I would like to refer to a joke, but it’s one of those jokes that’s been around for quite a while and it has been used so many times in a sermon that it qualifies for usage in another joke. There was a group of joke tellers that would gather together to tell their jokes. One day they realized that the same jokes were being told over and over, but we’re still funny. They ended up organizing a system where they numbered all of their jokes and would just say the numbers at the meeting. At one meeting Bob stood up and yelled out, “number 43” which evoked riotous laughter. Linda said, “172” to a fantastic and hardy response. That’s when Jeff stood up and said, “114.” The crowd did not stir or even offer a chuckle and everyone was uncomfortable. And Jeff said, “Rats! I never could tell that one right.” So this is 234. I see you’re not familiar with the system. It’s the one about the very pious man caught in a flood. As the water rose a Humvee came by to pick him up and he waved them off declaring that God would save him. The waters reached the upper part of his house and a boat came by and he waved them off for the same reason. He’s standing on the peak of his house with the water to his waist and a helicopter comes to his rescue and he waves it off declaring that God will save him. Well he drowns and appears at St. Peter’s desk, fit to be tied. He expressed his anger to God and declared how faithful and trusting he was and asked why God didn’t send a miracle to save him, and God said, “I sent you a Humvee, a boat and a helicopter, what were you expecting?” I think many jokes have a connection to reality. Do we ever resemble that guy? Why do we do what we do? Why do we do anything? And most concerning to us as people of faith, what are our motivations in our service to God? Usually our motivations follow a pretty typical pattern in life. One of the first reasons that we do things is for something in return. We want to earn a living, or earn respect, earn increased places of power, achieve a more luxurious lifestyle, move up the ladder, to prove ourselves, to increase self-esteem, to earn trust, love, affection, money, Fame, and Fortune. All these things have something in common. There’s something in it for us. We like to work that way. Listen to The Pride in stories of people quote, “pulling oneself up by their bootstraps.” Another reason we might do things is out of fear of punishment. We’ve been coerced, forced or threatened. Both of these methods engage our human reasoning and a focus on the self. We crave the credit for our successes so we set out to achieve by the bootstrap method. But…. there’s a problem. Do you know the origin of the saying pulling oneself up by your bootstraps? “The phrase “pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ ‘ originated shortly before the turn of the 20th century. It’s attributed to a late-1800s physics schoolbook that contained the example question “Why can not a man lift himself by pulling up on his bootstraps?” So when it became a colloquial phrase referring to socioeconomic advancement shortly thereafter, it was meant to be sarcastic, or to suggest that it was an impossible accomplishment. Eventually, however, the phrase’s commonly-accepted meaning evolved, and now when we tell people to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” it’s implying that socioeconomic advancement is something that everyone should be able to do—albeit something difficult.” Thank you uselessetymology.com. So actually, it’s impossible. Isn’t it amazing how we’ve evolved that phrase and defy physics. The fear reasoning seems to be pretty effective, but if your looking for true love and respect you’re out of luck. Both of these methods have been and still are employed in regards to our faith and our relationship to God. Oftentimes we look at scripture in this way and have come to view God as the Divine Taskmaster that can’t wait to mete out divine retribution when we step out of line or that if we are good enough we can earn our own salvation and pull ourselves up. Not possible. I think its our inner three year old that just wants to prove that we can do it ourselves. What I have yet to mention is the third reason, but for sure, it is by far the road less taken. Think of Jesus in the wilderness and his subsequent ministry. Jesus, from the beginning, lived an example of his later call to deny yourself and take up your cross and follow. So, firstly, there were no self centered or selfish motives. Jesus exhibited grace, that is giving of himself with no strings attached. His motivation was faithfulness to a gracious and merciful God. In Deuteronomy we see the person acknowledging what God has done and the response is out of thankfulness. So often we employ our human formula and attribute it to God. If we (blank) are good, give money, go to church, read the bible, turn away other humans like the boat and helicopter in favor of the more miraculous, then God will love us and reward us. But don’t we see something quite the contrary in Jesus? “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” And “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” So the correct formula, which has never changed, all the way back before Deuteronomy is that Because of what God has first done for us (love, forgiveness, salvation, the cross, acceptance) therefore, out of thankfulness we respond by loving our neighbors, sharing our first fruits, rejoicing, serving, giving of ourselves and denying our selfish interests and following Jesus’ example. We are here on the first Sunday of Lent. So often we think of giving up something for Lent. The idea is to practice a spiritual discipline. Some might suggest that, suppose you gave up sugar. Each time you have a craving for something sweet and are sort of “suffering”, you should use that as a prompt to think of the suffering of Jesus. That’s one approach and that’s also why there is mardi gras, pancakes, fastnachts and also sorts of sweets depending on your culture the day before Ash Wednesday. But here’s another approach. Instead of being motivated by how we suffer and using it as a prompt, let’s take up a discipline that helps to hone a skill. I spoke of a challenge on Ash Wednesday. That challenge is to practice, to explore setting aside or suppressing our human inclinations and motivations and being propelled through thankfulness to look outward to the situations and needs of others, to follow the example of Jesus. Think of a time when a situation seemed particularly uncertain or challenging. In what ways was God present with you? We know that we were created in God’s image and we are called to be imitators of Christ. Carl Trueman explains Luther’s theology of the cross. “This principle of faith then allows the believer to understand how he or she is to behave. United to Christ, the great king and priest, the believer too is both a king and a priest. But these offices are not excuses for lording it over others. In fact, kingship and priesthood are to be enacted in the believer as they are in Christ—through suffering and self-sacrifice in the service of others. The believer is king of everything by being a servant of everyone; the believer is completely free by being subject to all. As Christ demonstrated his kingship and power by death on the cross, so the believer does so by giving himself or herself unconditionally to the aid of others. We are to be, as Luther puts it, little Christs to our neighbors, for in so doing we find our true identity as children of God.” end quote. The challenge is to make our way through Lent with ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving. Using the verse from Deuteronomy, that’s 26:10, “So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” And use the verse number in our commitment. Each individual makes their own commitment. The 2 is for a suggested 2 dollars a day that is contributed to ELCA World Hunger. The 6 is for 6 minutes. Go on youtube and find Elca World Hunger and watch the stories off those ELCHWH helps for 6 minutes. Through the 40 days you can watch a story more than once to discover new things about the lives and struggles of others. Then spend 10 minutes reflecting on how Jesus has been present for you and then those individuals, your relationship to them in the body of Christ, how you can be Christ to them, then praying for them and reflecting on the question, How might the church’s work alongside people facing hunger and poverty bear witness to God’s promise for the future?. Each week we will be seeing one of the stories together. As we are propelled by the Spirit we will become the miracles for which those caught in the storms of life are waiting and we will lift one another up, not for our own glory, but for the body of Christ, and so too will we be lifted up.
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