All Saints Lutheran Church
Pentecost 25A
November 10, 2002
Pastor Raita Neely
1 Thessalonians, 5: 1 -11; Mt.25:14-30

Let us pray: Lord, you have given everything to us-the world, your word, even your own Son on the cross, and here we sit. Cut us loose, dear Lord, set us free. Strike us and stir us with the wonder of the gift that is ours in Jesus Christ. The gift of your grace is extravagantly poured over us. Help us to loosen up enough to give some of it away. For there is enough and plenty for all. Amen.

Humorist, theologian Roy Blunt comments on how early in life we begin to be narrators of our story and the human story. Roy's daughter and her husband had brought their two year old son to visit grandma and grandpa. On the day before they were due to fly back home, Roy was left with the little boy while everyone else went shopping. Grandpa and the two year old had a wonderful time for a while, exploring, playing with the toys, but then the little boy got a bit bored and started to get into things that Roy didn't think were safe for him. The fireplace screen attracted him like a magnet. Although there was no fire in the fireplace, Roy was afraid the little one might pinch his fingers. As Roy was removing the screen, it happened -the little boy somehow pinched his fingers in the screen. The tears flowed, and Roy held the little boy in his lap, wiped away the tears and comforted him the best he knew how. When his little grandson stopped crying and hiccuping, he looked at Roy, held up his injured fingers and said, "Papa, boo boo." Roy agreed with him comforted him some more and soon the two of them were happily playing again.

The next day at the airport, just as the young family was saying good-bye and getting ready to board the plane, Roy's young grandson looked at Roy with a very sad look and declared, "Papa, boo boo, bye bye." His story was verbalized Our story was verbalized

It is the story of the Bible - think of Adam and Eve, "Papa, boo boo, bye bye." It is the story of literature, think of Hamlet- "Papa, boo boo, bye bye." It is our story, "Papa, boo boo, bye bye."

When the boo boos of life come, and they do come to all of us they feel more like someone strangling us than pinching us. On whose lap have you been comforted?

Who were the people who wiped away the tears? Who were the people who listened to your story with empathy? And where was God when you were hurting, when you felt like you could hardly breathe, when you were running on empty, when you thought there was not a soul around who could give you hope for a day when you would smile again? We all hurt--fingers pinched and heads- bumped as a baby, your best friend has a new friend and you are feeling left out. The person you thought you would many just told you they no longer love you -there's someone new in their life. The doctor gives you bad news at your checkup. Someone you thought would be there with you all your life dies at a young age, and suddenly life is so lonely and so difficult. A family member or friend is having problems and you can't help them - you simply don't know what to do You lost your job and cant find another one. Your life's savings have shrunk because of the stock market. Boo boo upon boo 'in our lives.

Who's lap can you sit on? Where will you go? Who can help? I hope all of you have a family member or a friend with whom you can share your deepest feelings,, your fears, your angers about the things that make your life painful and anxious. And I hope that in Jesus you see a friend who is always ready to listen, always ready to comfort, always ready to wipe away your tears, to forgive you for your part in the pain making, still loving you, and giving you new beginnings.

Someone has said that out lives -are a manifestation of what we think about God. I hope you will take that thought home with you this morning and ponder how this is true for you. What you think about God certainly influences how you live, what ,you think of others and yourself, how you relate to all of creation and to other people.

Tom Long, a clergy friend of mine tells of a time when he visited a fellow clergy in a small town in Pennsylvania. The congregation was very proud because they had just found the means to refurbish their old gothic style church, inside and out, His friend led him on a guided tour.

There was a beautifully appointed fellowship hall with new carpeting and a coffee bar, the sanctuary dazzled with new paint and the stained glass windows took your breath away. as the morning sun danced rainbows over the newly padded pews. Then they went outside and had a panoramic view of the church, lush green lawn, a small but vibrant flower garden to one side, neatly clipped bushes. As Tom looked, at this beautiful building and grounds, his -eyes were drawn to a few panes of the stained windows way I up at. the top of the church which- were boarded over. Perfection was marred. Being a curious person, he asked his friend, vandals? a bird? His friend said, "The townspeople." Those particular stained glass panes, you see had been a very large "eye of God", like the one on your one dollar bill. It zeroed in on about 90% of the. town, it beamed at the high school, the taverns, the bank, the stores, and most of their homes. It made the people nervous, anxious to have God "watching them" so closely and so they removed it. Is that your God, the eye in the sky watching your, every move and endlessly judging you, making you squirm?

Last fall when our little Jack was born prematurely we prayed so hard that both he and his mom would become healthy and be able to go home - and in a matter of weeks our prayers were granted. But at the same time, in the same hospital, in a different room, a couple were told their baby had died, and the grief of the young couple as they questioned God's love for them was an agonizing cry of pain. Was our baby worth more in God's eyes than theirs? Is that your God? A God who zaps people randomly taking away their health, their babies or other loved ones?

Throughout this past year, the gospel of Matthew has been our friend, our reference book on God. It is explicit in saying, "If you want to know how God acts, and who God is for you, look to Jesus." Already in the second chapter of Matthew we hear, Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us - living our life, teaching us love, nourishing us with his teaching, giving us healing, steering us away from those things that hurt us, pointing us toward those things that build, community, give healing and engender wholeness. And always, always steering us toward God. But sometimes, we are not so eager to be steered.

In the sixth chapter of Matthew, the 22nd and 23rd verses we read, "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be, full of darkness. If then. the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness."

Time and again Jesus says to the disciples, to the crowds, to the leaders, do you not see? Do you not hear? Do you not understand? Do you want to see how God works? Matthew says look to Jesus! Believe!

In our story from Matthew for this morning we. meet. three men, all of whom are slaves, they have absolutely nothing, but they receive a great deal from the master. A talent is about 15 years worth of wages for the average worker. Our story says the master gave the slaves, not some of the money, not just. a little cash to tide them over, the master entrusts these three with absolutely all he has., He took. everything he had, every last cent of it, and put it into their care. Which means, that when he got back, everything of who he is and everything of what he has is utterly dependent upon what they have done with who he is. He doesn't tell them to spend what they have been given, he doesn't tell them to bury what he has given' but lie gives to all three lavishly. And then the master leaves, doesn't even say when he's coming back.

Who is this master? Well, we have to wait and see until his servants report. If they blow it, he's blown it. It is an hour of judgment, a moment of accounting, but we hadn't really seen whose accounting it, who is really at risk here.

It seems it's the master who is at risk. He has entrusted his whole life, everything he has to his servants. That trust is the most extravagant grace I know, to be utterly vulnerable to the behavior of another.

Jesus tells - this story the last week of his life, just before he goes on a long journey toward a place called Calvary. Here is a story of extravagance told by the most extravagant one of all. When God gets to giving, God doesn't seem to know when to stop until God has given away everything even Gods beloved Son. God says to you, everything I have is yours. This is what the third slave didn't get. He missed it. Ms eyes were darkened. He couldn't see the God who gave him everything. His boo boo was unbelief that such a God could possibly exist. The third servant saw only -die risk and had no idea of the gift.

If you sense only the risk, but don't receive the gift, the grace, the love, the presence, there is nowhere for you to go except to the back yard - in fear, in trembling fear. Once the money got buried, there was no decision to be made. It was over. There's nothing them but a hole and a whole lot of money, and the third servant standing there over it, tied Wit. That hole was his grave. He might as well have buried himself along with money. He checked out of the. story in unbelief. It is a tragedy.

He comes back to the master saying,"Here, all safe and sound, is what is yours." But the master doesn't want what is his! He blows it all on his servants. The other two servants got the risk and the gift. they hear those great words, "You've been faithful over a little, I'll put you over much. Well done, good and faithful servant, Enter into the joy."

This is Gospel, this is good news to be shouted and shared. This is good news to lift up in worship and in our daily life. It is the good news of a great God who gives us everything and tops it by giving up Gods life for us. Display it like a lamp, set on a lamp stand, Use it like salt in the neighborhood stew.

This is the peace of the Lord that goes with you no matter where you go. For God's peace flows from the act of God in Christ. Christ is the one who went to the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. He Went as far as a person can to be separated from God in order to bring God also there. Here is the transition from wrath to grace.

As Paul wrote to the congregation in Thessalonica, "For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." What a comfort, what extravagant words for all our boo boos from a. most surprising God. What a hope to bring to the world.

Amen.