One of the first things, and one of the hardest things for us to grasp, when we were first year seminarians, was the statement by our Intro to the New Testament professor, Dr. Burgess, when he said, "One passage in the New Testament can be both Law and Gospel, at the same time." We all looked at each other and thought, "What?" How can that be, that one passage in Holy Scripture can be both good news, and bad? It would seem it would be one or the other. And yet, our gospel lesson for this morning is as good an example of that fact as any in the Bible!

     Consider, for example, the parable Jesus told to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt. We know that this story would have been heard by the first listeners, if they were really listening, as Law: in other words, it would've been heard as bad news for them, as judgement, condemnation of their behavior that was so obviously like the behavior of the Pharisee. Luke tells us Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves--thinking themselves righteous, while thinking others contemptuous. Jesus wanted this parable to convict his hearers--which is why he told it. And if any one of them was listening, and hearing what Jesus was saying, they surely would've been convicted--they should've heard it, and repented of their prideful, haughty ways--being themselves, humbled. That is the purpose of the Law in Holy Scripture--to show us our sin, to drive us to our knees, and to bring us to repent of our sinful behavior. Without a doubt, this passage is Law--judgement, condemnation, for any of us who hear it, and come to realize, we are guilty of self-righteousness, arrogance, and hubris. It is Law, for any of us who think our religious practices, our giving to the church, our standing in life, makes us better, or above, others. How then can this passage, which is so clearly Law--which so clearly speaks a word of judgement and condemnation, also be Gospel? The good news in this parable of Jesus--will be heard by those who are the tax collectors--the sinners among us...those among us who know we are sinners, convicted before God and in need of his merciful forgiveness. Granted, St. Luke doesn't tell us there were any such folks standing there with Jesus as he told the parable--but Luke records this event in the life of Jesus--Luke wrote it down in his gospel so that all who might come after, would benefit from hearing Jesus tell the parable, again, in our midst. Luke includes this saying of Jesus, for folks such as us, for folks reading the Scriptures in our own day, because he knew there would be those of us who would need to hear Jesus' words, as both Law, and Gospel. Because the truth is, don't most of us--dare we say all of us--need to hear both the Law, and the Gospel in this parable of Jesus? Aren't we, each of us, self-righteous at times, puffed up by our position, arrogant to the point where we need to be humbled? And aren't we also, each of us, so humbled by our own sinfulness at times, so aware of our own broken-ness before God and others, that we stand, beating our breast, not even daring to look up--barely able to utter the desperate prayer, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" Reality, for most of us is that it's not either--or, it's both--and. We are not either haughty and prideful, or broken and humble...we are both haughty at times, and humble at times. We may walk around all puffed up at work, proud of our position, impatient with other employees; we may think we're hot stuff at school, because we're Seniors, no longer like those pathetic under-classmen; we may convince ourselves at the PTA meeting that we are pretty important people, now that we've been elected an officer. But then we go home, and are humbled by the fact that our marriage is a mess; or our use of alcohol has begun to border on abuse of alcohol; we realize we've not been very consistent parents, and our poor parenting is beginning to show forth, in rebellious teens. The reality of life for most of us is that we are both--and...and so, we need, both Law and Gospel in our lives. We need to hear both Law and Gospel from the Word of God, both to cast us down, and to lift us up. We need at times, judgement and conviction, while at other times, we need grace and mercy. Which is why God's Word IS, both Law, and Gospel. Which is why God speaks to us in varied ways, depending upon what we need to hear at the moment. Which doesn't mean Scripture changes--it simply means our needs change, as our lives change--and God's Word is indeed, dynamic and living--God's Word may be coming to you, today, as a word of Law, or it may be coming to you today, as a word of pure Gospel...you may be hearing good news, or bad. The goal is, of course, to be in a position in life, where we are not needing so much Law and judgement and convicting--but more and more, grace, and mercy--Gospel. But how do we do that? What moves us to that place--that place, as Jesus says, where we are less and less haughty and arrogant and pride-ful, and more consistently, humble, and aware of our need for God's grace and mercy as the sinners that we are?

     Fr. Martin Luther tells us that we remain humble before God and others, when we realize that we are unable to save ourselves. Luther writes, in his essay on the "Bondage of the Will", "A man cannot be thoroughly humbled until he gets to know that his salvation lies utterly beyond his own powers, counsels, efforts, will and works--and then comes to depend absolutely on the counsel, will and work of God alone." Luther says, in his commentary on John 1:16, "We dare not come with a lot of boasting and bragging when we appear before God...hence St. Paul says, 'All have sinned and come short of the glory of God'. Therefore we owe it all to God's grace and mercy, that our dear God shows us favor despite our shortcomings, and has hitherto kept us alive and has supported us, in this vale of tears. Therefore we know of nothing whatever to boast of except the grace and mercy which Christ imparts to us out of His fullness. This is inexhaustible."

     This is the good news, the Gospel--and it is this which keeps us from haughtiness, pride and arrogance, by proclaiming to us, continually, the inexhaustible grace and mercy which Christ imparts to us out of His fullness. It is the fact that we owe it all to God's grace and mercy, that keeps us humble in His presence, and causes us to cry out, honestly, and from the heart, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" It is the fact that God is, ultimately and inexhaustibly merciful, to us sinners, that doesn't just keep us in our place--that doesn't just keep us down and out--but lifts us up, with love and forgiveness--that exalts us, not because of who we are, but because of who He is...because He is, the God who comes to us in Law, and Gospel, to cast down and to lift up; to judge and to forgive; to humble and to exalt. And may we, then, hear it, as we need it, this day. May those of us who need to hear a humbling word today, hear it. And May those of us who need to be exalted and lifted up, hear that uplifting, exalting word, today...from the same passage from Scripture. From the very same parable, that is both, Law and Gospel for us.

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.