"Don't Lose Your Ticket" - Luke 17: 20-21 Life Cut Short Series - Finale

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”

INTRODUCTION

THERE IS A FAVORITE PASSAGE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE THAT REMINDS US OF GOD’S TIMELESS DESIRE TO GUIDE US

AND BLESS US THROUGH THE MANY SEASONS OF OUR LIVES....IT BEGINS THIS WAY:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 ASV 1901

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

NOW THE PASSAGE GOES ON, AS YOU KNOW, TO TELL US THERE’S A TIME FOR THIS AND A TIME FOR THAT AND

THERE IS EVEN THAT LINE THAT IS AT ONCE AN ENCOURAGEMENT AND A CAUTION TO US THAT SAYS:

Ecclesiastes 3:6 ASV 1901

a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

THIS MORNING BEFORE WE DECIDE TO CAST AWAY THE THINGS THAT WE MAY LOSE IN THIS LIFE....THINGS THAT

MAY BE LOST OR MISPLACED....OR LEFT IN A CLOSET, OR DROPPED DOWN BEHIND A CABINET OR A REFRIGERATOR

OR DROPPED IN THE CREASES ON THE COUCH.....WE OPEN WITH A STORY TOLD BY THE REVEREND ROBERT

FULGHUM…IT IS ULTIMATELY A STORY OF ENCOURAGEMENT, BELOVEDS, EVEN THOUGH IT BEGINS ON A SAD

NOTE....THE REVEREND FULGHAM WAS:

IN THE HONG KONG AIRPORT IN 1984 AND SAW A YOUNG AMERICAN TRAVELER WEEPING. AFTER WAITING IN

THE AIRPORT FOR 2 DAYS FOR HER FLIGHT, SHE’D JUST DISCOVERED THAT SHE’D LOST HER TICKET. WELL,

THAT WAS ALMOST MORE THAN SHE COULD BEAR. SHE’D BEEN SITTING IN THAT ONE SEAT FOR OVER THREE

HOURS, AND SHE WAS DESPERATE. FULGHUM AND A COUPLE FROM CHICAGO OFFERED TO BUY HER LUNCH

AND TALK TO THE AIRLINE ABOUT HER PROBLEM. SO SHE STOOD UP TO GO WITH THEM TO LUNCH, SMILING

WITH TIRED RELIEF AND TURNED AROUND TO PICK UP HER BELONGINGS FROM HER SEAT. THEN SHE

SCREAMED. IT WAS HER TICKET. SHE’D FOUND HER TICKET. SHE HAD BEEN SITTING ON IT FOR

3 HOURS. LIKE A SINNER SAVED FROM THE VERY JAWS OF HELL, THE YOUNG WOMAN LAUGHED AND CRIED

AND HUGGED US ALL, AND THEN SHE WAS SUDDENLY GONE. AND WE NEVER SAW HER AGAIN. OFF TO CATCH

A PLANE FROM FOR HOME AND WHATEVER WAS NEXT IN HER LIFE.

NONE OF US HAVE TO IMAGINE BEING STUCK IN THE HONG KONG AIRPORT TO REMEMBER THE LAST TIME WE FELT

A TINGE OF THE DESPERATION THE WOMAN IN THE AIRPORT FELT THAT DAY.........DESPERATION VISITS US IN MANY

FORMS AND AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN OUR LIVES.......THE GOOD FOLKS AT PSYCHOLOGY TODAY REMINDED US OF 3

THINGS THAT ARE WORTHWHILE TO REMEMBER WHEN WE THINK WE’RE ALONE IN OUR DESPAIR, LIKE THE WOMAN

IN THE HONG KONG AIRPORT WAS......HERE ARE THOSE 3 THINGS:

#1) EVERY LIFE IS EVENTUALLY TOUCHED BY TRAGEDY. NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM SUFFERINGS SUCH AS ILLNESS OR

THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE.

#2) WAYS TO REDUCE DESPAIR INCLUDE ACKNOWLEDGING RATHER THAN HIDING IT, AVOIDING TOXIC POSITIVITY

AND SEEKING OUT FELLOWSHIP

#3) DESPAIR CAN BRING A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING FOR THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS

AT THE MOMENT OF YOUR CRISIS, NONE OF THAT MAY CHEER YOU UP.........BUT REMEMBERING THESE 3 THINGS

MAY HELP YOU GET THROUGH THOSE MOMENTS INSTEAD OF BEING OVERCOME BY THEM.......

FULGHUM’S SURPRISING RESPONSE TO THE WOMAN’S DESPAIR

SOME YEARS AGO, A PREACHER NOTED THAT FOR HIS TIME AND SPACE THAT IT SEEMED AMERICAN HAD LOST

THEIR TICKET TO THE KINGDOM OF KINDNESS, GENEROSITY, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL?

HE WROTE THAT WHAT THE WORLD NEEDED THEN WAS TO TURN FROM HOSTILITY TO HOSPITALITY........

PLEASE KNOW THAT HE OBSERVED THIS BEFORE THE SEPARATION AND SUDDEN LOCK DOWN OF THE 2020

BEGINNING OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.....IT SEEMS THAT SINCE THAT TIME HOSTILITY HAS BECOME MORE

PALPABLE AND PREVALENT IN OUR TIMES TOO......

OH, HOW WONDERFUL IT WOULD BE IF THE STORY OF ROBERT FULGHUM’S HOSPITALITY, ALONG WITH THE OTHER

PASSENGERS IN THE HONG KONG AIRPORT PASSENGER LOUNGE COULD BE TOLD, SHARED, ADOPTED AND

ADAPTED TO OTHER SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES....

IT WAS AT THE MOMENT THE WOMAN WHO HAD LOST HER TICKET BEGAN LOOKING TOWARDS SOME FELLOWSHIP,

A GROUP WILLING TO TAKE HER TO EAT AND TO ADVOCATE FOR HER WITH THE AIRLINE THAT HER SITUATION

CHANGED SO DRASTICALLY FOR THE BETTER.......

JUST BY GETTING UP FROM THE SEAT SHE HAD BEEN SITTING IN FOR 3 STRAIGHT HOURS THE WOMAN DID

SOMETHING THAT MADE THE LIST OF SUGGESTIONS OFFERED BY PSYCHOLOGY TODAY FOR DEALING WITH

DESPAIR........

THEY SUGGEST FOR YOU AND I TO, “TAKE OUR DESPAIR FOR A WALK.” --- GET SOME FRESH AIR, GET OUT OF THE

HOUSE, SHAKE OFF SOME TENSION, GET SOME VITAMIN D...........OR SUNSHINE.....ALLOW SOME OF THE DESPAIR

TO SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY.........

AND JUST IN CASE YOU THINK, EVEN FOR ONE MOMENT, THAT WE MUST STAY STUCK IN OUR DESPAIR, OR THAT

HOSTILITY IS THE ONLY WAY TO DEAL OR TO BE DEALT WITH........REMEMBER JESUS AND HIS INJUNCTION TO THE

PHARISEES........

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT SOME FAR AWAY PLACE ONLY, ACCESSIBLE ONLY AFTER WE DIE.......

Luke 17:20–21 NRSV

THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENED IN THAT AIRPORT THAT DAY

FULGHUM AND THE OTHER PASSENGERS DID SOMETHING ELSE THAT DAY THAT WOULD HAVE MADE JESUS SMILE, BELOVEDS.... THEY SURROUNDED THE DESPAIRING WOMAN WITH WARMTH WHILE SHE WAS IN TROUBLE, AND

UNABLE TO SEE HER WAY OUT OR A WAY TO GET HOME WITHOUT THAT ALL IMPORTANT TICKET.....

THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ACT OF UTTER GRACE IS HIGHLIGHTED IN A FAIRY TALE....

THE SUN AND THE NORTH WIND OBSERVED A MAN WALKING ALONG WEARING A HEAVY OVERCOAT. THEY DECIDED

TO SEE WHO COULD GET THE COAT OFF HIM. THE NORTH WIND ELECTED TO TRY FIRST. THE NORTH WIND BLEW A

HOWLING GALE AROUND HIM, BUT THE STRONGER THE WIND THE MORE TIGHTLY THE MAN DREW HIS COAT

AROUND HIMSELF. THEN THE SUN SAID, “NOW IT’S MY TURN.” SO, THE SUN BEAMED DOWN WARMING RAYS UPON

THE MAN AND SOON, OF HIS OWN CHOICE, THE MAN REMOVED THE COAT AND WALKED HAPPILY IN THE SUNSHINE.

PROVING THIS: WHEN WE SURROUND PEOPLE WITH WARMTH, THEY WILL…EVENTUALLY, AND BY THEIR OWN

CHOICE AND ENERGY, REVEAL AND REMOVE UNNECESSARY HEAVY WEIGHTS THEY HAVE USED AS PROTECTION.....

NOW SOME FOLKS MAY NEED MORE WARMTH THAN OTHERS.......BUT IT’S THE WARMTH THAT THE DESPAIRING

WOMAN RESPONDED TO IN THAT HONG KONG AIRPORT PASSENGER LOUNGE THAT DAY..........

YOU HAVE THE TICKET TO THAT WARMTH, BELOVED, THAT TICKET IS WITHIN YOU....YOUR HEART HAS IT.....

THE ONLY QUESTION IS WILL YOU USE IT BEFORE YOU LOSE YOUR TICKET? AMEN?

JESUS’ DESIRE & CONCLUSION

WHENEVER YOU STARTED YOUR JOURNEY WITH JESUS, ISN’T IT A COMFORT TO KNOW THAT THE LONGER WE LIVE

IN CHRIST, THE GREATER HE BECOMES IN US. IT’S NOT THAT HE CHANGES BUT THAT WE DO.....WE SEE MORE OF

HIM. WE SEE DIMENSIONS, ASPECTS, AND CHARACTERISTICS WE NEVER SAW BEFORE, INCREASING AND

ASTONISHING INCREMENTS OF HIS PURITY, POWER AND UNIQUENESS...........

MAYBE THAT’S WHY THE MAIN TICKET TO ETERNITY IS SOMETHING HE SECURED FOR YOU LONG BEFORE YOU WERE

EVEN BORN......YOUR TICKET HAS BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE AND THAT PRICE, PRECIOUS AND COMPLETE HAS

BEEN PAID IN FULL.....

AS FOLLOWERS OF THE RISEN ONE, BELOVEDS, WE STRIVE TOWARDS THE GOAL OF SHARING THE WARMTH OF

LOVE JESUS HAS SHOWERED DOWN UPON US.......WE SEEK TO HAVE EYES TO SEE, EARS TO HEAR AND HEARTS TO

RESPOND TO OUR DESPAIRING WORLD..........SO OUR TESTIMONY ABOUT WHAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR US CAN

MEET THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF THE WOMAN WHO LOST HER TICKET IN THE AIRPORT, OR EVEN

THE PERSON OR PERSONS WHO COULD WRITE THIS POEM I CLOSE WITH TODAY......AS WE CELEBRATE COMMUNION

TOGETHER TODAY....LET US SEEK TO SHARE JESUS MORE WIDELY, MORE POWERFULLY AND MORE PURPOSEFULLY

IN DAYS AND WEEKS AND MONTHS TO COME....THAT HE WOULD BE OUR INSPIRATION........

HERE’S THE CLOSING POEM:

WHEN PEOPLE ASK HOW I’M DOING.....

I WANT TO SAY MY DEPRESSION IS AN ANGRY DEITY, A JEALOUS GOD, A THIRSTY SHADOW THAT WRINGS MY

JOY LIKE A DISHRAG AND MAKES JUICE OUT OF MY SMILE. I WANT TO SAY, GETTING OUT OF BED HAS

BECOME A MAGIC TRICK. I AM PROBABLY THE WORST MAGICIAN I KNOW. I WANT TO SAY, THIS SADNESS IS

THE ONLY CLEAN SHIRT I HAVE LEFT AND MY WASHING MACHINE HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR MONTHS, BUT I’D

RATHER NOT RUIN SOMEONE’S DAY WITH MY TRAGIC HONESTY SO INSTEAD I TREAT MY FACE LIKE A

PUMPKIN. I PRETEND IT’S HALLOWEEN. I CARVE IT INTO SOMETHING ACCEPTABLE. I LAUGH AND I SAY,

“I’M DOING ALRIGHT.”

JESUS PUNCHED YOUR TICKET MORE THAN 2 CENTURIES AGO BELOVEDS....THERE IS LOVE ENOUGH FOR YOU AND

YOURS AND 4THEM AND THEIRS....FOR ALL GOD’S PEOPLE.....THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN US......SHARE THE

BEST OF WHO YOU ARE WITH THE ONES THAT NEED IT MOST.......CHECK IN, WITH CHRIST’S UNENDING LOVE.....