9th Sunday after Pentecost (July 13, 2008)

“The Father’s Outrageous Love”
Romans 8:12-17

INI

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Television is full of “outrageous” fathers. Whether it’s animated shows like “The Simpsons” or “Family Guy”…or the sitcoms that peek into the lives of dysfunctional families… the fathers that we see on the TV screen could hardly be considered examples. They are very seldom any sort of role model for their children. They are, quite often in fact, bumbling idiots who are there to produce a laugh, rather than instill the values of good parenting. Lately we’ve heard several ways in which the culture sees the place of the father disappearing. It’s now being said that single women are actually choosing to get pregnant without a father in place to be there for the child. We’ve seen studies on how problems in the father-son relationship are connected to homosexuality, and how problems in the father-daughter relationship are connected to unwanted pregnancies and abortions. One could even go so far as to say that the American father is a dying species.

All earthly fathers would do well to follow the example of our Heavenly Father. But the Heavenly Father shows us in our readings today that he possesses outrageous qualities as well. The theme for today’s sermon is “The Father’s Outrageous Love.” Now the word “love” does not occur in our text from Romans 8, nor does it occur in the other readings for today either. But as you and I glance through our three readings for this morning, it becomes easily apparent that the Father truly does have an outrageous love for his people…a love that cannot be matched by any other and a love that truly goes beyond our wildest expectations.

Let’s look first at the Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 55. There the Lord speaks through the prophet about how he sends “rain and snow that come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater.” God does not abandon this fallen creation, but continues to nourish it and care for it, despite how mankind has destroyed it with sin. But God speaks of the rain and the snow to compare it to his Word that he gives to you and me to nourish us and feed us. And he’s persistent with that Word, saying, “so shall be the word that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” God the Father persists with his Word…he does not let it return to him empty. He vows to make it do what it is supposed to do…change the hearts of people.

Our Holy Gospel for this morning gives us another concrete example of the Father’s “outrageous love.” In this parable of Jesus, the Father is depicted as a sower who sows the seed of his Word in all kinds of soil. Notice how outrageously…how liberally the Father sows his seed. I’m sure many of you have planted a garden before, or some type of flower or plant. You don’t put seeds on your driveway. You don’t put seeds in the weeds next to the house. You don’t just dump them on the corner of your yard. You make sure the soil is nutritious and prepared for producing the plant you want. That’s not how God sows the seed of his Word! He sows it on the path…he sows it in the rocky soil…he sows it in the weeds…and he sows it on the good soil. God shares his Word with the hearts of all people…he doesn’t speak his Word only to faithful children, but also to those who reject him and defile his name. He speaks his Word to the reluctant…to the weak…to the straying. He puts his Word everywhere. And as the Old Testament reading shows us, his Word works…it does things.

But perhaps the most outrageous example of the Father’s love is found in our Epistle today. And even though the word “love” isn’t found in the text, it still speaks to this very issue. As you and I saw in the Gospel for today, God doesn’t discriminate in who he shares his Word with…where he sows that seed. Not only does God share his Word with everyone…he also offers the adoption of a son to each and every person who comes into contact with that Word. God calls you and me to be his children. St. Paul writes, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” Also, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

What sort of people does God call to be his children? Slaves! People who are slaves to their flesh! In today’s world where people can go to a genetics lab and predetermine their child’s gender before conception…where a woman can choose a sperm donor with all the physical and mental capabilities of her choosing…where countries order pregnancies terminated in the name of population control…God does something outrageous…he chooses the rejects. I read a quote this week from Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, who was interviewed by Mike Wallace. She said, “I think the greatest sin in the world is bringing children into the world—that have disease from their parents, that have no chance in the world to be a human being practically. Delinquents, prisoners, all sorts of things just marked when they’re born. That to me is the greatest sin—that people—can commit…”

As disgusting as Ms. Sanger’s words are…they could be applied to you and me as sinners. She says having a child is a sin because that child can become a “delinquent…a prisoner…have disease.” And yet those very same words are the words that can be used to describe you and me. St. Paul today calls us “debtors.” At one time we were debtors “according to the flesh.” Because of our sin and wickedness, you and I were slaves and debtors to our own bodies…giving in to their desires and their passions. Think about that the next time you’re tempted to ridicule someone…the next time you want something in greed…the next time you lust after someone or something. That’s slavery when you give in to those things. Those things are death. Those things are wickedness and destruction that separate us from God. Those things make us “delinquents…prisoners…diseased.”

And that’s who God chooses to adopt as sons. Keep in mind that when Paul writes “sons” he’s referring to men and women alike. It was always the firstborn son who got the best inheritance. It was always the firstborn son who had the father’s favor. God makes you and me, brothers and sisters in Christ, his sons. He does that by giving us his Holy Spirit that gives us the power to call upon him…to recognize him as our Heavenly Father. Only by the Holy Spirit can you and I call out “Abba! Father!” Only by the Holy Spirit do you and I understand our right relationship with God. God has chosen each and every one of you…God has chosen me…to be his sons, delinquents, prisoners, and diseased though we are. How outrageous is that love!

If you and I are then the ones who receive the adoption as sons, freed from slavery to the flesh, to sin, to fear…that means we are heirs with Jesus Christ. It means God has promised eternity in his blessed care to each and every one of us. He chose us delinquents to be his children…his sons…by rejecting the one perfect Son he had. He sent Jesus to the cross, the one perfect Son who deserves the Father’s favor, for the sake of those of us he would adopt. When Jesus hung from the cross, he cried out to the Father. He cried out, “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?” And on that Good Friday, the Father turned his back on the perfect Son. He turned his back on those cries and allowed the Son to die…all for the sake of the “delinquents …the prisoners…the diseased.”

And by doing so, God the Father revealed his outrageous love to you and me. Again, that word “love” isn’t mentioned in our three readings for today, but that word is the center of the Introit we spoke towards the beginning of the service. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” That word “steadfast” describes God’s love as unmoving, unshakable, and unwavering. That God could be so slow to anger towards us and instead act towards us with such steadfast love is truly outrageous. That God could persist in placing his Word in the hearts and lives of all people is truly outrageous. That God is so generous and almost careless in the way he sows his Word everywhere is truly outrageous. That you and I can sit here today and call ourselves “children of God…even sons” is truly outrageous. Such love coming from a father is not often seen today. But you and I gather this morning in the bold confidence that the Father’s outrageous love is for each and everyone of us as sons of God through the power of the Holy Spirit, come to us through the Word of God sown generously among us. In Jesus’ name…Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.