Sermon prepared for Messiah Lutheran Church
Auburn WA
by Gregory S. Kaurin, pastor
October 17; 21st Sunday after Pentecost
Texts: Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5; & Luke 18:1-8
The Steward's Faith
The record album came out in 1986, the year I graduated from highschool. A few months later, this song would hit number one for a full month. The song was about a young dock worker named Tommy and his girlfriend, Gina, who worked all day at the diner. They didn't have much. In fact, Tommy had to put his six-string guitar in hock along with his dreams. But Gina assured him, "We've got to hold on to what we've got. Doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We've got each other and that's a lot. For love--we'll give it a shot." The song was called, "Livin' on a Prayer" by Jon Bon Jovi.
Okay, that was the promises of the 1980's: All we need is each other, love, and a prayer. Romantic or tragic. I can't say that Jon Bon Jovi was ever a favorite, but this is the song that was running through my head all week as I studied today's lessons, so I thought I'd make all of you join my misery. Hold on to what you've got, and pray. We've got each other, we have our faith, and that's a lot.
In the Old Testament lesson Jacob sent everyone else away so he could be alone with his fears and conscience. Sometime during the night the Lord came to him in the form of a man, and wrestled with him, all night until day was about to break. Even after Jacob's thigh became dislocated, he held on, kept wrestling, and demanded a blessing from this stranger.
Finally, the stranger gave in, and gave Jacob the name Israel which can mean Struggles with God, or that God Strives, both appropriate. The first is good advice, "Don't let go, hold on to your faith in God through Christ." The second is a promise, "God never lets go of you." Jacob, or Israel, limped away from that match, but alive, blessed, and ready to face his fears: to be humble but bravely honest in front of his brother. He finally realized that with God he had nothing to lose.
Psalm 121 is called a psalm of ascent; it was recited by pilgrims as they went up to Jerusalem, and by Christian pilgrims ever since, because of this promise, "My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth; he will watch over, will not let your foot slip." Again and again, Psalm 121 assures us that God watches and guards. These are important promises for pilgrims in life, and it assures us that, in faith, no matter how broken or crooked, by God's forgiveness, his promises, he makes our meanderways straight to him.
When we speak of faith, there are different meanings, but first: it's our relationship. It’s our relationship with God, not with people, like in the Bon Jovi song, but it is testified by people, by the Body of Christ.
Then in today’s epistle lesson, we have Paul's great advice to Timothy. Believe it or not, one great Christian tool is our doubts, our quest to dig deeper. We can stay relatively humble about many important, even Biblical concepts, except –as Paul wrote to Timothy, stay firm and hold onto the center. The message, the immovable reality, is our relationship, our faith, in God through Christ.
So finally, we turn to the gospel parable about the unjust judge. Jesus said: if this judge, who could care less, answered the woman's pleas for his selfish reasons, how much more is God bringing appropriate justice? Others title this parable "the persistent widow," and that is the right stress, on the woman's persistence against all odds.
Her need caused her to be bravely persitant. For Jacob, the same; he wrestled with his fears and God all night, but he held on. Paul said to Timothy: hold on, remember the strength of those who taught and called you, remember the central message of scripture. Embrace, live and teach that center.
We have this relationship to rely on. We need to steward our faith, nourish, care and rely on it, and share it for the benefit of others. In the end, our faith is the greatest resource God has given us to use share. The rest is meant to support and spread the central belief that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Listen, ask, share, even doubt, and share those questions and doubts with others. They makes us real, but like Job, in 19th ch, after all his suffering we need to come back to center. "Ten times" he told his so-called friends, you've made my suffering and questions worse with all your easy speeches, but then he came back to center and said, "Oh, that my words could be written down, that with an iron tool they could be engraven into rock forever. For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last, even after my skin has been thus destroyed, I shall see God, whom I shall see on my side. This my eyes will behold and no less. How my heart yearns within me!"
In other words, no matter what hits us, we have been given guts! The seat of grace, the Bible tells us, is in the middle of the gut. We talk about having heart, but grace gives us guts. God's free grace, his assurance of forgiveness and an eternal relationship with him fuels our ability to hold on and move forward.
The number one thing that keeps us from commiting deeply in our faith, in church, when we speak of growing or jumping into a tithe is fear. What keeps us from making a change in way we portion our lives, or time, or money? Fear. Afraid of what? Return to the promises of Psalm 121. "I lift my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth. The Lord will not let your foot slip, nor will the one who watches over you fall asleep."
May joy and peace surround you, Contentment latch your door, Happiness be with you now, and bless you evermore. Amen.
