October 18, 2009 Sermon
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Proper 24 - B
October 18, 2009 Allan Conkling
In the daily course of our lives there are moments in which we suffer We know that God is watching over us, at the same time we know we are not shielded from all evil in this life. Accidents happen. Illness and tragedy are all around us. I know of no one who lives such a charmed life as to be exempt from suffering at some point. Nonetheless, it is our hope our promise as believers that ultimately, God's goodness will triumph, and that eternal blessedness and life perfected awaits us. That is the Good News.
The people of ancient Israel were no different than us in their wish for a better life. In their world life was a constant struggle for survival as rulers and governments rose and fell. Then as now the Holy Land was an embattled territory, and over time the expectation grew that there would one day come a deliverer to lead the people from the wilderness of suffering and oppression into a new age. Some believed this person, this messiah would be a great warrior like an Alexander the Great. God will surely meet evil on its own terms. But Isaiah the prophet spoke of a different leader: A servant leader, who would take a different path. Isaiah was controversial, indeed rejected by most. If his words were symbolic or referred to a literal human figure, Isaiah was not clear. Most Jews today look on this passage as figurative, but Christians have always seen in these words a reference, a description, of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Our Lord patterned his ministry on these words, and his followers struggled to understand him:
"Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be the slave of all."
Today we live in a culture of greatness, one that has defined for us what it means to be a "success" in life. All around us there is the pressure to be a winner, get ahead and be successful and look out for #1. The very law of evolution is built upon the survival of the fittest. We teach our kids that to get ahead you have to be the best, make the best grades. To say, "If you want to be great you must be a servant" is like saying, "if you want to have a great football team you have to lose all the time!" How popular is that!
Churches too often measure faithfulness by power and prosperity. During Stewardship time we must be careful not to place our emphasis on fund raising. Sure, pledging is important for the life and health of this church. As NPR, United Way and others say, "We can't keep quality programming without your help." But you have also heard me say it many times before:
Stewardship is relationship. We don't give because God needs us to; we give because we need to. That's why you won't see a thermometer on the front lawn of the church.
At Emmanuel we are about servant ministry. To discover the mind of Christ is to discover that true greatness comes in faithfulness and obedience. True Christian maturity is rooted in "otherness", and moves from the notion of being served, to the service of others. Very simply put, true Christianity and spiritual depth is a movement from “first person singular” to “third person plural”:
From "I", "me", and "mine"...
To "we", "us", and "ours".
Our prayer life is at its fullest when we move beyond "God, do this for me" or "God give me what I want" or "God, make the church the way that I want it to be" to, "Lord, make us an instrument of your peace."
Faith like this is costly. As much as any miracle or wondrous sign he did, the greatness of Jesus was shown most vividly when he walked the Via Dolorosa. James and John wanted to be at his right hand and his left in glory, but glory would come only through humility. St. Augustine wrote,
"In order that they might come to their homeland in due order, the Lord called them back to the narrow way. For the homeland is on high and the way to it is lowly. The homeland is life in Christ; the way is dying with Christ. The way is suffering with Christ, the goal is abiding with him eternally. Why do you seek the homeland if you are not seeking the way to it?" (Ancient Christian Commentary, NT. v.2 pg. 143).
Why indeed? As they were served, they tasted his greatness; they learned from his example and followed it. It is our hope our promise as believers that God’s goodness will triumph, and that eternal blessedness and life perfected awaits us. God is watching over us and has a plan for each of us. So here is an invitation to experience true greatness:
Work, pray, and give for the spread of the Kingdom. Think of someone who has shown you their greatness by serving you. Then do the same to those who need your love and help today.
Copyright © 2003 Emmanuel Episcopal Church. All rights reserved.
Revised: 11/17/09