October 27, 2013

This is the final sermon post for the month. We usually have a guest speaker during our service on the last Sunday of October. He comes and talks about the work the Gideon International group does. If you have every been in a motel and opened the night stand drawer, then you have seen the fruits of their labor. Because of his participation in the service my sermon is a little shorter. It also has some sentences scattered in there that are reminders for me in case I need to adjust the length of the sermon right before I begin so this one might not be written as well as some of my other ones. In any case, I hope you have received some measure of blessing from reading these posts this month. Each sermon I prepare is based on something I need to hear so if I need it, perhaps someone else out there does too. 

Current Conditions

Jeremiah 29:4-14

October 27, 2013

⁴ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵ Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶ Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. ⁷ But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. ⁸ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, ⁹ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the Lord. ¹⁰ For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. ¹² Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.¹³ When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, ¹⁴ I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

The Word of the Lord

(Thanks be to God)

Usually when we hear the term “current conditions” we think about the weather. We might pull out our smart phone and click on the weather channel app and check to see what the temperature is outside. Just like it’s been cold here this weekend, so to were the hearts of the people of Israel toward God during the time of the prophet Jeremiah. His message was one of repentance initially but actually turned into a message of destruction. God told Jeremiah in chapter 1 that he was chosen before he was formed in the womb and that he was consecrated as a prophet even before his birth. Jeremiah was warned that his message would not be popular but that God would always be with him. So what was his message? That the nation would be conquered and people would be sent into exile from their homeland. All this is going to come about because of the actions of the people. The most heinous of them was their pattern of idolatry. They had made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. (Jer 1: 16) Because of this turning away from God He was going to bring their enemies from the north down to destroy Jerusalem and scatter the inhabitants. You can imagine that this was not a popular message to hear. Jeremiah was severely scorned for telling the people how bad they have been and how it is now time to feel the wrath of God’s judgment against them. He was forced on a couple of occasions to hide in fear for his life because the leaders of the nation were direct targets of Jeremiah’s writings and they were not happy about it.

How many of you would rather turn on the TV and hear someone talking about how blessed we are to live in this country and how we are blessed by God and everything is going great? All we have to do is keep doing what we are doing and just believe in God and all you troubles will disappear. Or would a message like we are sinning against the Lord by worshiping things other than Him and our time is coming when we will no longer be a nation and we will be conquered and sent from our homes be what you would rather hear? That is what Jeremiah was up against. The people didn’t want to hear his message. God had protected them in the past so they weren’t worried about it. The problem is they had turned from God with their worshiping habits so God was about to lift that protection from them. Jeremiah was letting them know that.

Edward Snowden is currently seeking asylum outside of the US for his actions in leaking documents about the US government. Now I am not comparing his actions with those of Jeremiah from the standpoint of right or wrong, but what I want you to think about is what Snowden is going through and how it compares to what Jeremiah went through. Both had some scathing things to say about the leadership of their country. Jeremiah very much loved his country and it pained him to see the people living in such a manner that God saw it necessary to exact judgment on them. Yet, he continued to deliver the message in spite of the dangers it posed to his own well-being. Snowden, right or wrong, is running under the same kind of fear for his safety because of his message. Jeremiah was a prophet of God. He was sent by God to deliver a message directly to the people. I don’t believe that Edward Snowden is a prophet of God. But you can get a sense of how Jeremiah felt when his countrymen, friends, and even family began to turn against him because of the destruction he was foretelling.

Our passage today contains a very popular verse, “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” When we single out that verse and focus only on it, it appears to give us a promise of a successful and pain free life. I do believe that this verse contains a promise to us today but we really need to look at it in the context of the rest of the writing to get a true sense of what all that promise contains. Our selection this morning is part of a letter written to the Jews in Babylon from Jeremiah contradicting what Hananiah, a self proclaimed prophet of God, had recently told them. Hananiah tells the people in exile that God is not going to leave them in this foreign land for 70 years as has been prophesied, but that he is in fact going to deliver them back to their homeland in two short years. He claims to be speaking on behalf of God and has a message that certainly is acceptable to the people. In the preceding chapter Jeremiah has an exchange with him over his prediction. He basically says that I hope you are right and the displacement only lasts two years, but I hate to tell you this, but that isn’t what God told me. Hananiah, then in a powerful display breaks the wooden yoke that is around Jeremiah’s neck and likens it to God breaking the yoke around the people that Nebuchadnezzar has on them. Jeremiah’s response is that the wooden yoke will now be replaced by a yoke of iron. He then goes on to predict the death of Hananiah with in the year. The last verse of chapter 28 tells us that he did die in the seventh month of that year. His death is the result of claiming to speak for God when he did not. That had to be disheartening to the exiles because their hope of a quick return appears to be dashed. So Jeremiah writes the letter to the exiles telling them how to live. He tells them to settle down, get married, marry off their children, and basically settle in for the long haul. This means that there are those among them that will never see their homeland again. 70 years is longer than most of them will live so put returning out of your mind and make the best of your current situation.

Story of Joseph sold into slavery as Biblical example of taken from homeland. It is all about perspective. From God’s point of view this was a good thing for the Israelites and Joseph came to understand that as well.

Speaking of perspective: Illustration: It’s something like what Coach John McKay of Southern Cal said to his team after they had been humiliated 51-0 by Notre Dame in 1966. McKay came into the locker room and saw a group of beaten worn-out and thoroughly depressed young football players who were not accustomed to losing. He stood up on a bench and said, "Men, let’s keep this in perspective. There are 800 million Chinese who don’t even know this game was played." That’s what you call perspective.
(SOURCE: Steve Farrar, "Family Survival in the American Jungle," 1991, Multnomah Press, p. 40.)

Imagine if in you were suddenly plucked from the United States and forced to live in Nazi Germany in the 40’s, or the Soviet Union in the last half of the 20^th century, or now taken to an Islamic Middle Eastern country and told you would be there 70 years so you might as well make the best of it. Jeremiah even goes on to say that the people should pray for Babylon and its success. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. These are not easy words to hear. Hananiah’s message was much better. However, his message was not from God. Jeremiah goes on to warn them not to listen to those diviners who claim to speak for God; they are deceivers and are not sent by God. But all is not lost for the people of Israel. What follows is that popular verse. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. The promise is to the nation of Israel that He will restore them to their homeland; that they will not cease to exist as a nation. Individually, there will be heartbreak and suffering. But as a nation they will rise again from their captors.

In closing, how does this apply to us today? One viewpoint is we are all exiles from that perfect homeland called heaven. While we spend our time here on earth we are to make the best of our current situation. If we look at it in more of a microscopic view, our present situation, where we live and work, who we associate with; we are in those positions because God has us there. We are to make the best of our current condition until that time that God sees fit to place us somewhere else. If you look back on your life and the journey you have embarked on, I think you will see those times in your life that didn’t make sense at the time but now have a clearer meaning because of where you are now. Sometimes there are things we yet do not see their value but God will show us in His time. God does surely know the plans he has for us and those plans are certainly for a future of hope, but He requires of us to make the best of our current condition, through both the good times and the bad times, until that time comes when we see His plan fulfilled.

Let us pray.

October 20, 2013

One of the responsibilities I have during the month of October is to lead our church in worship each Sunday. Our small church has a retired minister as our stated supply (Presbyterian term) who takes a sabbatical during October (a well deserved one I might add.) A few years ago he asked if I would speak in his absence and the rest, as they say, is history. I am going to attempt to post my sermons for this month here on this blog.

Disclaimer: What I am going to post is going to be a rough attempt at a transcript of what I actually say. Now I am creating this transcript before I speak so it isn’t really a word for word transcript. Also, when I write a paper I try to use sentence structure and vocabulary and all those things you learned about in school correctly. I do try and speak professionally as well but my point is don’t grade this as a writing, but as a speech. Even then I hope you get the point of the message and don’t get caught up in the grammatical issues. Feel free to comment.

Charge My Account

Philemon 1: 1-25

October 20, 2013

¹ Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, ² to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.⁴ When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God ⁵ because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. ⁶ I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. ⁷ I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.⁸ For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, ⁹ yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. ¹⁰ I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. ¹¹ Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. ¹² I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. ¹³ I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; ¹⁴ but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. ¹⁵ Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, ¹⁶ no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.¹⁷ So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. ²⁰ Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹ Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.²² One thing more—prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you.²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, ²⁴ and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.²⁵ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

The Word of the Lord

(Thanks be to God)

Once upon a time in their marriage, a man did something really stupid. His wife chewed him out for it. He apologized, they made up.
However, from time to time, the wife mentions what he had done. "Honey," the man finally said one day, "why do you keep bringing that up? I thought your policy was 'forgive and forget.'"
"It is," she said. "I just don't want you to forget that I've forgiven and forgotten."

As I researched this book I discovered a couple of different viewpoints on some of the details of the story. Things like Onesimus’ actual relationship with Philemon or how he came to meet up with Paul. I decided to take a particular approach which seems to be the most popular but no matter how you deal with some of the details of the story, I do not think the message of the book changes. As with all these Biblical stories whether they are actual events or parables, the purpose of including them in the Biblical Cannon is based on their inspiration and benefit to us as a guide to Christian living. So as we look at this passage this morning do not get hung up on details of the story but focus on the message of the letter. So what are some of those details?

The book or letter to Philemon was written by the Apostle Paul in or around 60 AD. It is considered one of the four prison epistles written by Paul. (Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians are the other three.) This letter is one of the letters attributed to Paul that most scholars agree was written by Paul. Many of his other letters are disputed as to the authorship, but not Philemon.

We have three main characters in this passage. First we have Paul, a leader in the Church who was currently in prison. As you know Paul was once a devout Jew and Pharisee who was a chief persecutor of early Christians. After his conversion, he became a great saver of souls and one of those he converted to Christianity was Philemon. Philemon, by all accounts was a wealthy man. He apparently had a house big enough to host the worship services of the newly formed church in Colossae. He and Paul were brothers in Christ but there was also that mentor-mentee relationship between them and therefore a great deal of respect between them. In addition to his material wealth he also had slaves. One of those was named Onesimus. Onesimus must have done something pretty bad so he ran away from Philemon. Perhaps he stole money or at the very least did something that caused Philemon to lose money. The letter never states exactly what he did but according to Paul in verse 11, “Formerly he was useless to you.”

Now that we know the main characters let us look at the letter itself. Paul, after an introduction, begins to commend Philemon for the work that he is doing in the church and how much joy it brings him to know of his love for the work they are both doing for Christ. Paul spends the first seven verses “buttering him up” for what comes beginning in verse eight. That is not to say that Paul does not genuinely believe all those nice things he said about Philemon, but they were strategically placed at the beginning of the letter. Then in verses eight and nine he makes a very bold statement, “For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, ⁹ yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Paul realizes that he is in a position of leadership within the church and has the right to demand that Philemon grant the request he is about to make. But instead, he appeals to him on the basis of love and on the fact that he is an old man who is in prison for doing the work of Jesus Christ. Even though he is not “forcing” Philemon to do something he is making it awful hard for him to resist. But it is still the choice of Philemon to make. As of yet, however, Paul has not even alerted him to what this request is going to be. Then verse ten, “I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.” There it is. Onesimus. Imagine reading this letter and from the beginning you are being told what a wonderful person you are and how much you are appreciated. After that introduction Philemon was probably thinking of course I’ll do what you ask Paul, as good as you have been to me it is the least I can do. Then he reads that name and all those happy feelings have now turned to anger. Here is a slave that caused him pain and loss and now he is being called a child of your mentor. Any number of thoughts could have gone through Philemon’s mind at the sight of that name and more than likely they were not good ones. Yet here is his mentor calling this man his son. Paul is not through. He realizes that this slave was once useless to Philemon but now claims that he is useful to both of them. He is sending his own heart back to Philemon. The question then becomes why is Paul sending him back if he finds him so useful where he is now? He answers that in the next verse. He could have pulled rank on Philemon and compelled him to free the man into his service but he chooses to give the choice to Philemon because he realizes how much more meaningful that would be. Think about it from the standpoint of someone offering you an apology. When someone is genuinely sorry for something and they come to you by their own accord, the apology just means more. When people are forced to apologize for something they said or did it loses some of its effectiveness. As a teacher I would much rather have a student recognize a mistake, take ownership of it, and apologize to me than sit in a parent conference and have the parent tell the child to apologize for their behavior. Sometimes it is helpful to have someone to point out the mistakes we have made so we then can seek forgiveness on our own. That is not even really what Paul is doing here. It’s not Philemon that has done anything wrong. In fact, it is his legal right to take back and punish the runaway slave. What Paul is trying to do is give him the chance to reject his legal right over Onesimus and recognize him as a brother in Christ. The letter never goes into what Onesimus said by way of apology or if he came to Paul remorseful or if Paul had to pull the confession out of him. Regardless of how it all played out between Paul and Onesimus, Paul now thinks of him as a son so he clearly believes Onesimus had adequately repented. Paul goes on to say in verses 17-19, “So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it.” It was common for Paul and other letter writers to have a scribe actually write for them while they would dictate the document. Here Paul either has written this whole letter himself or maybe even more powerfully just written that last statement in his own handwriting. Either way Philemon would have recognized his handwriting and understood Paul was serious about taking on this man’s debt. He begins to wind down the letter by saying he knows Philemon will do even more than he asks and asks him to prepare a room for him as he hopes to visit soon. Then the letter concludes by sending the greetings of his other companions.

That was kind of a brief overview of what this letter contains and we could go into greater detail about each sentence if we wanted to but there are a few main points I think this letter expresses and I would like to address. One is the issue of slavery. Let me just touch on this topic briefly as it relates to this letter. Many proponents of slavery in the past used this letter as justification for the practice. Interestingly, many opponents to slavery also pointed to this letter as a reason it should be outlawed. Paul and for that matter Jesus never directly attempted to abolish the practice of slavery. In the Roman culture during this time it was very common for rich citizens to own slaves. Jesus, and therefore Paul after him, did not take the approach of trying to end slavery by publicly admonishing it. Rather they tried to change the culture from within. Christian principals teach a lowering of oneself into service of others for the good of God’s kingdom. When we truly take on a position of service in our hearts then the thought of owning a person like a piece of property no longer seems like the right thing to do. As we mentioned before, Philemon was by all accounts a good Christian man and leader in the church in Colossae yet he had slaves. Since Paul is sending Onesimus back it appears that Paul is endorsing slavery and rightfully returning him to his master. But I think a closer examination of the text reveals the opposite. Paul chooses to use his method of persuasion to try and convince Philemon to forgive Onesimus and hopefully do more than that. What more could he do but change his status from runaway slave to brother in Christ? I believe we could have a much deeper discussion and theological debate on this topic but that will have to be saved for another day.

Another underlying theme of this letter is the relationship between two people and how that relationship affects a third person. Paul has that mentor status with Philemon. I can think of many examples of how there are people out there that have the kind of credibility with others that Paul has with Philemon. Imagine how many young baseball pitchers would show up to a clinic on pitching if the likes of a Clayton Kershaw or Justin Verlander were to be there. (Or for you baseball fans my age and older a Greg Maddux or Sandy Koufax.) How about a quarterback camp with Payton Manning or Tom Brady? (Dan Marino and Joe Montana) If someone like Charles Stanley or David Jeremiah or if you are not familiar with them, Billy Graham were to come and lead a Bible study, how many would come to learn? Now imagine that you had a personal relationship with one of those people and they came to you personally and asked you to do something. Would you be able to refuse? Paul is appealing to Philemon’s sense of respect for what Paul has done for him and even mentions that he is responsible for introducing him to his new life in Christ. It’s almost like he is making him an offer that he can’t refuse. But, he can. There are no threats or consequences laid down by Paul if he refuses to accept Onesimus back. He just presents a case so compelling and couple that with the respect Philemon has for Paul, and you have a situation where it is nearly impossible to deny the request. Think for a moment about someone in your life that you hold in a place of honor such that if they made a request of you that you would be willing to do it. Maybe it is a parent, grandparent, or other family member. Perhaps you have a friend that has earned your respect to a level that you would be willing to go against what appears to be popularly accepted and do what is right in the sight of God. Maybe you have a mentor in your professional life that showed you how to run a business or how to advance within the company you both worked for. What about a coach who taught you more than just how to play a sport, but about how to live your life? Or a music teacher who instilled in you a love of music and not just the technical aspects of playing an instrument? These are just a few of the possible relationships that we can have that can positively affect our daily lives. What about from Paul’s point of view? Are you a mentor to someone else? Have you earned the respect of a family member, friend, or coworker to the point that you can have a positive influence on their life? The relationship Paul has with Philemon allows him to put into action the process of mending a relationship with a mutual acquaintance. Paul lived his life in such a manner that he could build the kind of friendships that helps advance the kingdom of God. Our challenge is to emulate that kind of life.

Maybe the most important component of this letter is its emphasis on forgiveness. Onesimus clearly did something wrong and fled as a result. The fear of what would happen to him sent him far away from his master Philemon. But look what happened on his journey. He runs smack into Paul. He listens to his message about Christ and his offer of forgiveness and realizes his own need for forgiveness. As Onesimus became closer to Paul he probably confessed to him what he was running from. Imagine the look on his face when Paul informs him that he knows Philemon very well. Onesimus has a decision to make. Does he flee again or does he hope for the forgiveness that he heard Paul preaching about? This is faith in action. He has faith that Paul’s relationship with Philemon will allow him the opportunity to reconcile his differences. Paul is even willing to assume his debt so all he has to do is throw himself to the mercy of his master.

Last week we looked at a parable told by Jesus that dealt with forgiveness but this is not part two of a series of sermons on forgiveness. This is a completely different situation, one that actually happened and is not just a story to drive home a point. Yet, the common thread is the need to forgive. Paul in other letters that he wrote encourages us to be imitators of Christ. He then goes on to say that if nothing else, imitate me because I am spending my life in the pursuit of Christ-like service. Here is an example of him doing just that. He tells Philemon to “charge that to my account.” Paul is willing to assume the debt of one who has shown faith in the message he has been preaching. Is that not exactly what Christ has done for us? On the surface this letter looks like just a correspondence from one man to another trying to reconcile differences with a third man. Why then is it included in the Biblical cannon? Perhaps because it is a perfect representation of what God does for us through Jesus Christ? We sin against our Master and flee only to be drawn back to the one who is willing to take on our debts and say, “Charge that to my account.” We’ve all been in Onesimus’ position where we find ourselves in need of forgiveness. We try to run from the situation but end up running into the Holy Spirit that draws us back to Christ. We’ve also found ourselves in Philemon’s position; a position where we need to extend that forgiveness to someone else. Sometimes we need the encouragement of a mentor and sometimes we just need to be still and listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Either way we can rest in the knowledge that our faith in Christ gives us access to the one, the only one, who is both willing and able to say before the Father, “Charge that to my account.”

Let us pray.

October 13, 2013

One of the responsibilities I have during the month of October is to lead our church in worship each Sunday. Our small church has a retired minister as our stated supply (Presbyterian term) who takes a sabbatical during October (a well deserved one I might add.) A few years ago he asked if I would speak in his absence and the rest, as they say, is history. I am going to attempt to post my sermons for this month here on this blog.

Disclaimer: What I am going to post is going to be a rough attempt at a transcript of what I actually say. Now I am creating this transcript before I speak so it isn’t really a word for word transcript. Also, when I write a paper I try to use sentence structure and vocabulary and all those things you learned about in school correctly. I do try and speak professionally as well but my point is don’t grade this as a writing, but as a speech. Even then I hope you get the point of the message and don’t get caught up in the grammatical issues. Feel free to comment.

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

Matthew 18:21-35

October 13, 2013

²¹ Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. ²³ “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴ When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; ²⁵ and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.²⁸ But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. ³¹ When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. ³² Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. ³⁵ So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (NRSV)

The Word of the Lord

(Thanks be to God)

“One of my favorite stories concerns a man who was bitten by a dog, which was later discovered to be rabid. The man was rushed to the hospital where tests revealed that he had, in fact, contracted rabies. At the time, medical science had no solution for this problem, and his doctor faced the difficult task of informing him that his condition was incurable and terminal. ‘Sir, we will do all we can to make you comfortable. But I cannot give you false hope. There is nothing we can really do. My best advice is that you put your affairs in order as soon as possible.’ The dying man sank back on his bed in shock, but finally rallied enough strength to ask for a pen and some paper. He then set to work with great energy. An hour later, when the doctor returned, the man was stilling writing vigorously. ’I’m glad to see that you’re working on your will.’ ‘This ain’t no will, Doc. This is a list of the people I’m going to bite before I die. Many of us live and die with that kind of list, written in our minds, if not on paper.” [Gary Inrig. The Parables: Understanding What Jesus Meant. (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 1991) p. 63]. This parable helps us see why that way of thinking is against God’s will.

The parable really begins with verse 23 but verses 21 and 22 are what spark the reason for the parable. Peter questions Jesus about forgiveness. Now a close examination of his question reveals something about Peter’s thinking. The Phrases taught that you were required to give forgiveness three times. Then, if the same person offended you a fourth time you were under no obligation to forgive them again. This teaching was based on a passage in the book of Amos. It was a misinterpretation of the passage but regardless, Peter uses that as a basis for his question. He, however, comes across as being an extremely forgiving person because he asks if seven times is sufficient. He knows the teachings but asks in such a way that it makes it seem as if he offers forgiveness seven times so wants to know if that is enough. Jesus’ response is the parable.

When we look at these parables it is important to examine the story from a literal point of view first so we can better understand the meaning behind it. A king is ready to settle his accounts with his slaves. The one brought before him owes him 10,000 talents. If you remember from the parable of the talents we discussed last week a talent was worth about 6,000 denarii. Since one denarius was a day’s wage this slave owed what would amount to over 2 billion dollars in today’s money, adjusted for inflation of course. In other words, the slave owed more than he could possibly repay. His debt was too great. This is not the same situation we looked at in the Parable of the talents, though. There the master gave the man his money to take care of. Here, this servant more than likely acquired his master’s money in an unethical way. Perhaps he skimmed off the top. Or maybe he embezzled the money. Some of this could have been from asking for and receiving a loan, but the king in this case would not have loaned out this much money knowing it would be impossible for the man to repay it. It really is not important how the debt got so big. This is not a news story of what someone witnessed, it is a story Jesus is telling to relate it to the Kingdom of Heaven. So when the king calls him forward to account for his debt, then ordered that this slave and his wife, children, all that he owned should be sold and payment made, the servant realizes what kind of mess he is in and immediately asks for more time. Does he really think he has the ability to pay this back? If he does then he has no concept of time and money. If he realizes the severity of his debt then his asking for more time signals that all he is doing is postponing the judgment that will surely come eventually. Seeing the hopeless situation this man is in, the king has compassion on the man. He does far more than give him more time to repay, he cancels the debt. He does not reduce it or give him a grace period of a few months or years, he eliminates it.  A couple of billion dollars, gone. I’m sure we have all at some time in our lives been behind on a bill. We give the company a call and ask if they will give us until we get paid again to pay our bill. When they agree not to turn off the power, for instance, until next month, there is a great feeling of relief. A burden is at least temporarily released. So imagine how you would feel if a debt that would take a lifetime plus some was forgiven. You would think this slave would be overwhelmed with gratitude. But what we find out as the story continues is that “…as he went out, [he] came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’” A hundred denarii is what this other slave owed him. If we use a similar money exchange rate we are talking about a few thousand dollars. No small sum to be sure, but compared to 2 billion dollars it hardly seems significant. He proceeds to throw the other man into debtor’s prison even after the man pleads for more time to pay just as he had just done. This troubles the other slaves who know everything that has just happened. They proceed to go back and tell the king of this servant’s actions. Enraged that the man would not extend the same kind of mercy he received, even when the debt was insignificant compared to his own debt, the king hands him over, according to some translations, to be tortured until he can repay a debt that he never will be able to repay.

The lesson from the parable is stated in the last thing Jesus says in verse 35, “So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”Our failure to forgive others results in severe consequences. Other lessons we can learn from this parable is that we are all God’s debtors. Not only are we all debtors but the amount we owe is more than we are able to pay (Copeland). That is the key phrase.

Since a question about forgiveness is what brings on this parable we need to focus on that term forgiveness when we look for the deeper meaning of this passage. The debt we owe to God is the sins we commit over and over. The example of the man in financial debt is used to express just how much we owe God for the sins we have committed against Him. The Bible teaches us that God offers forgiveness for those sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are also taught that we are to ask for that forgiveness and it will be freely given. So why do we have the parable involving someone getting forgiveness but not extending it? Well, we all just recited the Lord’s Prayer and in it we asked to be forgiven in the same manner that we forgive others. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” This is not saying, “Ok, God. Let us off the hook for all the sins we commit against you and we will forgive others of the small ones that didn’t really hurt that much anyway.” We are asking to be forgiven by God following the same criteria we use to forgive those who have wronged us. In Matthew 7:2 it states, “For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” This measure of judgment we administer to others is the same measure that will get used on us. If we are unable to forgive those who have injured us, then we are asking God to treat us the same way and not forgive us.

You have heard the phrase “forgive and forget.” I saw it stated that the best way to begin the process of forgiveness is to first remember…remember how much you have been forgiven. The Law is the measuring stick for entry into heaven. Follow it perfectly or the “wages of sin is death.” Our only method of redemption is through Jesus Christ who takes those sins upon himself so we no longer pay the price, a price we cannot afford. Once we remember that and truly accept that gift of grace, we should be so grateful that the minor sins against us should be easily forgiven.

Let’s talk about how easy or hard that really is sometimes. You go to the drink machine at work and put in your dollar, think for a second, decide on Dr. Pepper today and push the button. The drink comes out and your phone rings. Well you don’t get good reception in the canteen so you place your drink on the table and walk out in the hall to take the call. When you come back the drink is gone. Someone decided that since it was there it must be for them. Now the severity of this offense can vary. It was only a dollar. If that was your last dollar or the last Dr. Pepper in the machine then that ups the level of frustration, but in the grand scheme of things you probably could afford the extra drink. In fact, you probably think to yourself, “I would have bought him a drink if he needed one, why steal mine?” You have a choice. Do you forgive the person or do you let it fester under your skin to the point that you become obsessed with who did it and why? Your forgiveness of the sin does not mean you endorse what happened or that it is ok that it did. It was wrong for someone to steal your drink, but you can forgive them. How easy or hard it is to do that is up to you. What if the person thought, “Well, I know this person makes more than I do so I am going to take it?” Would that make it ok? How about the person who takes home some extra office supplies because that big company can afford to buy more? Is that ok? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you know you did something wrong and now you wanted the chance to make it right? If you have not been in that situation before then you are a better person than I am. Many times when we do something that hurts someone else we don’t even realize it at first. It could have been a misunderstanding of something we said, or an action we did not feel was bad but did hurt someone unintentionally. I think if we were a part of that type of situation and were told our actions or words were hurtful then we would ask to be forgiven. Or if we were the one hurt and the other person had the opportunity to explain themselves then we would be likely to grant that forgiveness. However, the real test of our faith comes when something more egregious happens to us. When something far more valuable than a bottle of Dr. Pepper gets stolen or damaged. Are we then able to see there still is a great divide between that offense and our own offenses toward God?

We have got to be careful about getting into the frame of mind where we begin to think we are sinners, but…not as bad as he is. There must be those out there that have a bigger debt than I do, right? This is not some contest to see who gets into heaven and all I have to do is be better than you. It reminds me of the joke about two guys talking about whether or not they could outrun a bear. The one says to the other, “I don’t have to outrun the bear; I just have to outrun you!” We do not want this to turn into a contest where we try to determine which sin is worse than another and base our forgiveness on that. Because when we do, remember, we are asking God to do the same for us. And since we are unable to live the perfect life as required under the law, we are going to need some forgiveness along the way.

According to Joseph Tkach, “Forgiveness does not mean that we pretend like nothing ever happened. It does not mean trusting a swindler with money, trusting a wife-beater to not get abusive again, or appointing a child-molester to be a youth pastor. However, forgiving means that we do not harbor grudges, we do not seek vengeance. It means letting go of our need to get even. It means praying for our enemies. It means seeing ourselves in their shoes, knowing that God has, for the sake of Christ, forgiven us all our sins too. No groveling required. God does not want us to sin again, but his mercy lasts forever.” Our actions have consequences. Sometimes we are not in a position to pardon someone who has wronged us. But we can forgive them. Nobody said it was going to always be easy, but that should be the goal.

Withholding forgiveness hurts us as much as, if not more, than the person who needs it. When we refuse to let go of something then the pain never goes away. It is like ringing an old church bell similar to what we have here in our church. When you pull the rope the bell starts to swing and eventually begins to sound. Once you get that momentum going all you have to do is tug on that rope and it will continue to ring. Even when we let go of the rope the momentum will cause the bell to ring another time or two. The bigger the bell, the harder it is to get it started but the longer the momentum keeps it going. Grudges are like the rope. As long as we hold on to them it is like pulling on the rope to keep the bell ringing. Forgiveness is like letting go of the rope Sometimes the momentum keeps the pain alive for a while, but once we forgive it takes away the momentum of the grudge.

Too many friendships are destroyed. Too many families are broken. Too many small businesses fail. Too many churches split or are dissolved. Many times all because there is a grudge being harbored. For all you NCIS fans out there, Rule #6 – Never apologize, it’s a sign of weakness. Actually first used by John Wayne, makes for a good line in a movie or recurring line in a TV show, but here in the real world, sometimes we make mistakes and need to ask for forgiveness and other times we are injured and need to extend forgiveness. You might be thinking that’s easy for you to say because you’ve never had “this” happen to you. Fill in whatever you want to for “this” and you may very well be correct. But ask yourself if you’ve ever been nailed to a cross for doing no wrong. When you think about it that way it helps us appreciate how insignificant the sins against us are compared to those we commit against God. Yet, he loved us so much that he gave us a way to get to him. And that way came at a tremendous price that we helped drive up. All we have to do is accept that grace and then in turn extend, by comparison, just a fraction of that grace to others. “And forgive us our debts; as we forgive our debtors.” Pray for the guidance and strength from God to forgive others even as God has forgiven each of us.

Let us pray.

Copeland, Mark A. Executableoutlines.com. http://executableoutlines.com/pa/pa_11.htm

Thach, Joseph. http://www.gci.org/bible/matthew/unforgiving

October 6, 2013

One of the responsibilities I have during the month of October is to lead our church in worship each Sunday. Our small church has a retired minister as our stated supply (Presbyterian term) who takes a sabbatical during October (a well deserved one I might add.) A few years ago he asked if I would speak in his absence and the rest, as they say, is history. I am going to attempt to post my sermons for this month here on this blog as I did last year.

Disclaimer: What I am going to post is going to be a rough attempt at a transcript of what I actually say. Now I am creating this transcript before I speak so it isn’t really a word for word transcript. Also, when I write a paper I try to use sentence structure and vocabulary and all those things you learned about in school correctly. I do try and speak professionally as well but my point is don’t grade this as a writing, but as a speech. Even then I hope you get the point of the message and don’t get caught up in the grammatical issues. Feel free to comment.

Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

October 6, 2013

14 ‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. ¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” ²¹His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” ²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.”²³His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” ²⁴Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” ²⁶But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The Word of the Lord

(Thanks be to God)

Let us begin by looking at this parable from a literal standpoint. A talent during the time this parable was told by Jesus would have been worth 6000 denarii where one denarius was equal to about a day’s wage. So we have a master getting three of his servants together and then distributing these sums of money to each one. Notice the text says that each one was given according to his ability. Ability to do what? Perhaps it was each person’s ability to manage money. Maybe the first servant had proven over time to be someone who was able to handle many levels of responsibility. Knowing this the master decides to give him a greater share than the others. Another thing to keep in mind here is that the master is handing over his money. He is not paying these men for work already done or even advancing them a salary for work they are to do. They are slaves, servants after all. This money he is doling out is his and he naturally expects it to be taken care of so he is not going to give over more than each could handle. The first servant receives his share, five talents, then the second one gets two talents and the third one receives one talent. Now keep in mind that one talent is worth 6000 denarii so we are talking about a sum of money that would have taken an average worker about 20 years to earn. We could do the math here and try and figure out how much that would be in today’s dollars, but it really is not necessary in order to understand the point of the story.  The facts are that each one was given something of value and it was not an equal distribution of that value. One thought that came to mind while reading this passage is how did each one react when they were given their talents? Jesus never focuses on the reaction of the servants but it is worth considering how each one may have responded or at least how each one felt about what just took place. Some possible reactions from the first man might have been, “Wow! Look at how much I just got.” “See, I’m a better person than you two because he clearly likes me more.” Or maybe it was a more humble response like, “Wow! Are you sure you want me to take care of this much of your money?” By contrast let’s imagine how the third person might have reacted. Maybe his thought process went something like, “Wow! You’re giving him 5 talents and only giving me one?” Or “So, I’m only worth one talent while these two are worth more?” Or maybe his tone could have been more along the lines of, “I don’t really even deserve one talent so (as he turns to one of the other slaves) do you think you could help me out so I don’t mess this up?” And finally, what about the man in the middle? He might have been thinking, “Well, I’m not the favorite but at least I rank higher than that guy.” Regardless of how each of them responded, remember their immediate response is not recorded in the parable, what they do following receiving these talents tells a whole lot about their character.

Verse 16 states that “The one who received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents.” He recognized the incredible opportunity he had to please his master and reward his trust so he went at once to take advantage of the opportunity. I guess in today’s world he might have logged on to E-trade and took advantage of all the resources that little baby tells us about every year during the Super Bowl. Or maybe he just adopted a buy low and sell high method of doing business while his master was away so that he could increase the amount of money he was trusted with. There is no reason to think that this increase was obtained in an illegal or unethical way. He simply went out and doubled his money. Now the result may be simple in theory, but that does not mean it was easy to do. We are told that the master was gone for a long time. This was not some get rich quick, overnight scheme that this servant was able to get in on. The fact that it very well may have been difficult to accomplish this is an important point to consider. The second servant, we are told in verse 17, “in the same way” doubled the two talents he was given. I do not think it necessarily means that they both invested in the same exact way. He could have used Scottrade and taken the advice of that guy that flies around in the helicopter instead of the little baby. Either way, they both apparently went off and immediately began the task of investing their master’s money. When the master returns they are eager to greet him and show what they have done. Verse 20, “Master you handed me over five talents; see I have made five more talents.” “See,” you can almost hear the excitement in his voice. Similar to what a child might say as they bring home something they created in school or Sunday school, “Look Mommy, look what I did today!” And just like an approving parent might say, “Wow! That is a beautiful thing you have done.” The Master says to his slave, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The second slave does the same thing and gets the same response. Even though he started with less, the master is just as pleased with what the second slave has done as he was with the first slave. To me that is an important point to gather from this story. The master is not more pleased with the first one just because he made him more money. After all, he made five talents to the two talents the second one made. Remember, though, the beginning of the story. The master gave each servant talents according to their ability. In his wisdom he realized that entrusting him with more than two talents might put him in a position to fail. They were given an unequal amount of talents to start, but given an equal amount of praise at the end. This is similar to what I have to deal with on a daily basis as a teacher. We have a grading system in place, A, B…F, etc. I am just as proud of some of my students who make B’s as I am of others who make A’s. When people reach their fullest potential it is hard not to be pleased with those results.  It is when we do not reach our fullest potential that there is frustration and displeasure, which is what we get from the third servant. By his response we see that in his mind the master is a hard man to work for. Verse 24, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed.” Out of fear the third man just buried the one talent he was given in the ground and returned it as is to the master. To me, initially, that does not sound like too bad of an idea. At least the man did not lose anything. However, the master’s response to the third man is what really drives home the point of this parable. “You wicked and lazy slave!” Clearly by comparison to the two other slaves this guy really missed the boat. For him not to get in on the E-trade or Scottrade action was bad enough, but he was too lazy to even take the money down to the local Bank of America branch and just put it in a simple savings account. The .5% interest it could have been drawing is far better than the smell of earthworms from burying it in the ground. His punishment seams kind of harsh at first. All he has is taken from him and he is cast out while his talent is given as a reward to the other slave who was willing to work for the betterment of his master. This consequence for inaction points to how difficult it must have been for the other two slaves to make money. It is as if the master understands the commitment it takes and realizes the third slave does not have that commitment. But he did the worst thing he could do…nothing. Three men, a lot of money, and consequences for their actions; is this really all about the money?

The key word here is talent. In Biblical times talent would have unmistakably been used as a measurement. Our use of the word talent to mean the ability to do something adds a new significance to the meaning of the passage. Let’s take a moment to explore some possible additional meanings from this parable when we consider the English definition of the word talent. So what are some talents? According to Reverend Joseph Exell, time is a talent. Intellectual power is a talent. Moral capacity, religious opportunities, and relative influence can be considered talents. He goes on to say that the “secret of worldly success, is to set out at once to make best use of whatever we have” (573). Then we have the athletic, musical, speaking, writing, the ability to motivate people types of talent. We all have at least one talent. This parable sets before us a scenario where talents are distributed, but not equally. It gives us a Biblical example of how we are not all the same people with all the same abilities and responsibilities. Why do I think we all have at least one talent? Because I believe the Bible gives us guidance on how we are to live our lives. If there were going to be those of us who had not been given any talent, then I believe this parable would have had a fourth slave in it who would have been given nothing. The fact that each of them, representing all of God’s children, were given something with which to work, tells me we all start with one or more. As Exell also states, “If Christ has given you one talent, it is because at present He sees you cannot handle more” (574). We should never be envious of those who we perceive as having more talents than us. The stone and timber that was brought into Jerusalem for the temple was marked so before it started its journey toward Jerusalem the architect knew what place it should fit. Each stone and timber was an important part of the completed temple. We should not complain if we are not the foundation or the capstone in the temple God is building with our lives (Exell 575). Take what God has given you and develop it into more. Do not wish you had the talent to do something and since you do not, just sit around and do nothing. Our talent is like the acorn. It starts small but grows into a huge oak tree. It is better to have the one talent and use it for good than have five talents and use them for evil (Exell 575). If you are given only one talent, be grateful for the one talent but also be thankful that there are those that have been given five.

Just like an acorn does not become a tree overnight, talent development takes time. If you were going to compile a list of the greatest writers the world has ever known I think somewhere on that list would have to be Shakespeare. His ability to use words to paint pictures and illicit emotions is so impressive that students are still studying his works hundreds of years after his death. Recently a more contemporary writer, Tom Clancy passed away. His novels such as The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games were exceptional reads and were later turned into entertaining movies. You know what you and I have in common with those two authors as well as the countless others who have risen to the top of their professions? We all started by learning our A, B, C’s. We then learned how to use those letters to form words, then how to put those words into sentences, etc. They just took that talent to another level, one you and I have not reached as of yet. Perhaps some of you have been published or are writing something that one day will. The point is we have to be willing to take action, even risk, if we want to develop those talents we have been blessed with. One of my favorite movie lines comes from the Mel Gibson movie The Patriot. In a powerful scene in which he reminds his young sons what they have learned about shooting a rifle he asks, “What did I tell you fellas about shooting?” They respond, “Aim small, miss small.”  When we are given one or two talents, God doesn’t expect us to accomplish the same thing as those with five. When we aim beyond our means we tend to miss so badly that we end up doing more harm than good. So you want to save the world? Start here at home. Start small and develop the talent God has given you and you will see an increase in the opportunities to use that talent. Some interpret this parable as just that, opportunity. The talents we are given are not just the ability to do something special, but the talent is the opportunity to do something special for God. Some are given just the one opportunity to glorify God and they waste it. Others are given multiple opportunities and they take advantage of them all. How we use our opportunities is what leads to getting more. The opportunity the third slave had was taken from him and given to the other because the first proved the willingness to use that opportunity for good and not waste it. Aim small, miss small. Target the use of your talent so the possibility for success is greater. Then those small success stories begin to pile up and before you know it you have accomplished far more than you ever imagined from the beginning.

We’ve talked a lot about the first slave who was given five talents and the third slave who was given one. The second one does not get as much attention yet he may be the one we all most closely relate to (Exell 585). He represents the average man, the one in the middle. The other two really represent the extremes. When we look at this in terms of its original meaning, talents referring to money, I think we all relate more to the man in the middle. In our own congregation we have different levels of wealth. But when we really think about it, even the richest of us can think of someone who has more and even the poorest of us can think of someone who has less. When we extend our view to a more contemporary definition of talent we can all see ourselves somewhere in between those extremes of five talents and one talent. We are not called to compare our abilities to those of others. Even the slave who disappointed his master never said because you gave more to the others I will not work as hard as them. The other two never compared what they had with each other, they just took the opportunity they were given and glorified their master.

In closing, a very popular Bible verse is Joshua 24:15. It says, “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Many people use that verse to express their sentiment that they do not care what others do, but for me I am going to serve the Lord. That is the attitude I think we need to take with regard to our talents. We need to look around and say I do not care how many talents you have been given, more than me or less than me. I am not going to concern myself with what you do with however many talents you have been given, but as for me I will serve the Lord by using whatever I have been given to glorify my Master, my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Let us pray.

Exell, Rev. Joseph S. The Biblical Illustrator. 23 vols. Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Book House, 1973. 572-590.

October Baseball

The AL and NL Series are now set and ready to begin tonight. The Divisional round is a best of five game series with the higher seed opening at home for Games 1 & 2 and then going on the road for Games 3 & 4 (if necessary). If a Game 5 is needed then it will be back at the higher seed’s home park. When we get to the Championship Series it will be a best of seven.

The Cardinals open their best of five tonight at 5:00 at home against the Pirates. The Braves host the Dodgers in their opener at 8:30.  The AL has Boston opening at home against the Rays at 3:00 Friday afternoon and then the A’s host the Tigers at 9:30 Friday night. I’m looking forward to some great series this year. My hope is the Braves and Cardinals win their series and the Rays and the A’s win theirs. Then an Atlanta/Oakland World Series would be a great way to end the season.