“The Marvelous Gift of Gratitude”

Sermon Delivered By Rev. Dick Stetler – November 22, 2020

Centenary United Methodist Church

Psalm 100; Matthew 25:31-40

 

    Our Gospel lesson this morning is a stand-alone story that describes what the author believed would happen at the end of the world.  It is called, The Final Judgement.  The imagery is of God separating people according to their attitudes in the same way a farmer might separate sheep into a meadow on the right and goats into a meadow on the left.

    It is a stand-alone story because it is only included in Matthew's Gospel.  Biblical Scholars describe this story as The Little Apocalypse that has been ascribed to Jesus.   This story is an excellent example of what was widely circulating during the 500 years between Malachi in the Old Testament and the Gospels in the New Testament.

    Such scrolls gained wide readership because the behavior and attitudes of people had become so negative, hostile, and immoral that writers were positive that God was planning the collapse of civilization, the extinction of humanity, and the destruction of the world. Living in the 21st Century, we realize that not one of the fears of the writers was realized.

    This morning only half the story was read.  We will focus our attention on the qualities of spirit that will readily give people entrance into God's Kingdom. The unread portion of the story features the people who are condemned to eternal punishment.

    Christians have used the second half of the story to show people what will happen to them if they refuse to change their ways.  The only problem with eternal punishment is that this was never a theme of Jesus.  Any punishment that people experience happens to them here, not when they graduate from this life.

    Who among us would ever condemn someone to eternal punishment when their only sin was that they never grew up spiritually?  Sometimes people never learned how to love. Sometimes they have been ruled by mean-spirited emotions. Other times their environment has been so abusive that they never became acquainted with what Jesus taught about the world within them.

    Even Jesus' own disciples had such aggressive feelings.  We remember the time when James and John gave into their passions and wanted to call down fire from Heaven to destroy an entire village of Samaritans. Their desire grew violent because their feelings had been hurt. Their request to lodge in the village had been rejected. (Luke 9:54)

    As we mention all the time, consequences are built into Creation.  The likelihood is good that people who hold on to their hostile passions are unhappy in other parts of their lives as well.  Throughout the growth of the Christian movement, followers of Jesus imagined that God's spirit was as inconsistent and unstable as their own.  God does not have human emotions. 

    Jesus taught:

Would any of you who are fathers give your children a snake when they asked for a fish?  Or would you give them a scorpion when they ask for an egg? As misguided as you can be sometimes, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will the Father in Heaven love you?  (Luke 11:11f)

    Last week, we mentioned how Michelangelo liberated from an ugly boulder of Carrara marble, the likeness of Mother Mary cradling her crucified son.  That ugly boulder had already been rejected by other excellent sculptors due to its many flaws. Jesus' great commission to his disciples was to go into the world and love people regardless of their level of spiritual maturity.  (Matthew 28:19)

    The first half of this story was chosen as our lesson because it teaches us how our inner gratitude for our understanding of God's love can be expressed during the heat and passions of living in our world.

    Jesus allegedly taught:

I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me into your homes.  I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me. Whenever you did this to one who has been cast aside by others, you have done it to me.  (Matthew 25:35f)

    This week our spirits are invited to consider thoughts and emotions of gratitude.  While it is hard to imagine, Advent begins next Sunday as we make our slow journey to Bethlehem and revisit what God has provided to assist us in living in a very confusing world filled with distractions.  

    It is one thing to pray by closing our eyes and expressing words of gratitude to God and quite another to express our gratitude by supporting others with something of substance that is more than words. As the Book of James says, "What good have you done by saying, 'God bless you.  Keep warm and eat well,' if you ignore giving them the necessities of life?"  (James 2:16)

    There was an episode in the life of St. Francis of Assisi that transformed his life. Francis was a wealthy young man, born to a well-known family, and was living a very privileged life.

    One day he was riding his horse when he came upon a leper who had a repulsive appearance due to his disease.  Something emotionally moved Francis to dismount.  He flung his cloak and arms around this wretched man when suddenly the face of the leper changed into an image that Francis recognized as the face of Jesus.

    The experience was so profound that it was similar to the transforming experience of Saul of Tarsus.  It was then that Francis decided to become a monk in the Roman Catholic Church.  On February 24, 1209, Francis founded a monastic order known as the Franciscans. 

    Had he not given into his urge to dismount and help someone, Francis may have continued his life of wealth and its many privileges without ever knowing that something within him would call him to be of service to others.  

    There is another remarkable story about Martin of Tours.  He was a Roman Soldier who had converted to Christianity. On a cold winter night, he was entering the city when he came across a poor man begging for alms.  Martin had no money but he noticed that the man was turning blue from the cold.  He dismounted and took off his military coat and cut it in half.  He wrapped a portion of his coat around the shivering man.

    Later that night Martin had a dream. His dream took place in Heaven where Jesus was surrounded by a host of angels.  Jesus was wearing half of the Roman soldier's coat.  One of the angels asked him, "Why are you wearing that ragged portion of someone's coat?"  Jesus responded, "My servant Martin gave it to me." After he awakened in the morning, the dream had been so vivid that Martin decided to become a monk who eventually became a Bishop.

    Gratitude is not just words, as heart-felt as they may be.  When we give into our urge to be compassionate, our feelings are transformed into deeds.  Think of how Jesus concluded his litany of kind deeds with the words, " Whenever you render service to someone that others have cast aside, you have done it to me." (Matthew 25:40)

    We do not have to find someone with leprosy or shivering from the cold to offer kindness. Thanksgiving is a time to remind ourselves that it does not take much effort to share our gratitude in some substantive way.  All it takes is having gratitude that transforms our spirits so that we give hope, support, and encouragement to someone.

    There was a troubled high school student. He was filled with anger.  When teachers discovered that Ronnie had failed again and he was in their class, their sleepless nights began.  No one could deal with such an unhappy young man.  The day arrived, when he was old enough to quit school. He walked out of school as a free man.  Finally, he was on his own.

    When news reached a high school Social Studies teacher that the rebellious student had quit school, she wrote him a note and sent it to his home:

    Dear Ronnie,

I was heart-sick when I learned that you quit school.  Ronnie, I know you have been in trouble a lot but I want you to know that I believe in you.  Remember, inside of you is a very restless spirit right now, but once you find yourself, you are going to be a remarkable man who will contribute to the society that has all but ignored you.  I care for you, Ronnie.  I am sorry that you have been angry throughout your high school experience.  I want you to know that I will never forget you.

 

Sincerely, Mrs. Edwards

Mountain Ridge High School

    Many years later, Dr. Ronald Campbell, cancer specialist at Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York, looked up Mrs. Tammy Edwards who was now retired. When she opened the door and he told her who he was, the two had a long, sustained hug before he could tell her how he turned out.  In his shirt pocket, he produced the note that she had written to him many years before. It was obvious that it had been read hundreds of times.  He said:

    Without realizing it, Ms. Edwards, you saved my life. I had to find you so that you would know that I was not a lost cause. I read your note every day for years to remind myself what it was that you must have seen in me. 

    Tears flowed down both of their faces.  Her words had transformed his life.  Why?  She believed in him when no one else did.

    Think of it.  A little gratitude goes a long way in healing the spirit of another.  Gratitude is such a marvelous gift.  We can effortlessly give this precious gift away. When we take ourselves off the stage and focus our attention on being compassionate, we will be revealing a spirit that lights the way for others.

     

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

Merciful and always faithful God, each new day brings with it many opportunities to change how we order our lives.  Inspire us to purge ourselves of old attitudes that do not serve us. Help us to replace our disappointments with patience.  So often we reach out to you for guidance when our old habits can easily rear their heads and stand in the way of our receiving it.  Help us to become open to change so that we may grow beyond where we are.  Amen.

     

PASTORAL PRAYER

We thank you God that amidst all the issues that we face every day, we have our faith and trust in you which really helps us to stay in touch with what is vital and authentic. How easily we forget who we have been called to be when our sensitivities have been upset. In the name of justice and fairness, we forget that for light to make any difference at all, it must be standing in the midst of darkness. Generally, that is a place where no one wants to be.

As we think about the many issues facing our world right now, help us to focus on one day at a time. Enable us to understand our calling with clarity. We are glad that we have a venue where we can express ourselves as extensions of your spirit. We are grateful that we have opportunities to nurture others who are experiencing fragile moments of loss and transition. This is our mission field. These are our moments to make this world a better place to live.

As we face the coming of Advent next week, inspire us to make this our walk to Bethlehem, a reminder that you are with us, that you come to us, that you inspire us, and that you live in us. May what we do hasten the coming of an age where "love thy neighbor" is made visible everywhere. We pray these thoughts through the spirit of Jesus, the Christ, who taught us to say when we pray . . .