"From the Pulpit" - August 7th, 2022
Reflections on the weekly texts from Pastor Greg at Living Lord Lutheran Church
Luke 12:32-40
[Jesus said:] 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35 “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39 “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.
"Mi casa, su casa". We know what that means, right? Literally, my house is your house. But for those who know the real meaning of this, it goes much deeper than a little expression. It means something like "whatever is mine, is yours". Think about that. If you've ever had that kind of hospitality, or kindness extended to you, especially in a time of need, you know exactly what that means. It's "relax, it's going to be OK." Or, "you're safe here." Or, "take whatever you need." In other words, "all that I have is yours."
In a nutshell, that's the gospel message. Jesus says to his disciples in this amazing little story, "Don't be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Wow. What's left after that? All that belongs to God, all that God has created or will create, all that is good in God's name, is now ours. Free for the asking, with no expectation that a payback is necessary. In our first reading on Sunday, we'll hear the story of Abram (before he became Abraham), talking with God, lamenting that in his old age, as he faces his own mortality, he has no offspring of his own. And what's worse, the inheritor of his estate goes to his slave, Eliezer. If you read this through a Jewish lens, this is a fate worse than death. An aging Abram, with his aging wife Sarai, no offspring. He may as well have already been dead. But God promises Abe that all that God has will be Abe's - his offspring will be more numerous than all the stars in heaven even.
My message this Sunday will be on the abundance, the extravagance of God's giving us all that God has, free for the taking. It is God's good pleasure to do so. With all the trouble in our world, with all of the uncertainty, hatred and division, with all of the trouble in our world today, knowing that God extends to us the one thing that really matters - the love of God in Christ Jesus. That which will not wither and die. That which will never disappoint or forsake us.
As we gather around the table this coming Sunday, and as we eat and drink of the body and blood of Jesus himself, we are in fact receiving all that God has. God's house and all that belongs to him, is now ours. Taste and see that the LORD is good. Amen? Amen.
Below, I've copied you on the latest "Daily Discipleship", which we use as the basis for our weekly bible study on Wednesday mornings. While we've taken a few weeks off this summer, we'll start up again shortly. Shalom!
"251 My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness"
"How Great Thou Art"