| Note: No sermon is quite the same when you read it. You miss the inflections, the expression that you gain in the hearing. The words below are only a close approximation of the sermon, taken from handwritten notes. Nevertheless, the words (as best as can be deciphered!) are shared with you here. The Webmeister |
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany The last part of today's Gospel passage seems so unrelenting. "Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 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. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets." No wonder Jim had me preach today! These are difficult words for us. We are privileged people, living in a comparatively wealthy nation; few of us have ever had to go without a meal. We enjoy laughter and a good time and, if we're honest, we'd probably admit that we like it when people speak well of us. These words, these four woes Jesus speaks of seem unfairly directed toward us. It would be much easier to preach on this sermon, called the Beatitudes, if it came from Matthew's Gospel this morning instead of Luke's. Matthew's account of this same story does not include these four "woes" as Luke does, which might make it easier for the preacher. But as difficult or as unpleasant as Jesus' words might sound at first, I think we would find ourselves at a great loss if we were to just write them off or ignore them. We should not deny their power, or the power of any of the Bible, no matter how it might challenge us. Mark Twain, the great American author, was not an exceptional student of the Bible, but he knew enough about it to say that "It's not the parts of the Bible that I don't understand that bother me, it is the parts I do understand." If Twain were alive today, I bet he would include these four woes in that first category. Of course Twain also said "Go to Heaven for the climate, and Hell for the company," but I'm going to reserve comment on that one. When Jesus said these words, these four woes, they must have caused a lot of confusion in the crowd gathered around him that day. They must have sounded ridiculous to the people there because so many of them probably knew that in Hebrew Scriptures wealth and abundance, those things Jesus seems to be giving people a hard time about now, were actually seen as rewards for obedience to God. Wealth and abundance were not something to be woeful about in the Old Testament, they were seen as blessings. Prosperity was good; it was seen as sign of blessing from God. And, of course, it still seen that way today. There are many churches today who cash their checks preaching the Gospel of prosperity. But Jesus seems to go deeper than all of that. Jesus, I don't believe, is really that concerned with money or a full stomach or laughter. When Jesus says "woe to you who are rich or full," he is not condemning the crowd there that day, and neither do I believe he is condemning us. The word "woe" means "great sorrow or grief." So when Jesus says "Woe to you who are rich" he's not judging them. He's saying that his heart is literally breaking because he knows that wealth and prosperity, as good as they might be; do not bring us closer to God alone. I remember in my second year of college, a classmate who lived down the hall from me was driving home from a Willie Nelson concert. As one tends to do at a Willie Nelson concert, he drank, and he drank too much. You all know the rest of the story — he died on the way home when his car crashed off the side of the road. After the accident, it seemed as if the phrase "friends don't let friends drive drunk" was plastered everywhere around campus. That night, someone needed to be sober enough to say "I can't let you get behind the wheel tonight; I'll drive you home." Jesus is that sober voice for us this morning. All of us, at one time or another, become so easily intoxicated over prosperity and abundance, over riches, food, light-heartedness, or the approval of others. It's easy for us to see them worthy pursuits. And none of those things are bad, unless we become so intoxicated by them, that they replace God. If that happens, then we might find our better judgment becomes impaired. We might find ourselves swerving of the road of our lives, losing our way, or missing our destination. I think that is why Jesus expresses woe, or sadness, to people who take for granted their riches, their food, or their approval. I think Jesus expresses this remorse because of he knows that a person's desire for wealth, or a full stomach, or laughter, or the approval of others, ultimately will lead to a sad and empty life, because God has been replaced. Last week, Jim took me to Fry's electronic store just south of here on 59. I had never been there before, and immediately upon walking in and seeing the clean granite floors, aisle after aisle of every appliance known: refrigerators, washers, dryers, CDs, DVDs, televisions, computers, LCD screens, plasma screens, Ipods, you get the picture. I am a self-proclaimed geek — I love stores like that. And so after visiting, I made a short wish list of things I would like from there. As great as Fry's might be, as many things are crammed in there that illicit desire, I know that sadly, it is really an empty place. I know that in reality, it is a store like any other store. It is a place where people like you and me go to purchase things in a feeble attempt to fill the emptiness of our souls. I know that Fry's, like most other stores, is a cathedral for our age, a place for people to go and work out their salvation through accumulating things. But we all know that the more we buy, the emptier we sometimes feel. Abundance, food, laughter, and reputation, are not bad things, but they will never fill the emptiness we sometimes feel. Only God can fill such a space. Amen. The Reverend James M. L. Grace February 11, 2007 *Past sermons may be found here. |
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