21st Sunday after Pentecost
Stewardship Emphasis
Texts: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10, Mark 10:17-31
Pastor Jean M. Hansen
I like to think of us all as Gardeners for God, growing together. That’s why the Stewardship Team came up with the idea of passing out “Seed Kits”, encouraging everyone to plant and tend a coupe seeds. It certainly is a concrete reminder that the people of Faith Lutheran Church are growing (something) together, even as we grow (in faith) together.
Our experiences with the “Seed Kits” have varied, but I’ll get back to that soon. First let’s focus our attention on a single verse of scripture, which is this year’s stewardship theme verse: “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will…increase the harvest of your righteousness.” (The verse is edited a bit to emphasize the message.)
It’s found in the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Christian church in Corinth. Unfortunately, his relationship with them worsened after his first letter, in which he challenged the divisions that were creating issues in that early church. This worsening relationship, and their criticism of him, was upsetting to Paul and caused him to reflect on the meaning of ministry. That introspection no doubt influenced what he wrote about the Corinthians supporting an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem; that’s the section from which our verse is taken.
He wants them to be generous, but for the right reasons. I have to note, though, that that is an ironic since he also tells them he doesn’t want to be humiliated in front of the Macedonians to whom he has been bragging about the Corinthians’ generosity, which isn’t exactly the right reason. Nevertheless, he seems to be on the right track in verse 7: “Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
He also reminds the reader that’s possible because God provides in abundance, that they may share abundantly. Then we come to verse 10, which affirms that message. God provides the gardener (us … the sower) the seed, which includes our abilities, our financial resources, our time and our faith – all gifts from God.
And God provides the bread we need to be strengthened to tend God’s seeds. The bread is God’s grace, God’s Word, Holy Communion, Jesus himself and, of course, food for our physical functioning. Our concrete reminder of that today is the Bounty of Bread celebration; be sure to stop in the Welcome Center and taste a variety of breads provided by God and our bakers.
The result of tending the seed and being fed by the bread is an increase in the harvest of righteousness, which is the producing of goodness, integrity, justice in our lives and in the world, that is, the flourishing of the Gospel and of God’s love and grace. The question is, though, how will we respond to the opportunity to tend the seed and be fed by the bread?
Most of us have heard, and probably struggled with, the story of the man who knelt before Jesus in today’s Gospel reading. I won’t walk us through it in detail today but will remind us of the point being made.
This man had done it all “right”; that’s basically what he wanted Jesus to affirm. In his mind, his wealth was an indication of that fact. As one commentator said, he was less interested in inheriting the Kingdom of God and more interested in earning it. In fact, he was pretty sure had had done so already. Because Jesus loved him, Jesus wanted him to experience something better – grace – and his efforts/stuff were getting in the way of that happening. Unfortunately, he could not give it all up, or even say he was willing to do so.
It’s hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God, Jesus says, because they must dispense with the idea that one can buy or earn their way in. Instead, they must become like the “little ones”; remember last week’s Gospel lesson when Jesus stressed for the second time that children, the weak, the rejected, the disadvantaged are the ones who are first in God’s eyes? We all must adopt their attitude of vulnerability, trust and gratitude for God’s gift of grace rather than relying on our abilities or possessions.
As for the camel and the eye of the needle, Jesus is once again using hyperbole to make a point; it’s as ridiculous to think that one can enter the Kingdom of God because of one’s abilities as it is to believe a massive animal could go through a miniscule space. It won’t work.
Thankfully, though, with God’s grace all things are possible. Listen to commentator Scott Hozee’s explanation: “With human beings it’s impossible to get a camel through a needle’s eye. And I am that camel. So are you. The point of Mark 10 is to stop trying, to let go and let God, and then to sit back in amazement when – beyond all comprehension or anything you could have ever predicted – we see that old camel slip right on through the needle’s eye.” (1)
We enter the Kingdom of God by God’s grace, which should stir overwhelming gratitude in us. Then, we recognize that God provides the seed and the bread and produces the harvest through us. Indeed, we are God’s gardeners, growing (something) together, even as we grow (in faith) together.
Each of those white pots and seeds represent what happens when we do the growing together. Our experiences vary; there are enthusiastic, intentional, forgetful and discouraged growers among us. And the results of the seed tending is different, perhaps it’s not visible, or maybe the plant is tall and flourishing, or bent, yet growing, or slow, yet persistent. (Remember … send in your photos on Tuesday.)
That is also true when we plant the seeds of our abilities, our financial resources, our time and our faith – all gifts from God. They grow in a variety of ways, depending on who we are and what type of seed we are tending and sharing. That results in the flourishing of the Gospel and of God’s love and grace, in our case, here at Faith Lutheran Church, in our community and within each one of us. Remember we are growers of faith, and we are growing in faith. God is present in every planting effort so that the harvest of grace is bountiful.
However, if we do not plant and tend – if that white pot languished under the front seat of your car – if we do not put the seed of our abilities, financial resources, time or faith in the ground here at FLC (or anywhere else) it’s unlikely that the harvest of goodness, integrity and righteousness will be as bountiful as it could be, or that our faith will grow as sturdy.
This week, please prayerfully consider your gardening efforts; how will you multiply the seeds God has given you, to grow ministry here at FLC in the coming year? We’ll be celebrating those commitment next Sunday, so be sure to come with your completed commitment card in hand.
We are gardeners for God, and we are growing faith and growing in faith together. AMEN
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“Mark 10:17-31 Commentary” by Scott Hoezee, October 11, 2015, www.workingpreacher.org