Responsibility Comes With Privilege
Sermon
Sermons on the Second Readings
Series III, Cycle C
Object:
Once upon a time there was a good king who ruled wisely and well over his people, who loved him very much. This king had four beautiful daughters who were all well respected by the people. One day he called them together and told them, "I am going to a far-off monastery to spend time in prayer with God. Therefore, I am leaving you in charge of the kingdom." While all the girls, one after the other, told their father not to leave, he insisted that it was necessary. Before he left on his journey, however, he gave each one a small gift, one single grain of rice. Then, after hugging and kissing his daughters, he set off on his journey.
Each of the daughters used the gift in different ways. The eldest thought the gift was special and wanted to display it. She went to her room, tied a long, golden thread around the grain of rice and placed it in a beautiful crystal box on her bureau. She could see it each day and it reminded her of her father, the king. The second daughter also believed the gift to be important. She placed her grain of rice in a wooden box and put it in a secure place under her bed. The third daughter, who was very pragmatic, looked at the grain of rice and thought, "What good is one grain of rice?" She simply discarded it. The youngest daughter took the grain of rice to her room and began to ponder what the significance of her father's gift was. She thought about it for weeks, then a month. After nearly a year had passed, she believed she understood the meaning of the gift.
Months turned into years and the four daughters ruled their father's kingdom. Then one day the king returned with a sparkle in his eye and a certain illumination in his face that he gained from years of prayer. After greeting each one of his daughters he asked to see the gifts that he had given to them. The eldest daughter retrieved the crystal box containing the grain of rice on the golden thread. The king accepted the crystal box and the grain of rice saying, "Thank you." Similarly, the king accepted the wooden box from the second daughter, saying to her, "Thank you." The third daughter rushed into the kitchen, found a grain of rice, and brought it back to her father who accepted it, again saying, "Thank you."
Then the youngest daughter came forward. She explained to her father that she had thought long and hard about the meaning of the gift and finally realized that it was a seed. So she planted it. Soon it grew and from it she harvested other seeds which she again planted. This continued over many seasons. She said to her father, "Father, look at the enormous crop of rice that we now have. It is enough to feed our entire nation."
Stepping before his daughter, the king took off his golden crown and placed it on her head. "You have learned the meaning of how to rule," he said softly. From that day on the youngest daughter ruled the kingdom wisely and well.
The story of the king and his four daughters demonstrates that privilege and responsibility come together; they cannot be separated. Each of the women received the same privilege, the honor of ruling their father's kingdom. The first three did not understand the responsibility that came with the privilege. The youngest, however, after contemplating the significance of her father's gift, realized the need to be responsible. Thus, she was the one chosen to succeed her father.
Today we close the Christmas season by celebrating the Baptism of our Lord. We are reminded not only of the Lord's baptism, as we hear described by all the synoptic evangelists, but possibly more importantly our own baptism. This sacrament brought us great privileges but significant responsibility is ours as well.
The Acts of the Apostles, from which our lesson is taken today, is really two books in one. Often referred to as the "fifth gospel," due to its probable authorship by Saint Luke, and its content, Acts presents two separate but important stories. In the early chapters we hear about the nascent Christian church, the formation of the community of faith, and some of the early struggles of these people, our ancestors in the faith. The latter portion of Acts chronicles the conversion of Saint Paul and then provides a detailed description of his three missionary journeys, for which he is often called the "apostle to the Gentiles."
The apostles and their close followers realized that they were privileged people. To walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to be his representatives on earth were indeed significant privileges. Persecution notwithstanding, these early Christians fearlessly and with great zeal and persistence carried on the work of their master amongst the people of their day and locale. Peter and John, two of the inner circle, realized that the privilege they had received in being apostles required that they take seriously their responsibilities.
Thus, as we hear in the reading, they brought the Holy Spirit, the same gift they had received at Pentecost to the people of Samaria. Recall that these people were the remnant of the so-called "ten lost tribes of Israel," overrun by the Assyrians and lost to history in 722 BCE. The apostles realized that Jesus' message of inclusivity went to all, even the long-despised Samaritans. Therefore, they unhesitatingly go to their natural enemy, realizing that they have a responsibility to carry forth the message of Christ to all people. Thus, they share the great gift that Jesus sent, the Holy Spirit, with others. Like the youngest daughter in the story, they understood that responsibility came with the privilege of carrying the message of Christ. Fortunately, through the efforts of people like the original apostles, Saint Paul, and many other brave men and women of that early Christian community, the message has been preached throughout the world. The Christian community has taken its responsibility seriously.
Baptism, the common denominator for all Christians, is a rare privilege. We have the privilege of being adopted children of God. Too often we brush over this significant prize of being children of God. However, only a few moments of reflection will show us how great a privilege God has bestowed upon all of us. We have the privilege of the church and all the many things it brings us -- the sacraments, the word of God, the community of faith, fellowship, and assistance. We have each other as our friends, brothers, and sisters in the Lord, to celebrate our triumphs and to mourn our losses.
This great privilege of being a baptized Christian, however, has many responsibilities that come with it. Like Peter, John, and the other first-century Christians, we, the contemporary baptized, have the responsibility to carry forth the message of Christ to others. We are to preach the good news, both in formal and informal ways. We can teach an academic class, go door-to-door to evangelize, or even stand on a street corner and preach the message of Jesus. Clearly, these can be very effective methods, but they are by no means the only ones. In fact, meeting our baptismal commitment, fulfilling our responsibilities as Christians, happens each and every day of our lives in ways that are often routine, ordinary, and even seemingly mundane.
For example, simply walking along the street and sharing with a passerby a friendly smile and a cheery, "Good morning," is preaching the goodness of God to others. We can preach Christ's message of love, care, and peace through a gentle disposition, random acts of kindness, assisting those in need, or going out of our way to help someone, especially one whom we do not know. Parents and others in positions of authority carry out their baptismal commitment by being responsible for those whom God has given to them -- children, grandchildren, fellow employees, and fellow travelers along the road of faith.
We have responsibilities to our places of work, the neighborhoods where we reside, and the community we call home, both on local and even national levels. Young people demonstrate their baptismal commitment by being responsible to their school work and classmates, their parents, and after school jobs. They show responsibility by avoiding the many pitfalls into which they are pressured: violence, drinking, sex, and drugs. In short, the privilege of being a baptized person necessitates we take seriously our Christian responsibilities.
Our fast-paced and highly technological world challenges us in many ways. Self-autonomy, desire for personal advancement, and the need to always shine above others often does not allow us to spend the time that is necessary to meet our responsibilities. Additionally, we fall victim to apathy, indifferentism, laziness, and even a sense of fatalism. We say, "Why should I get involved? Things will be the same with or without my effort." It is easy to take this road because it is well-traveled and quite popular, but for the Christian it is a dead-end street. We must accept the reality that responsibility is part and parcel of our lives as baptized Christians. All great privileges bring with them a sense of responsibility. We readily and with great joy accept the former, but only grudgingly, at times, fulfill the latter.
While the road will not be easy, nor the path straight, we must nevertheless push forward with vigor and persistence the Christian agenda that calls us to be responsible people, to be countercultural in a world that often does not understand or value the things we do or the beliefs we profess. Let us understand our responsibilities to family, neighbor, community of faith, and most especially to God. Let us as they say, "Take the ball and run with it," and sprint toward the goal, which is not a touchdown, but more importantly eternal life. Amen.
Each of the daughters used the gift in different ways. The eldest thought the gift was special and wanted to display it. She went to her room, tied a long, golden thread around the grain of rice and placed it in a beautiful crystal box on her bureau. She could see it each day and it reminded her of her father, the king. The second daughter also believed the gift to be important. She placed her grain of rice in a wooden box and put it in a secure place under her bed. The third daughter, who was very pragmatic, looked at the grain of rice and thought, "What good is one grain of rice?" She simply discarded it. The youngest daughter took the grain of rice to her room and began to ponder what the significance of her father's gift was. She thought about it for weeks, then a month. After nearly a year had passed, she believed she understood the meaning of the gift.
Months turned into years and the four daughters ruled their father's kingdom. Then one day the king returned with a sparkle in his eye and a certain illumination in his face that he gained from years of prayer. After greeting each one of his daughters he asked to see the gifts that he had given to them. The eldest daughter retrieved the crystal box containing the grain of rice on the golden thread. The king accepted the crystal box and the grain of rice saying, "Thank you." Similarly, the king accepted the wooden box from the second daughter, saying to her, "Thank you." The third daughter rushed into the kitchen, found a grain of rice, and brought it back to her father who accepted it, again saying, "Thank you."
Then the youngest daughter came forward. She explained to her father that she had thought long and hard about the meaning of the gift and finally realized that it was a seed. So she planted it. Soon it grew and from it she harvested other seeds which she again planted. This continued over many seasons. She said to her father, "Father, look at the enormous crop of rice that we now have. It is enough to feed our entire nation."
Stepping before his daughter, the king took off his golden crown and placed it on her head. "You have learned the meaning of how to rule," he said softly. From that day on the youngest daughter ruled the kingdom wisely and well.
The story of the king and his four daughters demonstrates that privilege and responsibility come together; they cannot be separated. Each of the women received the same privilege, the honor of ruling their father's kingdom. The first three did not understand the responsibility that came with the privilege. The youngest, however, after contemplating the significance of her father's gift, realized the need to be responsible. Thus, she was the one chosen to succeed her father.
Today we close the Christmas season by celebrating the Baptism of our Lord. We are reminded not only of the Lord's baptism, as we hear described by all the synoptic evangelists, but possibly more importantly our own baptism. This sacrament brought us great privileges but significant responsibility is ours as well.
The Acts of the Apostles, from which our lesson is taken today, is really two books in one. Often referred to as the "fifth gospel," due to its probable authorship by Saint Luke, and its content, Acts presents two separate but important stories. In the early chapters we hear about the nascent Christian church, the formation of the community of faith, and some of the early struggles of these people, our ancestors in the faith. The latter portion of Acts chronicles the conversion of Saint Paul and then provides a detailed description of his three missionary journeys, for which he is often called the "apostle to the Gentiles."
The apostles and their close followers realized that they were privileged people. To walk in the footsteps of Jesus and to be his representatives on earth were indeed significant privileges. Persecution notwithstanding, these early Christians fearlessly and with great zeal and persistence carried on the work of their master amongst the people of their day and locale. Peter and John, two of the inner circle, realized that the privilege they had received in being apostles required that they take seriously their responsibilities.
Thus, as we hear in the reading, they brought the Holy Spirit, the same gift they had received at Pentecost to the people of Samaria. Recall that these people were the remnant of the so-called "ten lost tribes of Israel," overrun by the Assyrians and lost to history in 722 BCE. The apostles realized that Jesus' message of inclusivity went to all, even the long-despised Samaritans. Therefore, they unhesitatingly go to their natural enemy, realizing that they have a responsibility to carry forth the message of Christ to all people. Thus, they share the great gift that Jesus sent, the Holy Spirit, with others. Like the youngest daughter in the story, they understood that responsibility came with the privilege of carrying the message of Christ. Fortunately, through the efforts of people like the original apostles, Saint Paul, and many other brave men and women of that early Christian community, the message has been preached throughout the world. The Christian community has taken its responsibility seriously.
Baptism, the common denominator for all Christians, is a rare privilege. We have the privilege of being adopted children of God. Too often we brush over this significant prize of being children of God. However, only a few moments of reflection will show us how great a privilege God has bestowed upon all of us. We have the privilege of the church and all the many things it brings us -- the sacraments, the word of God, the community of faith, fellowship, and assistance. We have each other as our friends, brothers, and sisters in the Lord, to celebrate our triumphs and to mourn our losses.
This great privilege of being a baptized Christian, however, has many responsibilities that come with it. Like Peter, John, and the other first-century Christians, we, the contemporary baptized, have the responsibility to carry forth the message of Christ to others. We are to preach the good news, both in formal and informal ways. We can teach an academic class, go door-to-door to evangelize, or even stand on a street corner and preach the message of Jesus. Clearly, these can be very effective methods, but they are by no means the only ones. In fact, meeting our baptismal commitment, fulfilling our responsibilities as Christians, happens each and every day of our lives in ways that are often routine, ordinary, and even seemingly mundane.
For example, simply walking along the street and sharing with a passerby a friendly smile and a cheery, "Good morning," is preaching the goodness of God to others. We can preach Christ's message of love, care, and peace through a gentle disposition, random acts of kindness, assisting those in need, or going out of our way to help someone, especially one whom we do not know. Parents and others in positions of authority carry out their baptismal commitment by being responsible for those whom God has given to them -- children, grandchildren, fellow employees, and fellow travelers along the road of faith.
We have responsibilities to our places of work, the neighborhoods where we reside, and the community we call home, both on local and even national levels. Young people demonstrate their baptismal commitment by being responsible to their school work and classmates, their parents, and after school jobs. They show responsibility by avoiding the many pitfalls into which they are pressured: violence, drinking, sex, and drugs. In short, the privilege of being a baptized person necessitates we take seriously our Christian responsibilities.
Our fast-paced and highly technological world challenges us in many ways. Self-autonomy, desire for personal advancement, and the need to always shine above others often does not allow us to spend the time that is necessary to meet our responsibilities. Additionally, we fall victim to apathy, indifferentism, laziness, and even a sense of fatalism. We say, "Why should I get involved? Things will be the same with or without my effort." It is easy to take this road because it is well-traveled and quite popular, but for the Christian it is a dead-end street. We must accept the reality that responsibility is part and parcel of our lives as baptized Christians. All great privileges bring with them a sense of responsibility. We readily and with great joy accept the former, but only grudgingly, at times, fulfill the latter.
While the road will not be easy, nor the path straight, we must nevertheless push forward with vigor and persistence the Christian agenda that calls us to be responsible people, to be countercultural in a world that often does not understand or value the things we do or the beliefs we profess. Let us understand our responsibilities to family, neighbor, community of faith, and most especially to God. Let us as they say, "Take the ball and run with it," and sprint toward the goal, which is not a touchdown, but more importantly eternal life. Amen.
