Good Shepherd Lutheran Church(elca)

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The Life that Really is Life

Pastor: 
Pr. John Gerike

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Sermon: September 25 and 26, 2010
“The Life that Really is Life”
 
 
 
The Bible readings today,
            and actually for several weeks,
                        have been talking about money.
            In fact last week’s Gospel reading
                        started with the same words as this week:
                                    “There was a rich man…”
 
 
So, I started wondering,
            how rich am I?
 And so I googled—How rich am I?
 
And I got a whole collection of answers.
            Based on the info I read—
                        --which could, of course, be wrong—
                                    --but was nonetheless interesting—
                        --when I typed in my annual income,
                                    for people in the United States,
                                                I’m about in the middle.
            Somewhere between the 40th and 60th percentile on income
                                    in the US.
 
 
Then, a couple of other sites
            looked at it from a global view.
 One was kind of fun.
            It said,
                        on the list of world’s highest salaries—
                                    --where would you rank?
            I’m somewhere around 60 million on the list.
                        Which doesn’t sound that rich,
                                    until you think about
                                                how many people there are in the world.
                        What’s that number?
                                    Over 6 billion.
                        So do the math.
                                    If I’m in the top 60 million,
                                                I’m in the top 1%.
            I suppose that sounds rich.
 
Another site figured it a little differently,
            our family was in the top 5%.
                        And what was interesting—
                                    --our income was 18 times that
                                                of what they called the typical person.
 
 
 
Now I don’t know which of those figures is closest to reality,
            but it does reinforce for me—
                        --that I am one of the world’s rich.
            And you probably are, too.
 
 
 
And from the perspective of the wealthy,
                        (one of the 60 million wealthiest in the world)
            there are a lot of things in the Bible
                        that make me uncomfortable.
                                    And in the readings for today.
                                                As we hear about the rich man and Lazarus.
                                                As we hear Paul talk about money in 1 Timothy.
 
 
I think we need to take seriously
            that money has the potential to be a challenge for us as Christians.
 I don’t think it’s automatic.
            I don’t think it’s always a problem.
                        But there’s a definite possibility.
 Wealth can make it hard for us to trust in God,
            because we have a tendency to rely on ourselves,
                        on our own possessions,
                                    on our own abilities.
            I know that’s a challenge for me.
  
 
I go through life
            with the illusion that I’m in control.
                        Or at least sort of in control.
            And every once in a while
                        God gives me a day,
                                    where it becomes clear
                                                that I’m not.
            Where things just aren’t going the way I want.
                        And as much as I want things to go a certain way,
                                                I can’t make it happen..
                        And as much as I fight against that,
                                    I think it’s healthy for me to know
                                                I’m not in control.
 
And that’s true for us with our money.
            We think we have it all figured out.
                        We have it all planned just so.
            And then the market crashes.
                        Or we have an unexpected illness,
                                                and the hospital bills start adding up.
                                    Or we lose our job.
                                                Or whatever.
            And we realize
                        that we’re not in control.
                                    And at that point,
                                                it becomes clear to us,
                                                            that we need something greater to rely on
                                                                        than our money.
 
 
God reminds us that we can’t serve two masters—
                        --we can’t serve God and money.
 And to the extent that money is our master,
            it’s a real problem for us.
 It’s not actually the money that’s the problem,
            it’s trusting the money.
 As we heard in 1 Timothy,
                        “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”
 
 
So what do we do?
            We’re rich.
                        And we’re Christians—
                                    --seeking to follow Christ.
 
So how do those two things fit together?
            Fortunately, Paul’s letter to Timothy deals with that.
                        Especially starting at verse 17.
 
So, if you would,
            turn to that verse and follow along.
 
 
As for those who in the present age are rich…
            Notice, he isn’t saying that there is no such thing
                        as a rich Christian.
            I find that comforting.
                        But if you are rich and a Christian, then what?
 
...command them not to be haughty.
            Another translation uses the term arrogant.
                        Don’t be arrogant.
            There is a tendency when things are going well financially
                        to think you must deserve it.
            You think, “I must be doing something right.”
                        And so the focus moves to self—
                                    --and again and again,
                                                we talk about one definition of sin being
                                                            curved in on ourselves.
           
            What might we do instead of being focused in on ourselves?
                        Might we be focused instead up and out—
                                    --up, figuratively, in thankfulness to God
                                    --and out, in care for our neighbor.
 
Perhaps part of this is blindness to those in need—
            --because we’re so consumed with ourselves.
                        It doesn’t seem like the rich man hated Lazarus.
                                    He just didn’t notice him.
                        The original language gives them sense (verse 20)
                                    that Lazarus was thrown down
                                                in front of the rich man’s gate—
                                    --maybe because someone thought the rich man could help.
                                                And day after day he didn’t seem to notice him.
           
              
Do we notice those who are in need?
                        Or are we too focuses, curved in on ourselves?
 
 
 
Paul goes on:
…or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches,
            but rather on God who richly provides us
                        with everything for our enjoyment.
 
What do you trust?
            God…or money.
 That’s a good question to ask
                        when things are going badly,
                                    when money’s tight.
            How do I feel then?
                        Am I really worried because the money is tight?
                                    If so, what does that say about what I’m trusting?
 
 And it’s also a good question to ask when things are going great.
            How do I feel?
                        Is my confidence in myself?
                                    In my money?
                                                In my plans for the future?
            If so, what does that say about who or what I’m trusting?
 
 
What is the First Commandment?
            You shall have no other gods.
 
And in the Small Catechism,
            Luther asks: What does this mean?
                        And the answer.
                                    We are to fear, love and trust God above anything else.
 
 
Do we?
            Well—sometimes yes, sometimes no.
                        But when we don’t,
                                    we are drawn back again and again
                                                to the one we can truly trust.
 
 
The one who provides for us—
            --for what purpose does it say right at the end of the verse.
                        For our enjoyment.
            Interesting.
           
 
 
 
Verse 18:
They are to do good,
            to be rich in good works,
                        generous and ready to share…
 
Paul points out
            that there is more than one way to be rich.
 He encourages us to be rich—how?
            Rich in good works.
            Rich in generosity.
            Rich in sharing.
 
 
I’m a budget person.
            Ruth—not so much.
 And I can be very generous.
            But especially when it fits in the budget.
                                    (And you budget people will understand this.)
                        If Ruth and I want to do something generous,
                                    and the budget says we can afford it—
                                                --I’m very generous.
                        But if Ruth suggests doing something generous,
                                    and the budget says money is tight—
                                                --that’s quite a stretch for me.
                       
 
What’s it like to follow Christ in generosity?
     Jesus was rich in many things—
            --probably not money.
 But he gave everything for you and for me.
            Gave even his life on the cross.
                        Gave everything.
                                    That’s an example that stretches my way of thinking.
 
 
 To give of ourselves,
            as Jesus gave his very self.
 
 
 
Verse 19:
…thus storing up for themselves the treasure
            of a good foundation for the future,
                        so that they may take hold of the life
                                    that really is life.
 
Great phrase.
            “So that they may take hold of the life
                        that really is life.”
 
 
I read something by Eugene Peterson a few years back,
            and I’ve shared this with some of you.
 He wrote about seeing a family of birds
            teaching the young to fly.
 3 young swallows were perched on a dead branch
            that stretched out over a lake.
 
One adult swallow got alongside the chicks
            and started shoving them toward the end of the branch---
                        ---pushing, pushing, pushing.
            The one on the end fell off.
                        Somewhere between the branch and the water 4 feet below,
                                    the wings started working,
                                                and the fledgling was off on her own.
                        Then the second one.
 
The 3rd chick was not going to be bullied.
            He fought the whole time,
                                    trying to stay on the branch.
            At the last possible moment his grip on the branch
                        loosened just enough to he swung upside down.
            And there he was,
                        hanging on,
                                    upside down,
                                                not willing to let go.
 
But the parent bird didn’t give up.
            He pecked at the desperately clinging talons
                        until it was more painful for the poor chick to hang on
                                    then risk flying.
            The grip was released
                        and the inexperienced wings started pumping.
            The daddy swallow knew
                        what the chick did not—
                                    --that it would fly—
                                                --that there was no danger
                                                            in making it do
                                                            what it was perfectly designed to do.
 
 
Peterson continues:
Flying is what a bird is designed to do.
            Giving is what we are designed to do.
                                    It’s what we do best.
            It’s the air into which we were born.
                                    It’s the action we were designed into before our birth.
            Some of us try desperately to hold on to ourselves,
                                    to live for ourselves.
 
Hanging onto the dead branch of a bank account or 401K for dear life,
            afraid to risk ourselves on the untried wings of giving.
   But the sooner we start the better,
            and the more we live life as givers the better,
                        because the more we wait and hesitate,
                        the less time we have for the soaring
                                    and swooping life of generous grace
                                                for which we were made
 
 
And as God’s grace day by day breaks through,
            we are able to live that life that really is life.
 
In Jesus’ name,
            Amen