rich in good works

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19, NRSV)

Being rich is not a bad thing.

Money is not the enemy.

The Bible does not say Money is the root of all evil, but the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. It is what we love.

If we have a lot of wealth in this world, do we love it and thinkit will be our saving?

If so we have set our hopes on something that will not produce for us!

But if we use what we have for the betterment of all society, then we will see what God has done and is doing for us.

We are to do good works and be rich in doing them, because our faith leads us to this!

generosity

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7, NRSV)

We were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another.

But then the generosity through the goodness and kindness of God flowed into our lives and we were saved, not because of what we had done. Not because of anything we did, or could have done, but because of His generosity, through the cleansing waters and the fire of the Holy Spirit, we were reborn by His grace!

We were made heirs to the kingdom by His generosity! We need to pur the love, mercy and grace that He has poured into us into the world, so they might see Him as an important part of their world!

entitlement

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.  And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.  Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:1-16, NRSV)

Have you ever felt entitled to something?

We can all probably name a time we thought we should have gotten something and we didn’t…

Maybe now a days it is a 4g signal from our phones…

Or WiFi on an airplane, or in a car. We need to have that signal everywhere we go and when we don’t we start laying into the provider for shoty service…

It wasn’t that long ago we couldn’t even access the internet, let alone get it on our phone!

We think because something is available we should have it. And when someone offers a service we expect it will work all the time with out a problem. But we know tis is not how it works.

In the parable today, those who had worked all day felt slighted when the land owner paid those who had only worked an hour the regular days wage, the same as them. They thought since those who did only an hours work got the day’s wage, they should get more. But did they not agree to the day’s wage? So why should they now get more?

And why were the others not chosen earlier? We really do not know, they could have not been there any of the other times the land owner went, or maybe they just were not seen…

How many of us have ever been invisible?

Ok none of us have ever really been invisible, but we might have felt that way. Like no one saw us, or wanted us, or would pick us.

Maybe them getting the normal day’s wage for the time they spent is what they need. And maybe us settling for what we actually get is better than thinking we should have gotten more.

Because if we start getting what we deserve, then we will really be in trouble! (Thank God for grace!!!)

groans of the prisoners

Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes. Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power preserve those doomed to die. (Psalm 79:8-11, NRSV)

Are we all not doomed to die?

Are we all not prisoners?

We are like those whom Jesus said were set free, and the Pharisees replied they had never been slaves to anyone! Had they forgotten that the Passover came from the time of slavery?

We are all slaves to whatever master holds our attention: money, possessions, God…

We are all in prison to our fleshly desires. But God hears our groaning and will forgive our iniquities and bring us back to where we belong!

He will have compassion on us and come speedily to our help!

Lord, do not hold this sin against them.

When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died. (Acts 7:54-60, NRSV)

Have you ever heard you should pray for your enemies?

Have you ever done it?

Could you do it while they were stoning you?

Stephen was the first martyr of the church. He was stoned to death as Saul (later Paul) looked on and watched the stoners coats.

Stephen prays that the Lord will receive his spirit and that the sins of those who are killing him would not be held against them. He was praying for those who persecuted him!

We can’t seem to do this when they are not stoning us or even in our lives any more, but the model we get from Stephen is to be praying for those who are actively coming against us.

Pray for those who are your enemies and seek not vengeance or revenge, as God will deal with all of us. But pray for all that God maybe merciful and gracefilled!

 

spared

Then David set out and came to the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him. Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” So David and Abishai went to the army by night; there Saul lay sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the army lay around him. Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand today; now therefore let me pin him to the ground with one stroke of the spear; I will not strike him twice.” But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless?” David said, “As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him down; or his day will come to die; or he will go down into battle and perish. The LORD forbid that I should raise my hand against the LORD’S anointed; but now take the spear that is at his head, and the water jar, and let us go.” So David took the spear that was at Saul’s head and the water jar, and they went away. No one saw it, or knew it, nor did anyone awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them. Then David went over to the other side, and stood on top of a hill far away, with a great distance between them. David called to the army and to Abner son of Ner, saying, “Abner! Will you not answer?” Then Abner replied, “Who are you that calls to the king?” David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king. This thing that you have done is not good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD’S anointed. See now, where is the king’s spear, or the water jar that was at his head?” Saul recognized David’s voice, and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” And he added, “Why does my lord pursue his servant? For what have I done? What guilt is on my hands? Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the LORD who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering; but if it is mortals, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out today from my share in the heritage of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ Now therefore, do not let my blood fall to the ground, away from the presence of the LORD; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea, like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.” Then Saul said, “I have done wrong; come back, my son David, for I will never harm you again, because my life was precious in your sight today; I have been a fool, and have made a great mistake.” David replied, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and get it. The LORD rewards everyone for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD gave you into my hand today, but I would not raise my hand against the LORD’S anointed. As your life was precious today in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the LORD, and may he rescue me from all tribulation.” Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place. (1 Samuel 26:5-25, NRSV)

David could have killed the person who was chasing him. He could have eliminated the threat. He was standing over Saul as he slept and could have easily ended his life…

But would that have ended the hunt of David?

In actuality it probably would have made the armies of Saul want to hunt him down all the more.

Sometimes the easy answer, here that was killing of your pursuer, is not the best answer.

David tells Abishai not to kill Saul, but they take the spear and water jug to prove they were there and could have easily killed Saul. They show their superiority over the armies of Saul, or the weakness of the armies of Saul, either way, they show their compassion.

We need to think through the options before us, before jumping to what seems to be the easy answer and weigh the options correctly to discover what the best answer is and follow through on that.

That is what David did, will we have cool enough heads to do the same?

back from the dead…

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’ And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him. (Genesis 45:1-15, NRSV)

What would you do if someone you had hurt badly and you thought was dead, was now standing in front of you and able to make you sit in prison for the rest of your life or worse?

Most of us will never be in the place Joseph’s brothers were, but we have been in similar places standing before those we have hurt. We fear the worst in these situations, not knowing how the other will act, but knowing they are justified in almost whatever they do.

But here Joseph shows mercy, as God does to us. Joseph shows grace to his brothers. For the family he had lost was now back with him, and he could be reconciled to them.

Sometimes the things we do intended to harm, are the things that lead others to greater fulfillment in the life that God has called them to. Adversity is not the absence of God, but striving through adversity knowing God is with us, will lead us to a greater understanding of god’s grace and mercy, so we will be better equipped to show these traits to others.

unexpected welcome

Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. He put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on ahead of them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the maids drew near, they and their children, and bowed down; Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down; and finally Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor with my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please; if I find favor with you, then accept my present from my hand; for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God—since you have received me with such favor. Please accept my gift that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have everything I want.” So he urged him, and he took it. Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go alongside you.” But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds, which are nursing, are a care to me; and if they are overdriven for one day, all the flocks will die. Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “Why should my lord be so kind to me?” So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. (Genesis 33:1-16, NRSV)

Did you ever know someone was coming who you were worried about how the interaction would be?

Maybe like Jacob you mistreated the person coming to see you. Maybe your Esau is coming and you do not know how they are going to react. And when you see them coming they have a group of people coming with them.

You expect the worst…

Yet when they get to you, or close to you, they start running and embrace you. One of the warmest embraces you have ever had, as if the sun were shining down on you and making your day!

Esau had every reason to want to kill Jacob for all the things that had happened, yet Esau was changed and knew the gift he had in receiveing his brother back. How often do we see the gift of our brothers and sisters in Christ all around us?

Maybe if we can be open to the workings of God we will see in those around us brothers and sisters rather than people who are out to get us. We are in this together and are the body of our Lord. Let us see Him in everyone around us.

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?

Then the LORD said, “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.” So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” Abraham answered, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Again he spoke to him, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” He said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place. (Genesis 18:20-33, NRSV)

This passage always strikes me as funny…

Who would really bargain with God?

If God told you He was going to destroy New York, would you have the gumption to say, “What if you find fifty righteous people?”

I don’t think I would…

But Abraham was so concerned for the people who would be destroyed that did not deserve the wrath that was coming, he was compelled to say something.

I would think that the righteous judge of all the earth will do what is just for all of His creation.

It will not be fair, and we will not think it is right, but God will judge the world the way He as judge has to.

So do not be afraid to ask God a question, because He is big enough to handle it, and might be moved.

You will only strengthen your relationship by conversing with Him and show others the love and compassion, mercy and grace that only come from Him.

rent free

rent freeThen Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21-35, NRSV)

How many times do you have to forgive some one?

Seven times…

Jesus says here seventy-seven times…. another place He says 70 times 7 or 490 times…

Does He literally mean 77 or 490? Like we are to keep track and when someone sins against us the 491st time, “Nope that’s it. I don’t have to forgive you any more!”

And here is the kicker to these verses… In the parable of the kingdom, the slave asks for time, or patience, not forgiveness. And the king forgives, and Peter’s quesiton is if some one sins against me, how many times do I have to forgive. There is no mention from Peter or Jesus about repentance here… Now it is true last weeks verses about if someone sins against you go and tell them and seek to repair the relationship. But here there is no mention of the person who sinned against Peter being repentant…

And is repentance needed for forgiveness…

There are many answers to that question and many of them depend on the whole situation. But in our lives are there people who will never seek to repent for something they have done to us but have to be forgiven by us?

I would say yes. There are people in my life who have sinned against me, who will never seek me out for repentance, but I have forgiven them. Why?

Because that forgivenness is for me to allow God to work in my life. If I am holding on to a grudge, then there is no room in my life for love to grow, there is no room for the love of God to fill into me and give me the life that I deserve from Him. If I am using up all my space by holding on to a past hurt, I will never free myself to receive the wonderful blessing of today and tomorrow from my Lord.

We need to forgive others to give God room to live in our lives. We need to forgive others as God has forgiven us. We did not and do not deserve His love. Yet we have it, and it is ours not to hold onto, but to share!