That Feel Good Factor
a sermon based on Luke 24: 44-53
By William Meakin

Where on earth do I start with this passage? That’s what I asked myself when I first read today’s reading, knowing that I had to write a sermon on it. The actual content of this passage is taken from the last chapter of Saint Luke’s Gospel and may appear straightforward, but actually conceals deep and meaningful connotations within it. It states that the death and resurrection of Christ are according to scripture. Christ is not only the fulfilment of the Old Testament but also its interpreter.

More importantly, this interpretation must be announced to the world from now on and therefore tells us that there really can be no end to it. The main theme of this passage could be entitled as “A New Beginning.” This is how the disciples must have felt armed with all the scriptures and knowing that they were about to receive the special gift from the Holy Spirit to enable them to have the power to proclaim the word of the Lord from hereon through generations until eternity. This gift will be given to them on Pentecost. It is, in my opinion, the new beginning of the Christian faith that we know today.

I entitled this sermon “That Feel Good Factor” because, as I see it, the passage has everything to do with the subject of forgiveness and appears paramount in this text. It has been said that forgiveness is dependant on our ability to forgive others. In our Christian lives if we expect forgiveness for our sins or wrongdoings then we also must have the inclination to forgive others. Some would teach that the forgiveness of others is a necessary part of receiving forgiveness ourselves and without it we have no hope of ever being forgiven.

Forgiveness is defined in the dictionary as: to cease to blame, to grant pardon for a mistake etc, to free someone from penalty, to free from the obligation of debt etc and probably is one of the most important and often used words in the Christian faith. In fact it probably centres on the entire Christian faith.

As good Christians we repent and seek forgiveness as a matter of course in all of our major services each Sunday, such as morning and evening prayer and it certainly remains an important part of our Holy Communion. The absolution of our sins, no matter how trivial they may be are an important aspect in our church lives - It helps us go from week to week without seeking forgiveness constantly from God through personal prayer, although of course this may be done if it is so required or perhaps is a matter of some urgency. In the Roman Catholic Church, confessionals are common place so that people can confess their sins and receive forgiveness on a daily basis if they so wish but it is also not unheard of in the Anglican Church, especially those with an Anglo-Catholic orientation. This allows the so called “penitent” to experience that feel good factor on a much more regular basis - A daily fix if you like!

I sometimes wonder how often we walk out of church each Sunday with that feel good factor deep within us, that special feeling that uplifts our hearts and makes us feel really good. Perhaps it may have been caused through singing our favourite hymn during the service, I know that I get a tremendous buzz going through me when I sing “How great thou art” Perhaps it may have been caused through a stimulating sermon or perhaps through something else that has happened in the  service which you have particularly enjoyed. Or maybe, just maybe, a consideration could be that you just feel at peace within yourself which has been granted to you by forgiveness and giving you the inner strength to face a new week. Surely one of the main reasons that we go to church in the first place is because it often gives us that feel good factor deep within us during and when we leave church at the end of the service?

When I was about 10 years old I was visiting my grandmother for the weekend who lived in Twickenham in Middlesex. It was a Saturday afternoon and I was walking around the town on my own when I went into Woolworths. I was browsing amongst the counters when I came upon a version of a new Kodak Brownie camera. I kept looking at this item and really wished I could own a camera like this of my very own. I had always wanted one but never had enough money to buy one. I looked around and all the store assistants were busy and nobody else appeared to be watching so without really thinking of what I was doing or indeed the consequences, I took the camera and slipped it inside my jacket. In addition I also slipped a new film for the camera into my pocket which was on sale next to it. I remember my heart was pounding after I had done it and I was trembling as I had never done anything so bad in all of my life.

I walked slowly out of the shop and then ran down to the riverside which was close by and walked around for a while so that I could calm down. After about five minutes I began to feel better and so I decided to sit on a seat and examine my new acquisition. I was so proud; I now had a camera of my very own. It even had a film to record the pictures that I could now take. I had absolutely no idea how to load the film into the camera but that didn’t matter, I was so pleased to own one. Then suddenly a voice behind me whispered in my ear: “I saw you steal that in Woolworth’s!”

My heart missed a beat and a cold sweat came upon me and I turned round to see another boy of about fourteen years old standing right behind me. I stammered: “N-No. You are wrong - I have had this camera for about two years now!” “Oh no you haven’t” he replied, “I saw you take it from the counter and place it inside your jacket. I have followed you from Woolworths and now I am going to tell the police!” And he ran off. Now my heart was really pounding hard and I didn’t know what to do for the best. I panicked severely, I was shaking. I threw the camera and the film into the River Thames and ran back to my grandmother’s house at top speed. I went to my bedroom and fell to my knees and prayed so hard to God that I wouldn’t get caught and sent to prison. I promised God that if he would forgive me and make everything alright again that I would never ever do anything like this again in my life. Then I went downstairs and suddenly a sort of calm came over me and I felt better again. I felt that I had been forgiven and experienced that feel good factor. I will tell you truthfully that I kept my word to God and I have never stolen anything again to this day.

Forgiveness from God makes everything right again in our Christian lives, it stops us walking around with a large cloud hovering above our heads - the sun comes out and we feel good again. What a lovely feeling we have when we know deep within us that we have been forgiven. But how do we seek forgiveness when we are on our own? I usually do it by prayer quietly and alone in my room. There are many different ways and every person has their own way of doing it. It doesn’t matter how or where we ask for it, the end result is always the same….. “That Feel Good Factor”

Next time you are in the supermarket and you see a child that has been reprimanded by his mother or father for doing something that he shouldn’t, such as placing items in the shopping trolley against his parent’s wishes, just notice how he behaves. After he has been told off he may say sorry and is possibly then forgiven with a little cuddle. Shortly after this he will appear all relaxed again. He will act as if he hasn’t a care in the world for a few moments, perhaps swinging his body from side to side or just his arms. Perhaps he will walk forward with that certain spring in his step. At this particular moment, possibly without even realising it, he will be experiencing that feel good factor.

That feel good factor always lifts our hearts and gives us a tremendous buzz deep within us. It usually comes at times when we achieve things that we have worked so hard for or things that we thought we would never achieve, but never do we feel it more strongly when we know that we have been forgiven by God for our sins. As Jesus says to his disciples in the passage: “Scripture foretells the sufferings of the Messiah and his rising from the dead on the third day and declares that, in his name, repentance, bringing the forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to all nations beginning from Jerusalem.”

A Preacher was giving his sermon one Sunday entitled “Forgive Your Enemies” When he reached a certain point in his sermon he asked the congregation:

How many of you here today have forgiven their enemies?

About half held up their hands.

He then repeated his question.

Now about 80% held up their hands.

He then repeated his question again.
 

All responded, except one elderly lady.
 

"Mrs. Jones, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?" asked the preacher.

"I don't have any." she replied.

"Mrs. Jones, that is very unusual. How old are you?" asked the preacher.

"Ninety-three." she replied.

"Mrs. Jones, please come down to the front of the church and tell the congregation how a person of your age cannot have an enemy in the world!" asked the preacher in absolute amazement.

The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, turned to the congregation, smiled and said, "It's easy, I just outlived the buggers!"

Okay, so sometimes forgiveness doesn’t come into it! She obviously had that feel good factor and possibly a new beginning as well!