"Risky Behavior"
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Upon first reading of the text today, I thought to myself, golly, this sounds just like something the stewardship committee might use. My second thought was that these are good examples of how to invest our money. The third thought was that whoever this master was, he was extremely demanding and I am not sure that I would want him as a boss. However upon a closer reading and rereading of the text I realized that although a case could be made for each thought, none of these scenarios really fits. This story, this parable, is about three men who decide what risk they will take when entrusted with the master’s wealth.
Before we jump into this let’s take a quick review of where we are. This is the last of “The kingdom of heaven is like...” texts in the book of Matthew. Jesus used this phrase in connection with the graphic illustrations of his time to try to describe to his audience what the kingdom of heaven would be like. A couple of weeks ago I gave this definition: The Kingdom of Heaven is “the rule of heaven is being brought to bear in this time and place as the unveiling of God’s plan for redemption of the world through Jesus”. So when Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which is small but grows to be a large bush, or that the kingdom of heaven is like yeast that is mixed with flour until it is entirely leavened, he means that the kingdom of heaven is not limited to size or quantity. When he says that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field or it is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, or it is like a net thrown into the sea, which captures fish of every kind he is referring to God’s coming to us because we are of infinite value to the creator and that the kingdom of heaven is not limited to one particular group but open to all. When Jesus says that the rich cannot enter kingdom of heaven but on the other hand it is the little children that can enter, it means that it is through faith and not our own doing that we are able to enter the kingdom. When Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like the landowner who pays all of his laborers the same wage he means (and this is to paraphrase the apostle Paul) that although the wage of sin is death, the free gift, the wage of God is eternal life. And finally, as we learned three weeks ago, the kingdom of heaven is like a wedding banquet and that those who are chosen to attend the banquet are given the robe of righteousness through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Now that we are up to date we see that today’s text begins with this: “For it (that is the kingdom of heaven) is as if a man going on a journey summons his slaves and entrusted his property to them.” Looking at this first sentence, I was right in thinking that this would be a good text for the stewardship committee. The definition of stewardship is: “personal responsibility for taking care of another person's property or financial affairs.” The slaves were asked to be stewards of some of the master’s talents, that is, his assets, while he was gone. But notice that in the text that there is no mention of the master instructing his slaves about what to do with assets they were given. If we are to follow the definition then wouldn’t each of the slaves have been proper stewards of the talents? Even the third slave who buried the money would have been following the custom of the time by burying the assets until such time when the assets would be needed.
Ok so maybe this is a text about how to invest our money. Again notice that there isn’t anything said about how the talents are to be used. They are freely given to be used at the slave’s discretion. So the first two slaves run off at once and used the talents to gain a 100% return on investment. Wow, if we could only do that today. But how did they do it? There is no record of the kind of deals they made other than the obscure reference that “they traded with them (that is the talents).” Did they take the assets and invest in junk bonds? Did they become venture capitalists? Maybe they flipped houses during a housing boom. Or maybe they became involved with credit swap default loans. Who knows? Are these examples we should follow? If the current economy were any indication, I would think not. I know that there is some sentiment right now of taking money out of whatever investment portfolios we have, or removing it from our local financial institution, or shutting down our 401Ks and stuffing all of our assets in a mattress. Or burying it like the third slave did. Shades of the great depression! After all, who wants to take the risk of losing any more of our assets? Our natural inclination is to pull back and protect whatever resources we have.
Which leads us to the third thought I had when reading this text. The last slave had it right when he said to his master, “I knew you were a harsh man [reaping where you did not sow and gathering were you did not gather], so I was afraid”. Fear does strange things to people. Fear takes rationality and makes it irrational. Barbara Brown Taylor, the noted preacher and teacher says this: “Fear is a small cell with no air in it and no light. It is suffocating inside and dark. There is no room to turn around inside it. You can only face in one direction, but it hardly matters since you cannot see anyhow. There is no future in the dark. Everything is over. Everything is past. When you are locked up like that, tomorrow is as far away as the moon”. For the third slave, his view of the master was one of being locked up in the cell. Who knows why his view of the master was colored like this. Had he had some run in with the master in the past? Had the slave done something that may have provoked the master’s ire? Maybe the slave only thought that the master was harsh, never having gotten close enough to fully understand what the master truly was like. Whatever the reason, the third slave’s fears were ultimately realized.
If we step back and look at this one more time, remember that Jesus uses this parable to give us a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God is like. It is not just about stewardship, investments, or fear. It is about risk. Look at what the third slave says about the master: “you reaped where you did not sow, you gathered where you did not gather”. This is risk taking. Last week we learned about Heifer International and how the assets or money we give to them are multiplied many times over. There was a certain amount of risk that was involved in getting this organization up and running. And yet they have made a huge return on their investment risk. However this risk was not for self-profit, but for the betterment of a greater community. The Kingdom of God is like that. Risk means stepping out in faith, not knowing what is going to happen, but trusting that something will happen. The early disciples took a risk by leaving all that they had to follow Jesus. They could have stayed where they were, fearful of what might happen, but instead they trusted in Jesus. The same holds true for the apostles. What would have happened if Paul stayed in Damascus rather than go out through the entire known world? Those risks, that faith has brought us to this place today.
Like the three slaves of the parable, we have been given and entrusted with something wonderful. We have been given the gift of eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We have been entrusted with the gift of this gospel, this good news, to pass along to others. Just as importantly, we have been given and entrusted with assets of various abilities, to communicate that gospel. In God’s economy, if we trust and believe, that is if we have faith in God’s faithfulness and promises, what we have been entrusted with will be multiplied 2 times, 5 times, multiple times over. We are given not only the opportunity but also the mandate to risk using God’s assets for something greater. The first two slaves took the risk. The third slave did not. We can bury these gifts, these talents, and these assets bringing joy to no one, or we can go and attempt to multiply these gifts, these talents, and these assets for the greater kingdom. Which leads to this final question: Are we, you and I, willing to step out in faith and risk all that which we have been entrusted with? The choice is yours.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Funeral #1 (John 14:1-6)
Grace and peace to you from God our Father, from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and from the Holy Spirit, who gives us life, Amen.
We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Leona Kobs. There are many things that could be said about the life of Leona. She grew up in Farmington, the 3rd oldest of 8 children. She lived in a farmhouse that had no electricity and that was heated with a wood cook stove and furnace. It also had a gas powered Maytag washer. She attended Oak Knoll Elementary School in Farmington and Osceola High School where she excelled at science, but hated algebra. She met her future husband Otto at a dance in Farmington. These dances were a highlight in Leona’s life, so much so that she sometimes didn’t get home from them until 1 am. And although her parents did not like Otto at first (Otto was 20 and Leona only 15), Leona and Otto eventually married and stayed together for ___ years until Otto passed away in 200__.
In that time together Leona and Otto raised 9 children. Her children remember her as a wonderful mom who maintained the Kobs’ household. She was a wonderful cook and could make homemade bread without using a recipe. Her nickname “Mumsy”, given to her by one of the children when it was realized that mommy wasn’t too becoming a term, especially around friends. As a woman who was responsible for the maintenance of the household, she sometimes had to motivate her children to get out of bed to help with the chores. Leona loved to laugh and there were good times whenever the family got together at holidays or special anniversaries. She also enjoyed looking out the window as she worked in the kitchen, as well as watching her favorite soap operas. And she especially enjoyed all of her grandchildren. I am sure that many of you might also have a special memory of Leona.
But today is not just about remembrances but it also about answering the question of what now? Leona has passed from this place, and we ask “Is she really in heaven?” Leona has passed from this place, and we ask, “What about us and what will our lives be like now?” Leona has passed from this place, and we ask, “what hope or assurance do we have in the days, weeks, and years to come” Our clue comes to us from the third reading today. In this reading Jesus is speaking to his disciples on the night before his death. They are also wondering what will become of them after Jesus is gone. So he gives them these words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” And you might be thinking, “yea right, easy for you to say.” It is easy to be on the outside of death and to offer words of assurance without experiencing it first hand. It is easy to say “Don’t worry everything will be all right” when you are not the one going through it. And although the words may sound comforting, it doesn’t take away the pain, the grief, and the heartache that accompanies death. But this is Jesus talking. He is going to HIS death. He knows what he’s about and so offers these words of to his friends.
However, Jesus offers more than words of comfort to his friends. He also offers a promise. He tells his friends that indeed that there are many dwelling places in his father’s house. And more to the point, Jesus says that he will go ahead of them [and by extension ahead of us] to prepare that place within the house for them. Let me ask you: when you have guests coming over to your house, what do you do? I would imagine that there would be some dusting, some vacuuming, and some spiffing up of the house to get it in order. I would image that if the guests were staying for sometime there would be a room made up decorated with flowers or a special blanket. There would be towels laid out for the bath or shower. There would be extra food brought in, keeping in mind what the guests would prefer to eat. There would be extra places set out at the table. In short the welcome mat would be thrown out and the guests embraced when they arrived.
There is more to this promise. Jesus says that he himself will come back to take us to his fathers house. There is a reassurance in these words. Not only does he prepare our place, but he personally escorts us there. It is in this confidence that we can be certain that we will not face death alone. It is in this confidence that we know that Jesus will be walking alongside of us. It is in this confidence that we know our place, our abode, our dwelling is safely secure for us.
And yet there might still be doubt. Certainly Thomas had his doubts, “How can we know the way?” he asks. How can we be totally certain that these promises of Jesus will hold up? What is it that Jesus says? He says I am the way. He says I am the truth. He says I am the life. Jesus came to earth so that we may know whom God is. In his coming we discover that God loves each and every one of us. We are his creation. Jesus is the way in which we know who God is, not in some otherworldly way, but in a real and personal manner. Jesus is the truth in that he shows us the way to the father’s house. It is not by some mystical meditation that we get there. It is not by some self-help book that claims that we can get there without assistance. It is not by our own achievements, awards, or activities that we can get there. It is only by the grace of God, which comes to us each, and every day. Jesus is the life because he first gave his life for us. Jesus is the life because he rose from the dead. Jesus is the life because through his resurrection we have the promise of life. We have life now, a life that is abundant. Just ask the nine children that Leona raised about the abundant life she had and the lives they lived with their mother. And we have life eternally, a life that will be lived with the father in his house. These are the promises that we hold in our faith in the one who created us. These are the promises that were given to Leona in her baptism.
Death is a part of life. I realize that may sound like a cliché (which it is), but it is a reality that we do not always want to confront. However if we are forward looking people, then we ask the question, “what now?” We want to know that we can somehow have our days, our weeks, and our years planned out and know with a certainty of what is coming next. And we know that despite our plans, they do not always work out. There is always something that comes up to interrupt our best-laid plans. Death can be like that. And so we want to know what happens after death. We want some declaration that when our loved ones pass away that there is some hope for a life beyond the grave. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Jesus offers these words of comfort with the knowledge that there is also the promise given to us that there is indeed a place, an abode, and a dwelling place. This promise is not only for Leona but for all of us as well. And so in this time we do not have to ask the question “what now” but rather we can celebrate Leona’s life, knowing in faith and confidence that she is with her father in heaven. Amen
We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Leona Kobs. There are many things that could be said about the life of Leona. She grew up in Farmington, the 3rd oldest of 8 children. She lived in a farmhouse that had no electricity and that was heated with a wood cook stove and furnace. It also had a gas powered Maytag washer. She attended Oak Knoll Elementary School in Farmington and Osceola High School where she excelled at science, but hated algebra. She met her future husband Otto at a dance in Farmington. These dances were a highlight in Leona’s life, so much so that she sometimes didn’t get home from them until 1 am. And although her parents did not like Otto at first (Otto was 20 and Leona only 15), Leona and Otto eventually married and stayed together for ___ years until Otto passed away in 200__.
In that time together Leona and Otto raised 9 children. Her children remember her as a wonderful mom who maintained the Kobs’ household. She was a wonderful cook and could make homemade bread without using a recipe. Her nickname “Mumsy”, given to her by one of the children when it was realized that mommy wasn’t too becoming a term, especially around friends. As a woman who was responsible for the maintenance of the household, she sometimes had to motivate her children to get out of bed to help with the chores. Leona loved to laugh and there were good times whenever the family got together at holidays or special anniversaries. She also enjoyed looking out the window as she worked in the kitchen, as well as watching her favorite soap operas. And she especially enjoyed all of her grandchildren. I am sure that many of you might also have a special memory of Leona.
But today is not just about remembrances but it also about answering the question of what now? Leona has passed from this place, and we ask “Is she really in heaven?” Leona has passed from this place, and we ask, “What about us and what will our lives be like now?” Leona has passed from this place, and we ask, “what hope or assurance do we have in the days, weeks, and years to come” Our clue comes to us from the third reading today. In this reading Jesus is speaking to his disciples on the night before his death. They are also wondering what will become of them after Jesus is gone. So he gives them these words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” And you might be thinking, “yea right, easy for you to say.” It is easy to be on the outside of death and to offer words of assurance without experiencing it first hand. It is easy to say “Don’t worry everything will be all right” when you are not the one going through it. And although the words may sound comforting, it doesn’t take away the pain, the grief, and the heartache that accompanies death. But this is Jesus talking. He is going to HIS death. He knows what he’s about and so offers these words of to his friends.
However, Jesus offers more than words of comfort to his friends. He also offers a promise. He tells his friends that indeed that there are many dwelling places in his father’s house. And more to the point, Jesus says that he will go ahead of them [and by extension ahead of us] to prepare that place within the house for them. Let me ask you: when you have guests coming over to your house, what do you do? I would imagine that there would be some dusting, some vacuuming, and some spiffing up of the house to get it in order. I would image that if the guests were staying for sometime there would be a room made up decorated with flowers or a special blanket. There would be towels laid out for the bath or shower. There would be extra food brought in, keeping in mind what the guests would prefer to eat. There would be extra places set out at the table. In short the welcome mat would be thrown out and the guests embraced when they arrived.
There is more to this promise. Jesus says that he himself will come back to take us to his fathers house. There is a reassurance in these words. Not only does he prepare our place, but he personally escorts us there. It is in this confidence that we can be certain that we will not face death alone. It is in this confidence that we know that Jesus will be walking alongside of us. It is in this confidence that we know our place, our abode, our dwelling is safely secure for us.
And yet there might still be doubt. Certainly Thomas had his doubts, “How can we know the way?” he asks. How can we be totally certain that these promises of Jesus will hold up? What is it that Jesus says? He says I am the way. He says I am the truth. He says I am the life. Jesus came to earth so that we may know whom God is. In his coming we discover that God loves each and every one of us. We are his creation. Jesus is the way in which we know who God is, not in some otherworldly way, but in a real and personal manner. Jesus is the truth in that he shows us the way to the father’s house. It is not by some mystical meditation that we get there. It is not by some self-help book that claims that we can get there without assistance. It is not by our own achievements, awards, or activities that we can get there. It is only by the grace of God, which comes to us each, and every day. Jesus is the life because he first gave his life for us. Jesus is the life because he rose from the dead. Jesus is the life because through his resurrection we have the promise of life. We have life now, a life that is abundant. Just ask the nine children that Leona raised about the abundant life she had and the lives they lived with their mother. And we have life eternally, a life that will be lived with the father in his house. These are the promises that we hold in our faith in the one who created us. These are the promises that were given to Leona in her baptism.
Death is a part of life. I realize that may sound like a cliché (which it is), but it is a reality that we do not always want to confront. However if we are forward looking people, then we ask the question, “what now?” We want to know that we can somehow have our days, our weeks, and our years planned out and know with a certainty of what is coming next. And we know that despite our plans, they do not always work out. There is always something that comes up to interrupt our best-laid plans. Death can be like that. And so we want to know what happens after death. We want some declaration that when our loved ones pass away that there is some hope for a life beyond the grave. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Jesus offers these words of comfort with the knowledge that there is also the promise given to us that there is indeed a place, an abode, and a dwelling place. This promise is not only for Leona but for all of us as well. And so in this time we do not have to ask the question “what now” but rather we can celebrate Leona’s life, knowing in faith and confidence that she is with her father in heaven. Amen
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
John 8:31-36
Grace and peace to you from God the Father, from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and from the Holy Spirit, who gives us life, Amen.
Many of you might know what this is (hold up copy of Small Catechism). Allow me read a portion of it:
The First Commandment. You shall have no other gods.
What does this mean?--Answer. We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
The Second Commandment. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. What does this mean?--Answer. We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.
The Third Commandment. You shall sanctify the holy-day. What does this mean?--Answer. We should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.
The Fourth Commandment. You shall honor thy father and thy mother [that it may be well with you and you may live long upon the earth]. What does this mean?--Answer. We should fear and love God that we may not despise nor anger our parents and masters, but give them honor, serve, obey, and hold them in love and esteem.
The Fifth Commandment. You shall not kill. What does this mean?--Answer. We should fear and love God that we may not hurt nor harm our neighbor in his body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need [in every need and danger of life and body].
The Sixth Commandment. You shall not commit adultery. What does this mean?--Answer. We should fear and love God that we may lead a chaste and decent life in words and deeds, and each love and honor his spouse.
The Seventh Commandment. You shall not steal. What does this mean?--Answer. We should fear and love God that we may not take our neighbor's money or property, nor get them by false ware or dealing, but help him to improve and protect his property and business [that his means are preserved and his condition is improved].
The Eighth Commandment. You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor. What does this mean?--Answer. We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.
The Ninth Commandment. You shall not covet thy neighbor's house. What does this mean?--Answer. We should fear and love God that we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, and obtain it by a show of [justice and] right, etc., but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
The Tenth Commandment. You shall not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is his. What does this mean?--Answer. We should fear and love God that we may not estrange, force, or entice away our neighbor's wife, servants, or cattle, but urge them to stay and [diligently] do their duty.
Paul writes: “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”
Earlier this morning we had a moment for confession and absolution. What list of transgressions went through your mind? Were you able to catalog all of the offenses you committed last week? When I read the Ten Commandments did you feel like you were again being convicted of something that you may or may not have done? Maybe we should all put on our orange prison jump suits and let it go at that.
“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Free? Free from what? Free to do what? The Jews asked this very same question. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean we will be made free?” Maybe the question should be: “What truth?” What truth is it that Jesus is trying to impart? Is it that “everyone who commits a sin is a slave to sin”? That doesn’t sound very comforting to me. Is it that because I’m a slave and I do not have a permanent place in the household? That too does not offer a lot of relief. Jesus is speaking plainly here, “Truly I tell you.” This is truth from Jesus own lips. In the movie “A Few Good Men”, Tom Cruise plays a navy prosecutor grilling the Jack Nicholson character on the witness stand. At one point Cruise asks Nicholson that he wants the truth, and the Nicholson character shouts back: “You can’t handle the truth!” Can we handle this truth from Jesus, that we are slaves to sin, slaves with no permanent place in the household? Maybe there is a different truth being spoken here.
Paul writes: “But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. [God] did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.”
“If you continue in my word…you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.” I earlier asked from what or for what are we free. The words of the reformer are instructive here. In his treatise on the “Freedom of the Christian”, Martin Luther says this, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”[1] Luther summarizes this statement this way: spiritually we are truly made free, subject to none, by the sacrifice of atonement by Jesus. It is by Jesus blood that we are now free. Free from unrighteousness and made righteous through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Free from the power of sin which holds us in bondage and makes us slaves to that sin. And this freedom is given to us in our faith in God’s redemptive works.
Nevertheless in our earthly bodies, because we are now free spiritually, we are now subject to all. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism takes all of the negativity of the “thou shalt nots” and replaces them with something more wonderful. We are now free to fear and love God in all that we do and say, and we are free to be of service to our neighbor. These are not works, which make us right before God, but are works that flow out of the good work first given to us. Luther goes on to say, “Therefore, if we recognize the great and precious things which are given us, [as Paul says [Rom. 5:5]], our hearts will be filled by the Holy Spirit with the love which makes us free, joyful, almighty workers and conquerors over all tribulations, servants of our neighbors, and yet lords of all…Just as our neighbor is in need and lacks that in which we abound, so we were in need before God and lacked his mercy. Hence, as our heavenly Father has in Christ freely come to our aid, we also ought freely to help our neighbor through our body and its works, and each one should become as it were a Christ to the other that we may be Little Christs to one another and Christ may be the same in all, that is, that we may be truly Christians.”[2]
The law, that is the Ten Commandments, is good for pointing out those areas where we fall short of the glory of God. And they are very good for showing us how to have a right relationship with God and with one another. But we know that we can never fully keep all of these commandments. We can never fully love God or our neighbor. We are truly slaves to that which keeps us in bondage. However, in the end, Jesus gives us the ultimate truth. Through our faith we believe that “if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” Amen.
And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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