Sermons at St. John’s Presbyterian Church

If You Think You Deserve an A, You get an F

 Transcribed from the sermon preached Oct 3. 2010

The Reverend Max Lynn, Pastor

Scripture Readings: 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10

This morning’s lesson is about trust and faith, power and humility.  To the degree we know trust and faith, we receive power.  The power is there for us; it is God’s gracious gift to us.  It is not our discovery, not our power to boast about. If we are sure we should get an A in faith, we get an F. If we are certain we have failed in faith, we get to try again until we get an A.

At first glance I found this Luke passage tough to take.  Who is Jesus kidding, with a little faith we can cause a tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea.  Obviously, I don’t have even a mustard seed size faith.  And in today’s world, we find the notion that the servant should serve and work without thanks to be disturbing, and we wonder if Jesus is promoting patriarchy in society and in our relationship with God.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”  What are they talking about?  Why do they want more faith?  It would seem that they do not believe they have enough faith.  How much is enough?  What is faith? 

We hear something about faith in I Timothy: Paul is Timothy’s mentor, a pastor’s pastor, and apparently while in prison he writes:

 ⁴Recalling your tears, (It sounds like Timothy cried when Paul left.) I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.

⁶For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; ⁷for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

So then faith is a gift of God that is kindled within us and will show itself not a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and love and self-discipline.  So faith is strength, strength from within, but it is humble strength.

Malina mentions in his commentary on Luke that “faith primarily means personal loyalty, personal commitment, fidelity, and the solidarity that come from such faithfulness.” So we are not talking about intellectual understanding, an ability of the mind to grasp an intellectual concept we name faith or God.  Rather we are looking for that faith which enables us to stay powerful and loving in relationship, even when things get tough.

Still, this whole stretch of scripture is difficult, hyperbolic, extravagant exaggeration of how we are supposed to be and act as disciples.  No doubt there is criticism that Christians in Luke’s community are disregarding the law, that the law doesn’t count to Jesus or to Christians.  But Luke is showing that the standards Jesus sets are extremely high, especially the standards of love, mercy, forgiveness, and faithfulness to God.

In Luke’s Gospel, before this morning’s reading, we hear the parable of the prodigal son; when one son burns his inheritance, and finds himself eating pig food, he returns to beg his father to be his servant.  The father is gracious with the lost son and celebrates his return.  The other son who stuck around is resentful, and the father says, why are you jealous, what is mine is yours.  Then we hear the parables of the lost sheep and coins.  The lost are shown extreme mercy and forgiveness. 

But then there are some very strong statements that appear to be directed at those who think they are faithful or have it made with God. The hyperbole continues.  “No one can serve two masters…you cannot serve God and money.”  Heaven and earth will pass away before one dot of the law becomes void.  Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery.

Then we hear the story of the rich man, who doesn’t give the time of day to anyone he considers below him, and Lazarus, a poor man full of sores.  They both die and the rich man finds Lazarus in the arms of Abraham, while the rich man is burning in hell.  He asks, “What’s up with that? and Abraham says, “hey, you got yours on earth.”  The rich man then asks, “Send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.”  The rich man asks to be sent back to warn his brothers.  If they see that some one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.  Abraham says if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.

Then we hear Jesus with another wild warning: It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.  Take heed, if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven time, and says, I repent, you must forgive him.  So if you are selfish and rich you will burn, if you are poor you are held in the arms of Abraham; if you cause someone else to sin, you are doomed, but if someone sins against you, you are supposed to forgive them over and over and over and over again.

No wonder the disciples ask for an increase of faith. Holy Moly!  But Jesus continues:  If you had the faith of a mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, be rooted up and planted in the sea, and it would obey you. 

Oh! Come on! There is no winning with this guy!  We are to cut others slack endlessly, yet we get none for ourselves.  What is up with that?  Maybe the disciples are concerned about measuring up; they want assurance and brownie points.  They want a star at the top of their paper.   You know those students that are so preoccupied with getting a good grade that they have to keep hounding the teacher for clarification and explanation of an assignment and how each aspect of the assignment will affect their grade.  And the teacher just wants them to be less concerned with the grade and just do the work and learn. The object is not to get a good grade; the object is to enjoy learning something. 

David Ewart suggests that perhaps “Instead of assuming that Jesus is promising that if our faith is big enough we will be able to do miracles, let’s wonder if Jesus isn’t chastising us for thinking in the first place that faith and trust come in sizes.”  Maybe the whole point is that faith doesn’t come in sizes or grades. 

By setting the standards so high that nobody can reasonably hope to attain them, perhaps Jesus is trying to free the disciples from measuring and grading faith, to trust in the grace of God and to be more into just living it. 

Just as the teacher wants the student to focus less on getting the approval and notoriety of a good grade to prove how great they are, and focus more on improving themselves through the actual work and learning, so Jesus wants the disciples to focus less on social position and approval, and a good enough grade to get into heaven, and more on relationship, the act of loving with grace and power. He seems to be saying, all those worried about getting an A get an F, and all those certain they have failed, get a make up try until they get an A.  

Now you know that such an approach would anger the straight-A students.  They might complain to the administration that Jesus was jeopardizing their ability to show how they stand out from the pack, how he was lowering the standards of the school letting in those who were not qualified. 

To make matters worse, Jesus then uses the image of master servant, where the servant is expected to work and serve without thanks, without a grade at all.  Now we can acknowledge that this may show that Luke, and by implication Jesus, are still firmly embedded in patriarchal culture.

          And there is probably some truth in that, but given the context in the Gospel, it would be an error to assume this use of traditional master/servant relationship were to buttress hierarchical social structure.  Remember that this follows one example after another where the rich, powerful and self righteous, those who think they deserve to be on top and Lord it over others, or those who are preoccupied with measuring up, wind up on the outside of the party or looking up from hell just hoping to lick the moisture off the finger of those they thought they were better than.  We start the Gospel hearing Mary’s song: "He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly" (1:52).  Then later in the Gospel, in 22:24-27, Jesus criticizes the kings’ lordship over others and promotes a different pattern for the community of disciples. He concludes this section with reference to his own status: "I am among you as one who serves."

So, again, the point is really a lesson for those who are searching for a pat on the back or a special place next to God.  Doing right is par for the course.  Flowing with the stream of God is its own reward.  If we think we are extra special for helping others, then we think that those who help are better than those who receive help; thus in our attitude we maintain a hierarchical point of view.  We don’t get extra credit points for being kind. There is nothing so great and wonderful about the abolition of slavery. From God’s point of view, it was about time. We don’t pat ourselves on the back for saying thank you or paying a living wage to our employees, it is what we are supposed to do.  We are not extra special because we have gay, lesbian and transgender folk in our congregation; We are just the Church, God’s Church, not ours, and all are God’s children, brothers and sisters in faith.  We don’t get brownie points for being honest in business, for not lying; being honest is standard procedure.  We are not extra special for staying married, for working hard, for helping out the downtrodden, forgiving the sinner, going to jail for justice, or for sitting with our dying mother.  If it is the right thing to do, and if we can do it, then this is what we do. 

People will often compliment me for my job, for sitting and praying with the sick and dying.  It is such a hard job, they say.  Like anyone, I like compliments and I have worked hard to be good at my job.  And there are easier jobs.  I would love to be a surfing guide on a yacht in the South Pacific.  And I will admit to facing fear, fatigue, and depression at times.  We need to live a balanced life.  But please don’t do me the favor of thinking I have more strength or faith or power than the person and family of the sick or dying.  If we are doing it right we are not chalking up points and compliments, we are just grateful to be able to give thanks for the life of God within and between us, no matter who or where we are.   

When I went to Arizona and Claremont in Southern California to visit my gravely ill parents in the hospital, one of the first things I did was call the pastors to come visit and pray.  Now I hardly knew either of these pastors.  They didn’t bring the personal love of a sister or a brother, and I might have thought I had skills to match and had no need for theirs.  And one thing I noticed is that pastors may or may not have good luck and timing, or the time or skill to observe the present spiritual needs of everyone present and involved.  Looking out from within my family in crisis, that was a daunting and complex task. 

On the other hand the pastor has a pretty simple task.  It is not cardiology or oncology. And it is not really about him or her, the pastor.  Just represent the Body of Christ. Remind me of the faith that was in my grandmother and my mother and which I may doubt is now in me.  Pray those words that remind me of my friends praying back home.  Pray those words that remind me of all the faithful of every time and place who forever sing to the Glory of God’s name.  Just remind me that this myopic view of mine is not all there is, tell me with your loving presence that there is more to life than flesh and bones, that when the cardiologist and oncologist have finished with all they can do, God is just getting started.  Remind me of a God who offers forgiveness, and a glorious affirmation of life and love even in the face of death.  Through praying and laying on of hands, rekindle the gift of God that is within me.  In the face of fear and the desire to flee or lash out, remind me of that Spirit of power and love and self-discipline.

          I suppose we don’t need a pastor for that, and God doesn’t need any particular pastor for that.  There is nothing great or special or extra ordinary about these pastors. But they are called and sent by an extra-ordinary God who gives extra-ordinary life.  And we are all part of an extra-ordinary family, where you can’t succeed enough to leave others, and you can’t fail enough to be left behind. Time, Success and talent are for uniting and building up.  Even when there are rifts and separations between us, even when some have done more and other less, and there is jealously and resentment enough to fill a dump truck, a world, a mere mustard seed of faith is enough to remind us God’s love cannot be measured.  It is infinite and sovereign, Lord of all. Such a job is not a burden or a skill; it is a privilege and a gift. Whether through music or prayer, mission or hospitality, tending to family or working in the business world, such is the task and privilege of the people of God.  Such is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.     

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