live in the sense of being outside of God’s love. Come in and enjoy it, God loves you – Jesus has died for you – because you’re worth it.

At this time of year we are looking at the story of Jesus’s life- the difference Jesus’ coming made to the world and today we have had the story of the baptism of Christ as told by Luke. John the Baptist has been preaching a hard message of judgement and repentance, to get the people ready for Jesus. But when Jesus comes to His people – many of whom had already said sorry to God – he comes with a message of love and acceptance – for sure Jesus does not mince his words when it comes to confronting sin, or from proclaiming the coming of God’s Judgement, but Jesus wants people to know of God’s love. At His baptism Jesus hears these words
the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” V22

Jesus knew he was beloved, and in that knowledge, He blessed others. Now if we believe in Jesus as our saviour we are forgiven. In Romans it says
Ro 8:1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Those who are in Christ Jesus. That is you and me. And if we are in Christ Jesus, then we share his nature , therefore we are the beloved.

And Like Jesus, we are to live in that belovedness, and share that belovedness with others- love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be, as the song goes. We are invite others into that relationship of love, so that they can know his grace and power in their lives

In luke 15 there is the story of the lost sheep and the shepherd who goes after him. It always reminds me of the charge that I was given as a priest on my ordination, I was called to be a
"shepherd among the people to whom they are sent to teach and to admonish, to feed and provide for his family, to search for his children in the wilderness of this world’s temptations, and to guide them through its confusions, that they may be saved through Christ for ever.”

Some of it is specific to me and my leadership, but I believe that we have all been given the task of searching for God’s children in the world’s temptations to guide them through its confusions that they may be saved through Christ for ever. Why is it our calling? Because God loves us, and He thought we were worth it, and He calls us to look out for others and bring them home, because they are worth it too. So let us in this new Year, reaffirm our commitment to our faith, rejoice in the fact that He has paid the ransom, Jesus has died for us and set us free, and then give ourselves unreservedly to God’s service, to love God, love our fellow human beings, and especially in this church, to love one another. Why- because we and our fellow human beings are the beloved. Because of this Jesus died for us. God says to us and to all mankind. I love you, Jesus died for you.
Because you’re worth it.

GOD FORGAVE MY SIN in Jesus’ name,
I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name;
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share His love as He told me to.

He said: ‘Freely, freely, you have received,
Freely, freely give;
Go in My name, and because you believe
Others will know that I live.’

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