Trinity XVI – Stewardship Sunday

An ancient parable is recorded in Juan Ortiz’s excellent work, Call to Discipleship. It is an imaginary conversation between Jesus and a man overwhelmed by the striking appeal of Christ as He is called the pearl of great price. The parable begins, “when man finds Jesus, it costs him everything. Jesus has happiness, joy, peace, healing, security, eternity. Man marvels at such a pearl and says, 'I want this pearl. How much does it/He cost?"

"The seller says, 'it's too dear, too costly.'
"But how much?'
"Well, it's very expensive.'
"Do you think I could buy it?'
"It costs everything you have -- no more, no less -- so anybody can buy it.'
"I'll buy it.'
"What do you have? Let's write it down.'

"I have $10,000 in the bank.'
"Good, $10,000. What else?'
"I have nothing more. That's all I have.'
"Have you nothing more?'
"Well, I have some dollars here in my pocket.'
"How many?'
"I'll see: Thirty, forty, fifty, eighty, one hundred, one hundred twenty -- one hundred twenty dollars.'
"That's fine. What else do you have?'

"I have nothing else. That's all.'
"Where do you live?"
"I live in my house.'
"The house, too.'
"Then you mean I must live in the garage?'
"Have you a garage, too? That, too. What else?'
"Do you mean that I must live in my car, then?'
"Have you a car?'
"I have two.'
"Both become mine. Both cars. What else?'
"Well, you have my house, the garage, the cars, the money, everything.’
"What else?'

"Are you alone in the world?'
"No, I have a wife, two children...'
"Your wife and children, too.'
"Too?'
"Yes, everything you have. What else?'
"I have nothing else, I am left alone now."
"Oh, you too! Everything becomes mine -- wife, children, house, money, cars -- everything. And you too. Now you can use all those things here but don't forget they are mine, as you are. When I need any of the things you are using, you must give them to me because now I am the owner."

Today is Stewardship Sunday. The little parable explains an exchange when we come to God. He offers everything, especially salvation of our souls. In exchange He demands all that we have. Not that He takes it from us. He usually allows us to keep what we have. The difference is that all that we have is viewed differently.

Actually, everything is God’s any way. In the words of the Old Testament often said after the offering is taken, “All things come of Thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given Thee” (1 Chronicles 29:14). Scripture teaches that everything belongs to God. Until we come to give our lives to Jesus Christ we operate under an illusion. The illusion is that everything is ours. So when we receive Christ and become His disciple, what changes is our perspective. Our perspective is corrected from viewing what we have as ours and ours alone. As a true follower of Christ, we view ourselves as only stewards. What we have all comes from God. It is His. We’re allowed to use it temporarily for His purposes. This new perspective makes all the difference in the world how we view our gains and losses in life.

In his book of sermons The Living Faith, Lloyd C. Douglas tells the story of Thomas Hearne, who, in his journey to the mouth of the Coppermine River, wrote that a few days after they had started on their expedition, a party of Indians stole most of their supplies. His comment on the apparent misfortune was: "The weight of our baggage being so much lightened, our next day's journey was more swift and pleasant."

Hearne was in route to something very interesting and important; and the loss of a few sides of bacon and a couple of bags of flour meant nothing more than an easing of the load. Had Hearne been holed in somewhere, in a cabin, resolving to spend his last days eking out an existence, and living on capital previously collected, the loss of some of his stores by plunder would probably have worried him almost to death. How we respond to "losing" some of our resources for God's work depends upon whether we are on the move or waiting for our last stand.

Our Vestry and the Stewardship Chairman are asking us to increase our giving by 4% this year. I encourage you to think of what you can do in view of your stewardship to God. Perhaps you want to ask yourself the question, “Am I on the move or simply waiting for my last stand?” Finally, if I may slightly paraphrase the 1 Chronicles passage, remember, “All things you have come from the Lord, and He asks you to give of your own back to Him.” Amen.