+In Nomine Iesu+
Epiphany 8 St Matthew 6:24-34 27 February 2011 Isnt it interesting how the happenings in the world reflect the words of Jesus? Jesus says, You cannot serve two masters. All round we see the result of being on the wrong side of that equation. From Madison, Wisconsin, to Cairo, to New Delhi, what do we see? We see the worry and anxiety that comes from serving the wrong master. <> But serve and master are not adequate translations. The language of the text is more forceful than that. The Greek says, You cannot be slaves of two Lords. It isnt simply a matter of serving. This falls under the realm of control. You will be controlled by someone. There are no exceptions. Either a person will be governed by God, or he is governed by Satan. You cannot be enslaved to or controlled by two Lords. Thats what this text tells us. <> So, what do we see happening? The god of mammon (money) is toppling country after country, state after state. Governments that dispense the sacrament of money are finding their chalices running dry. This god this false god of money is the god weve been encouraged to fear, love and trust above all things. From this god came wages and bonuses; stimulus payments and pensions. But what once seemed an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-kindly god has been shown to be powerless impotent. And the result? What do people do when the gods fail them? They riot. They march. They shut down society. They threaten, and eventually they become violent. <> When we attach ourselves to the false Lord of money, over against the true Lord Jesus there is only one outcome. Worry, anxiety. Being attached to the wrong Lord means being enslaved to and by the things of this world. With this god no matter what we acquire, or how hard we work, or to what degree we strive for something more with this god there is never satisfaction, never contentment. Work, toil, scheming, manipulation every trick we can think of, and the response of this false lord is always the same: Is that all you can do. The liturgy of this Lord is: Work till you drop. <> But now, Jesus gathers us together for a little talk. His is a gentle and kindly conversation. Do not worry, He says. But that isnt an injunction to stop something. Rather, its more of an invitation into an entirely different realm. Worry, in Jesus use of the term, is not so much an act as it is a condition. Jesus is not primarily speaking of specific situations though that might apply. Rather, when you are enslaved to the Lord of mammon your whole life will be characterized and filled with worry. Worry will be the world within which you live. <> That life is characterized by an insatiable appetite for the material and social things of the world. You know people like this. You know the routine. The newest car. The latest fashions. The most prestigious schools. All the basketball, volleyball, hockey, football that can be crammed into a childs life. Frantic rounds of activity. Here we see a me-first attitude taken to a whole new level. And we see that attitude expressed in terms of rights. Expressed in terms of I deserve. Adherence to the Lord of mammon is on display all over the place. Locally, nationally, globally. As much as we might like to think of the TV evening news in strictly political or economic terms, there is also theology involved. Always. Why? Because the true God of heaven and earth, and the false god of all counterfeits these two are in constant conflict. <> The battle lines are drawn. You will either hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. Do you see what Jesus has done? He has made the same statement in two ways, simply reversing the order. Always we will face an either-or situation. And then He goes on: But I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. You see, you Christians you have a different Lord. <> You, Christian, can see behind this creation. The things the stuff of this world is simply that stuff. Material things neither beget life, nor do they sustain it. Unbelief can only see the things of this world nothing more. Thus we see the fanatical behavior of many when this worlds stuff is threatened. Not so for you. Not so, because behind this created world is the true Lord. He is the One who gives and sustains life. The things of this world are simply the means by which the Lord makes life possible even enjoyable. And if the Lord so creates and sustains life in general, how much more will He see to it that your life is cared for? Your Lord is no tyrant. He makes the rain to fall on the good as well as the evil. Bread comes to the wicked as well as to the righteous. You see this. You understand it. Not so the unbeliever. <> Do not worry is an invitation. It is an invitation to realize once again that your life is not dominated or controlled by the things and the affairs of this world. It is also an invitation from unbelief to faith in Jesus. An invitation to leave the realm or worry and enter the realm of your Father in heaven. <> The Father whom we confess in the creed as Maker of heaven and earth is none other than the Father of Lord Jesus, and He talks about your life as One who has lived in your condition. Look at the birds, He says. The flowers. All these your heavenly Father cares for. Are you not of more value than they? Rhetorical question, isnt it. Theres only one answer. Of course you are. <> And not only is your present life taken care of, so also is your life in the new heaven and the new earth that God has promised. This world, completely warped and deformed by sin and death is passing away. To invest yourself in the here-and-now that you can see that would be the ultimate in futility and loss. Yes, we work and live in the stations the Lord has placed us in and we do so faithfully. But not to the exclusion of confessing who the true Lord is. To deny the Lords future and embrace only the present leads to a life filled with worry, anxiety, dissatisfaction. Satan wants always to deflect your eyes away from Jesus and onto yourself. He wishes that you see and value nothing but the things of this world. Satan wants your concentration to be totally taken up by your life your stuff. But you cannot be slaves of two Lords, remember? <> This world is coming to an end. So what! Are you not of more value than it? Tyrants, dictators, presidents all fumble about, jockeying for position and political advantage. Meanwhile, the Lord sits in the heavens and laughs. So should we! Jesus is none other than the Son of the Father by and through who all things in heaven and on earth were made. It is through this Jesus who lived and died among us that we know the will of the Father. And the will of our Father in heaven is our welfare both now and forever. <> What shall we wear? In Holy Baptism the Father clothed you with His Sons own righteousness. What shall we eat? The only Son has died and risen again to feed you with His Most Holy Body in His Supper. What shall we drink? The Son has shed His blood and so forgiven you all your sin. Drink of that cup that overflows with His Most Holy Blood abounding in forgiveness, life, salvation. Jesus is your life. He is your contentment both now and in the life to come. Worry? Not you! Not you who have been enslaved by the true Lord the Lord Jesus. Amen +Soli Deo Gloria+ ___________________________________________________________________ 'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author (as long as no charge is made for the work and it is not made part of a compilation), as well as for quoting or use in a congregational setting _with_or_without_attribution_. Note: This list's default reply is to the *poster*, NOT the list. Do *not* reply to the list with your comments, but to the poster. Subscribe? Send ANY note to: [email protected] Unsubscribe? Send ANY note to: [email protected] Archive? <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/> For more information on this or other lists offered by Confess And Teach For Unity, you can contact the CAT 41 list administrator at: Rev. Fr. Eric J. 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