Luke 16:1-13 Big Things Come in Small Packages

There is something that is somewhat ironic in the passage about the shrewd money manager from Luke 16:1-13. The irony is that the manager was praised for doing something that appears to be wrong, but in fact he had the foresight to plan for his future by preparing for the financial needs he would have after his dismissal. He used his expertise with money to make friends for himself-friends who could help him if and when they were needed.

Was the manager crooked? Perhaps he was, and perhaps he was not. You see, at that time Jews were not allowed to charge interest to other Jews, but they could charge interest to the Gentiles. The Jews could get around this by charging for 100 items instead of 50 items, for example. Those who received his favour would be obliged to do something for him in return. While they would likely not hire him, they would likely show him hospitality or help him find a job.

Jesus once said that “No one can serve two masters”. In other words, we cannot serve both God and wealth. Jesus was teaching his disciples that they must also use money to prepare for their future, and he teaches us to do the same today. For example, many of you prepared for your senior years by saving and sacrificing when you were younger. Some people think that planning is unspiritual. They think, “I’ll just trust the Holy Spirit. I’ll just go through life. I don’t need any plans. I’ll just kind of drift with the Holy Spirit’. Then there are those people who refuse to work. They are the type of people who think that God or society will provide for them, but Saint Paul said that those who do not work should not expect to eat.

There is a word for those kinds of people-dumb! God gave us his will when he gave us brains. He solved most of our problems when he gave us intelligence. Let me ask you this: why would God give us intelligent brains and then say, “I want you to put them on the shelf and don’t ever do what is common sense”? He wouldn’t. God revealed much of his will for our lives when he gave us brains. All through the Bible, the Scriptures say we plan. God helps all those who call upon his name, but he will not do for us what we can do for ourselves.

Jesus’ idea was that we must use our resources, including money, to serve others and the work of God’s kingdom. We do NOT own our possessions-God owns them. He lends them to us with the hope and understanding that we will use them to do his work in our world. Money is not an end in itself; it is a resource from God that is not to be wasted. 

One of the wisest things we can do with our money is to give it away. Why? Because gaining friends through generous gifts means that we will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. How will they help us? One answer has to do with the upside-down nature of God’s kingdom as expressed in Luke 13:30. There, the first will be last and the last will be first. In other words, the poor will be rich and can easily welcome us into their eternal homes. Hopefully they will also serve as witnesses on behalf of those who help them.

We do not have to be extraordinary people for God to use us. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. He makes a way when there is no way. He uses unlikely people so he will get all the credit from their frail and faulty efforts. We start in this journey by doing small things. If we faithfully help others, God will bless us.

How we deal with little things indicates how we will deal with big things. Faithfulness in the small assignments God gives us qualifies us for the opportunity to serve in greater and more influential ways. My own journey as a lay minister started with reading scriptures on Sunday morning, and has included assisting the priest, preparing prayers and leading worship services. If we are obedient and faithful where God plants us, He will do awesome things in our lives. God has blessed the choir members for helping others, and he has blessed me in my ministry.

Proverbs 14:8 states, “The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won’t face the facts”. We must remember that one day God will ask us to give an account of how we have used the resources he gave us. How we use our resources determines how much God will bless us. Long term security is more important than short-term gain. Like the dishonest manager, our lives will be far more secure if we maintain our relationships instead of striving to get rich quick. We must not waste our resources on “stuff”. Stuff does not last. The best investment of our money, time and life is in people and the Word of God, because these are the only things that will last. What is highly valued among men is hated in God’s sight. The choice to serve God rather that wealth requires the wisdom to see that spiritual riches are true riches.

The manager was a person in a crisis who recognized his situation, knew what he had to do, and acted quickly to do it. We as children of God need to do the same. Please do not misunderstand me. God wants us to pray when we are in a difficult situation, but he also wants us to act. Pick up the phone Ask for help from a family member or friend. Learn some new skills. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t sit there passively and wait for someone else to rescue you. We need to know how to use the resources God gives us, and continue to live in God’s esteem.

Thanks be to God, AMEN

 

Bibliography

1.      Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New American Standard Version

2.      EVS Study Bible, part of Wordsearch Bible software package.

3.      Jamieson-Fawcett-Brown Commentary, part of Wordsearch Bible software package.

4.      Wycliffe Bible Commentary, part of Wordsearch Bible software package.

5.      Lysa TerKeurst, “Do You Have a Dream?” Retrieved from www.crosswalk.com

6.      Rick Warren, “God Will Never Exempt You from the Mundane”. Retrieved from www.purposedriven.com

7.      Bayless Conley, “Faithful to Another”. Retrieved from www.answersbc.org

8.      Rick Warren, “Lessons From a Shrewd Money Manager”. Retrieved from www.purposedriven.com

9.      Daniel Clendenin, Ph.D., “Faith and Wealth: Gospel Lessons, Wall Street Examples”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net

10.  Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 25^th Sunday, Year C”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

11.  King Duncan, “There’s Something about Con Men”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

12.  Brett Blair and staff, “Increasing Our Standard of Giving”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

13.  Dr. Mickey Anders, “The Dishonest Manager”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

14.  Dr. Keith Wagner, “It’s the Little Things That Count”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

 

 

 

Luke 1:39-45 Come, Long Expected Jesus

Anne couldn’t think of a good reason that God should give her a grandchild. And even though it was one of her deepest desires, she had almost given up on the idea. God had already blessed her with two wonderful children. Her son decided to remain single and had devoted his life to Bible translation in a faraway country. Her daughter was married and working hard as a teacher in an inner city elementary school, but had been unable to conceive for fifteen years. It seemed that grandchildren were not in Anne’s future.

A few days earlier while she was cleaning out her attic, she came across an old poem that had been given to her by her aunt on her wedding day. It brought tears to her eyes as it brought back memories of that happy day. She had no idea that her happiness would be short-lived. Her husband died tragically after only seven years of marriage. God’s grace was the only explanation for how she and her children had made it through, and God’s grace became the basis of the rest of her life. She decided that God would be the only other husband in her life, and time had not changed her feelings. He sustained her through the children’s growing up years, and now in her old age, he continued to be her hope and joy.

But that didn’t stop her from thinking often about how nice it would be to have a little bundle of joy to cuddle, and the old poem drew her thoughts to the subject again. It spoke of legacy in love and of joy overcoming sorrow. She saw her life reflected in its lines. The hope with which it ended kindled a similar feeling in her heart. She silently told God what she was feeling, and then went back to work with a deep sense of peace.

Over the next few days, she felt a sense of expectation during her prayer time. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but the sense of peace never left her. Monday morning the phone rang, and when she heard her daughter’s words, “Mom, I’m pregnant!” the peace seemed to explode in joy. She would finally become a grandmother. As she thought about how her wish had been granted and how God rekindled her hope, she felt that she wanted to write something too.

The lines spilled out of her soul onto the paper. She wrote of God’s faithfulness.  She described how her longing was fulfilled after waiting in patient hope. She rejoiced at how much joy could flow into her heart. She praised God for the hope that this new life brought. When her grandson was born, Anne read the poem over him as a prayer, trusting that God would be as faithful in this newborn’s life as he had been in hers.  

The Gospel reading from Luke 1:39-45 reflects both the sense of expectation Anne had in the story you just read and the sense of expectation that many of us have as Christmas approaches. Mary, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s unborn child were among the many people who at that time were hoping and praying for the long-awaited Messiah to come. The only difference is that Mary and Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s unborn child, who was John the Baptist, knew when and how the Messiah was coming. The promise of new life was being fulfilled after many centuries. It brought a sense of joy to many people at that time, and it still brings a sense of joy to many people today. It offers new life and hope to a sin-filled world

Along with the sense of anticipation there was a sense of uncertainty and fear, especially on the part of Mary. After all, here she was, a young virgin girl who was betrothed (but not married) to Joseph, and yet she was pregnant. Can you imagine the fear she must have felt, especially since in the culture of her time an unwed woman who was pregnant was considered to be an outcast or unclean? Can you imagine how Mary must have felt? She probably felt very lonely. Can you imagine how her family must have felt? They probably felt the same way Joseph did in Matthew 1:18-19. Joseph wanted to quietly divorce her, and he had the right to do that under the law at that time, but he was stopped by an angel of the Lord.

In contrast, Mary’s cousin Elizabeth reacted joyfully. She knew that Mary was pregnant with the long-promised Messiah, and that Mary did not likely understand its full significance. Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s greeting is known as the Magnificat, or the Song of Mary. Mary knew that God used her, a sinner in need of a saviour, to fulfill his promise to send a Saviour to our world. She sacrificed her life, her plans and her dreams to fulfill God’s will for her life, just like her unborn child fulfilled God’s will for his life by dying on the cross to save us. We, like Mary, have to adjust our plans when God intervenes in our lives.  We have to surrender our control over our lives to God. We have to trust God when we submit to his will.

What would have happened if Mary had not believed in the words of the angel Gabriel? Would she have refused to be the mother of Jesus? She did believe and she did obey God, and her obedience set the stage for God’s blessings. He fulfilled his word and used her to bring his prophecy to a lost and dying world.  

We don’t know what Mary looked like, but we do know that she had a beautiful personality because she served God joyfully and she sought God by immersing herself in the Scriptures. She was an extraordinary woman who played an important role in God’s plan for salvation. She obeyed God’s will for her life, and as such she has a lot to teach us. If a simple, young woman can obey God’s will for her life, we can also obey God’s will for our lives. He did not force his plan on her-she freely chose to accept it. Likewise, he does not force his will on us. We have a choice-accept him or reject him. The choice we make affects our eternal destiny, just like Mary’s choice affected her eternal destiny.

Mary did what most women do when they find out they are pregnant. She went and told a friend-namely, her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth proclaimed that the Holy Spirit was present and acting on behalf of humanity. In other words, God’s Word was being fulfilled in Mary’s unborn baby. Elizabeth and Mary, like their unborn children Jesus and John the Baptist, learned to trust God when the mighty ignore him and turn on him. God made a promise and it would not be stopped. God was gracious to Elizabeth and Mary, and we are also recipients of his grace when we say “yes” to his plans for our lives.

Mary wanted to share her good news, and God wants us to share the good news of salvation. Mary needed a friend to affirm and bless her, and we as Christians need someone to affirm and bless us. We need to have love expressed in attention paid to us when an earth-shattering event happens to us, just like Mary needed Elizabeth to pay attention to her when she received her earth-shattering news. 

Sometimes how God works doesn’t make sense to us. We might ask ourselves “Why did God choose Mary instead of someone from a more prestigious background?” After all, if he had, Jesus would have been accepted more readily. Well, unfortunately that would not have fit into his plans. He had other criteria. He wanted someone who was obedient and gave herself over to him. He preferred the obscure and insignificant to the prestigious and popular. His plan was encased in the fragility and the strength of Mary and Elizabeth. They consented to God’s purpose for their lives, and that consent bore much fruit.

God came to Mary and Elizabeth in a time of harsh reality, and they continued to believe and hope in a God who can do extraordinary things. They did this in a world very much like ours and that is why God came to them, not because they were protected from harsh reality, but because they continued to be open to God’s call. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. God noticed everything in the lives of Mary and Elizabeth, just like he notices everything in our lives. In the words of a song we often hear at this time of year:

He sees you when you’re sleeping

He knows when you’re awake

He knows if you’ve been bad or good

So be good for goodness’ sake

Sometimes following God’s plan isn’t the most popular thing to do. Mary and Elizabeth accepted God’s blessings even though they came at a cost. For Mary, she had to live with the stigma of sexual impurity because most of the people in her society would have found the concept of spiritual impregnation absurd. Mary and Elizabeth trusted God and were blessed. If we trust God, our hearts will be transformed so that we will receive the desires of our hearts, just like Anne in the story I read earlier was blessed with a grandson after many years of waiting. In order for us to have faith, we have to make room in our hearts for God. We must make our hearts hospitable, and to make our hearts hospitable we must show love and generosity, and not just at this time of the year. When we allow Christ into our lives, he will reshape us by replacing our old lives with a new creation.  

God makes the impossible possible. He caused a virgin and an elderly woman to conceive and bear children. He can make the impossible possible for us today if we have faith. With God, the possibilities are endless, and if we have faith our blessings will be endless. God blessed Mary and Elizabeth when they were at messy points in their lives. In return, they responded with faith. He spoke to them in the mess, and he can speak to us in the messes of our lives.

John the Baptist is Elijah returned, the prophet who prepared the way of the Lord. Jesus is Lord bringing salvation and peace to people. God came to earth in the form of Jesus to restore our living relationship with him now and for all eternity. In order to restore that relationship, Jesus had to turn the world upside down. He came to give dignity to those who are not valued by society. He came to give hope to the hopeless, peace to those whose hearts are in turmoil, and love to those who are broken. Jesus came to give us the greatest gift of all. He will undermine the political structures and call the elite to accountability. He will call on people to show compassion to the poor and help them, just like many of you are helping the poor at this time of year. God does his best work with powerless people whose lives are defined by the world as impossible-people such as Mother Teresa and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Many of us are willing to takes risks in business deals or in extreme sports, but few of us are spiritual risk takers. Few of us are willing to place our total trust in God’s promises instead of our own plans. God wants to see unwavering faith and complete trust in him. No matter what our circumstances, God will use us if we are willing to follow him and step out in faith. When we recognize that we are nothing and God is everything, God moves into action through us. We are small, but God can do much through us. Dr. Charles Stanley, who is the head of In Touch Ministries and the author of one of the study Bibles I use in my sermon preparation, coined the phrase, “Obey God, and leave all the consequences to him”. If we obey God’s will for our lives like Mary and Elizabeth and Anne did, we will be richly blessed like they were because we will be blessed by the light and life of Christ-a light that shines brightly in our dark, sinful world, especially at this time of year. All we have to do is let the light of Christ shine in our lives.

Thanks be to God, AMEN

Bibliography

1.      Chicken Soup for the Soul Bible, NLT (Colorado Springs, CO: Pinon Press)

2.      Stanley, C.F, The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.: 2009)

3.      Swindoll, Charles R., Insights on Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2012)

4.      Pastor John Barnett, “Unfading Beauty (Part 2)”. Retrieved from www.dtbm.org

5.     Sharon Jaynes, “Free to Fulfill an Extraordinary Purpose”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

6.     Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year C”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

7.     Dr. Michael Youssef, PhD, “Trusting God’s Promises”. Retrieved from www.leadingtheway.org

8.     Rick Warren, “God is Mindful of You”. Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com

9.     Mark D. Roberts, “Is Faith the Key to being blessed by God?” Retrieved from Newsletter@TheHighcalling.org

10.  Ron Moore, “The Generous Gift of Life”. Retrieved from www.thejourneyradioministry.com

11.  Larson, B. & Ogilvie, L.J., The Preacher’s Commentary Series: Volume 26: Luke. (Nashville, TN; Thomas Nelson, Inc.; 1983)

12. The Rev. Dr. James D. Kegel, “With God Nothing is Impossible”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

13. Dr. Heather Entrekin, “Making a Place for Hospitality”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

14.  Dr. Mickey Anders, “The Magnificent Mess”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

15.  Exegesis for Luke 1:39-45. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

16.  “The Baby Leaped for Joy”. Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net

17.  King Duncan, “Mary’s Song”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

18.  Brett Blair, “Elizabeth & Mary”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

19.  Kelly McFadden, “Disgraced Mary”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

20. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Year C-Advent 4. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org/archives/year-c-advent-4/

21. Peter H. Harries, O.P., “Salvation is Close at Hand”. Retrieved from http://torch.op.org/preaching_sermon_item.php?sermon=5718

 

 

 

 

 

Luke 15:1-10 God’s Lost and Found Department

A minister died and was waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him was a guy who was dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans. Saint Peter addressed the guy, "Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?" The guy replied, "I'm Joe Cohen, taxi driver, of New York City". Saint Peter consulted his list. He smiled and said to the taxi driver, "Take this silken robe and golden staff, and enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

The taxi driver went into Heaven, and then it was the minister's turn. He stood erect and boomed out, "I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Saint Mary's Church for the last forty-three years." Saint Peter consulted his list and said to the minister, "Take this cotton robe and wooden staff, and enter the Kingdom of Heaven." "Just a minute," said the minister. "That man was a taxi driver and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?" "Up here, we work by results," said Saint Peter. "While you preached, people slept. While he drove, people prayed."

An inner city church, located in an area of a large American city where there were few residents, was forced to a decision. A large corporation was offering them a great deal of money for their site, on which the corporation wanted to put a parking lot. The money would enable the church to move to another part of the inner city where they would find many more people to serve. Even though this was exciting to some of the congregation, other members were resistant to the idea. They pointed out that the church was the guardian of a building whose history and architecture reached back into the early part of the nineteenth century. Denominational history had been made in that building, and some of the grand figures of the church had passed its portals.

Eventually the congregation decided to sell the site and make the move to a new building in a teeming inner-city neighborhood. The pastor who was with this congregation through all this upheaval said, "We had to decide whether we wanted to be in a museum or in mission." They couldn't have it both ways. It meant either staying on their site, glorying in their past history and serving a few people, or giving up their past and gearing themselves to a significant ministry among the city's people. They opted for mission status over museum status.

Something of this same struggle is indicated in this morning's Gospel reading. The Pharisees and scribes came down on the side of museum religion. They wanted attention given to those who were stable, pious and not a liability if invited to the country club. Their rationale was "Let's have our synagogue programs be for us dependable, like-minded types." Some present-day church-growth advocates have the same rationale. Jesus disappointed them by insisting that the issue was one of mission: to reach out to those who needed great mercy, lessons in etiquette, social graces, and perhaps a bath. Paying attention to these "lost" persons would change the comfortable fellowship the scribes and Pharisees enjoyed at the synagogue, to say nothing of putting a dent into its budget.

The Pharisees' love of God's law made them forget about God's love for sinners. The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, along with the parable of the prodigal son, are about God's concern for what's lost. They contain notes of joy, a heavenly celebration caused by a successful search. But all of us know that joy in heaven has not always meant peace on earth.

God cares for his children like a parent cares for a child. Parents will do almost anything for their children. God is the same way. He loves us more than a parent loves a child. He longs to rescue those who are lost. He saves us from drowning in the sea of life if we call to Him and accept Him. Our loving father will search for that which is lost. There's no giving up, no quitting point. Just like looking for a treasure, God's love treasures each and every one of His children because there's no such thing as a life without worth. God doesn't mind stooping down to find us and lift us up from the depths we have fallen into.

Those who do not know the Lord do not know much of anything. True knowledge and wisdom comes through love and respect for Jesus-the one who made our salvation possible. The lost sheep and the lost coin represent a heedless, thoughtless sinner who follows the corrupt dictates of his own heart without considering his conduct or the course of his life. Lost money loses its value the longer it is lost. It becomes covered with dirt, it loses its colour, it becomes torn and wrinkled. A lost person is the same way. The longer a person is lost, the deeper he sinks into sin. He loses his character, and the image and description of God is defaced from his heart.

There are four ways to lose things:

1. Foolishness

2. Darkness

3. Dirtiness

4. Disgrace

The Pharisees thought Jesus' association with sinners was disgraceful. Jesus used these two parables to illustrate that heavenly beings rejoice over those who repent on earth. They have seen the guilt and danger of men. They know what God has done for the human race. Most important, however, is the fact that they realize that the repentance of one sinner causes God's mercy to shine more brightly.

The coin was also lost in disgrace. In those days, when a husband took a bride, he gave her a headband with ten silver coins that were evenly spaced. She wore this headband in public to show that she was married. If she was unfaithful, one of the coins was removed, and the gap showed that she had disgraced her marriage vows. It was a shame and disgrace to lose any of these coins. Similarly, it's a disgrace not to know Jesus. If we refuse to accept Him and His sacrifice on the cross, it's a disgrace to His grace.

The lost sheep was lost because of foolishness. Sheep are dumb. For example, during mating season, the males fight for the right to mate by butting heads with each other. Without God, a lost person is spiritually dumb. When sheep get lost, they don't even know it. A lost sinner is the same. He is hopelessly lost, like a blind man in a darkened room who is looking for a black cat that isn't there. A sinner on his own will never find the Lord. We must lead people to Jesus like a shepherd leads a lost sheep back to the flock.

The silver coin was lost because of carelessness. It was lost in the darkness. In those days, there was no artificial lighting, so if you needed to find something, you had to light a lamp. People without God are the same. They are not just lost, they are in the dark. They need Jesus, the Light of the World. He turned the light on the Pharisees and exposed what they were REALLY like.

The coin was also lost in the dirt, because houses in those days had dirt floors. Similarly, people without God are depraved and dirty because sin is dirty. Jesus left His heavenly home for our dirty, sinful world so He could seek and save that which was lost.

Have you ever had to search for something you or someone else misplaced? Have you ever had to search for someone who has been lost? If so, you've undoubtedly discovered two things:

1. You will do everything you can to find the lost person or item.

2. The longer the lost item or person remains lost, the less likely it is that the item or person will be found.

Lost sinners are the same way. God will do everything He can to bring them back to the fold, but they have a choice-accept Him, or reject Him. In other words, a lost sinner has to be willing to repent and return to God's flock. He must WANT to be found, either by God or by fellow Christians. The best way for us to be happy is to make Heaven happy, and the best way to make Heaven happy is to repent.

Sinners loved Jesus because He cared for them. The Pharisees hated Jesus because sinners hung around Him and He hung around sinners. He was fulfilling the mission He agreed to in Luke 12:49-56-namely, to unite God's kingdom and God's people. He used the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin to illustrate what He was doing and why He was doing it. As a church today, we need to be concerned with the ones who are lost rather than those who are already in the fold. If Christ loved us enough to seek us out, we need to love others enough to seek them out. We not only need the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, we need the cleansing power of the Spirit. That is why Jesus looks for us, so that He can bring us out of the darkness into light, and out of dirtiness into love.

We must always try to reach someone. By doing so, we show Christ's love-a love so great that He looks for us-and He looks for us because even thought we are without the Lord, He loves us. We must use all God has given us to talk to the lost-praying for our neighbour, talking to them, inviting them to church, sharing our testimony, or ministering to them when grief and heartache enter their life.

Our second reading and Gospel reading show us what is really important in being a Christian-that is, to reach out a hand of forgiveness and acceptance to someone who has sinned against us, even though we don't have to. As Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:16, "But I was given mercy so that in me, the worst of all sinners, Christ Jesus could show that He has patience without limit. His patience with me made me an example for those who would believe in Him and Have life forever" Grace expresses the faithful understanding that God's love seeks and moves toward us even before we do any seeking or reaching out to God. Grace is the faithful understanding that even if we are unworthy, God reaches out to us. Mission means concentrating on people and structures that have not been touched by the Gospel. Mission changes with the times or else it dies and becomes a museum. Helping people think about the way they see the world and what the facts really mean is an important mission of the church. Real mission will mean reaching out for ideas and judgments that initially are disturbing, such as same-sex marriages.

Do we care about people who don't know the Lord? Do we care enough to show the Christian life as best we can, with persistent bouts of loving, caring and kindness? Do we care enough to tell them what Jesus means to us and could mean to them? Do we care enough to keep searching for those lost souls in spite of pain and rejection? How can we be complacent about our own Christian faith as long as we know people who have wandered away from the Lord? All of our committees, workshops, and outreach programs are no good without the essential ingredient-someone who cares that a person does not know the Lord.

Jesus and Luke were not interested in separation. They were focused on God-the one who will not be bound by our sense of rightness, correctness or prosperity. God is also not bound by social status, gender or other considerations. Jesus and Luke see repentance as a gift from God, more the experience of being found by a concerned seeker than the product of human effort. God loves everyone, especially the "wrong crowd". He wants us to know the joy of a life lived in God. He invites us to join Him in the great treasure hunt-the hunt for lost souls-and bring the great treasure to Him when we have found it. It is better for us to drop the mask of the offended Pharisee scribe and see ourselves for who we really are-tax collectors and sinners who have been given a party and who need to learn to joyfully throw one.

 

Luke 14:25-25 Jesus is Number 1

You might be familiar with the term day-trader. A day-trader is a high-risk investor who jumps in and out of the stock marker often many times a day to take advantage of small price changes. Day traders usually do not have any interest in the companies whose stock they are buying. These people are simply trying to catch stocks that they think are going to rise in value and then they will sell and go looking for other quick-pick opportunities.

There are other investors who have become known as “dot-com” investors. They look for Internet companies, especially those with “dot-com” at the end of their names. They spend a little time researching the firms who have these stocks and they buy them on a marginal basis and sell them as soon as the price increases.

Within the church there are some people who can be called day traders and dot-com investors. They know a little about God in reality and many think that they can buy a small share of christianity.com without first investigating Jesus’ claim to being Lord over all of their lives.

At this point in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus has attracted a large following. He was so popular that, like a rock star, groupies began to gather. They had heard of his preaching, teaching and healing. They wanted to get close to him and experience his unusual energy. Some even thought that he would be a military-type person who would drive out the Roman army and return Israel to the glory days of the reign of King David. They were thinking to themselves, “Oh boy! Happy days are here again!”, but oh boy, were they in for a big surprise!

Jesus quickly dashed their hopes. He knew what his true mission was and what the cost would be. He asked them to consider the cost of following him, and he asks us the same question today. Jesus calls for an exclusive commitment from us. Everything else in our lives must take a back seat. This is similar to what I was told when I joined the Mersey Band over 30 years ago. At that time, I was told by the bandmaster that my priorities were to be work or school first, family second, the band third and then everything else. Now, for some members everything else takes priority over the band. We must be prepared to leave everything else behind and follow him when he calls us, just like the disciples did when Jesus called them. Faith frees us from those things which keep us from the genuine joy of following Christ.  

Moses said the same thing in Deuteronomy 30:15-20 just before he died, and just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. He was concerned that their descendents clearly knew what was in store for them. They had a choice to make: obey God and be blessed, or disobey God and be punished.

Jesus gives us the same choice today. Our decision has a cost. If we disobey God, we will be punished by eternal damnation. If we obey God, we will be rewarded by Him, but we could be punished by our world today. We may suffer rejection or discrimination. Some of our friends and/or family members may shun us. We must honestly ask ourselves if we are prepared to pay the cost.

Today, as it was in Jesus’ time, he has many followers, but few disciples. For example, look at any church record of attendance or stewardship of time, talent and substance. What is the percentage of those who put Jesus first? There are still many people who seek the blessings but they are either not counting the cost or are not willing to pay it. In other words, they want the benefits but they do not want to pay the costs. Such people seek the cheap “no commitment” blessings he does not offer. Such seeking ends in disappointment and disillusionment. That’s why lots of his followers get discouraged with him in our day, just as they did in his day.  

The dangers of being Christian in a violent world have not passed. Recently a group of medical aid workers in Afghanistan were executed by the Taliban, the reason being that they supposedly had proselytizing materials in their possession. All of the victims were associated with the International Assistance Mission, a Christian organization which provided humanitarian relief and aid in Afghanistan for decades. The Taliban claimed they were killed as Western spies who were preaching Christianity; however, security forces in Afghanistan said robbery was the probable motive.

Jesus knew that just as he would be rejected, abused and killed by the world, that his disciples would also face extreme hostility and hatred. Here are the fates of his original disciples:

1.      James, the brother of Jesus, and James, the son of Zebedee, were killed by mobs in Jerusalem.

2.      Matthew was run through with a sword in Ethiopia.

3.      Philip was hanged in Greece.

4.      Bartholomew was flayed alive in Armenia. In other words, his skin was stripped off of his body by whipping.

5.      Andrew was crucified in Achaia and Thomas was killed with a lance in east India.

6.      Thaddeus was slain with arrows and Simon the Zealot was crucified by the Persians.

7.      Peter was crucified upside down by the Romans.

8.      John died alone on the island of Patmos.

Greatness means there is a price to be paid. It always has meant that and always will mean that. Jesus knew that if his disciples could reject the earthly ties that bound them to human allegiances and loyalties first and foremost, then they could focus their faith and draw their strength from God’s power, love and kingdom. 

Some of you may have heard of a Baptist minister by the name of Dr. Charles F. Stanley. He is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and the president of In Touch Ministries. His church services are televised worldwide on the program “In Touch. He is also a world-renowned author. In fact, the Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible is one of the many resources that I use when preparing my sermons. His motto is “Obey God, and leave all the consequences to him”. What this means is that if we choose to follow Christ, God will give us the strength and courage to face the consequences of our decision-both positive and negative. God will give us the courage to face adversity.

Our decision to follow Christ will involve huge sacrifices and the spending of vast amounts of energy and resources on serving our fellow man. This has been done by ordinary people. After all, God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Jesus’ disciples were ordinary people ranging from fishermen to a tax collector. God used Billy Graham, a farm boy from North Carolina, to create one of the greatest spiritual revivals on the 20^th century. God uses Billy’s son Franklin to ease the suffering of humanity through his work with the Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse. Billy Graham recently said that he feels called by God to preach again at the age of ninety, even if it is for one last time. Closer to home, God uses me and other volunteers, some of whom are from our own parish, to help ease poverty through the local food bank, which was started in the 1980s by the now-defunct local association of churches. God uses our rector to ease the plight of sailors on ocean-going vessels through his work with the Missions to Seafarers in the Port of Liverpool and Brooklyn.  

There is a movement abroad today by people who want a very different kind of Christ. This movement is called the Prosperity Gospel. Supporters of the Prosperity Gospel emphasize that Christ wants to make his followers wealthy. A billboard for a revival by evangelist Benny Hinn promised “Business Breakthrough: Special Prayers for Your Business & Finances.” The Prosperity Gospel is a movement that started in the United States and has spread throughout the world. People find it attractive because it promises material rewards for discipleship. It tells them that Jesus will make them wealthy, BUT Jesus said, “None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.” What he meant is that we cannot be his disciples if we allow the God-space at the centre of our lives to fill up with the love of money or material goods.

Jesus does not promise that our walk of faith will be easy. To paraphrase the title of a song recorded by Loretta Lynn, Jesus never promised us a rose garden here on earth. In fact, he makes it quite clear that there will be a cost. At this point in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, and he knows that when he gets there he will be arrested, tried and crucified-a sacrifice that he has to make so that we can be restored to a relationship with God. Now God is not calling us to make this kind of sacrifice like Christians in the Third World often have to do. He is also not calling us to sell everything we have and lead a life of a travelling missionary, although some great souls such as Mother Theresa have done that in the past. Most of us have far too many responsibilities to do that, but we can take some small steps in that direction. We can do things such as donating extra clothes or furniture that we don’t need to the poor or by donating time and money to help the less fortunate in our community. For example, the local food bank has seen the demand for its services increase at a faster rate than the increase in donations. The situation has reached the point where the food bank has almost run out of money and has had to discourage people from using the food bank.   

Jesus calls on us to look again at those society sees as “outcasts” and see them as valued members of society. He himself was considered by many people, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees, as an “outcast’. His life and death placed him with the outcasts. Those who believe in him and his life, death and resurrection are often considered by our society to be outcasts because they, like Jesus, choose to go against society’s rules.

When Jesus said that we must “hate father and mother”, he was talking figuratively, not literally. Good thing, because that would mean disobeying the commandment to honour our parents-a commandment that I take seriously especially with my dear, sweet mother (and especially if I want to continue living at home!). As I mentioned earlier, what Jesus means is that we must have a secondary attachment to everything in our lives except Jesus. He must be our number one priority. Even then, there will be times when we will have to make choices that put our discipleship in the line. There will be times where we will have to say “No” to what seems to be alternative or easier ways of doing things. There will be times where we will be tempted like Christ was when he was in the wilderness. Following Christ is not a guarantee of a conflict-free life. In fact, Jesus was quite capable of blistering verbal assaults and even violence when he drove the money-changers out of the temple. In the words of General Dwight Eisenhower when he addressed the troops on the eve of the D-Day invasion in World War II, “There will be no victories at bargain-basement prices”.  

The most famous book on the meaning of discipleship, which is entitled “The Cost of Discipleship”, was written in the 1930s by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was a German pastor and theologian who tried to lead his church in resistance to the Nazis and was martyred in 1945 at the Flossenberg concentration camp for his part in a conspiracy to murder Adolph Hitler. Bonhoeffer wrote these words in the book, “Where will the call to discipleship lead those who follow it? What decisions and painful separations will it entail? We must take this question to him alone who knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ, who bids us follow him, knows where the path will lead. But we know that it will be a path full of mercy beyond measure. Discipleship is joy.”

Jesus does not promise us material wealth if we follow him, but he promises us a wealth beyond anything we can dream of in terms of material goods. His wealth is the wealth of the Holy Spirit and the wealth of heaven. God and Christ are willing to share this wealth with us. There is a hymn in the Common Praise hymnbook entitled, “Will You Come and Follow Me”. All we have to do to receive Christ’s wealth is to say “Yes” and follow him in faith. As a result, our earthly journey may be hard, but when we get to heaven, we will find that the streets of gold are waiting for us-and they don’t have any potholes either!

Thanks be to God, AMEN

Bibliography

1.      Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New American Standard Version

2.      Steve Berneking, Ph.D., “Do You Know What You’re Getting Into?” Retrieved from www.ezinearticles.com

3.      Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 23^rd Sunday, Year C” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

4.      Neil Ferguson, O.P., “A Sword, Not a Bathrobe”. Retrieved from www.torch.op.org

5.      Rev. Dr. Leslie Holmes, “Discipleship is Demanding”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

6.      Exegesis for Luke 14:25-35. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

7.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch Bible Software package

8.      Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch Bible Software package

9.      Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Wordsearch Bible Software package

10.  Rev. John Thomas, UCC, “No Joy for Those Unwilling to Accept the Cost”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

11.  Rev. David E. Lenninger, “The Danger of Discipleship”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org.

12.  Dan Clendenin, “When the Fairest Cut is the Deepest: The Risk of Renunciation”. Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net

13.  Ron Lavin, “Counting the Cost of Discipleship”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

14.  Carveth Mitchell, “I Voted for God”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

15.  Leonard Sweet, “Low Carb Christianity”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

16.  James Merritt, “Nothing Great Happens Without It”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

17.  James Merritt, “The Kingdom is Not K-mart”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

18.  John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource-Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C