Thanks to Simon J. Oriedo for submitting his sermon for our readers. If you have a sermon for us to publish. Please email me. Samuel
A Sermon Preached at the ACK St. James ACK Church Buru Buru during the Youth Service on Sunday 7th May, 2017.
Text:
- Luke 23:54-62
Introduction
When you hear words “I am sorry” said to you what comes to your mind? What do you feel? And when you say the same words to someone, “I am sorry”, what do you feel? These three words seems simple and so, sometimes we either find it so difficult to pronounce them or very simple to blurt them out without much consideration. This week, God taught me a very powerful lessons through these words in a very interesting way through our children. As the school were opening this week, on Tuesday, by Monday we had not done back-to-school-shopping. We usually prepare whatever they need for back to school by the first week, I ask them for the list for shopping and in the second week, the shopping is ready in order to avoid the last minute rush. But this time round, when I ask for the list, I was not given; I asked again and it was not forwarded, so I thought, let me hold my peace, probably, they don’t need anything.
But lo and behold! On Monday night, my wife raises the topic of back-to-school-shopping! Of course a meeting was called and your guess is right, it was not a comfortable one; only that my hands did not make any bodily contact with the children (in the form of beating) but “masomo walipata”. Then they all disappeared to their bedrooms. However, all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit inspired a holy laughter in me and I began to laugh by myself. Of course by this time we were left alone with my wife in the seating room. I laughed until my wife probably thought “Eh Mtungatiri ni mgoroki?” – “is the pastor mad?” Then I called the children back to the seating room but they now looked confused probably fearing for the worst. But I asked them a question; as a Christian, when you do something wrong, what are you supposed to do? Their answers baffled me; “not to repeat the mistake”, “be careful next time”. Then I laughed again and began a lecture about the word “SORRY”.
One thing which is clear, the word “sorry” is used whenever there is evidence or there appears to be evidence that one party is offended or is hurt. It is the offender who having realised or convinced of his / her contribution to the partner’s hurt responds to appease / sooth the hurting partner with the words; “I am sorry”.
In some cases, the offended or the hurting party may, after waiting for the offender to say “sorry”, or after trying to convince the offender that ‘I am hurting and you are responsible for my hurt’ but the offender is too defensive to admit, or just can’t accept that he has hurt his partner. The hurting partner sometimes, for the sake of peace, would say “then I am sorry”.
- Is Medicine; it is Healing
The “Sorry” as simple as it is, is a powerful medicine to heal a hurting friend or partner who you have offended.
Proverbs 12:18 “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
Proverbs 12:25 “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”
Proverbs 16:24 “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
When you have hurt someone, and they may not be ready to hear along speech of confession; the easiest and simplest medicine for healing their hurting soul could just be “I am sorry”.
- Restores Respect and Trust
If you have hurt someone, remember that his or her trust in you have been tampered by your behaviour. Remember the way the hurting person looks at you is not the same as before; you are not in the same standing as before. In order to restore your respect before your hurting friend; in order to restore the trust you hurting partner had on you, the way out is “I am sorry”.
Whenever we repent of our sins to God; we are appealing to God, please trust me again, please may I win your respect again. These are same words we are expressing to someone whom we have hurt when we say “I am sorry”.
- Restores Integrity
The word “I am sorry” is an affirmation of integrity. When one says, “I am sorry”, he or she is confirming that he / she is a person of integrity and is ready to take responsibility for the pain or the hurt he/she has caused the friend. The offended is moved to know that even though he has hurt me, it was just mistake because this is not who he is; he or she is a person of integrity worth forgiving and worth still relating with.
Problem with Us:
Why do we find it so hard to let the words “I am sorry” come out of our mouths?
- Pride
Sometimes we are too proud to say “I am sorry”, even if it is obvious you are in the wrong.
- Saving face and Fear of Defeat
Sometimes we feel that when we say “I am sorry”, we will lose ground or power. We want to appear to be the stronger. We want to win, win and win. So saying sorry is like your ego is deflated.
- Sheer Arrogance
Sometimes we are too full of ourselves to be sensitive to the others’ hurting.
Crucial Question:
- Can sorry be offered through expression rather than words?
Sometimes, when someone has hurt you, they will respond towards you by some positive or good acts – buy you a present; wash the whole house; send an emissary; etc. Can this be acceptable as sorry?
Luke 22:61-62 “61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.”
4th Sunday after Easter – 2017
The Rev. Simon J. Oriedo
Curate – ACK St. James Church Buru Buru