How Much Is Enough?

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

How often have you whispered those words?  Or at least thought  something similar? 

This request came, from the apostles, after they just heard Jesus warn against being a stumbling block.  That is a warning about speaking or acting  in any way that could cause someone else to doubt the truth of God.  Or that might cause someone to waver in the faith they have.  

So Jesus gives this harsh analogy:   

2 It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble…be on your guard.”

With that kind of warning it would be only natural to request an increase of faith.  Right?  

Imagine the panic this millstone image must have created in their minds.  To me, the thought of drowning that way would certainly create the need to pray for "HELP!"  Help me not to be a stumbling block, in any way, to others.  Give me strength to trust you to work in me.    

So Jesus offers them hope!  He tells them it is not the size of your faith.  It is that you have faith at all.  Even faith as tiny as the smallest seed. 

As I have moved through twenty-nine years of ministry; I have found that one of the most common concern is lack of faith.  Not feeling the strength of God working within their hearts!

This concern is the cause of great anxiousness.  Most especially when someone is in crisis of some kind or another.  This passage, from Luke, has come up often in such conversations.   Mostly because it offers people some encouragement.  Jesus’ words are precious information to those who doubt their ability to believe “enough.”

All you need is tiniest seed of faith! 

That tiny seed is the simple ordinary desire to have to trust in God’s truth.  

The tiniest hope in God’s activity in our lives.  Yes, and in our world!   God will do the rest in you!

That seed, Jesus talks about, is part of each of us.  All of us who want to believe.  It lives in our DNA!  It is the part of us that tries, really tries, to walk through our lives by faith. 

And it is that tiny seed, planted within us, that can transform our weakness into strength. That can grow into possible!

I’ll be so bold as to suggest that it is like a supernatural power that can accomplish great things.

Or, as Mother Teresa would say, it can accomplish “small things with great love.”

Just think about that!   Small things with great love!  

Then think about all of the wonderful and profound changes that have taken place because people of faith have dared to take action.  

Martin Luther for one!

Bishop Desmond Tutu for another!

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!

Crowds, of ordinary individuals, walking the streets of Dresden East Berlin in defiance of a Communist rule.  

Ordinary people bring down an ancient wall of hate, that so long divided a small German City.

Or, on a much smaller scale, parents sitting down with their children talking together about values, God and faith.

Athletic coaches who  build character and confidence in young boys and girls.

There is something amazing, and extremely powerful, that occurs when that tiny seed is allowed to grow.  Allowing God in!  Rather than letting it remain dormant in the dark damp soil.

There is such possibility in that little seed planted in us at our Baptism.  

“Lord increase our faith!”

The possibility — the growth — begins with that simple request.  The acknowledgment of the Planter of the seed!  

It is so parabalistic!   I made up that term(;

But it is parabalistice!  Because two truths are in one story. And we so often miss the hidden meaning in Jesus’ words.

Because faith, and its growth, are not the result of some personal self-help program to ‘greater faith.’   But rather the acceptance of God’s possibility in us!  It is God who nurtures and cultivates that fragile little seed for us. 

It is the Spirit of God “guiding us into all truth.”  That enables us to walk the walk of faith.

It is the promise of God’s power, God’s ability, and  God’s most gracious offer of possibility.  In us!

That is what Jesus came to give us.  All the way down through history.

1 Jesus said to his disciples, "Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2 It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4 And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, "I repent,' you must forgive.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6 The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.(Luke 17)

To Share Or Not To Share?

In a world that knows the abundance, of having more than enough.  This reading from Luke can be hard to swallow.  Because it challenges us to look at our own life style and  living habits.  In many ways it asks us to look at the side of our lives that possibly could be less than attractive.  

It is a story about how well we genuinely care about others.  How we actually share with others!  Possibly how we tend to share only what drops from our table.  

Only the “crumbs” that are left over!

And it tells us, in no uncertain terms, what happens to those who only share their crumbs.  

The analogy is fairly clear!  We, knowingly or not, chose our fate!  We reap what we have sown!  Or as my mom use to say, “we make our bed and then we have to sleep in it.”

Let me add another thought from Jesus theology, that tugs at my heart: 

“What you do to the least of these, you do to me.”(Matt. 15)

What we don’t share, on earth, is our reward. A reward only known here on earth!  And if the crumbs are all we share, we end up like the rich man after our physical death.

Sound harsh?  Maybe!

Now maybe you are one who doesn’t believe in the realm of hell.  So you are tempted to resist the story altogether.  Or see it another way!  That is certainly your privilege!  But the real issue is not whether there is a hell or not.  The issue is actually about our ability to be generous with our blessings.

Full disclosure! This issue of sharing comes very hard for me.  I became a single mom, in my early forties.  And felt I needed to watch my pennies for fear of future insecurity.  I was not a good sharer before that!  But it got more apparent with two daughters to care for.  I am not at all proud of that.  My heart, however, never stopped being effected by those in need.  I prayed for them constantly!  But still felt guilty for my actions.  So I spent years praying that God would make me a better giver.  

I offer that truth, not as a confession, because God knows it is true.  I offer this information so you will not think I stand in judgment of anyone else.  This way, we can all hear the same message together in our own space of grace.  

The point of the story?   The Dogs!  

“…even the dogs wold come and lick his sores.”

The rich man, who had everything!  All that he needed and more!  Did not care for “the least!”  Nor did he care about the dogs. 

Think about that for a moment!

The dogs cared for Lazarus by licking — using their natural ability — to heal Lazarus’ wounds.  

The thought that occurs to me is:  the story does not say that the dogs ate the crumbs that “fell form the Rich man’s table.”   Something dogs, at least my dog, would surely do. 

It would be wise to think about the fact that the dogs cared for Lazarus better than the one who had so much.  

I wonder, what would Jesus want us to be listening to here?

Is he trying to scare us into sharing our wealth by telling this story of what happed to the rich man?

Possibly!  

But somehow I don’t think that is the main point!  More to the point, it has to do with our segued view of our own need!

Or possibly it has to do with our misguided understanding of abundance.  Because somehow we have come to believe that “more” is “better.”  Maybe this mentality has grown out of the lessons that were born during the Great Depression years:

Save!

Re-use!

          Be fugal!

      Don’t Waste!

That indeed could have an influence on todays generations.  However this story was told long before the Great Depression. 

I’m thinking it has more to do with the infant mentality Freud talked so much about.  The natural tendency to satisfy our wants. That has now been extended, and connected closely to, our needs.

I think Jesus knew this tendency and was trying to push, those who would listen, past that infant mentality of self.  He was/is trying to teach us a very basic lesson about how God first envisioned his creation working.

A design meant for each creature, animal or human.   To look after!  Take care of!  The other! 

I do not believe that God ever intended his creation to suffer or lack nourishment.

The point of this little story is not abundance!

That point is the crumbs!  The leftovers! that were not truly enough for his brother Lazarus’ needs.  

What would it have cost, the rich man, to have offer a meal?  Or a band aid?  Or some ointment, for Lazarus’ sores?   

19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24 He called out, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' 25 But Abraham said, "Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' 27 He said, "Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' 29 Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' 30 He said, "No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 He said to him, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' “(Luke 16)

Is God's Request to Forgive Logical?

I am going to spend some time, this morning, on one of Jesus’ well known parables.  This double-sided story is one that every single Jewish ear listening would have totally understood.  They would have understood, because Jesus was talking about some pretty sacred  Jewish rule and traditions known by all. 

11 Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them.

The Father defied all the rules!  And he did it regardless of what anyone thought.  He cared for his son first!   That is how God works too! 

Point of interest!

There is one little word that is used consistently in scripture.  That word is “as!”  I bring this up because I am going to refer that term as I move through this exegesis. 

When we pray, in the Lord’s Prayer we pray: “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”

When we pray that petition, we are asking God to forgive us “as” we forgive others.  

Just a wonder?  How does that work for you? 

I’ll tell you how it worked for me some years ago.  When I was pretty much standing along side of the older son.  With his attitude of “It’s not fair!”

It was a time in my ministry, when I was involved in a situation, that bid me to pay attention to the extravagant love and forgiveness of God.  It called me to complete attention.  Attention on how I should deal with someone else transgressions — malefactions.

Because you see, this particular parable dis-allows our natural instincts to be appalled at God’s request to forgive.  Or not to take a stance of judgment! Or to assume what someone else does or does not “deserve!”

This parable defies all of our natural instincts. And begs us to pay close attention to the truth about this amazingly gracious and understanding God. 

Side note:

Kids have a wonderful way of expressing the fact that God just doesn’t make sense to our human minds.  Just take a turn at teaching Junior High kids in confirmation.  You’ll witness such clear honestly in their thinking.  And they are right on!  Sometime God’s will just does not agree with our logical thinking.

 However, what do we do with this common, yet sometimes quite impossible, lesson that Jesus puts before us?  

That is the question I asked myself over and over and over during that traumatic time.  “How do I learn to forgive “as” God does?

Often, during that time, my mind would kick into its habitual circular conversation mode.  Sometimes that is helpful!  Sometimes in is quite frustrating!  Because I know that God’s ways are not my ways!  That is biblical!  I know that God’s way it best!  But!!

And since I am certainly not God, somehow it is okay!  Okay, for at least for a moment, to want to shake the living daylights out of the one I am totally upset with. 

The truth is, during those months, I was simply not able to go to the space of grace and forgiveness that comes so naturally to God.   So I spent a great deal of time praying, for the strength to be gracious and forgiving, by asking God for “help.”

Actually, the prayer for help is most often the best prayer we can ask for.

What I have come to totally believe is that God’s greatest desire is for his children to turn completely towards him for love and mercy.  Because, when we realize our need for God’s help and guidance; it is the first, and only, step toward forgiving others.

But back to the parable!  Lets put ourselves in the shoes of the younger son for a moment. 

You have broken some very important rules of our family, as well as your religious traditions and cultural mores.  And you are the ones in need of such gracious forgiveness and love.  

Now the shoe is on the other foot.  And this God of unconditional acceptance seems pretty wonderful.  And fair!

                                                              Right?

When we find ourselves in a conflicted situation, our temptation is to get even, get revenge or see justice done is totally real.  Not all that uncommon to the human ego!

At times like that it would be good idea to remember this difficult little parable.  And, it would not be a bad idea, to remember how God deals with each and every one of us equally!  Equally!

God’s gentle mercy, and forgiveness, works both ways!  It is true for me!  And it is true for the other person! Both worthy of God’s forgiveness!  No exceptions!

                  It is just the truth!

In the long run, it is for our own mental, emotion and spiritual well being.  Because forgiveness given releases the poison of anger and resentment.  So that inside of us, in our hearts, we can be free to be as God has made us to be.  That is, gratefully and loving and compassionately forgiven.

Having said all of the above, there is so much more to be said about this profound parable. It is just too much for just one blog.  

So I will leave you, this morning, with this thought!

Forgiveness was so extremely important, to the point of Jesus’ ministry, that he hung on the cross to tell us.

11 Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, "How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands." ' 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his slaves, "Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate. 25 "Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, "Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' 31 Then the father said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.(Luke 15)