Allen H. Bean

The Church of the Good Shepherd

Richmond, VA

Tenth Sunday of Pentecost, 7/24/05

Morning Prayer I 

 

The readings for this 10^th Sunday of Pentecost speak to us about the values that draw us closest to God, to living life with Godly purpose.  They offer insight into the struggles of living by those principles.  They offer us hope in this fallen world, where we find we cannot succeed in living perfectly.  Finally, they offer us a promise that God will set things right in the end, no matter how badly we live.

          This morning’s Gospel is a bit like the coach’s pep talk before a big game.  In it, Jesus gets ‘the team’ psyched for the game by telling us that the Kingdom of Heaven is a wonderful place, wonderful beyond description.  He tells us that the wise man or woman seeks that kingdom above all else.  He tells us the wise will sacrifice everything for the prize which is that kingdom.  He also warns, at the end of the passage, that a standard has been set for citizenship in that kingdom, that only those who meet that standard will enjoy life there.

          We understand from the gospel that to nurture our faith and strive for the kingdom assures us of doing great things, regardless of how insignificant we may fell we are.  Like a mustard seed, we may begin small, but we can grow and serve God in His Kingdom in great and powerful ways.

But, exactly what is it that we are supposed to do to win our citizenship in the kingdom?  What values do we adopt to share with God in his kingdom?

The Psalm and Old Testament reading are a help us identify those values.  In the Psalm, we sang this morning of the Lord’s decrees, of His word that sheds light on his truth; a truth that makes the simple, the ‘small,’ if you will, wise.  We sang of longing for, of knowing, of speaking God’s commandments.  The Psalmist doesn’t seek God’s Word or his Commands because he is fearful.  The Psalmist seeks the Lord’s Word because that Word gives life, ‘steadies his footsteps,’ protects him from his oppressors.

If we had read First Kings, this morning, we would have heard of a young Solomon who embodied the wisdom Jesus spoke of in his parables of the kingdom.  We would have encountered a man who sought first and foremost the wisdom of God in his own life.  In the case of Solomon, great riches were his because he sought first and foremost to know the mind of God – his riches were merely byproducts of his wisdom, icing on the cake, a little more undeserved grace.

It is worth noting, however, that Solomon’s wisdom didn’t last him his entire lifetime.  I encourage you to read on to learn the rest of that story.  The Psalmist knows he will encounter adversity in this life; that the rebellious nature of others will affect him, no matter how righteously he lives.

Today’s passage from Romans, however, tells us how our shortcomings can be reconciled with the perfection of God’s kingdom. The very first line of today’s epistle speaks of weakness.  Paul also speaks of our ignorance, of our need for the spirit to guide us, so that we know where to begin as we pray.  He makes sure we understand that our lives are lived patiently waiting for the kingdom, living with hope.  He offers us that hope for the next world without promising us anything in this life.

You see, it was Paul’s desire in writing this letter was to make sure that we know exactly what the treasure is that we need to sacrifice everything for.  The treasure is not worldly riches.  Neither is it wisdom.  Worldly riches eventually perish.  And wisdom is easily thwarted by ambition, and a self-serving nature.

The pearl, my friends, is Jesus Himself.  He lived and died for us.  He did all that was necessary; and, despite what our perverse nature tells us, our good deeds and selfless acts do not win us His Love.  No, our good deeds and selfless acts are signs that His love is working in us, and through us.  They are the result of his love, not the cause.

We have a hard time understanding grace.  The best reformed theologian will tell you all about it.  But I wager that even he, or she, once back to living life, goes back to the principle of cause and effect, goes back to thinking “Because I said or did this, that event happened.”

That’s because we begin life learning that a rattle raised and released falls to the ground.  Then, if we have good teachers, we learn the principles of cause and effect, of predictable outcomes in school.  Grace, however, doesn’t fit into an equation.  The idea that God actually sacrificed something for us, everything for us, in fact, just doesn’t compute.  Most of us have a hard time believing we need any help, in the first place.

We have a way of turning Jesus parables upside down, of conforming them to our worldly values.  For instance, in our eagerness to promote charity, a wonderful virtue, we hear the story of the Good Samaritan all wrong.  We see ourselves as the Samaritan, we see the parable as an injunction to look after others.  But, read the parable again sometime, and pay attention to the characters.  While Jesus certainly calls us to charitable acts, as he told the parable to the Jews, he made the most respected members of their community into insensitive rascals, at best; and by making a lowly Samaritan the hero of the story: he suggested that the listener is actually the one in the ditch. We may need more help than we think.

I think we like the parable of the mustard seed because we love stories of the underdog who overcomes an obstacle, who achieves greatness against all odds.  But, in fact, the ancient Church Fathers often spoke of the mustard seed as a metaphor for Jesus death and resurrection.  Ambrose said of this parable, “Its seed [the mustard seed] is indeed very plain, and of little value; but if bruised or crushed it shows forth its power.  So faith first seems a simple thing; but if it is bruised by its enemies it gives forth proof of its power, so as to fill others who hear of read of it with the odor of its sweetness.”

I don’t think we are to abandon the hope that comes from this parable, of expecting God to accomplish great things through us, despite our unworthiness.  I do, however, think understanding first things first is important.  It is important to see our good works as an outpouring of Jesus’ love by the Spirit.  It is equally important to understand, as Paul’s letter proclaims, that we are called according to a purpose; that God’s grace is sufficient to cover our shortcomings, and that nothing can alter God’s plan.

Another of the Church Fathers, Peter Chrysologue wrote, “Yes, it is true: a mustard seed is indeed an image of the Kingdom of God.  Christ is the kingdom of heaven.  Sown like a mustard seed in the garden of the virgin’s womb, he grew up into the tree of the cross whose branches stretch across the world.  Crushed in the mortar of the passion, its fruit produced seasoning enough for the flavoring and preservation of every living creature with which it comes in contact.”

So, my friends, let’s keep our focus on Jesus, upon his sacrifice, and upon the wonderful treasure already bought and paid for, the everlasting kingdom of God.  Let’s see his sacrifice and triumph is a model for our own lives.  And, by doing so, let’s enjoy that wisdom, that great treasure than comes only from God.