Sermon – Jeremiah 1:4–10 Chosen By God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Jeremiah 1:4–10 Chosen By God
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
August 25, 2019

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 7th century, Assyria was in decline.  And for a brief moment, the nation of Judah was free.  God raised up for this 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 1 In the beginning when God created[a] the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God[b] swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good, and God 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.

When they read this, they realized that the Lord God of Israel was actually the creator of the world.  So they brought the scroll to King Josiah who read it. He then realized 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 a vassal state of Egypt.  Pharaoh placed Jehoiakim on the throne in Jerusalem.  But this did not bring peace to the 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 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you 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 revealed 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 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”

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,

7 “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says 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 twelve 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 a long time to figure out how I fit into God’s plan.  But once I did I found purpose in my life.

Twelve 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 put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me,
“Now I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to 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 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 to 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.

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 to 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 promise.  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 Psalm 80 – Make Your Face Shine on Us

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon Psalm 80 – Make Your Face Shine on Us
August 18, 2019

At some point in our lives, we will need a savior.  Our problems will get out of hand.  We won't be able to solve them.  We will look to others for help but it won't be enough.  And then we need a savior when there is no one else to turn to.

The list of problems we face as a church is endless and growing.  We have problems with ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders.  We suffer from chronic pain, birth defects, and incurable diseases.  We have friends and family with terminal diseases.  We have floods, and droughts, and hurricanes that cause damage.    We worry about our church, membership, and finances.  And are getting older every day.  Sometimes we can solve our own problems.  Sometimes we can solve our problems with the help of others.  And sometimes we need a savior.  Thankfully we have a savior, Jesus Christ.  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)

In the 8th century before Christ, the people of God were divided into two nations.  The southern kingdom was called Judah.  Its capital was Jerusalem.  And in Jerusalem, there was a temple for the worship of Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel.  The northern kingdom was called Israel.  Its capital was Samaria.  The people of the northern kingdom worshiped golden calves erected by the king at religious shrines in Bethel and Dam.  Israel had abandoned the worship of their God, Yahweh, and worshiped other pagan gods. 

The northern kingdom, Israel, needed a savior.  The Assyrian army arrived and encircled the capital.  They were threatening to destroy the nation.  Israel could not save itself.  And there were no neighbors powerful enough to save them either.  The gods they worshiped were completely ineffective.  They needed someone to come and save them.  They needed a savior, but who? 

Then they remembered the God they had worshiped generations before.  A God who had saved them in similar circumstances.  Unfortunately, they had abandoned this God years ago.  But, maybe, he would remember his people.  Perhaps this God could be persuaded to help them again.  So a group was assembled to travel south to Jerusalem to ask Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel, for help.

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they made their way to temple to plead their case with God.  It was believed that God resided in the temple in a room called the Holy of Holies.  God's throne was a box, the arc of the covenant which the people of God had carried in the wilderness for 40 years.  Inside was the Law of Moses.  God sat on top of the box between the cherubim.  The group from the northern kingdom evidently entered the Holy of Holies to ask God for help.  This is what they said.

Psalm 80:1 NRSV Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!  You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth 2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.  Stir up your might, and come to save us!  3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

After generations of unfaithfulness, the people of the northern kingdom have finally returned to the God of their ancestors.  And they ask him for his presence with them as they face the Assyrian enemy.

We have this same hope for a savior.  We know that our God does not prevent problems from happening.  We have too many problems to believe that.  Rather than prevent problems our God promises to be with us as we face our problems.  The benefit of your faith is that whatever problem you face God will be there with you.  His face will shine upon you.  You have a savior who will come to your aid.  All you have to do is to call on him in prayer.

Then the people from Israel presented to God the prayers of their people.  Let's listen. 

Psalm 80: 4-7  4 O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?  5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.  6 You make us the scorn[a] of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves.  7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

They offered up prayers to God asking that God remember that the people of the northern kingdom were still his people.  They told God that his people were suffering.  And therefore God's reputation would suffer when others saw the suffering of his people.  God needed to come to save them to demonstrate his power to the world.  Otherwise, the Assyrians will defeat them and mock their God.  And so they asked God to save his people and to remember what he has done for them in the past. 

Psalm 80:8-14a  8 You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.  9 You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches; 11 it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River.  12 Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? 13 The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.  14 Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see;

They reminded God that he had saved his people from slavery in Egypt and had promised them the land they now occupy.  But now that very land that God had promised to them is occupied by non-believers.  The Assyrians now live in their cities and farm their farms.  So the nation's religious leaders pleaded with God to uphold his end of the covenant.  They begged God for his help.

Psalm 80 14c-19  have regard for this vine, 15 the stock that your right hand planted.[b]  16 They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down;[c] may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance. 17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself.  18 Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.  19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.

And so they are waiting for a savior:  God's son, who sits at God's right hand and comes to earth as the Son of Man.  The savior is the same as our savior, Jesus Christ.

Sadly, God ignored their plea and allowed the Assyrians to conquer the northern kingdom and resettle the people of Israel in other parts of their empire.   God ignored their prayer.  Why were their prayers ignored?  I think I know why.

Nowhere in Psalm 80 is there a prayer of confession.  At no time in their prayers to God did they admit that they had done wrong by worshiping other gods at the shrines of the golden calves in Bethel and Dan.   And they made no promise to stop these evil ways and return to their God.  All they did was to make demands on God and complain that he was not protecting them well enough.  And God responded by ignoring them.  God wants a confession, a change of heart, and a return of his people to obedience and he didn't get it.

So, if we want a savior to come when we need a savior we must confess our sin and change our behavior from evil to good.  If we confess and repent and turn to God, then God will forgive us and send us a much-needed savior. 

And who is this savior that we wait for?.  When the priests of Israel entered into the Holy they cried out “Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.”, they were using a Hebrew world “leshua.”, which means save us.  The name of the Lord God of Israel was, “jah”,  which was shortened from Yahweh.  So they put these together,  “Jah shua”.   They cried out “God save us, Jah shua.   When this Hebrew word, Jah shua came into Latin became “Iesus”.  And the Latin Iesus came into Early Middle English as “Jesus”.  So the English name “Jesus” is the same as the Hebrew jah shua, God saves.  So who is the savior that we are waiting for?  Who is this Son of Man who sits at the right hand of God?  Who is this anointed one who comes to earth?  His name is Jah shua, Iesus, or Jesus.  Jesus Christ is the savior who is coming.  Let's pray.

Father in heaven we confess that we have not always followed you.   We have not always obeyed your commandments and followed your will.   We are sorry and promise to do better.   We ask Lord that our savior, Jesus Christ, shine his face upon us, be with us in our troubles, and save us.   This we pray in Jesus’ glorious name.   Amen. 

Sermon – Luke 12:32-40 – "Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Be"

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon – Luke 12:32-40 – "Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Be"
August 11, 2019

We are continuing today with our look at Jesus’ teachings in the Gospel of Luke.  Last week we learned 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.  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 it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, 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 days 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 anymore.  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.   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, “where 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 affects 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 you spend your money affects 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 He 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 clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And can any of you by worrying, add a single hour to your span of life?[d] 26 If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest?  27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;[e] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, strive for his[f] 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 for action and have your lamps lit; 36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

Jesus’ promise is that if you care for the marginalized with your treasure, then your 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. 

So what have we learned from Jesus today?  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 care for you.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, help us to change our perspective about money.   We allow our hearts to dictate where our money goes.   Help us to use our money for your purposes and through that change our hearts.   This we pray in Jesus’ name.   Amen.

Sermon – Luke 12:13-21 The Rich Fool

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon – Luke 12:13-21  The Rich Fool
August 4, 2019


In today’s culture, we believe that happiness comes from a lack of conflict.  We are happy when we are employed and can support our families.   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 silkworms.  He kept them in a shoebox and he watched as the worms covered cardboard cutouts in the box with newly made silk.  Then one day the silkworms 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 silkworms.  But the butterflies he had helped never grew strong and eventually died.  What happened?  The silkworms 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 the 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 their inheritance.   And since in their culture economic livelihood and land, were 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 this man 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?  Jesus said that he is not rich toward God.  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 affected 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, but Joseph knew who they were.  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 brothers.  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 anger, and our hurts.  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 silkworms 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 the 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.