A Sermon by William Hennessy, Pastor

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Bay City, Michigan

June 24, 2001

Scripture: Galatians 3:23-29

from http://home.earthlink.net/~valewis/hessessey.html

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Paul, on the other hand, doesn’t seem ever to have had any doubts about the inclusion of Gentiles in the family of God. Even though he was a rigorous persecutor of the Church on behalf of the Jewish establishment, once Christ was revealed to him Paul took the message of freedom to the Gentiles. According to his letter, for the first fourteen years of his ministry he was unknown to the churches in Judea, but was solely among the Gentiles. Even so, there were those who did not recognize Paul’s authority as an apostle. Very often other missionaries would visit the churches he founded and try to convince folks to make their way to Christ through Judaism, which meant strict adherence to the Law including circumcision.

In this letter Paul is infuriated at those who would lead the Galatian Christians down this path. At one point he exclaims: “I wish those who unsettle you would mutilate themselves!” (Gal. 5:12) And he is furious with those in the community who are listening to such things and taking them to heart. He says to them, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” (Gal. 3:1) Again, this letter is only a window into a widespread controversy among the Christians. The game of “Who’s In and Who’s Out?” commences among them almost as soon as Jesus ascends back to heaven and is no longer there to tell them.

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For Paul the options are clear. Either the body of Christ is inclusive of all people regardless of lineage or past or current circumstances, inclusive of everyone who proclaims “Jesus is Lord,” or it is just another guild, another club whose main purpose is keeping others out. And strangely enough, that is the easier option. It is much easier to put up walls of separation and keep others out than it is to tear down those walls and risk including anyone who wants to come in.

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And it is a challenge because whenever we begin to include others we can’t avoid the question, “But where do we draw the line?” Where do we draw it? Do we draw the line at homosexuality? At divorce? At drinking? At single motherhood? Perhaps at poverty, clear evidence to many that someone is not blessed? Where will it be? Who are we going to keep out? “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” All the lines we would draw have been erased. It is scary, isn’t it?

Over the next year our denomination will be asking some very hard questions of itself. Our fear might well cause us to say harmful things to one another. But there is in this discussion the possibility of discovering the same transforming love and grace which Paul discovered, which Jesus offered. So the hardest question we must answer is do we have the courage to take hold of that love and grace and let it lead us down whatever path God has in store? Do we have the courage? Do we?