because tramps like us

baby, we were born to run

A sermon on Simon and the sinful woman:

Bruce Springsteen’s breakout, third album, “Born to Run” is a gem. With Born to Run, Springsteen swung for the fences. He had a sound he wanted, and the studio put a bunch of money behind the album so he could have one last shot to break through to a larger audience. 

And with Born to Run, Springsteen managed to do it all. The album was a critical success, and he managed to out out an album that sounded like Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan, and had been produced by Phil Spector. 

It’s an album with the swagger of a young man full of confidence and optimism. Embodied by the song the album takes its name from, “Born to Run.”

Cause, tramps like us, baby we were born to run.

His next, and best, album “Darkness on the Edge of Town” would reckon with the limits of such joyrides. Because although he was right, tramps like us are born to run; you can’t run forever. And, there are some things you can’t outrun — no matter how hard you try…

What I love about The Boss is his albums are chockfull of the kind of characters who always turn up in the Gospel; and for that matter the Church.

Like today. Simon an open-minded Pharisee, has invited Jesus over for dinner. Before second course is served, though, the party is crashed. And by a sinner, no less. 

Personal gripe here, whenever there’s a woman in the Bible who needs forgiving, we always assume we know what she needs forgiving of. If you catch my drift. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge. 

All Luke says, though, is that she had the public reputation of a sinner. In other words, this woman couldn’t run from her sin anymore. It was public knowledge. Everyone knew about it. Especially her…

Which is what gets Simon. Here’s this sinner, ruining his perfectly nice dinner. And Jesus, this supposed prophet, isn’t even trying to tell her off!

Before Simon can give the two a lesson on the finer points of etiquette, Jesus speaks up. He tells this parable about a creditor no bank would hire. 

A creditor who has two borrowers. One who owes over two month’s wages, and the other who owes even more! Nearly two years. When both borrowers are about to default on their loan, instead of sending a collection agency, this creditor cancels their debt. All of it!

No repayment plans. No refinancing. No strings attached!

Just cancels the debt for no other reason than, that’s just the kind character this creditor is. 

Like I said, no bank would hire this creditor. 

Then, Jesus locks eyes with Simon, “now which of the debtors would love the creditor more,” Jesus asks…

…When I started preaching I loved parables. Nice little object lessons. Plus, I didn’t have to come up with an illustration, Jesus had done that. 

But after a few too many times of Jesus’ parables ruining yet another earnest sermon, I came to find Jesus’ parables are more like a trap door than a morality play. 

Parables are the proverbial carpet, Jesus pulls out from under you. Which is what happens to poor Simon. 

Simon thinks Jesus’ question over and ventures, “well, I suppose the one the creditor cancelled more debt.”

Jesus sighs, “Simon, you’ve judged rightly.”

Judged rightly?!?

As if anyone needs to tell Simon that, thank you very much. Simon judged the woman the moment she graced his doorway. And he judged Jesus the moment he didn’t throw her back out it. 

No, Simon fancies himself a fine judge. And what if that’s the problem?

Yes, perhaps Simon judged rightly. But what if, in doing so, he missed the point? What if a correct judgement is never right in the presence of Jesus? The one who even forgives sins. What if the parable is about judgement and forgiveness mixing as well as oil and water?

After all, think about it. To the creditor there may be a difference; like 450 days wages. But to the debtors, there isn’t any difference! Both had debts they couldn’t repay. Both had all their debt cancelled.

Honestly, the only way either one of the debtors is going to love a creditor like that any less; is the one who upon being forgiven, turns around to crow, “At least I was only forgiven 50 day’s wages, and not 500 like that other guy.”

Then Jesus gives a punchline to lay you flat, “The one for whom little is forgiven, loves little.” The one for whom little is forgiven, loves little…

That’s the way of parables. At first you think you’re the one doing the judging, but before the parable’s finished, everything is topsy-turvy.

Before Jesus finishes praising the woman for her hospitality, Simon has fallen under the very criticism of his own, unrelenting judgement.

Before Jesus tells the woman to go in peace, his parable has put Simon where Simon had pegged the woman. A dead-end with nowhere to run. A sinner, and everyone knew it…

The woman, had a public reputation as a sinner. Seeing as Jesus told a parable about debtors, perhaps she had to ask to borrow money and was never able to pay it all back. Maybe she was the kind of woman who would show up for a dinner party, and everyone would hide their wallet - just waiting for the host to escort her out.

Before dinner is over, though, Jesus has revealed Simon’s inner thoughts. 

Now Simon, like the woman he just threw shade at, can’t outrun his sin either. He can’t hide behind dinner invitations or religious pretensions, he’s been exposed. His private thoughts have been revealed

Now both he and the woman can’t get away from their sin. There’s no more pretending for either of them anymore. Sure, tramps like us may be born to run, but sometimes there’s nowhere to run

And we know how that feels, don’t we? 

Those times in all our lives when we come face-to-face with our own sin. When we can’t run from it anymore. 

That’s why, for my money, “Darkness of the Edge of Town,” is Bruce Springsteen’s best work. It’s the album he wrote after the stress of getting everything he thought he wanted. An album that reckons with the fact that, although tramps like us may be born to run, no matter how hard you try; you can’t run forever. And furthermore, that there are some things you just can’t outrun.

Sure, “Born to Run” might be great for a summer day. But on those times when you find yourself on the backstreets, nothing beats “Darkness on the Edge of Town.”

As he puts it in “Streets of Fire,” where instead of singing about casing the promised land, he wails: “And the weak lies and the cold walls you embrace / Eat at your insides and leave you face to face with Streets of fire.”

And that puts it pretty well, doesn’t it? Those streets that suddenly dead-end. Those streets that bring you to those sins you can’t outrun.

Maybe that’s where you are right now. 

Maybe you’re like the woman in the Gospel, you have a reputation. Or, maybe you're more like Simon, brought face to face with the sin not one can see but you can’t ignore. Either way.

Either way, Jesus’ parable has put your right where it intends; defenseless and exposed before the indiscriminate grace of God. That’s what the trapdoor of Jesus’ parables are for, to get us to stop running so we will find ourselves before the indiscriminate grace of God that forgives you if your debt is 50 or even 500. The indiscriminate grace of God that forgives the sin only Jesus can see, or the sin anyone can see. 

Jesus is the one who even forgives all you sin, cancels all your debt. Whatever it might be. However much it is.

That’s the point of his parable. It isn't about which debtor is best. It’s about the creditor who would do something like cancel a debt you can’t repay. 

That’s what today is about, too. Jesus coming to you at those streets of fire. Where you can’t outrun your sin. And instead of writing an album that’s honest enough to break your heart. He breaks his heart for you. He goes to the dead end you’ve hurtling toward, and dies by it, for you. 

That’s what it means that Jesus is the one who even forgives sins. He is the only one who stands on the other side of your dead-end and says to you, “your sins are forgiven.”

Many think Church is where you come to get your life in order, but we know better, don’t we? We know Church is the last stop on our dead-end. Where we go when we can’t go anywhere else. 

S you who have found that running is only fun for so long. You who can no longer run. You who can’t run far enough, Jesus is the one on the other sider of your dead-end, the creditor who cancels your debt, the one who even forgives sins.

Jesus finds you and says, “your sins are forgiven.” All of them. No strings attached. No matter what it might be. No matter how much it is. That’s just the kind of creditor he is. Indiscriminate.

Tramps may be born to run. But you, you don’t have to run any more. Your sins have been forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace. No longer to run, but forgiven.