SERMON
May my
words be your Word and my heart rest in you as I speak, O Lord. In the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
Today
is a time when the gospel can make us itchy and uncomfortable. Some of you are
already cringing internally. Because ever since the gospels were originally
read and talked about, preachers, interpreters and others have tried to take
away or soften the voice of challenge in what Jesus says. Unfortunately, if we
remove the voice of challenge, we also remove the voice of blessing. And the
voice of blessing is what prods us to think about why we are uncomfortable.
Jesus’
challenging voice is not easy for me to hear. And I imagine for most of you,
Jesus’ voice is not easy to hear either. Some people might call Jesus’ voice
our own guilt. Others might call Jesus’ voice the voice of a ridiculous and
radical Christianity that no one could be expected to follow. G. K.
Chesterton once wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found
wanting. It has been found difficult, and left untried.” Yet this difficulty
can be a blessing for us, if we are willing to really look at ourselves through
Jesus’ eyes.
Material
prosperity was seen as a blessing from God during Jesus’ time. This is what
caused the disciples to react with such astonishment to Jesus saying, “How hard
it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”[1] If
a sign of God’s blessing was material property and wealth, then why wouldn’t a
wealthy person have an automatic ticket to the kingdom of God?”
Wealth
may indeed be a blessing for us, but what does this mean for the person who
does not have that same material wealth? Does this mean God withholds blessing
from the people who line up for free food? Does this mean God withholds
blessing from the person who has no one from whom to inherit? Does this mean
God has withheld God’s blessing from what we so often refer to as “those
people:” immigrants, migrants, the poor, the under-educated, those with less of
anything than we have? It can, if we subscribe to the same thinking of Jesus’
time: that the more we have, the more God has blessed us.
What
if we think of a blessing as something for which there is a need? What if we
think of a blessing as something God has given us to give away? What if we
think of a blessing as something for which we
feel blessed, but which also has the potential to bless others?
Does
this make you uncomfortable? It certainly makes me uncomfortable. I think about
all the things I have that I consider a blessing. Then I think about sharing
them, and I am immediately sure I would rather keep them to myself. Yet if God
has blessed us with these things, then how are we called to use these things?
And if God has blessed us with these things, then how can we refuse to share our blessings, no matter
what the blessings are?
If
I have the blessing of family and friends, does this mean I can be family and
friend to someone who has none? If I have the blessing of a good job because of
my education, does this mean I can help others who have no job and no
education? If I have the blessing of good health, does this mean I can do
something for others who are crippled by ill health? If I have the blessing of
a beautiful, comfortable car, does this mean I can drive people who have no
transportation or are unable to drive? If I have money can I in faith and
generosity give to the church so God’s work can go on?
You
see what I mean, I expect. The big question becomes, are we truly blessed if we
keep that blessing for ourselves? The challenge of this morning’s gospel is
that we’re called to answer that question daily.
You
and I are made uncomfortable by knowing that Jesus asked this one man to go,
sell all that he had, and give it to the poor. We can justify and argue and
bargain with God, but the scripture still sits there, implacable, unmoving,
staring at us with Jesus’ face looking out between the pages. It’s a face that
today might say, “So you think you aren’t wealthy? How about going to
globalrichlist.com? Put in your annual income and your assets and see just where
your financial blessings come out on a worldwide scale.” I challenge you to do
just that: globalrichlist.com. And be honest about your assets.
Jesus’ face stares
back at us from between the pages of what we like to think is a book of old
things that happened far away and long ago. But instead this is a living book.
And in this living book is the face that says, “Do you believe you are blessed?
What are you going to do about it?” In this book is the face of Jesus who says,
“I walked the earth as flesh and died and rose again for you. What are you
willing to do for me and for the sake of my kingdom?”
In
the not-too-distant future, this church will be asking you to reflect on just
how blessed you are. And once you have done that reflecting, you will be asked
to share those blessings by pledging an annual amount to this church. I can
tell you from experience if you pledge with an attitude of scarcity and lack,
your giving will pinch you. If instead, you pledge in the knowledge you are
blessed and God’s abundance surrounds and sustains you, you will not miss what
you pledge.
Jesus’
face and Jesus’ words are indeed a challenge to us. His face and words make us
uncomfortable. The blessing of our discomfort can prod us to take up his
challenge. But this, above all, is what his face is: Jesus is the face of love.
Jesus is the face of blessing. Jesus looks at us in the same way he looked at
the man in this morning’s gospel: with love. Despite the man’s unwillingness to
do what Jesus asked, “Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” His is the same face
that looks at us. His are the same words that say to us: “Go, sell, give,
follow me.” AMEN.
The
Rev Nicolette Papanek
©2015
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