A World of Possibility--Week 2

Luke 3:7–14 NIV

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. 11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

This morning, as we continue our look into a World of Possibility, we are going to talk about seeing others as God sees them.

Introduction

Three-year-old Gracie was playing in the living room, testing things out. Her mother saw her pick up a nickel, take a look at it, then swallow it. The mother immediately picked her up, turned her upside-down and pounded her on her back. Gracie immediately coughed up two dimes.

When that happened the mother really got worried. Hysterically, she shouted to her husband who was out in the back yard, "Gracie just swallowed a nickel and coughed up two dimes. Hurry! Tell me what to do!"

The father shouted back, "Keep feeding her nickels. We can use the money." (1)

The world around us constantly tells us we're not worth very much. Big business & government practices seem to reiterate that conclusion. We're only worth as much as they can get out of us.

But God’s estimate of a single person's worth is beyond human comprehension. On the very first page, the Bible says that we are created in God's image. We are the creation of a God who loves us so much, values us so highly, that He sent His only Son to die on the cross so that we can have life, & life eternal.

Through Jesus Christ, God became one of us in order to show us, in the most dramatic way possible, just how much God loves and treasures us.

God sees us as we are, with all of our oddities, our failures, and our weaknesses, and he loves us anyway, every person — rich or poor, black or white, male or female — has dignity; he’s the one who gave it to us.

During this study on stewardship we’ve talked about how much God loves you and wants you to enjoy the good gifts he’s given you; but let’s not forget that God loves others too, and not just the people we like or get along with. He loves everyone, and he calls us to join his mission of love for them.

1. God Loves the Poor

John gives some practical instruction when people asked him what they were supposed to do now that they had repented and were baptized. His instructions show us that we are to do more than simply say that we care about others – if we are going to do what God would desire for us do, then we will care about the needs of those around us.

Jesus didn’t just tell people that he loved them, He showed them by His actions. It wasn’t just words of encouragement that brought no real change. His concern for the weak drove him to heal beggars that no one else would speak to—and to chastise the people who misused or neglected those in need.

John tells us that the change in our life – that is what repentance means, you know – it is a complete turn around. We are heading in one direction, which is all about self and sinfulness –but after our encounter with Jesus, we repent, we turn around and our life is no longer all about ourselves, or our sinfulness. After coming to John to be baptized, the people want to know what they are to do. John’s instructions are that they are to start caring about others, and to take care of their needs. That’s how Jesus lived His life. He saw people as God sees them – and if we are going to be His disciples, we must also see people as Jesus sees them. We are to look on others with the love that God has put in us.

Remember, Jesus was fully human and was tempted in every way as we are. And he could smell too. Loving the poor was no easier for him than it is for us. But he did. He loved them the same way you love your best friends and family members. He saw beyond their situation to their humanity.

Even when we are “doing the right thing” and serving the poor it is easy to use them as a tool to ease our guilt about the comfort we have. Servanthood becomes a box to check off so we don’t have to feel bad that there are people who go to bed without a roof over their head every night. Jesus looked at the poor and didn’t see a tool to ease his conscience or an uncomfortable situation to be avoided at all costs. He saw people he loved, like when you or I look at a spouse, parent or a child. Loving the poor means recognizing them as your brother and sister in the gospel and caring for them the way you would want to be cared for were you in their place.

We sometimes judge by appearances. Do you remember Susan Boyle? She is the Scottish singer who came to international fame after she appeared on a British talent show. When she appeared on the stage for the first time, the audience and the judges looked apprehensive and judgmental because of her unpolished appearance. They immediately assumed she didn’t have what they were looking for. But when she finished her song, she received a standing ovation from the live audience and unanimous praise from the judges.

Likewise, it is easy to see the poor as unimportant and easy to overlook. God doesn’t overlook anyone. He knew Susan Boyle before she was famous, and he knows every person who doesn’t have what the world is looking for and will never be famous. God’s love for every person he created is unconditional. Jesus expects us to love the needy as he does, with heart and hands.

Listen to these words from the apostle Paul:

“And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him,” (Ephesians 6:9).

This is not an implicit approval of slavery; it is a direct and powerful instruction to treat everyone fairly; to recognize that every person is equal in the eyes of God.

What does that mean? Should you give all your cash next time a homeless man knocks on your window? Should you serve in the inner city as often as you feasibly can? Should you sell all your possessions and move to Indonesia to care for orphans? I’m not sure how the Holy Spirit will direct you, but there is one thing that is true for each of us: We can open our eyes to see real people who have great worth and dignity whenever we look into the eyes of the poor.

2. God Loves the Wealthy

Have you ever walked through the first class cabin in an airplane toward a middle seat in the back of the plane where you just know you’ll be crammed into the middle seat with your knees practically tucked under your chin? The people in first class have big comfy seats and a place to hang up their coats, plus the flight attendants are already serving them drinks. Later, when you’re munching on a tiny bag of stale pretzels they’ll be enjoying a hot meal.

You try to sneak glances at these people without them noticing. Who are they that they deserve this? You tell yourself that people should not be elitists. Sure, having the benefits they have would be great; but it’s really so extravagant. Do they think they’re better than everyone else just because they can pay to be set apart from the crowd? You see a woman clutch her designer handbag as the coach passengers brush past and an older man whose suit is probably more expensive than your car, and you wonder how they can spend their money so frivolously. They probably don’t even spend a cent on helping anyone else…

And so it goes. Whether jealousy or judgementalism drives your disgust makes no difference; the lack of love is what matters.

As I said earlier, Jesus spoke the most harshly against those who would not care for the needs of the poor, but that doesn’t mean he despised wealthy people. He despised injustice.

Jesus loved all people; he didn’t make distinctions between them based on social status. He was opposed to neglecting the poor, but he wasn’t against people who were wealthy.

The Bible is consistent about God’s love. His zeal for the poor matches his love for all types of people. He doesn’t prefer a rich person over a poor person, or vice versa. In fact, if you look in the Old Testament, you will see that many of God’s people were rich: Moses, Abraham, Job, David, and Solomon for example. Our financial status has no effect on whether God loves us.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).

It’s easy to be intimidated by or jealous of the rich. It’s much harder to love them.

Loving the rich does not mean hanging around (hoping for benefits), saying whatever they want to hear. Loving them does not mean secretly adoring them; God has given them the same dignity he has given you. Loving them means seeing beyond their wealth to their humanity, just as Jesus did.

Sometimes great wealth hides an even greater sense of brokenness, and loneliness. The truth is that everybody has the same basic needs as you, including the need to be loved and accepted.

3. God Blesses us to Be a Blessing

If Jesus loves the rich so much, why is he so hard on them? He once said that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. If we’re not as financially well off as we’d like to be, it’s reassuring to interpret those words in the most judgmental way possible. But when Jesus says that, He is talking to us! We all are rich in comparison to the whole world. If we place our love for things over our love for God, we’ll never enter his kingdom; the rich, because they have so much stuff, are just more susceptible to its power.

When we have plenty, whether it’s material wealth or other riches, it’s easy to be happy. Maybe we’ve got a good marriage and beautiful children. Maybe we have meaningful work and a comfortable home. Maybe we even have a good relationship with God and know how treasured we are by him.

What we really need to understand is that God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others. God didn’t give Abraham a son so that he could show off his family photo album to his friends; God gave Abraham a son so that all nations could be blessed through him. God didn’t save Moses from certain death so that he could be a prince of Egypt; God intended for Moses to use his influence to save the Israelites. Jesus didn’t appear to Paul on the road to Damascus so Paul could have a religious high; Jesus came to tell Paul to change his ways because he had an assignment.

We are blessed to be a blessing. God wants us to enjoy the good things he has created and prepared for us, but only so much as our enjoyment pays forward the blessing to others.

Sometimes we don’t even realize we have blessings to pay forward. I heard a story about a kid who had been to an amusement park, a water park, a movie, and out to dinner in one week’s time. At the end of that week he was stuck home for an evening and said, “I’m so bored! I never get to do anything!”

To be able to bless people with the good things we have, we must be aware of how blessed we are. What do you have that you consider to be a blessing? How might you use that blessing to bless others? John the Baptist said, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”

What does God want you to share? How does He want you to use the blessings He has given you? Maybe you want to use your professional skills to benefit others. Maybe you know of somebody that needs help, or maybe you would like to use your gifts in helping others. Maybe you have collected a large amount of money. Is God calling you to use it to invest in others rather than another portfolio?

God didn’t bless us so we can alienate ourselves from others, living the easy life in comfort.

Conclusion

If this sermon has caused you to worry about whether you’ve given enough away or done enough to help the poor, you’re missing the point. Stewardship is a new perspective on your role in God’s mission for the world. Once you join God’s mission, you are called to love your neighbor as yourself — see others as God sees them; when you do, blessing them will be a natural result. A grandmother doesn’t need to be told to lavish her grandchildren with love and affection. In the same way, we will automatically bless others when we see them through the eyes of Jesus.

This Week: Give generously to someone in need.