Theme: To be able to hear stories and words about giving, yet hearing in a new way.

Transcription

1 22 nd Sunday after Pentecost, October 19, 2014 Gospel: Matthew 22:15-22, Sermon Title: Giving to God! Theme: To be able to hear stories and words about giving, yet hearing in a new way. Introduction: I haven t started this practice of giving here at New Life Lutheran, yet, however my past eight years at the time that the offering plates would circulate throughout the congregation, the children would come forward and place their coins, their offering in the large glass jar. It could be loud as the coins dropped in and made a clanging sound. I would notice adult members of the church, handing a coin or folded dollar to add to the jar. While this was a simple act in the midst of the worship service, it was my attempt to already teach the message to the children about giving in church and about giving to God. As a culture, we are becoming more and more materialistic. What used to be the concern of the time was what brand of jeans one was wearing. Compared to now with whether or not you have the latest i-phone or vehicle that you are driving or home that you are living in. We may be a little like the little boy who was given two quarters one for Sunday school and one for an ice cream cone. Walking along the street one of the coins slipped out of his hand and fell through some grillwork into the drain below. The little boy raised his face toward Heaven and said with genuine sorrow, Well, God, there goes your quarter. 1

2 The Pharisees were behind a plan to snare Jesus with a question over the poll tax. In 6AD Judas the Galilean led a revolt against Rome over a tax census. True Israelites hated the tax because it admitted slavery to Rom and therefore, dishonored God. The Pharisees obviously thought that they would have Jesus trapped with their question. If he supported the tax, he would alienate the common people. If he rejected the tax, he would be committing treason against Rome. The Pharisees opposed the tax, while the Herodians, supporters of Herod and thus Roman sympathizers, supported the tax. Thus, they teamed up to trap Jesus. When Jesus answered, Jesus bypasses all the known and expected answers. Give God what is due God, and give Caesar what is due Caesar. Jesus reply must have left his questioners dumbfounded. It seems to make sense. Living in a community with others, our commitment to that community or to the face that is on the coin is for the betterment of the community. Both paths are necessary and thus it is good to give to Caesar what is Caesar s, and it is good to give to God what is God s. Our giving to God is not specifically giving in the way that we pay our taxes for the running of the society. Our giving to God is the giving of ourselves, in our daily walks of faith. 2

3 What are we to give back? The word give in Jesus answer, can mean give back (apodidomi). The word was used in the sense of paying back a debt a debt in the parable of the unforgiving servant. The word carries the sense of giving (back) that which already belongs to the other person. How do we know what things belong to God? They have God s image of them! What are we to give to God? The things stamped with God s image us! We are to give God ourselves our whole selves not just some part. We are created in the image of God every tiny part of us. This means that the tiniest parts of our body, the smallest thoughts in our heads, belong to God. Some may give God their minds, But have hearts far from God. Some may give God their hearts, But are unwilling to learn from God in the Word. Some may give God their muscles, But are unwilling to bring their bodies to worship or education classes. Many give God 1 or 2 hours a week, But God wants all 168 hours a week. Many give God 2% of their income, perhaps think about 10% 3

4 But God wants 100% (People of faith, pay with their very lives) We cannot say that this part belongs to God, so I will give it to God. Everything we are and everything we have belongs to God. Everything we are and everything we have we are to give (back) to God. We are but mere managers or stewards of these gifts God has given to us. Relationship text study discussion (horizontal relationship with each other, vertical with God) Glorify rather than tear each other down text study discussion (Stoffregen) Many years ago I attended a workshop on stewardship. The presenter made a comment that has stuck with me. He stated that he always makes it a point to give more to his church through his offerings than he gives to the government through his taxes. That was a way he could indicate the place of his greater allegiance, who has the greater authority over him. I m not suggesting this as a new law, but think that we all need to struggle with how we apply God s authority over us, which is to be greater than the state s authority. We need to struggle with giving our whole selves to God, doing what God would have us do, in our everyday lives, which include death and taxes. I read a story that caught me this last week about money. It mentioned that there is something seductive about money. The more we have, the harder it 4

5 is for us to give. Jesus said, you cannot worship both God and money Jesus devoted more of his teachings to warning about the perils of great wealth than to any other subject. He was not saying that it is bad to own things, but he was warning us to be careful lest we get to a point where the things own us! The worship of money is probably the most widely practiced religion in our country today. That was a lesson learned by John D. Rockefeller, Sr. He drove himself hard to be a success. He became a millionaire by this age of twenty-three and by the age of fifty was the richest man on earth. Then at fifty-three years of age, Rockefeller developed a serious illness which caused the hair on his head, his eyebrows, and the eyelashes to drop off. Even though he was the world s only billionaire and could have almost anything g on earth he wanted, he could only digest milk and crackers. He became shrunken like a mummy. He could not sleep, would not smile, and nothing in life meant much to him at all. Doctors predicted that within a year he would be dead. One night, however, as Rockefeller struggled to fall asleep he came to grips with his life. He realized that he could take nothing with him into the next world. The next day he embarked on a new way of living. Rather than hoarding his money and possessions, he began to give them away to persons in need. Establishing the Rockefeller Foundation, he channeled his 5

6 fortune into hospitals, research, and mission work. His contributions eventually led to the discovery of penicillin as well as cures for malaria, tuberculosis, and diphtheria. At age 53, Rockefeller was given a year to live. By learning to live by the principle of giving rather than getting, he altered his life so dramatically that he eventually lived to the ripe old age of ninety-eight. For many people the worship of money and possessions is a profound and deadly spiritual problem. The more we have, the less we seem able to give. The more things we own, the greater the temptation to allow things to own us. Remember the movie, Oh God! with George Burns? In that movie the idea was mentioned that the reason God gave Adam and Eve no clothes to wear was because God knew that once they had clothes, they would want pockets. Once they had pockets, they would want money. We don t have any trouble rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar s bur how can we become more willing and able to render to God the things that are God s? Everything we have, everything we are, and everything we hope to be is first and foremost a gift from God. When we understand the magnitude of this reality, our hearts become captivated by the love and grace that God has lavished upon us. We then soon discover our bodies, our minds, and most importantly of all, our hearts truly belong to God. It s when God takes 6

7 possession of our hearts and sends the spirit to live there that we find it not only easier to render to God the things that are God s, but it becomes a great privilege and joy to do so. When we say to someone, I love you with all my heart, what do we mean? We are saying, I am committed to you. All that I have is yours. I rust you enough that I am willing to share with you everything I have, everything I am, and everything I hope to be. That kind of commitment is what God asks of us. Truly it s all God s in the first place. Render to God the things that are God s. Sermon Response Song: ELW 686 We give thee but thine own 7