Redemption - Luke 24:35-48

There are many terms, idioms and colloquialisms that we Christians use that sometimes leave the casual observer, or even some fervent Christians, out in the dark, not fully understanding their meaning. As a result, they become like an inside lingo that loses its impact. How about Washed by the blood, sanctification, fear of the Lord and temple of the Holy Spirit to name a few.
 
One frequently used but not fully understood term is redemption. The dictionary tells us that it means to “buy back” or to “repurchase”. As Easter people, our readings remind us what it means to live a redeemed life.

To better understand what it means to be redeemed or to be bought back, there is a story of a little boy who built a miniature sailboat. The boy worked for hours creating it. The boat had a realistic looking sail and the hull was painted to perfection. He took the boat to a nearby lake and put it out there, hoping it would sail. Sure enough, a nice little breeze came along, and it sent the boat rippling along the waves.

Suddenly before the little boy knew it, the boat was out of his reach, even though he jumped into the water to try to grab it. As he watched the boat float away, he hoped that the breeze would shift and it would come sailing back to him. Instead, he watched it go farther and farther away until it was gone. When he went home crying, his mother asked, "What's wrong, didn't it work?" He replied, "It worked a little too good."

A few days later, the little boy was walking downtown and went past a second hand store. There in the window he saw the boat. His boat. It was unmistakably his. He went inside and said to the owner of the shop, "Hey, That's my boat." He walked to the window, picked it up and started to leave with it. The owner said, "Wait a minute, Sonny. That's my boat I bought it just the other day.” The boy said, "No, it's my boat. I made it. See!" And he showed him the little scratches and the marks where he hammered and filed. The man said, "I'm sorry, Sonny. If you want the boat, you have to buy it."





The poor little guy didn't have any money, but he worked hard and saved his pennies. Eventually, one day he had enough money. He went back and bought the little boat. As he left the store holding the boat close to him, he was heard saying, "You're my boat. You're twice my boat. First, you're my boat 'cause I made you, and second, you're my boat 'cause I bought you!"  
It goes without saying, that little boy loved his boat!

If we ever have the mistaken notion that we aren't worth much, and if we think that we’re not valued, this story might help remind us of what God thinks of us. He sees us as being his. Twice his. First, we're his because he made us. And second we're his because he bought us on the cross. He paid a price to redeem each one of us.

Our readings remind us that we must not undervalue God’s love for us and what Jesus did for us, thinking that his death and resurrection alone is a ticket to heaven. We tend to neglect our need to humble ourselves under the need for daily redemption. How loudly do our actions preach the truth about Jesus and demonstrate that we’ve been bought back?

The term “purchased” is used frequently in the scriptures, and it’s very intentional. It gives us a more precise view of the full picture, because we can relate to that term with real world examples that we are familiar with - to get a glimpse of heavenly things that we can’t fully comprehend.
                   
If we were to look at a typical purchase or transaction - When we grab a soda at the convenience store, we already know what plans we have for it. Namely, we will consume it, we will drink it. We walk to the counter, hand our money to the cashier, and walk out the door with our purchase. Here’s where this example relates to God’s transaction:

The item purchased no longer belongs to its original owner. When that soda is paid for, it belongs to the purchaser; it’s no longer a possession of the store. In the same way, because we have been bought by God, we no longer belong to ourselves. We in fact belong to Almighty God!

Before we were purchased, our plans were our own. Our desires were our desires. Our thoughts were our own. Now that we belong to God, it is our responsibility to give those things over to him. In a world that celebrates freedom and controlling one’s own destiny, submitting to the will of our purchaser can be made to sound pretty unappealing, but is it?

Here’s what we’ve heard today: The first reading said: "Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away." The second reading said: "Those who say, 'I know him', but do not keep his commandments are liars, and the truth is not in them." And the Gospel reading said: "Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name." So the message is clear: we need to steer clear of sinful temptation and be accountable to God.

God is not expecting perfection from us as we make our earthly walk. What he does want, however, is our desire to become more and more like Christ every day. As long as we're continually examining our lives and educating ourselves about how we can improve, and as long as we follow through by doing what is necessary to produce change, God is very pleased with us. Submission isn’t always easy, but it is crucial if we are going to follow Christ. And as tough as submission sounds on the surface, it truly becomes a desire if we/as we grow closer to God.

The good news is, when God purchases us, we operate in his strength as we rely on him, and he removes our burdens. God is a rescuer of souls. He “buys us back”, taking the shamed, confused, bruised and broken parts of our lives and restores them by his grace.

So, hold on to that visual of the little boy clutching tightly that twice bought boat to himself. Redemption reaches its highest form when God’s embrace thaws the parts in us that have been long-frozen, and then his penetrating love in us melts away all of the walls that we’ve erected around us, and it also helps to heal the wounds of others.

And so we pray, Thank you Lord for showering us with your unending, unshakable, unconditional love. Help us to gain a better appreciation of what it means for us to be redeemed, re-purchased, to be bought back. Help us develop repentant hearts and get to that point where begin to truly yearn to submit our lives to you. No one can see us more deeply than you do, yet you never reject us – in fact you chase after us to bring us back when we’ve fallen away. Help us see how worthy we are in your eyes and may that give us the confidence to be better disciples, driven to preach the truth about your son through our words and through our actions.

Amen!