Hosea 11:1-11 and Luke 12:13-21
The book of
the prophet Hosea is an allegory. God’s relationship with Israel is represented
by the prophet’s relationship with his unfaithful wife and, in the verses that
we read today, by the parent-child relationship. Hosea introduces us to a God
who yearns for us, who loves us madly and passionately, like a lover who is
willing to forget all wrongs, like a mother who cannot forget or forsake her
child, no matter what.
Yes, God
wants us to be just and kind and humble, but even when we aren’t, God still
claims us, still calls us, still desires to know us.
The parable
of the “bigger barns” is a tragedy. It is tragic not because the main character
dies at the end—every story ends in death, eventually. It is tragic because the
man had not begun to live. He had abundant possessions, but nothing else. No
family, no friends, no heir. He was a fool, not because he was a shrewd
businessman, but because he had nothing else going for him.
Jesus told
the parable in response to a plea, “Teacher, bid my brother divide the
inheritance with me.” Whoever asked the question had apparently heard enough
about Jesus to know that he encouraged generosity, and proposed radical
redistribution of wealth—the jubilee of debt forgiveness. Jesus, however, did
not command the brother to share his wealth, instead he challenged the man who
made the request. Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for
one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.
We know
this to be true: One’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.
But knowing it is true is easier than living as if it were true. How often have
we caught ourselves thinking that if we just had a little bit more, we would be
all right? We’re not greedy, we’re not asking for a lottery jackpot, just a
little bit more to make it to the end of the month. Like that guy. You know the
one. Lives across the street, on the other side of the fence, where the grass
is always greener. Jones. Yeah, keeping up with Jones. If I could be like that,
just to live one day in those shoes….
The gospel
of Luke especially is full of cautions about the lure of wealth and the bewitching
power of possessions, because they are the things in our lives that are most
likely to take the place of God. These are our idols: a bigger house, a better
car, deeper pockets.
Teacher,
bid my brother divide the inheritance with me. The one who asks probably thinks
that a share of the inheritance it all he needs. But it isn’t. It isn’t enough.
It never is.
We are called to something better.
Not to a relationship with possessions. These cannot love us back. Life does
not consist in the abundance of possessions, life consists of love. Life is
created by love, for love, sustained by love. We are called to relationship
with God, who, as the prophet Hosea teaches us, is always calling, always pining
for us.
Our relationship with God is embodied
in our relationships with other people. In our relationships with our brothers
and sisters, with God’s children, our relationship with God is enfleshed. It is
this love that saves us, that rescues us from aimlessness and sin. It is this
love that is life, real life worth living.
Before he
left them to go to his death, Jesus made the sharing of a meal a sign of his
presence, a touchstone for his life and ministry. The meal calls us together,
to be in relationship with each other. We cannot partake of this meal alone. We
are dependent on each other to provide the bread and the cup, we rely on one
another to come to the table. We form the fellowship of disciples, followers
and lovers of Jesus, in order to remember and recreate the body of Chrsit.
This table
is for all who are loved by God. It is for saints and sinners, the lost and the
found, the full and the hungry. This table is for all who need saving, who need
redemption, who need love.
Let all who
are here, come. But before we celebrate this meal again, let us consider who is
missing, and why. Where are the millennials, the youth? (There are a few
representatives of the millennial generation here today—thank you for coming.) In
her web-published essay, Rachel Held Evans explains “Why Millennials Are
Leaving Church.” They are leaving their evangelical churches because they
believe those churches are too political, too exclusive, unconcerned with
social justice, and hostile to their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT)
friends. They also feel like they have to leave their brains at the door of
churches that are anti-intellectual and anti-science.
But the
same generation, the same people have spiritual yearnings. They want a church
where it is OK to ask questions. They want a church that emphasizes an
allegiance to the Kingdom of God, rather than a single political party or
nation. And they want a church where their GLBT friends are welcome.
I believe
this is that church. One of those churches, anyway. But we are perhaps the best
kept secret in Mankato. We need to learn how to make our story heard. Because
people’s lives depend on it. The good news of God’s love is life saving. Think
about it: whose life would be saved by an invitation to this table? Who needs
to know the presence of Christ in the breaking of the bread and in the love of
this church community?
Let us
resolve to extend this invitation, to turn up the volume on the good news of
God’s love. Life, real life, depends on it. Thanks be to God, whose love
endures forever. Amen.
