St. Luke 12:22-40 Dearly beloved,
The church subdues its enemies not by force but by gentleness. The things that we once found ourselves clinging to, we now let go. Those worldly things that were once so important have been replaced by something even more precious than gold, and our Lord Jesus was in the midst of a large crowd to tell them about it. People were jostling about, almost to the point of a stampede. Jesus is always doing the Jesus thing--teaching disciples, and a large wild mob doesn’t change it. “Do not be anxious about your life....” Do not worry about tomorrow...oh how we need to hear these words today.....in a world that is filled with stock portfolios, insurance needs, business plans and propositions, and retirement plans that prepare us for the future. Jesus speaks these words in an age where there was nothing like we have today. Things were often unsettled in those days. There was no such thing as retirement plans or stock portfolios....what did they have to be anxious about. They lived for the day.... If ever the words of Jesus need to be spoken, it is today. We worry about so much. Will my business survive? Will my profit margin decrease to a dangerous level? How will I feed my family? Will my health insurance cover an unexpected illness? Who will care for me? What will tomorrow bring? And it doesn’t matter if you are young or old. Worry and anxiety is something that does not discriminate. Worry and anxiety simply manifest themselves in different ways. A young person will worry about finding a spouse, or worry about money, or a job, whereas an older person shifts his or her worries to health and care needs. But the one constant is worrying. But thinking about the young apostolic church that was to spring forth from Christ’s death and resurrection, we see some real impending needs that would cause them worry. These are the things that Jesus is trying to impress upon the young disciples. Jesus, knowing all things, is thinking about what will come to pass after Pentecost. Jesus is thinking about all those things that are recorded for us in the book of Acts. Peter and Paul are arrested for preaching Jesus Christ crucified. Stephen is martyred for preaching the gospel. The Jerusalem church finds itself in the midst of a terrible famine, where just the basic needs of life were scarce. The disciples will suffer loss of life, they will be led where they do not want to go, and they will endure hardship for the sake of the gospel. The great irony in all of these accounts is striking. The young church would struggle in doing the right thing. The apostles would preach the gospel, they would teach of the coming kingdom in Jesus Christ, and they would help feed and clothe the poor. While the young apostolic church would struggle in doing the right thing, the world will deal them hardship. The young, apostolic church could well easily respond--”what’s not to worry about. There is much to worry about.” But they didn’t respond in this way because the church understood that she is patterned by the life of Jesus. The world persecuted Jesus, therefore it would naturally follow that the world would persecute the church. This is usually where the conversation ends, but there is more. Rarely is it discussed what the church gains. The church gives something up but receives many more blessings in return. The church no longer relies on the things of the world for happiness. Jesus is the sole source of peace and consolation. As the church puts off the things of the world, she receives something greater. Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” This, in and of itself, is a statement of great magnitude. We put off the world and its possessions in the sacrament of holy baptism, and we look to the inheritance which is the kingdom. Jesus doesn’t stop there. Jesus continues, “Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” This is not works righteousness, but an understanding that with Christ’s salvation comes a shift in how one views this sinful world with its many possessions. The young, apostolic church follows this rubric in Acts. They forsake all and follow Jesus. They leave possessions behind and live in the richness of Christ. The young church lived for the inheritance of the kingdom. Jesus comes from heaven and takes on flesh in order to go to the cross. Jesus is beaten, crucified, bearing the sins of the world, and what does He produce--an inheritance for all who would come to believe in Him--a gift meant for others--for you. This gospel is important for the church today. Jesus reminds us to put off the things concerning this world. We are to live for the world to come--our inheritance in heaven. We live for others and not for ourselves. We live to serve Jesus, but at the end of the day, we are often those very people who worry about tomorrow. We are anxious about those things we cannot foresee, and those things we do not know. My dear Christians, it is the will of Jesus to care for you, just as he cares for the birds of the air. In fact, Jesus means to care for you even more. You are living with one foot in heaven. You are Christ’s baptized children who have been washed with the living waters, which transfer you from this world of sin into the marvelous kingdom of God. Your sin of worrying and feeling anxious is forgiven you. Jesus knows your needs, and He knows your concerns. Jesus also knows what you need for the journey ahead. So, as you live and breathe out your days in this world, remember that you are on a journey. Jesus has given you what you need, and it is the Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom. What you give up in this world is exchanged by the many and wondrous gifts of Christ. Jesus showers you with His undying love. Jesus prepares you through holy absolution, His holy word, and the precious sacrament. Jesus walks with you in the liturgy; Jesus will prepare your hearts, set you with what you need for the journey ahead, and fill you up with His love, as He nurtures and protects you all the way as you walk ever closer to the inheritance won on the cross at Calvary. Amen. -- Rev. Chad Kendall Trinity Lutheran Church Lowell, Indiana www.trinitylowell.org
