St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Cleveland, Tennessee

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
12 August 2007
Luke 12:32-40

As is always the case, the context of a scriptural passage is very important to its proper and most full interpretation. That is certainly the case this week. This Gospel lesson is preceded in Luke by verses 22-31, and in those nine verses, Jesus gives one of the great passages about anxiety, or more properly, the lack of anxiety. In Luke 12, verses 22–31, is where we read where Jesus says, “Consider the birds of the air, that your Heavenly Father cares for them. Consider the lilies of field, how they grow.” Jesus said, “Even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like nature.” So Jesus says in these nine verses before this Gospel passage for today, “Do not be overly anxious about things you cannot control.” Of course, worry is a normal human reaction when it concerns someone we love or ourselves. It is a natural human emotion to worry. And yet, Jesus teaches - - these aren’t my words, these are the words of the Lord, who in Scripture tells us - - “Do not be overly anxious about things we cannot control." Jesus says, in Luke 12:25, and this is the key to that passage that proceeds today’s passage, “And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life?” This is a classic teaching of Jesus saying, “Those things that are beyond your control, do not be anxious. Trust in God’s presence, trust in God’s love, rather than being overly anxious about things that you yourself cannot control.” The backdrop to today’s passage is the classic statement of Jesus against anxiety. So now let’s look at today’s Gospel lesson.

It begins by Jesus saying to his disciples, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” These words are not condescending. They are words of tenderness. They are words of love and affection. Jesus is saying to his inner circle of followers, “Do not be afraid, little flock.” It is a way of saying, “Do not be afraid, dear ones, for it is your Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom.” So, Jesus is saying to his disciples, “God’s will unfolds in God’s time, and you will inherit the kingdom of God. It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. So don’t be afraid.” These are wonderful words from Jesus. He goes on to say, “Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” These are some of the most familiar words in the New Testament. They are also words that really challenge us to consider their meaning. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Now, given our economy, given the way our society functions, we could talk and wrestle all day with exactly what Jesus means by, “Sell your possessions, and give alms.” We could wrestle with: How would that work in this society? How would this enable us to function in the society in which we live? We could debate these issues for a very long time, at a very ‘nuts and bolts’ level. But, I would suggest to you that the bottom line here is clear. Jesus is teaching his disciples, “Put the things of God first. Your true treasure is in heaven. The things of God are what matter. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What is it that is to be our treasure? The word of the Lord. The knowledge of his love. The peace that comes from his forgiveness and grace. And then, Jesus talks about being ready, always being ready to serve the Lord. The initial allusion here is to Exodus. In the next line, Jesus says, “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit.” His hearers, at the time of his life, would have known this was a reference to the Exodus. As the Exodus was about to happen from Egyptian domination, Moses said to the people, “Be dressed and ready to go. Even when you sit down at the table, be dressed for action.” The old scriptural phrase is “Gird your loins, be ready. Be ready to leave at a moments notice.” Jesus is saying, “Serve the Lord always. Always be ready to serve. Don’t put off until later what can be done today in the Lord’s name. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds ready when he returns.”

I want to get to the final verse of this passage. It is the one that is hardest to interpret. Jesus says, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an expected hour.” In Luke 5: 24, Jesus has already spoken of himself as the Son of Man when he heals the paralytic. When he says to the paralyzed man, “Take up you pallet and walk,” Jesus then refers to himself as the Son of Man. This is whom he is speaking of here. He is referring to himself. “You also must be ready. You, my hearers, must also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” I can’t begin to quantify how many books have been written about this kind of language - - speculation about exactly what Jesus meant here. Exactly when will the end of time be? Exactly how will it unfold? If you go to a theological library, there are shelves of books that talk about the end of time, matters of what we call apocalyptic theology - - the things concerning the end of time. Jesus says, “Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.“ I would humbly suggest to you that Jesus is teaching his disciples, “It is not for you to know when. Things will unfold in God’s time. Things will unfold according to God’s plan. Those things are above your ability to comprehend, but be ready.” Every day is an opportunity to serve the Lord. Every day we have opportunities to witness to the love of God made known in Jesus. So, Jesus is teaching, be ready. Live each day to the fullest, not in some sort of secular kind of way, but to the love of God - - live each day to the fullest.