Sermon – Jeremiah 1:4–10 Chosen By God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Jeremiah 1:4–10 Chosen By God

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

August 21, 2016

            I beginning today a sermon series entitled “Jeremiah, Prophet to the Nations.”   Jeremiah spoke to the nations of the world at a time of turmoil.  And with war, violence in our streets, and global terrorism we too live in a time of turmoil.  And so today the nations of the world need to hear from God.  They need a prophet who will lead them through this time of death and destruction into the new thing that God is about to do.  Jeremiah’s words and actions have been written down and preserved for us for such a time as this.  And we will get to them, but first let’s pray.

            “Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification.  Amen.”   (John Calvin)

            The seventh century before Christ began during the time of Assyrian domination of large territories including Judah and it’s capital, Jerusalem. The Assyrian empire had dominated the region for generations.  The Kings of Judah, although descended from David, were little more than puppet rulers.  They even allowed the Assyrians to place carvings of their gods in the temple Solomon had built in Jerusalem.  The Lord God of Israel had almost been forgotten.

            But by the end of the 7^th century Assyria was in decline.  And for a brief moment the nation of Judah was free.  God raised up for the nation a great king.  His name was Josiah.  Josiah took advantage of their newly found independence to restore the Jerusalem temple.  The old Assyrian idols were removed.  And during the renovations a scroll was found in a storage room.  When they opened the scroll they read these words.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

            They realized that the Lord God of Israel was actually the creator of the world. They brought the scroll to King Josiah and as they read it they realized also that this was the long lost book of the law of Moses.  They realized that the nation had stopped obeying God’s law.  There were no annual feasts and festivals as proscribed by God.  There was no worship.  Children were not being taught God law.  And so Josiah ordered that the law, the Torah, be read and obeyed throughout his kingdom.  And a renaissance of faith in God began.

            But the political independence of Judah was not to last.  Pharaoh led the army of Egypt north to capture the nation of Judah.  They wanted to engage in the lucrative international trade that came up the Kings Highway from Ethiopia through Egypt, passing Jerusalem before heading toward Damascus.  They also wanted the Mediterranean port of Joppa.  In 609BC Egypt and Judah met on the battlefield.  King Josiah was killed and his army destroyed.  Judah became of vassal state of Egypt.  Pharaoh placed Jehoiakim on the throne in Jerusalem.  But this did not bring peace to region.

            General Nebuchadnezzar led the army of Babylon against the Egyptians and defeated Pharaoh in the decisive battle of Carchemish in the summer of 605BC.  At the conclusion of the battle Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon to be crowned king.  Judah became a vassal state of Babylon.  On March 16, 597BC Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, surrendered to the Babylonian army.  Jehoiachin was exiled to Babylon along with thousands of Judeans.  Left behind were the poor and needy, the widows and orphans, the disabled and anyone Babylon didn’t want.  And Babylon installed Zedekiah as their puppet King of Judah.

            Into this situation God sent a prophet to the nations.  Let’s see how God called him to this work.

Jeremiah 1:4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

    before you were born I set you apart;

    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

            God had chosen his prophet for the nations before he was even born.  Jeremiah was to be an important part of God’s plan for the world.  Jeremiah was chosen to bring God’s word, and what God reveal to him, to the nations of the world.  Jeremiah had been chosen as a prophet.  And God’s decision to choose Jeremiah came even before he was conceived in his mother’s womb.  God had already chosen Jeremiah when he created the world.  Jeremiah was to be an important part of God’s purpose and plan.

            God has a plan for the world.  And we are part of that plan.  The part we will play was chosen for us by God before we were born, before we were conceived, before creation itself.  We were selected to do something very important for God.  This is what Calvin called predestination.  We are predestined by God to serve in His plan for creation.  Predestination in no way limits our freedom.  We are free to choose to ignore God if we want.  We can choose not to be part of God’s plan.  But why would we?  There is a purpose for our lives.  That purpose is to be part of what God is doing in the world.  We live out our purpose in life by being a part of God plan.  If we walk away from God, then there is no plan and no purpose for our lives.  But if we follow God, and do what he says, then our lives have a purpose.   And with a purpose we have a reason for our existence.

            So let’s turn back to the book of Jeremiah and see what his reaction is to God’s purpose for his life.

6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

            Who?  Me?  I’m just a teenager.  I don’t know anything about being a prophet.  How can I be a prophet to the nations?  To which God responded:

7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

            So whatever God has planned for us, He will equip us to carry it out.  We will have the gifts we need to do what God wants us to do. 

            I was never a writer.  I went to college to study math and physics.  I managed businesses and worked with computers.  I never wrote for a living.  But God’s plan was for me to be a pastor.  So I was trained in seminary and nine years ago began writing sermons every week.  I am still not a real good writer.  But somehow each week God tells me what to say to you.  It took me long time to figure out how I fit into God’s plan.  But once I did I found purpose in my life.

            Nine years ago I was ordained by National Capital Presbytery as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  Let’s listen to young Jeremiah’s ordination to the office of Prophet to the Nations.

9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

            The message that Jeremiah is to bring to the nations of the world is that it is the Lord, God of Israel who created you.  And as your creator He has the ability to destroy you and create something new.  All kingdoms and nations and states are temporary.  They are created by God to achieve God’s purposes on earth.  So long as they are useful to God, God will sustain them.  But when a nation is no longer useful to God then it will be wiped away and replaced with something new.

            This message was to be delivered to King of Judah, who had the responsibility to care for the widows and orphans, the poor and needy, the disabled, all who Babylon had left behind.  This message was also to be delivered to the nations surrounding Judah, and the great Babylon itself.  God is the creator of all nations.  All nations have the responsibility of following God’s direction.  If nations are useful in carrying out God’s plan, God will sustain them. If nations choose to ignore God, God will destroy them and establish new nations in their place.

            This warning is for all nations of the world, even those that exist today.  God’s words as spoken by Jeremiah are for America.  We are to listen for God’s voice.  We are to be part of God’s plan.  God gives our nation a purpose.  If America is useful to God in rolling out His plan then God will sustain it with his mighty power.  But if America is no longer useful to God he will replace it with something that is. 

            This was the guiding principle of the original European settlers here in America.  They believed strongly that they had been chosen by God to settle this land.  And they believed that the land they were entering was the promised land, the land God was providing.  They saw themselves as participants in the plan God has for all of creation.  And so it was their faith that prompted them to settle a new land. Keep this mind as you select leaders for America this November.

            So what have we learned?  All of us and all the nations on earth are created by God for a purpose.  We are part of God plan, chosen before we were born.  If we are useful to God in implementing that plan God will sustain us.  If we are not useful God will destroy us and create something new. 

            I urge you to live your lives according the plan God developed for you before you were born.  Pray, worship and read the Bible to understand what that plan is for you.  And then lead your lives according to lives you were chosen to live.  Do this and your lives will be blessed, full and rich with promises.  Let’s pray.

            “Grant, Almighty God, that as thou hast not only provided for thine ancient Church, by choosing Jeremiah as thy servant, but hast also designed that the fruit of his labors should continue to our age, O grant that we may not be unthankful to thee, but that we may so avail ourselves of so great a benefit, that the fruit of it may appear in us to the glory of thy name; may we learn so entirely to devote ourselves to thy service, and each of us be so attentive to the work of his calling, that we may strive with united hearts to promote the honor of thy name, and also the kingdom of thine only -- begotten Son, until we finish our warfare, and come at length into that celestial rest, which has been obtained for us by the blood of thine only Son. Amen.” (Calvin http://biblehub.com/commentaries/calvin/jeremiah/1.htm)

Sermon – Luke 12:49–56 Fire on Earth

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Luke 12:49–56  Fire on Earth

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

August 14, 2016

            This will be my final in a series of sermons on Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God from chapters ten, eleven and twelve from the Gospel of Luke.  We have accompanied Jesus as he traveled through the Galilean countryside speaking to people living in small villages.  Jesus started teaching about evangelism and sent out seventy-two to prepare villages for his coming.  He told a story of the Good Samaritan to illustrate that even a distrusted minority could be kind and therefore you are to love them as your neighbor.  Jesus began educating women at Mary and Martha’s house and placed women in leadership positions in his ministry.  In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray that the needs of people be met and God’s will be done.  Jesus told the story of the Rich Fool, and explained that reconciling relationships is more important than economic security.  And Jesus talked about money, and how what we do with it effects our hearts.  All of these things challenge us because they form a new way of thinking.  This is the way we must think to live in the Kingdom of God.  But not everyone thinks this way.  And Jesus experienced great opposition from people who didn’t like his teaching.  We will get into this reaction to Jesus’ ministry, but first let’s pray.

            “Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification.  Amen.”   (John Calvin)

            Sometime during Jesus’ travels through Galilee his disciple Peter took him aside and asked him a very important question.

Luke 12: ⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

            Implied in Peter’s question is a criticism of what Jesus is doing.  People are complaining about what Jesus is saying.  And Peter is trying to find a diplomatic way of telling Jesus that his ministry is just not working.  Possibly Peter was thinking, “It would be so much better if Jesus would go back to healing and miracles.  The crowds were bigger and more enthusiastic.  Or, maybe Jesus could go back to preaching the way John the Baptist did about repentance for the forgiveness of sin.  People like that.  But all this other stuff, Jesus, people don’t want to hear.”

            When Jesus sent out 72 to do evangelism do you think everyone went?  I don’t think so.  Some of them probably complained, “I don’t like talking to strangers about Jesus.”  “Evangelism makes me uncomfortable.”  “I don’t mind listening to Jesus, but I don’t want to share what he says with others.”  What do you think Jesus thought when he heard these excuses from his followers?

            When Jesus taught that reconciling relationships was more important than economic security, do you think everyone agreed?  Some probably complained, “I can’t reconcile with him after what he did to me.”  “I won’t give her one dime of my money.”  “I promised I would never speak to him again, and I won’t.”  What do you think Jesus thought when he heard this?

            Then when Jesus taught them how to pray for the needs of people to be met in accordance with the will of God, do you think everyone immediately changed their prayers?  I don’t think so.  People kept on praying for things that benefit themselves but do not advance the Kingdom of God.  What do you think Jesus thought about this?

            What do you think the reaction was when Jesus suggested that Samaritans, if they are kind, could be your neighbor, and require your love?  Some might have said:  “Samaritans, they are all terrorists.”  “I could never trust one of them.”  “I think they should all be deported.” 

            When Jesus started teaching young women and using them in leadership in his ministry, do you think everyone liked this idea?  Martha sure didn’t.  And I think there were many others who might have said:  “I don’t like women pastors.”  “I hope our pastor nominating committee doesn’t choose a women for this church.”  “If a woman pastor comes here, I’m leaving.”  What do you think Jesus’ reaction was to this?

            And when Jesus talked about money, and how we should use it not to satisfy our hearts’ desires, but to care for others thus changing our hearts, what do you think was the reaction?   Maybe someone said:  “Money for the poor is wasted, it just builds dependence.”  “The poor are gaming the system.”  “They don’t need my money the government takes care of them.”  What do you think Jesus would say about this?

            None of these reactions to Jesus’ teaching are in the Bible.  So, how do I know that Jesus heard these complaints.  Well, the way I know is that I have been preaching from this pulpit the same thing Jesus was saying and these were the reactions I have heard.  And if Jesus’ teachings caused this kind of reaction when preached in Ocean City, the same reaction probably happened to Jesus when he preached the same thing in first century Galilee.  And if this is the case let’s listen to Jesus’ answer to these complaints. 

Luke 12:⁴⁹ “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! ⁵¹ Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. ⁵² From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

            I think you can hear the disappointment in Jesus’ voice.  He has come to inaugurate the Kingdom of God.  He is just about to go through a trial and death on a cross.  And now, his ministry on earth is in shambles.  Some people are responding to his message, but many are not.  And this is causing great division in families, as it causes division in families and churches today.  Not everyone is happy about the Kingdom of God.

            But Jesus has a solution to this.  And here it is. 

Luke 12:⁴² The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.⁴⁸ But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

            Jesus has told the church what to do as it waits for his return.  We are to evangelize others; share our faith in a way that brings them to faith.  We are to love our neighbor, even Muslim neighbors who are kind to us.  We are to accept women in ministry.  We are to pray that the needs of people be met.  We are to reconcile with people who hurt us.  And we are to use our money and resources to care for those in need. 

            If we fail to do these things we deserve punishment when Jesus returns.  But if we are obedient to Jesus in these things, he will give us much more to do when he does return.  Don’t get complacent thinking that Jesus’ return is far off, and there is nothing you need to do right now.  Jesus could return today.  And if that happens, how are you going to explain the state of this church and the Kingdom of God as it exists today?

            And that brings us back to Peter’s original question.

Luke 12: ⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

            Maybe these things that Jesus is talking about don’t apply to us.  After all don’t we hire a pastor to take care of this for us.  Our pastor can evangelize for us.  Our pastor can deal with people of other faiths.  Our pastor can work with women pastors in the presbytery.  Our pastor can pray for the needs of people to be met.  Our pastor can help people to be reconciled.  And our pastor can worry about how money is spent.  We hire a pastor to do these things so we don’t have to.  Right?  Well, here is Jesus’ response. 

Luke 12: ⁵⁴ He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. ⁵⁵ And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

            Jesus wants things to change.  The Kingdom of God is here with us.  And we, his followers, are to transform the world.  My job is to teach you what the Kingdom of God is like.  As followers of Jesus, all of us have the responsibility of making it a reality.  Much work has been done and much more is required.

            So what have we learned?  We are responsible for sharing our faith with others.  We are to love as neighbors the Muslims in our community.  We are to accept women in all areas if ministry.  We are to pray that God will meet the needs of people.  We are to reconcile our own broken relationships.  And we are to use our money to care for others so that our hearts become more generous.  When Jesus returns he wants to see us doing all of this.  And if he does we will be blessed with so much more. Let’s pray.

            Lord Jesus, you have blessed us so much.  You have given us this church and the community we live in.  You have taught us how to care for your creation.  Help us.  Be with us.  Give us what we need to accomplish your desires.  We pray this is your strong name.  Amen.  

Sermon – Luke 12:32-40 – Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Luke 12:32-40 – Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

August 7, 2016

            We are continuing today with our walk with Jesus from village to village in Galilee and Judah.  Seventy-two of Jesus’ followers have been sent out in groups of two to prepare villages for Jesus’ arrival through hospitality and conversations.  We have learned that we are to love our neighbor, and our neighbor is anyone, even someone of another faith, who is kind to us.  We have learn to pray that the needs of people will be met, and that we should always pray in accordance with God’s will.  And we have learn that forgiving and reconciling with people is far more important than our own economic security.

            Today we will hear Jesus’ teaching about money.  And, as you might expect, Jesus’ idea about money is quite different than ours.  This is because in the Kingdom of God everything is turned upside down.  We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

            “Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification.  Amen.”   (John Calvin)

            Today, here in America, people are filled with fears.  After a decade of slow economic growth our fears are on the increase.  Businesses are facing increased competition from abroad, higher taxes, higher minimum wages, and higher tariffs on imported goods.  The effect of this is a drop in profitability and consequently less hiring.  Also increased immigration has increased competition for the jobs that are available.  New college graduates wonder if the education they received actually prepares them for the job market they are facing.  More established workers wonder if their skills and experiences are still relevant today.  And retirees wonder if there are enough workers to support the Social Security retirement system and what government deficits will do to our retirement savings.  All of this causes our fear to grow.  And with growing anxiety, we need to hear from our savior.  So let’s listen to Jesus.

Luke 12: ³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

            You walk into your favorite store.  As you go up and down the aisles you see it.  It is beautiful.  It takes your breath away.  And you have the perfect spot for it.  But you walk away looking at other things, when, all of a sudden, you find yourself looking at it again.  You just have to have it.  So you look at the price tag, and quickly walk away.  It is way too expensive.  It doesn’t fit your budget.  There might be trouble at home if you buy it.  But you have to buy it.  You have the perfect spot for it.  It will look so good there.  So you buy it.  And when you go home you put it in its spot.  You look at it and experience a thrill.  It is so beautiful.  And it is perfect for this room. 

            A few day later you have some friends over for tea.  You hope they will notice it and how beautiful it is.  When no one notices it you pick it up and show it to your friends.  They agree, it is beautiful.  And you have found the perfect spot for it.  Everyone is overjoyed.

            Then a few months pass with it proudly on display until one day when something seems wrong.  It is beautiful, just not as beautiful as before.  And it really doesn’t fit that spot very well any more.  So you move it to a less conspicuous place in the house and put something new in that spot. 

            A few years pass and you notice it collecting dust on a shelf.  It is so old and really doesn’t do anything for you anymore.  So you pick it up and put it in the attic until you find someplace to put it.

            A few decades pass and your daughter comes over to help you move into a retirement home.  She is cleaning out your attic and finds it.  She remembers growing up with it.  And she brings it to you, and asks if you want to bring it.  You don’t want that old thing in your new apartment.  So you put it in the church’s rummage shed where it will be sold for $1 and the proceeds used for local missions.

            This is the way the world usually works.  Where your heart is, there your money will go.  If you value things you will spend your money on things.  If you value your retirement accounts you will save your money.  Whatever you value most, that is where your money goes.  And this is the place where wise preachers will tell you that if Jesus is in your heart then your money should go to the church.

            But according to Jesus in the Kingdom of God the opposite is true.  Our culture says, “where your heart is, there your money will go.”  But Jesus says, that in the Kingdom of God, “were your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Jesus tells us the opposite of what we normally think.  It works this way.  Usually we think that our wants and desires determine what we buy.  But Jesus says what we buy effects our wants and desires.  If money follows your desires then you will buy things that you want.  But what happens if desires follow spending as Jesus suggests?

            Suppose you gather up all the things you have acquired and sell them and then give the money to people who need it, the poor, the homeless, any person living on the margins of society.  What would this do to your heart?  Your heart would soften.  You would become kinder and more generous.  The way your spend your money effects your thoughts and feelings.  So by giving your money to those who need it you become a different person.  You are transformed.

            But, of course we can’t do that.  We love our money.  We love the things we can buy with it.  But money can be lost and things wear out and get old.  They no longer bring you pleasure.  But if you work alongside God, to care for the ones God loves, if you give your money away to those who need it, then you experience great joy, and your fears melt away.  Here is how Jesus put it.

Luke 12:²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds  ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^[b]? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith  ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

            To seek the kingdom of God, we spend our time and resources to care for those in need.  And as we spend our money to care for others our hearts change, our fears go away, and we become more and more like Christ. Jesus says that we become servants of the kingdom.  And as servants we will be richly blessed by God. 

            Listen to this story about St. Francis.  St. Francis was the son of a nobleman and desired fame and glory.  But God had something different in mind for his life.  One day while St. Francis was praying, Jesus spoke to him from the crucifix on the altar of the church.  Jesus said, “Francis, do you see that my house is in ruin.  Go and restore it for me.”  When Francis heard these words from Jesus, he knew what he had to do.  He stole some fabric from his father’s shop and sold it.  Then he used the money to repair the church.  Of course Francis’ father was angry and called the police.  After months of hiding, Francis presented himself to the bishop.   The bishop said to Francis that he had to restore the money he had stolen from his father.  Francis stood there calmly without fear.  Something had changed in his heart.  He was like a new man.  Francis stood up before the bishop and announced that he was a servant of God.  All of his money belonged to God.  And then Francis removed all his clothes and threw them and what money had on the floor in front of the bishop and his father.  C.K. Chesterton described the scene in this way:

“ “He went out half naked into the winter woods, walking the frozen ground between the frosty trees; a man without a father.  He was penniless, he was parentless, he was to all appearances without a trade or a plan or a hope in the world; and as he went under the frosty trees, he burst suddenly into song.”

           

            St. Francis gave up everything he had.  He lost his old life of privilege.  But he gained a new life.  He shared everything he had for the rest of his days.  And he lived a life of joy.

(https://chapel.duke.edu/sites/default/files/RogerOwens08-11-13.pdf)

            If we give up what we have, God will care for us.  Jesus put it this way.

³⁵ “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. ³⁸ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 

            Jesus’ promise is that if you care for the marginalized with your treasure, then you heart will change, your fears will go away, and God will come to take care of you.  The image Jesus has given us is that of God putting on an apron and serving a banquet to us.  We, who care for others, are cared for by our God.  This banquet, with God as the chef, will occur in the future, and is remembered by us every time we gather around this table.  This is the Lord’s table.  He has prepared for us a great feast.

            So what have we learned from Jesus today.  First, where our treasure is there our hearts will be.  So use your money for God’s purposes, and your hearts will be transformed.  You will become kinder and more generous.  Your fears will go away.  And God will take care of you.  Let’s pray. 

Sermon – Luke 12:13-21 The Rich Fool

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Luke 12:13-21  The Rich Fool

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

July 31, 2016

            During this past month we have been accompanying Jesus as he travels from town to town.  Seventy-two disciples were sent out to prepare villages for his coming through conversations and hospitality.  He has started to educate women as well as men so that women may hold leadership positions in his ministry and church.  Jesus has taught us that people of other faiths are to be loved as neighbors if they are kind.  Jesus has taught us to pray for the needs of people will be met, that their sins and debts will be forgiven, and that their faith will grow.  Today he will extend his teaching on forgiveness.  And we will find that our true joy and happiness comes from forgiving others and reconciling relationships.

            In today’s culture we believe that happiness comes from a lack of conflict.  We are happy when we have enough money in the bank and insurance to take care of all possible needs.  Our favorite government program is Social Security which we hope will give us happiness when we grow old.  But before recent generations, people did not live secure lives.  They experienced great difficulty and hardship.  They had many life threatening problems.  Happiness for them was not about living secure lives.  They would not know what that meant.  For our ancestors, happiness was the result of overcoming obstacles to life.  Let me tell you a story about the need to overcome obstacles.

            There was once a young boy raising silk worms.  He had them in a shoe box and he watched as the worms covered cardboard cutouts in the box with newly made silk.  Then one day the silk worms began spinning a silk cocoon for themselves. And then one day the little boy watched as butterflies began to emerge from the cocoons.  He was concerned that the butterflies were having great difficulty getting out of the cocoons, and he wanted to help them.  So he asked his mother if it was ok to help the butterflies exit their cocoons.  She told him to help two butterflies exit, but to leave the others alone.  So the little boy helped two of the butterflies escape their cocoons.  As he watched what happened he made a very interesting discovery.  The butterflies he had not helped grew strong and began laying eggs for new silk worms.  But the butterflies he had helped never grew strong and eventually died.  What happened?  The silk worms need the struggle of getting out of the cocoon in order to experience the great joy of being a butterfly.  (https://soundcloud.com/rabbi-daniel-lapin-show/struggling-striving-is-superior-to-safety-security-72316)

            The same is true for us.  Leading dull secure lives with no conflict prevents us from experiencing great joy of overcoming problems and watching God at work.  Today we will look at a person dealing with personal problems with his brother.  He hopes that economic security will be the answer.  But Jesus knows that economic security is not the path to happiness. And  so we will see how Jesus helps him to experience great joy.  We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

            “Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification.  Amen.”   (John Calvin)

            Luke 12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”

            A person in the crowd has come to Jesus to settle a dispute with his brother.  They had an argument over inheritance.   And since economic livelihood and land we tied together that wanted the dispute settled.  It was common for a rabbi to serve as a judge and settle simple disputes.  And so Jesus gives him a standard rabbinic answer.

15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

            Jesus realizes that the issue presented by this young man was not really about money.  He and his brother had far deeper issues.  Solving the inheritance problem would not solve the real problem.  Jesus was more concerned about this man’s relationship with his brother than with the distribution of inheritance.  And to help heal the relationship between these brothers Jesus told them a story.

16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

            Jesus’ story reminds us of the story we heard earlier from the book of Genesis.  In that reading Joseph had interpreted a dream indicating that there would be seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of famine in Egypt.  So Joseph was put in charge of grain storage for the Egyptians.  He stored mountains of grain in large warehouses for seven years.  Then when the famine hit there was plenty of grain for everyone to eat.  Joseph had done a very wise thing.  He had allowed God to use his abilities to save the people from starvation.  Like Joseph the farmer in Jesus’ story also did a very wise thing.  He built bigger barns to store his excess grain so that there would be plenty in dry years to come.

            But that is not at all what happened.  Let’s listen as Jesus continues his story.

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’  21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”      

            So according to Jesus this farmer was not wise in building barns to store excess grain.  Jesus said he was foolish.  So what is happening here?  How can Joseph building grain storage barns be wise, but this farmer doing the same thing is a fool?  Let’s go back to the Joseph story and see if we can figure this out.

            When the seven years of famine came it effected not just Egypt but the surrounding countries as went.  The draught effected Canaan.  And so Joseph’s father sent some of his sons, Joseph’s brothers, to Egypt to buy grain.  Joseph had a very difficult relationship with his brothers.  His father had favored him and gave him a richly decorated coat.  And Joseph had dreams of becoming the head of the family.  This infuriated Joseph’s brothers to the point that they staged his death and sold him into slavery.  As you might imagine, the relationship between Joseph and his brothers was not very good.

            And so we now know why Jesus has told this story about bigger barns and excess grain.  He wants the young man who asked the question about inheritance to think not about money, but about his relationship with his brother.  Like Joseph, this man has a conflict with his brother.          So let’s see what happened to Joseph.  When the draught hit Canaan, Jacob sent some of his sons to Egypt.  When they arrived they did not recognize that it was their brother Joseph who was in charge of distributing Egyptian grain.  Joseph could have sent them away to certain death from starvation.  And he was probably tempted to do just that.  But he didn’t.  He welcomed his brothers and not only gave them the grain they needed, but also land where they could sustain themselves.  Joseph could have cursed his brothers who had sold him into slavery, but he didn’t.  He blessed them and forgave them.  And Joseph gave all the glory to God.

Genesis 45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.[a]    

            God took the evil of Joseph’s brothers and used it for good.  Joseph realized this and forgave his brother.  And so they all experienced the great joy of reconciliation.

Genesis 45:14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them.

            And so we see why the farmer in Jesus’ story was so foolish.  He was foolish not for building barns and storing grain.  He was foolish because unlike Joseph he never reconciled with his brothers before he died.  This was a warning for the young man who had come to Jesus to talk about inheritance.  Jesus warned him to go and be reconciled with his brother before it was too late.  Go and forgive your brother, and like Joseph experience the great joy of reconciliation before you die.  Do this and like Joseph you will be very wise.

            In worship we come into the presence of Jesus.  And we bring with us all of our failed relationships, our angers and our hurts.  And we ask Jesus to deal justly with our enemies.  But Jesus wants us to go out of here and forgive our enemies.  And through this Jesus wants us to experience the great joy of reconciliation.

            So as you prepare for your future, invest in your IRAs and 401k programs.  Meet with a financial advisor and make sure that you will have a secure retirement.  But the most important investment you can make for your future is to forgive those who have wronged you and seek reconciliation.  Your retirement investments will only give you comfort and security.  Forgiveness and reconciliation will give you great joy.

            The silk worms needed the struggle of exiting the cocoon to experience the joy of being a butterfly.  You need the struggle of forgiving people you are angry with to experience the great joy of reconciliation that God is providing you.  Let’s pray.

            Heavenly Father, we thank you for the blessing of forgiveness.  We thank you for the economic security we enjoy.  Help us to experience great joy of forgiving others and reconciling broken relationships.  We pray this in the name of Jesus who forgave us and reconciled our relationship with you.  Amen.