“You Can Do It” (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

 

Successful people will tell you that the number one factor in their success is that believe in themselves.  They believe that they can accomplish whatever they set their minds and hearts on accomplishing.  They have confidence in themselves.  Because they believe in themselves and have confidence in themselves, they don’t quit or give up until they have succeeded.  It also doesn’t hurt that they often have others behind them that believe in them . . . parents, spouses, friends, mentors.

Self-belief and confidence go a long way.

It makes a difference.

Our scripture reading this morning is about the call of Jeremiah to be a prophet for God.  It is not what I call a real positive interview or start to God’s call.  Jeremiah is not too keen on the idea of being a prophet for God.  Prophets are not appreciated, they are not liked, and sometimes they have real short lifespans.  For this reason, Jeremiah makes a bunch of excuses as to why he can’t be a prophet for God . . . “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”  Add to that the fact that Jeremiah is probably scared to death of the whole proposition.

Who can blame him?  The times that Jeremiah is living and being called to serve as God’s prophet are not good times for the children of God.  It is a time in which the people have basically ignored God’s desires and the way that God wanted to treat and act towards each other.  It is a time when they are uppity towards the Babylonians stoking a fire that would eventually burn them . . . burn them severely.  In fact, the two things intermingle and Babylon invades.  The walls of Jerusalem are broken down, many people are killed, the king’s palace is leveled, and the temple is destroyed.  It was an invasion designed to destroy the city physically, psychologically, and spiritually, the people, domestic, social, and economic life.  The result is that the people questioned their relationship with God.

It was to this that Jeremiah was chosen to represent and speak for God . . . to speak both to the people and those in power.  It was a hostile situation filled with armed Babylonians and terrified people.  Not the most hospitable and listening group.  To these people Jeremiah is told to speak the words of God and to “. . . uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Jeremiah did not want the job, nor did he believe that he could do the job.  After all, he was too young and didn’t know how to speak.  But God didn’t care . . . God believed in Jeremiah.  What else did Jeremiah need!

God told Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.  Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you.”  Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched his mouth and said to Jeremiah.  “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

God is telling Jeremiah that he can do it.  He can do it because God believes in him.  If he can believe in the God that believes in him . . . well, he can do it.  God is with him.

Well, Jeremiah reluctantly accepts the call.  I am not certain that we can say that he whole-heartedly embraced it as we can see through the forty years he served as God’s prophet he fretted a lot about it all.  He was constantly wondering whether he was where God wanted him . . . whether he was doing what God wanted him to do.  Sure, there were moments of success, but there were moments of utter disappointment.  Yet through it all . . . God was with Jeremiah.  Always with him.

There was always that little bit of lingering doubt within Jeremiah.  In the end he accomplished what God had asked him to do.  He spoke the word of God to the people.  He stood by the people.  He guided the people.  But it wasn’t easy . . . there were good and bad days . . . easy and difficult days . . . days when he felt utterly defeated.  Through it all he trudged despite his lingering doubts . . . he trudged onward because he believed.

Don’t we all?

Aren’t we all like Jeremiah?

Don’t we want to see ourselves as confident people called by God to do God’s will?  And yet, don’t we all wonder . . . wonder whether or not God has called the right person?  Don’t we all carry some of that lingering doubt about ourselves and God within us?

Sure, we do!  We all do.

Consider Mother Teresa . . . one of the saintliest people in our lifetimes.  She was recognized across the world as a holy person . . . a Christ-like person . . . for the work she did among the poor and homeless around the world.  The Roman Catholic Church thought so, and they canonized her as a saint nine years after her death.  She is a universal and beloved figure of what it looks to be like Jesus.  And yet, she doubted.  She doubted her faith . . . she doubted her call . . . she doubted her relationship with God.

In a letter written to a friend she wrote: “Jesus has a very special love for you. [But] as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see–Listen and do not hear–the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak … I want you to pray for me–that I let Him have [a] free hand.”

In all honesty we are no different than the prophet Jeremiah . . . no different than Mother Teresa.  We join them in our admission that we too have our doubts . . . moments when it is difficult to believe in ourselves, to believe in God’s call upon our lives, and to believe in our relationship with God.

But we don’t quit.  We continue to do move onward with our lives doing what we can do.  We do our work.  We do the little things that need to be done daily.  Little things that don’t look like much, yet they bring peace to others and us.  We keep plugging away . . . filling our lives with these little acts of kindness, grace, and love.  Sort of like wildflowers which seem to have no scent, till you get a field full of them.  Even in doubt you do what you know . . . repeatedly until eventually everyone is doing it.  Jeremiah’s ministry as a prophet was forty years.

Why?

Because we believe in God and God believes in us.  We—you and I—can do it.  We can do it even when that lingering doubt won’t quit popping up.  We can do it because God believes in us and will not abandon us . . . in the good and bad, easy and difficult, victories and defeats, and moments of uncertainty and doubt.  God believes in us, and we believe in God.  If God trust us that much, we should trust ourselves.

It has been said that it takes a lot of faith in the future to plant an acorn.  Few people who plant acorns will ever see the mature oak that it produces.  Much of what we do as a follower of Jesus does not have immediate, short-range results.  This is something that teachers are aware of.  They pour their lives into children who then grow up and will likely not even remember their names.  But they learn from them and incorporate that into who they become as adults.  What the teacher does is invest in a future they will never see, and for which they will never get any credit.  They just do it even when they doubt what they are doing . . . when they doubt themselves . . . they keep on plugging away.

I do not know where any of you are in your faith journeys, but I do know that we all have those moments of doubt.  Mother Teresa did.  Jeremiah did.  Even Jesus did in the garden on the night before he was crucified.  Yet they all kept trying.  God believed in them, and God believes in us.  What else do we need?  How can we fail?  God is with us.  That is all we need.  Amen.

“The Meteorology of the Spiritual Life” (Luke 12:49-56)

 

Before we started dabbling in artificial intelligence in our house with Alexa, Dana had to rely on either the morning news on the television or radio to hear the weather forecast . . . or she would check it out on her cell phone.  Since Alexa joined the family the weather forecast is the first thing we hear after the alarm goes off.  Before our feet hit the ground, we know the weather!

For me, that is good enough.  As I start my day, I know whether it is going to hot or cold, rainy, or dry . . . the whole gamut.  After that I can just look outside and see the weather.  That is enough for me, but Dana likes to keep tabs on the weather throughout the day and not only for the day but the whole week.  She is constantly asking Alexa what the weather is or is going to be.  For the most part it never changes, and it drives me nuts!

 

Dana is not alone in this.  Lots of people keep constant tabs on the weather.  It is no surprise that weather is one of the most common topics of conversation among people.  I don’t think that there is a Sunday morning that I don’t speak about weather with Bob before everyone starts arriving for worship.  Weather affects his cattle . . . affects his garden, so why wouldn’t we converse a little bit about the weather.

 

Jesus knows this about people . . . weather is a hot topic!  In our reading this morning he talks about the meteorological concern and expertise of the people.  Points out that they know their weather!  “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.  And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is.”   As far as Jesus is concerned people know their weather and what it means.  But Jesus is not really speaking about the weather . . . no, the weather is only a metaphor for what he is attempting to confront in those who are listening.  Particularly the disciples. 

 

Jesus is trying to get his disciples—and all the listeners—to understand that things are changing . . . religion is changing . . . the way one lives life is changing.  It is all changing because of him . . . the words that he spoke, the lessons that he taught, the miracles he performed, and the way that he lived his life.  It was a life that challenged the status quo . . . the way that things have always been.  It was a life that took on the power and control of the times.  It was a demonstration of God’s presence, desire, and will . . . the coming of God’s kingdom.  Because of this, Jesus knew that the transition would not be easy. 

 

All the signs were there.  The clouds were in the west . . . the southern wind was blowing, but everyone acted ignorant to the signs that were before them.  Because of this Jesus says, “Hypocrites!  You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky.  How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?”  Jesus is pointing out that the writing is on the wall . . . so why are they ignoring it?

 

Well, because what Jesus is asking . . . no, expecting . . . from them is not easy.  In fact, it is downright difficult and hard.  It is divisive.  It is going to cause conflict.  There are going to be disagreements and fights.  People are going to get mad at each other.  Friendships are going to be broken.  Families are going to split.  It will be no fun.  Yet, at the same time, it will be necessary.  This is how growth and change take place.

 

It is easy to jump into the camp of judgment in the words of Jesus this morning.  He speaks of fire.  He speaks of conflict.  But remember not all “fire” is bad.  The “fire” Jesus speaks about is a “cleansing fire”.  Fire is used to burn out the impurities . . . to get rid of what doesn’t belong to bring forth what is to be.  This is the tension that Jesus is speaking about . . . the “fire”.  It is in this tension that the muscles of the heart are strengthened . . . how they grow.  It is in the tension that conversation takes place, differences are shared, and discernment takes place . . . where understanding begins to be born.

 

Remember . . . Jesus never said that following him would be easy.  Never promised that being a person of faith would be a walk in the park.  How could it be?  Just look at the example he gave.  Baptism is not meant to be simply an easy, joyous occasion.  Yes, on the one hand it is a confirmation of God’s promises; on the other hand, it is much more.  Again, look at the example Jesus set for his followers.  It is a call to vocation . . . it is a signal of entrance into God’s kingdom . . . it is the beginning of sharing the “good news” of Jesus.  News that not everyone is willing or happy to believe or accept.  Not everyone is willing to give up power or control.  Thus conflict . . . division . . . FIRE!

 

The world around us is constantly changing, but God’s call upon our lives does not.  To be in relationship . . . with God and one another.  To love . . . to love as God has loved us.  To seek peace, justice, and to care for others as we would want to be cared for.  To establish God’s kingdom. That never changes, but the context and setting seem to be constantly changing and with that change comes difficult and tough circumstances.  Sometimes as a follower of Jesus it feels as if we’ve stepped out of the frying pan right into the fire.

 

Jesus’ response?

 

Well, we know the signs.  What did we expect . . . something different?  Jesus knows that we know.  Remember he said, “You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?”

 

Because it is difficult.  Because it is scary.  Because we might lose . . . we might lose friends, family, status . . . any number of things.  There is no shortage of topics and issues that aren’t worthy of conversation in our present time.  Topics and issues that are divisive.  That have the potential to make people mad . . . to divide . . . and to destroy relationships.  Yet, they need to be brought to the “fire” . . . to be cleansed . . . and to discover God’s will through the process.  The conversations need to be had if God’s kingdom is to be realized.

 

It won’t be easy.

 

Remember that God has claimed us in our baptisms, not because we’ve been perfect Christians.  God claims us because God loves us and believes in us.  Because of that God is always with us . . . never abandons us . . . in the good times and in the bad times . . . and especially in those times of difficult conversation.  This is not our world.  It is God’s world.  As the followers of Jesus, we must learn to “let go” and allow God’s spirit to guide us towards what God wants.  The work must be done.  The conversations must be had.  The Spirit’s work must be allowed to happen.  The signs are all there . . . can we ignore them forever?  Amen.  

“Matters of the Heart” (Luke 12:32-40)

 Have you claimed yours yet?

 

As a kid I ate some pretty crummy cereal all because of the promise of a great prize in the box.  And I mean “ate it” because I was not allowed to dig around in the box to get the prize before the cereal was gone.  To this day I cannot stand to see or smell a box of Sugar Smacks!  But I was going to claim that prize.

 

Early in our marriage Dana and I received a letter from a place four hours away telling us we had won a variety of prizes worth hundreds—even thousands—of dollars including the possibility of a new car.  All we had to do was come and take a tour of a place selling time shares.  So, we packed ourselves up, drove the four hours, sat in a trailer for several hours with a person trying to hard sell us a time share that basically sat out in the middle of a pasture.  All I wanted was my prizes and the chance to win a that car.  After enduring the sales pitch and demanding our prizes, we were told that they would be mailed to us.  Several weeks later we got our prizes in the mail . . . a cheap transistor radio (which was supposed to be a stereo) and some really cheap vinyl luggage.  All total it was probably worth maybe twenty bucks if that much.  Plus, we were told that we did not win the car . . . which was probably good because it was a Yugo.

 

I have always been a sucker for claiming prizes . . . especially when I have been told that I have already won.  I think that we all are . . . so, again, I ask: Have you claimed yours yet?

 

In our reading this morning Jesus says: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”  Then he goes on to tell them to sell everything . . . give it to the poor and claim your prize! And what a prize it is!  It will never fail.  It will never lose value.  It won’t become obsolete.  It cannot be destroyed or taken away.  It is prize that keeps on giving.  All anyone has to do to receive this prize is to claim it.  And, get this, God gives it to everyone whether they deserve it or not.  It is all there for the taking.  So . . . have you claimed yours yet?

 

The Kingdom of God . . . God’s presence in our lives and in the world around us.  That relationship with the Holy that changes us . . . changes the way we live and relate . . . changes the world we live in to focus on loving God and others.  This is the Kingdom of God.  It is God’s pleasure to give us this prize—this gift and God wants this gift to be celebrated.  God wants us to know that God’s presence is with us no matter where life leads us . . . through trials and tribulations, whatever comes our way, that we are not alone . . . that God is with us, and we are going to be okay.  We are loved. 

 

Through Jesus we are invited to live life as Jesus did, knowing that our sins are forgiven, knowing that despite what we might think of ourselves or what others might think about us, we are deeply loved by the one who created us.  God loves us.  The value of our lives is not to be measured by our bank account, not by how we look, not by our standing in the community, not even by the amount of good we have done, but simply by this:  that God values us highly enough to give us the joy of the kingdom.  It is a prize . . . a gift . . . God willingly gives to us and it is all ours for the taking.  We just need to claim it.

 

So . . . have you claimed yours yet?

 

As I stated earlier . . . I am a sucker for prizes especially if they are free.  At the same time, I have been burned enough that I just don’t jump on the prize bandwagon to claim just any old prize.  I have learned that if it sounds too good to be true that it is probably a scam waiting to happen.  Because of that I am a little leery about claiming my prize when it is offered even if it is free.

 

God wants us to pick up our prize . . . to pick up our gift.  It is a matter of the heart.  Jesus tells us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  There is a lot of truth to that statement.  When something is important to us we put in a lot of time, energy, money, and resources.  When we look around our lives where do we find ourselves putting in lots of time, energy, money, and resources?  What we discover in the answer to that question tells us a lot about what is important to us.  Hopefully it is the things of the kingdom . . . relationships and people . . . God and creation . . . love.  These are the “treasure that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”

 

It is a life that we live out of gratitude.  It is the way that Jesus lived his life—which is by faith which calls for forgiveness over revenge, hope over despair, generosity over stinginess, love over apathy.  It is a life in which God calls us to be watchful for the ways in which joy is breaking in around us.  Where Jesus is always coming . . . is always present when we least expect it.

 

That is why Jesus tells his listeners to be “ready for service and keep your lamps burning”.   Be ready, for the presence of God is all around us and may manifest itself at any moment.  Will we be ready to receive the gift?  Will we be ready to respond with gratitude and joy?  Ready to follow our hearts that reveal our true treasure?  A life of faith is a matter of the heart.

 

Remember from last week the story of the rich fool who built for himself great treasure from the crops that had been harvested and then discovered that he would not live through the night to enjoy them.  You just never know.  Because life is too short and we do not know at what moment it could all end, we should not waste our lives in things that do not build the Kingdom of God.  We should be about those things that build the kingdom . . . be about relating to God, relating to others, discovering community, making peace, ending the woes of life.  We should be about loving.  These are where the Kingdom of God lie and for where our hearts should be drawn.

 

Treasure that never ends.  Treasure marked by the heart.  Treasure that God freely gives to each and every one of us.  Given because God loves us and wants us to be blessed.  And in return, out of our gratefulness, God wants us to become a gift to others . . . to share God’s love as demonstrated by Jesus himself.  God wants us to live out of our hearts from which we are called to bless others.

 

So . . . have you claimed yours yet?  Have you fully embraced it yet?  Consider your life . . . where does your treasure lie?  What does your heart reveal?  God knows . . . do you?  When it comes to matters of the heart . . . the heart never lies 

 

God offers the greatest gift of all . . . the Kingdom of God.  Offers it for free to each and every one of us.  It is ours for the taking.  What are we waiting for?  Come and receive God’s love and grace for today, tomorrow, and every day.  It all comes down to the heart.  Get yours today and know the gift that never stops giving . . . God’s love and grace.  Jesus shows us the way.  Amen.