Pentecost 11 2010
"Ready to Receive?”
When we spoke the Prayer of the Day earlier this morning, we summed up the theme of today’s readings, so let’s hear it again and be reminded of that theme: “Let us pray. Almighty God, you sent your Holy Spirit to be the life and light of your church. Open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may be ready to receive you wherever you appear, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.”
One of the Danish philosopher Kirkegaard’s favorite stories was about a king who was touring his kingdom and receiving the cheers of his people. In one village a brash young man stepped out of the crowd and went right up to the king’s carriage. “Grant me my wish, Sire,” he said. “Give me a special blessing.” The villagers were amazed at the young man’s nerve, but even more amazed at the king’s reply. “Of course, my good man,” said the king. “Step up here into my carriage. Come with me and live in the palace, eat at my table, marry my daughter and be my son-in-law.”
The young man thought for a moment. “Imagine, me the king’s son-in-law!” But then he thought some more. Hmm, no more Saturday nights at the pub with his friends. No more dirty, comfortable peasant clothes – he’d have to get dressed up, take a bath – maybe even once a week! He’d have to bow and scrape and use a knife and fork and learn the manners of the royal court. And so he sadly shook his head and lowered his eyes. “No, Sire,” he said. “I would be too uncomfortable. It would change my way of life. It would be too hard to live up to. It would take too much of me. If you want to do something for me, give me a plot of ground, a farm, a house of my own. But to live in your palace, eat at your table, be your son-in-law – it’s just too much. No, thanks.”
You see, he wanted the king’s blessing, but he wanted it on his own terms. He wanted to be blessed in doing what he wanted to do, not what the king wanted him to do. He wanted to be blessed right where he was, not moved out of his comfort zone. He wanted the blessing, but not all that went with it. The king was ready to give – but the young man wasn’t ready to receive. Sad to say, you and I are often very much like that young man. God is ready to hear, to give, to be mer-ciful, to forgive – but we have our own agenda. We have our list of wants, needs, and desires – and they aren’t the same as God’s. God is ready to give – but are we ready to receive?
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give…” – to give what? This verse comes hard on the heels of the words of Jesus about seeking first God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, so it should be no surprise that what the Father wants to give us is the kingdom itself. But is that what we really want? Jesus was the leader of a little flock which the rest of the world considered unsuccessful – no wealth, no power, no prestige, no status of any kind. And yet this little flock were the same ones who inherited every blessing and every gift which the Father had to give. Others could try to control by means of wealth and power, but the real gift was only available from one source – from the Father.
God is ready to give, but watch out – it’ll change your life. God is ready to share the kingdom with you, but remember – it’ll cost you. You’ll have to give something up. Are you ready to receive that gift – or do you seek God’s blessing on your own terms? We make our choices, we decide what we want to do, and then ask God to bless it. But to ask what God wants us to do – well, that leads to all kinds of inconvenience. We might have to make the kind of choice that was put before the young man as he stood at the carriage of the king. We might have to change our priorities, give up some of our favorite habits, learn some new ways of doing things, have our whole lives rearranged. And that, my friends, is no small accom-plishment.
Are you ready to receive the kingdom? Listen again to Jesus’ description of what it means to be a receiver: (vv.33-34) If your bank deposit is placed into Heaven’s First National, then the real choices of your life will all be made from that perspective. That’s what it means to have your heart where your treasure is – to make all the decisions of your life on the basis of your vision of the kingdom, the rule of God in your heart. To receive the treasure that God wants to give us is to see our hearts moved in a whole different direction and our whole lives reordered accord-ing to the will of God.
Someone has suggested that these verses are really a commentary on the temptation of Jesus in Luke chapter 4. Do you remember how the devil tried to lure our Lord away from his mission? He tempted Jesus by reminding him of his physical needs, and he tried to lure him with the power of earthly rule. When all else failed, the devil used the ultimate abomination of trying to get Jesus to worship him instead of his Father. But Jesus wasn’t the only one to face those kinds of temptations – you and I face them every day! Again and again we’re faced with the dilemma: do we choose to satisfy our own whims, or give to those who need the basics of life far more? Do we go for more and more riches in this world, or recognize that those riches are only temporary? Do we chase after power and prestige, or receive and hold fast to the promise of God’s power and presence in our lives? As we stand with Jesus, leaning on him and taking our strength from him, we keep our eyes on the goal – we are ready to receive the kingdom.
At the end of this text, Jesus throws in a neat little story about some servants who are waiting for the return of their master. With their robes pulled up around their waist, they’re ready to go to work for him as soon as he gets back. But lo and behold – the master pulls a switch on them! He’s so happy to find them alert and awake when he returns that he does the work! He pulls up his robes, has them sit down, and waits on them at the table! How about that! Can you handle that one? Are you ready to be waited on? Are you ready to receive the service of your servant Lord, Jesus Christ? The table is ready again this morning, and the Master has come before his servants, both as the Host and the Food. Do you remember what he told you? “I am in your midst as the one who serves.” When Jesus urges us to give and to serve, it’s only after he has reminded us that it’s God’s good pleasure first to give and to serve us! Part of his gift is the ability to be ready – ready to receive his rule, ready to welcome him into our hearts. Are you ready to receive? In Jesus’ name, Amen.