Fall Stewardship 4: Out

1 Peter 4:6—11, Matthew 25:31, 34—40

In the flow of love that we’ve been talking about over the past few weeks — as we’ve considered how stewardship is really how love works in our lives — we’ve moved through the down direction of God’s…dominion…God’s first love for all of us, to the in direction of God’s loving investment in each of us, the sowing of seeds that bear fruit in our lives. And we’ve come to the final movement, the third act in God’s love story for the world: the flow of love out through us to our neighbors, for the sake of the world.

Martin Luther, the pastor that had a whole lot to say on this subject about 500 years ago, has basically already summed up the idea of stewarding God’s love down, in, and out, in the wittiest and most concise way possible when he said:

“God doesn’t need your good works; your neighbors do.”

Or take the Gospel of Matthew, Ch. 25:

““When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25.31, 34–40 NRSV)

10,000 sermons could be preached on this and how it seems to be suggesting that interacting with our neighbors, and especially our neighbors who would count as ‘the least of these’ means actually interacting with God. I think this is one of the most powerful parables that Jesus told. But ‘powerful’ can be scary. There is a whole other half of this parable which we didn’t hear today.

It’s about those folks on the other side — that ones that neglect or reject ‘the least of these.’ It’s about those folks that are speaking with the king and are surprised to find out that by not taking care of others who seemed unimportant, they had failed to care for their king, and so were themselves rejected.

On the one hand, it can be liberating to find out that we are that close to God without knowing. On the other hand, it can be terrifying to find out that we are that close to God without knowing.

One response, when considering this parable, when considering that our actions towards others are actually actions toward God, is to ask the age old question, the question that Martin Luther was well aware of:

Have we done enough?

If God is keeping score, how are we doing? Have we feed the hungry enough? Have we welcomed enough strangers? Have we clothed the naked enough? Can we do enough? Should we even try? When God can be as close as the person next to me, it’s easy to worry, can I ever give enough? But remember:

“God doesn’t need your good works; your neighbors do.”

Down, in, and out. We cannot love God the way we ought, but it doesn’t work that way anyways. Love flows down from God. There is nothing we can do or not do to earn God’s love. There is not a single good work or act of love, justice, or mercy that will improve our standing in God’s sight. God just loves us. Seriously, we don’t have to do anything. But, as an old Lutheran professor used to say, we have a different question to ask. Our question isn’t ‘have I done enough?’ Our question is:

“What am I going to do now that I don’t have to do anything at all?”

Do you see the difference? Because God’s love just always flows down, we have been totally freed from having to step up, to earn, to win back anything at all. We have total freedom to be loved without doing anything. So what will you do now that you don’t have to do anything? Well, all this love that God keeps sending down is too good not to share. So God turns us inside out, to share what we have with others.

• You know; Core Value of ‘Community Outreach’

This Gospel of Matthew, however, reminds us that outreach happens the moment we walk out these doors. In fact, as you walk out, you may notice those banners around the door out. And if you know the Gospel lesson we heard today, they’ll be even more familiar.

Maybe we could see them every week as a reminder of how close we are to the neighbors God has given us, and the love that is just waiting to be turned out for the sake of the world.

• This past week, one of our members invited me to Vincent House, where she is involved…
• Cliff and Eden… (or it might be something more subtle)
  • Down, In, Out
  • not once did they consider
  • Lord, when was it that we saw you need?

The best, most important work that we do may not feel like work at all. It might feel like sharing a meal with someone. It might feel like stopping by and laughing and visiting with someone who can’t get out much. It might feel like greeting a stranger and making a new friend. It might feel like teaching someone younger than you how to cook or how to hang a shelf. It might feel like teaching someone older than you how to write an email.

And the lower our ambitions are, the closer we are to Jesus who said, “just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

God does not need our offering today. God does not need our plans for financial giving. Our neighbors do. As we bring forward our tithes and offerings, our plans and estimates for giving, we ask that God would bless them and use them to reach out — through us.

And as we walk out the door, let’s use the freedom we have to propel us outward. Let’s get creative about what we might do, now that we don’t have to do anything. Now that we know God’s love comes down, finds a home within us, and moves us out.