The rich old guy died, and everybody wanted to know, casual acquaintances, total strangers, certainly the heirs. They asked the accountant, “How much did he leave?” So the accountant pulled out the file, worked the calculator keys, scribbled some notes, consulted the closing market numbers, referred again to the calculator, finally punched “enter,” and looked up. “He left – everything.”
Everything.
The
summer months give us Gospel readings from the middle of Jesus’ public career.
Having established a reputation for wisdom, an engaging style and – his own
take on things, he attracts crowds who want to hear more. He teaches. Today one
of the crowd provides the opening line, Teacher,
tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.
With
that, Jesus dives into one of his favorite subjects – money. Now he knows very
well that it’s a controversial subject. It was tearing that man’s poor family
apart. See, Jesus doesn’t follow our rules about polite conversation and
avoiding controversy. But he knows us. He knows why we make those rules. So
before he begins this lesson, he has already told us, Fear not! and before the day ends, he will acknowledge, in lines
that follow today’s gospel, Do you think
I have come to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather a sword!
So
why do we even give him a hearing? Why would we consider such an unpleasant
subject, let alone a downright divisive one?
He
tells us why. Fear not, little flock, for
it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
It’s
worth your time to go home and read the whole of chapter 12, to get the context
of the money, the fear, the conflict, and – the invitation.
Have
you ever taken it seriously, that you truly can live there, in the kingdom of
God? You just fill out your change of address cards, transfer your accounts,
and move in. You truly can do that. That is what this money issue is about.
Well
each month, usually two weeks before I am scheduled to preach, before I sit
down in front of the computer to work on my sermon, I like to look up old
sermons given on my text. I want to make sure I don’t repeat myself, unless
it’s on purpose. So that’s how I know that once I used the opportunity of this
text to talk about tithing.
Tithing
is one of my favorite subjects, because it is one of the spiritual disciplines
that changed my life. So I jump at most any chance to talk about it.
But
something occurred to me as I reread that old sermon. I don’t know if anyone
noticed it at the time, the people who heard it, but I noticed it this time –
tithing accounts for only ten percent.
The
greatest commandment is this, Love the Lord your God with all you mind and all
your heart and all your soul and all your strength. And Jesus makes it pretty
clear that that includes all your money, as well. But tithing is ten percent.
What about the other ninety?
See,
one of my spiritual temptations is that I like to please people, or in this
case, God. So I want to know, how much? What’s the assignment? Give me the job,
so I can do it. Ever since grade school, I have been good at assignments. I
satisfy my obligation, get my reward, and then I am free.
So,
see, I think tithing (besides changing my life, which I expect I will talk
about some other time) – I think tithing is excellent. In my spiritual
weakness, I’m paying off a debt, so I can be free from obligation. Pay my
tithe, okay, and my taxes, so I can take a break from concern about the people
who live in tents in the forest around Sisters and across the nation, because
their jobs, they do have jobs, don’t pay enough for them to make rent. But I have done my part. Go to church on
Sunday, so the rest of the week is mine. Say my prayers, so I can go back to my
Powerball fantasy. (That’s why trickle-down economics doesn’t work, by the way.
Once I have enough, and I do have enough, I still want more. The Bible calls
that idolatry, placing my allegiance on another god.)
Thinking
like that – I am not living in the kingdom of God. I’ve just got a weekend
rental. What would it take, actually to move in?
All
your mind, all your heart, all your soul, your strength, your possessions, all
your time.
What
does God want from me?
Oh
yeah – God wants – me.
God
wants me to box up my fears, fill out that change of address card, transfer my
accounts, and move in – to the kingdom of God.
Change
my nationality. I pledge allegiance to God the Father Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth. I pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ, his Son our Lord. I
pledge allegiance to God the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and the
Son.
The
author of the letter to the Hebrews talks about that country, and about those
who pledged their allegiance to it before they ever got there.
Remember
Noah, where his allegiance lay. He didn’t build that boat in his spare time. He
didn’t prepare for a weekend cruise. He moved in, lock, stock, and family pets.
Then
there was Abraham. He didn’t pack an overnight bag, take ten percent with him
out of Ur and into that unknown land, while the rest of his things, not to
mention his hopes and dreams were all safe in storage. It was a Ryder Rental,
filled to the brim. It was his whole life.
Faith
is not about ten percent, thought that is a sign of intent. It’s not about a
couple hours on the weekend, though sticking to that discipline does prepare
you.
Faith
is about, how am I going to spend every day in this book [calendar]? And every
penny in this one [checkbook]? My whole mind, my whole heart, my whole soul, my
whole strength, my whole self. Am I going to invest that in the kingdom of God?
Fear not, little
flock. For it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Are
we going to give our selves to God? Well, it depends. It depends on what we
want. Do we want to live in the kingdom of God? That place where God is the
Father of us all, and keeps an eye out for the children. And every day we
discover more children, and learn to see them as God sees them, our brothers
and sisters.
The
kingdom of God, that place where Jesus gives all, so there’s no assignment left
to do to earn the pat on the head. Just somebody to follow, so we can learn how
to live, from the one who knows how to get up out of the grave.
The
kingdom of God, that place where the Holy Spirit fills us up and gives us the
power to overcome that fear, because we are so filled up with the love of Jesus
that there isn’t any room any more for fear, just for love, the love that is
the power to turn this book, and this one, too, over to a much bigger project
than our accountant can count.
Imagine
sitting down with every check and asking, Will this check bring closer the
kingdom of God on earth? With this purchase at Freddie’s, to whom do I pledge my
allegiance? As I am filling out my date book, on this day, at this hour, is
this where I want the One to whom I am pledged to find me?
Fear not, little
flock. For it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
And
we can have it right now.
Imagine,
every penny you spend, imagine spending it on something that builds a world
where God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Imagine, every moment of
your day, imagine spending it in a way that makes that difference. Not wasting
a cent, not wasting a second, but living a life worth living for the humanity
we have been commanded to love and for the planet we have been given to tend.
That’s the life that God wants to give to you.
Life – as if – the kingdom were come. And it is come. You have already received your reward, a life worth living. And when you die, you leave – nothing. Nothing is lost to you. It is invested; it is part of the kingdom of God, your native land, your chosen home, the land you will never leave again.
See
you there.
photo of coffin by David Cantor in public domain
Tiffany window of Tree of Life in public domain
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