Rewards

 

Text: Matthew 10:40-42

Focus: Rewards

Function: to help people see the value in doing good works.

⁴⁰“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, ⁴²and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Good morning!

I was looking through my notes over the last several years and I noticed something. The Lectionary has a 6 year cycle that brings us back around to the text that we might have looked at before. And I noticed that right after I came here to this Church, I preached on this passage a sermon titled “Welcome” about how we can envision a new future by extending our welcome.

I have an ongoing theological discussion going on with people from the tradition I was raised in about salvation and the nature of grace, works and what exactly obedience to Christ -loving others- actually means.

Loving our neighbor as much as we love ourselves is radical in nature. It means we share our resources with those who are less fortunate than us. It means that we forgive even when the person who offended us continues their behavior.

It means that we are different than the consumer economy that believes obtaining more and more wealth somehow makes a person morally superior.

The Apostle said that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It can easily lead us into sin. And yet, somehow we value people who lie, cheat, steal and exploit their workers at less than a living wage as if they are the people who can show us how to live.

If I read the scriptures correctly, they have already gained their reward and heaven will be a desolate place for them, for eternity.

Jesus commanded us to be rich in the things of God by laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven. That requires the sacrificial giving of ourselves first to Christ and then we can easily give to others. It seems that when we give ourselves to Christ, we give ourselves to others. We are called to be a blessing to those around us.

I find it sad that to talk about living that way is almost considered un-American because the political rhetoric is so extreme that believers have left behind basic kindness in order to win the battle, as if winning is all that matters.

And yet Jesus, as his own trial said that he could defend himself with 10,000 angels, but instead choose to give his life sacrificially, knowing the resurrection was soon at hand for him. He lived and died in the faith that God is bringing a different kind of kingdom that does indeed share with and care about the least of these instead of the exalting the uber-wealthy.

Taking this passage literally, I would wonder if a person could be evil and wicked and then at the last minute find a prophet, or a righteous person, or a child and give to them the prescription in this passage, a drink of water, then that person could earn the same reward as them and get away with living an evil life.

But it is scripture and is not meant to be taken literally. Jesus is talking about an attitude of the heart, I believe, that is brought on by the Holy Spirit and is augmented by our faith in Christ.

An attitude of the heart.

The scripture sometimes refers to it as being born from above, or born again. It means that we have given ourselves over to God to live the way Jesus taught us to live and love. He says, all things become new to us.

Symbolically, Jesus is talking about the attitude of the heart that comes from the leading of the Spirit of God and he is talking in simple to understand terms. He is calling us to be merely the person who gives when someone is needing. The Bible says that when we give to the poor, we are lending to the Lord and God will pay us back. So, we are not out anything. And this is living by faith.

I confess that at times, when the lottery gets really big I dream of being uber-wealthy and wonder what I could do with the money.

It would be nice not to live from paycheck to paycheck. But then, we pray each day for our daily bread and trust in God’s provision.

Maybe I would pay to have all the Churches of the Brethren converted to solar, or start a chain of grocery stores in the food deserts of Dayton where the poor people are not even given a chance to buy that cup of water that the Lord wants us to give.

I could do good with the money.

But then I am reminded of the Apostle said about money and what it means to live generously by faith.

1 Timothy 6:⁹But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

¹¹But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

The apostle contrasts Christian living with secular living. It has a lot to do with what we are against and what we are for. And it has nothing to do with the culture wars that are going on in politics that have to do with the rights of our LBGTQ+ brothers, sisters, and non-binaries, or complaining about learning the truth of how we grew into a wealthy nation on the backs of slave labor and we owe a lot to the people of color who bore the burden for us.

Don’t fall into the trap of the culture wars on TV. They distract us from the principles of living for others, and loving them as Jesus wants us to.

Paul says, “Take a stand against materialism, in your own life.” Jesus said, Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.

By loving, sharing, giving, forgiving, and accepting others we are demonstrating the attitude of the heart that comes from the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

He is calling us to welcome others. And remember the potential that is inside of them.

I started out with an absurd logical argument that one could live any way they choose and then give this proverbial glass of water and escape judgment for living an evil life.

I explained that it was not literal but symbolic of our Christian attitude and the work of God inside of us.

I want to focus on my phrase, “Getting away with it.” Consider this: anyone wanting to get away with evil isn’t transformed. Or saying it differently: An evil life should not be an aspiration.

Paul said this to Timothy in our second text for today and he is talking about the rewards of the just when he says: Aspire to doing the right thing, always. Then you are a just man. Be different like God has called you to be. Trust God and rest in God’s promises. Love like Jesus loves. Endure because of heaven. Be gentle. Be courageous in your faith and remember that you are bound for an heavenly reward.