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First Lesson: 1 Samuel 17: (1, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 Responsive Reading: Psalm 9: 9-20 Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 6: 1-13 Gospel Lesson: Mark 4: 35-41 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Let me begin with a story as told by William Bennett[1]. Once upon a time, there was an old man who had lost his wife and now lived all alone. The man had worked hard every day of his life as a tailor, financial misfortunate though had now left him penniless, and his body was too broken down to keep on working. His hands trembled to where he could no longer thread a needle and his eyesight had declined where he could no longer properly stitch. The man had three sons who were grown and married. The sons would maybe try to stop in once a week to see their father though if they were busy other things would be given priority. Dad kept declining more and more with every passing month. His sons felt uncomfortable being around Dad in a declining state, so they kept coming up with excuses as to why they were never able to stop by at all. Dad began to brainstorm for a solution, he finally after staying up all night thought of a way to bring his sons back around[2]. The next morning, he goes to see his friend a local carpenter, he orders a very large chest to be built. He then goes to see a locksmith to purchase a lock for this chest. Finally, he goes to see a glassblower and asks for any old, pieces of broken glass that he had lying around his shop[3]. The old man brings the chest home, locks it tight, and puts it underneath the kitchen table, so the next time his sons stopped by they couldn’t help but notice it. “What’s in the chest[4]?” They asked. “Just some things that I’ve been saving?” said the old man. One of the sons nudged the chest and realized how heavy its contents were, then heard a rattling from all the glass. “It must be all the gold that he’s saved over the years.” They began to whisper to one another. They decided that they now needed to work together to guard this buried treasure. They began staying with their father one at a time. They cooked and cared for him while guarding this treasure[5]. Dad eventually grows sick and dies. The sons decide that because of the treasure they should splurge and give him a very nice funeral. Immediately after the funeral, they searched the house far and wide for the chest key[6]. They unlocked the chest and saw the treasure was nothing more than worthless broken, glass. One son immediately got angry “What a rotten trick[7]!” Another son realized a lesson in the chest “If it wasn’t for this chest, we would have neglected him until the end of his days[8].” The sons then began to remove all the glass from the chest, at the chest’s very bottom read an inscription “HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER[9].” The sons in our story always thought there was going to be a better time to see their father, whereas their father knew that time was going to be limited. So Dad needed to do something radical to make his point about the nature of their time[10]. Today’s lesson comes to us from 2 Corinthians 6[11]. It’s a lesson that deals with the nature of God’s time. Our lesson opens by declaring: “At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you. Behold now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation[12].” Our lesson deals with the nature of time how God’s timing is different than our own. Within the scripture, there are two words given for time[13]. The first word is Chronos which refers to the ticking of the clock. Chronos is the limited number of hours that the old man’s sons had in the day that they prioritized. Kairos refers to God’s time being very different from our own. The difference between God’s time and our own was referred to by the Psalmist when he declared: “For a thousand years in your sight are just like yesterday when it is past.” The point is how very easy it is for us to misunderstand the value of our time[14]. Jim and Lois were traveling when they decided to stop along the road for lunch[15]. After lunch, they were twenty minutes from the diner when Lois makes a realization. Lois had left her eyeglasses behind at the restaurant. To make matters worse, they had to drive a way up the road before finding a spot to turn around. Jim was mad!! He complained the whole drive back about turning around and all the time they were wasting[16]. Lois was relieved when they arrived at the restaurant so that she could get a break from Jim’s constant complaining. As soon as Lois got out of the car though, Jim had one request for Lois “While you’re in there, you might as well get my hat and credit card.” [17] Jim is a prime example of someone who didn’t understand the value of his time. We like Jim often struggle with the meaning of our time. What our passage for Today reminds us is that what we seek to do with our time is ultimately a matter of faith. Phillip McLarty tells the story of his dad sitting in church one Sunday when the preacher made the following point: “If you don’t like what you’re doing for a living, quit it, and do something else.[18]” While most people would ignore such bold advice, his dad took it seriously. He had been employed at a Ford dealership for fourteen years and made a decent living. He was miserable and didn’t see things ever getting better. So he submits his two-week notice. He had no prospects for future employment. His friends thought he was off his rocker. He had a wife and three young children dependent on his income. He heard the word of the Lord and that was that[19]. Years of struggle go by, but Mr. McLarty starts his own auto repair shop. The most difficult decision he ever had to make turned out to be the best decision that he ever made. He understood God’s time, not in the matter of mere days, but rather seasons, and in the words of Ecclesiastes[20]. “For everything, there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die…a time to weep and a time to laugh.” God’s timing is different than our own. God’s timing asks us to expect some situations not to resolve themselves for a very long period. Longer than we wish or even desire. Paul speaks of all the things God’s people might endure in the meantime in troubles, hardships and distresses in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger[21]. But if we fail to recognize this the consequences of misunderstanding time can lead to disaster: Let me close with one final story. Once upon a time, a United States Senator was walking down the street[22]. He gets hit by a truck where he is immediately transported to heaven. The Senator is greeted by Saint Peter at the pearly gates. Saint Peter upon his arrival points out “Before you settle in you’re going to have to spend one day in Hell and one day in Heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.” Peter immediately transports the Senator to Hell. The door to Hell opens and the Senator sees a beautiful golf course, he then approaches the clubhouse where he sees plenty of his old companions, they play golf, dine on Lobster and drink champagne together. When the Senator meets the Devil he is charming, funny and an excellent dancer. The Senator really enjoys his one day in Hell[23]. The elevator goes pack up where Saint Peter is waiting for him once again. The Senator then spends a day in Heaven. Heaven is nice enough, all sorts of harps playing in the background, and the Senator is perfectly content with his surroundings[24]. Saint Peter then takes the Senator aside and asks him where he wishes to spend eternity. The Senator ponders the question before replying: “I would have never said it before. I mean Heaven is delightful, but I think I would be better off in Hell.” Saint Peter shrugs the Senator goes back down the elevator what he sees in Hell is not what he had remembered. Hell is a barren wasteland, covered in garbage, with the occupants covered in hideous rags. The Devil comes over to greet the Senator. The Senator says “I don’t understand, yesterday there was a golf course where we ate lobster and danced all night. Now there’s garbage all over, and everyone is in misery. What exactly happened[25]? The Devil looks at the Senator, smiles and says “Yesterday we were campaigning…Today, you voted[26].” This story makes sense of Paul’s closing words from our lesson how we might seem to have nothing, yet posses everything[27]. The Senator’s one day in Hell misled him into making the gravest of errors. Time can often do the same thing in our own lives. The Apostle Paul proclaims within our lesson: “Now is the day of Salvation.” We struggle as Christian people because even though the Cross changes everything, it doesn’t change things fast enough for our liking. We struggle to hear that God’s timeframe often fails to match our own. The course of history belongs to God rather than ourselves! Sometimes like in the case of the lonely old tailor drastic courses of action are required for us to realize this. As in the case of Jim and Lois and the Diner our impatience is often on great display. As in the case of the mechanic, Mr. McLarty faith and patience do eventually pay off. Today is the Day of Salvation! Today is the Day of Forgiveness! Today is the Day of God’s Grace being poured over our lives even if these realities will not make sense to us until the Day of Resurrection that is soon to come! Amen [1] Stier, Leon. “No Time for the Old Man.” Email Mediatations. 13. Mar.2016. Web. June.5.2018 taken from William Bennett’s The Book of Virtues. [2] Stier, Leon. “No Time for the Old Man.” Email Mediatations. [3] Stier, Leon. “No Time for the Old Man.” Email Mediatations. [4] Stier, Leon. “No Time for the Old Man.” Email Mediatations. [5] Stier, Leon. “No Time for the Old Man.” Email Mediatations. [6] Stier, Leon. “No Time for the Old Man.” Email Mediatations. [7] Stier, Leon. “No Time for the Old Man.” Email Mediatations. [8] Stier, Leon. “No Time for the Old Man.” Email Mediatations. [9] Stier, Leon. “No Time for the Old Man.” Email Mediatations. [10] Stier, Leon. “No Time for the Old Man.” Email Mediatations. [11] 2 Corinthians 6:1-13. [12] 2 Corinthians 6:2. [13] McLarty, Phillip. “What Time Is It?” Sermon Writer. 2014. Web. June.5.2018 [14] Psalm 90:4 [15] Stier, Leon. “A Time to Laugh (A).” Email Mediatations. 5.Oct.2015. Web. June.5.2018. [16] Stier, Leon. “A Time to Laugh (A).” Email Mediatations. [17] Stier, Leon. “A Time to Laugh (A).” Email Mediatations. [18] McLarty, Phillip. “What Time Is It?” Sermon Writer. [19] McLarty, Phillip. “What Time Is It?” Sermon Writer. [20] McLarty, Phillip. “What Time Is It?” Sermon Writer. [21] 2 Corinthians 6:4b-5. [22] Mast, Stan. “2 Corinthians 6:1-13.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. 2015. Web. June.5.2018 found on Text Week. [23] Mast, Stan. “2 Corinthians 6:1-13.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. [24] Mast, Stan. “2 Corinthians 6:1-13.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. [25] Mast, Stan. “2 Corinthians 6:1-13.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. [26] Mast, Stan. “2 Corinthians 6:1-13.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. [27] 2 Corinthians 6:10b. Comments are closed.
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