Attentiveness - Sermon on Luke 2:1-22 - Christmas Eve

Luke 2:1-14 [15-20]

1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered.² This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.³ All went to their own towns to be registered.⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.⁵ He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.⁸ In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.¹⁰ But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" [15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us."¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child;¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.]

Sermon

There’s a profound sense of attentiveness this night.  I wish you could see what I see. Ya know, every week I stand in the pulpit and read from the gospel.  Typically, the majority of folks are reading along in their bulletin. A few are looking at me as a I read, but most are readinging along.  

But on a night like tonight, there is a intriguing sense of awareness and attentiveness.   Tonight when the gospel was read, a few eyes followed along in the bulletin, but an above average amount of people looked to me as I read.  Or rather, looked to the gospel as it was proclaimed. 

There is a profound sense of attentiveness this night.  Now whether that attentiveness comes from genuine intrigued, fascination, and wonder with what God is up to in this story...or if it is rooted in “yah, we know the story, hurry up and get to the good stuff so we can get back home to our presents and packages, our dinners and cookies...our family traditions ...or bed.  Either way, tonight’s proclamation of the gospel beckons us into a renewed sense of wonder and attentiveness.

That nativity story is one of great familiarity.  Perhaps we can’t all recite it perfectly with its many details and nuances, but I suspect the majority of us gathered here can paraphrase it with confidence.   It is the same gospel story proclaimed every single year on Christmas Eve, and even if this is your first time worshipping in a Lutheran church on Christmas Eve, I would venture to guess that we all know what to expect this night.  The Spirit has brought us all together in this place, and I doubt there was much question as to what passage might be read from scripture.

It’s a familiar story, and we’re glad to hear.  And I think the familiarity of the story makes us extra attentive and aware not because we’re eagerly waiting to hear something new, discover a new angle or detail, uncover some new nugget from within the story that will blow our minds… I think the heightened attentiveness and awareness is because we know the story so well and we rely on this night, we depend on this story because it is constant.  It is certain. It is reliable. 

So That no matter what is going on in our world...no matter the consternation, brokenness, or despair….the nativity story remains a light of hope.  A beacon of love that proclaims a God who is abundantly up to good… A reminder that God defied all expectations and fulfilled a promise to intimately abide with the world through Jesus Christ - the Emmanuel.

In tonight’s story, a young, unwed, and unexpectedly now pregnant couple are required, mandated to return to their place of family origin to be counted in the census.  The requirement comes as a decree from Emperor Augustus for all the world to be counted. So they journey to Bethlehem, not by choice but by obligation. 

They traveled wearily for days only to be un-welcomed as though they are strangers in a foreign land.  They didn’t feel welcome. There was no place for them to stay. No room. They were lost and alone in the city of Bethlehem.  And even though they were filled with the promise of God in the form of a baby child...the bearer of God made flesh had no place to lay her head.  

In tonight’s story the shepherds, minding their own business were keeping watch over their flocks by night.  They were on high alert with intent listening in order to protect the flock. And all due respect to Shepherds, but in that day they did not hold a very high status on the vocational totem poll.  They were filthy, dirty, overworked, and underpaid. They worked long hours and slept outside with animals. They were at the bottom of the first century socio-economic world. 

And in tonight’s story, the story we so dearly love, God acts in the most scandalous way.  God becomes incarnate in the form of a baby boy, born to a lowly, unwelcomed and wandering family, born in a setting least suited for a king.  Casting the mighty and powerful aside, the heavenly angels declare good news to the poor and lowly. 

The angels go to the fields and seek out the discarded and underappreciated shepherd workers and says Today...we bring you good news of great joy for all the people, because a Today a baby is born and that baby is God’s son.  And he is the Messiah. He will reign in such a way that the world could never expect. 

And Honestly, at its surface, nothing about this story makes sense.  Nothing about is deserving of a headline or media frenzy. Nothing about this unknown, unwelcomed couple having an illegitimate child in an unsavory location in the middle of the night is cause for any attention.  There is no reason for the world to care. There is no reason for the world to listen to shepherds proclaiming all they’ve seen and heard.

And yet, here we are this Christmas eve to hear the familiar story.  With eager anticipation and an attentive ear we lean into something faithful.  Something reliable. Something genuine. Something true. 

I think we trust this story and its place within our lives because it is a proclamation of truth and hope in amidst a world ravaged by false testimony, unfaithful witness, insecurity,... a world that can be experienced as luring and deceptive, bearing false hope to those least, last, and lost. 

We tune our ear, like shepherds in a field by night, to the glory of God’s victory.   In this precious moment we remember that God took on flesh, for the sake of the whole world.  God became incarnate to live and breath among us. To wander in wade in the experiences of life.  To know true joy among family and friends and to dwell in the deepest moments of grief. God became incarnate to share in the breadth of human emotions and experiences, even to the point of death on a cross.  

And I think we’re so attentive to this oh so familiar story because we know the ending.  

We know the completeness of God’s work in the world.  

We know that this Christ child, born of lowly parents in a place not worthy of being called a bed or home...we know this Christ child, the emmanuel, God with us changes the world.  Changes the course of humanity by flipping the world’s expectations and proclaiming a message of hope, life, love, and peace to the whole world, especially those considered the lowest among us.

We attend to the scandal of this night--God breaking forth to dwell among us, in the vulnerable moments of human existence because the proclamation is reliable.  It’s truth. It’s promise. It’s hope. It’s for you and me, and for the whole world.

And while the world might work desperately and tirelessly to oppose this message of hope...as the world bends, fractures, and breaks...dividing, distorting, and abusing relationships….as the world lures us to believe that wealth, power, status, and self indulgence is life giving or life saving….God humbles the world. 

Through a virgin named Mary and a man named Joseph, God blesses us with divine presence.  For no other reason than the fact that God loves us that much.

So dear friends, while we lean into God’s victory tonight...as we tune in attentively to the old, reliable, message of hope.  May it be a reminder that God is still just as active among us today. Christ, the emmanuel, being born among us is but a turning point in a the greater narrative of God’s hope for the world. 

May this night, this O so holy night, be a reminder...No, an invitation to remain attentive.  Attentive not only to the glory of God in the story of Jesus, but attentive and alert to the work of God here and now.  The power of God among us today...casting the mighty down from their thrones and uplifting the lonely. 

Like shepherds in the field, attentive to their flock and their lives...may we keep watch, be alert...heighten our awareness because 

Dear siblings in Christ….Tonight we proclaim good news of great joy!  For us and for our salvation, a child is born this day in the city of David. a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.  Emmanuel

Amen. 

© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached Dec. 24, 2018 @ St. Mark's JAX

To whom can we go? - Sermon on John 6:56-69 - 08.26.2018

Listen to the gospel and the sermon here. 

John 6:56-69

56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.⁵⁷ Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever."⁵⁹ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.⁶⁰ When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"⁶¹ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you?⁶² Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?⁶³ It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.⁶⁴ But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him.⁶⁵ And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father."⁶⁶ Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.⁶⁷ So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.⁶⁹ We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." 

Today is our fifth and final week with a gospel lesson from the sixth chapter of John.  For more than a month we’ve been reading, hearing, and discussing the 6^thchapter of John.  The entire chapter is dedicated to a discussion about Jesus being the bread of life, a new manna from heaven for all people.  A heavenly bread that offers eternal life to all who eat of it.

In today’s final installment, the sixth chapter of John culminates in a moment of decision for the dedicated crowd that has been following Jesus.  As Jesus wraps up his discourse on heavenly bread, he connects the dots between God providing bread from heaven and him being the bread from heaven. He then goes so far as to teach that eternal life is synonymous with the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood. 

This whole thing started 60 verses ago as Jesus crossed to the far shore of the sea of Galilee to find a moment of rest.  He climbed the hillside and barely sat down before he saw a great crowd of people following him. Jesus tested Philip.  Philip, how are we going to feed these people?   Recall Philip saying, Jesus even if there were a place to buy enough food, we don’t have the money.  There aren’t enough resources. You’ll remember that Jesus then takes a small amount of food, 5 loves and two fish, from a boy in the crowd.  He lifts it up, blesses it, breaks it, and feeds the crowd. All eat enough that they are fed to satisfaction, and the disciples collect 12 baskets left over.   It was a moment of pure abundance. 

In that moment of feeding on the mountainside, the crowd received not only food to eat, but affirmation of their decision to follow Jesus.  They had let everything behind, family, work, and home to trail Jesus. To see what sign he might offer next. This feeding event served as a catalyst for the crowd.  

So over the last 5 weeks Jesus taught about the bread from heaven and the bread of life.  He’s taught us about the benefits of the bread from heaven, living bread and everlasting life.   He’s named himself as the new manna, the bread from heaven that will feed and give eternal life. 

And in today’s final segment of this entire discourse, this decision making moment, Jesus makes one final connection that some consider to be one step too far.  “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”  “I am the bread from heaven and those who eat of my flesh and drink of my blood will have eternal life.”   …Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood will have eternal life.

There’s a popular anecdote that circles around with this text.  I don’t know if it’s true, but the story goes that as a pastor was presiding over the Eucharist one Sunday morning, he referenced this passage of scripture.  And once he lifted the bread and the wine and said whoever eats of this flesh and drinks of this blood will have eternal life. And almost immediately a young girl in the front of the church exclaims, eww yuck! 

Flesh and blood…ew! Yuck!  Can’t fault her. When we really think about it her response seems rather appropriate.  I would imagine that within the gathered crowd, at least one person audibly gagged or scoffed at the idea of gnawing on Jesus flesh and blood.

And it’s not just that Jesus’ proclamation sounds distasteful, but the crowds gathered would have easily made the connection to the Old Testament in which such an act was considered cannibalism.  It was unlawful and unclean. And in this culminating moment, when many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"

Some Left

So it is this moment in the sixth chapter of John, when Jesus proclaims that eternal life comes through the eating and drinking of Jesus’ flesh and blood that some of the disciples say, “nope, I’m out.”  

This teaching is too hard.  It’s too far. It’s too much.  Feeding us on the hillside with such little food is one thing…healing people is one thing…preaching bread from heaven is one thing... but chewing our your flesh for the promise of eternal life is where we should draw the line.  So Jesus, thank you for this adventure, I appreciate the fish and the bread, but we’re going to head back now.

Hard teaching

"This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"  Jesus offers his whole self, body and blood as nourishment for the journey. Like manna pouring from heaven for the Israelites wandering in the desert, Jesus offers himself as food for the journey.  His own body and blood to sustain and nourish them. I don’t blame them for leaving.  That is a hard teaching to hear. 

Honestly, I find comfort in their honesty and conviction.  These disciples who had dropped everything to follow Jesus were buying in whole-heartedly.  They were growing in faith, listening and learning...seeing and believing...but this moment was too far, the teaching was beyond their comfort or belief.  It complicated their understanding thus far.  So they walked away. 

Who among us, despite our life in faith hasn’t walked away? Or at least been tempted to walk away? Thanks Jesus, it’s been interesting and enlightening, but I’m just not with you anymore?  That teaching is too hard. I can’t accept it.

Being baptized, confirmed, or even a regular worship-attendee doesn’t make us immune to the difficult moments in life in which we can’t accept Jesus’ teaching. The deep, vulnerable moments of life that challenge our comfort or conviction. Moments when faith seems distant, arbitrary, or trite.  

When the teaching of Jesus is hard to hear. To know. To believe. I suspect we’ve all been there...ready to walk away...when the teachings of Jesus are hard to believe and we refuse to accept them. 

Jesus teaches eternal life even through death, but when you’re standing bedside by a loved one at or in the waiting room during an emergency.  

God created all things good and for good, right?  Yet we life in fear of that creation... violent hurricanes, like Irma, Katrina, and Lane...wildfires consuming California and forgiving no one in the way, earthquakes, volcanoes and typhoons…

We know good and well that Jesus teaches that we should love god and love our neighbor, but headlines...every single day challenge our faith school shootings, mass tragedies, senseless violence, wandering refugees, desperate immigrants.  

Jesus teaches peace, yet faithful as we may be we have never known a time without war or fighting.  Teenagers today have never lived a day without us being at war. 

Jesus offers healing, but even the strongest in faith shutter at disease, illness, and addiction. 

Jesus teaches of an inclusive kingdom, but our society and culture celebrate exclusivity.  

Faithful as we are, the world thrives on diversity, disparity, inequality, injustice, and oppression. 

Jesus teaches us who we are, but even our very identity in Christ is at risk when overwhelmed with loneliness, exile, bullying, despair, and depression. 

For me, it was 2007.  4 agonizing years of wandering in and out of hospitals, clinics, trials, and treatments, and cancer ended my mother’s life.  Absolutely the most brutal, pain staking moment of my life. And I knew the Jesus taught eternal life.  I knew that Jesus was abiding in my mother.  I knew that God loved me and my mother. I knew, even though I didn’t want to admit, that God didn’t cause my mom’s cancer or even take my mother’s life.  And if I had any reason or motivation to walk away from God during those 4 years, they were affirmed on January 30, 2007. It was a decision moment. Where a vulnerable moment of life directly challenged my conviction of faith.  Death and grief were too heavy for me to keep on following. The teachings were too hard, and I couldn’t accept them. 

In these vulnerable, decisive moments of life, when the teaching of Jesus seems so hard and our faith is challenged...the easy response is to walk away.  Turn around. Thanks, Jesus, for the journey thus far, but I think we’ll bow out now. 

... 

And yet, here I am.  Here each of you are.  Here we are. Again and again.  Choosing to walk on this holy ground, to be in the presence of the Lord.  To hear, pray, sing, confess, eat, and drink. 

To follow, if even hesitantly, to follow Jesus. Listening to the teachings and promises, regardless of how much we may resent them at times.  But why? Why would we keep coming back?

⁶⁷ So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.⁶⁹ We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." 

You notice that Peter didn’t answer yes or no.  Peter, without hesitation says, “Lord, where else would we be?  Where else would we go? To whom else would we turn?” 

You. You alone have the words of eternal life.  The world may challenge that at every turn, but you Lord, you are the Holy One of God.  You alone have the words of eternal life. Where else would we go?

Peter isn’t saying that they have no other options.  Well, Jesus, you’re our last and only choice so there’s no reason to leave.  No, Peter confesses that Jesus, despite the hard and challenging teaching, Jesus is the Holy One of God.

And sure being a follower may be characterized by risk.  It means confessing teachings of faith that rub up against a culture and society.  It means pushing back against a world that that is so quick and so ready to render faith in Christ obsolete. .  

Certainly we don’t always understand.  In the synagogue that day, they couldn’t understand Jesus offering himself, body and blood, as nourishment and as promise of everlasting life.  We still don’t fully understand it. 

We may not always understand Jesus’ command to love or show peace.  We may not get turning the other cheek or serving the last, lost, and least. Because sometimes the teaching seems too hard to accept.

Yet here we come again and again, following Jesus, not because we’re out of options, but because deep within, Christ has claimed us, and in Christ we have no need, no desire to walk away. 

We may never fully understand that power of God, but we come again and again, following Jesus as best we can. We listen.  We taste. We see. We tell. In this moment we experience Jesus, through flesh and blood, bread and wine. God only knows exactly what happens in that meal.

But Deep within our core we come with sure and certain hope to experience Christ.  We come again and again.

Because to whom else can we go?

Lord, you and you alone have the words of eternal life.  Amen

© Pastor Daniel Locke, preached Aug. 26, 2018 @ St. Mark's Lutheran JAX, FL

Abundance - Sermon on John 6:1-21 - 07.29.2018

Listen to the gospel and sermon here.

John 6:1-21

1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.² A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.³ Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.⁴ Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.⁵ When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?"⁶ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.⁷ Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little."⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,⁹ "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?"¹⁰ Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.¹¹ Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.¹² When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost."¹³ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.¹⁴ When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world."¹⁵ When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.¹⁶ When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,¹⁷ got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.¹⁸ The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.¹⁹ When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.²⁰ But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."²¹ Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Sermon

A few weeks ago more than 100 million people worldwide celebrated a much anticipated holiday.  Well it’s not necessarily a holiday...yet. But it’s a 30 hour celebration of slashed prices, incredible discounts, next day delivery, and online consumerism at its finest.  Of course, I am talking about Amazon Prime day. 

Amazon is one of the largest and most profitable retailers in the world and for the last several years they have lured more than 100 million users into a mid-year shopping spree.  They offer incredible deals and discount prices and major, popular items. It’s sort of an online, mid-year, Black Friday, without the lines. And it’s a big deal for a lot of people. 

Last week I was listening to some friends talk about their Amazon Prime Day experience.  They were listing all the things they bought and how much money they saved by buying them.  They spent hundreds of dollars buying two of these and three of those, but they saved hundreds more.  And as they were boasting about all of their new toys, one person said, so how are you enjoying your new items?  They paused, also in a moment of conviction, and said “honestly I haven’t even opened the package yet.”   After thinking for a moment they said, “ I really didn’t need any of it.” “So why did you buy it,” a friend asked?  “Well, the deal was too good and I was afraid that if I didn’t buy one then they would run out of stock...so I bought two.”

I was afraid they would run out of stock...so I bought two.  Funny, isn’t it, how our culture and our society has developed in such a way to convince us that there won’t be enough.  If we don’t act quickly, we’ll miss out.  There is only a finite amount….a limited amount of supplies, resources, energy, people, hours in the day.  Act now while supplies last! Sale ends today! Everything must go! Once it’s gone...there will be no more! 

Once I was walking through the grocery store and there was one package of Oreos left on the shelf.  I didn’t need Oreos. Wasn’t looking for Oreos. Wasn’t craving Oreos. But my mind said if I don’t grab that last package someone else will and there won’t be any more.   I remember the same thing happening when I was kid around the holidays.  Mom and I would go to the store as we prepared for a holiday meal and she would buy up all of the cream cheese.  Granted her recipes were always rich with cream cheese, but there seemed to be this mentality that there would never be another block of cheese available to us if we didn’t act now.   To this day I find myself glancing at the cream cheese as I pass it to make sure there is plenty to go around.  But if the supply is low I have an urge to act.

When there is a natural disaster or sudden international conflict...there is a risk of gas shortage...so what do we do? We all fill up our cars and gas cans in case it’s the last tank we ever top off.  

Oo or have you ever eaten at a buffet?  And your cruising through the line, one item to the next, your plate is full...until you come across one of your favorite foods.  You know it’s endless, but there is only one serving left, and if you don’t grab it now… I think you get my point.

For better or worse, our culture and society has trained us to act out of fear of not enough.  Our gut reaction is often to act within a mindset of scarcity. 

Maybe we’ll implement this approach for council positions this fall.   Get your position while it lasts! There are only five openings! Act now!  Don’t miss your chance! 

It’s a strange mindset of Scarcity.  In fact, there is an entire theology built on scarcity.  A whole belief system that says God created a finite amount.  A pattern of behavior that makes us queasy and impulsive because we fear there won’t be enough.  And it’s more than just consumerism.  It permeates the various aspects of our life, and if we’re not mindful, we can unintentionally approach relationships, situations, opportunities with this scarcity.

I think today’s gospel lesson confronts the theology of scarcity in a way that challenges us and perhaps makes us uncomfortable.  Jesus and his disciples retire to the other side of the Sea for a bit of rest.  But they barely make it to shore before large crowds swarm him. These crowds had seen many of the things Jesus had been doing and their curiosity was so peaked that they dropped everything to see what he would do next.   So as Jesus and friends climbed the large mountain, sat down, and watched as thousands...literally thousands of people approached. 

“Hey Philip,” Jesus asks, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 

Philip goes right past Jesus’ question as to say, even if there was a place for them to buy that much bread for the crowds, they would never have enough money to do so.  Even six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each to get a little.  Philip responds that there isn’t enough!  We can’t do it! The resources needed are unobtainable and the resources available are too finite.

We know how the story goes.  Jesus takes a small amount of bread and fish from a boy in the crowd, gives thanks, and distributes it among the 5000 people until all ate beyond their satisfaction.  Following the meal, Jesus instructs the disciples to collect the fragments.  So the disciples collect...and they don’t collect the fatty, tough, uneaten bits of food, but rather they collect 12 baskets of leftover food.   The crowd had eaten beyond their satisfaction and there was still food left to be shared. 

Today’s story in John is a lesson of faith and abundance from Jesus.  From five loaves and two fish Jesus offers an abundance of food for the crowd.  Jesus offers so much food that there were 12 baskets full left after everyone was satisfied.   

And certainly the lesson that Jesus teaches the disciples and the crowd is that in Christ there is enough.  There is more than enough. Our God is one of abundance.  God created in abundance.  God saved the Israelites in the wilderness with an abundance of quail and manna.  God saved all people through the death and resurrection of Jesus with an abundance of forgiveness and grace.  An abundance of hope and love.   Such an abundance that all may be filled beyond satisfaction.  That all may have abundant life and life eternal. 

Now I say all of that, and I believe it to be true.  But it is admittedly difficult to live in this tension: wholehearted and faithful believing that God always provides in an abundance and the harsh realities of the world in which we live.  I am not naive, and I know God isn’t going to write a check for the mortgage when the budget is tight if I just believe that God gives abundantly.  I know that Jesus himself wasn’t leading games at VBS, or teaching Sunday school, serving on council, or stuffing backpacks.   I know that God, powerful as God may be, won’t be the one dropping food in the UCOM food wagon, scooping ice cream after church, or roasting the pig this fall for our anniversary.  

Don’t get me wrong, I have no doubt that God is present in all of things through the body of Christ, but I suspect Jesus himself isn’t physically present making sandwiches for the homeless, sleeping on the couch while family promise is here, changing the filters on our AC units once a month, or making bulletins if we just believe God will provide  

Philip, how are we going to feed these people.  Well, Jesus, we can’t. There isn’t enough.  It’s easy for scarcity to be our out.  It’s a good excuse, at best. There isn’t enough.  Simply can’t. Not enough volunteers. Not enough resources. Not enough money. Not enough time.  We’re all out. This is what the world would have us believe. Scarcity. 

So maybe today’s lesson is a bit deeper than simply saying “God will provide.”  I suspect Jesus’ lesson for the disciples is a bit more rich than “if you just wait...God will make it happen.” 

I think this mountaintop moment is meant to be a game changer for both the disciples and the crowd.  For weeks they have watched and listened to Jesus. They have witnessed some incredible moments of ministry...enough to make them follow him wherever he goes.   And now, on this mountaintop, they do more than just witness, they become participants.  Consumers of Jesus’s bounty, both in food and miracle. They experience Christ. They taste and see the power of Jesus.  

And I think the lesson to be heard today is not simply to trust in God and God will provide.  Rather I think Jesus is inviting to completely shift our mentality. To change the starting point of our actions.   Rather than place restrictions or limits on our ministry and outreach by a lack of resources, perhaps we first ask what would God have us do.  What are the opportunities for ministry? What is our community crying out for? What are the needs of those around us? Where is the crowd that needs to be fed? 

And once we see the crowd, once we know the needs. When we hear the pains.  Identify the hurting, the suffering, the last, the lost, the least. Once we discern what Jesus would have us do...we might prioritize our resources to respond faithfully.  Trusting that in faithful ministry, God will provide.

Because in God we have been gifted enough.  We have been washed in the waters of baptism, claimed as a child of God and received grace upon grace.   When we come to the Lord’s table we receive the body and blood of Christ and we are filled with strength and love.  In the bread and wine Christ consumes us...filling us beyond satisfaction… again and again. 

The Spirit continues to fill us with grace and mercy, love and forgiveness, hope and grace, peace and everlasting life.  And these gifts from God never run out. Never expire. We have each been blessed with gifts. Talents. Abilities. Resources.  Time. And our call is to be stewards of these gifts. Not just to follow Christ from place to place...watching, listening, tasting, and seeing,...but to believe, go, tell, and feed.  To be stewards of God’s abundance. To challenge the world. To proclaim that in Christ we have all we need. We have enough.

Jesus knew what he was going to do on that mountain top.  The text tells us so. Before he asked the disciples or gave them a chance to give up, he knew what he was going to do.  

Jesus takes the smallest amount of food and transforms it into an abundance.  That’s what God does. God transforms scarcity into abundance. Out of nothing, God created the world.  Out of the desert God fed the wandering Israelites in abundance. Out of a rock God struck an abundance of water.  Out of a forgotten town and a no-name girl, God became incarnate. Out of the nothingness of death, the very scarcity of life, God made way for abundant life.  Abundance is what God does. Abundance is what God will always do. 

Because our God is a God of abundance, and in God we have more than we will ever need.   So while the world might trick us into thinking there isn’t enough of what we want, in God there is abundance of what we need.  The supply is infinite. It’s abounding. And in faith, it’s not about what we need or don’t have…it’s about what we do have. And today, it’s a generous God with 5 loaves, 2 fish, and an opportunity to feed the hungry.    Amen.

Acting at Once in God's Abundance - Sermon Matthew 25:14-30

Matthew 25:14-30

“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. ¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master. Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents.²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” 

Today’s text comes as a continuation of apocalyptic, end-times texts in the book of Matthew. These are Jesus’s final moments with the disciples.  His final days and hours before facing Jerusalem, the high priest. Final moments before he is tried, beaten, and crucified.  And in Matthew’s Gospel account, Jesus spends his last few moments with his disciples and the crowds teaching about the end-times.  A day of judgment and reckoning when the Lord returns.  God will return and cast judgement upon all who have been waiting.

So today’s parable, one of a master entrusting his wealth to his three slaves is the 3rd of 4 end-time, judgment texts.  We might recall last week’s parable about 10 bridesmaids.  5 wise and 5 foolish as they wait for the bridegroom to arrive to wedding banquet.   Next week we’ll hear about the separation of sheep and goats.  

But as for today’s difficult text, Jesus continues to speak to his disciples, and this time he addresses how they should carry on in his absence.  More specifically, Jesus is preparing the disciples for his inevitable absence.  And in doing so he is notifying them that they will be entrusted with his ministry.  His work and his deeds.  His healing and teachings.  They will be entrusted with the good news of his resurrection.

The disciples have been instructed by Jesus on multiple occasions that Jesus will soon die and rise.  And the time will come when the disciples must carry on without him.  But despite their hearing, they never fully understand what is about to occur.  They still do not believe that Jesus will leave them in their lifetime.

But we, on this side of the resurrection, of course know it to be true that Jesus will be killed and be raised.  And therefore the disciples, soon to be apostles, will be entrusted with the ministry of Jesus until the Master returns.   So Jesus launches into this 3rd Judgment parable.

I suggested last week that we acknowledge the difficulty of these parables.  And I think it is true again today because elements of these parables run counter to our expectation of Jesus and the Kingdom of God.  So they can be hard to hear, especially since none of us want to find ourselves in the role of the 3rd slave, cast to outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I think then, it is important to reflect for a moment on the reason these parables have their place in Matthew’s Gospel account.  Matthew is writing to audience some 30 to 40 years after Jesus has been killed and raised.  The early Christian church has had its struggles and particularly within Matthew’s audience is a group of naysayers.   Disbelievers.  Those who are intentionally spreading false truths.   For whatever their reason, they are challenging the early Christians by dismissing their beliefs.   Even more so, these naysayers and their leaders continue to oppress large groups of people.  They continue to act counter to the gospel message, counter to the very work and deed of Jesus Christ.  

So Matthew, with this context and audience in mind, intentionally includes these four harsh parables regarding the end-times and the judgement for those who fail to participate in God’s kingdom through Jesus Christ.   That’s why Matthew continues to write about Jesus shutting the door on the foolish, casting the lazy into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So, we encounter today’s parable of a Master entrusting his wealth to the three slaves.  All three slaves are given talents according to their abilities.  Talents in this context is a sum of money.  The first two slaves receive 5 and 2 talents respectively.  They go at once to invest their gift and return a 200% profit while the master is away.  The third slave is given 1 talent, which is still a significant amount, but out of fear of losing or misusing the gift he buries it.  Burying one's money, literally making a deposit, was common practice.  And of course upon the master's return, the third slave yields no interest or gain.  He excuses his actions behind his preconception of the Master, and is later tossed to outer darkness….with the weeping and gnashing of teeth. And I suppose it is the fate of the third slave then that can have us on edge.   That implores us to ask the question, what is at stake?

What is at stake in the meantime?  While we wait for Jesus’ return?  Entrusted with God’s grace, law, gospel, truth and light.  Entrusted with God’s promise of grace, forgiveness, mercy, and Love, what is at stake while we wait for the return of the Lord?  

Well certainly for this parable and the audience of Matthew what was at stake was the outer darkness. The weeping the gnashing.  And more importantly, what was at stake was not being invited to enter the joy of the master.  So brothers and sisters, perhaps the question is the same today….is there still something at stake for us today as we wait for the Lord?  If so, what is this parable teaching us?

One of the more popular interpretation of this parable lends itself to a discussion on stewardship. The tendency then is to interpret the masters gift to the slaves as God’s gifts to us.  The Master entrusts the slaves in this case with talents or money.  Whereas God entrusts us with talents, money and otherwise.  We are gifted with abilities and interests, the things we are good at, the things that bring us joy when you use them.  And therefore the message of the parable would be that we are to wisely invest our gifts, use them to their fullest potential, steward them we might say until Christ returns.  To do as the first two slaves, risking our gift, investing fully into the work of the kingdom, growing God’s gift 200%.  After all they were given to us by the Master to use, so why not use them for the glory of God in God’s kingdom.  This often leads to a conversation about money as well, especially being that this is the time of year when pledges are due and the budget is being formed.  

But friends, I don’t want to dwell on money, or stewardship, or the use of God’s gift, because maybe this parable holds a much deeper meaning for us today.  A bit more depth than simply the stewardship of God’s gifts and resources first given to us.

First, we might take notice of the Master’s generosity.  To the three slaves he entrusts, 5, 2 , and 1 talent respectively.  Now a talent in that day was equal to about 20 years worth of wages.  So to the slave who received 5 talents, he received nearly 100 years worth a wages.  And the second slave received about 40 years.  Even the third slave, who received only one talent was entrusted with 20 years worth of basic wages.  The emphasis here is not on wealthy-ness of the Master but rather the Master’s generosity.  Jesus makes no mistake in the amount of money he choses in his parable, because it isn’t about a quantity for Jesus but rather the abundance and generosity.  The slaves were entrusted with more than they ever had and more than they would ever need.  It was more than they could ever, ever steward, so rather than focus on their use of the gift we might be drawn to the abundance of the gift.

Second, we might reflect on the reaction of the first two slaves.  Jesus says that the first two slaves “acted at once.”  Immediately upon receiving their abundance they couldn’t help but spend it. Invest it. Risk it. Trusting fully that not only would the abundance last, but its fruit would produce two fold.

We might recall here Luther’s assertion to sin boldly but believe even more boldly in Christ, and rejoice.  This parable isn’t giving endorsing gambling or high-risk banking investments, nor is it giving permission for frivolous spending and stewardship, rather the parable is lifting up the way of life when entrusted by God with every good gift.  It’s not about careful and meticulous use or misuse of gifts but rather acknowledging that we are given gifts and called in baptism we become people who act immediately.  People of God who CAN NOT help but use our gifts.  So much so that we are no longer conflicted by whether or not to use a gift entrusted by God but rather we embody it and act because that is who we are.  We are God’s and therefore can’t help but always and instinctively be stewards.  It’s our calling.  Our vocation.  To steward boldly the life and promise entrusted to us through baptism, believing even more boldly in Christ, who will return in joy.

Third we might note the motivation of the third slave.  Fear. He understood the master as a harsh, and therefore acted out of fear.  Fear of losing his talent.  Fear of risking all that the master entrusted him.  So he dug a hole, planted his talent, so that upon the Master’s return there would be no risk of loss.  The digging and hiding of the talent echos the popular, “hide it under a bushel, no...I’m goinna let it shine...let it shine let it shine, let it shine.”

Imagine if the disciples, after learning about jesus’ death and resurrection remained locked away in the upper room. If they had closed the door and turned off the lights so that no one knew they were there.  Dug themselves a hole, and hid in fear.  Fear that they might mess up.  Fear that the risk they take would not be worth.  Fear that spreading the gospel message might be in short supply or worse, a fruitless investment.  Fear that sowing seeds, investing their entrusted gift would not return a positive investment for the day the Lord returns.

What’s at stake in this parable perhaps is not necessarily the weeping and gnashing of teeth but rather the missed opportunity to use God’s abundant gift.  What’s at stake is the missed calling or dismissing vocation.  What’s at stake is life motivated by fear rather than abundance and joy.  

Friends, the good news is that Jesus absolutely and unconditionally gifts us with an abundance. Entrusted with an abundance of love, mercy, and forgiveness.  Entrusted an abundance of grace.  And God’s grace in Jesus Christ will be more than we can ever ever steward on our own.  And as it was for the two slaves, the disciples then, and us today, it is our calling to go at once, immediately, washed in our baptism and fed by the body and blood, to embody the abundance to which we have been entrusted.   Taking risks, investing ourselves, our time, and our possessions for the glory of God and the return of the kingdom.  To go boldly, and trust even more boldly the promise that we will be entrusted into the Joy of the king upon his return.

Amen


© Pastor Daniel Locke Nov. 19, 2017 @ St. Mark's JAX