Reflections...

Meditations, Reflections, Bible Studies, and Sermons from Kowloon Union Church  

“Radical Love”

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 12 June 2016, the fourth Sunday after Pentecost, by the Rev. Phyllis Wong. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 32; Galatians 2:15-21; Luke 7:36-8:3.


Opening prayer:
God of love, open our heart to hear your Word and inspire us through the Holy Spirit. May your Word transform our faith and our life to be more like Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Getting married is a happy life event. But it was not so for Eddie and Rachel. Although they had planned to get married, Rachel was pregnant before their marriage. They had to arrange quickly the wedding ceremony. As both of them are Christians, they would like to have a church wedding. They wished to make their solemn vows before God and to witness God’s love in them. Of course they would like to have God’s blessings for their marriage, their new family and new life ahead. When they approached their home church minister, they were condemned for committing sins of pre-marital sex. The minister discouraged them having a church wedding because they had sinned. They were also asked to confess publicly before the congregation.  With great disappointment, stress and guilt, Eddie came to KUC one day, checking the possibility of having a church wedding service here.  I’ll never forget the first time I met Eddie. He was so lost and distressed. He said he did not know what to do. He felt confused, shameful and broken. While he was under great pressure from the church, he was worrying about her girlfriend Rachel. But he was faithful to God and wanted to seek God’s guidance ahead.

The woman in the gospel account from Luke that we heard this morning reminded me of Eddie and Rachel. Like the woman, this young couple was regarded as sinners. They have committed the sin of pre-marital sex in the eyes of their church leaders.

The response of Jesus to the woman gave us light in responding and receiving sinners as such. From the gospel story, the author did not mention what was the sin this woman had committed. There were biblical commentaries referring it as sexual sin. This woman might have been a prostitute. She was a kind of person who received no respect from her community. She had possessed expensive perfume and thus she might not be that poor financially. But she was poor and marginalized in the social sense. She was rejected and not welcome by her community.

When the Pharisees challenged Jesus in their heart for he related closely to the sinner, Jesus realised it and he confronted the religious leaders by asking an interesting question with a parable about debts.

From the parable, he shared the message about forgiveness and love.  The more debts cancelled, the more love the debtor has for the creditor. To translate it to sins - the more sins forgiven the more love shown by the sinner. He then affirmed the woman of what she did for him – washing his feet with her tears, drying it with her hair, kissing it, and anointing it with the expensive ointment (a kind of oil people used to bury dead body or purify priests). It indicated she treated Jesus as an important person.

This woman who did not even have her name mentioned in the account was affirmed by Jesus. Jesus received the affection and care from this woman without hesitation. Unlike the Pharisees who focused on the law, sins and the past record of the person, Jesus focused on forgiveness and the transforming power that love brought to a person. Jesus cared more about the relationship with this woman who had shown him love, gratitude, courage and humility of faith.

After Jesus responded to the challenges raised by the Pharisees, he said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” Jesus’ public proclamation of sins forgiven to this woman was remarkable and powerful. It was a full acceptance and embrace of this woman in God. His public declaration also indicated the chain of sins that this woman carried was broken. She was free – free from guilt, free from isolation, free from rejection.  Jesus received her as a full human being with dignity.

Jesus’ act of forgiveness was a great contrast to the minister of Eddie and Rachel. Instead of asking the woman to confess her sins publicly, Jesus declared forgiveness to her.

Jesus’ love was to empower. He did not only say to the woman – your sins are forgiven. He further said – “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”  He acknowledged her effort and her faith. Jesus showed his great respect to this woman. Jesus was not portrayed as a superior man and God showing his power and claiming all credit. No! Jesus treated this woman as equal partner in making herself anew and become whole again.

Jesus gave to us such good example for relating to sinners, those who are rejected and marginalized in our society today such as the sex workers, the LGBTI community, ex-offenders, HIV/AIDS carriers, you name it. Let us embrace and receive these marginalized with the love like Jesus.  Let the divine love transform the heart of people.

While we always have something to learn from Jesus, I would like to highlight what we may learn too from the woman who was regarded as sinner by her community.

This woman was not a passive person awaiting for salvation. She did act with love and faith.  She had the courage to break the social norms that prevent her from seeking God’s grace through Jesus. She had faith in God and the inner strength to get close to Jesus. As woman she was supposed to sit at the side and not stayed so close to Jesus, the guest of honor. This woman, however, refused to fall into the category other people defined her – a sinner. She did not constrain herself but to do what she thought was right. She demonstrated great love to Jesus in the public.

Radical love is to give and love by removing all barriers with courage. Radical love is a mutual relationship. Like the woman and Jesus, they had demonstrated love to each other.

As God loves us, our desire and love to God is equally important.

Let us go back to the story of Eddie and Rachel.

After hearing their story, I felt a strong urge to give them support so as to demonstrate God’s love and grace upon them. I agreed to officiate their wedding in our church. They however decided not to go ahead because Rachel’s family and their home church did not support. I did my part anyway. They appreciated what I have done for them. I was invited to witness their marriage at the Marriage Registry and shared prayers and bless their marriage. In midst of all the rejection and condemnation, my presence and acceptance somehow revealed Christ’s forgiveness and love. In them, I have witnessed the transforming power of forgiveness.  Jesus forgave the guilt of the woman’s sin. Jesus forgave the guilt of Eddie and Rachel. Anyone who is bold, humble and trust in God may go to him for forgiveness. Jesus’ radical love can set us free and bring us back to the love of God. Radical love includes also faith – our trust in the Lord. As promised by the Psalmist shared in Psalm 32 -  Steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.

Last month Eddie sent me the good news of the arrival of their baby.  He is thankful to God and is hoping to bring glory to God through him and his family. I saw their love and trust in God. I am thankful for that.

To the lost Christ shows his face, to the unloved he gives his embrace, to those who cry in pain or distress, Christ makes his friends, a touching place.

May we all learn from Jesus Christ of his radical love to move beyond all human boundaries, to feel for the people we most avoid, to feel for the confused and to feel for the lonely heart.

How can we act like Christ to love and be liberated from the laws and social norms that are suppressive? Apostle Paul from Galatians reminds us of Christ’s radical love of sacrifice and our deep union with Christ is the way.

The Word taken from Galatians 2:19-20 is a remarkable passage for us to remember.

Here I read:
19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; 20 and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

Sisters and brothers,
Let us live everyday by faith in Christ who loved us and gave himself for us. It is this self-sacrificing love of Christ that encourage us and empower us to declare this faith statement:

“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:19-20)


May the radical love of Christ stay in us and our radical love for God shine. Amen.

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, June 12, 2016



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