"Faith is the conviction of things not seen." "We come this far by faith leaning on the Lord," the hymn by Albert Goodson proclaims. Tomorrow, we gather as a community of faith and seek a renewed vision. so that we might make our way more boldly into the world as bearers of God's saving love though his word. In the text from Luke's gospel; Jesus encourages his followers to recognize the true value of God's kingdom, so that our hearts may be where their real treasures lies. Instead of facing life with fear, those who know God's generosity are always ready to receive God and to give others.
"TEXT;" " Do not fear little flock", the (Messiah's people), for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourself's money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches no moth destroys. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him when he knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when He comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt, and have them sit down to eat. He is asking us to be watchful, for this language suggests "Jesus Mind," moved to the "Messianic banquet." Where the people will come from the east and west, from the north and south, and will "eat in the kingdom of God."
(Lk.13:29). You also must be ready, for the "Son of Man," coming at an unexpected hour.(Lk:12; 32 40). Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when He comes; truly I tell you, if He comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
(the time, between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.)
" But know this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into, Jesus speaks here against abuse , not possessions, of property.
You must also be ready, for the "Son of man coming at an unexpected hour."
Revelations 3:3 backs up this statement; "Jesus says: Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and thou shall not know what hour,I will come upon you. Those who have maintained spiritual purity will enjoy Christ' companionship here and will be acknowledge before God in Heaven.
We have learned to live in crisis, perhaps it would be more correct to say that we have been taught to live in crisis. we scarcely react, and we grumble about those who do, asking why are they rocking the boat or trying to get people upset. Our society has slipped into apathy toward crisis, feeling I believe, that their is nothing we can do! The old story of the frog is not out of place here.If you toss a frog into a bucket of uncomfortable hot water he will jump out. But if you put him in cool water and slowly heat it till it becomes scalding, the frog I"m told, will not jump out. He is so gradually conditioned to his environment that it finally kills him without his awareness that he is in danger.
The founding Father's of our country found useful the phrase:" Eternal vigilance" is the price of liberty.
Episodes,in scriptures indicate that accommodation to threats to the inner, spiritual life of man are likewise disastrous. The danger is real like Adam and Eve we trust the serpent's guarantee that to disobey God is only to achieve our rightful role of knowledge and not to die. Easily we create a golden calf to symbolize our faith in the goodness of life and fine we have conditioned ourselves to to affirm a challenger to God. Often we show so much tolerance for religious views of another origin and habit than our own that we stand in danger of being conditioned to the idea that religion is all a matter of opinion. To rouse us again to alertness and to prepare us to survive with meaning, the words of Jesus in our gospel text (Luke 12) speak earnestly to his disciples of every time. There is no need to panic in the crisis,the double danger to our inner spiritual life is that we either grow complacent or apathetic because we have false security or that we panic in the crises because we see no way out. The 11th chapter of Hebrews stresses that the history of man, as told in the Bible, shows that only men of faith survive in a way that God intends. Abraham, for instance, was able to become a father, ' Though he was too old and Sarah herself was unable to have children." We read of Abraham : He trusted God to keep his promise." It is important that we distinguish at once between the serenity of faith, which, though tested and battered, holds onto God's promise as a little child holds onto the finger of her parent or grandparent and the complacency that refuses to recognize danger or will except change though it should be apparent to all. The road ahead Jesus knew led to the cross for himself. That was not a meaningless disaster. It was necessary for the reconciliation of "Man and God", But it would be hard to face, if the disciples held his hand to tightly, the experience might destroy them.
We need encouragement to feel that in life, the need to panic in a crisis is just necessary, especially facing the thought that our one inevitable enemy "Death" with the thought of sinking
into nothingness, and for once in our life entering upon a victory, already already won. For when Jesus Christ rose from the dead bodily, as he said he would, He would for ever secure his own claim: " Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." Amen!
Likewise God has open a new world for us, when Jesus comes again in glory and the dawn of heaven unfolds, far from creating a crisis of terror on the great day for us, instead beckons us onward and cheers us in every trial. There will be no need to panic at that crisis either, for it is a day of jubilation for all who trust a merciful God because of Jesus Christ, for that day all things will forever and finally be set right. the context of our text stresses the happy state of those who are faithful and wait, alert and eager, for the coming of the "Son of "Man." Basic to the serenity which the follower of Jesus Christ can have is the view of life expressed by Jesus at the beginning of this text. " he says, " Do not be afraid, little flock!" For you Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom!
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