Abundant Life

Transcribed from the sermon preached November 12, 2006

The Reverend Max Lynn, Pastor

St. John’s Presbyterian Church

2727 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705

Scripture Readings: Mark 12:38-44 Hebrews 9:24-28

Are we going to be graded on that? This is the question anyone who has been to college has heard many times. There are those classes where teachers have a certain curriculum they grade on, and they expect you to know it, nothing less and nothing more. Then there are those teachers who want you to learn, and more, they want you to love learning. The class assignments and tests are incentives for you to learn, and a challenge to express what you have learned. Jesus wants us to do more than just satisfy God's requirements; he invites us to love God, to dedicate our entire lives to God.

Even in the social sciences, which I studied, there was always a group of students who wanted to know the exact requirements to make the grade. Some of them wanted to be sure not to miss anything they would need to get an A. These were the perfectionists. For the perfectionist, the object of focus may become social recognition and approval rather than wisdom or the love of learning.

Other students wanted to know the exact requirements so they could get away with doing the least amount of work possible to get a passing grade. This was often the case with business students taking required classes out of their field. Many of these folks seemed to view each class as not much more than a step on their way to a degree and a moneymaking career. The object became the grade itself, rather than the learning.

Often religion is approached in the same way. There are those obsessed with figuring out exactly what the right beliefs and requirements are so they can abide by them exactly and be assured of an A from God. And, there are those who want to follow the beliefs and laws just well enough to assure they graduate to heaven. For both of these types of people, what religious law and doctrine doesn't cover is irrelevant, or fair game; you can ignore it, or go bananas without concern for God, resting assured you have received your desired grade.

From the perspective of Jesus, the administration of Judean law had begun to obscure what it was intended to illuminate, just like focusing too much of the requirements for a good grade can obscure the reason for grading. Animal sacrifices were built into the requirements of the law, but served like extra credit to make up for an unsatisfactory grade. Depending on the type and degree of your sin or error, a certain sacrifice was offered by the priest on your behalf, like a grad student volunteering to tutor.

The Professor Jesus grew tired of nit picking over the law, and questions like, "What exactly is required to make an A?" The law was still important to Jesus, but he wanted us to remember the underlying purpose for the law: right relationship with God.

The letter to the Hebrews puts Jesus in the role of both priest and sacrifice so holy and significant that He wipes out the whole grading system and its judgment of our sin, once and for all. He doesn't wipe out the law, or soften His desire for our effort in the class called life. But he wants us to stop focusing on making the grade. Instead, in every aspect and every moment of our lives, we are to focus on, and dedicate ourselves, to right relationship with God, regardless of what the law says. For it is possible to follow the law for the wrong reasons, or even to manipulate the law to our advantage over others. Jesus changes how we are graded. Instead of being graded on the appearance of compliance to the law, we are graded on our effort that is, on our heart. When Jesus returns, he comes not to dish out more grades, but to rejoice with those who fell in love with God and what he taught. And so we see Jesus criticizing the scribes and priests for putting up the appearance of uprightness to gain power and privilege. The widow, who gives very little from society's point of view, is praised by Jesus because her whole heart was dedicated to God.

"Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

Some of you may know that we have a member of our church who fits this story to the tee. Upon my first visits with this widow, I found that although her life has consisted of enough hardship to justify a good degree of bitterness, she is an incredibly positive and tenacious woman with great faith. Thankfully her house is paid for, but her total income consisted of a single social security check for $340 a month. For a couple of weeks she was sick and unable to come to church. When I visited her she gave me her tithe to bring in. $34! She said, "I love St. John's. I just know God is there. The members have been so kind and welcoming. I want to contribute more, to work, but I am 79 years old and my body just won't do what it used to. But God has blessed me with abundant life."

By the grace of God, we are not required to always be full of cheer. There are times when grief and sadness are not only warranted but necessary. And God's justice may at times require our anger and action. But our relationship with God gives us an underlying sense of gratitude and peace. Give and we get back, forgive and we are forgiven. Be thankful and we find more things to be thankful for.

I can't help but throw in this side note: Yesterday on the radio I heard of a study that found people tend to get happier as they age. In a survey of various age groups, they found that people between age 60 and 86 are the happiest. At first this sounded crazy. It goes against conventional wisdom. But maybe conventional wisdom hasn't lived long enough. And as I thought about it, I can say that as I have grown older, I have become more content and more accepting of myself and those around me. I am more grateful for the little things. My definition of beauty has expanded. When we are young, we have more beautiful bodies, but we are much more critical of them. We learn and respond faster mentally, and in middle age we are earning more money and acclaim, but we are more concerned with how we make the grade, how we fit in and how we are rewarded by society. There is some grace that comes with age, and perhaps wisdom. And a big part of both grace and wisdom is gratitude, the ability to recognize the blessing and abundance in and around you.

I finish with a wonderful story my friend Fred told me while we were in seminary together. He told me a story about his home church in Nigeria. His home church in Nigeria began in an open field, and it grew to a size where they thought they could raise enough to construct a building. Since it was an agrarian society where many of the congregation had very little money, people often gave in kind. Thus they had to have really big offering plates that could hold things like chickens and grain. On the day of the dedication of their pledges, a woman walked up and stood in the offering plate. She was offering her whole self.

What a great image of stewardship. It reminds us that the monetary gift we give to the Church is only a portion of our offering to God. A 10% tithe is the law from the Hebrew Scriptures, but Jesus wants 100%. He wants our hearts. He wants our love. And He can ask this of us, not because he has the power of the law administered like 'big brother', not as payment or sacrifice for our sin, but because he first loved us, and sacrificed all, once and for all. As we join in communion we remember it is not as a new sacrifice, but as a celebration of the grace we receive thorough Christ, and a celebration of our loving relationship with God.

Lord, make me an instrument of They peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.