Podcasts about scripture: luke 12:32-12:40

Luke 12:32-40 (CEB) 32 “Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights in giving you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Make for yourselves wallets that don’t wear out—a treasure in heaven that never runs out. No thief comes near there, and no moth destroys. 34 Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too. 35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps lit. 36 Be like people waiting for their master to come home from a wedding celebration, who can immediately open the door for him when he arrives and knocks on the door. 37 Happy are those servants whom the master finds waiting up when he arrives. I assure you that, when he arrives, he will dress himself to serve, seat them at the table as honored guests, and wait on them. 38 Happy are those whom he finds alert, even if he comes at midnight or just before dawn. 39 But know this, if the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he wouldn’t have allowed his home to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Human One is coming at a time when you don’t expect him.”

Brad Sullivan Proper 14, Year C August 11, 2019 Emmanuel, Houston Luke 12:32-40 Dance With the Demons “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” We live with quite a lot of fear, don’t we? Fears of all kinds and varieties. Economic insecurity, health issues. Fear of loss. We have fears of violence, fears of natural disasters destroying what we have. We have fears of the other political party gaining power (whichever political party that is for each of us). We also have fears of not being good enough, worthy enough. Fears that someone might find out the truth about us. We have fears of what the world will be like for our children and grandchildren. These fears keep us striving against each other, trying to overcome each other, trying to make sure that if the world is not going to be ok, at least those I love and I will be ok. In the midst of these fears, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” It seems that our fears are nothing new, but they are the same fears which have been with humanity forever, and Jesus repeats what God has said throughout scripture, “Do not be afraid.” Rather than overcome each other, let go of your fears and live in love toward each other. “Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Live in love with each other, and trust each other. For economic security, trust not only in yourself but also in those your love, your community and neighbors. Give to others in their time of need, trusting that they will give to you in your time of need. Rather than overcoming each other, we live for and with each other. That is life in the kingdom of God, and it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. Lutheran Pastor David Lose writes: I think the call – or at least one of the primary calls – of the church today is to become a place where people are so rooted in the promise of God’s good pleasure, reminded of their identity as God’s beloved children, and affirmed in their inherent self-worth and dignity, that they can, indeed, see all those around them as similarly beloved and deserving of self-worth, dignity, and God’s good pleasure. The question for a Christian..[is] discovering that as we give ourselves away in relationship and service we find a deeper sense of self than we’d imagined possible. We are born for community and find a sense of self and meaning and purpose as we trust God’s promises and give ourselves away in love.” Give ourselves away in love. That’s not an easy thing to do when we’re afraid of ourselves and those around us. Our inner demons often keep us from giving ourselves away in love. A friend of mine, Steve White, recently wrote, “Perhaps it isn’t actually about overcoming all your inner demons. Maybe it’s about learning how to dance with them.” That speaks to me not only of the fears we have about ourselves, but also the fears we have about each other. What if we don’t need to fight against and overcome our inner demons, but rather learn to dance with them, to accept them as a part of who we are. What if we also don’t need to fight against and overcome each other, but rather learn to dance with each other, to give ourselves away in love, to offer ourselves daily to God and join with each other in God’s divine dance, turning even our scars into something beautiful. That’s life in God’s kingdom, and it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. Fearing each other, we end up scattered and fragmented, continually knowing that we don’t belong. We have folks who have felt like they can’t or don’t belong to the church because of their political beliefs. I know I’ve made people feel this way at times, as have other church leaders, church members, and congregations. The thing about our political views is, most people I know, on both sides of the political spectrum want the same thing: a just society which brings about the best way of life for the most number of people. Their difference is simply the ways and the roles they believe the government should have in bringing about a just society. They both have their religious beliefs tied up into that, and folks on both sides of the aisle believe in Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom of God. Here’s the secret: The government has little or nothing to do with bringing about God’s kingdom, even though it is the tool some would use to try. God’s kingdom is given through God in partnership with us, with our living into God’s kingdom, and there is room in God’s kingdom for all of us. All of us belong in God’s kingdom, and so we need not overcome each other, but learn to dance with each other, to give ourselves away in love. Rather than fearing that the other side may win, can we at least realize the while the other side may be wrong, it is still striving for the best system for the good of the most people? Can we accept the consequences if it turns out our fears were right? Can we trust in each other, rather than feeling threatened by each other? Cane felt threatened by Abel, and so he killed him. We hear of folks and have experience feeling threatened by each other and each others’ beliefs, so we attack each other verbally, sometimes physically, deriding each other, feeling that they want to destroy all that is good in our society, our country, and our world. "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit,” Jesus taught, so that he will find you not asleep, but alert and ready. Our fears and the ways we seek to overcome each other, feeling threatened by each other, are ways that we fall asleep. We fall asleep to God’s kingdom and are alert only to our fears, to our inner demons. We all have inner demons. Our families have inner demons. The church has inner demons. Our cities, our state, and our nation have inner demons. Keeping alert, staying awake and being alert is about not overcoming and striving against our inner demons and each other, but rather learning to dance together. If we learn to dance together, we may find that we are not asleep when the master of the house or the thief comes. Whenever Jesus shows up in our lives (and it happens all the time), how wonderful if he finds us not trying to overcome each other, but instead learning to dance with each other, giving ourselves away in love. Over time, we learn how each other moves and thinks. We still step on each others’ toes, but we laugh about it. Living into God’s kingdom, us giving of our abundance when folks are in need, receiving from others’ abundance when we are in need; living in that kingdom, we can live without fear of the other. We can offer ourselves in love, and learn to dance together. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Brad Sullivan Proper 14, Year C August 11, 2019 Emmanuel, Houston Luke 12:32-40 Dance With the Demons “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” We live with quite a lot of fear, don’t we? Fears of all kinds and varieties. Economic insecurity, health issues. Fear of loss. We have fears of violence, fears of natural disasters destroying what we have. We have fears of the other political party gaining power (whichever political party that is for each of us). We also have fears of not being good enough, worthy enough. Fears that someone might find out the truth about us. We have fears of what the world will be like for our children and grandchildren. These fears keep us striving against each other, trying to overcome each other, trying to make sure that if the world is not going to be ok, at least those I love and I will be ok. In the midst of these fears, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” It seems that our fears are nothing new, but they are the same fears which have been with humanity forever, and Jesus repeats what God has said throughout scripture, “Do not be afraid.” Rather than overcome each other, let go of your fears and live in love toward each other. “Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Live in love with each other, and trust each other. For economic security, trust not only in yourself but also in those your love, your community and neighbors. Give to others in their time of need, trusting that they will give to you in your time of need. Rather than overcoming each other, we live for and with each other. That is life in the kingdom of God, and it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. Lutheran Pastor David Lose writes: I think the call – or at least one of the primary calls – of the church today is to become a place where people are so rooted in the promise of God’s good pleasure, reminded of their identity as God’s beloved children, and affirmed in their inherent self-worth and dignity, that they can, indeed, see all those around them as similarly beloved and deserving of self-worth, dignity, and God’s good pleasure. The question for a Christian..[is] discovering that as we give ourselves away in relationship and service we find a deeper sense of self than we’d imagined possible. We are born for community and find a sense of self and meaning and purpose as we trust God’s promises and give ourselves away in love.” Give ourselves away in love. That’s not an easy thing to do when we’re afraid of ourselves and those around us. Our inner demons often keep us from giving ourselves away in love. A friend of mine, Steve White, recently wrote, “Perhaps it isn’t actually about overcoming all your inner demons. Maybe it’s about learning how to dance with them.” That speaks to me not only of the fears we have about ourselves, but also the fears we have about each other. What if we don’t need to fight against and overcome our inner demons, but rather learn to dance with them, to accept them as a part of who we are. What if we also don’t need to fight against and overcome each other, but rather learn to dance with each other, to give ourselves away in love, to offer ourselves daily to God and join with each other in God’s divine dance, turning even our scars into something beautiful. That’s life in God’s kingdom, and it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. Fearing each other, we end up scattered and fragmented, continually knowing that we don’t belong. We have folks who have felt like they can’t or don’t belong to the church because of their political beliefs. I know I’ve made people feel this way at times, as have other church leaders, church members, and congregations. The thing about our political views is, most people I know, on both sides of the political spectrum want the same thing: a just society which brings about the best way of life for the most number of people. Their difference is simply the ways and the roles they believe the government should have in bringing about a just society. They both have their religious beliefs tied up into that, and folks on both sides of the aisle believe in Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom of God. Here’s the secret: The government has little or nothing to do with bringing about God’s kingdom, even though it is the tool some would use to try. God’s kingdom is given through God in partnership with us, with our living into God’s kingdom, and there is room in God’s kingdom for all of us. All of us belong in God’s kingdom, and so we need not overcome each other, but learn to dance with each other, to give ourselves away in love. Rather than fearing that the other side may win, can we at least realize the while the other side may be wrong, it is still striving for the best system for the good of the most people? Can we accept the consequences if it turns out our fears were right? Can we trust in each other, rather than feeling threatened by each other? Cane felt threatened by Abel, and so he killed him. We hear of folks and have experience feeling threatened by each other and each others’ beliefs, so we attack each other verbally, sometimes physically, deriding each other, feeling that they want to destroy all that is good in our society, our country, and our world. "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit,” Jesus taught, so that he will find you not asleep, but alert and ready. Our fears and the ways we seek to overcome each other, feeling threatened by each other, are ways that we fall asleep. We fall asleep to God’s kingdom and are alert only to our fears, to our inner demons. We all have inner demons. Our families have inner demons. The church has inner demons. Our cities, our state, and our nation have inner demons. Keeping alert, staying awake and being alert is about not overcoming and striving against our inner demons and each other, but rather learning to dance together. If we learn to dance together, we may find that we are not asleep when the master of the house or the thief comes. Whenever Jesus shows up in our lives (and it happens all the time), how wonderful if he finds us not trying to overcome each other, but instead learning to dance with each other, giving ourselves away in love. Over time, we learn how each other moves and thinks. We still step on each others’ toes, but we laugh about it. Living into God’s kingdom, us giving of our abundance when folks are in need, receiving from others’ abundance when we are in need; living in that kingdom, we can live without fear of the other. We can offer ourselves in love, and learn to dance together. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Connecting People to God in Christ

Epiphany Lutheran Message is part of the Sunday and Wednesday worship services of Epiphany Lutheran Church. We believe when the Bible says all, it truly means ALL because the gifts of God are free. For more info go to epiphanysuwanee.org.

Brad Sullivan St. Mark’s, Bay City August 7, 2016 - Proper 14 Luke 12:32-40 The Risky Road of Love I had a great week as a session director last week at Camp Allen. Having grown up going to summer camp there, it was a joy to be on the other side of things as one of our directors for 8 & 9 year olds. There were fun and games, time spent in prayer, and a program each day talking with the kids about parts of the Gospel. On one of the days, we talked about Resurrection, and we talked not only about resurrection after physical death, but also resurrection of many deaths throughout our lives. One example we discussed was the death of a friendship. The kids totally got that when we talked about kids being mean to each other, and the friendship dies. Then, we talked about kids reconciling, and that being resurrection of the friendship, a new life. At one point the next day, a couple of boys got in a little scuffle. One of the boys kicked another in the shin, “for no reason”, said the boy who had been kicked. We talked to them separately, and the one who did the kicking said that the other boy had been pushing him down all week, and he was basically so fed up that he snapped. He was obviously very upset, feeling bullied. We had the two apologize, and later, I then heard the one who had gotten kicked say he hated the other kid. I happened to be right behind him when he said this, so I asked him about it. He first said he hadn’t said it, and then I said, “but I thought I just heard you say you hated [the other boy].” “Maybe,” he said. I chuckled on the inside, and then we sat down and talked for a minute. I asked why he hated him, and he said the other kid was always getting upset over nothing. They had used to be friends, and now they weren’t anymore, after he’d gotten kicked, he said. I then described that as the death of their friendship, and he agreed. So, I next asked about resurrection of their friendship. I told him that the other kid said that the one I was talking to had been pushing him down all the time. “I never did that,” he said. “I believe you,” I said, “but the other kid thinks you’ve been pushing him down. He’s truly hurt by something you’ve been doing around him. Now it’s time to get curious and ask him about it. Tell him that you’ve not been meaning to push him down or be mean to him. Ask him what you have been doing that’s been hurting him, and see if y’all can work that out. I know you haven’t been trying to hurt him. Make sure he knows that too. Then, perhaps y’all’s friendship can have new life.” He seemed to get what I was saying and agreed to it. What this took was for the two boys to see things from the other’s perspective. They got to see the world not only through their own eyes, but also through the eyes of Jesus. There was kingdom living and a casting aside of fear in being generous with how we view the other’s motivations and actions. What if I’m wrong? What if he really is a jerk? What if he hurts me again? We cast that aside and trust in God’s kingdom way. Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. It is your father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. God’s kingdom is a gift which we receive. We don’t take it, we receive it, and Jesus tells us how to receive God’s kingdom: Sell your possessions and give alms. Be generous towards others, and do not be afraid of not having enough. There is a great saying which I’ve heard recently, author unknown, and the saying is, “People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used.” - author unknown Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Do not love your things. Love people. Use your things, and greater still, use your things to help you love people. That is how Jesus tells us to live in his kingdom which sounds a little scary, but basically kinda good. Then Jesus gets to the kinda scary part, right? “Be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” If you knew when the thief was coming, you would not let your house be broken into. Ok, let’s be honest, that’s a little scary, but remember, it’s an analogy. Jesus isn’t coming to steal your stuff. He really doesn’t care at all about your stuff. Jesus is coming, and we have no idea when he’ll show up, so be ready for his coming at all times. Live always ready to receive God’s kingdom by how you chose to live, and remember Jesus started this whole section of teaching with, “Do not be afraid.” I think some fire and brimstone preachers should remember that. Do not be afraid, and remember and strive to live at all times in such a way as to receive God’s kingdom. Live generously and lovingly towards others. Jesus gives this analogy to create some urgency in us, because he knows we tend to slack off over time. If we knew Jesus was coming in three weeks, we’d clean up our acts pretty quickly and be generous and loving toward each other. His coming creates some urgency in us. I can see at least three reasons for this. Wanting his acceptance, the short timeline, and the joy of his love could all drive the urgency in us to be generous and loving towards others if we knew Jesus was coming in three weeks. With the first reason, we want Jesus’ acceptance, so we clean up our acts and look our best at his coming. The problem is, that is basically a self-centered reason, and Jesus talked about being generous and loving toward others for their sake, not our own. Also, we don’t need to hustle for God’s acceptance; we have already been given God’s acceptance through Jesus. Now we simply get to love other for their sake, not to try to hustle for God’s acceptance. The second reason we would find urgency in knowing Jesus was coming in three weeks is that with such a short timeline, we find it easy to do without. We can do without stuff and be generous and loving towards people for three weeks. No big. Of course, Jesus is asking us to be generous and loving all of the time. Act all of the time as though Jesus was coming in three weeks. Finally, the joy of Jesus’ love is why we could be generous and loving towards others if we knew he was coming in three weeks. That’s why it’s easier to be kind to people around Christmastime. The joy of Jesus’ love is in the air, it’s palpable. We find it somehow easier to receive that joy and love and so we give it out to people all around us. So, with Jesus’ teaching to be ready, Jesus is saying to behave every day with the joy and love we experience around Christmastime. Treat every day like Christmas is just around the corner. Treat every day like Jesus is right about to show up. Now, remember that you are already accepted and loved by him, so do not be afraid. Share the joy of that palpable love which he has for you and for all. Be loving and generous towards others because others are so beloved and valued. Give of your things, because in God’s kingdom, we love people, not our things. Other people, then love us, not their things. I heard a great example of this Kingdom generosity and loving people not things while listening to This American Life on the radio yesterday. This was a story of refugee camps in Greece, and one camp housed Yazidi refugees from Iraq. The Yazidis are a often persecuted people whom America helped when ISIS was trying to annihilate them completely, and now they are largely living in camps fleeing genocide. In the particular camp I heard about yesterday, there is a man who made a shop selling necessities for life, food and other things. He charges very little, making almost no profit, and sometimes, people we come by and simply drop off money without taking anything. That’s because they took what the needed sometime previously. He runs the store on credit, asking people to pay what they can, if they can. At the current rate, he won’t be able to stay in business for more than a year or two longer, but he refuses to charge more or to stop giving to people on credit which they may or may not be able to pay. He said he’d rather go out of business than stop giving credit to people. He’s not running this shop to get rich. He’s doing it for his people. He’s not their leader; he’s just one of his people. This man is not a Christian, but a darn good example of Jesus’ teaching. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This man is truly living God’s kingdom in how he treats others…loving people more than things, and truly being not afraid. Living out God’s kingdom, receiving God’s kingdom requires us to see the world differently than we may otherwise. The refugee with the shop didn’t see people taking his stuff. He saw people in need and he saw his stuff as being able to fill that need. From there, is there anything these people won’t do for this generous man when he is in need? They are choosing not to be afraid and choosing to love people rather than loving stuff. The boys at Camp Allen initially saw a mean kid who kicked them. Then they began to see through the lens of God’s kingdom, a hurt kid who felt like he was being bullied. From there, they could learn to love each other rather than holding on to hurt. Our hurt, our fear, feelings of being right: those can be things too, things that we hold onto in order to protect ourselves. Those boys at Camp Allen were learning to let go of those things. They are learning not to be afraid of each other, but to treat each other with generosity of spirit, seeking love over fear. Fear says keep what you have; take care of yourself. Love says, “do not afraid; give generously for the sake of others.” Whether our things are physical things or mental/emotional things that we hold onto for self-protection, Jesus teaches us to receive God’s kingdom by giving up those things and taking the risky road of love instead. Remember, “People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used.” - author unknown So, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Receive God’s kingdom and take the risky road of love. Amen.

Epiphany Lutheran Message is part of the Sunday and Wednesday worship services of Epiphany Lutheran Church. We believe when the Bible says all, it truly means ALL because the gifts of God are free. For more info go to epiphanysuwanee.org.

Brad Sullivan St. Mark’s, Bay City August 7, 2016 - Proper 14 Luke 12:32-40 The Risky Road of Love I had a great week as a session director last week at Camp Allen. Having grown up going to summer camp there, it was a joy to be on the other side of things as one of our directors for 8 & 9 year olds. There were fun and games, time spent in prayer, and a program each day talking with the kids about parts of the Gospel. On one of the days, we talked about Resurrection, and we talked not only about resurrection after physical death, but also resurrection of many deaths throughout our lives. One example we discussed was the death of a friendship. The kids totally got that when we talked about kids being mean to each other, and the friendship dies. Then, we talked about kids reconciling, and that being resurrection of the friendship, a new life. At one point the next day, a couple of boys got in a little scuffle. One of the boys kicked another in the shin, “for no reason”, said the boy who had been kicked. We talked to them separately, and the one who did the kicking said that the other boy had been pushing him down all week, and he was basically so fed up that he snapped. He was obviously very upset, feeling bullied. We had the two apologize, and later, I then heard the one who had gotten kicked say he hated the other kid. I happened to be right behind him when he said this, so I asked him about it. He first said he hadn’t said it, and then I said, “but I thought I just heard you say you hated [the other boy].” “Maybe,” he said. I chuckled on the inside, and then we sat down and talked for a minute. I asked why he hated him, and he said the other kid was always getting upset over nothing. They had used to be friends, and now they weren’t anymore, after he’d gotten kicked, he said. I then described that as the death of their friendship, and he agreed. So, I next asked about resurrection of their friendship. I told him that the other kid said that the one I was talking to had been pushing him down all the time. “I never did that,” he said. “I believe you,” I said, “but the other kid thinks you’ve been pushing him down. He’s truly hurt by something you’ve been doing around him. Now it’s time to get curious and ask him about it. Tell him that you’ve not been meaning to push him down or be mean to him. Ask him what you have been doing that’s been hurting him, and see if y’all can work that out. I know you haven’t been trying to hurt him. Make sure he knows that too. Then, perhaps y’all’s friendship can have new life.” He seemed to get what I was saying and agreed to it. What this took was for the two boys to see things from the other’s perspective. They got to see the world not only through their own eyes, but also through the eyes of Jesus. There was kingdom living and a casting aside of fear in being generous with how we view the other’s motivations and actions. What if I’m wrong? What if he really is a jerk? What if he hurts me again? We cast that aside and trust in God’s kingdom way. Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. It is your father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. God’s kingdom is a gift which we receive. We don’t take it, we receive it, and Jesus tells us how to receive God’s kingdom: Sell your possessions and give alms. Be generous towards others, and do not be afraid of not having enough. There is a great saying which I’ve heard recently, author unknown, and the saying is, “People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used.” - author unknown Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Do not love your things. Love people. Use your things, and greater still, use your things to help you love people. That is how Jesus tells us to live in his kingdom which sounds a little scary, but basically kinda good. Then Jesus gets to the kinda scary part, right? “Be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” If you knew when the thief was coming, you would not let your house be broken into. Ok, let’s be honest, that’s a little scary, but remember, it’s an analogy. Jesus isn’t coming to steal your stuff. He really doesn’t care at all about your stuff. Jesus is coming, and we have no idea when he’ll show up, so be ready for his coming at all times. Live always ready to receive God’s kingdom by how you chose to live, and remember Jesus started this whole section of teaching with, “Do not be afraid.” I think some fire and brimstone preachers should remember that. Do not be afraid, and remember and strive to live at all times in such a way as to receive God’s kingdom. Live generously and lovingly towards others. Jesus gives this analogy to create some urgency in us, because he knows we tend to slack off over time. If we knew Jesus was coming in three weeks, we’d clean up our acts pretty quickly and be generous and loving toward each other. His coming creates some urgency in us. I can see at least three reasons for this. Wanting his acceptance, the short timeline, and the joy of his love could all drive the urgency in us to be generous and loving towards others if we knew Jesus was coming in three weeks. With the first reason, we want Jesus’ acceptance, so we clean up our acts and look our best at his coming. The problem is, that is basically a self-centered reason, and Jesus talked about being generous and loving toward others for their sake, not our own. Also, we don’t need to hustle for God’s acceptance; we have already been given God’s acceptance through Jesus. Now we simply get to love other for their sake, not to try to hustle for God’s acceptance. The second reason we would find urgency in knowing Jesus was coming in three weeks is that with such a short timeline, we find it easy to do without. We can do without stuff and be generous and loving towards people for three weeks. No big. Of course, Jesus is asking us to be generous and loving all of the time. Act all of the time as though Jesus was coming in three weeks. Finally, the joy of Jesus’ love is why we could be generous and loving towards others if we knew he was coming in three weeks. That’s why it’s easier to be kind to people around Christmastime. The joy of Jesus’ love is in the air, it’s palpable. We find it somehow easier to receive that joy and love and so we give it out to people all around us. So, with Jesus’ teaching to be ready, Jesus is saying to behave every day with the joy and love we experience around Christmastime. Treat every day like Christmas is just around the corner. Treat every day like Jesus is right about to show up. Now, remember that you are already accepted and loved by him, so do not be afraid. Share the joy of that palpable love which he has for you and for all. Be loving and generous towards others because others are so beloved and valued. Give of your things, because in God’s kingdom, we love people, not our things. Other people, then love us, not their things. I heard a great example of this Kingdom generosity and loving people not things while listening to This American Life on the radio yesterday. This was a story of refugee camps in Greece, and one camp housed Yazidi refugees from Iraq. The Yazidis are a often persecuted people whom America helped when ISIS was trying to annihilate them completely, and now they are largely living in camps fleeing genocide. In the particular camp I heard about yesterday, there is a man who made a shop selling necessities for life, food and other things. He charges very little, making almost no profit, and sometimes, people we come by and simply drop off money without taking anything. That’s because they took what the needed sometime previously. He runs the store on credit, asking people to pay what they can, if they can. At the current rate, he won’t be able to stay in business for more than a year or two longer, but he refuses to charge more or to stop giving to people on credit which they may or may not be able to pay. He said he’d rather go out of business than stop giving credit to people. He’s not running this shop to get rich. He’s doing it for his people. He’s not their leader; he’s just one of his people. This man is not a Christian, but a darn good example of Jesus’ teaching. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This man is truly living God’s kingdom in how he treats others…loving people more than things, and truly being not afraid. Living out God’s kingdom, receiving God’s kingdom requires us to see the world differently than we may otherwise. The refugee with the shop didn’t see people taking his stuff. He saw people in need and he saw his stuff as being able to fill that need. From there, is there anything these people won’t do for this generous man when he is in need? They are choosing not to be afraid and choosing to love people rather than loving stuff. The boys at Camp Allen initially saw a mean kid who kicked them. Then they began to see through the lens of God’s kingdom, a hurt kid who felt like he was being bullied. From there, they could learn to love each other rather than holding on to hurt. Our hurt, our fear, feelings of being right: those can be things too, things that we hold onto in order to protect ourselves. Those boys at Camp Allen were learning to let go of those things. They are learning not to be afraid of each other, but to treat each other with generosity of spirit, seeking love over fear. Fear says keep what you have; take care of yourself. Love says, “do not afraid; give generously for the sake of others.” Whether our things are physical things or mental/emotional things that we hold onto for self-protection, Jesus teaches us to receive God’s kingdom by giving up those things and taking the risky road of love instead. Remember, “People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason why the world is in chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used.” - author unknown So, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Receive God’s kingdom and take the risky road of love. Amen.

Jesus tells us to be dressed and ready for action, to live lives of service in his Kingdom. Living the Kingdom Life, we needn't fear nor be worried - Jesus is always with us, come what may.

Christ's message was the kingdom of God. It is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom.

Jesus tells us to be dressed and ready for action, to live lives of service in his Kingdom. Living the Kingdom Life, we needn't fear nor be worried - Jesus is always with us, come what may.

Christ's message was the kingdom of God. It is God's good pleasure to give us the kingdom.