Your Time of Turning

Dr. David D. Young
December 9, 2007
Exodus 18: 13-23
Luke 17: 11-21
"Your Time of Turning"
(Transformation)

Today we continue on in our Advent Sermon Services: "This Season of Gifts" – as we explore the theme: "Your Time of Turning." We are here during this hour because we look to a God who in a particular time and space – chose to come and live in this here world.

But before we do that – let’s see how the seasonal pushes and pulls dominate the landscape of our lives. "Tis the season…" We hear that phrase over and over throughout the holidays. ‘Tis the season for so many things. ‘Tis the season for cold and flu bugs. And ‘Tis the season to be jolly…Fa la la la la – la la la la.

Never mind that some people may not be feeling especially jolly – because they’ve lost a loved one recently or are overstressed or depressed by all the hype of Christmas. Nonetheless, most of us are pretty good about pasting on a holiday smile – because all know we’re supposed to be happy.

‘Tis the season to fit in as many holiday parties as possible. ‘Tis the season of decorations and commercialism. ‘Tis the season to: "shop ‘til you drop." ‘Tis the season to decorate and bake – send cards – buy and wrap packages – and as one woman put it, "commit the sin of self-exhaustion."

How many of us have ever been guilty of the sin of self-exhaustion during the holiday season? But perhaps more importantly, how many of us have taken time during the past week to talk with friends or family at any length at all – about the deeper meaning of this season of gifts?

When the vast majority of conversations are superficial and originate out of the phrase, "’Tis the season…," it is easy to default on deeper discussions of significance and go with the flow of the culture around us. Many of us who take our faith seriously may cynically say to ourselves, it is really sad to see how shallow our society has become and that many people are as unreal as an artificial tree.

But still, how many of us have actually pushed past all the trimmings and trappings and had a meaningful conversation with a friend, a spouse or a family member about the real reason for the season? I’m not trying to make anyone feel awkward. It’s just that it is easy to cruise through the holidays on auto pilot – going through the rituals and traditions without really thinking about them and it’s easy to be cynical and cop out because "Christmas doesn’t have it’s true spirit anymore."

It is, on the other hand, much more difficult to affirm and celebrate the true gifts of this season with a significant portion of our time and energy. In the words of an anonymous poet,
No room for Him,
we grieve that it was so.
And then we go,
busy upon our way,
with no more courtesy than they
who turned the Lord away.
Our rooms are full,
there is so much to do,
each day so new.
I wonder if the Lord of all
is sad we grant Him space so small,
less than a manger stall?

Let’s return now to our New Testament lesson. Here we find Jesus
“passing along between Samar’ia and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.’ When he saw them he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus, ‘Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’"
The first thing we have to keep in mind is that Samaritans were considered half-breeds and they were not given any respect or status by the Jews. The fact that the one who returned to say thank you was a Samaritan tells us that Jesus’ coming into the world was for all people. What is interesting is that of the ten lepers – at least one was a Samaritan and the others were Jewish – and here they were all together seeking Jesus’ help.

There was a breakdown of barriers between these Jews and the Samaritan – because they all knew they had a common need. It’s amazing that it often takes the devastation of war, natural disaster, or disease for people with differences to understand that their most basic needs and interest are the same. If all of God’s children could simply recognize their common need for God – think of some of the barriers that could be broken down.

Now, since that is a bit naïve and awfully ideal, let’s just look at how this story of turning affects our lives. Jesus says, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?’ The issue here is ingratitude.
A great defense lawyer, with a long career of rescuing killers from legal execution says that not a single one of those whom he had saved from the chair ever sent him much as a Christmas card – much less a note saying "Thank You."
Why is it that 90% failed to even say thanks to Jesus? Is it that most people tend to forget about God when things are all right in their lives – but when they’re in trouble they never hesitate to search out God for help? Could it also be that most people are usually interested in looking out for #1 and what’s in it for them.

From Peanuts – Sally is bent over her desk writing an English Theme, "The True Meaning of Christmas. To me, Christmas is the joy of getting.” Charlie Brown says, “You mean ‘giving’…Christmas is the joy of giving." And Sally replies, "I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about!"

Some people simply have no comprehension of what it means to sacrifice self for the sake of others. I suspect that one of the biggest inhibitors or eroders of faith is ingratitude.

G.K. Chesterton, when he wrote his autobiography near the end of a long and useful life, set himself the task of defining in a single sentence the most important lesson he had learned. He concluded that the critical thing was whether one took things for granted or took them with gratitude.

When we take the gifts of life and the gifts of this season for granted we are like the nine lepers, who never turned back to thank the source of their healing. Given the apparent indignation Jesus showed toward the nine,
"Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
We are led to wonder if ingratitude wasn’t a worse kind of leprosy (if you will) than the physical disease itself. A lack of gratitude can only eat away at the inner person and any connection he/she has with God. When we look to him who was born in Bethlehem, we see that gratitude was at the core of his entire life.

I love the story of one dear lady who hadn’t seen her grandson for a few weeks. When she learned he was coming to spend his whole Christmas vacation with her, she was so delighted she put one hundred dollars in the offering plate that Sunday at Church. The Sunday after her grandson went back home on the plane, she put in two hundred dollars.

Gratitude remains incomplete until we express our thanks for what we have received. We will never know whether the other nine lepers felt gratitude but it is clear that they chose not to express it or else they just forgot.

Part of our need for gratitude is knowing we have need. If you never stand in need of the love or care or help of another - or God – then you will never need to be grateful. Out of our need for God - during this Season of Gifts – we turn to the greatest gift of all – the gift of God’s only begotten son. When we are honest with ourselves – even though we do not ourselves have leprosy – there is something we need and perhaps something putting us at dis-ease.

Who of us has arrived at perfection in our relationship with God, let alone our neighbor? George Milne captures our need well in his book, Road to Bethlehem,
"How far is it to Bethlehem? Ten thousand miles of sea? As far as from what now I am to what I ought to be."
"Your Time for Turning" – when is it?

For those ten lepers – they knew their need and seized their moment in time and do you remember what they asked for, they didn’t ask for a physical healing – though clearly that’s what they desired – they said, "Master, have mercy on us."

For some listening this morning – this may be the first time in your life you’ve ever really felt like turning to Christ. And for many others of us who have been steeped in the Christian community – we are being called to a symbolic returning to Christ.

This last time - let’s pay particular attention to the movement of the story. All ten turned toward the presence of Christ. Jesus responded by saying, Go! "Go show yourselves to the priests." On the way, they were cleansed. And only one returned to the presence of Christ – and he glorified God, giving thanks and fell at Jesus’ feet – perhaps even as the shepherds and wise men had done some 30 years earlier. Again, in this case, Jesus said to him, "Go! – go your way your faith has made you well."

The sense of this passage is that the man is now whole – he has not only had a physical healing – and remember all physical healings are only temporary – he also had a spiritual wellness – because he had returned in gratitude. This man was transformed in soul as well as body – in eternity as well as in time. For he knew the secret of giving gratitude to the giver of all gifts – and in the process met the giver in the gift.

Has it ever occurred to you that most of the really happy and joyful people you’ve known – are grateful almost all the time? Faith leads to gratitude and not necessarily to physical healing when we’re ill – it leads us to a right relationship with God.

That friends, is when we are in the process of transformation. Transformation is not a once and for all event. It began two thousand years ago when Christ came into the world and the world is being transformed yet. It happens for us when we turn or re-turn toward Christ and when we go on the way – which is going in his way.

Transformation is ongoing. Knowledge of the way cannot substitute for putting one foot in front of the other – in faith.

Moses in our Old Testament text had a time for turning or rather re-turning toward God. He was overburdened and working hard for God – but through his, re-turning to God’s directive he learned wisdom and the secret of sharing responsibility and his burden was lightened.

Transformations need not begin with major miracles – they can begin from little things:
a smile
a hug
a phone call
telling someone you’ve missed seeing them at church
And if they return they may discover a more worshipful and Christ-centered life. Transformations can begin with extending yourself throughout this Christmas season. By caring for another human being out of gratitude – because God first cared for us in the giving of the Bethlehem Babe.

Turning toward Christ, experiencing his presence – which often comes through those little things in life – and responding with gratitude and praise – this is what transformation in our Advent journey is all about.

Transformation can come in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. And when we give ourselves to the one who came as a baby in Bethlehem – we are transforming toward the largest life of all – God’s life.

For as Jesus proclaimed in the closing verses of our text,
"Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he answered them, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say Lo, here it is! or There! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.,’ it is in your midst."
"Your Time of Turning"

May it be this day so that every day you may be transformed by the Christ who dwells richly within you. All praise and glory be to God!
Amen.