“The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good”

Main point: We can get messy in freedom as we are moved by God’s Spirit to act for redemption in the world.

SERMON

Hold on, what?  Did I read that correctly? 

After mismanaging his money and nearly getting fired, did the master really just commend the manager for losing more money?

We just sang to Jesus in our acclimation, “you have the words of eternal life,” and this is what we get? I'm more confused than I've ever been after reading a gospel text.

Our Gospel

Many times when we read the parables of Jesus, we can pick up on the point Jesus is making. There’s usually a person who does the right things, and, by comparison, there are some examples of people who are doing the wrong thing. 

For example in the parable of the Good Samaritan, there were two people who passed by the person who was mugged and robbed. They were not loving their neighbor. Then the Samaritan walked by the beaten man and took care of him. He did the loving thing toward his neighbor. Clear and direct.

Reading this parable today, we are faced with questions because what we expect to find - a clear moral or ethical character - isn’t so clear. It’s mixed.

I'd you're wondering what to make is this story, you aren't alone. One commentator on this text called it the most difficult text to interpret in all of the gospels. 

• Who is doing right and who is doing wrong in this situation?

• Is the Master behaving rightly when he attempts to fire the Manager and then at the end commends the actions of the slanted Manager? Can the Master be right? Is what the Manager did, worthy of commendation?

• Is the Manager behaving rightly when he settles the debts with the borrowers to save his own hide? 

• He’s commended by the Master as doing a good thing, but since that good thing is done from self-preservation, that might not sit well with us who value both the action and the heart from which the action springs forth. 

• The story teller calls him “slanted” but you could also say “twisted” or “crooked”. This reminds us that perfect justice very well may be a straight line, but all of us are a little slanted, twisted, or crooked.

I think this parable presents a less-than-clear situation: What do we do when faced with ethical decisions in less than ideal conditions? What is our responsibility to God (as it is presented in this story)?

Gospel: John 3:13-17

After explaining to Nicodemus that one must be born of water and Spirit, Jesus speaks of being lifted up on the cross, with reference to the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses in the desert. Here the Son of God is revealed as the source of healing.

[Jesus said:] 13 “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
  16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
  17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

St. Luke 14:25-3325 Now large crowds were traveling with [Jesus], and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all yourpossessions.”

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Year C, Proper 16

“Where are my people at”

Main point: Jesus' message divides the unrighteous and the righteous.

BLESSING THE CHILDREN

ELW 798

SERMON

Introduction

In our First reading from the Prophet Jeremiah we heard, “Is not my word like fire, says the lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”

In our Gospel we hear that word speak, "I have come to cast fire upon the earth, Jesus says, and how I wish it were already ablaze!”

When Jesus brings the fire, he calls people to righteousness. When righteousness is in conflict with the systems of our world, Jesus's message will divide, not unify. (Repeat)

Make no mistake, God stoops down low and comes to us to meet us in our need. The Good Shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to find the one lost sheep. Over and over again God comes to us with a steady and reliable invitation to join Jesus in the work of turning our world into the place God always intended it to be. (Pause) But the invitation is never an invitation to stay exactly the way we are and to leave the world exactly the way we find it. The invitation is to join God in transforming the world so that all of creation may become what God intended it to be - holy, righteous, and in perfect unity with the Father where only goodness exists. 

When Jesus brings the fire, he calls people to righteousness. When righteousness is in conflict with the systems of our world, Jesus's message will divide, not unify.

The People

The people in Jesus’ day expected a time when God would come close to his people. The signs are there. Jesus is standing in front of them. God has come near to set the world right - and the people were missing it.

The people with Jesus that day were hypocrites - just as he called them. They were actors, pretenders, posers, and worse. They said they wanted God’s blessing, but they couldn’t see God when he was standing right in front of them.

Two Examples of Unfaithfulness

They are just like the prophets we read about in Jeremiah. The prophets had one job! - speak the words of God in truthfulness and faithfulness. Instead, they made up dreams and said they heard from the Lord. They said they were speaking for the Lord, but they were liars. And now they are being held accountable for their wickedness.

(Jeremiah 23:26)

How long, O Lord? Will those who speak for the Lord ever return to him? 

The people in Jesus’ day were just like the “small-g” gods, we read about in our Psalm, who were judged by the Most High in the Divine Council. Before the flood of Noah, the gods were given territories on the earth and charged with the task to administer justice for the weak and the orphan; service to the lowly and destitute; protection for the needy; and shelter for the vulnerable. But they rebelled against the Most High and abdicated their responsibilities. They demanded worship and penance from the people they were charged to serve. And now they are being held accountable for their wickedness.

(Psalm 82:8)

Arise, O God, and judge the earth! For you shall take all nations for your own. 

In the same vein, Jesus is saying, “I have come to transform the world and you say you want what I want, but your actions speak louder than your words. You are just like the prophets who lied and the gods who neglected the orphans and widows.

“The Gift of the Kingdom”

Main point: Jesus presents the kingdom to us as a gift. We receive the gift in the two ways he presents.

BLESSING THE CHILDREN

SERMON

Introduction

My friends, do you ever feel like your salvation is a long way off? 

Do you ever feel like you keep trying to do this Christian thing, but something just doesn't seem to match up for you? 

Do you ever feel like your timing is off with God - you’re on then God is not, then God is on and you are not? 

Do you ever feel like you just can't figure out what you're supposed to do? 

Or maybe worse…

Do you ever feel like God is playing an “I gotcha” game with you? Like maybe God is just waiting for you to mess up so he can smack you down? Or like maybe God is dangling a carrot in front of you just to pull it away at the last second so he can keep egging you on?

Do you ever feel like God is making you pay for your past sins and you never can get out of the hole?

There's a bumper sticker meme, you might have seen it, that shows a picture of Jesus peeking out from around a corner. The caption simply reads, [pause] “I saw that!”

It's intended to be humorous, but jokes are only funny because they use humor to reveal the truth about what we’re really thinking.

If you could identify with one of these probing questions, I have good news for you this morning:

• God has brought salvation near to you today. 

• God doesn’t play “I gotcha” games.

• God doesn’t dangle a carrot in front of you just to pull it away at the last second.

Children of the heavenly father are not left guessing about our Father’s intentions.

Hear the words from Jesus this morning…

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Like we said a couple of weeks ago, God is a Good Father. We heard the question in the text, “What Father, when his child asks for an egg, would give them a scorpion?” From the mouth of Jesus we heard again, that just like a Good Father - God gives good gifts to his children.

Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Lights in whom there is no variation or shifting shadows. (James 1:17)

Today we see the Good Father again. But this time, along with the good gifts, we see the good intentions of the Good Father. “It is your  Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

God does not give begrudgingly. 

God does not keep you guessing.

It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you… what is it? The kingdom. -  

…where God is closer to us than we are to ourselves. 

…where God’s perfect intentions are known and believed.

…where our conduct and our being is in perfect harmony with him.

And to that end, Jesus gives us two exhortations to align ourselves more fully with God’s perfect reign in our lives and in our world. They are not easy, but they are two of the many guiding words Jesus gives to us so that we may receive the kingdom.

Store up treasure in heaven

First, it says, store up treasure in heaven.

“The Path of Life”

Main point: Greed leads to death. Jesus provides an alternative. Generosity leads to life.

BLESSING THE CHILDREN

SERMON

Introduction

Most people when given the choice between life and death will choose life without a moment's hesitation. It's an instinct. We are survivors. We strive to live. 

These are the terms in today's gospel reading on greed. A path of life and a path of death. The teachings of Jesus are a path of life that we cannot find anywhere else.

I hope it is no surprise to you to learn that these teachings differ from other ways or lives are informed. The ways of conventional wisdom, cultural norms, and common sense are not the same as the life-giving words of Jesus. 

 For example…

• When someone makes you mad, conventional wisdom may tell you to cut that person out of your life. But Jesus tells us to go to that person, and do your best to work it out with them. 

• When someone disagrees with you, common sense might tell you to leave that topic of disagreement alone for fear of rocking the boat. But Jesus tells us to be humble and listen to those who disagree with us because they might share wisdom with us that we would miss otherwise.

• When a rough-around-the-edges kid on your youth sports team pushes your buttons one too many times, cultural norms might tell you to cut the kid from the team and be done with them. But Jesus tells us to go the extra mile and give second chances because the second chance you give to that kid might be the last lifeline they have left.

You see, there are a whole lot of situations in life, when conventional wisdom leads us to a more impoverished existence. And though the path of Jesus is often in conflict with what the world teaches us - Jesus’ teachings lead us to abundant life. This is salvation.

We need to be informed by Jesus. And we have just such an opportunity today.

Context

Today we find Jesus confronted with a situation in which he is asked to make a judgement. Following the tradition of Jewish rabbis, he sees a teachable moment and pauses to give a warning. Rabbis often taught about two paths: the path of wisdom that leads to life and the path of foolishness that leads to death.

Beware of Greed

"Take care!” Jesus says, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

Warnings against greed are common in wisdom literature. You probably know the story of..

• King Midas and the Golden Touch (a story from Greek mythology), 

• The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg (Aesop Fables),

• Ebenezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens)

Greed is simply the love of more stuff. It pushes us to keep moving so we can get more - achieve more, accomplish more, obtain more. Greed promises satisfaction when we get to wherever it is we're going. But it's a trick. The goal posts keep moving and we never quite get enough to feel satisfied. So we keep moving.

“The Good Father”

Main point: The Good Father gives the gift of the Holy Spirit.

BLESSING THE CHILDREN

SERMON

Introduction

The disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray. Prayer. Prayer is the habitat of the union we share with God. It is the environment where the life of God joins with the souls of God's children. It is the air we breathe in the spiritual life. It is the cup which holds the water for the thirsty soul. The disciples recognize it as such and ask for a lesson in prayer.

Jesus bookends his response with the word “Father.” He begins with, “Father, may your name be revered as holy,” and ends with, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Today's lesson is instruction on prayer, but that prayer is anchored in the nature and character of God. And God is shown to us as a Good Father.

Part 1: Who is God to us?

By showing God to us as a Good Father, Jesus dispels several ideas about God that are incompatible with being 1) good and 2) a father.

• God is not an impersonal force that is present in the universe despite what Star Wars tells us (Sorry, Star Wars fans). God is a being.

• God is not the Great Spirit in the sky despite what Norman Greenbaum tells us. God is father.

• God is not neutral in his activity as one who tries to stay above the fray. God gets involved and God is good.

Just like a Good Father

• Just like a Good Father - God gives good gifts to his children. 

Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Lights in whom there is no variation or shifting shadows. James 1:17

• Just like a Good Father - (this one may be a little more difficult to swallow) God doesn't abandon us when we get stuck in our sins. (What do I mean by that?) When we are stuck in patterns that lead to us becoming the worst versions of ourselves - God steps in. Sometimes when God steps in it doesn't always feel like flowers, rainbows, and warm feelings. Ex: There are times when my own children are so determined to get their own way - even when it's detrimental to their health and well-being - that I, as their father, have to match their determination with equal strength to save them from themselves.

That is why the Scriptures tell us that, Whom the Lord loves he also chastens. Hebrews 12:6

If you don't love this idea, I ask you:

What kind of a father would see their child languishing in a hell of their own making and not move to correct them? God is so good that when we in our short-sighted weakness would rather walk in patterns of death, God steps in and leads us to patterns of life.

We don't always see it as such, and even when we do see it as such we don't always want it. 

• Sometimes maturing out of our childhood ways feels unpleasant. 

• Sometimes it feels harder rather than easier. 

• Sometimes it feels harsh rather than gentle. 

• But if we begin to believe that every action of God in our lives is done in perfect love with our best interest in mind, we begin to trust that God knows better than we know. A Good Father, at times. saves us from ourselves.

“The One Thing”

Main point: In worship and adoration, we are doing the one thing that matters most.

BLESSING THE CHILDREN

SERMON

Introduction

Mary and Martha host Jesus. This is a familiar story to many, but, perhaps because of its familiarity, it has been misapplied in some Christian circles and has led to some low-level distress for the Marthas in the room.

I pray you find some relief this morning. Because…

This story is not a lesson to turn those who are more naturally inclined to stay busy into second class citizens. The world needs Marthas. We need Marthas here at St. James Lutheran Church. Jesus knows the world needs Marthas … and it doesn’t seem consistent with his character to shame someone for doing good things in service to him.

This story is also not intended to be an example of how right Mary was and how wrong Martha was. I actually had two friends in New Jersey who knew this story and acted it out in their friendship with surprising precision. One identified with Martha. The other identified with Mary.

There was always a mild resentment in the friend who more closely identified with Martha against the friends who identified with Mary. And there was also a slight air of superiority in the friend who identified with Mary over the friend who identified with Martha. They knew the story and both of them took it to heart that the one who was more naturally attentive to people was just a little more spiritual than the one who was more naturally busy and attentive to tasks.

“Well, I’m just a hopeless Martha” one would say with resignation.

“Well, I can’t help it that I’m a Mary” the other would say with secret pride. 

And so it became a feature of their relationship based on a misinterpretation of the story.

No, these readings miss the point.

You see, the stories in the Bible were not given to communicate flat, historical information to record events that happened thousands of years ago. The biblical writers were careful about what and how they told the stories of Jesus. They were composing a spiritual symphony, not reciting historical data.

Luke, the author of our gospel, organized and arranged these excerpts from the life of Jesus with great care and precision to communicate layers of spiritual truths. These layers are present to guide believers into deeper ways of knowing God.

We will see in our text today an example of these layers of meaning. I invite you to embrace these layers, not as extrapolation or subjective interpretation, but has the main reason why these texts were organized and given to us. I'll present some of that symbolic layer through the use of two quotes from our text. One from Martha and the other from Jesus.

Body

Point 1: "Lord, do you not care…”

Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?

How many prayers in our lifetime began with these words? 

Lord, do you not care that my health is failing? 

Lord, do you not care that my child is being bullied at school? 

Lord, do you not care that children are starving in Sudan?

Lord, do you not care that I lost my job? 

Lord, do you not care that my spouse ignores me? 

Lord, do you not care that the country is heading down a path to ruin?

Lord, do you not see that I'm trying so hard to be a better person? 

Lord, do you not care that…(fill in the blank.)

I venture to say that all of us, if we were honest with ourselves, would have plenty to say about our own situations. Lord, do you not care?

When we face the chaos and disorder in the world, our instinct often resembles Martha’s activity. Do more. Work harder. These are not bad impulses, but action coupled with frustration tends to sour or disposition.