INI August 15 & 16, 2010
Sermon preached at Cross of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), 9931 Foley Blvd. NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433. Please share this with someone else after you have finished. Thank you!
Bible Text- Luke 12:32-40
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
“98. 99. 100. Ready or not, here I come!” I think all of us have played games like that, although for some of us, it may have been a long time ago. “Come on, kids. School starts in 15 minutes, and it takes us 10 minutes to get there. Hurry up and get ready!” If you’re a parent, you know how difficult it can be sometimes to motivate your children. “To get ready for your medical tests, you can’t eat or drink anything after 7 o’clock the night before. If you’re not ready, we can’t do your tests.” Some of us have been told that by our doctors.
As we consider our Lord’s words today in our Gospel lesson from Luke chapter 12, it’s obvious Jesus is trying to get across one main point: BE READY! But he’s not talking about a game or being late for school or a blood test in a doctor’s office. Jesus is talking about something far more serious and much more important than any of that. He’s referring to his second coming on the Last Day. We need to BE READY!
As people who have their treasures in heaven;
As servants prepared for our Master’s return; and
As caretakers who are always watchful.
Just before the words of our text, Jesus offered several warnings. In an effort to bring them to their spiritual senses, he warned his enemies about the blindness of unbelief. Then Jesus turned his attention to his disciples. He warned them about hiding their faith to avoid persecution. He then warned his followers—and that includes you and me—about setting our hearts on earthly wealth. We heard about that last week in our outdoor worship service when we talked about Jesus’ parable of the rich fool. Jesus then warned about being worried about worldly needs. Our Lord finished his warnings with this encouragement that sounds very similar to something he said in his Sermon on the Mount: “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well,” Luke 12:31. Jesus was not afraid to repeat things that in his divine wisdom he thought were important for people to hear.
Remember that God’s kingdom is Jesus’ gracious rule in our hearts through the gospel. But how can sinful human beings like us seek God’s kingdom the way we’re supposed to? We’re weak and filled with all sorts of sins and we’re weighed down with guilt. We deserve only the Lord’s punishment for the sinful ways we treat God and for the sinful ways we treat one another. So Jesus tells us in the first verse of our text: Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
Jesus speaks to us as our Good Shepherd. We’re his sheep. He laid down his life to spare us from eternal judgment. We now belong to him. That means we’re a part of Christ’s flock, the Holy Christian Church, through faith in our Savior. The Church is always small when compared to the vast majority of unbelievers in the world. But we never have to be afraid, because our heavenly Father—out of pure undeserved love—has resolved to GIVE us the kingdom. God’s kingdom is not something we earn or deserve, but it’s given to us freely, without cost, by virtue of everything Jesus has done for us. Christ’s kingdom is a gift laid right into our laps by pure grace! We have this kingdom now in our hearts, and when we leave this world through death, we will be living in Christ’s kingdom in heaven. This is our eternal treasure.
I’m sure you’ve seen teens and young people the past several years wear t-shirts that say “no fear” on them. Maybe you’ve seen bumper stickers on cars and trucks that say “no fear.” Those shirts and stickers are advertising a brand, but whenever I see one I’m reminded how the Christian doesn’t need to have any fear when it comes to meeting God face to face, or when we’re confronted with the challenges of life. The person who looks forward to heavenly treasure should show no fear of lacking earthly needs. Instead of being a slave to money, the believer in Jesus is the master of his earthly wealth and we should use it the way our heavenly Master wants us to. In fact, we will be willing and prepared to sacrifice everything—not just for our Lord but also for the benefit of our neighbor.
Jack was a high-powered attorney, the kind John Grisham writes about in his novels. Jack grew up in a poor family, and he vowed he would never suffer poverty again. He worked 12 to 14 hour days regularly. He always seemed to miss out on the big occasions in his children’s lives, because there was always something to do at the office. Working so hard to make all that money he didn’t have enough time to spend with his wife, so he was married three times. Jack never went to church. Sunday mornings were spent writing legal briefs. One day when he was 60 years old, Jack had a major heart attack. In the emergency room as he lay dying, Jack told the E.R. doctor, “Do whatever you can to make me better, or send me to whatever hospital you have to. Money is no object. I can pay whatever is necessary to make me well!” But the doctors couldn’t do anything, and Jack died in terror over what lay beyond death’s doorstep.
Alice was a school teacher, and she never married. She didn’t make much money, but she was a good steward of the blessings God had given to her. She always had her offering envelope ready for church, and if there was ever anyone at church who was ill or out of work, she would regularly make meals and take them over. There were times when she would discover that one or the other of her neighbors had a difficult time paying their bills, so she would anonymously send them checks in the mail so they could make ends meet. There was once a boy in her church who wanted to go to a Lutheran high school, but his family couldn’t afford the tuition. So Alice offered to pay most of it. When Alice ended up in the nursing home after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer, she couldn’t wait to go to heaven to be with her Savior. She didn’t have much of anything to pass on to her nieces and nephews, but that didn’t bother Alice in the least. She just wanted to be with Jesus who had loved her so much he went to the cross for her!
If our treasure is centered on our earthly goods like Jack, then our desires, plans and actions will be directed toward gaining earthly riches. But if our treasure is in heaven like Alice, our hearts will search for ways to use our time, our abilities and our earthly treasures for heavenly purposes. This is what Jesus meant when he said: Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Second, BE READY! As servants prepared for our Master’s return.
Next, Jesus uses the picture of servants waiting for their master to come home from a wedding. They’re dressed—ready to serve him—and they keep their lamps burning brightly. They tuck their long, flowing robes under their belts so they can do their jobs and move around freely. They keep the wicks in their lamps trimmed and filled with oil—remember that back in Jesus time they didn’t have electricity like we do today. The servants do all these things so they’re ready to open the doors to their master and serve him when he comes home.
Jesus is making the point that just as the servants don’t know when their master will be arriving, even so we don’t know when Jesus will return on the Last Day. And just as the servants were to be ready with their lamps burning, so we are to be ready for our Lord’s second coming. We’re ready when we’re sorry for our sins and we turn away from them, and we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of those sins. We’re ready when we carry out our roles as Jesus servants: He tells us to be faithful to all of his Word—"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples,” Jesus said (John 8:31). We’re ready when our faith is focused on Jesus’ work of redemption for us—“We preach Christ crucified,” Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 1:23). We’re ready when we reflect the glory of our heavenly Father by the way we live. Jesus told us,“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven,” Matthew 5:16. We’re ready as we carry out our Lord’s Great Commission—“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you,” Matthew 28:19, 20.
When our Master returns, something wonderful will happen. Normally, the servants would serve the master; but with Jesus, he serves his servants, and we’re given a place at the table. He will give us a seat at the heavenly banquet! This is not the way of this world. It is the way of our gracious Lord!
Finally, BE READY! As caretakers who are always watchful.
By using the picture of the servants waiting for their master’s return, Jesus is making us ready for his second coming by motivating us with a tremendous promise—the promise of heaven. But at the end of our text he adds another picture. He’s warning of what would happen if we fail to watch and if we’re unprepared: But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Jesus does not want us to repeat the home-owner’s mistake. We are to always be watchful, for when we expect Jesus the least, that’s when we expect him the most.
Let’s remember that when we’re tempted to sin. Let’s remember that when we’re tempted to go too far on a date with our boyfriend or girlfriend. We think we can get away with it, since mom and dad are nowhere around. Don’t forget that Jesus sees—and he could come back at any moment! When we’re tempted to put more time on our time-cards at the job than we really worked, let’s remember that God knows everything, and Jesus could return before our pen leaves the paper. When we’re hanging out with our friends and one of them offers us some weed or some pills to swallow or some powder to sniff, who’s going to care? Well our Savior cares how we treat the bodies he’s given us, and he could come back before you exhale. When we’re tempted to go into a panic when we discover there’s more month than we have paycheck for, let’s not give in to despair. Our Lord could come back before we’re done balancing the checkbook. When we expect Jesus the least, that’s when we expect him the most!
There are many different circumstances in life we need to get ready for. Some of you may have attended weddings this summer—for those of us who are married or who have had children married, we know from first-hand experience about all the preparations that need to occur before the bride walks down the isle. Those families among us with children are probably getting ready for school to start. You’re going to Wal-Mart and Target and other stores to buy those school clothes, pencils and paper that the kids need for their classroom. There are many things we get ready for in life. Most important, however, may we BE READY for our Lord’s return on the Last Day. BE READY—as people who have their treasures in heaven! BE READY—as servants prepared for our Master’s return! BE READY—as caretakers who are always watchful!
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
