Genesis 15: 1–6 / Psalm 33: 12–22 / Hebrews 11: 1–3, 8–16 / Luke 12: 32–40
This
is the written version of the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran
Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, August 10, 2025 by Fr.
Gene Tucker, Interim Pastor.
“WE ARE ALWAYS WALKING IN GOD’S SIGHT”
(Homily
text: Luke 12: 32–40)
Some years ago, there was a wonderful
comedy show on public television called “Red Green”. The setting for the show
was that it took place in a men’s clubhouse. Each episode had the usual
assortment of stock, male characters, like the guy who was working on an old,
beat-up pickup truck, or the nerdy guy who was doing “nerdy” things, or the guy
who was inventing some Rube Goldberg device.
Each episode began with the men filing
into the clubhouse, where they would sit on benches. Then, the leader would
come in, ask everyone to stand, and to recite the Men’s Prayer, which went
something like this:
“I’m a man, and I can change, if I have
to, I guess”.
Let’s alter this prayer just a bit and
say, “I’m a human being, and I can change, if I have to, I guess”. (OK - and
just because I can’t resist - do we really think that’s it’s only one part of
the human race that needs to change?)
A further alteration changes the focus
a bit: “We are members of Flohr’s faith community. We can change, and God is
inviting us to change, of that, we are sure.”
Our Gospel reading this morning, is a
command to change, to be aware that all we do is being done in God’s sight.
Notice our Lord’s choice of words: “You
also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour who do not expect”.
To some Christians, those words are
applied only to the Lord’s eventual return in glory. (This is a truth that we
affirm, week-by-week, in the words of the Creeds.) To these Christians, the
only thing that really matters is that time when the Lord will return in power
and great glory. That time when the trumpet will sound, and the Lord will
descend from the clouds. To be ready for that event, they emphasize that each
person must be prepared by inviting the Lord into the heart, so that a personal
relationship with the Lord can be established. To some who maintain this focus,
the problems and the challenges of living life in this world don’t matter. Sad
to say, to some of those who have this outlook, doing anything to better the
everyday circumstances of anyone’s life doesn’t get much thought and attention.
Being able to see God’s great, big
picture ensures that we, as Christian believers, have a mature and
well-balanced understanding of God’s intent and God’s mission, given to us as
followers of Jesus.
Well-balanced.
What makes up a well-balanced
understanding of God’s will?
Perhaps it means keeping our eyes on
the final events in God’s plan, that time when God’s will, God’s power, and
God’s reign over all things is complete…these are the final things of God.
That’s one part of the balance we are called to maintain. But the other part is
also important, and it’s possible that the Lord is telling us that being light
in a dark world[1],
day-by-day, is also important. Going about our day-in-and-day-out challenges
and tasks is equally important to the understanding that we are also called to
keep our eyes on the skies, to be ready to see God’s hand at work in the
everyday of life, but also in the final plans that will unfold at some point in
the future.
Our Lord’s earthly ministry informs us,
providing for us a pattern for us to emulate and follow.
Notice how often Jesus reaches out to
the marginalized, those on the edges of society. Notice how often He takes time
to heal people and to deliver them from whatever is diminishing their life’s
journey. Notice how He feeds people.
His work is also our work: Everyday,
common actions that lift people up, give them hope, let them know that they
have value and are precious in God’s sight.
But, the Lord is also keeping God’s
great, big plan in front of our eyes, as well.
It can be quite a challenge to keep our
focus on the everyday, the here-and-the-now, but also on God’s intent for
future things. We often tend to slide toward one part of this two-fold focus or
the other.
Perhaps our prayer might be: “We are
your followers, Lord. We need to change, to remember that all we do is done in
your sight. We know you tell us to widen our outlook, to see your hand at work
in the world around us.”
AMEN.
[1] Notice the Lord’s comment about keeping our lamps burning in verse 35.
This is an echo of the Lord’s parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids. See
Matthew, chapter 25.
