Twenty Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 28
Year A
November 16, 2008
Isaiah 45:1-7 Psalm 96:1-13
I Thessalonians 1:1-10 St. Matthew 22:15-22
In the name of the triune God who created us, who loves us, who redeemed us, and who cares for us.
The parable that Jesus tells in the Gospel for today can be understood in different ways. And I have sworn to myself to not use the word eschatology in today’s homily even though the lectionary and the commentary are begging us to understand it in terms of the end times. I'm not sure I agree with that. While it is one possible understanding, I think that parables are open to multiple interpretations. There is no one "right way" to get at any of them. And in fact, I think this parable much more a parable on Christian living for us today than anything else.
One thing I do believe is clear however is that in this parable Jesus is giving guidance to his follows, that is you and I, concerning what we are to do while Jesus is not with us.
I’m also aware that I have a singularly unique opportunity while helping out at Resurrection Lutheran. I have the opportunity of not being the pastor during the time of year when most churches are working on their budget and in the middle of the stewardship campaign, or whatever other name they choose to call it.
This gives me the chance to talk about church finances and individual responsibilities without the usual baggage of feeling like I’m pleading for my salary or a pet program I happen to like.
Let’s face it though. It is sometimes hard to talk about money in church. It is hard enough when we are talking about it generically, but it is even more of a challenge when we are talking about it with respect to the annual stewardship campaign. We all reach for our pocket book to protect it!
And I sort of have a split personality about the entire issue of giving to the church. Not that I have any issues about doing it, I’m a firm believer in it. I was raised in the Baptist tradition where it was just assumed that everyone automatically gave ten percent of their income to the church. I never though Christians did otherwise. That is until I joined the Episcopal Church. We are an organization which, while officially proclaiming the tithe as the minimum standard of giving is nevertheless rather timid about it. I remember well the most shocking revelation when I discovered that Episcopalians in general considered all their charitable giving when determining they were giving ten percent or not. So if they gave generously to say the Boy Scouts, a local non-profit and the church as long as it added up to ten percent that was fine.
I have to confess that as a former Baptist that really raised the hair on the back of my neck. While I never said it, to me it sounded like stealing from God.
It is even hard to talk about what each of us might be doing personally. I know when I applied for the position of Rector at one parish I noticed that at least for the previous Rector, his title was an income line item in the budget. I had never seen that before. But one thing it made the congregation know for certain. Their leader tithed.
I can tell you all that I give at least the tithe to the church. I don’t share this with you out of pride, but because I want you to know that I’m not asking you to do something I’m not willing to do myself. I have always given at least ten percent, in those times when I was a young man in the military, oh so long ago, I know. Those were days when I often didn’t really believe that I would have enough to make it to the next pay check and it was sometimes very tempting to not put that money in the offering plate.
But somehow, God always managed to provide. Whether it was from a decision not to buy something that I really didn’t need at that moment, or offers of dinners from wonderful friends, or just sitting home rather than going out. Somehow I always made it. It wasn’t always easy or comfortable, but I always made it. Now I do not believe that God we can manipulate God to reward us by paying God off. But at the same time I know from my own experience and from the words of Scripture that God does look out for those who are faithful to God.
In the lesson today we have three slaves who were trusted with responsibilities from the master. The last slave, the one that Robert Farrar Capon in his book “The Parables of Judgment”[1] likes to refer to as the prudent slave ends up in hot water. This slave did not want to take risks. What would happen if he lost what he was given by the master? How in the world would he explain that! And so he takes the path of prudence and protects what was given him by his master. I can see him checking on it regularly to make sure he has not lost it, so it will be ready to be given back to the master upon his return.
That is the option we are really faced when we consider our giving to God as well. Do we take risks or do we play it safe, do we act out the part of the prudent slave. I want to encourage you to take risks with God.
I told you I had a split personality when it comes to financial responsibility to the church. And here it is. Forgive me Council President and the rest of the Council. But in spite of my upbringing I believe you absolutely do not have to tithe. I believe that gifts given out of compulsion are not what God if looking for at all.
But at the same time I believe that it is vitally important to your own spiritual health that you do at least tithe. And so I encourage you to prayerfully consider that as a goal in your life.
I’m aware of the financial implications of all of this during an economic downturn. I know many clergy are worrying about how to approach stewardship when the economy seems to be tanking. Do they ask people to continue to step out in faith when times are bad? I say not only yes, but that it is even more important to do it when times are financially difficult. You see it is easy to give when things are flush. The challenge is when things are tight. The challenge is when we are more like the widow with her mite than those with riches giving out of their excess.
But I do want to encourage you to step out in faith with regard to your support of your church and in trusting God. I want to challenge you to challenge yourself. God may never respond to your stepping out in faith by depositing $100,000 dollars in your bank account. At least it never worked that way for me. But, God will respond and your spiritual life will be deepened in ways you can not even imagine.
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