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31st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C – October 30, 2016
God Loves Us – Really?
Can you remember back to your childhood?
Like, can you remember making a sand castle on the beach?
Can you also remember the smile of pride as you looked at what you had created?
Or maybe you can recall children playing with these little interlocking building blocks called “Legos”.[show them a tiny Lego block]
The kids may fret a little as they are creating the object but there is a smile of pride as they look at their final product.
Here’s a little assembly of those blocks. [show a little Lego assembly.]
It’s a little square with each side having ten little nubs.
It’s got three colors for a little pizzazz.
Consider a child looking at this creation with pride.
Now, a bully comes up to the child.
The bully takes it, puts it in a bag and then smashes it into a bunch of little pieces.
How will that child feel about the work they created? Really bummed!
Today’s Scriptures addresses God as our creator.
Yes, we are a lot more than Lego blocks. God, our creator, looks on us with a creator’s pride, a creator’s love.
As the Book of Wisdom tells us about God in our first reading:
“For God loves all things that are loathes nothing God has made.”
It goes on saying,
“But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord and Lover of souls.”
God created us … God cares so very much about us.
Today’s Gospel reinforces this idea immensely!
Jesus stops to talk with Zacchaeus sitting up in the tree.
Zaccahaeus is a hated person because tax collectors are considered traitors since they are collecting taxes for the much hated Romans.
They are turn-coats.
On top of that, they are known for cheating.
Did Jesus talking with Zacchaeus make a difference in Z’s’ life?
You bet it did! Why?
Well, first of all, Jesus paid attention to him; Jesus spoke to him; Jesus was willing to eat supper with him.
Wow! Zacchaeus must have felt impressed, maybe even blown away.
Jesus spoke with Zacchaeus (Z) because God created Z, God loved Z., and God cared about Z. -- in spite of his lifestyle.
Our Alleluia verse is the one made famous by signs at football games, signs that say “John 3:16”.[hold up sign]
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.”
Yes, God created us and loves us so he sent Jesus just to make that point so obvious to us.
That same Jesus continues to be with us to this very day!
Sure! He’s here among his people.
He’s here in this word in the Scriptures.
He’s here in the Eucharist, both in the bread and in the wine.
He here in our very lives, our very bodies, our very senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling.
Taking those three Scripture readings together leads to our key point today.
God created us, all of us. God loves all of us.
God cares about all of us.
God cares about each and everyone one of us here.
God cares about each of the 7.4 billion people here on earth.
And the implication of that for us?
Don’t mess with any of God’s creatures!
Don’t be the bully that breaks up the Lego creation!
[Addressing one individual:]
God loves this person.
Don’t any of you hurt her/him!
Don’t steal her purse/his wallet.
Don’t tell any lies about him/her.
[Addressing another person:]
God loves this person.
Don’t any of you kill him/her.
Do not think about stealing her/his car.
Don’t try to cheat her/him.
[Addressing a third person:]
God loves this person too.
Don’t any of you hack her e-mail or internet service.
Don’t gossip about her.
Don’t break into her house.
And we can repeat that 7.4 billion times!
But do YOU know that God loves you? Do you feel God’s love for you?
Do you have eyes?
Have you seen the beauty of the Autumn colored trees?
Did that warm your heart?
Thank you, Lord, for our eyes!
Do you have ears?
Did you hear that great music here today in church?
Did the music touch your soul?
Thank you, Lord, for our ears!
Do you have a tongue?
Are you waiting to taste some of that Halloween candy?
Do you like the chocolate? Corn candy? Hard candy?
God gave us the sense of taste … thank you Lord!
(I think some of my sweet tooth is coming out on that one!)
Do you touch with your hands?
Does it make you feel good when you get a handshake at the kiss of peace … or maybe a hug.
Thank you, Lord, for the sense of touch.
Do you smell the sweet aroma of the wine at Communion?
Does that sweet smell remind you that God sent his Son who died and rose for you, for me, for all of us?
Three weeks ago Dcn Mark spoke about being grateful and thankful.
Have you taken some time to make a gratitude list?
Those five human senses of ours are a great list starter.
Well, are you still not too sure about God creating you and loving you?
Are you not so sure that you have experienced that love?
Can you think of some time where God paid attention to you?
What did that feel like? Tonight give that some thought.
Let me tell you about an incident in my life.
Awhile back I was baby-sitting for my 15-mo. old grandson, Liam.
When I could tell that it was time for him to go to sleep I held him in my arms as I sat in a rocking chair.
Liam was tired – really tired.
It only took a few gentle rocks and less than two minutes to put him sound to sleep.
There he rested, in my arms, on my lap.
He was comfortable. He was relaxed. He was not worried.
He trusted. He felt loved. He feared no evil.
I had his confidence that all is well.
I have loved his mom and now I loved him as well.
Then words of Scripture came to mind:
Ps 131: “As a child has rest in his mother’s arms, even so my soul.”
As an adult I also get weary and long for a safe place of rest, the comfort of being held.
That evening I just imagined myself being held in the lap of the Lord.
Find some time, take some quiet time with the Lord –-just make it happen -- and see where his Spirit will take you!
God made us; God cares for us; God loves us.
After all, we are worth so much more than some Lego blocks!
{Look in your pew for a card like this – it has some of these ideas.
Give one to a friend or a family member.}
Child’s creation with Lego Blocks
Handout in Pews
October 29/30, 2016 -- Scripture Message
God created us, all of us.
God loves all of us.
God cares about all of us.
God cares about each and everyone one of us here.
God cares about each of the 7.4 billion people here on earth.
The implication of that for us?
Don’t mess with any of God’s creatures!
Gospel of John 3:16
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.”
Wisdom 11: 24 & 26
“For God loves all things that are and
loathes nothing God has made.”
“But you spare all things, because they are yours
O Lord and Lover of souls.”
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