That Feel Good Factor
a
sermon based on
Luke 24:
44-53
By
William Meakin
Where on earth do I start with this passage? That’s what I
asked myself when I first read today’s reading, knowing that I had to
write a sermon on it. The actual content of this passage is taken from
the last chapter of Saint Luke’s Gospel and may appear straightforward,
but actually conceals deep and meaningful connotations within it. It
states that the death and resurrection of Christ are according to
scripture. Christ is not only the fulfilment of the Old Testament but
also its interpreter.
More importantly, this interpretation must be announced to
the world from now on and therefore tells us that there really can be no
end to it. The main theme of this passage could be entitled as “A New
Beginning.” This is how the disciples must have felt armed with all the
scriptures and knowing that they were about to receive the special gift
from the Holy Spirit to enable them to have the power to proclaim the
word of the Lord from hereon through generations until eternity. This
gift will be given to them on Pentecost. It is, in my opinion, the new
beginning of the Christian faith that we know today.
I entitled this sermon
“That Feel Good Factor”
because, as I see it, the passage has everything to do with
the
subject of forgiveness and appears paramount in this text.
It has been said that forgiveness is dependant on our
ability to forgive others. In our Christian lives if we expect
forgiveness for our sins or wrongdoings then we also must have the
inclination to forgive others. Some would teach that the forgiveness of
others is a necessary part of receiving forgiveness ourselves and
without it we have no hope of ever being forgiven.
Forgiveness is defined in the dictionary as: to cease to
blame, to grant pardon for a mistake etc, to free someone from penalty,
to free from the obligation of debt etc and probably is one of the most
important and often used words in the Christian faith. In fact it
probably centres on the entire Christian faith.
As good Christians we repent and seek forgiveness as a
matter of course in all of our major services each Sunday, such as
morning and evening prayer and it certainly remains an important part of
our Holy Communion. The absolution of our sins, no matter how trivial
they may be are an important aspect in our church lives - It helps us go
from week to week without seeking forgiveness constantly from God
through personal prayer, although of course this may be done if it is so
required or perhaps is a matter of some urgency. In the Roman Catholic
Church, confessionals are common place so that people can confess their
sins and receive forgiveness on a daily basis if they so wish but it is
also not unheard of in the Anglican Church, especially those with an
Anglo-Catholic orientation. This allows the so called “penitent” to
experience that feel good factor on a much more regular basis - A daily
fix if you like!
I sometimes wonder how often we walk out of church each
Sunday with that feel good factor deep within us, that special feeling
that uplifts our hearts and makes us feel really good. Perhaps it may
have been caused through singing our favourite hymn during the service,
I know that I get a tremendous buzz going through me when I sing “How
great thou art” Perhaps it may have been caused through a stimulating
sermon or perhaps through something else that has happened in the
service
which you have particularly enjoyed. Or maybe, just maybe, a
consideration could be that you just feel at peace within yourself which
has been granted to you by forgiveness and giving you the inner strength
to face a new week. Surely one of the main reasons that we go to church
in the first place is because it often gives us that feel good factor
deep within us during and when we leave church at the end of the
service?
When I was about 10 years old I was visiting my grandmother
for the weekend who lived in Twickenham in Middlesex. It was a Saturday
afternoon and I was walking around the town on my own when I went into
Woolworths. I was browsing amongst the counters when I came upon a
version of a new Kodak Brownie camera. I kept looking at this item and
really wished I could own a camera like this of my very own. I had
always wanted one but never had enough money to buy one. I looked around
and all the store assistants were busy and nobody else appeared to be
watching so without really thinking of what I was doing or indeed the
consequences, I took the camera and slipped it inside my jacket. In
addition I also slipped a new film for the camera into my pocket which
was on sale next to it. I remember my heart was pounding after I had
done it and I was trembling as I had never done anything so bad in all
of my life.
I walked slowly out of the shop and then ran down to the
riverside which was close by and walked around for a while so that I
could calm down. After about five minutes I began to feel better and so
I decided to sit on a seat and examine my new acquisition. I was so
proud; I now had a camera of my very own. It even had a film to record
the pictures that I could now take. I had absolutely no idea how to load
the film into the camera but that didn’t matter, I was so pleased to own
one. Then suddenly a voice behind me whispered in my ear: “I saw you
steal that in Woolworth’s!”
My heart missed a beat and a cold sweat came upon me and I
turned round to see another boy of about fourteen years old standing
right behind me. I stammered: “N-No. You are wrong - I have had this
camera for about two years now!” “Oh no you haven’t” he replied, “I saw
you take it from the counter and place it inside your jacket. I have
followed you from Woolworths and now I am going to tell the police!” And
he ran off. Now my heart was really pounding hard and I didn’t know what
to do for the best. I panicked severely, I was shaking. I threw the
camera and the film into the River Thames and ran back to my
grandmother’s house at top speed. I went to my bedroom and fell to my
knees and prayed so hard to God that I wouldn’t get caught and sent to
prison. I promised God that if he would forgive me and make everything
alright again that I would never ever do anything like this again in my
life. Then I went downstairs and suddenly a sort of calm came over me
and I felt better again. I felt that I had been forgiven and experienced
that feel good factor. I will tell you truthfully that I kept my word to
God and I have never stolen anything again to this day.
Forgiveness from God makes everything right again in our
Christian lives, it stops us walking around with a large cloud hovering
above our heads - the sun comes out and we feel good again. What a
lovely feeling we have when we know deep within us that we have been
forgiven. But how do we seek forgiveness when we are on our own? I
usually do it by prayer quietly and alone in my room. There are many
different ways and every person has their own way of doing it. It
doesn’t matter how or where we ask for it, the end result is always the
same….. “That Feel Good Factor”
Next time you are in the supermarket and you see a child
that has been reprimanded by his mother or father for doing something
that he shouldn’t, such as placing items in the shopping trolley against
his parent’s wishes, just notice how he behaves. After he has been told
off he may say sorry and is possibly then forgiven with a little cuddle.
Shortly after this he will appear all relaxed again. He will act as if
he hasn’t a care in the world for a few moments, perhaps swinging his
body from side to side or just his arms. Perhaps he will walk forward
with that certain spring in his step. At this particular moment,
possibly without even realising it, he will be experiencing that feel
good factor.
That feel good factor always lifts our hearts and gives us a
tremendous buzz deep within us. It usually comes at times when we
achieve things that we have worked so hard for or things that we thought
we would never achieve, but never do we feel it more strongly when we
know that we have been forgiven by God for our sins. As Jesus says to
his disciples in the passage: “Scripture foretells the sufferings of the
Messiah and his rising from the dead on the third day and declares that,
in his name, repentance, bringing the forgiveness of sins is to be
proclaimed to all nations beginning from
Jerusalem.”
A Preacher was giving his sermon one Sunday entitled “Forgive Your
Enemies” When he reached a certain point in his sermon he asked the
congregation:
How many of you here today have forgiven their enemies?
About half held up their hands.
He then repeated his question.
Now about 80% held up their hands.
He then repeated his question again.
All responded, except one elderly lady.
"Mrs. Jones, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?" asked the
preacher.
"I don't have any." she replied.
"Mrs. Jones, that is very unusual. How old are you?" asked the preacher.
"Ninety-three." she replied.
"Mrs. Jones, please come down to the front of the church and tell the
congregation how a person of your age cannot have an enemy in the
world!" asked the preacher in absolute amazement.
The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, turned to the
congregation, smiled and said, "It's easy, I just outlived the buggers!"
Okay, so sometimes forgiveness doesn’t come into it! She obviously had
that feel good factor and possibly a new beginning as well!