Everything he had

I thought of the great armload of mint leaves I had gathered during the summer, the mint that grows in wild abandon in my flowerbed and threatens to take over the whole thing.

But here these leaves are now, ready to give up every bit of flavor they have, for me.

I decided to get my fireplace insert cleaned out and ready to operate.

I fired it first with paper and wood and then with coal.

There will be some ashes to take out later, but not much.

The fuel will have given up everything it has for our comfort.

I sit down in our sun-room and glance over at the Christmas cactus plants and lemon tree that are in full bloom now.

All I do is to keep them in proper size pots, add a bit of fertilizer, and keep them watered appropriately.

And they reward us with hundreds of blooms, and several fruits on the little tree.

We might notice the little detail near the beginning of Jesus' story.

For it was as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them....

He gave not some of his money, not a little cash to tide them over until he
got back –

He gave them everything, the keys to the entire estate!

He divided his substance among them.

He took everything which he had, every last cent of it, and put it in their care.

Some have attempted to calculate what the equivalent would be in money today, and came up with an incredibly large figure.

When that master returns, everything of who he is and has is utterly dependent on what they have done with tremendous responsibility of his property.

Will the master be rich, or destitute?

He won't know until he returns and checks out the accounts.

And who is it that is at risk in the story?

We usually focus on the slaves, especially the third slave, the cautious one.

But the one most at risk in the story is the master.

He has entrusted much; how will they respond?

That trust is extravagant grace, to be utterly vulnerable to the behavior of another.

When was it that Jesus told this story?

It appears in the Gospel just before he goes on a long journey toward that place called Calvary, the place of his own sacrifice.

It is a story of extravagance told by the most extravagant person of all.

He is sent by the Father who is willing to entrust everything to us, even his own Son.

What he condemns is not the extravagant use of the the things entrusted to us, but when we are too cautious to use or invest them.

What if I took those Christmas cactus and lemon tree and put them in a dark room so that our dogs couldn't possible bump them, and then refuse to look at them so that the couldn't give me any joy?

They would die and be taken away from me, until I wised up and learned to care for and use them, and enjoy them.

What if I took my Baptismal promise from the Lord Jesus and hid it away so that none of my companions at home, at work, or at play could ever guess that God had given that to me?

It would become worthless to me until God comes up with a fresh way to break through to me, to stir me up, to have me venture to trust the promise again, to live in it and use it.

Tonight is our regular monthly session with catechetical students, parents, and mentors.

Together, we are investing the treasure that has been entrusted to us.

Together, we are engaged in worship, learning, and service.

It won't be a perfect time; there will be mistakes made and problems encountered.

All of that goes along with the joys of discovery, the animated conversation, the friendships cemented and companionship lived together in the name of Jesus.

It is a risk that Jesus is quite willing to take with us.

He gives his life, death, and resurrection in order to make it possible.

He keeps after us, providing for us and feeding us in word and sacrament.

What annoys Jesus is not that we often mess up and make less than perfect investments of his treasures, but rather, when we make no investments.

That is when judgment is given

Then the treasure is hidden where we have forgotten its location, until we crash into that black wall of despair and admit “I can't do this alone.”

Then the extravagant Lord Jesus is ready to put everything he has with us again.

That is the “what next?” after the end of Jesus' story of the three slaves.

It is not so much a story of final judgment, but rather of the continuing judgment that is going on among us all the time, judgment that will proceed until all have made good investments of God's good gifts to us; that is, until the kingdom of God is complete in the fullness of heaven.

One month ago we held our Consecration Sunday meal-celebrations.

We enjoyed each other's company, we rejoiced in what God has entrusted to us, and we encourage each other to make good investments in the Gospel.

It is not a once-and-done thing; that process of investment and use is in front of us day after day.

Goal-setting should not be something relegated to late evening on December 31, to be forgotten by 10 AM on January 1.

As a congregation and as individuals within it, we have been entrusted with great treasures: material goods and most of all the Good News of Jesus promise to us and all who are willing to listen.

How shall these treasures be managed, for the sake of the kingdom of God?

Wrapping them up, laying them away, and not thinking about them is not the best answer.

In fact, it is disastrous for us and for God's kingdom.

We keep this in mind:

It's a party that we are anticipating in this worship hour together, a party with which we will fully participate in the completeness of heaven.

Right now we have appetizers as we scurry around with giving invitations and making meal-preparations.

It is to be an extravagant blowout, thrown by the extravagant Lord Jesus, the one who gives everything, and who risks everything, for us.

And we sing:

Gifted by you, we turn to you, Offering up ourselves in praise. Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.