What To Do?
Luke 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”
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In seminary, we would joke about what is known as “imposter syndrome.” Imposter syndrome, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, is the feeling that you don’t belong either because you don’t seem to fit in or because you feel out of place. It’s a common experience and one that doesn’t ever seem to go away. But it’s not only pastors who have and continue to experience imposter syndrome. Most of us could probably speak to what it feels like to never feel at ease with who you are in either your work, church, or even the relationship we have with God.
I think for most of us in seminary; we tried to double down on our work, our studies, to break the chains of imposter syndrome. “If only we study more, if only we worship more,” things would be different, they would be better. We try to do this in our lives. We try to shake ourselves of any doubts, any insecurities, by telling ourselves that if we do more, then things will be okay. God will be happy if I keep busy, surely God will hear my prayers now if only I push myself a little harder to get more done. But you see God has already done the hard work. We are justified, we are made right, by grace alone.
There are some challenges for us this morning as we wrestle with this text from the Gospel According to Luke. How do we decipher the core message that Jesus is trying to convey as we sift through the imagery of slavery? What good news could come out of that kind of relationship? We shouldn’t dismiss Jesus’ use of slavery in this morning reading, but if we are able to set it aside for a moment as part of Jesus’ culture, we might then see the good news that is at the heart of this morning’s message. Too often do we try to earn God’s favor, but Christ’s sacrifice means that indentured servitude is not necessary. Christ has freed us, Christ has brought us, who are on the lowest rung, up to a place where we are valued members who are loved.
Nothing we do will make us more righteous. Nothing we do will make us better than those around us. The disciples, we ourselves, cry out to God, saying, “Increase our faith!” But God has already increased our faith. It’s now only a matter of whether or not we are using the faith we have and applying it to things that are around us. As I’ve already said, the hard work has already been done! So there’s no excuse, no reason why our lives should not fully reflect the mercies and love we have received. The more mercy and love we give, the more mercy and love we will receive, and that is only possible because Christ has taken the role of the master and slave in order to bring us into a right relationship with God.
Today is World Communion Sunday, a tradition that dates back to 1933. It is a day where we remember the unity we have with our sisters and brothers, the unity that we have with people of different backgrounds, races, creeds, and genders, a day where we are reminded that all, and I mean all, are welcome to the table that Christ has prepared. On this World Communion Sunday, we are reminded that Christ has done the work necessary for our salvation, Christ has freed us from the burden of worrying about our souls, so now we have the time to rekindle in our hearts the gifts, the spiritual gifts that have been bestowed upon us.
If we neglect to utilize the good gifts that God has given to us, the consequences are pretty clear. As the writer of the Book of Lamentations reminds us, the neglect of God’s gifts leads to desolation, isolation, and despair. The state of communities, the state of our humanity is at stake when we fail to take seriously the call of God to share the gifts that have been given to us with those who are around us. There is a necessity, an urgency for us today to heed the call of Christ. In a cultural climate that seems to be focused on erecting barriers and isolationism, the act of breaking bread and drinking from the cup reminds us that we are all connected. This act reminds us that we don’t have to fight, God’s grace is not a scarce resource, so we have no excuse not to go out and share with joy the good news and good gifts that God has given.
Last night I celebrated 60 years of outdoor ministry at Johnsonburg Camp and Retreat Center. Sixty years of faithfulness. Sixty years of joy. Sixty years of trusting that the gift’s God had given them would continue to touch the lives of young people for decades to come. There were times when things were hard, and times when things flourished. Through it all, there was a persistent belief that God would lead them to what needed to be done in order to continue serving those in the surrounding community. As I thought about the many years Johnsonburg had committed itself to outdoor ministry; I thought about the history of the church here in Mahopac.
We have over 200 years of history, 200 years of ministry, 200 years worth of hard times and good times. I’m sure that you can remember the times that were hard, the times that were bad, but can you remember how God was still moving in those places both low and high? Even at our lowest point, God is there helping us along the way, encouraging us and reminding us that if we look, we’ll find that God has already taken on most of the heavy work. It’s freeing; we should feel as though a weight has been lifted because that means the passions and legacies of those who have come before us aren’t restings solely on our own shoulders. It allows us to pursue the gifts and joys that we can offer in the here and now.
[Time of sharing gifts…]
The table has been set for us. The table has been set by the one who is the master and the slave. The table is ready to nourish us as we love, serve, grow, and rekindle the gifts and talents we have to offer. So my challenge for you today on this World Communion Sunday is to reignite those gifts and talents you can contribute. It’s time we take an inward look so that our lives might then be a truer outward reflection of the hope we find in God, the one who serves, and the one who asks that we take a step out in faith. God has the big things, and God has already increased our confidence. I think we can trust that. So let’s see where God is calling us together. Amen.