Luke 17:5-10
Script:
Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!
Sammy: Good morning, everyone! Pastor, I made it to church on time this morning.
Pastor: That’s great, Sammy.
Sammy: I do a good job of showing up almost every week. Sometimes I get sick and I have to stay home. Or sometimes I go to the beach on vacation.
Pastor: I am proud of you for coming to church, Sammy.
Sammy: I also pray, and I sing, and I talk to the kids here about God.
Pastor: Yes, you do.
Sammy: And I take the time to help you out, Pastor. That’s a lot of work. I found your keys, invited myself to your house for dinner…
Pastor: Where are you going with this, Sammy?
Sammy: Well, none of it is good enough, is it, Pastor?
Pastor: What do you mean?
Sammy: I was reflecting on the Gospel reading for today, and I was just thinking that all the things I do and all the effort I put into church and my family isn’t good enough.
Pastor: That’s right, Sammy. We will never be good enough. Jesus talks in the reading today about how if we live a holy and righteous life, that is what we are supposed to do. If we show up to church every week, if we sing in the choir, feed the hungry, help each other, serve each other, and love each other, we have done the minimum and we haven’t added anything to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Sammy: So I have to be a good Christian and it’s still not good enough.
Pastor: That’s correct. We sin every day, and doing our best to live a holy life is all we can do. We have to rely on Jesus to do the rest.
Sammy: What do you mean?
Pastor: Boys and girls, what did Jesus do for us?
[Allow time for responses]Pastor: Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He took all of the sin and shame that we have and he covered us with his grace. He forgives us when we ask him to forgive us because of his great love for us.
Sammy: That’s beautiful.
Pastor: Yes it is. One thing you should know, Sammy, is that when we come to the Kingdom of Heaven, we go empty handed. We don’t bring anything with us, just our sin and our shame. Even as a pastor, I will approach Jesus with my hands bearing my shame. There is nothing I can do or say that will make me good enough in his eyes.
Sammy: That’s why we cling to the cross of Jesus.
Pastor: Yes, that is why we cling to the cross.
Sammy: Whew. That’s a relief.
Pastor: What do you mean?
Sammy: I have a lot of peace now. I was going to make a spreadsheet of all the things I do for Jesus around here. But like we talked about, I am supposed to do all the things I do. And I’ll cling to the cross of Jesus forever.
Pastor: Me too. Let’s pray. Can you all please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, help us to realize we aren’t good enough. Help us to know you are the only one who adds to the Kingdom of Heaven. Thank you for letting us join you in Heaven. We love you. Amen.
Sammy: Bye, everyone!
Pastor: Bye, Sammy!
