Sermon - 2018-09-16
The words of the Prophet Isaiah this morning is a gift that I wish I had. “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.” To be able to help someone in their times of heartache and hardship. To be able to bring comfort to the lost, worn down or the ones who feel that they have nowhere else to go. However, in our modern times, this attribute is one that is not celebrated. It is needed but not celebrated. For many of us now judge the person to determine if they are worthy of a gift that we would offer. We have a hard time discerning who is actually struggling because of outside forces and who is struggling because of self inflicted choices. It is something that as time goes by people can actually become calloused or simply ignore the cries of those who are in need.
What do I mean by this? Within our society and in our cities here, we have a group of people who stand by the roadside and beg for spare change or any money that would help them through that day. It is typically called panhandling. However, for many of us wonder, “What will they use the money for? Will it go for food? Shelter tonight? Medicine?” Before we are willing to share the money that we have received for our labor, we want to ask the person, “What will you use the money for?”
Now, this is happening in our own backyard. It is happening in the United States. A nation that has grown and expanded to the world an idea that everyone could own a piece of land, drive their own car, a nation that has the spirit to fight against evil in the world, a nation that is willing to develop, create and dream things that many would say is impossible, a nation that has been able to take a man to the moon, but still a nation that can not care for its own people. For what program or process have we developed that would allow a person to stay out of poverty, to maintain their humanity and still be a productive part of society.
Now please note, I am not talking about a political agenda or topic. I am talking about a human question in this world that we may see on a daily basis. However this also goes along with Jesus pointing the finger to us as disciples: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”
For many of us, we will say we want to be a follower of Jesus Christ and enjoy the benefit of the heavenly splendor has to offer but we want to jump over the deny themselves, take up their own cross.
As I was thinking of this text, I was thinking of the people in this world who have actually lived out this lifestyle. Often times, we call them saints for their devotion and lifestyle. One is St. Francis of Assisi. A young man who was born to a wealthy family of merchants. A young man like many of us knew the joys of a strong drink and staying up late. But while fighting against an enemy and taken as prisoner, began to realize that there is more to this life than want. His spirit and heart changed once he returned home. He devoted his life to helping others. While seeing a man who had leprosy, he was repulsed but then turned to the man and gave him everything that was in his pockets of value to go and be comforted during his illness. While on a pilgrimage to Rome and going to St. Peter’s Basilica, he saw the many who were beggars. He exchanged clothes with one of the men and gave others all the money that he had. He then joined the beggars to live a life of poverty and devoted his life to God. Years later, others followed his lifestyle and became known as the order of the Franciscans, in the Roman Catholic Church.
Still again another person of Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, a woman who grew up in Macedonia but at the age of 12 felt a strong call to serve God and share the Gospel with others. At the age of 18, she joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community who were serving in India. It was here that she would serve by teaching young women. While there she also saw that there were the poor, people who no one had planned to take care of and who were stuck in a system of poverty. Over the decades, she was able to help thousands. As other had heard of her work, they were inspired to share with her, their own monies or their time of service to help those who were in need. She went on to have international fame, drawing attention to the poverty and human calling of helping those brothers and sisters who are in need around us. Many of us today know her as, “Mother Teresa”.
Now as a good Lutheran, we do not honor the saints or venerate them. However, I do wonder if their life could stir the Holy Spirit within our own life. Could their example and their calling remind us of our own calling? Would we take the examination of our own life to determine, are we living for this Earthly world? Or are we living for heavenly things? When our days come to end in this world, what will we be known for?
What do I mean by this? Within our society and in our cities here, we have a group of people who stand by the roadside and beg for spare change or any money that would help them through that day. It is typically called panhandling. However, for many of us wonder, “What will they use the money for? Will it go for food? Shelter tonight? Medicine?” Before we are willing to share the money that we have received for our labor, we want to ask the person, “What will you use the money for?”
Now, this is happening in our own backyard. It is happening in the United States. A nation that has grown and expanded to the world an idea that everyone could own a piece of land, drive their own car, a nation that has the spirit to fight against evil in the world, a nation that is willing to develop, create and dream things that many would say is impossible, a nation that has been able to take a man to the moon, but still a nation that can not care for its own people. For what program or process have we developed that would allow a person to stay out of poverty, to maintain their humanity and still be a productive part of society.
Now please note, I am not talking about a political agenda or topic. I am talking about a human question in this world that we may see on a daily basis. However this also goes along with Jesus pointing the finger to us as disciples: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”
For many of us, we will say we want to be a follower of Jesus Christ and enjoy the benefit of the heavenly splendor has to offer but we want to jump over the deny themselves, take up their own cross.
As I was thinking of this text, I was thinking of the people in this world who have actually lived out this lifestyle. Often times, we call them saints for their devotion and lifestyle. One is St. Francis of Assisi. A young man who was born to a wealthy family of merchants. A young man like many of us knew the joys of a strong drink and staying up late. But while fighting against an enemy and taken as prisoner, began to realize that there is more to this life than want. His spirit and heart changed once he returned home. He devoted his life to helping others. While seeing a man who had leprosy, he was repulsed but then turned to the man and gave him everything that was in his pockets of value to go and be comforted during his illness. While on a pilgrimage to Rome and going to St. Peter’s Basilica, he saw the many who were beggars. He exchanged clothes with one of the men and gave others all the money that he had. He then joined the beggars to live a life of poverty and devoted his life to God. Years later, others followed his lifestyle and became known as the order of the Franciscans, in the Roman Catholic Church.
Still again another person of Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, a woman who grew up in Macedonia but at the age of 12 felt a strong call to serve God and share the Gospel with others. At the age of 18, she joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community who were serving in India. It was here that she would serve by teaching young women. While there she also saw that there were the poor, people who no one had planned to take care of and who were stuck in a system of poverty. Over the decades, she was able to help thousands. As other had heard of her work, they were inspired to share with her, their own monies or their time of service to help those who were in need. She went on to have international fame, drawing attention to the poverty and human calling of helping those brothers and sisters who are in need around us. Many of us today know her as, “Mother Teresa”.
Now as a good Lutheran, we do not honor the saints or venerate them. However, I do wonder if their life could stir the Holy Spirit within our own life. Could their example and their calling remind us of our own calling? Would we take the examination of our own life to determine, are we living for this Earthly world? Or are we living for heavenly things? When our days come to end in this world, what will we be known for?
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