Scripture: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-46
Recently, a TV commercial has grabbed my attention. Quite honestly, I don’t remember what product was being promoted, but one phrase in the ad has stuck in my mind. After touting the benefits and blessings that come with ownership of this product, the announcer enthusiastically tells the young buyer – “You deserve it!” It seems that you should purchase this item as a reward for simply being “you”.
Society wants us to think that we deserve the very best that the world has to offer. We deserve the finest car, we deserve the largest wide screen TV, we deserve a highly paid job, and everyone should be the owner of a grand house, whether we can afford them or not. We deserve to have as much as any other person – as much as Donald Trump, or Warren Buffet, or Bill Gates. Did you hear that Gates is still the wealthiest man in American, at a net worth of over $50 billion? Even while most people experienced a major reduction in assets over the past 2 years, Bill Gate’s financial worth increased!
And that delusion of “personal deservedness” has found its way into the very fabric of the church. We deserve a good life, so why doesn’t God give it to us? We deserve prosperity. After all, Jeremiah 29 tells us that the divine plan is intended to prosper us. So where is it? We deserve salvation and since God wants us to be saved, why worry about all those demanding and overly restrictive laws? Just save me for the next life, and let me worry about this one!
But the truth is that what we really deserve isn’t blessings, but rather condemnation, and it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we can receive the precious gift of eternal life with our Lord. So, even though we don’t deserve heaven, we still have the hope of life in that incredible place, and that this day it is coming very soon. But what is heaven all about? Why should we want to be there?
Jesus told 7 parables about heaven (Mustard seed, Yeast, Hidden treasure, a Pearl of great price, a Net, Growing seeds, and the wedding feast) and each one begins with the words “The Kingdom of heaven is like …”. Today we look at 4 of them.
Read Matthew 13:31-32
The first teaches that the kingdom is like a mustard seed that is planted in a field. It is recognizably the smallest seed that the people in Jesus’ day would ever see, but it grows to be the largest plant in the garden. Jesus refers to the mustard plant as a tree, even though the largest only grow to be 8 feet or so in height. This concept of “tree” is both a reference to the “empire tree” that is a relatively common symbol of earthly kingdoms, as well as a number of future images of God’s Kingdom contained in the Hebrew Testament (Psalm 104:12, Daniel 4:10-12, Ezekiel 17:22-24 ). The comparison of the Kingdom to a tree instead of a plant is also significant, in that the world sees it as small and relatively worthless, while the Church sees it as a mighty cedar or redwood.
And people from all over the earth will find comfort in its branches, in the glory of the kingdom, and will find safety in its foliage – and Satan, the “harbinger of death”, will find no comfort and no security there!
Jesus also makes reference to the power of faith that is only the size of a mustard seed in Matthew 17:20. A small amount of faith can do great works through Christ.
The next “heavenly” parable is about yeast.
Read Matthew 13:33
This parable, too, left the people scratching their heads. Yeast was almost always used as a symbol of evil, of sin, of corruption, especially in the context of government in that day. But Jesus, once again, turns our understanding on its ear!
Consider, for a moment, some of the characteristics of yeast and how it may compare to Heaven.
1. Yeast is stored in a dark, cool place until the time comes for it to be used, and if it is left to itself, it will never be anything but yeast. But combine it with warm water and flour, and it becomes a whole new creation. And incidently, the word that NIV translates as “mixed” more accurately means “hidden”. As with yeast, the kingdom, at least for now, is hidden away, it is silent, it is not yet time for it to begin working, and that time will be in God's time.
2. The volume of yeast that is used in baking is very small when compared to the amount of flour used. In the parable, the volume of flour is nearly 10 gallons – an exorbitant amount. Consider the number of loaves of bread that could be made with the addition of just a little yeast, and consider how a little bit of heaven in each of us can grow our faith to gargantuan proportions.
“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast”. It is hidden for now, not seen and certainly not obvious to the majority of people in this world, but when the time comes for it to be revealed, it will bring extravagant blessings to all who will join Christ at His banquet feast.
For these 2 parables, the concept of God’s Kingdom is presented in a drastically different way than the people had envisioned it up to this time. Heaven, it seems, is not an unlimited and infinite place right now. It is small, it is hidden, and it’s nearly insignificant. But when the time comes, it will grow to accommodate all who will draw near in faith. It will be beyond generous, it will welcome the faithful from all walks of life, from all nations, from all kinds of persecution, of all ages and from all times.
The New Interpreters’ Bible explains it this way. “A modern analogy to these parables would be ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a preacher who preached every Sunday to a congregation of 25 people [living] in a city of 2,000,000 residents. The preacher kept on preaching until the whole city believed the gospel.’” Now there’s a challenge if I ever heard one! And I'll need your help to do it!
The kingdom has yet to come, but come, it surely will.
The next 2 parables for today take a different slant on heaven than the first two did. They are similar in nature to each other, but can be seen in different ways.
Read Matthew 13:44
First, a thought. Many find this first parable a bit perplexing - it seems to be describing the actions of a thief – and they try to explain away the actions of the man who finds the treasure, and then buys the land without letting the owner know about its true worth. But I see this in a different light. Whenever we study Jesus’ teachings – whether it is His sermons or His parables or even His life - we have to be careful about how much of it is placed in an earthly context. And in this regard, I believe that we have to see this parable as God would see it. Think about it this way.
The treasure is heaven – the ultimate prize of salvation, which was won for us in Christ’s first coming, and is being kept in safety until He returns.
The field is the entire earth, and not just some small portion of it.
The owner of the field – Satan - is the one who currently has authority over the earth, and who incidentally, has no personal use for the “treasure” of salvation, and therefore it is of no loss and of no consequence to him!
The “man” who uncovers the hidden treasure is Christ, and He places it in reserve until the time comes for Him to return and reveal it to all the earth, once and for all.
And He gladly gives all that He has to claim His rightful place as ruler of the earth.
Remembering that this truth is about the kingdom of heaven, I don’t believe that the “man” who finds the treasure can represent humanity as many suggest. The man eventually purchases the entire “field” in order that He could take possession of the valuable find, and while we are able to claim the treasure, we could never purchase the entire earth. Only Christ Himself could do that.
Similarly, the last parable for today is also about heaven, but with a couple of possible interpretations.
Read Matthew 13:45-46
The first possibility for this parable is this:
The merchant is, again, Christ, who is seeking treasure for His Kingdom.
The Pearls that He seeks are the righteous – those who have claimed Him as Lord and Savior.
And the Savior sells all that He has to redeem the faithful for Himself.
But there is also the possibility of a second interpretation:
The merchant is you and me, seeking treasure of lasting value within this world.
We find Christ – the greatest of all Treasures that we could ever hope to possess.
And we give all that we have – our lives, our love, our trust, our commitment – in order that we might claim Him as our own.
As with most of Jesus’ parables, He doesn’t give us a clear cut explanation of the truth in His words, and I would never even suggest that my interpretation is definitive. But He does give us a lot to think about. It would seem that heaven has yet to come into its own, but that the “seeds” of heaven have already been planted, and it will grow to fully embrace all who love God. It is hidden for a little while longer, but when it is completely revealed, it will be abundant, extravagant, more than we could ever imagine and far more than we could ever hope for.
Heaven is a treasure that is just waiting for us, and the truth is that God sees each of us as a treasure of immeasurable worth – a treasure that is worth accepting human life for Himself, with the full intention of then giving it all up as a sacrifice on our behalf.
“The Kingdom of Heaven is Like ..” – well, what is it like for you? Is it so far beyond all comprehension that you have given up even trying to imagine what it is like? Or have you decided that it is so simple, that there is really no need to ponder its significance? The truth is that we can’t fully appreciate the vastness and infinite value of the treasure of heaven, but that it is worth our time and our effort to consider its significance for our lives.
“The Kingdom of Heaven is a gift to you.” Accept it in Christ.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
“Living With the Weeds”
Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30; 40-43
The sin that infiltrates our lives, and, at times, may seem so impervious to faith, is all around us. And whether you see it as weeds or unruly growth, as dirt or darkness, it is always with us, and we have to deal with it somehow.
Sin is the default in our lives. Just as darkness is the result of no light, and not the other way around, just as a hedge will grow wildly without pruning, and shapely growth is a continuing effort, just as weeds will grow, not only without our attention, but in spite of our attention,
sin will be rampant in our lives, and righteousness requires attention to the details of faith.
It’s been said that “The fruit of the Spirit must be cultivated. All that grows naturally is weeds.” (Homiletics Online) But what about those weeds?
Read Matthew 13:24-30
Kim Henning writes:
It’s a frustrating story, weeds and wheat together. But it’s also real. You raise your children, and you pray for them. You take them to worship — you surround them with good friends, good influences. And then they go to school, and they come home with words that you hoped they’d never hear, much less be repeating. And they watch television and they experience a world of extramarital affairs and uncommitted relationships and rape and drugs and alcohol. And it’s like wheat being surrounded by weeds.
It’s real, and what we would pray to God is this: “Take the weeds away!” Take away the evil and the temptations and the anxieties. Pull those weeds. Take away the wars and the human hunger. Take away the divisions between humanity. Yes, our prayer would be no less than Jesus’ prayer, “Father, if it be your will, take this cup from me ....”
And she continues:
But the kingdom of God is here on earth and wheat and weeds grow side by side, lest in pulling out the weeds we disrupt the wheat as well. Weeds and wheat — side by side. We are not afforded a monastery — where we could get away from the problems of this world. And our church does not give us the option of saying, “This one stays, but this one goes.” “Judgment is mine, says the Lord.” So where does this leave us? Wheat, weeds, together.
—Kim Henning, “Those weeds! Oh, those weeds,” July 21, 2002, Grace Congregational Church Web Site, graceucc.org.
Now please don’t misunderstand Jesus’ parable. He isn’t telling us that sin doesn’t matter – that we should simply be accepting of the fact that it exists, and not to be concerned about it. What we need to be diligent in is this: Know who the “enemy” is and how he works, and take a stand against his sowing the seeds of sin – those that produce crops of doubt, of pride, of envy, of inactivity, of greed, of all kinds of forbidden fruit. If we can interrupt the sowing, we can limit the growth of weeds in our lives.
As an example, have you ever known someone who has had an addiction to pornography? Once it gets a hold on your life, as with all sin, it is nearly impossible to break its grasp. The only way to fight it is to keep it from ever entering your life in the first place. I have a dear brother in Christ who struggles with this affliction. It entered his life many years ago, and even though he has rejected it over and over, it still makes a comeback from time to time. He has been unable to destroy its influence – all he can do is to seek the help of others to limit its growth and spread. Never, ever think that you can do it alone!
Our parable for today tells us that only at the harvest will the goodness and the wickedness be separated, and all evil will be destroyed. But my question is this – God can do anything, so why doesn’t He destroy it now and spare our lives from the torment of sin?
I’ve never come up with a great answer – just that it has to do with free will. It has to do with our lack of diligence and vigilance. Remember the parable? Verse 25 tells us that the enemy came and sowed the weeds while “everyone was sleeping”. Sin creeps in while our guard is down, while we are tired or weak, while we aren’t caring intently for our faith through intentional prayer, worship, study, and ministry.
These are the times when the enemy strikes. It isn’t a time of major battle – it’s a war of subterfuge. Satan knows that a frontal attack won’t work – the forces of righteousness would see him coming and will be ready. But a subtle, behind the scenes, below the radar approach will almost always be effective. Satan knows what will work and what doesn’t, and will use the tactics that will work the best against us.
And the greatest weapon in Satan’s arsenal is that of personal blindness and plodding tolerance. If something is fun or stimulating, how can it be bad? Doesn’t God want us to be joyful? The truth is that the Lord wants us to be righteous in Him, not carefree in our independence!
Writer Kathleen Norris studied the parable of the weeds and the wheat in Matthew 13, and then observed, What I found in the story was a sense that God, knowing us better than we know ourselves, also recognizes that we are incapable of separating the wheat from the weeds in our lives .... I began to see God's fire, like a good parent's righteous anger, as something that can flare up, challenge and even change us, but that does not destroy the essence of who we are. The thought of all my weeds burning off so that only the wheat remains came to be seen as a good thing.
--Kathleen Norris, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith (New York: Riverhead Books, 1998), 317.
Read Matthew 13:40-43
Through the power and grace of God, our “weeds” can be stunted and confined in this lifetime, but they will never be completely destroyed until He comes back to oversee the harvest of souls. That is when the separation will occur. Until that day, we must live with those pesky weeds cluttering up our lives.
So how do we keep those weeds from overtaking us, from choking the very faith out of our hearts and minds and souls?
Ephesians 6:10-20 describes the spiritual armor that is so important if we would have our faith preserved. I won’t take the time to include the entire passage here, but suffice it to say that the donning of these attributes is vitally important every day of our life. From the moment we awake in the morning until our eyes close in sleep at night – we must actively be on the alert for the enemy’s sowing the seeds of doubt in our faith and conceit for our sin. Without the Lord’s armored protection, our walk will never be acceptable.
Paul concluded this passage in Ephesians (verses 19-20) with these words – “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
He is an “ambassador in chains” – a chaining that doesn’t limit, but rather keeps him tied directly to Christ in all matters. It keeps him close to the source of goodness, and gives him a guardian against the enemy. It allows him to never have to cringe in fear – not of God, and not even of Satan.
We can never let our spiritual life sleep, we must never become complacent in matters related to our faith, and always, we must remain chained to Jesus Christ.
He is our great protector, our vision, our truth, our reason. And when the enemy does gain an opportunity to sow some of those choking weed seeds, trust Christ to starve them, and to hem them in, and to cause them fits, and know that one day, He will see to it that they are completely removed from our life and cast into the fire that completely destroys.
Hallelujah! Praise God! For He alone is faithful.
The sin that infiltrates our lives, and, at times, may seem so impervious to faith, is all around us. And whether you see it as weeds or unruly growth, as dirt or darkness, it is always with us, and we have to deal with it somehow.
Sin is the default in our lives. Just as darkness is the result of no light, and not the other way around, just as a hedge will grow wildly without pruning, and shapely growth is a continuing effort, just as weeds will grow, not only without our attention, but in spite of our attention,
sin will be rampant in our lives, and righteousness requires attention to the details of faith.
It’s been said that “The fruit of the Spirit must be cultivated. All that grows naturally is weeds.” (Homiletics Online) But what about those weeds?
Read Matthew 13:24-30
Kim Henning writes:
It’s a frustrating story, weeds and wheat together. But it’s also real. You raise your children, and you pray for them. You take them to worship — you surround them with good friends, good influences. And then they go to school, and they come home with words that you hoped they’d never hear, much less be repeating. And they watch television and they experience a world of extramarital affairs and uncommitted relationships and rape and drugs and alcohol. And it’s like wheat being surrounded by weeds.
It’s real, and what we would pray to God is this: “Take the weeds away!” Take away the evil and the temptations and the anxieties. Pull those weeds. Take away the wars and the human hunger. Take away the divisions between humanity. Yes, our prayer would be no less than Jesus’ prayer, “Father, if it be your will, take this cup from me ....”
And she continues:
But the kingdom of God is here on earth and wheat and weeds grow side by side, lest in pulling out the weeds we disrupt the wheat as well. Weeds and wheat — side by side. We are not afforded a monastery — where we could get away from the problems of this world. And our church does not give us the option of saying, “This one stays, but this one goes.” “Judgment is mine, says the Lord.” So where does this leave us? Wheat, weeds, together.
—Kim Henning, “Those weeds! Oh, those weeds,” July 21, 2002, Grace Congregational Church Web Site, graceucc.org.
Now please don’t misunderstand Jesus’ parable. He isn’t telling us that sin doesn’t matter – that we should simply be accepting of the fact that it exists, and not to be concerned about it. What we need to be diligent in is this: Know who the “enemy” is and how he works, and take a stand against his sowing the seeds of sin – those that produce crops of doubt, of pride, of envy, of inactivity, of greed, of all kinds of forbidden fruit. If we can interrupt the sowing, we can limit the growth of weeds in our lives.
As an example, have you ever known someone who has had an addiction to pornography? Once it gets a hold on your life, as with all sin, it is nearly impossible to break its grasp. The only way to fight it is to keep it from ever entering your life in the first place. I have a dear brother in Christ who struggles with this affliction. It entered his life many years ago, and even though he has rejected it over and over, it still makes a comeback from time to time. He has been unable to destroy its influence – all he can do is to seek the help of others to limit its growth and spread. Never, ever think that you can do it alone!
Our parable for today tells us that only at the harvest will the goodness and the wickedness be separated, and all evil will be destroyed. But my question is this – God can do anything, so why doesn’t He destroy it now and spare our lives from the torment of sin?
I’ve never come up with a great answer – just that it has to do with free will. It has to do with our lack of diligence and vigilance. Remember the parable? Verse 25 tells us that the enemy came and sowed the weeds while “everyone was sleeping”. Sin creeps in while our guard is down, while we are tired or weak, while we aren’t caring intently for our faith through intentional prayer, worship, study, and ministry.
These are the times when the enemy strikes. It isn’t a time of major battle – it’s a war of subterfuge. Satan knows that a frontal attack won’t work – the forces of righteousness would see him coming and will be ready. But a subtle, behind the scenes, below the radar approach will almost always be effective. Satan knows what will work and what doesn’t, and will use the tactics that will work the best against us.
And the greatest weapon in Satan’s arsenal is that of personal blindness and plodding tolerance. If something is fun or stimulating, how can it be bad? Doesn’t God want us to be joyful? The truth is that the Lord wants us to be righteous in Him, not carefree in our independence!
Writer Kathleen Norris studied the parable of the weeds and the wheat in Matthew 13, and then observed, What I found in the story was a sense that God, knowing us better than we know ourselves, also recognizes that we are incapable of separating the wheat from the weeds in our lives .... I began to see God's fire, like a good parent's righteous anger, as something that can flare up, challenge and even change us, but that does not destroy the essence of who we are. The thought of all my weeds burning off so that only the wheat remains came to be seen as a good thing.
--Kathleen Norris, Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith (New York: Riverhead Books, 1998), 317.
Read Matthew 13:40-43
Through the power and grace of God, our “weeds” can be stunted and confined in this lifetime, but they will never be completely destroyed until He comes back to oversee the harvest of souls. That is when the separation will occur. Until that day, we must live with those pesky weeds cluttering up our lives.
So how do we keep those weeds from overtaking us, from choking the very faith out of our hearts and minds and souls?
Ephesians 6:10-20 describes the spiritual armor that is so important if we would have our faith preserved. I won’t take the time to include the entire passage here, but suffice it to say that the donning of these attributes is vitally important every day of our life. From the moment we awake in the morning until our eyes close in sleep at night – we must actively be on the alert for the enemy’s sowing the seeds of doubt in our faith and conceit for our sin. Without the Lord’s armored protection, our walk will never be acceptable.
Paul concluded this passage in Ephesians (verses 19-20) with these words – “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
He is an “ambassador in chains” – a chaining that doesn’t limit, but rather keeps him tied directly to Christ in all matters. It keeps him close to the source of goodness, and gives him a guardian against the enemy. It allows him to never have to cringe in fear – not of God, and not even of Satan.
We can never let our spiritual life sleep, we must never become complacent in matters related to our faith, and always, we must remain chained to Jesus Christ.
He is our great protector, our vision, our truth, our reason. And when the enemy does gain an opportunity to sow some of those choking weed seeds, trust Christ to starve them, and to hem them in, and to cause them fits, and know that one day, He will see to it that they are completely removed from our life and cast into the fire that completely destroys.
Hallelujah! Praise God! For He alone is faithful.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
“Take a Risk for a Change”
Scripture: Luke 19:12-27
Have you ever really considered what Christianity is all about? That Christianity is not a faith based on “feel good” thoughts and proclamations, that it is not a faith that is easy to follow, that Christianity is not a faith that calls the people to “sit back and watch”. But rather that our faith is a faith that calls the people to risk all that they have. It is a call that invites everyone to take a step in faith – and sometimes it is a huge step! Ours is a faith that must be active, involved, trusting, and above all else, it must be a journey that takes us through uncharted territory.
Christianity, when it is lived out to the fullest, is one that both leads us into the unknown and blesses us beyond all measure. Our faith is most readily expressed when we come to acknowledge that all that we have – skills, resources, joys, aptitudes - are merely gifts that are on loan from God, to be used as He desires.
In his book Worldly Spirituality, William McClelland writes:
“The story line in Jesus' parable of the [Minas] calls for the money given the stewards to be risked precisely because it is God's money. The stewards hold it only in trust and will be held accountable for its use. Jesus' point keeps rolling off our Teflon consciences like water off a duck's back. People with possessions do not want to be reminded that those possessions are to be held in trust and continually laid before the throne of grace, always available to do God's good pleasure. So, rather than live with that burr under our saddle, we, like the rich would-be disciple, choose to turn away. We go on our way - and usually not, as he did, sorrowfully. We go on our way rejoicing, rejoicing in our good fortune, grateful to [the world] but not to God Almighty."
And he continues:
"But the Bible stands there as stubborn as a rock, and every time we open it to read, we stub our toe on its assumption that all the resources of our lives come from God: the strength of our hands, the cleverness of our minds, the health we enjoy and the possessions with which we have been blessed. God has loaned them all to us in trust. We are stewards of these gifts of grace, and we are to use them whenever and however the Spirit indicates.”
-William Robert McClelland, Worldly Spirituality: Biblical Reflections on Money, Politics, and Sex (St. Louis, Missouri: P Press, 1990), 40.
Read Luke 19:12-27
There are 2 themes in this story. The first is comparison between those who refuse to acknowledge the kingship of the Master versus those who do accept his rightful position. The second is about how these servants respond to the trust that the master shows to them when he gives each one responsibility for a relatively small amount of money.
The first is revealed only at the beginning and the end of the story, and is very straightforward. Those who accept the King, live. Those who do not, die. Period.
But the second theme seems to receive the bulk of the focus in the parable. Each servant receives the same amount of money, including those who will oppose the Master, but they are not expected to display the same degree of skill in managing their charge. The Master does, however, expect a faithful response from all of them in carrying out the assignment. He wants them to stretch themselves, trusting that in their faithfulness that the assignment will produce far more than they ever could on their own, and even far more than they could ever imagine it would.
7 servants won’t even give the master their loyalty, and one of the remaining 3 isn’t able to bring himself to use his master’s money as directed. It wasn’t his money, but he fears the possibility of failure. Out of 10 servants, only 2 are willing to faithfully carry out the call given to them. Personally, I think that this is a rather meager response.
Christianity is a faith that calls the people to risk all that they have, even though it never was theirs in the first place! We must be vigilant and ready and eager to serve wherever and whenever God may call.
Rodney Stark writes: “For 70 years, Soviet schools drilled their students in official state atheism, and few churches could hold religious services. To be openly religious entailed substantial risk. The result? When state repression collapsed, widespread religious participation surfaced and sustained an enormous revival -- a religious outburst of such magnitude that it prompted Andrew Greeley, the well-known Catholic novelist, priest and sociologist of religion, to write an article proclaiming that ‘God Is Alive and Well and Living in Moscow.’”
--Rodney Stark, American Religion Remains Robust, Insight, 11 July 1994, 23.
The faithful constantly live their faith, even in Soviet Moscow!
The faithful continue to live their faith, even in Communist China!
The faithful continue to live their faith, even in Hindu India!
The faithful continue to live their faith, even in prisons!
The faithful continue to live their faith, even in nursing homes!
Southern Baptist preacher Don Bouldin tells about a study of a group of 95+ year old folks, all of whom were asked this question, “If you had life to do over again, what would you do differently?” Their responses fell into three major categories.
First, reflect more. Spend more time considering who you are, what you are here for, what God is calling you to become.
What makes life worth living and fulfilling? Family and faith, both of which require hefty doses of forgiveness.
Second, take more risks. Life is very short. Take some risks to accomplish more. Don't be afraid of failures or mistakes.
Why climb out on limbs? Because that's where the fruit is. No limb-climbing, no fruit-picking.
Third, do more things that will last forever. Invest in eternity. Make this world a better place because you sojourned here.
--Bouldin, Ears to Hear, Eyes to See: Witnessing Through Media (Nashville: Broadman, 1987), 81.
Know who you are and why you are here. Take a risk. No limb climbing, no fruit picking. And try to make this world a better place than it was when you arrived. These are the things that make this life worth living – otherwise, we are just treading water, waiting for someone else to come along and drain the swamp.
Faith grows and lives in the conflicted – why is it so hard for the comfortable to live out their faith?
Are you willing to take a risk – a real risk – to serve God?
Are you willing to take a step into the unknown to discover just who you are, and who your God is?
Have you ever admitted to yourself that all that you have isn’t really yours – that it all is just on loan from our Lord?
Jesus took risks every day, every moment, of His life on this earth, and He calls each of us to do the same. And as much as the Christ accomplished while He was with us, He proclaims that if we just trust Him, if we just place our faith in Him, if we would just follow Him wherever He leads, if we would risk all that He has given us to gain glory for Him, then we will gain even more than He was able to! (John 14:12-14)
Are you willing to risk it all for the glory of God? The call is before you. Take it or leave it. The choice up to you! But first, remember those 10 servants, and the decisions that they made, and the various results that came from those choices.
Have you ever really considered what Christianity is all about? That Christianity is not a faith based on “feel good” thoughts and proclamations, that it is not a faith that is easy to follow, that Christianity is not a faith that calls the people to “sit back and watch”. But rather that our faith is a faith that calls the people to risk all that they have. It is a call that invites everyone to take a step in faith – and sometimes it is a huge step! Ours is a faith that must be active, involved, trusting, and above all else, it must be a journey that takes us through uncharted territory.
Christianity, when it is lived out to the fullest, is one that both leads us into the unknown and blesses us beyond all measure. Our faith is most readily expressed when we come to acknowledge that all that we have – skills, resources, joys, aptitudes - are merely gifts that are on loan from God, to be used as He desires.
In his book Worldly Spirituality, William McClelland writes:
“The story line in Jesus' parable of the [Minas] calls for the money given the stewards to be risked precisely because it is God's money. The stewards hold it only in trust and will be held accountable for its use. Jesus' point keeps rolling off our Teflon consciences like water off a duck's back. People with possessions do not want to be reminded that those possessions are to be held in trust and continually laid before the throne of grace, always available to do God's good pleasure. So, rather than live with that burr under our saddle, we, like the rich would-be disciple, choose to turn away. We go on our way - and usually not, as he did, sorrowfully. We go on our way rejoicing, rejoicing in our good fortune, grateful to [the world] but not to God Almighty."
And he continues:
"But the Bible stands there as stubborn as a rock, and every time we open it to read, we stub our toe on its assumption that all the resources of our lives come from God: the strength of our hands, the cleverness of our minds, the health we enjoy and the possessions with which we have been blessed. God has loaned them all to us in trust. We are stewards of these gifts of grace, and we are to use them whenever and however the Spirit indicates.”
-William Robert McClelland, Worldly Spirituality: Biblical Reflections on Money, Politics, and Sex (St. Louis, Missouri: P Press, 1990), 40.
Read Luke 19:12-27
There are 2 themes in this story. The first is comparison between those who refuse to acknowledge the kingship of the Master versus those who do accept his rightful position. The second is about how these servants respond to the trust that the master shows to them when he gives each one responsibility for a relatively small amount of money.
The first is revealed only at the beginning and the end of the story, and is very straightforward. Those who accept the King, live. Those who do not, die. Period.
But the second theme seems to receive the bulk of the focus in the parable. Each servant receives the same amount of money, including those who will oppose the Master, but they are not expected to display the same degree of skill in managing their charge. The Master does, however, expect a faithful response from all of them in carrying out the assignment. He wants them to stretch themselves, trusting that in their faithfulness that the assignment will produce far more than they ever could on their own, and even far more than they could ever imagine it would.
7 servants won’t even give the master their loyalty, and one of the remaining 3 isn’t able to bring himself to use his master’s money as directed. It wasn’t his money, but he fears the possibility of failure. Out of 10 servants, only 2 are willing to faithfully carry out the call given to them. Personally, I think that this is a rather meager response.
Christianity is a faith that calls the people to risk all that they have, even though it never was theirs in the first place! We must be vigilant and ready and eager to serve wherever and whenever God may call.
Rodney Stark writes: “For 70 years, Soviet schools drilled their students in official state atheism, and few churches could hold religious services. To be openly religious entailed substantial risk. The result? When state repression collapsed, widespread religious participation surfaced and sustained an enormous revival -- a religious outburst of such magnitude that it prompted Andrew Greeley, the well-known Catholic novelist, priest and sociologist of religion, to write an article proclaiming that ‘God Is Alive and Well and Living in Moscow.’”
--Rodney Stark, American Religion Remains Robust, Insight, 11 July 1994, 23.
The faithful constantly live their faith, even in Soviet Moscow!
The faithful continue to live their faith, even in Communist China!
The faithful continue to live their faith, even in Hindu India!
The faithful continue to live their faith, even in prisons!
The faithful continue to live their faith, even in nursing homes!
Southern Baptist preacher Don Bouldin tells about a study of a group of 95+ year old folks, all of whom were asked this question, “If you had life to do over again, what would you do differently?” Their responses fell into three major categories.
First, reflect more. Spend more time considering who you are, what you are here for, what God is calling you to become.
What makes life worth living and fulfilling? Family and faith, both of which require hefty doses of forgiveness.
Second, take more risks. Life is very short. Take some risks to accomplish more. Don't be afraid of failures or mistakes.
Why climb out on limbs? Because that's where the fruit is. No limb-climbing, no fruit-picking.
Third, do more things that will last forever. Invest in eternity. Make this world a better place because you sojourned here.
--Bouldin, Ears to Hear, Eyes to See: Witnessing Through Media (Nashville: Broadman, 1987), 81.
Know who you are and why you are here. Take a risk. No limb climbing, no fruit picking. And try to make this world a better place than it was when you arrived. These are the things that make this life worth living – otherwise, we are just treading water, waiting for someone else to come along and drain the swamp.
Faith grows and lives in the conflicted – why is it so hard for the comfortable to live out their faith?
Are you willing to take a risk – a real risk – to serve God?
Are you willing to take a step into the unknown to discover just who you are, and who your God is?
Have you ever admitted to yourself that all that you have isn’t really yours – that it all is just on loan from our Lord?
Jesus took risks every day, every moment, of His life on this earth, and He calls each of us to do the same. And as much as the Christ accomplished while He was with us, He proclaims that if we just trust Him, if we just place our faith in Him, if we would just follow Him wherever He leads, if we would risk all that He has given us to gain glory for Him, then we will gain even more than He was able to! (John 14:12-14)
Are you willing to risk it all for the glory of God? The call is before you. Take it or leave it. The choice up to you! But first, remember those 10 servants, and the decisions that they made, and the various results that came from those choices.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
“Honoring the Contract”
Scripture: Matthew 21:33-46
Many people in today’s society have the idea that they deserve a lot more than they are getting. For a number of years now, new college graduates seem to think that they should start their first jobs with all the perks that others have worked years to receive. They want to begin their careers with top salaries, private offices, company cars, 100% health benefits, and all the current electronic devices that are on the market. They think that the interviewer should have the same high regard for their supposed “excellent qualities” that they do!
But it is only through self conceit and personal pride that anyone could be lead to these conclusions. Our vision of both the world and ourselves is unique, and it usually has a focus that no one else has!
As the story goes, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend, "Watson, look up and tell me what you see." Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars." Holmes persisted in his inquiry, "What does that tell you?"
The good Dr. Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Why do you ask, what does it tell you?"
Holmes replied, "Watson you idiot, it tells me that someone has stolen our tent."
- Homeletics Online
In our personal view of life, we, too, can become so focused on what we want to see that the reality of the situation is totally lost.
Read Matthew 21:33-37
Some items that we need to consider in this parable:
1) Only the landowner had made any investment in this property - he purchased the land, made many improvements to make it valuable and productive, and then rented the vineyard to a group of farmers.
2) The farmers weren’t servants – they were free men, and had a contract to work the vineyard – and presumably they agreed to give a certain amount of the crop to the owner, and in return, would be allowed to keep the rest of the harvest.
3) These tenants had made no investment in the property, other than their labor, and had no ownership stake.
And yet, they collectively had decided to keep all of the grape harvest for themselves, regardless of what their agreement called for. They had consciously and intentionally breached a legally binding contract. In today’s world, this would be a matter for the courts, and unless the workers could show a legally valid reason for their action, they would not only be forced to honor the contract, but they would, in all likelihood, be made to pay penalties. This was a very serious situation.
But on the other hand, the landowner shows a great degree of restraint. After repeated attempts to collect his rent, he decides to try one more time by sending his son, as his personal representative, to negotiate with the renters.
Read Matthew 21:38-40
But the workers are so adamant in their efforts to take what isn’t theirs that they kill the owner’s son. In the legal context of that time, if the landowner had no heir, the people who are renting a particular piece of property can claim ownership through occupancy. These men who had initially tried to simply keep more than they were due, had now moved up to grand theft and murder.
This parable is, of course, about the grace and love that God has for His chosen people, and the people's hateful response to His goodness. He hadn’t just sent them out on their own and expected them to make their own way. Just as the landowner in the story, He had prepared everything that the people would need. He had given them the land, made it productive, provided them with security, saw to their prosperity, and had been with them through the good times as well as the bad. And in return, He had only asked that they be true to Him and Him alone. What was so difficult or unreasonable in that?
But the people had a very specific view of an “absentee landlord”. After the exile was over and the exiled people had returned home, property ownership reverted to the original owners. The people who had worked the land for 70 years no longer had any claim to the fruits of their labor. And now Judah had begun to see their great Lord Jehovah in the same way. After a few post-exilic years of faithfulness, they had again begun to slip back into their old ways, and now with the occupation and oppression by Rome, they had begun to question their covenant with God – just why should they have any desire to be His people – after all, what had He done for them lately? “Let’s take this land and our lives back and make it our own. Why should we need a God is constantly ignoring our pleas!”
And the arrival, and compassion, and death of God’s Son was just a matter of time.
Read Matthew 21:41-44
And why should God allow His grace to be restricted to only this ungrateful people? So He decides to invite other workers into His kingdom, with the intent that now these new workers would produce the “fruit” that was needed.
And what is the fruit that we, the new workers, are to nurture?
- It’s the fruit of Micah 6:8 – “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
- It’s the fruit of Galatians 5:22-23 - “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”
- It’s the fruit of Matthew 28:19-20 – “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
This is the fruit that we are called to cultivate, and I hope that everyone noticed that within these three wonderful lists there isn’t a single thing that we have to create or own. Everything is given by God, and we simply have to use them and share them with others. The Lord's resources are limitless, His gifts are perfect, and they are free for us to use.
Read Matthew 21:45-46
I also hope that everyone realizes that this parable isn’t just about the Pharisees and priests – it is about all of us, too. We aren’t hired, we aren’t servants, we aren’t slaves, we aren’t forced labor – we have been invited to work in the Kingdom of God, and in return, we have been guaranteed a share in the harvest!
But also please understand that if we fail to live up to our agreement to give honor and glory to our King, that the “Foundation Rock” will fall on us, too. Without our feet being planted firmly on the Christ, we will slip, and we will fall on that Rock, and it will fall on us, and the outcome will not be pretty! We all have, from time to time, been tempted to take back control of our lives. We want to make our own decisions, to regain ownership of our lives, to take pride in those things that we have created. But I don’t need to tell you that the result just isn’t worth it. Our efforts will bring us nothing of lasting value, and there is so much that the Lord wants to give us – His blessings will enlarge our harvest beyond our wildest imagination! One step, one breath, one word, one embrace – that’s all that God wants from us, and He is ready and willing and able to do the rest.
Let Him use you in His way today, and then just watch what our Mighty God can do! Hallelujah!
Many people in today’s society have the idea that they deserve a lot more than they are getting. For a number of years now, new college graduates seem to think that they should start their first jobs with all the perks that others have worked years to receive. They want to begin their careers with top salaries, private offices, company cars, 100% health benefits, and all the current electronic devices that are on the market. They think that the interviewer should have the same high regard for their supposed “excellent qualities” that they do!
But it is only through self conceit and personal pride that anyone could be lead to these conclusions. Our vision of both the world and ourselves is unique, and it usually has a focus that no one else has!
As the story goes, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend, "Watson, look up and tell me what you see." Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars." Holmes persisted in his inquiry, "What does that tell you?"
The good Dr. Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Why do you ask, what does it tell you?"
Holmes replied, "Watson you idiot, it tells me that someone has stolen our tent."
- Homeletics Online
In our personal view of life, we, too, can become so focused on what we want to see that the reality of the situation is totally lost.
Read Matthew 21:33-37
Some items that we need to consider in this parable:
1) Only the landowner had made any investment in this property - he purchased the land, made many improvements to make it valuable and productive, and then rented the vineyard to a group of farmers.
2) The farmers weren’t servants – they were free men, and had a contract to work the vineyard – and presumably they agreed to give a certain amount of the crop to the owner, and in return, would be allowed to keep the rest of the harvest.
3) These tenants had made no investment in the property, other than their labor, and had no ownership stake.
And yet, they collectively had decided to keep all of the grape harvest for themselves, regardless of what their agreement called for. They had consciously and intentionally breached a legally binding contract. In today’s world, this would be a matter for the courts, and unless the workers could show a legally valid reason for their action, they would not only be forced to honor the contract, but they would, in all likelihood, be made to pay penalties. This was a very serious situation.
But on the other hand, the landowner shows a great degree of restraint. After repeated attempts to collect his rent, he decides to try one more time by sending his son, as his personal representative, to negotiate with the renters.
Read Matthew 21:38-40
But the workers are so adamant in their efforts to take what isn’t theirs that they kill the owner’s son. In the legal context of that time, if the landowner had no heir, the people who are renting a particular piece of property can claim ownership through occupancy. These men who had initially tried to simply keep more than they were due, had now moved up to grand theft and murder.
This parable is, of course, about the grace and love that God has for His chosen people, and the people's hateful response to His goodness. He hadn’t just sent them out on their own and expected them to make their own way. Just as the landowner in the story, He had prepared everything that the people would need. He had given them the land, made it productive, provided them with security, saw to their prosperity, and had been with them through the good times as well as the bad. And in return, He had only asked that they be true to Him and Him alone. What was so difficult or unreasonable in that?
But the people had a very specific view of an “absentee landlord”. After the exile was over and the exiled people had returned home, property ownership reverted to the original owners. The people who had worked the land for 70 years no longer had any claim to the fruits of their labor. And now Judah had begun to see their great Lord Jehovah in the same way. After a few post-exilic years of faithfulness, they had again begun to slip back into their old ways, and now with the occupation and oppression by Rome, they had begun to question their covenant with God – just why should they have any desire to be His people – after all, what had He done for them lately? “Let’s take this land and our lives back and make it our own. Why should we need a God is constantly ignoring our pleas!”
And the arrival, and compassion, and death of God’s Son was just a matter of time.
Read Matthew 21:41-44
And why should God allow His grace to be restricted to only this ungrateful people? So He decides to invite other workers into His kingdom, with the intent that now these new workers would produce the “fruit” that was needed.
And what is the fruit that we, the new workers, are to nurture?
- It’s the fruit of Micah 6:8 – “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
- It’s the fruit of Galatians 5:22-23 - “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”
- It’s the fruit of Matthew 28:19-20 – “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
This is the fruit that we are called to cultivate, and I hope that everyone noticed that within these three wonderful lists there isn’t a single thing that we have to create or own. Everything is given by God, and we simply have to use them and share them with others. The Lord's resources are limitless, His gifts are perfect, and they are free for us to use.
Read Matthew 21:45-46
I also hope that everyone realizes that this parable isn’t just about the Pharisees and priests – it is about all of us, too. We aren’t hired, we aren’t servants, we aren’t slaves, we aren’t forced labor – we have been invited to work in the Kingdom of God, and in return, we have been guaranteed a share in the harvest!
But also please understand that if we fail to live up to our agreement to give honor and glory to our King, that the “Foundation Rock” will fall on us, too. Without our feet being planted firmly on the Christ, we will slip, and we will fall on that Rock, and it will fall on us, and the outcome will not be pretty! We all have, from time to time, been tempted to take back control of our lives. We want to make our own decisions, to regain ownership of our lives, to take pride in those things that we have created. But I don’t need to tell you that the result just isn’t worth it. Our efforts will bring us nothing of lasting value, and there is so much that the Lord wants to give us – His blessings will enlarge our harvest beyond our wildest imagination! One step, one breath, one word, one embrace – that’s all that God wants from us, and He is ready and willing and able to do the rest.
Let Him use you in His way today, and then just watch what our Mighty God can do! Hallelujah!
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