What We Deserve
Sermon Link : https://youtu.be/brMi4AjVcho
Luke 13:22-33, 14:1-14, Psalm 63:1-8
What do you deserve? What is fair? It’s a question I struggled with last week when we were contemplating this man asking for a share of his brother’s inheritance. We deserve an equal share, right? We often think things are unfair when we see someone moving ahead of us, whatever the reason. On the opposite side, when we are living in success and comfort, we often feel we deserve everything we have and get. The truth is that we don’t know what we deserve. We were created, given life and this world with no work of our own. Oftentimes, God continually gives to us, despite our never deserving it. God is so faithful and consistent in his mercy and graciousness that we often confuse God’s free gift for what we deserve.
As we have been reading through the Gospel of Luke, especially with his strong reference to our social/spiritual duty as believers, I have often been challenged to realize that I have fallen short. In week one, I have not been living like the widowed woman, or the sinful woman in the realization that my greatest need is God. In week two, I have not often stepped out into the uncomfortable to share my faith in God. In week three, I have not given my time and energy to the point of sacrifice, like Mary at the feet of Jesus or the good Samaritan and I have not loved God beyond myself, or my neighbor as myself. And last week, I realized that I need to rethink how I spend my time, energy, and stuff to produce riches before God. These are all things that I was created to do, these were all built into the life I am meant to live, these are the blessings God has given all of us to share. Yet, when I realize how far I have fallen short it greatly challenges what I think I deserve.
The most difficult thing about all of these realizations is that I can do them. I can give more time to God, I can love him more and my neighbour like myself, I can sacrifice, and so on. The thing about these great acts of love that build God’s Kingdom is more often than not, I don’t want to do them. There is a strong part of me that wants to resist the uncomfortable, or the unknown, or that wants to give into the fear. I need these passages, I need this faith, I need this community, I need God so that I can be better than my broken self.
You might think I am being too hard on myself. I am generally nice, joyous and I like to care for others, but this is really just the beginning of what God calls us into. God is continually challenging you to live into what you were meant to be and that is something we all need to grow into. We are meant to respond to this realization not with fear, but rather with humility and faithfulness, responding by humbly following and making godly love a new habit in us.
There is very little danger in over-humbling ourselves before God and in the community. Sure, we may not be able to sell ourselves, or we might not get the best position or the greatest rewards here on earth, but when we humble ourselves that gives God the opportunity to lift us up. He uses the example of a feast, that we should choose the lowest seats so that instead we might be honoured instead of shamed. I have a different image in my head, Imagine life’s journey like climbing a mountain. We can battle our way to the top, resisting or even fighting because we want to make it first or because we know we probably don’t even have the strength to make it to the top we might keep pushing on our own. In pushing, resisting, and fighting, we actually stand in our own way as we use more energy and reject the possible help around us. Instead, in climbing this mountain, we could slow down greatly by helping those around us and by watching for God, but by doing this we would be open to the help and strength that is beyond our own, and on top of that others would come with us.
We are given a new challenge today by Jesus on top of the call to humble ourselves. Jesus tells us that when we hold a feast we are called to invite the people who will never pay us back or invite us over in return. Jesus speaks as if we should be careful not to invite those that are well off, or else they will invite us in return and we will receive our reward here on earth. Notice, there seems to be no question in Jesus’ mind of not accepting or taking a gift, as that would be rejecting kindness and grace. The point though is that we are meant to seek out those that will probably never pay us back, serving and giving to them. Why? Because then our reward isn’t on earth, it will be in heaven. Acting in this way doesn’t mean we deserve a reward because we were always meant to love in this way, but we are rewarded because God loves to respond to gracious love and mercy with the same. It is part of his character, that he wants to lift up those that are lifting up others.
There are so many ways each and every one of us can give to those who will never give back. It doesn’t require great wealth, a great house, or position, all it takes is presence and any gift, physical or otherwise.
Giving in this way might be hard, at first. It is scary to step out and reach out. You never know how someone will respond, at first, but Jesus reminds us that we just need faith the size of a mustard seed, and that will grow and become well rooted in us. Or just before our first reading Jesus reminds us that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that grows to feed and house more and more or it is like a little yeast that mixed in will make the whole dow rise. When we act out by serving graciously, the Kingdom of God is further planted in ourselves and in the world and so its effect is greater than we may realize at first.
The hard part now is looking past the easy and quick rewards. In today’s world, we are used to being rewarded quickly. We have fast food that we barely have to work for. We have TV and films that give us entertainment and even a feeling of life and redemption without us having to do anything. We have games and position that give us the feeling of power when we don’t really deserve it or act justly. There are so many easy pleasures that can get in the way of who we are meant to be and how we are meant to live. As I mentioned last week, we have to look beyond the moment so that we can see where we are heading, and what we are building.
That brings me to the first passage that takes the next step. Someone asks Jesus “will everyone be saved?” Jesus doesn’t respond with a simple yes or no because it isn’t that simple. Peter’s second letter reminds us that God wants everyone to be saved, but Jesus in this moment reminds us that salvation, even for a few, is hard. He tells them about our need to enter through the narrow door. With so many possible choices to make in this life, or things to follow or directions to move, each person needs to go towards one destination, one narrow door. Matthew’s gospel uses this image of the narrow door of salvation as well, comparing it to the wide door of destruction. This is easier for me to understand because direction and faith in Jesus are important. In Luke’s Gospel however Jesus is talking about those that do come to the narrow door, but instead find that they have come too late. The door has been closed and the master of the house does not know them. These people might have enjoyed the master’s presence and his teaching, but that doesn’t mean that they were really building a relationship with him, even a few acts of kindness don’t actually mean that they were serving humanity. In a strange way, God can become like TV a simple source of comfort and bounty. God wants us to come to him for these things, but a relationship with God is so much more than just comfort. We must all use the time we have to move towards the door that is Jesus through humility, love and so much more. Again, it is not because this will make us deserve anything from God, but because God responds to those that draw close and serve in his household and kingdom.
The scary thing is that we hear the reward of sin, of not drawing close, of not working to serve and love. It is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Darkness is also added to that list in a Matthew parable. Sadly, this is only the natural consequence. Not having God, means that eternity does not live around us and in us, so that means that we will continually experience loss and a lack, as things die and disappear. Not having God, will lead us to not see what we have or the people around us and so we respond in anger as we gnash our teeth. Not having God, means that we don’t have his light and so we experience darkness. There is more to this reality, but in this life, God has made it possible for us to experience, at least in little ways, the lack of his presence.
The sad reality is that that is what we deserve, but thanks be to God that he doesn’t want to make us live through that, he doesn’t make us experience the full consequences of our inaction and lacking love. Thank God that he is so merciful and gracious to keep giving us more and more chances. Thank God that he keeps coming to us to bring salvation close. Thank God that he is so patient in keeping that door open willing that all people may be saved.
More will be saved than we expect or even understand. The lowly and those from all across the world are a few that Jesus mentions. This calls us, even more, to live humbly and lift up the humble, recognizing that God has a special care and plan to lift up those that are low. Now, we have some sense of what we really deserve, thanks be to God that he doesn’t give us what we deserve. If we are willing to lift up others and not seek a reward here on earth, God will graciously respond by giving us so much more than we deserve.
Questions:
Luke 13:22-33, 14:1-14, Psalm 63:1-8
Luke 13:22-33
Vs. 22 Why is this an important detail to the story? What is significant about him going to Jerusalem (relate to vs. 33)? Why is it important that he is teaching on the way? What does this say about even our most important journey or purpose?
Vs. 23 Why would someone ask this question?
Vs. 24-27 What do you think it means that some will seek the door, but not all will be able to enter? (Compare this to 2 Peter 3:9 and Matthew 25:1-13).
Vs. 24 How is this different from Matthew 7:13-14? How do both give us a fuller image of salvation? What does this tell us about how and when we need to respond to Jesus?
Vs. 25 Why would you or anyone else not open up the door for someone else? What does this tell us about salvation?
Vs. 26-27 Why is it not enough to eat and drink with Jesus and hear his teachings? What more is there to faith in Christ? Why would the master still not know them?
Vs. 28 What does weeping and gnashing of teeth mean to you? Why is this a natural consequence to distance from God, from his consistency, bounty, and light?
Vs. 28-30 What do these verses tell us about the kind of people that will enjoy God’s presence?
Vs. 30 How does this relate to the message so far? How does it relate to what Jesus would do (referenced in the coming verses)?
Vs. 31-33 Why does Jesus not shy away from the danger?
What do these verses tell us about his purpose? How does today, tomorrow and the next day relate to his work on the cross?
Luke 14:1-14
Vs. 1-6 Why do we sometimes show more love for our own, than for those around us?
What is the purpose of the Sabbath?
Vs. 7 Why would people choose the place of honour? Can you think of when some seats are better than others?
Vs. 8-11 What is the danger of honouring ourselves, or even taking what we think we deserve?
What is the possible benefit of humbling ourselves and giving others greater position and benefits?
Vs. 12-14 Why do we often care for and invite those that we know and those that are closest to us?
Why and how is Jesus challenging us to think differently?
Why does Jesus make it sound dangerous to invite those that will pay you back? What is the difference between a reward on earth and a reward from God?
Psalm 63:1-8
What is our true longing?
Why does this world never settle it?
How does the Psalmist find satisfaction?
What are some of the benefits for the Psalmist of being close to God?
