The Smallest Handbell
Luke 18:9-14
I know you are not going to believe this but my loving wife, Jean, says that I have some bad habits. One of them has to do with my socks. She says I have a bad habit of putting my socks in the hamper incorrectly. When she first told me this I was in shock. I didn't realize that socks could be put in the hamper incorrectly. My mother never told me that after I took my socks off, and they are inside out, that before I put them in the hamper I should turn them right side out again. That if I did that it would make her life a lot easier. Now Jean doesn't mind telling me things that my mother neglected to teach me. She cannot understand that after thirty-five years of being told that I don't put my socks in the hamper correctly, that I still can't do it. My excuse is that after doing something for fifty-six years it is very hard to break the habit. Furthermore, I am a creature of habit. I would actually have to stop and think to turn my sock right side out before I put them in the hamper. That is something I do without thinking. To which she will respond, that is not the only thing you do without thinking.
I think we form many habits as we live out our days, including religious habits. For example, I think we have a habit of always seeing the Pharisees as the bad guys in Scripture. That is something that Christians have been doing for almost two-thousand years. Now that is a difficult habit to break. When we read a passage of Scripture that has to do with the Pharisees we immediately begin to think negative thoughts about them. They didn't believe in Jesus. They always thought they were a little better than everyone else. They were always trying to trick Jesus. In reality we may have more in common with the Pharisees than we think.
The truth of the matter is that in many ways the Pharisees were the good guys. They were well respected religious leaders. There were probably many people who looked up to the Pharisees. They took their religion seriously, they knew what they believed, they did not compromise their faith. They were trying to be good. If everyone in
The Pharisee in the parable was doing all the right things. He prayed, he fasted, he tithed. And yet doing all the right things may have been his downfall. His goodness made him feel superior to other people. He did not need God, he could save himself. He did not have time for sinners, he was too busy working out his own salvation.
But let's give the Pharisee his due. He was trying to do the right things. On the other hand, the tax collector had the reputation of being everything we don't want to be. He was unpopular, he was greedy, he was materialistic. Many were outraged that he would enter the temple, let alone pray. Yet he is the one who is justified because God looks at the heart.
One of the questions I think we don't like facing is which one are we most like, the Pharisee or the Tax Collector. Are we someone who is looked up to or someone no one likes? Are we a person who made a contribution to the Red Cross or are we a person who takes advantage of tax payers. Do we attend worship every Sunday or are we a person who seldom darkens the doors of the sanctuary? Pharisee, Tax Collector. Where do we fit in?
We may never say it in a prayer but my guess is that there are times when we are thankful that we are not like those other people, the thieves, the adulterers, the murderers. God be merciful to me, a sinner. Pharisee or Tax Collector.
God, compared to what other people do, I have been a good person. I deserve to be in your kingdom. God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Pharisee or Tax Collector.
In one of the churches we served Jean started a handbell choir. It was a motley looking crew. There were eight people and the two on the ends were the largest people in the church. And then in the middle there was the tallest man in the church at six foot seven and he rang his bells way up high and next to him was one of the shortest women in the church, not over five foot one. And then there was an older lady who could never find here place, every one else would be ringing and she would be turning pages, lost. It was quite a sight. But somehow Jean whipped them into shape and eventually they played some beautiful music.
But back to the two large people on the outside. One of them rang the big bells. And it seems like people always notice the people ringing the big bells. But the other one rang the smallest bells. She was this very large lady but because of some physical difficulties could only ring the smallest bells. She could not ring the biggest bells, she could not ring the medium sized bells. She could only ring the small ones and she did, faithfully. And the sounds coming from those small bells were needed as much as the sounds from the big bells and the medium sized bells. If a tune is to be played properly every bell has to come in at the right time.
Friday was like that here at the church as we prepared for the funeral. There were people mowing the lawn, there were people preparing the meal, there were people parking cars, there were people handing out bulletins. It took everyone, doing big jobs and small jobs. And every contribution was important.
On November 7, I encourage everyone to sign up to come to WOW. There will be a time and talent fair. The budget will be presented. You will have an opportunity to discover where your gifts can be used. They are needed, both big and small.
Jean's mother has been very active in her church. She has been a deacon, an elder, she has served on the pastor nominating committee, she has been the second signer on checks. Now those sound very impressive. But her last job was the one that impressed me. She came to church early on Sunday morning and dusted the piano. After all of her years of service she wasn't too important to take on a job like that. She was willing to ring the smallest handbell. And it was needed.
On some days we are probably like the Pharisee, thinking too highly of ourselves, wanting people to see our good works, trying to earn our way into the kingdom. On other days we are more like the tax collector, wondering how God could love a miserable sinner like me. What Jesus reminds us is that God welcomes the person who recognizes his or her need, the one who is not too important to ring even the tiniest bell for the kingdom of God.