Shock, Surprise and Hope - a Triple Whammy
Pentecost 22c, October 24, 2010 (Luke 18:9-14)
I invite you to introduce yourself to someone else.- that person beside you or in front of you. I want you to do this employing three prompts from myself: one at a time:
Firstly – tell them one thing that really matters to you and why.
Secondly – tell them how you spend a fair chunk of your time each week.
Thirdly – tell them one hope that you have for yourself.
The story that I am about to ell you is profoundly true although the characters are fictional. . . I want to tell you about two people whom I met this week. One fellow is amazing. I learned that he gives 10% of everything he earns (prior to taxes) to different charities. He makes six figures, so we are talking a significant gift to charities. Not only that but two nights a week he volunteers his time at a community meal to serve and welcome people who are "less fortunate" than him. He also coaches in the community, either soccer or hockey, even though his children are grown and no longer involved. This fellow prays every day. Now I'm not talking about the, "Oh my god" kind of prayer. Rather I am speaking of a prayer where this man attempts to make time to both listen for and speak to God.
The second guy is a financial advisor. He invests many people's money. (I have learned these things from simply hanging around a gym). This man is also well off. Indeed he has managed to pocket or further invest more than his fair share from his clients. To the best of my knowledge he doesn't volunteer anywhere nor does he ever pray. I am not sure that he has ever simply given money to anyone else. However if I was a betting person, I would bet against that possibility. However, lately things haven't been going very well for this second man.
This is where it gets really mind-boggling. Somehow I was able to hear both of these men praying. Because I heard them, you are enabled to also listen in.
The first man's prayer went something like this: "Thank you God for all my blessings – my family, my good job, that I am able to serve you in so many ways". And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the financial advisor. This first man knew that the second one had lost some of his investments and indeed a number of friends and even a significant relationship lately. Then, almost as an afterthought he added to his prayer, "God thank you that by your grace I haven't ended up like that guy!"
The second man's prayer was much shorter and to the point: "God, GOD, help me!"
Now as Lutheran Christians we say at least that we know we have all missed God's mark, God's intention, the hopes that God has for all people – to love one another and to love God. And we say that we know that because of this, there is a divide between and ourselves. So, if indeed all of that is true, well, from listening into these two men's prayers, whom do you think God would be reconciled to?
That question raises another profound question. Who is God? Underneath and before this question lies another, "How do we, how can we know God?"
I'm not speaking here of knowing about god. Rather, I am speaking of actually knowing God, experiencing at least a part of whom God reveals God's self to be.
If we are to know anyone we usually begin by interacting with them, by experiencing or at least listening to their words and watching their actions. Through those who have gone before us in faith, we have learned the details of God's law. Through the example of those people and the Spirit working in our lives we have also seen that god continually reaches out to those who are oppressed, vulnerable, feeling hopeless. If there is any doubt about this, God in the flesh comes to remove that. Jesus reaches out to include and bring new life to all – especially to those on the margins.
Although it seems absurd to say, we must say it: God is God. We (you and I) are NOT GOD! On the surface this seems so self-evident. But we don't live on the surface. We live deeply, sometimes deep within ourselves, at our best moments deeply with others and with creation.
We all live with the reality of temptation. Again, I am not speaking on the surface here – of having an extra cookie, or telling a "white" lie or even exaggerating about the skill or particular acumen we may have.
Rather, in speaking of temptation, I am speaking of our inclination to live AS IF we are God, as if we don't need God, that somehow we are self sustaining, independent and pretty much OK on our own, just the way we are. This is a temptation because it just isn't true. It's a lie. When we give into it, we start to view ourselves falsely and therefore others also falsely. We then begin to think that whatever we have been blessed to undertake is our achievement. Then, if only more people would be a bit more like us- well, then the problems in the world wouldn't be so great. If others would just get with the program the way we are, life would be wonderful.
But think about that people. When WE FORGET THAT WE AREN'T GOD, but rather that GOD ALONE IS GOD, we are truly deceiving ourselves. In the realm of such deception about our own status, we start to draw lines in our minds about who is "OK" and who isn't "OK". Whenever we resort to drawing such lines I am convinced that God is somewhere else than where we have conveniently placed ourselves.
Perhaps the message of today's parable is for us to let go of our preconceived notions of comparison to others so that we can become aware of our own need of God on so many, many levels. This parable wills to move us to see that God is merciful even to us, ushering us into new life both with God and wither others. This birth through loss and change, birth itself, is something only God can do.
Dear people, may God help us all to be open to God. May such openings deliver us to new life, first with God but then also with each other and this world, for Christ's sake, Amen.