Hiding Abundant Talent

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
November 13, 2011
Rev. Mark R. Miller
Stewardship Commitment Sunday
Matthew 25:14-30
“Hiding Abundant Talent”

Is anyone else disturbed by his passage?  If we heard what was read, we ought to be taken back by the judgment language.  A man is terrified by his master and it turns out he was right.  His fear leads to greater judgment and exile.  And then there is the language which sounds a lot like the prosperity gospel.  “For 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.”  It is as if Jesus is saying, we should take from the poor and give to the rich.  Unfortunately there are many Christians who believe this to be true.  Fortunately, it is a gross interpretive mistake.

The most obvious challenge to this interpretation is the very next passage.  It is the only place in the gospel where Jesus uses explicit language about who faces punishment.  And that punishment is reserved for those who do not care for the sick, the poor, the prisoners, and the vulnerable.  The Jesus who tells this parable read for us this morning is the same one who says:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

And, this is the same Jesus who has compassion on crowds of people and feeds them when they have no money.  This is also the same Jesus who says that the greatest in the kingdom of God are those that society has rejected.  So, any interpretation of our passage must reject any use of this passage that looks like the reverse of the work of Robin Hood.  The prosperity gospel is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.

            However, it is never enough to simply reject this theology.  If this passage is not God’s stamp of approval of exploitive economics, then what is Jesus teaching about?  As with all parables, Jesus is taking what people know and using it to help explain the ways of God. On the surface, Jesus is talking about money, which means this passage is not about money at all.  Jesus is preparing the disciples for his impending death.  Jesus is leaving and going to entrust them with the kingdom work. 

            The talents being given are not money, wealth, and a life of ease.  The talents are responsibility for feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, and telling people about the good news of God’s kingdom.  This is the talents in the story.  The talents are not about financial resources.  Multiplying the talents is about doing this work not because it is our work but because it has been given as a gift.  This is the calling for all disciples.  The multiplying of talents is not an increase in social standing or economic wellbeing but a growth of kingdom work of compassion. (Calling and Discipleship…politicians using God’s name…)

            Understanding that this passage is not about reinforcing economic inequality is good news.  However, what are we to make of the judgment language at the end?  If anything is most difficult to hear, it is probably those words.  There are really two ways to go with this language.  One is that it is a passage directed toward the religious leadership.  Jesus always reserves his harshest language for religious people who do not live their faith.  At this point in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has entered the temple on Palm Sunday, turned over the tables of the money changers and openly challenged hypocrisy.  In other words, this passage becomes a warning to those who give lip service to their faith but do not put actions behind those words.

             While I believe that is a more faithful interpretation, it, too, is open to abuse, particularly on this stewardship commitment Sunday.  It would be easy to use guilt and fear to increase giving and involvement in the church’s ministry.  However, I do not believe that is a faithful interpretation.  Let’s take a closer look at this third servant.  His actions were rooted in fear.  The servant’s fear led him to close in on himself and worry about self preservation.  If God is out to get us, the right response is to make sure that we are saved, keep our head down, and simply wait until after death. 

            The passage is not a warning about punishment for this type of action.  Instead it is descriptive of what a life rooted in fear and a belief in an angry vengeful God will look like.  When disciples’ actions are rooted in fear they cease to focus on the kingdom work.  When communities of faith are struggling with institutional survival the first thing they cut from the budget is often mission.  The work of feeding, welcoming, care for the sick, and visiting the prisoners become easy ways to balance a budget.  A life rooted in fear leads to alienation or in the language of the passage, weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Communities rooted in fear spend their energy on struggling over everything but kingdom work.  A life rooted in fear of God is a life diminished, a life lacking in joy, and a life of which no one really wants to be a part.  This passage is not about the punishment to come but about the horrors of a life of discipleship based on fear.

            So what do we make of this for a stewardship commitment Sunday?  It really is fairly simple.  The calling from this passage is not a call to foolishness or risk without planning.  It is not a call to give all your money and time to the church because God’s out to get you.  It is a calling for each one of us, and for us collectively as a community, to give up a life rooted in fear.  God is not out to get us and giving to the church does not minimize an angry vengeful God.  Our calling is to risk going into the deep waters.  Our calling is to live our lives with joy.  Our calling is to serve others.  Our calling is to live without fear.  As we plan – corporately and individually for the coming year, our calling is to plan around those priorities and not from a place of fear. 

            The really good news in this passage is that the only true failure in discipleship is to act out of fear and the belief that God is out to get us.  Notice that there is no disciple who is punished for risking and then losing the talents.  No actions done for the kingdom, feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, and visiting the prisoners, are ever lost.  So let us follow, let us know it all makes a difference.  And remember, there is no failure but inaction rooted in fear.  Amen! 

 

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

November 13, 2011

Rev. Mark R. Miller

Stewardship Commitment Sunday

Matthew 25:14-30

“Hiding Abundant Talent”

Is anyone else disturbed by his passage?  If we heard what was read, we ought to be taken back by the judgment language.  A man is terrified by his master and it turns out he was right.  His fear leads to greater judgment and exile.  And then there is the language which sounds a lot like the prosperity gospel.  “For 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.”  It is as if Jesus is saying, we should take from the poor and give to the rich.  Unfortunately there are many Christians who believe this to be true.  Fortunately, it is a gross interpretive mistake.

The most obvious challenge to this interpretation is the very next passage.  It is the only place in the gospel where Jesus uses explicit language about who faces punishment.  And that punishment is reserved for those who do not care for the sick, the poor, the prisoners, and the vulnerable.  The Jesus who tells this parable read for us this morning is the same one who says:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

And, this is the same Jesus who has compassion on crowds of people and feeds them when they have no money.  This is also the same Jesus who says that the greatest in the kingdom of God are those that society has rejected.  So, any interpretation of our passage must reject any use of this passage that looks like the reverse of the work of Robin Hood.  The prosperity gospel is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.

            However, it is never enough to simply reject this theology.  If this passage is not God’s stamp of approval of exploitive economics, then what is Jesus teaching about?  As with all parables, Jesus is taking what people know and using it to help explain the ways of God. On the surface, Jesus is talking about money, which means this passage is not about money at all.  Jesus is preparing the disciples for his impending death.  Jesus is leaving and going to entrust them with the kingdom work. 

            The talents being given are not money, wealth, and a life of ease.  The talents are responsibility for feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, and telling people about the good news of God’s kingdom.  This is the talents in the story.  The talents are not about financial resources.  Multiplying the talents is about doing this work not because it is our work but because it has been given as a gift.  This is the calling for all disciples.  The multiplying of talents is not an increase in social standing or economic wellbeing but a growth of kingdom work of compassion. (Calling and Discipleship…politicians using God’s name…)

            Understanding that this passage is not about reinforcing economic inequality is good news.  However, what are we to make of the judgment language at the end?  If anything is most difficult to hear, it is probably those words.  There are really two ways to go with this language.  One is that it is a passage directed toward the religious leadership.  Jesus always reserves his harshest language for religious people who do not live their faith.  At this point in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has entered the temple on Palm Sunday, turned over the tables of the money changers and openly challenged hypocrisy.  In other words, this passage becomes a warning to those who give lip service to their faith but do not put actions behind those words.

             While I believe that is a more faithful interpretation, it, too, is open to abuse, particularly on this stewardship commitment Sunday.  It would be easy to use guilt and fear to increase giving and involvement in the church’s ministry.  However, I do not believe that is a faithful interpretation.  Let’s take a closer look at this third servant.  His actions were rooted in fear.  The servant’s fear led him to close in on himself and worry about self preservation.  If God is out to get us, the right response is to make sure that we are saved, keep our head down, and simply wait until after death. 

            The passage is not a warning about punishment for this type of action.  Instead it is descriptive of what a life rooted in fear and a belief in an angry vengeful God will look like.  When disciples’ actions are rooted in fear they cease to focus on the kingdom work.  When communities of faith are struggling with institutional survival the first thing they cut from the budget is often mission.  The work of feeding, welcoming, care for the sick, and visiting the prisoners become easy ways to balance a budget.  A life rooted in fear leads to alienation or in the language of the passage, weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Communities rooted in fear spend their energy on struggling over everything but kingdom work.  A life rooted in fear of God is a life diminished, a life lacking in joy, and a life of which no one really wants to be a part.  This passage is not about the punishment to come but about the horrors of a life of discipleship based on fear.

            So what do we make of this for a stewardship commitment Sunday?  It really is fairly simple.  The calling from this passage is not a call to foolishness or risk without planning.  It is not a call to give all your money and time to the church because God’s out to get you.  It is a calling for each one of us, and for us collectively as a community, to give up a life rooted in fear.  God is not out to get us and giving to the church does not minimize an angry vengeful God.  Our calling is to risk going into the deep waters.  Our calling is to live our lives with joy.  Our calling is to serve others.  Our calling is to live without fear.  As we plan – corporately and individually for the coming year, our calling is to plan around those priorities and not from a place of fear. 

            The really good news in this passage is that the only true failure in discipleship is to act out of fear and the belief that God is out to get us.  Notice that there is no disciple who is punished for risking and then losing the talents.  No actions done for the kingdom, feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, and visiting the prisoners, are ever lost.  So let us follow, let us know it all makes a difference.  And remember, there is no failure but inaction rooted in fear.  Amen! 

           

           

Sent to Serve

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
November 7,2011
Rev. Mark R. Miller
Third Sunday in Stewardship
Communion Mediation
Luke 22:24-27
“Sent to Serve”

This week I read an article which pointed out the simple fact that Jesus never says, “Worship me!” Compare that with the seventeen times that Jesus says, “Follow me” in the four gospels. This is rather odd since the history of the church is really a struggle over the “right way” to worship. Our modern conversations around contemporary, traditional and everything in between has created quite an industry. Denominations and individual churches are judged and categorized based on their style of worship. Worship is the central act in the church of Jesus Christ, but Jesus had nothing to say about it. I do not mean to suggest that worship is unnecessary or important. Worship is a vital part of our life of faith. However, vibrant worship without a vibrant servant mentality is not worship of the God we know in Jesus Christ. Worship should feed our life of service. The role of the church is to create disciples who create more disciples. Vibrant worship can attract people and bring people into the community, but if they are not told that the life of faith is about service, we are providing entertainment and not the gospel. Our passage for this morning is another one of the hard sayings of Jesus. It is easy for most people to see the trouble with the disciples’ conversation. There is an all out competition to see who the super disciple is. It is easy to beat up on the disciples because those of us who have grown up in the church know how to hide those kinds of impulses. We may not always do it, but we know better than to seek to be first. What is powerful about this passage is not that Jesus challenges their misdirected impulses. How Jesus responses is instructive. Jesus makes it clear that the calling of a disciple is to serve other people. The calling is service. But, the way he says this is pretty radical. The use of the term benefactor is important. It is a call to serve with a twist. The disciples are not really arguing about power and authority. They are arguing about who is the greatest at serving others and preaching the kingdom. Jesus says that the call to serve is not about helping those less fortunate. It is about changing social arrangements. The greater person in the kingdom of God is the person who serves at the table. Those at the bottom of the ladder in a service economy are the ones who God sees as great. When the one who we worship as king comes to serve the calling is not to worship but to follow. And that is the difficulty in the teaching. The trouble with worshiping Jesus is that it can lead us to forget to follow the pattern set for us to follow. When the disciples focus on the power and greatness of Jesus they fall into the trap of believing they should receive recognition as well. Jesus has to help the disciples remember to follow this servant who we worship. On our third Sunday of stewardship this has some important implications. Notice that Jesus uses the word benefactor. It was believed that only those people who had power because of position or wealth could take care of others. The social arrangement was such that the wealthy were give glory because of their generosity. And Jesus says that the glory ought to go to the nameless people who pick produce, wash dishes, and bring meals to those who can afford to go out to eat. So what does this mean? It means that the followers of Jesus are not called to help the less fortunate but to serve. So what is the difference? When the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation works to eradicate malaria we can give thanks. But, if they were to do so as followers of Jesus they would probably do it with less fanfare and distance from the people they are helping. The followers of Jesus are not called to be benefactors but servants and this is why the teaching of Jesus is so offensive. Being called to serve is not a call to help out those less fortunate, but a call to give up privilege, to walk arm in arm. In God’s kingdom, those with privileged position and status are at a disadvantage. In God’s kingdom it is those who clean houses, farm workers, wait staff, and those at the lowest end of the service economy will have the expertise needed to be faithful in the life of discipleship. The most important role of the church, particularly in the season of stewardship, is to help emphasis and grasp this fundamental shift. Stewardship is not about giving a little back or giving so we might have greater riches or even because it will give us pleasure. Stewardship is about learning to become a serving people. The distinctions of class no longer matter. The distinctions of expertise no longer matter. When Paul writes that there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, he is reminding the followers that being a disciple is the breakdown of social divisions. There is no job below your social status because in the household of God there is no social status that keeps you from cleaning toilets. How will you serve this year? How are you already serving? Where is God calling you to give up the baggage of the outside world in this place? This is not a call to make people more busy or guilt them into giving more money. It is a calling to grow deeper in our life of faith, to wade out into the deep waters, even if we do not know for sure what it will bring. It is a calling to give of our whole selves, not because of guilt or expectation, but out of joy. And, it is calling to move from religious consumer to co-servant in a community where we serve one another and are served by one another. This is the calling! Amen.