Scripture Text (NRSV)
Luke 12:32-40
12:32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom.
12:33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for
yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven,
where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
12:35 "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;
12:36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from
the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as
he comes and knocks.
12:37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he
comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit
down to eat, and he will come and serve them.
12:38 If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and
finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
12:39 "But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what
hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken
into.
12:40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at
an unexpected hour."
Comments:
Jesus encourages his followers to recognize the true value of God's
kingdom, so that their hearts may be where their real treasure lies.
Instead of facing life with fear, those who know God's generosity are
always ready to receive from God and to give to others.
Some of Jesus' words are easier to take than others. When counseling
hearers not to fear becasue God is in charge, he speaks a smoother
sounding word than when he urges the sale of one's possessions. That
difference is like singing the soothing hymn "Have No Fear, Little
Flock" in contrast to the more demanding aspects of "Take My Life,
that I May Be," stanza 3: "Take my silver and my gold, not a mite
would I withhold."
The riptide in today's text both disturbs and uplifts. Rough currents
provoke both caution and comfort. The observation about treasure being
where the heart is provides a sobering echo of last week's gospel
story about the greedy inheritance seeker. The matter of keeping lamps
lit and being alert for the unexpected return of the master is a
precis of Jesus' parable of the ten bridesmaids in Matthew 25. Keeping
a lookout for the thief in the night is disturbing for any
householder, while the pointed advice to watch and be ready sounds
like the distant early warning signs of Advent—and it is still
midsummer!
We customarily regard Jesus as a storyteller or a miracle doer, one
who gives parables and offers advice and inspiration to disciples.
Today, though, Jesus is a maker of aphorisms. That is, he frames
tersely phrased statements of truth like the sage in the book of
Proverbs.
In Luke 9 we learned that Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem."
Today, still on the road, he is in the midst of a gutsy discourse on
discipleship. It is turning out to be a long and challenging journey.
Perhaps fatigued, he has become tersely aphoristic. "Do not be
afraid." "Don't set your heart on transient things." "Be dressed for
action and have your lamps lit." But mostly, "Be prepared to meet the
Son of Man, the one who comes in unexpected ways at an unexpected
hour."
Notice vs 35. I think this verse speaks loudly and powerfully. I'm
working on this text for 8/1. Yes it is a week early, but as baptists
we are not as bound to the lectionary as others among you are. I am
interested in any early comments.
Steve in NC
There are two images here, one of girded loins (the loose outer
garments gathered up at the waist to facilitate work or travel) and
the other of burning lamps. These images speak of being prepared and
being awake. The first parable concerna a master returning from a
marriage feast, a parable that recalls Mt 25.1-13. This parable is a
very positive one: servants are prepared and awake, even if the master
does not return until the third watch (the Jewish night had three
watches). The implication is that the master (the Lord) had not yet
returned, even in Luke's day, but the preparedness and the
watchfulness are not relaxed. After all, calculating the Lord's return
is inadequate and inappropriate motivation for Christian behaviour.
Servants prepared and awake not only are blessed by the master (vv.
37, 38) but are treated to a most extraordinary reward: the master
serves them at table. The second parable has to do with a householder
and a thief (vv. 39-40). The night thief was a common motif for
impressing on listeners the uncertainty of a disruptive event (1 Thess
5.2-11; 2 Pet 3.10; Rev 3.3). Of course, the householder does not know
when a thief will come; of course, the householder cannot stay awake
all the time. However, one can be prepared, if not always awake. The
Son of man will come, and will come unexpectedly. Not only will it be
a surprise as to time but it will be disruptive, as would the coming
of a night thief (the description of its disruptive nature will appear
at ch. 21). But readiness is possible, for it consists of continuing
faithfulness at one's duties. When that is the case, uncertainties are
no cause for alarm or anxiety.
"Possessions," "purses," and "treasure" (v. 33) really refers to that
which preoccupies the postmodern American mind more than anything
else: money and, more basically, the economic means of making money.
Money has been viewed, then as now, as the foundation of a secure life
and certain future; and the economy has been praised as the means of
securing that life/future (see also Proper 13). Nevertheless (and
unique to this text), our experience with the economy is that it
relinquishes its precious booty only sparingly, begrudgingly. Only as
we give "slavishly" (v. 37) the best hours of our day, the best days
of our year, the best years of our life—that is, our total
attention!—are we able to eke out a living. Moreover, there is no
guarantee that we will not be the next expendable cog in the
down-sizing process. True, by national standards most of us do manage
a pretty good living. Still, quite disturbingly, that usually occurs
at the cost of the "least of these" among us: those neighbors for whom
the economy has no room, those vulnerable ones who especially need our
alms, (v. 33) but find them not forthcoming.
Underlying all the attention given to this economic activity is a
basic fear and anxiety about life and the future. Probably no one
would deny that. But this fear also belies our "hearts" (v. 34). The
fear is a sign that not only our physical livelihood depends on the
economy—that is true enough—but that we have actually placed our
"hearts" there. The "heart" refers to more than biological existence.
It refers to our total being. The danger rampant in such a fiduciary
faith is that it has downsized life itself, reducing it to the
abundance of possessions (cf. Lk 12:15). This misplacement of the
heart makes money into our god and the economy into our religion.
These become, then, the all-determining factor in our life and our
future.
The problem with placing our hearts (our being/livelihood) in the
hands of the economy is that in spite of whatever riches we may manage
to obtain, we will have earned no interest to carry us into the
"kingdom," which is biblical talk for a truly viable future. he
mounting debt before the Father—our sin—is not something that the
economy can satisfy (7:41; 11:4). The result: we have defaulted, and
we are locked out of God's future (vs. 35ff). The "Son of Man," the
end-time auditor, is the One who controls entrance into God's future.
To begrudging people, who have misplaced their hearts in a begrudging
economy (one that could never deliver the interest they need for a
viable debt-free future anyway), the good news is that the Father is
"pleased to give you the kingdom," that is, a real, viable future.
Indeed, he has sent the end-time judge, the Son of Man, ahead of time
in the person of Jesus Christ, precisely to secure it for us. His
death and resurrection is not only down-payment, but full-payment, the
enactment of a new kind of economic system based on generosity, the
forgiveness of debt/sin. Here, Jesus the Christ, Son of the Father,
alias the Son of Man, comes stealthily, like a thief in the night, not
to foreclose on us, but to rob his Father blind and give us the riches
of the kingdom. Amazingly, the Father doesn't mind! Indeed, the Father
is actually pleased at the Son's resourcefulness (16:1-13), pleased
that he has made a way for these riches to be made available to us.
And available they are. Have you ever noticed how anxiety-relieving a
new found solution to a problem can be? This news of Jesus'
accomplishment is such relief. Positively stated, it is faith
inducing. In his death and resurrection Jesus Christ has opened up a
new kind of portfolio for us to invest in wholeheartedly. That
investment is transacted by faith (v. 34). If there is any anxiety
about the future, any fear of the coming Son of Man—here is a deal for
you, straight from the mouth of the Son of Man, the end-time auditor.
"Have no fear," he says "trust me," he says, the future is secure.
Invest your heart (your whole being, your livelihood) with me and
treasure of the kingdom is yours.
Investing ourselves wholeheartedly in the kingdom—and the future it
promises—also has payoffs in the present. Our worldly possessions,
while still a regular part of our daily living, lose the kind of
"necessity" they once had. Their importance and our reasons for
accumulating them—as we still do!—has changed. They become, so to
speak, invested with the "interest" of the kingdom. As the Father is
with the riches of the kingdom, so we become with the riches of this
world. We become eager to give them away. Whatever the riches—whether
it be in the form of our vote, our purse, our standing in the
community, our intellect, our influence—it is now, happily, at the
service of the least of these. What's more, as we invest our wealth
with the interest of the kingdom, that stingy old economy, to which we
and our wealth are still connected, cannot help but be affected as
well. For it is not only the Son of Man who enters the world
stealthily, but also we who believe in him wholeheartedly.
Fear in our relationship with God limits what we can do. Fear blocks
our talents and abilities, it elimates our creative juices to make
things for God. It is a non-virtue that we put on oursleves and
thereby stop the grace flowing from God to us. How can we help our
people to see how much fear holds us back instead of opening us up to
God?
When Jesus returns, what will he find us doing? Some will be packed
and ready to go, for they will have decided there was no use in doing
anything else -it would all be for naught on that grand day.
Others will be looking skyward, with their minds on their coming
eternity, while going about their days.
The ones Jesus will be most pleased with, I think, are the ones he
will have to go tap on the shoulder and shout "HEY! I'M HERE!" in
their ears, because they were so focused on sharing the love of Jesus
with their neighbors and making sure the todays of so many were worth
living.
I cannot go with the idea that Christianity is all about eternity and
whether we're on board for a blissful one, but about how we live our
lives here and now, loving and being loved, feeding and being fed,
giving and receiving, all because of the gift and the grace shown to
us through Jesus Christ. THAT is keeping our lamps lit, lighting the
world. THAT is being awake and aware, consciously obeying the command
to love one another as Christ has loved us.
Lord, when you do return, I pray you will find me being your arms and
your voice to a hurting world. Let me not be so wrapped up in my own
future that I neglect today's needs of your children.
Anonymous No. 12 or 13, I lost count.
In past times I would look at this Scripture and ignore the Slave
language. I know I would do it because I have groomed myself to allow
the deepest disturbing subject go unspoken in order to belong
comfortably with the group (dps clergy). I hear “Just accept that we
know slavery is wrong, it is over with. We have moved on to equality,
and Jesus is using this language in that day, because slavery was
accepted, and it was even done differently then. If you speak about
it, you will just be using your ancestral history to disturb others,
and make them feel bad about the past. Pay attention on the spiritual
meaning.”
But I speak honestly, it disturbs me!
Does the use of slave/master language disturb you, or do we just
spiritualize it?
I agree historically Christ coming in 1st/2nd Century culture (The
“God sending the Son” example of cross-cultural exchange); means Jesus
of history used the cultural understanding of the times to explain the
“Kingdom of God.”.
But I’m not sure spiritualizing slavery is good for 21st Century
faith. The slave/master mindset is still prevalent even as it is
covered over by both children of slaves and masters.
Maybe it would be better to dig deeper into what Christ was trying to
say.
By removing the terms slave and master from the verses, the passage
becomes difficult to explain. I believe the answer is beyond anything
we Christians have realized to this day. I’m going to pray on this
matter.
Shalom Bammamma
one line should have said "pay attention to the spiritual."
Shalom bammamma
Bammamama, I'm not sure there is any other way for us to see our faith
than through the eyes of our history. Each of us has walked a
different path and has come to our conclusions by what we saw along
the way. Example: I was never close to my father when I was growing
up. He was not abusive, but he was just not somebody I felt I could
talk to. When I discovered God was, he became my Father, and don't
ANYBODY
Bammamama, I'm not sure there is any other way for us to see our faith
than through the eyes of our history. Each of us has walked a
different path and has come to our conclusions by what we saw along
the way. Example: I was never close to my father when I was growing
up. He was not abusive, but he was just not somebody I felt I could
talk to. When I discovered God was, he became my Father, and don't
ANYBODY try to take that language away from me! But for others, Father
God is a patriarchal, incomplete and sexist term. Neither connection
with God is wrong, but still almost polar opposites. I take the one I
choose and know God accepts it.
I don't doubt the slave/master imagery is a tough one for you. Even in
this day and age there is still slavery in this world. Some literal,
some more subtle, but it's there. Those who share your history can
deal with it however you choose, and I promise you, I will listen. You
do not have to spiritualize anything that is still very real in your
experience. It's a divisive subject, but it's one that, even after all
these years, still needs to be addressed. I pray you will deal with it
head-on if that is what you feel called to do. As I said, I will
listen.
Anonymous 12-13, whatever
And I think the first half of this submitted before I was finished
writing. A computer novice at work.
To the anonymous writer above
Yes, but I think you did speak to it. I suggest, your dad was someone
who you decided you could not talk to. God showed, a father type could
be talked to. To me Jesus was speaking of reversals. The kingdom is
beyond what one's reality has been before. I had decided that I could
not talk about my anger about slavery. I see God saying to me, "unless
you can, you can no wise enter the kingdom". For me It is when we
understand "the kingdom", in our own reality, that we are enter.
Shalom bammamma
bammamma, I was disturbed by the slavery thing too. I was just going
to avoid it all together, but does "boss" and "employee" work better?
Not to change the text of course, but to re-tell the story in a
sermon. jw in tx
jw in tx
Possibly, but thie employee must have no rights, and the alertness
must be on his /her own, there was no reason for the slave to be
alert, the master would tell him/her what to do.. The employer must be
so taken to with the employer’s alertness, that they begin doing the
employee’s responsibilities.
It is all in the action that occurs, because of the alertness.Like the
generous householder who hires in the last hour, and pays the same
wages as those hired earlier . shalom
bammamma
Bammamma – thank you for turning our attention to this part of the
passage. I too usually hurry by it because it makes me uncomfortable,
even though I know in my heart, that when I’m uncomfortable about
something in scripture, it’s because it has something to say to me.
After looking around a bit, I see that most translations of the Bible
use the word servant instead of slave. I think the word in Greek can
be used either way.
Some passages about serving: No slave can serve two masters (Luke
16:13). You cannot serve God & wealth (Luke 16:13) For the Son of Man
came not to be served, but to serve. (Mark 10:45)
Looking further along in this week’s reading, the master is serving
the servants. “Blessed are those slaves (servants) whom the master
finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt
and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them.” Luke
12:37
It’s truly a reversal – the slaves or servants are not only liberated
– that would be to just be sent away. Instead, the master serves them
– willingly and generously –a healing action for those who have been
oppressed or lowly placed. In the Greek, the phrase “have them sit
down to eat” is more literally translated, “he makes them recline at
the table.” The servants are made to rest, and then nourished by the
master, and a new relationship is created between them. I see a
connection between that action and our gathering at the table of the
Lord’s supper – to be nourished by our Lord.
I am praying for healing & release – from the pain you are feeling &
from the painful behaviors and attitudes and influences that linger on
and are perpetuated from the inhumanity of the past.
Perhaps the Holy Spirit is using those words of scripture today to
prod us into awareness of specific human hurtfulness & pain and to
lead us out of the bondage of sin into healing and wholeness.
Blessings & peace, Jg in nj
I have been told there is slavery and then there is slavery. This was
told to me by an African American clergyperson with whom I have had
several conversations about anti-racism pro-reconciliation concerns.
Slavery in Jesus' time was much different than the slavery in America.
Slaves in Jesus' time did have rights and they were paid a fair wage.
Slaves were also in a somewhat voluntary relationship. Slaves in
America had been ripped from their homes and families. Personal
identities including name was taken away. No longer are you ... , now
you are Jim Bob. I think perhaps we also can gain some insight from
Paul's thinking. Once we were slaves to sin, now we are slaves to
Christ. Also, considering where this passage lies in Luke, would it be
a precursor to the upper room scene where Jesus girds himself and
washes the disciples' feet? Should we think about the person who is
greatest must become the least and slave of all? Jesus does come to
liberate us from the oppression of sin, so that we might love and
serve Him. PH in OH
Monday morning, and the hook for me is: "12:34 For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also."
Is my treasure in the stock market? the bank? my house? What do I
value most?
I pray my greatest treasure is my salvation and my heart may be found
with my Savior.
I'll start here and see where the week leads. Shalom Pastor Rick in FL
Good employees get bonuses for being on their toes, seeing what needs
to be done and doing it, keeping their eyes and ears open. They get
promoted. They get treated with care and respect because the company
feels they've got someone special on the payroll. They get an
appreciation dinner at some point in the year, and sometimes, the CEO
and President do the serving at the tables, just for a fun turn of
events. It's a goofy way to say You're The Best. When the dinner is
over, the bonus and the promotion are still in force, but the CEO and
the Prez. and the employee all go back to their rightful positions.
And everyone does his or her best to continue the good work.
These servants (those who loved Jesus) were keeping watch to see what
needed to be done in the business of the Kingdom. Their good works
were going to be found out by their superior, and they would get
appropriate pats on the back. The superior would serve them - but only
temporarily. Jesus must take his rightful place again, but would never
stop taking note of and appreciating the continued good works of his
people.
Corn Country
Some of Jesus' words are easier to take than others. When counseling
hearers not to fear because God is in charge, he speaks a smoother
sounding word than when he urges the sale of one's possessions. That
difference is like singing the soothing hymn "Have No Fear, Little
Flock" in contrast to the more demanding aspects of "Take My Life,
that I May Be," stanza 3: "Take my silver and my gold, not a mite
would I withhold." The riptide in today's text both disturbs and
uplifts. Rough currents provoke both caution and comfort. The
observation about treasure being where the heart is provides a
sobering echo of last week's gospel story about the greedy inheritance
seeker. The matter of keeping lamps lit and being alert for the
unexpected return of the master is a precis of Jesus' parable of the
ten bridesmaids in Matthew 25. Keeping a lookout for the thief in the
night is disturbing for any householder, while the pointed advice to
watch and be ready sounds like the distant early warning signs of
Advent—and it is still midsummer! We customarily regard Jesus as a
storyteller or a miracle doer, one who gives parables and offers
advice and inspiration to disciples. Today, though, Jesus is a maker
of aphorisms. That is, he frames tersely phrased statements of truth
like the sage in the book of Proverbs. In Luke 9 we learned that Jesus
"set his face to go to Jerusalem." Today, still on the road, he is in
the midst of a gutsy discourse on discipleship. It is turning out to
be a long and challenging journey. Perhaps fatigued, he has become
tersely aphoristic. "Do not be afraid." "Don't set your heart on
transient things." "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit."
But mostly, "Be prepared to meet the Son of Man, the one who comes in
unexpected ways at an unexpected hour." THIS POST (#2 FOR THIS DATE)
IS FROM SUNDAYS AND SEASONS, 2004 YEAR C, AUGSBURG PRESS, COPYRIGHT
2003, P. 270, “IMAGES FOR PREACHING.”
A lady in one of my churches knew she was dying. She didn't really
know what was going to become of her finances, furniture, car and
other personal property because her children did not want them or need
them. She decided to start giving her personal effects away to friends
and neighbors, a little at a time. She asked her friends to drop by
and while they were there, they were to either take an item home with
them, or mark it for their own after this lady's death. Her house was
emptying out fairly fast, because she had a lot of friends. The rest
was earmarked for the local charity thrift shop. She started
earmarking her investments, too. These 6 to the Church, this one to
the Cancer Society, this one to a scholarship at the High School. She
spent the last few months of her life with little, but with a sense of
readiness, and she spent her time thinking not about her things, but
about the fulness of God's blessings. She was an amazing woman.
JWL in KY
JWL in KY
Thank you so-o-o much for that illustration. I copied it for example
of faith sharing. It is pro-active. She didn't sit around bemoaning
the fact that her children didn't need her stuff, and she didn't ask
someone to do it for her. Could that be the reason for her children
not needing her stuff? They were self-sufficient.
She also gave in a way that was a dignity for others. Beautiful!
I will be using it in my sermon Sunday using the Hebrew lection on
faith. My title is "Incognito." True faith to me is like you just
shared, the woman just "did" her faith.
Shalom bammamma
PH in OH - I've heard the same thing about slaves in Jesus' day vs.
what we think of "slavery" as being.
Maybe this is Monday bravado, but I think I want to tackle the word.
In my context, though, I must do it very respectfully.
I consider the latest focus on human trafficking, too. People who
would exploit others - that's what "slavery" means to us today. I
don't want to "explain away" the Gospel, but I also want to put it in
context and in perspective.
Sociological experts? Any input?
Sally in GA (back from Idaho)
Biblical slaves (OT)- a Hebrew might become a slave if he could not
pay debts, to avoid poverty. As soon as the debt was paid off, or as
soon as 7 years was up, or as soon as a Year of Jubilee happened
(whichever came first) he was free as a bird to decide whether to stay
with the master or return home. Many stayed because life was good
there, not because there was nowhere else to go.
Non-Hebrew slaves might have been taken by force, especially during
time of war. They were, however, people with rights. They were part of
the Israelite community and partook in the rituals and ceremonies.
They got the Sabbath off, just like the master and his family.
Runaway slaves were to be left alone and allowed to live wherever they
wanted to live. There was no bounty on their heads. Return was
optional, but often in the best interest of everyone that there be a
peaceful reunion if a slave did return.(Philemon)
Exodus 21:16 and Deuteronomy 24:7 expressly forbid the buying and
selling of human beings, or stealing them. Slave markets were not a
part of the scenery in Israel at any time.
Sometimes, a slave inherited the property of his master, just as a son
might. The slave had a right to full justice under the law. (Job
31:13-15)
The Christian movement did not change the OT idea of slavery very
much. In fact, it tried to improve the condions of slaves in the
HREmpire.
(source: The New Westminster Dictionary of Bible)
Biblical slavery and the very bleak time in American history when we
chased down, shackled and virtually imprisoned human beings are two
very different things. It once was a system where everyone was the
winner; the slave worked, but had voice and justice and was considered
a person of value (not monetarily speaking). And got paid. Some in
America decided to take a reasonable system and pervert it, claiming
the Biblical precedent allowed people to be wrenched from their
families and put where they did not want to be with no hope of
redemption, save a mighty act of God. An outrageous perversion, and
with such smugness!
WASP
Do not be afraid, but you never know when the thief is coming... It
sounds a lot like what the American people are hearing from the media
and the government in regard to terrorist threat. It is a mixed
message (go spend money like everything is okay, but we are on orange
alert by the way!) that some say seeks to keep the public off-kilter
and obedient to corrupt system.
I wonder how to contrast this with the message from Luke to encourage
a "do not be afraid mentality" with an expectancy for the coming of a
glorious God instead of expectancy of a scary terrorist. ~ AC from TN
a crazy thought from yesterday to put in your files.
no comments needed on this.
what if the elder brother was in the crowd when the man asked j to
settle his inheritance issue?
and... what if the parable was actually the story of the man's father.
i'll write about this week as soon as i can get my mind around it.
God's peace, christine at the shore
Israel had a very long memory. They had their own history as slaves in
Egypt, and did not believe any person should ever undergo that kind of
treatment again. That slavery and their redemption from it is the very
core of their story, and they told it over and over and over again,
telling it even to this day. Nobody is asking them to shove it under a
rug or desensitize it. How can they? It was 400 years of their
formative or maybe re-formative history.
bammamma~ sometimes the thing that brings us the most dicomfort in
scripture is the thing that requires the most focus. the lingo of
scripture is not always easy to accept. i get just as frustrated by
some of the sexually non-inclusive language found in the bible and in
our worship texts too.
i also don't think most people in the pews "get" the idea of slavery
in any of it's forms. they didn't back then either. remember the jews
telling J that they were descendants of abraham and had never been
slaves to anyone. as if the whole story of the exile in egypt never
happened.
i don't know what i'm preaching yet, gotta get through a funeral
sermon on wed first. but the talk of what it means to be a slave to
God may in fact be a good focus.
and thank you for bringing up a taboo subject.
God's peace, christine at the shore
The anonymous quote at 6:05 on 7/28 is a direct quote from The
Interpretation Series. The series was edited by James Luther Mays and
the commentary on Luke was written by Fred Craddock. The portion
quoted is from page 165. I would encourage those of you who have the
book to read the passage in its entirety, as it is excellent. G.B.
Caird's commentary is also excellent, although somewhat dated.
I am dealing with the trust/distrust/mistrust issues of the passage
and how that has an impact on being perpetually prepared for the
eventualities of living life in faith. It is also our Christian
Education Sunday, so I'll try to work in the importance of the
spiritual discipline of being transformed by the renewing of our
minds.
Quite a challenge!
Jim in Milledgeville, GA
It is Monday morning, 9:45 a.m. The New York Times headline reads:
“U.S. Warns of High Risk of Qaeda Attack.” I am very aware that many
parishioners work in lower Manhattan, one of the targeted areas
mentioned in the attacks. Even as I write this I hope that you will
sit here reading it this (Sunday) morning, but the honest truth is
that in an age of terror and fear and threats I have no way to be
certain. What I do have however, is faith that even if something
tragic happens between Monday and Sunday God is present with us. The
psalmist tells us this morning that “the eye of the Lord is upon those
who fear him, on those who wait upon his love, to pluck their lives
from death,” (vv 18, 19). This should not be interpreted to mean that
we cannot die, but that we are to live by faith. It is unfortunate
that so many televangelists and religious snake-oil sales people have
distorted the true meaning of faith by tying faith to healing,
prosperity and emotional elation. In truth, one can be dying and still
have faith. One can be bankrupt and still have faith. One can be
distressed by the circumstances of life and still have faith. Faith is
not blind optimism nor is it denial of reality. Faith is “the
assurance of things hoped for [and] the conviction of things not
seen.” Notice that the last portion of our Hebrews lesson tells us
that Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died in faith. Even death
cannot destroy true faith. So what is faith really? It seems that our
lessons give us a clue, and it might be summed up in a common phrase:
Plan for tomorrow, but live for today. The ancient patriarchs and
matriarchs teach us to offer our best to God each day hoping that on
the morrow we may do the same again. They teach us to look for a
better homeland, but to always leave a better world here than what we
inherited. They teach us in all things to trust in God knowing that at
any time we might be called into new and different directions. Having
faith will not stop terror from happening, but it does offer us the
courage to live each day courageously with hope that we also face
tomorrow.
dg in ny
Bammama,
As a liberal Christian, the slave language was troublesome at one
point in my life but it isn't anymore. I see 'slavery' in a different
way these days. For this scripture, I understand it as something that
I accept for myself rather than something imposed upon me by another
(so maybe it isn't slavery).
To explain.... I am in ministry because God called me to be in
ministry. I would rather be anything else. But God has given me
certain gifts, God has called me to a certain profession, God has made
me to be this odd thing called ordained minister... so that is what I
am. I can see for myself that it is a good place for me to be but, if
I had my choice, I would rather be anything else... But this is what I
am created to be.
Is that slavery? Yes (in my mind) because I really could be nothing
else and so I am 'enslaved'. With free will, I could choose to be
anything but I honestly do know within my spirit that serving a church
is what God wants of me. So, in that regard, I am a slave. Does that
make sense?
TB in MN
TB in NYC Yes it does make sense, and I understand you, I need to ask
some questions? Are you unhappy being a minister? What would you
rather really doing? Do you have slavery in your ancestry? How do you
interpret the master's actions of tightening the belt and serving the
slaves?
I have appreciated the thoughts and comments relating to my earlier
comments. They have been helpful as I have reflected on my own journey
and what faith means to me?
shalom bammamma
Sorry TB in MN, for some reason I put you in NYC. Guess with all the
high alert stuff in the News, my intercessory praying got caught up in
my reflecting. I apologize.
Shalom bammamma
In matters of ethnic, gender and economic oppression, seems to me that
we must often forgive the biblical text for being a product of its
culture and its time. Also, the fact is that the language of slavery
in the American 21st century consciousness is loaded with denigrating
images that must not be ignored. This is a very very problematic text.
After all, there is no way Jesus can be compared to A THIEF and come
out smelling roses. A thief is a bad thing no matter who is i.d card
tells us he is. I think I am going to opt out of this text and find
something else to preach from. Trekkie.
Comments
When I was in seminary in Philadelphia 10 years ago our apartment was
robbed of everything (save my religious/broadway CDs they didn't like
my taste in music). It was a hard time. The next week it was my
responsibility to read in chapel the text: this one about the thief. I
started laughing at the lecturn and couldn't stop..to the point I had
to leave, God was showing me exactly how little my possesions were but
how important my call and my life are. YOu just never know how
relevant the word of God will be to yourself or someone in the pews.
Blessings Pastor Keg
Given the historical commentary that others have submitted, maybe the
slave/master language didn't speak to the people of Jesus' time the
way it does for us. "Slave" reminds us of kidnapping, illegal traffic,
horrifying transport conditions, violence, commercialization of what
ought not to be sold, and dehumanization. Maybe in Jesus' time,
"slave" resonated more with words like commitment, loyalty, and even
freedom to leave (if the stuff about seven years, debt repayment,
Jubilee year is accurate). Those words are more understandable for us.
We come out of a mindset of wanting to be autonomous individuals. The
idea of being "wholly owned" by another grates on us, even when it's
Jesus. Everyone wants to be "the master of my ship and the captain of
my soul." That boast is found in the old Victorian poem "Invictus". It
was chosen by Timothy McVeigh among his last words. Maybe instead of
proudly boasting that he was the master of his ship and the captain of
his soul, Timothy would have done better to let Jesus be master and
captain.
Just some rambling thoughts... LF
I'm not the only one with free will. Jesus had it too, and look how he
chose to put it to use. That requires some kind of a response from me.
He asks that we consider the choice of keeping the pump primed (not
let the work he put before us lag) and be all ready for whatever he
has in store for us next.
Jesus expected his return to be right around the corner. It's been
longer than that in human terms. Any sense of urgency has been
removed. If we won't prepare for the second coming, let's at least be
dogged about continuing the labor of God's servant.
Anon A
Friends I would like to add a thought to the "Slavery" issue not only
is is old, but it is wrong in my thinking. Jesus, in John 15, changes
the way of seeing ourselves from servants to friends. We are God's
friends. It was a huge step in the understanding the nature of God and
our relationship with the divine. We are people of free will, that
choose to work with our friend the Lord. We decide, we are not slaves
that are forced to follow the way of God. For me this makes the
Christian message "Good News". God so loves us, as friends, that God
will do everything God can do for us, even forgive us, and loves us at
our best and at our worst. But that is what true friends do. And there
is no truer friend than God. Sure the church through the years has
used the Slavery term. It requires more obiedence. It gives better
control. Jesus grew to know you and me and all of humankind as
friends. Let's do away with Slavery forever, and make friends of all
people and God too. revjcb of NE
Pastor Keg - now THAT'll preach!!
christine at the shore - idaho was ... well, there. Good to be home.
One more day and I'll be adjusted to the time change.
Thank you for the insights on biblical version of slavery. It puts me
in mind - yet again - that our relationship with Christ is more mutual
than we're sometimes ready to accept. He serves us (we postponed Holy
Communion until this Sunday b/c of my absence) when in reality we
focus on "how to serve him." The words of institution include "make us
one with Christ, one with each other and one in ministry to all the
world until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly
banquet." This pericope is a good example of this (or vice versa)...
we celebrate our oneness with Christ until he comes back - and we're
not even going to know when.
Sally in GA
Just wondering- are any of you in places where there have been huge
lay-offs? Or this new thing called outsourcing, where you still have
the same job and the same boss and work in the same office but now
work for a different company (this happens before you qualify for a
pension.)Ceo's in America receive millions of dollars a year, but they
can't keep their employees. I do realize that downsizing at times may
be an economic necessity, but sometimes it is done to improve the
profit/expense ratio to increase the value of the stock.
Just reminding y'all that boss/employee may not always be a positive
image
And a good quote that I've hear attributed to both St. Francis and
Martin Luther- when he was asked where the Lord would find him when he
returned, he replied, "I would hope that he would find me tending my
garden."
Remember, patience is not always passive (and maybe true patience,
macrothumia, never is!)
grace and peace;
revgilmer in texarkana
The coversation this week has lost what I think is a central point to
this passage- the journey of faith is a joyful one.
We have focused on the language, the negative imagry, the problematic
verses, but the passage lifts up the pleasures, the joys, the hopes of
the coming of the Son of Man. Our 21st century sensiblities are
confusing our hearing, I suspect.
Look at what Jesus says- do not be afraid... live generous lives... be
ready... prepare for the party... be ready to serve when called.
I find all of this quite exciting. The Son of Man is coming- like the
apocalypse with fire and wonder, as a still small comforting voice, as
a daily call to generosity, as a life to be lived, as a new day, as
the end of all that is, as a new paradise... and we are a part within
all of that wonder.
TB in MN
Slavery is an image that's hard to cope with. One of our sisters on
the DPS site hurts because of it. To address that with her is a
legitimate use of this site.
There is great Joy in the Gospel. There is also much that cuts us to
the core, and it deserves our time and attention as well. As Jesus
gives us what we need, so we will offer each other what is needed. It
does not detract from the Scriptures.
Land of Lincoln and Barack Obama
Bammama,
Am I happy in ministry? Yes, I love the life and would do nothing
else... but one's happiness is not the best judge of the worthiness of
a life. Is there slavery in my families past? Yes... but on the side
of the masters, not the slaves.
People often misunderstand my comment when I say that I can do nothing
else but be in ministry. It sounds like I am saying that I am
'trapped' and have no options or feel I have no where else to go
(which is hard for many to understand when we live in a culture that
is all about having choices and living with abundance). In some ways,
I think that that being willingly choosing to life a singular life
dedicated a one purpose is what God wants for us. The passage about
the master serving the faithful servants is a case in point- I have
given my life over to being a servant in God's church and I know that
I am richly 'rewarded' for that service by my master... the reward
being mainly that I have purpose and direction in my life.
I feel that God calls all people into a life that may not be of their
own desire but is a life that will fulfill that unique call that is
our own. We can reject it, say no to God, do something else but even
that choice carries its own set of consequences. The happiness of
willfully becoming a slave to God comes in knowing that what we are,
to our best ability, is what God desires and requires of us.
The real question might be... how do we know that the call we are
hearing is truly God's call? Or is what we hear something else?
TB in MN
Have any of you heard about the man who is selling all that he has on
ebay. I only heard part of the news report on this (and no, this is
not a joke. The guy is serious)
Also ran across something interesting in the latest issue of
Presbyterians Today, in one of the articles on stewardship.If you want
to give something away to help others, put it on ebay using the seller
name "ct4m" and the orgnaization will use it to fund ministries in
local churches that focus on mission. They also have a website "http//www.emptytomb.org"
thought those two things were interesting in light of this passage
grace and peace;
revgilmer in texarkana
just realized that i could have used this as the text for the funeral
tomorrow.
i guess i may still be focused on our fear of death.
the first thing that J says is not to be afraid but rather to be
prepared.
how many people, do you think, don't write wills b/c they are afraid
it means that they will die? how many avoid this preparation b/c they
don't want to consider their own deaths?
luther once said that if the world was ending tomorrow he would plant
a tree (he got that from jeremiah of course.)
i'm considering the idea of how we prepare for death (whe the theif
comes) in secular ways as compared to how we prepare for it in
faithful ways.
i think the "theif" is death, not J. the one we imagine stealing us
away from our life.
well, just some ramblings as i also meditate on the life of one of the
faithful who has gone to her treasure in heaven.
God's peace, christine at the shore.
ps hello joan... heard you were lurking.
OK - thanks to a link I found on Textweek, I'm lighting on this
thought (though I had problems with the "link of the week" in its
entirety)...
I'm thinking of breaking into a house - and the inbreaking of Christ
in our lives. It is a constant, daily thing, a constant daily
opportunity (now there's a word straight from the 80's) to serve
Christ, when we are awake to his presence.
"Eternality" means timelessness rather than "eventually."
Timelessness, or without beginning and without end, means that some of
eternity is happening today, and some happened yesterday, too.
The object is to be ready to serve at any time, not just maintaining a
certain level of poise to serve if and when the opportunity arises -
so that "eventually" we can feast at Christ's heavenly banquet. It's
about seeing the opportunities to serve that are right under our noses
as we breathe - just as there will be opportunities in the future.
THIS is the unexpected hour - all of us expect Jesus to return in the
future, so "the future" is something of an expected ETA even though
it's not clearly defined. Christ's ETA (estimated time of arrival) is
NOW.
I recall a play I saw with my older girl's preschool class. It was
called "The Snow Queen." A young girl goes to the magical Snow Queen
land and eventually misses her home. The Snow Queen gives her a bunch
of sticks and says that the sticks hold the answer to when she should
go back to her home. She carries the sticks around and tries to work
the puzzle of the 11 sticks. Eventually, (there's that word again) she
spells out "N-O-W."
Now, how to incorporate this into an actual sermon without leaving my
listeners going, "Huh?"
Sally in GA
What is Jesus headed to Jerusalem for? From our post-Easter
perspective, we would probably say, why the crucifixion and
resurrection, of course.
But the people around him were on the other side of Easter. So why did
they think that Jesus was going to Jerusalem? They may have thought
that he was going to celebrate Passover-which he did (it was a custom
of the time that every adult male would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem
for Passover). If that is so, the people he speaks to were also on the
way to celebrate Passover, and the imagery and meaning of passover
would be on their mind. Some of the important themes of Passover are
liberation from any sort of oppression,a willingness to help others (mitzvah),and
that they would worship God no matter what. And there is also the
sense of waiting for Elijah to appear, who was supposed to show up not
long before the messiah.
here is one of the relevant passages from the haggadah;
We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the L-rd, our G-d, took us out
from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. If the
Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our fathers out of Egypt, then
we, our children and our children's children would have remained
enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt."
Just wondering if looking at this pericope, if we were to look at it
through the eyes of passover, if it would make a difference.
grace and peace;
revgilmer in texarkana
