September 19, 2004

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 16:1-13

“What’s It Worth?”  

     I had a friend in high school named Dave.  What a great name - easy to remember, too!  He was my lab partner in Chemistry class, so we did assignments together.  Well, truthfully, I sometimes did the assignments and Dave shared the credit.  He seemed to disappear when there was work to be done.  I wanted to get good grades and he just wanted to go along for the ride.  I didn’t think Dave would amount to much.  Today, he’s a multi-millionaire.

     Hmmm…so where did I go wrong?  Let’s see…Dave barely finished high school and didn’t go to college.  I got a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree.  Dave is making millions and well, you can take a look at the annual report to see what I make.  What’s wrong with this picture??

     Nothing, actually.  Dave and I just made different choices about how to live our lives.  We focussed our efforts in different directions.  I don’t know if Dave is satisfied and happy with his life, but I do know I love what I do and have no regrets and wouldn’t change places with him for anything, not even for all his millions.  But isn’t it interesting how two people who once sat side-by-side in chemistry class could end up in such different places later in life?

     Jesus loved to talk about life-altering choices.  The example he used in today’s lesson from Luke was one of an unscrupulous businessman trying to cheat his boss.  He was caught red-handed, but for some strange reason, his boss (who probably just as crooked as he was) praised his unethical behavior!  Jesus said, “And the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light!”

     Do you think he had a smile on his face when he said this?  I think so. Maybe he was laughing, too.  It was an odd little parable, a way to get the faithful to understand something about human nature.  What Jesus was saying was essentially this: “See how much trouble a person will go to save their skin?  See how much effort they’ll put into something for their own greedy gain?  Now just imagine if the faithful would choose to put that much effort into working for the kingdom of God!  Imagine if they would invest such time and energy for good purposes!”

     What are the choices we make?  How do we invest our lives?  Where do we put our efforts?  How is our time utilized?  What’s it worth to us, this thing we call faith?

     There are far too many people who know all the ins and outs of the stock market or Super Bowl statistics going back years and years or exactly what’s going on in the latest Survivor series, but who know practically nothing about faith.  What we know about God and where we go in our walk with Christ has everything to do with the value we place on faith.  This informs our decisions, sets the pace for our lives and determines our future for ill or good.

     We are blessed by the Savior’s unconditional love.  The cross and resurrection are the Lord’s free gift to us.  Even faith is a gift, a spark ignited by the Holy Spirit, but what we do with it and what it makes of us has a lot to do with decisions we make today, has a lot to do with how we value it.

     Rev. Lee and I compared notes a bit while writing our sermons this week, so I know she’s asking the members of Second Church this morning to look back on a few of the key personal decisions they made over the past five years.  She’s asking them to see how those decisions affected their lives and what those decisions had to say about their faith in God.  She’s also asking them to consider what it means be the Body of Christ in New London and how decisions made today might affect future generations.  Good questions.  Questions for them and questions for us.

     Decisions made by those who came before us have influenced us greatly.  They passed on understandings of God, family and the church, a sense of “place” in the community, both in terms of mission and this property.  They passed on many blessings and some burdens, too. 

     At our congregational meeting today, we will make important decisions that will affect the community we serve and those who follow after us. 

     Just as I charged the couple I married yesterday, “Do not enter into these vows unadvisedly, but reverently”, so I charge you today (and myself).  Let us approach our choices reverently, seeking in all ways to do God’s will.  Let’s put our hearts together, put our faith into this, investing ourselves fully in the task before us.  Doing this, we can trust that not only our will, but God’s will, will be done.  If we place such value on today’s decisions, then Christ’s church will grow and thrive and lives will be blessed today and in the future.

     Mother Theresa said, “We are not called to be successful, but faithful.”  As we consider now where we go from here, how we are called forward from this moment, let’s remember that we are not called to have things come out our way, to win, to be a great success in the eyes of the world.  We are called to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ, to each other and those we serve. 

      “Whoever is faithful with very little is also faithful with much,” said Jesus.  In little ways today, we set the pattern for the great work God would have us do in the future. 

     God has great plans for us individually and as a congregation.  Thus, great faith will be required.  Approach your choices reverently and may the decisions you make bless those you serve today and those who follow after you.