Sermon for November 16, 2014
Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost
Rev. Amy Welin:
What did you think about that gospel? It sounded rather fierce, didn’t it? A rich master goes away and entrusts his wealth to his servants. (A talent is a large bar of silver, worth a considerable amount of money.) Two servants invest the money and make a profit. One fearfully buries the money and keeps it safe but earns no interest. And his master deals with him very harshly, calling him worthless and lazy and wicked. Even Jesus has harsh words: “to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have in abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”
This is one of the parables in which we need to look beneath the surface to grasp its meaning. Because it is not about the money. Which is fortunate, because Christian stewardship is not about the money. It is all about relationship.
Every time Jesus talks about money, which is frequently, he refers to it in a context of giving glory to God. In 11 of 39 parables, and in one in seven verses of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’s topic is financial. And he always tells his friends that their lives need to be constructed around faith and not around wealth.
This is especially interesting, because the headlines of our time reveal the power of money, don’t they? The rich are richer and the middle class is poorer. We all seem to be worrying about scarcity and the future. We are looking for some safety and security.
And the absolute bottom line truth is that, as our prophet Zephaniah points out, neither silver nor gold will save us from our deepest fears (Zeph 1.18). An investment account is cold comfort when we are all dying or alone. There is no love contained in our bank accounts until they are used as a blessing for someone else. It is all about relationship.
And that is what Jesus is getting at in this parable. The “worthless, lazy” servant is criticized for his fear which keeps him from taking a little risk for his master. He is so fearful for himself, he cannot think of anything else. Jesus is warning us about the danger in allowing our worry and anxiety to determine our action.
The primary reason for bringing financial stewardship out of the closet and into the church is that this allows us to consider money in a spiritual manner, and to diminish its power over us. When we treat our money as a gift from God, our attachment is to the Giver. Especially in times of uncertainty, we need to remember that God is greater than ourselves. To commit to a pledge is to commit to the spiritual practice of generosity. Those who pledge do not just give what is in their pocket. They plan to make a gift in thanksgiving to God.
In a spiritual context, to make a pledge to church is good for our souls: it allows us to remember our direct connection to the work of God in this place at this time. That is the reason we include an offertory in the middle of the service: we give back to God because God first gave to us. If you are grateful to God for all God has given you, if the work of God at St John’s parish is important to you, this is one time in the service to demonstrate how much. Generosity is an act of worship. It is not about the amount of money.
The fault of the lazy servant was his unwillingness to invest for the sake of his master. He did the safe thing. Jesus asks us to stretch ourselves for his sake. How far are we willing to stretch for the sake Jesus in this place?
All of the blessings of our lives – our families and friends, our work, every good thing – and all the blessings of this parish – the worship, the outreach and educational programs, the staff, the beautiful building – are gifts from God. Sharing in the blessing demands a commitment to financial generosity for the sake of God. We can all whine about the bills, the cost of maintenance, and the diocesan requirements. Yet the real bottom line is this: stewardship is not about the budget. It is about getting ourselves into the right sort of relationship of thanksgiving to God.
Consider how many blessings have affected your life. Pray about what percentage of your income you should give to God, so you can be part of God’s blessing in the world. Take the risk for God. Enter into the joy of God’s work of loving the world. Make a pledge.