Proper 6
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle C
Object:
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a (C)
We could say Ahab asked for it. What a petulant, immature little fellow he must have been. Imagine, a king going home and going to bed, refusing to eat because some little desire of his was thwarted. Don't you wonder sometimes how so many strange people, both then and now, rise to such high positions? I realize those folks back then thought God chose their kings, but either they were fooling themselves or Woodie Allen had it right when he said, "God is good. He's just an underachiever." I don't, of course, mean to be sacrilegious. I assume God was active among the people, but this could be a good example of the way some people think they know God's will when they don't at all. My apologies, of course, to any reader who accepts these stories literally. The events may have happened, but I seriously doubt that God was playing the part they thought He was. If we read ahead, we learn that Ahab died in battle and good riddance. As for Jezebel, her name lives in history but not in the way she would have wished.
I for one cannot use this to contend that God punishes wrongful acts. Not here. Not now. I see too many folks getting away with outrageous actions to believe that. Later, perhaps. I sort of hope so, although in my own case I have a thing or two to answer for and I do hope for a liberal helping of mercy. Perhaps it all has to do with how remorseful we are, not about being caught nor about the fear of punishment, but genuinely sorry because we see how wrong we were and really do care about the people we hurt.
As for a sermon, I suppose we could do a little something on the final consequences of selfish conduct. I realize Ahab didn't write that letter, but he sure was quick to grab Naboth's vineyard until Elijah confronted him. Here again, this may serve as a useful illustration as we go along, but I wouldn't be inclined to use this as my preaching text, so I leave the reader to his or her own superior imagination for this one.
Lesson 1: 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13 (RC); 2 Samuel 11:26--12:10, 13-15 (E)
Here we have another unethical ruler. Customs were radically different in those times, and maybe David was acting out a set of ethical precepts which were accepted then. Still, he broke at least two commandments by coveting his neighbor's wife and by killing (or having killed) an innocent man. Only this time, the villain got away with his crime. In fact, as we know, he was to become one of the great leaders in Jewish history. We do find David confessing his actions, and this may mean he was truly remorseful. Perhaps God had such plans for David that He had to overlook these action. Perhaps we could see this passage along with the passage from 1 Kings in which Ahab committed a crime and suffered for it. David went on to compound his sin, losing a son at birth, then going on about his affairs without shedding a single tear. What a guy.
Lesson 2: Galatians 2:15-21 (C); Galatians 2:16, 19-21 (RC); Galatians 2:11-21 (E)
We recently considered this matter of grace versus law. Here Paul reiterates his conviction that we are brought into a right relationship with God through faith and faith alone. Law -- obedience to a lengthy set of rules and regulations -- can never do that. We would then become slavish in our obedience, and judgmental of others. The Pharisees were the classic example of this, and their legalism resulted in the death of perfect love.
We might come at this from a slightly different point of view. While we aren't put right with God by law, neither can we live without law. We can't have everyone driving down Meridian Street at a speed of their own choosing (actually, it sometimes seems that is exactly what is happening). A speed law is passed, and things work in harmony only if and when we all obey that law. We employ people whose job it is to make sure that we do so. Really, we're not all that different from the Pharisees in some ways. Schools have their rules. Good manners involves rules. I still remember the time I had dinner with some very classy (in the good sense) people and just as the dessert was about to arrive, I realized with horror that my napkin was still carefully folded on the table beside my plate. Now some folks might be utterly nonplussed to learn that the fact that I forgot to put my napkin on my lap could possibly matter one way or another. But in certain circles, that was a noticeable blunder. In other words, if we wish to live comfortably in our area of life, we must know and pay homage to the rules and laws which govern proper behavior.
Some people defy these conventions. I have seen young men show up at a funeral in jeans. Or a wedding in sweats. No one can stop them, but they apparently had little respect for the feelings of others. It's a minor league slap in the face. Nothing is said, of course (except, one hopes, by their parents). But good manners and a law-abiding attitude toward life make for a peaceful and happy society.
Now there's a caveat here. We do, after all, make allowances. Not everyone knows the rules or customs. Some are simply unable to comply. In those cases, we are gracious and generous. But the need for some agreed-upon ways to conduct the routine affairs of life is real.
But here's Paul's point. This can all lead to sly disapproval. We can make easy judgments when we see someone breaking any of our many rules. Without another element -- the element of grace, of forgiveness, of kindness -- it can all degenerate into phariseeism, just like the people with whom Jesus had problems. And those qualities are what most of us acquire through our faith in Jesus. Love. We act in love and do so through our faith in Jesus. If we do that, and if, for the sake of other people, we abide by the necessary rules and laws of our culture, changing them in appropriate ways when that is necessary (Rosa Parks), then we are right with God.
Gospel: Luke 7:36--8:3 (C, RC); Luke 7:36-50 (E)
There's a lot in this story. The woman's act of impulsive generosity is impressive. I once heard it said that you will never miss anything you gave away out of a generous impulse. I came close once. When I was young, I acquired a very old rifle. For a while it hung on the wall of my study. Then I stowed it in a closet where it remained for many years. One evening, some friends were visiting and I showed them the rifle. Of course it was very old, no longer usable. But it was a good antique. The teen-aged boy in my friend's family was so taken with that old rifle I gave it to him. Then, a few months later, out of idle curiosity, I was in a bookstore and saw a book listing the values of antique firearms. I looked up this rifle -- an old Sharps buffalo rifle. Its value -- and this was twenty years ago -- was three thousand dollars. Now for a brief moment I was sorry I had been so impulsive. Then I remembered that rule. I had done something to make a young man happy. Now that he's nearing forty he still treats me as a dear friend. After a brief sinful moment, I was glad for what I had done.
Jesus realized that the perfume that woman poured on him was extremely valuable. Others would argue that had she only given it to them, it could have been sold and the money used to great effect. But Jesus received this expensive gesture as an act of love. There again, as in the previous passage, we have the Pharisees criticizing. For all their impeccable honesty, they had no capacity for outrageous, impulsive acts of love. Talk about uptight, buttoned down people.
Here we have a demonstration of something which Jesus would have commended to us all. Generosity. An act of sacrificial giving prompted by love with no thought of recompense or commendation. Jesus bid the woman goodbye with this promise: "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." What do we make of that? Not that an act of supposed generosity can succeed in saving us. Rather, he saw in that act the evidence of her faith. Likewise, if we give because of some private motive of self gain, it does not issue from faith. You can't buy peace. But if the generous impulse is indeed that, a generous impulse which results from true faith in the gospel of love, then Jesus seems to promise that the effect on the giver will be inward peace.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "Law And Love"
Text: Galatians 1:11-24
Theme: We must have laws if society is to function with a minimum of damage to its members. But laws can cause their own damage if they lead to harsh judgments, repression through enforcement of the letter with disregard for the spirit of law, and even to feelings of superiority. I once heard of a church service in a conventional church which was attended by one "hippy" back when beards and sandals were equated with anti-authoritarianism and defiance of cultural norms. This young fellow, dressed that way, was the epitome of all that troubled the middle classes. So, no one spoke to him. But when the preacher stepped to his pulpit, he announced that the sermon this morning would be delivered by a distinguished visiting clergyman from a staid, downtown church. The topic would be loving acceptance of each other with all our differences. At which point, following his introduction, the "hippy" rose and went to the pulpit to deliver his sermon.
1. Laws are necessary. A true Christian obeys those laws. Jesus did, after all, say, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's." If one can fantasize an ideal world in which we could all live in peace, it would include the fact that all the laws, fair and just, were observed by everyone.
2. There must be room for individuality. The movie Pleasantville depicts a community, supposedly from the fifties, in which everyone lives in peace and quiet. Into this setting by some sort of legerdemain, a brother and sister arrive back from the turn of the millennium. They, of course, stir everything up and disclose that where there is no difference there is no life. The place is terminally boring. The movie is fairly silly, but it makes the point that we must make room for differing attitudes and values. Laws are not fair if they stifle individuality.
3. But fair laws and customs can facilitate peaceful human relationships. If I truly love you, I will respect your customs and will observe them when in your domain. If I am acting out of faith in Jesus, I will see these laws not as confining limitations on my conduct, but as agreed upon means by which we can respect and regard each other so that all of us can build the life we want and do so in peace. In the larger arena of life, to be a law-abiding citizen is to be a loving citizen. I drive responsibly, never take what doesn't belong to me, try always to tell the truth, stay out of handicap parking spaces, keep my voice down in a restaurant, don't allow my dog to bark and wake the neighbors, refrain from starting up my power mower on pleasant weekend evenings when I see the neighbors have company -- all these things are regulated by law in one way or another. But I observe them because I am a Christian and it is the loving thing to do. If my motives are that, then I am right with God.
Title: "The Giving Heart"
Text: Luke 7:36-50
Theme: According to Jesus there is a direct correlation between generosity which seeks nothing in return, and peace of mind. This doesn't mean I can buy peace of mind by being generous. Then I would be seeking something in return. I once had a church member offer to pave our parking lot at a time when that little church didn't have the money for this needed repair. But just as I was privately commending him for this generosity, he explained that he wanted a bronze plaque installed on the side of the building recording this gift, "so my kids will see it in future years," he explained. That wasn't quite what Jesus had in mind. Saint Francis once observed: "Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for he shall enjoy everything."
1. Generosity is the mark of love. There are many forms of generosity. Gifts of money are one. Gifts of possessions are another, as in this story. Generous judgments of others are another. Use of time or energy to help someone is still another. The spirit in which we give determines a gift's true value. I well recall the time when I was a student minister in a small rural church. I was married, with a child to support, and received a stipend of 4,000 dollars a year. One day my car quit working. I took it to the local garage for a major repair. When I went to get it that afternoon, I was informed it was all paid for. Someone had entered the garage, seen my car and recognized it, paid a rather substantial bill, and requested that I not know who did this. I never did know. But I knew that someone out there loved me. Whoever did that, received nothing in return -- except, perhaps, a legitimate feeling of well being.
2. Love doesn't make harsh judgments. The Pharisees in our story were blind to the good intentions of the woman. Their own avaricious nature could only think of the lost value of the perfume. They were unimpressed by the expensive gesture of love. In all life situations, we do well to take account of people's motives as well as their actions. Of course I accepted that parking lot repair. That parishioner was not as impulsively generous as the woman in the story but he was, after all, giving something needed to his church. We can accept people's efforts to be good at face value. None of us is perfect. I guess we all have some small ulterior motive when we give. Maybe it's to win approval, to feel worthy, to get attention, to achieve some personal objective. No matter. To give is still better than not to give, and God understands our imperfection.
3. Generosity best gives ones self. Thoreau once wrote: "If you give money, spend yourself with it...." Not only time, talent, and energy, but interest and caring. Nicholas Berdyaev wrote that "bread for myself is a material question; bread for my neighbor is a spiritual question." Sometimes, when a friend is distraught, to sit and listen, making few comments, allowing that friend to see that someone cares -- that is generous. Sometimes a mere brief touch of a hand on a shoulder, a spontaneous hug, a smile -- these are acts of generous giving. The day following the death of my first wife in a car accident, many people came to visit in my home. One friend came, sat beside me for over an hour. He never spoke a word. Then he left. I will always remember that kind gift.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
And he who gives a child a treat
Makes joy-bells ring in heaven's street,
And he who gives a child a home
Builds palaces in Kingdom come.
-- Masefield, in The Everlasting Mercy
____________
In 1972 my dear wife, Ruthanne, was killed in a car accident. I, of course, was devastated. The funeral service was held in a large mortuary in Indianapolis, and because I was pastor, the entire congregation came the evening before to offer comfort, as did many of my personal friends. One of my treasured friends served a church in Nebraska. We had been in seminary together. Being busy in our work, we had pretty much lost touch with each other. But when he heard of the tragedy, he bundled up his family, hooked a small trailer to the back of his car, and drove all the way from his town in Nebraska to Indianapolis. Money was tight in those days, and John pulled his rig behind St. Luke's Church and they slept out that night. Because of the crowd at the mortuary, John had to wait in line for an hour or more, before he reached where I was standing. When he finally reached me, he stood silently for a moment. I was amazed that he was there, all the way from Nebraska. Then, my friend threw his arms around me and whispered these words to me: "God loves you." That was all. That was what I desperately needed to hear just then. John then went back to his family, and they returned to Nebraska.
The next day, when I realized I had not had any time to visit this old friend, it came to me that here was someone who had paid an exorbitant price in order to tell me that God loves me. He had driven nearly 2,000 miles to whisper three words to me. That was just what Jesus did. My friend, for a time, had been what Martin Luther called a Little Christ to me. I will always remember this exalted example of one person living out the Christian faith, and thereby bringing a moment of healing to someone in terrible pain. Talk about generosity.
____________
A young engineer from England applied for American citizenship. After the required period and work of preparation, he and his family arrived in District Court for the swearing in ceremony. As the new citizens sat quietly, the judge made a few observations, then called the names of those present. When he called the name of the young engineer, it turned out that man had fallen sound asleep. The incensed judge then declared, "On this day, in this court, you will not become an American citizen." So a completely embarrassed wife gathered up her two little girls, carrying the American flags they had brought along to wave in celebration, and hurried out of the courtroom with a humiliated young man. He failed to understand how things work in the real world.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 5:1-8 -- "Give ear to my words, O Lord."
Prayer Of The Day
Eternal God, author of love. Grant to us the loving heart, that greater degree of kindly caring which, not inherent in us, yet we know to be available to us through thy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Lesson 1: 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a (C)
We could say Ahab asked for it. What a petulant, immature little fellow he must have been. Imagine, a king going home and going to bed, refusing to eat because some little desire of his was thwarted. Don't you wonder sometimes how so many strange people, both then and now, rise to such high positions? I realize those folks back then thought God chose their kings, but either they were fooling themselves or Woodie Allen had it right when he said, "God is good. He's just an underachiever." I don't, of course, mean to be sacrilegious. I assume God was active among the people, but this could be a good example of the way some people think they know God's will when they don't at all. My apologies, of course, to any reader who accepts these stories literally. The events may have happened, but I seriously doubt that God was playing the part they thought He was. If we read ahead, we learn that Ahab died in battle and good riddance. As for Jezebel, her name lives in history but not in the way she would have wished.
I for one cannot use this to contend that God punishes wrongful acts. Not here. Not now. I see too many folks getting away with outrageous actions to believe that. Later, perhaps. I sort of hope so, although in my own case I have a thing or two to answer for and I do hope for a liberal helping of mercy. Perhaps it all has to do with how remorseful we are, not about being caught nor about the fear of punishment, but genuinely sorry because we see how wrong we were and really do care about the people we hurt.
As for a sermon, I suppose we could do a little something on the final consequences of selfish conduct. I realize Ahab didn't write that letter, but he sure was quick to grab Naboth's vineyard until Elijah confronted him. Here again, this may serve as a useful illustration as we go along, but I wouldn't be inclined to use this as my preaching text, so I leave the reader to his or her own superior imagination for this one.
Lesson 1: 2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13 (RC); 2 Samuel 11:26--12:10, 13-15 (E)
Here we have another unethical ruler. Customs were radically different in those times, and maybe David was acting out a set of ethical precepts which were accepted then. Still, he broke at least two commandments by coveting his neighbor's wife and by killing (or having killed) an innocent man. Only this time, the villain got away with his crime. In fact, as we know, he was to become one of the great leaders in Jewish history. We do find David confessing his actions, and this may mean he was truly remorseful. Perhaps God had such plans for David that He had to overlook these action. Perhaps we could see this passage along with the passage from 1 Kings in which Ahab committed a crime and suffered for it. David went on to compound his sin, losing a son at birth, then going on about his affairs without shedding a single tear. What a guy.
Lesson 2: Galatians 2:15-21 (C); Galatians 2:16, 19-21 (RC); Galatians 2:11-21 (E)
We recently considered this matter of grace versus law. Here Paul reiterates his conviction that we are brought into a right relationship with God through faith and faith alone. Law -- obedience to a lengthy set of rules and regulations -- can never do that. We would then become slavish in our obedience, and judgmental of others. The Pharisees were the classic example of this, and their legalism resulted in the death of perfect love.
We might come at this from a slightly different point of view. While we aren't put right with God by law, neither can we live without law. We can't have everyone driving down Meridian Street at a speed of their own choosing (actually, it sometimes seems that is exactly what is happening). A speed law is passed, and things work in harmony only if and when we all obey that law. We employ people whose job it is to make sure that we do so. Really, we're not all that different from the Pharisees in some ways. Schools have their rules. Good manners involves rules. I still remember the time I had dinner with some very classy (in the good sense) people and just as the dessert was about to arrive, I realized with horror that my napkin was still carefully folded on the table beside my plate. Now some folks might be utterly nonplussed to learn that the fact that I forgot to put my napkin on my lap could possibly matter one way or another. But in certain circles, that was a noticeable blunder. In other words, if we wish to live comfortably in our area of life, we must know and pay homage to the rules and laws which govern proper behavior.
Some people defy these conventions. I have seen young men show up at a funeral in jeans. Or a wedding in sweats. No one can stop them, but they apparently had little respect for the feelings of others. It's a minor league slap in the face. Nothing is said, of course (except, one hopes, by their parents). But good manners and a law-abiding attitude toward life make for a peaceful and happy society.
Now there's a caveat here. We do, after all, make allowances. Not everyone knows the rules or customs. Some are simply unable to comply. In those cases, we are gracious and generous. But the need for some agreed-upon ways to conduct the routine affairs of life is real.
But here's Paul's point. This can all lead to sly disapproval. We can make easy judgments when we see someone breaking any of our many rules. Without another element -- the element of grace, of forgiveness, of kindness -- it can all degenerate into phariseeism, just like the people with whom Jesus had problems. And those qualities are what most of us acquire through our faith in Jesus. Love. We act in love and do so through our faith in Jesus. If we do that, and if, for the sake of other people, we abide by the necessary rules and laws of our culture, changing them in appropriate ways when that is necessary (Rosa Parks), then we are right with God.
Gospel: Luke 7:36--8:3 (C, RC); Luke 7:36-50 (E)
There's a lot in this story. The woman's act of impulsive generosity is impressive. I once heard it said that you will never miss anything you gave away out of a generous impulse. I came close once. When I was young, I acquired a very old rifle. For a while it hung on the wall of my study. Then I stowed it in a closet where it remained for many years. One evening, some friends were visiting and I showed them the rifle. Of course it was very old, no longer usable. But it was a good antique. The teen-aged boy in my friend's family was so taken with that old rifle I gave it to him. Then, a few months later, out of idle curiosity, I was in a bookstore and saw a book listing the values of antique firearms. I looked up this rifle -- an old Sharps buffalo rifle. Its value -- and this was twenty years ago -- was three thousand dollars. Now for a brief moment I was sorry I had been so impulsive. Then I remembered that rule. I had done something to make a young man happy. Now that he's nearing forty he still treats me as a dear friend. After a brief sinful moment, I was glad for what I had done.
Jesus realized that the perfume that woman poured on him was extremely valuable. Others would argue that had she only given it to them, it could have been sold and the money used to great effect. But Jesus received this expensive gesture as an act of love. There again, as in the previous passage, we have the Pharisees criticizing. For all their impeccable honesty, they had no capacity for outrageous, impulsive acts of love. Talk about uptight, buttoned down people.
Here we have a demonstration of something which Jesus would have commended to us all. Generosity. An act of sacrificial giving prompted by love with no thought of recompense or commendation. Jesus bid the woman goodbye with this promise: "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." What do we make of that? Not that an act of supposed generosity can succeed in saving us. Rather, he saw in that act the evidence of her faith. Likewise, if we give because of some private motive of self gain, it does not issue from faith. You can't buy peace. But if the generous impulse is indeed that, a generous impulse which results from true faith in the gospel of love, then Jesus seems to promise that the effect on the giver will be inward peace.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "Law And Love"
Text: Galatians 1:11-24
Theme: We must have laws if society is to function with a minimum of damage to its members. But laws can cause their own damage if they lead to harsh judgments, repression through enforcement of the letter with disregard for the spirit of law, and even to feelings of superiority. I once heard of a church service in a conventional church which was attended by one "hippy" back when beards and sandals were equated with anti-authoritarianism and defiance of cultural norms. This young fellow, dressed that way, was the epitome of all that troubled the middle classes. So, no one spoke to him. But when the preacher stepped to his pulpit, he announced that the sermon this morning would be delivered by a distinguished visiting clergyman from a staid, downtown church. The topic would be loving acceptance of each other with all our differences. At which point, following his introduction, the "hippy" rose and went to the pulpit to deliver his sermon.
1. Laws are necessary. A true Christian obeys those laws. Jesus did, after all, say, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's." If one can fantasize an ideal world in which we could all live in peace, it would include the fact that all the laws, fair and just, were observed by everyone.
2. There must be room for individuality. The movie Pleasantville depicts a community, supposedly from the fifties, in which everyone lives in peace and quiet. Into this setting by some sort of legerdemain, a brother and sister arrive back from the turn of the millennium. They, of course, stir everything up and disclose that where there is no difference there is no life. The place is terminally boring. The movie is fairly silly, but it makes the point that we must make room for differing attitudes and values. Laws are not fair if they stifle individuality.
3. But fair laws and customs can facilitate peaceful human relationships. If I truly love you, I will respect your customs and will observe them when in your domain. If I am acting out of faith in Jesus, I will see these laws not as confining limitations on my conduct, but as agreed upon means by which we can respect and regard each other so that all of us can build the life we want and do so in peace. In the larger arena of life, to be a law-abiding citizen is to be a loving citizen. I drive responsibly, never take what doesn't belong to me, try always to tell the truth, stay out of handicap parking spaces, keep my voice down in a restaurant, don't allow my dog to bark and wake the neighbors, refrain from starting up my power mower on pleasant weekend evenings when I see the neighbors have company -- all these things are regulated by law in one way or another. But I observe them because I am a Christian and it is the loving thing to do. If my motives are that, then I am right with God.
Title: "The Giving Heart"
Text: Luke 7:36-50
Theme: According to Jesus there is a direct correlation between generosity which seeks nothing in return, and peace of mind. This doesn't mean I can buy peace of mind by being generous. Then I would be seeking something in return. I once had a church member offer to pave our parking lot at a time when that little church didn't have the money for this needed repair. But just as I was privately commending him for this generosity, he explained that he wanted a bronze plaque installed on the side of the building recording this gift, "so my kids will see it in future years," he explained. That wasn't quite what Jesus had in mind. Saint Francis once observed: "Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for he shall enjoy everything."
1. Generosity is the mark of love. There are many forms of generosity. Gifts of money are one. Gifts of possessions are another, as in this story. Generous judgments of others are another. Use of time or energy to help someone is still another. The spirit in which we give determines a gift's true value. I well recall the time when I was a student minister in a small rural church. I was married, with a child to support, and received a stipend of 4,000 dollars a year. One day my car quit working. I took it to the local garage for a major repair. When I went to get it that afternoon, I was informed it was all paid for. Someone had entered the garage, seen my car and recognized it, paid a rather substantial bill, and requested that I not know who did this. I never did know. But I knew that someone out there loved me. Whoever did that, received nothing in return -- except, perhaps, a legitimate feeling of well being.
2. Love doesn't make harsh judgments. The Pharisees in our story were blind to the good intentions of the woman. Their own avaricious nature could only think of the lost value of the perfume. They were unimpressed by the expensive gesture of love. In all life situations, we do well to take account of people's motives as well as their actions. Of course I accepted that parking lot repair. That parishioner was not as impulsively generous as the woman in the story but he was, after all, giving something needed to his church. We can accept people's efforts to be good at face value. None of us is perfect. I guess we all have some small ulterior motive when we give. Maybe it's to win approval, to feel worthy, to get attention, to achieve some personal objective. No matter. To give is still better than not to give, and God understands our imperfection.
3. Generosity best gives ones self. Thoreau once wrote: "If you give money, spend yourself with it...." Not only time, talent, and energy, but interest and caring. Nicholas Berdyaev wrote that "bread for myself is a material question; bread for my neighbor is a spiritual question." Sometimes, when a friend is distraught, to sit and listen, making few comments, allowing that friend to see that someone cares -- that is generous. Sometimes a mere brief touch of a hand on a shoulder, a spontaneous hug, a smile -- these are acts of generous giving. The day following the death of my first wife in a car accident, many people came to visit in my home. One friend came, sat beside me for over an hour. He never spoke a word. Then he left. I will always remember that kind gift.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
And he who gives a child a treat
Makes joy-bells ring in heaven's street,
And he who gives a child a home
Builds palaces in Kingdom come.
-- Masefield, in The Everlasting Mercy
____________
In 1972 my dear wife, Ruthanne, was killed in a car accident. I, of course, was devastated. The funeral service was held in a large mortuary in Indianapolis, and because I was pastor, the entire congregation came the evening before to offer comfort, as did many of my personal friends. One of my treasured friends served a church in Nebraska. We had been in seminary together. Being busy in our work, we had pretty much lost touch with each other. But when he heard of the tragedy, he bundled up his family, hooked a small trailer to the back of his car, and drove all the way from his town in Nebraska to Indianapolis. Money was tight in those days, and John pulled his rig behind St. Luke's Church and they slept out that night. Because of the crowd at the mortuary, John had to wait in line for an hour or more, before he reached where I was standing. When he finally reached me, he stood silently for a moment. I was amazed that he was there, all the way from Nebraska. Then, my friend threw his arms around me and whispered these words to me: "God loves you." That was all. That was what I desperately needed to hear just then. John then went back to his family, and they returned to Nebraska.
The next day, when I realized I had not had any time to visit this old friend, it came to me that here was someone who had paid an exorbitant price in order to tell me that God loves me. He had driven nearly 2,000 miles to whisper three words to me. That was just what Jesus did. My friend, for a time, had been what Martin Luther called a Little Christ to me. I will always remember this exalted example of one person living out the Christian faith, and thereby bringing a moment of healing to someone in terrible pain. Talk about generosity.
____________
A young engineer from England applied for American citizenship. After the required period and work of preparation, he and his family arrived in District Court for the swearing in ceremony. As the new citizens sat quietly, the judge made a few observations, then called the names of those present. When he called the name of the young engineer, it turned out that man had fallen sound asleep. The incensed judge then declared, "On this day, in this court, you will not become an American citizen." So a completely embarrassed wife gathered up her two little girls, carrying the American flags they had brought along to wave in celebration, and hurried out of the courtroom with a humiliated young man. He failed to understand how things work in the real world.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 5:1-8 -- "Give ear to my words, O Lord."
Prayer Of The Day
Eternal God, author of love. Grant to us the loving heart, that greater degree of kindly caring which, not inherent in us, yet we know to be available to us through thy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen.
