Lent -Day 5
Lent 2010: A Season for Listening
Day 5
Listening to the Sermon on the Plane: Part 4
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25“Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. 26“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.” -Luke 6:24-26 (NRSV)
There are many dangers in following the wrong path and chasing mistaken dreams, among these is the simple fact is you might succeed. Before I go much further I need to be clear, there is nothing wrong with wealth or eating or laughing or having a good reputation. I think each of these has Scriptural support for being considered signs of a good life. After all money and food are by their very nature amoral (neither good or bad). Stuff is just stuff. The problem once again comes in the orientation of our lives and the intention of our actions. The most evident sign of our aspirations and spiritual health might be the way we use the stuff we have (or maybe the stuff that has us).
In the Language of Luke being rich is something different from being wealthy. To be rich is to be obsessed with the accumulation and retention of wealth without regard to needs of others. Making money is the center of the life of the rich and the only goal often with little regard with the manner in which the money is gained. To these individuals Jesus seems to be saying, “Congratulations! You got exactly what you wanted.” There seems to be little that Jesus has to offer for those who only care about stuff, stuff and more stuff. The self-made person is seldom interested in being a God-made person. Following the same lines we can trace the difficulty with seeking an epicurean life to the extreme and so on. Whenever God is not the center of our lives we are on a path that will lead us to somewhere other than God.
Today we consider what is really important in our lives. What are our goals and ambitions? What do our hopes and dreams tell us about where we really are in relation to the kingdom? Take an honest look at your checkbook or financial statements. According to your spending, what are the most important things in your life? Does the paper trail lead you toward God or something else? What about the budget of your church? For example, if you say that missions are the primary focus for your congregation, does the spending actually agree with that?
Now the purpose of this exercise is not to beat anybody up. The aim is to help us understand where we are placing our focus. If we are on the wrong track, today is the perfect time for a change in direction and orientation. As you might guess there is a word for such a change of mind and life direction, repentance. Lucky for us repentance is one of the central themes of Lent and something all of us need. – Rev. John Mattox
Our Lord,
Who causes the rain to fall on the good and the bad,
help us to be ever mindful of those who are in need
of the daily necessities of life.
Help us to give, and not count the cost,
Help us to love, and not seek reward,
Help us to remember that all blessing comes from you
and is never really ours, but only ours to share.
Amen.
– Rev. Katie Mattox