“God’s People Alert and Ready”
August 11, 2013
The 12th Sunday of the Christian Season of Ordinary Time/Kingdomtide/Time of the Church
Genesis 15: 1 - 6/Psalm 33: 12 - 15; 18 - 22/Hebrews 11: 1 - 16/Luke 12: 32 - 40
His Eminence
The Most Reverend Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines D.D.
Archbishop of Manila
and
Primate
of the
National Church in the Philippines
and
the Territorial Church of Asia
International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church
The twelfth week of Kingdomtide is a time wherein we are challenged, encouraged, and maybe even commanded to live out the life that God has given to us. At times, I wonder if we stop and analyze what is important and vital to us. We put our trust and confidence in so many things that are temporary, things that will pass away; but do we really build upon those parts of life that are forever?
We are challenged in the last weeks to put priority in our lives, communication as far as prayer is concerned, recognizing and realizing that all we are is in Him. If we are in Him, we lack in nothing. Literally, this is where the Church finds herself being the Body of Christ. Her sustenance and ability comes from the Head, which is Christ. What He is covers us - our weaknesses, our failures, and our sin. It brings into our lives His righteousness and His holiness. If only we would believe in Him, we would find that life could be filled with joy and fulfillment.
The title on today’s lessons says “alert and ready.” Faith brings us to this point of being alert so that we are aware of what is around us. We are aware of what is set in course ahead of us. Faith is that which nothing can operate without it. Regardless of what part of life we look at, we cannot see its beginning. In most cases, we cannot see its ingredients. We have to accept them by faith because we do not have the ability to know and experience all that they are. We put a little bit of confidence in natural things as being what we say they are, but when it comes to our spiritual life, we struggle. We have a little difficult time.
The first part of the gospel talks about the struggle and the battle that man has – his concern for life itself. “What am I going to eat? What am I going to wear? Where am I going to sleep?” God, in this portion of Scriptures challenges us and says, “Look at the birds. Do you see them anxious and fearful? Are they not singing? Are they not fulfilled and taken care of?” He mentions the flowers, the grass. All of these things which have seemingly no concerns, no anxieties, and no stress simply exist because the very essence of what they are comes from God.
God shares this with us because He wants us to understand that we also have come from Him. If God takes care of these lesser creation, the things that are not as valuable as we are, will He not also provide for His own? Will He not take care of those whom He has created?
The first verse of the gospel says, “Do not be afraid.” Is this not something that is constantly in our minds and in our hearts? The concerns for the things around us? Concerns for employment, for financial abilities, for safety, and for peace. These things seemingly consume us. Read the newspapers; listen to the news. These are subjects that constantly gain attention of the reporters.
Christ says, "Do not be afraid.” Then, He calls us, “Little flock.” We might take that to be derogatory, embarrassed by it, or be angry that He would call us, “Little flock.” He simply states to us that, “You are My sheep. I am the Shepherd.” The shepherd takes care of his sheep. He watches over them. He makes certain that they are fed well. He protects them from the wolf. He provides all things for them, even the shelter at night so that they can rest and sleep.
We, in our own minds, see ourselves much greater than a little flock. We think that we are the great ones. We are so proud in our thoughts, so arrogant in our abilities. God says, “Little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” It is not to earn it, not to buy it, not to negotiate for it. He gives us the Kingdom – a gift; an inheritance. In that which He provides for us, do we understand what we would consider to be the most valuable part of what He has given to us? What is more valuable than peace? What is more valuable than forgiveness? What is more valuable than grace? What is more than valuable than mercy?
The most valuable thing that God has provided for us is life. All that He provides beyond that supports that which He has given to us. The life that He provides brings to us the fulfillment, the security, the serenity, and the strength to be like Him. Created in His image and likeness, the support and the ability, the presence of Christ in us – all of these is there to build our lives and to cause us to be able to stand firm in the midst of the storm. To be at peace in the midst of the battles; to recognize and to realize that if God is for us, no one can be against us.
Do we see that our security for this life does not come in our possessions, in our degrees, in our social acceptance? It doesn’t come because people like us. It comes because of God. He is our strength, our security, and our fulfillment. In Him is where we find all that we need in our lives. We will never get this with material gains. We will never get this with achievement in life. This comes because of a relationship with the Father.
"Do not be afraid. Your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." It is the Kingdom and all that it entails, He has provided. Peter says we have been granted everything pertaining to life and godliness. Paul tells us in Ephesians how that we have received every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. We are not a people of poverty, of want, of need, but we are a people blessed by God.
His provision is sending His own Son to take upon flesh that He might then identify with our weaknesses, our failures, and our sins and take them to the cross, redeeming us, paying the ransom, and setting us free. This is because we are His people. He redeemed us. He who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God, in Him. Do we believe?
We cannot see it. History questions it. Mankind belittles it. The educated make fun of it and yet God has provided to His kingdom to His people. We receive it by faith. Faith is the conviction of things that we cannot see. It is that confidence that is within us. That assurance that is there; something that is within our being.
Galatians says God has chosen to put the Spirit of Christ in our hearts. This is meant to be the very stability, the very essence of life because He is with us. His provision is there. Hebrews tells us of the men of past, the saints of old, and how that they achieve these great things. It says, “Without faith, you cannot please God.” You must believe that He is and you must believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Is this what we believe? Is this our faith? Is this our confidence? Regardless of what goes on around us, regardless of where we might find ourselves at anytime, we know and understand that God is there. We believe that He is and He will not fail us. He will not forsake us. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, of those who please Him.
Why do we have anxiety and fear? We are thinking of punishment, of correction being thrown upon us. God rewards us. We must believe that He rewards us. The names that are mentioned – Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah – all of these lived out their lives in obedience, in patience, in trust, and in confidence. They went from living in temporary tents to a city built by God – a provision of permanence.
We see the temporary. We don’t see what happened later. Revelation gave us a picture of it briefly, but God saw what they lived out. He embraced them and brought them to that which was permanent, awesome, and great. Hebrews shows a description of faith and how it works – things hope for. Without hope, faith will not work. Without hope, there is no such thing as faith. Faith is that situation, that confidence, that ability, that trust that we have in God. He will not fail us. We put our hope in that and that faith will work because the hope is there.
The foundation of faith and hope is love. Without love, neither of them work. It is the very essence of the unity of our being. These examples of men, women who lived out their lives were given special place in the kingdom of God because they help us understand a life of faith based on hope and energized by love. How much more today where we have the ability. We have been given hope that comes from the Cross. They did not have that at that time of any of these examples here in Hebrews, and yet they were looking forward to a time when they knew, felt, and sensed that God was going to do something far beyond what their mind could comprehend.
Abraham was obedient and he would do whatever God told him to do even to a point of bringing his son to a point of sacrifice. An awesome thing that we would think that a father would be this willing to give his only son; but he did not realize and comprehend. He was setting a course and a direction and putting a demand on God to do the same thing so that God would give up His own Son.
This is what happens in our lives if only we understand that the only thing that we are is that we are in a different level that they are. There is a progression that takes place in Scriptures. It begins in Genesis and continues to go on until we get to a portion of what we call New Testament. It is not really New Testament but just simply an addition of fulfillment of that which God has given to us. It does not erase the old. It fulfills the old. The covenants of old are still in existence. Christ simply brings them to a fullness for us.
This is what we have. We have that fullness and we should be with more ability to demonstrate the greatness of God; the more ability to have confidence and faith in Him because we know He has taken away our sin. We know He has erased our iniquities. We know that we stand and we live today not because of anything we do, but because of all that He has done for us. They did not have that ability at that time. We do today; we should be greater than them.
Jesus tells us regarding John the Baptist, “The least in the kingdom of God is greater than him.” We cannot say, “I have no value.” Even the least is greater than John. What hope we have! What confidence we have in our God we have! The gospel says, “Gird yourself with this awareness. Do not be surprised and be taken unaware of situations and circumstances that may come your way. Be ready! Put your confidence and your faith in God and know who you are. Know what He has given to you.” Be ready for any virtual situation that may come your way so that you can show, demonstrate, and live out the very existence of God’s greatness, and God’s presence with us.
The gospel says, “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart.” Is your treasure the kingdom of God? Do we truly see these us as ours? Is this that which controls the thoughts of our hearts and our minds? Do we see taking the darkness and bringing it into light? Do we see healing of the sick? All the provision of the Kingdom, can we share it with others? Do we see bringing into confusion understanding and knowledge? Do we see healing of the sick? Do we see all the provision of the Kingdom so alive in us that we can share them with others when the opportunity arrives?
The challenge to us: be ready; be alert; be confident. Pope Benedict made this statement sometime ago. It is very much truth; it is something that each of us are confronted with. He said, “Our greatest need in the present, historical moment, are people who make God credible in this world by means of the enlightened faith they lived. The negative testimony of Christians who spoke of God but lived in a manner contrary to Him has obscured the image of God and has opened the doors to disbelief.”
Why does the world not believe today? It is because Christians are not living out the life God has given to us. We are not living out the Kingdom. We are putting our confidence and trust in the ways of man. “I gain my daily sustenance from man,” and yet we pray the prayer, “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done. Give me this day my daily bread.” We pray to Him to give us the bread; to give us the substance of life; but at the same time, within us, we believe that we can only get it if we submit to the ways of man.
It doesn’t mean that we won’t work or be employed or have a profession. But it means that my whole foundation is Kingdom. Everything that we do, not what we say, must abide by that. If it isn’t, if we cannot do that, then we must find something else to do. We will not bow; we will not compromise. We will be a witness to the power of God and we will show that if we stand in the Kingdom’s principles, God will supply. God will not fail.
We are challenged to be ready, to be alert! Not to be deceived but to recognize and realize the greatness of our God. All around us, there is turmoil, stress, and anxiety. But yet, even though we may not understand the daily the steps we take, we know that with God, He will lead us where we need to go.
As far as I am aware of, much of our country does not really find itself based upon a piece of paper or a book so that it is easy to travel. If you go on the roads, many times, there are not signs to tell you which direction to go. I was just meditating of perhaps a journey that would take one to Tanay. How do you get there? If someone can’t tell you because of experience, more than likely, you won’t know even where to begin.
If someone would tell you, “Start with Ortigas, go through Rosario, then you are going to Antipolo.” Where is Antipolo? One would say, “Just over there.” When you get to a certain point on that road, there are barricades and you can’t go any further. You have to turn right. If you don’t want to go right, and you want to go up the hill, there is no sigh to tell you; no direction. If you turn right, maybe after half a kilometer, you can make a U-turn and go back to where you want to be. This is really smart. So you go back and you go on and finally you get to Antipolo. But from Antipolo, you want to go to Tanay. How do you get there? No signs; no directions. You go on a road which seems to be the main road.
So many confusing things along the way. So many things that might cause you to doubt and wonder, “Am I going the right direction? Am I going to ever get there eventually?” After you drive half an hour, if you are alert, on the left hand, you will see a sign that says, “Tanay” with an arrow. This sign is not that visible. You need a binocular to see it. If you quickly turn to the left, and you go about quarter of the kilometer, the road ends. Now what do you do? You try to look if there is any direction. Again, there is a little sign.
This is life for us! In so doing, we don’t give up until we can reach the goal that we have set for ourselves. I used the story simply for an example. Should we not also be doing the same in the kingdom of God? In the kingdom of God, we have a road map. Every week, we are giving you another portion of that map to set the direction for our lives. The directions that guide us and take us to that point where that we will be able to receive the city that God has prepared for those who have been called by Him.
May we be like Him, recognize and realize that our treasure, our hope, our joy and our peace is the kingdom of God. This has been given to us. It is ours today. It is our inheritance. All of we have to do is to begin to walk in it. To begin to live it out and to show the world, “Yes, there is a God. Yes, there is a God who promised to be with us is real. A God whose provision takes care of much of my life. It gives me the energy to bring myself into the abilities of providing as He has given for my family. I am not anxious about the Stock Market. I am not anxious about the economy. I am not anxious about the government because those things are going to pass away anyway. I know that so my faith is not there. My faith is in that which is forever – the kingdom of God.” It will not fail us. May we be alert and be ready. May we not be deceived by the things of man – the promises they make. They will never be fulfilled because only God and He is a jealous God, will not allow anyone to take His place. May we be alert, on our guard, and ready to respond to Him.
LET US CONTINUE OUR REFLECTION
WITH
CARDINAL OF HOLY MOTHER CHURCH
AND
VENERABLE PRIMATE
OF THE PHILIPPINES
THROUGH
THROUGH
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