Year C
Luke 12:32-40
The Very Rev. Denise Vaughn
The Heart of Faith
Some of us may remember when actress Sally Field won an Oscar in 1984 for her role in ‘Places in the Heart. In her acceptance speech, she beamed a broad smile and said, “You like me, you really like me.” Well today when Jesus says, “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom,” it is as though he was saying, “God likes us, God really likes us.” We need not picture God as angry, wrathful, always ready to catch us in some moral slip-up, ready to zap us, or worse, not care for us at all! God really likes us! In the opening verse of today’s gospel Jesus is inviting us to live confidently, with a sense of security; so that we might live in faith, not fear. It is the Father’s good pleasure to love us and to care for us.
Yet, does Jesus really expect his disciples to stop worrying and to live by this advice? In this chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we notice that Jesus makes several comments that are rather puzzling. He says, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear”. Most of his followers were poor. I’m sure they had a hard time keeping their families clothed and fed, as many still do today. Of course, they would worry about food and clothing. It was a lot to ask and still is. Jesus commands “Do not be afraid.” Yet, we are hard-wired to worry and be fearful. We all worry. So how do we make sense of Jesus telling us not to do what comes naturally?
To begin with, at the heart of our faith, at the heart of Christianity is a radically different way to look at the world. Faith serves as a set of spectacles through which we see the world as God wants us to see it, with Jesus as our example. And when we look at the world the way God wants us to see it, we think differently because we see differently and because we see differently, we live differently. Seeing the world through God’s eyes requires changes, like always seeking a faithful perspective on life. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob received approval from God because they stepped out in faith. They lived their lives differently by seeking God.
The word faith forms the root of the word faithfulness and faithfulness involves a wholehearted trust in the one whom we love and worship; the one who loves us and wants to give us the kingdom. We read in the book of Hebrews that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” In other words, faith makes real in the present God’s things, often thought of as the future or eternal, such as God’s own faithfulness. We cannot just go through the motions, for we have a God who loves us but also cares that our lives, our actions, the very depth of our hearts are focused on the God we follow. We are asked, “Where is your treasure, for there your heart will be also”.
The things of God are to be given the most urgent priority in our lives. Neither fear nor worldly distractions are to take our focus away from genuine faithfulness to God. The ultimate concern of life is not being rich in things which cause us to worry but in being rich toward God and seeking God’s kingdom. It is God’s good pleasure to give the treasure that does not fade or fail to those who live a life of faith. Faithfulness looks like concern for the poor and the needy and a commitment to justice. It looks like obedience to the commandment to love God and our neighbor as ourselves. This way of living reveals the truth of our hearts and opens us to the blessings God wants to give us.
Our lives and the lives of others can be transformed by looking at things in the way God wants us to see them. Seeing the world through the gospel of Jesus Christ transforms our lives by calling us to larger lives. If we live in the world of nothing more than “Me, Myself, and I,” our growth is stifled. When we get entangled in self, we become consumed with worry and fear. What shall I eat? What shall I wear? To paraphrase our Lord, “Quit focusing on yourself. Push the limits of your vision. Haven’t you noticed that even the birds have enough to eat? God takes care of the birds and you are more valued than any bird. Trust God. Don’t fret about what you will wear. Take a look at the flowers in that meadow. Those lilies never worry and God takes care of them.”
With these words Jesus offers us a different way of seeing, to live differently rather than be overwhelmed by fear and worry. That is not to say fear and worry can or even should be eliminated. In proper proportion and in the right circumstances, fear and worry serve us as gifts of a loving God to help us work for the kingdom of God. A kingdom that Jesus says we need to be dressed, ready and waiting for. For the Son of Man will return one day. The scriptures teach that God brought the world into existence and that there will be an end of the world.
These remarks of Jesus suggest that his audience were worried about this. Jesus informs them that it is not known when God will bring this about. It could happen at any time when it is least expected. Since we will have no warning we must always be ready. The servants who are congratulated are those whom the master finds vigilant as they actively anticipate their master’s return, even though they are uncertain when that will happen. Our ultimate concern as baptized followers of Christ is to work for God’s kingdom as we await the master’s return because it was God’s good pleasure to include us in this divine work. It is God’s good pleasure today to welcome through baptism, Victoria and Greg into this divine work. May their lives be lived in faithfulness to the one who loves them.
What does it mean to live by faith? It means to continue on the path to which God calls us without undue worry about our future. Living this way is possible only when we have complete trust in the goodness of the one true God. We trust that we will be fine if God leads us. Faith in any other “treasure” will be our downfall. So, as we wait for the return of the master let us be dressed for action and carrying our lamps so we may be ready when he comes and knocks. If we are prepared, what a surprise it will be to find our master ready to serve us the kingdom. The kingdom we are to strive for is presented to us as a gift which can only be accomplished by going out into the world to show the love and care of God for all of God’s people. May our lives be lived in faithfulness to the one who loves us.