Apostolic Church: Enter into the Joy of Your Master

 

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The parables of Jesus, these powerful little stories, like today’s Gospel, are meant to be understood on many different levels.

Now on the surface, this parable is about our stewardship of money.  Just as the master gave his treasure to his us, his servants, so the master expects that we would be faithful stewards of that money.  Jesus doesn’t literally give us 5 bags of gold; No, He gives us so much more.  The Bible reminds us that, first, he gives us life. Then, he provides the world and our own God given talents and abilities so that we can make and manage money; and in thanksgiving to Him, we give God a percentage return from us.  But it doesn’t stop there, because Jesus says that if we give, than even more will be given to us, just as it was to the 2 faithful servants in the parable.

 

But this parable is not just about money---for on a different level, the money in this parable represents a far greater treasure.  It represents you and me and the people of the world.  As some of you know, all people are important to God. Humanity is God’s precious treasure; and we, as His servants, are meant to be good stewards of all his children, at home and abroad.

·       At the time of the apostolic church, which we have been discussing, this was such a radical/ counter cultural movement, which eventually exploded throughout the Roman world. Before that, All people were not important to the Romans, who slaughtered whole towns and nations, in order to terrorize the world into submission.

·       BUT IN THE Apostolic Church, all people are important: men, women, the young and the old; the rich & the poor; the slaves and the free; people of all races, creeds, and national backgrounds Every soul was valued by the apostolic church because every soul is important to God.

This is an absolutely vital message in our country in our time, because you see, millions and millions of Americans  do not feel valued by God, and/or valued by the communities in which they live.

·       The abuse of African Americans, goes back through 300 years of slavery and has continued into modern times, resulting in generational wounds, in desperate need for reconciliation, healing and liberation.

·       But let’s go further—seeing the poor, the sick, the dying, the needy, the unemployed or underemployed, the homebound, the lonely, the overburdened and over taxed tax payers, neglected and abuse women and children, and the list goes on and on.  Are all these people in important to God? You bet.

·       And God’s response to this misery?  Please repeat after me: God so loved the world, that he agave his only Son//so that we would not perish//but have eternal life.

·       Eternal life refers not just to heaven. Eternal life begins the moment you accept Jesus into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior. Eternal life open up the possibility of eternal joy.   “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the JOY of your master.”

So as God’s servants, we were created, in part, to share the joy of God by loving all people. Jesus said, “It is too light aa thing to just love the people you like.  Even the godless and the heathen do that.  No, I tell you that you shall Love your enemies.”

·       How do you love your enemies? Oh, it’s hard.  How can I love, say, the North Korean dictator and terrorist, Kim Jung Eon?

·       Martin Luther King once said that loving your enemies begins within your heart.  It starts when you embrace the Biblical truth that there is some good in every person…some good in every person.   PAUSE

So, I was praying about this, and I said, “Lord, that is too hard.  I have no desire to see anything good in such enemies.  Considering the harm, they do to others, the idea is repugnant just to think about it. “

And what did Jesus say aback to me?  He said, “John, if I stopped loving sinners, then I wouldn’t love you.  Every single soul is important to me; and especially those who have chosen to embrace evil, for they are perishing now, leading to their ultimate damnation.  Remember, Vengeance is mine.”

So, I decide to begin a process…a process of serving Jesus by loving my opponents and enemies.  I began to try to pray for Dictator Kim, asking Jesus to confront him with his sin, and to lead him to complete repentance for the evil he has done, and the evil he is contemplating. I told God that even though I cannot understand, that I would choose to accept by faith that there must be something good about him; something which maybe only Jesus can see.  PAUSE.  The next time I prayed about Him, I prayed “thy will be done.” And so far, that is the extent to which I have tried to love that enemy.

You see, all over the world, in our country, and in our towns and homes, there is a human mindset which can turn people into enemies:  It is called “We versus them.”

·       We are right, and they are wrong

·       We are good, and they are bad.

·       We have been hurt, belittled, or robbed by THEM.

·       And if this attitude is left unrestrained, it will escalate to further conflict, mutual hurt, and finally into violence.

Jesus’ Good News frees us from the “We versus them” mindset. You see, since all the people of the world are important to God; and we are called to be His servant is loving them on His behalf. Why?  because we are called to His servant peacemakers—through calm conversation, forgiveness, and the recognition that we are all on the same team—Team Jesus. And the people on His team seek changed hearts that we might share his LOVE with one another.

 

Back in earlier this year, when we held discussions at the annual meeting and you all filled out surveys, many, many of you spoke of the warmth and acceptance that you experience at CCQF. Since 2011, your Rector and leadership have sought to diffuse “we versus them” conflicts.  In Christ, there is no “we versus them.’   In Christ, there is only US, together, all working together to serve the same Team Captain, Jesus Christ.  Now CCQF is not perfect, but the Holy Spirit is leading us to even greater harmony, cooperation, forgiveness,  and compassion.  And as we serve Jesus in this way, he releases His joy.  Perhaps that’s why some local folks, who worship elsewhere, call us “THE HAPPY CHURCH.”

From this launching pad, we can take this out into the world as  servant stewards of all God’s children, most of whom we will never meet. But as we grow in the truth that all people at least, have some good in them---then, like the good servants in today’s Gospel, we, too, will enter into the Joy of our Master.  Amen.