Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 27-28, 2025
“No Excuses; No Exceptions” I Timothy 1:12-17
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
In a Newsweek article Mary Sherry spoke about her son and his high school teacher. “[Our son], our youngest, a world-class charmer, did little to develop his intellectual talents but always got by…until Mrs. Stifter.” “Our son was a high school senior when he had her for English. ‘He sits in the back of the room talking to his friends,’ she told me. ‘Why don’t you move him to the front row?’ I urged, believing that the embarrassment would get him to settle down. Mrs. Stifter looked at me steely-eyed over her glasses. “I don’t move seniors, I flunk them.”
“I was flustered. Our son’s academic life flashed before my eyes. No teacher had ever threatened him with that before. I regained my composure and managed to say that I thought she was right. By the time I got home I was feeling pretty good about all this. It was a radical approach for these times, but well, why not? ‘She’s going to flunk you’, I told my son. I did not discuss it further. Suddenly English became a priority in his life. He finished the semester with an A.”
I am quite impressed with Mrs. Stifter and her words, “I don’t move seniors, I flunk them”. She was direct and upfront. She was the teacher and she knew it. The problem was not where he sat or that his friends were around him. He was failing to be a responsible student. And she wanted the student and his mother to know that. But we live in a society that is filled with reasons and excuses and defenses for everything that happens. Somebody else should bear the blame if I mess up!! We seem to have seen more than our share of political candidates already where excuses and rationalizations have tripped up their campaigns. Very few people seem to take responsibility for what happens in life.
And then we have Paul, who for a good part of his life was absolutely no saint!!, say – “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.” (I Timothy 1:15) No excuses, no justification, no sugar-coating. He looks to this life and says that he is the very worst of sinners. He lists his sins as “a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent man.” And he offers no excuses. And he was the worst of sinners until I came along. And he was the worst of sinners until you came along.
Have you ever taken an inventory of sin? It can get so long!! And it is so humbling!! Pride, short-fuse, potty-mouth, dirty thoughts, greed. When Paul in Romans 7 starts his inventory he says that when he wants to do good evil is right on his shoulder telling him not to do that, but then he finds that he does the evil that he truly despises. “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24)
It actually is quite freeing not to have to come up with an excuse to justify our actions. It is good to say, “I’m responsible”, “I sinned”, “I stand before you naked”, so to speak. I have heard that at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, you introduce yourself as you speak your name and make the confession, “And I am an alcoholic”. No excuses. Just the struggle. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.”
When Paul is honest about himself and then honest about God he states a couple of very important truths about God. There are two very dangerous misconceptions about God that many people have. The first is that He is such an angry and wrathful God that we have to be afraid at every step we take. He is just waiting to catch us in some sin!! The second is that because God loves us so much anything that we do is just fine with Him. The first misconception, about the angry heart of God, eliminates God’s love altogether. The second confuses it with indifference. It leads people to believe that God really doesn’t care how you live and the life that you lead. Paul doesn’t fall on either side of this ditch.
Paul makes no excuses about his past sinful life and takes responsibility for it. But then He turns it over to let God do His work. No excuses for sin – and no exceptions to grace. Paul doesn’t talk about his sin to get some thrill about telling how bad he was, like some high school or college student who gets wasted on the weekend and can’t wait to tell someone about it on Monday, but he talks about his sin to show how good God is. “For that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life.” (I Timothy 1:16)
There are no exceptions to this. There is no one who is not under grace. There is no one who can’t have sins forgiven. There is no one who can’t be saved. There are some people, a few of us brow-beaten Lutherans, maybe a few good Catholics too, who have this no excuses thing down. We are proud to say, “I’m the worst of sinners (and we prove it!)”, and we can moan with St. Paul, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”, but we forget about the no exceptions part. There are no exceptions to the truth, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
Paul could have given up on himself. He had been violent toward others, had persecuted others, even had spoken against the saving name of Christ – despising Him and despising His followers. But then he learned a marvelous truth – there is no exception to the mercy of God in Christ. It was as true for him as it was for others. And it is true for us. There is no exception to this mercy and forgiveness and salvation and hope that God brings in Jesus. It is as true for you as it is for anyone else.
Jesus told two parables to say this very thing. In Luke 15 He tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin. (Luke 15:1-10) 100 sheep are in a flock but one gets himself lost. Maybe he nibbled himself lost, or he decided to go his own way, or was running away from a bear – whatever- he got lost. And the shepherd who loves each of the sheep, in great concern and at great cost goes to find the one that was lost, and he does. “And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and goes home.” (Luke 15:5) And a lady has 10 coins and loses one of the 10 and won’t give up until she has found the one that was lost. And when she finds it she throws a party for her friends to celebrate the occasion. These stories were told to some Pharisees who were muttering and murmuring and belly-aching that Jesus was welcoming sinners and eating a meal with them. They had exceptions to whom Jesus could be with; Jesus didn’t.
You see, there is no exception whom Jesus wants to call to His side and receive His grace. It is for a Paul; it is for me; it is for you; it is for a world of thems. It is for the worst of sinners and it is for the best of sinners!! For everyone who has no excuse there is no exception. The Bible says, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:2) “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” (Romans 5:20) No exceptions!!
No excuses; no exceptions, but plenty of praise. After Paul reflects on his sin and can’t stop talking about God’s action through the work of Jesus, he is just filled with praise, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy 1:17) This gift of cleansing and salvation leaves no room for spiritual pride!! We haven’t done anything to receive this love and mercy and goodness, we have been recipients from the gracious will of God, so we can just marvel and say – “How can God be so good to me?” When Paul had presented his dilemma before – “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” he had a joyful response – “Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 7:25)
No excuses – responsibility. No exceptions – everyone has been graced in Jesus. No kidding – we owe our God pure praise and joy for His pure delight to us!! Praise God!! Amen!!
(This sermon was originally preached to the saints at Ascension Lutheran Church on September 12, 2010)
