Sermon on Luke 12:32-40

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

We usually have readings like today’s Gospel during the season of Advent, leading up to Christmas: “Stay awake! Keep watch!”

During that season, we remember that even as the Christ Child came at an unexpected time in an inauspicious place, Christ could come back at any time, so we should always be ready.

That can sound fearful, though, like: “stay on your best behavior or Jesus might catch you doing something bad and punish you for it.Don’t forget that any moment the Second Coming might happen, so you definitely shouldn’t do anything like rest or have fun.”

But Jesus wasn’t trying to scare his followers into submission. In fact, our reading opens with the words “do not be afraid”!

Not only is there the face value meaning, but it also again evokes Advent and Christmas: when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be Jesus’ mother and when the angels announced to the shepherds that Jesus had been born. In both stories, the angels toldthe humans not to fear.

And in our first reading, we read another instance that’s less associated with Christmas: when God promised Abram a multitude of descendants. All of these proclamations of good news started with “do not be afraid.”

Instead of scare tactics, is it possible that our Gospel reading today is actually good news? Yes! And let’s look at how:

Jesus starts by saying that God is pleased to give his hearersthe kingdom. That’s a far cry from “behave or else.” Instead, Jesus is reminding them that by following him, they’ve become a part of the Beloved Community, not just in the future, but here and now. They were part of bringing God’s community of love, joy, and peace to the world around them, making earth a little more as it is in heaven wherever they went.

As we talked about last week, Jesus wants his followers to prioritize relationships over stuff. The parable of the rich fool last week showed that life is meaningless when it’s full of stuff and no one to share it with. This week, Jesus says to invest in what can’t be taken away from you. Stuff decays or gets stolen, but relationships with God and each other are what make life worth living.

So, when Jesus goes on to talk about slaves waiting for their master to come (always a challenging metaphor—it’s uncomfortable when Jesus talks about an unjust and dehumanizing system like enslavement without denouncing it), Jesus isn’t talking about “behave or else” here.

We might expect the slaves to need to wait for their master to keep from getting punished, but that’s not how Jesus tells the story. Notice the master’s surprising behavior: when he gets home, Jesus says he will sit his slaves down and serve them. Not what you’d expect.

As uncomfortable as Jesus’ use of slavery imagery is, he’s talking about a complete reversal of the social order, where the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Kind of sounds like Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, doesn’t it? The rabbi, not to mention God in the flesh, stooped to do the dirtiest, lowliest job that the unluckiest servant normally did.Jesus used this story to declare that Beloved Community upends human hierarchies.

When the Second Coming happens, the people who are living into the Beloved Community, loving and serving their neighbors, will be sat down at God’s banquet that will never end.

But remember that we don’t earn our place at God’s table—it’s there for us from the moment God imagined us into being. We don’t serve our neighbor to earn our invitation into God’s Beloved Community—we’re already here!

We serve our neighbor now, because we recognize the image of God in them, because that’s how we would want to be treated, because God loves us so much that it pours out of our hearts and our hands in the form of service to our neighbor.

That is Beloved Community. That is earth as it is in heaven.

And also, it’s easy to get distracted. Marketing campaigns try to get us to believe we’re not worthy without buying their product.

Society sells us business courses and status symbols that allegedly will help us reach a higher rung on the corporate ladder, regardless of who we step on to get there.

We spend our lives trying to earn a place at a table without wondering if it’s even worth sitting at.

We’re like the rich fool in last week’s parable, trying to find security in stuff, but stuff won’t save us.

Sure, we can pay for top notch healthcare and for someone to diversify our portfolio to maximize profit and minimize risk. We can optimize our schedules to be the most productive. We can network to be invited into the most exclusive and powerful circles. We can have the best security systems to protect our privacy and our belongings.

But none of that will guarantee us love, ensure us a meaningful life, or protect us from death.

Our society spends so much time and effort distracting us from what really matters in life. “Buy this eye cream so you don’t feel like you’re aging.” “Binge this tv show to help you forget the shallowness of your friendships.” “Drink this alcohol to numb your anxiety and this energy drink to override your depression.”

It's all a distraction.

Instead, Jesus says, “Be ready.” Stay awake. Not in an “or else” sense, but in the sense of: “I love you and I don’t want you to miss out on what really satisfies: community, relationships, generosity, joy.”

Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi said, “Never allow pleasure or discomfort to distract you from your path.”

We human beings often want to ignore discomfort and lean into pleasure, but this quote reminds us that both can be distractions from what really matters. Do you want a momentary dopamine hit or the hard work of being in community? Do you want to indulge in complaining or refuse to use discomfort as an excuse to let yourself quit something worth doing?

In our reading, Jesus calls us to the path of Beloved Community. Don’t allow pleasure or discomfort distract you from that path.

We associate the message of our Gospel reading today with Advent and Christmas, but today we’re reading it in the long stretch of Ordinary Time. The commands “keep watch” and “stay awake” aren’t about obsessively policing our behavior so that Jesus won’t catch us doing something we shouldn’t. They’re about being present to what really matters in the day-to-day ordinary times of our ordinary lives.

Jesus invites us to be present to connection and community, the relationships that make life worth living.

Life isn’t about building bigger barns or guarding our stuff carefully against moths and thieves. It’s about loving God and loving our neighbor, living with open hands and open hearts.

Do not be afraid, little flock. The good news is that you are already part of the Beloved Community. Don’t let distractions or human hierarchies make you forget how much God loves you.Let your ordinary time be filled with connection and love.

Sermon on Luke 12:32-40

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

We usually have readings like today’s Gospel during the season of Advent, leading up to Christmas: “Stay awake! Keep watch!”

During that season, we remember that even as the Christ Child came at an unexpected time in an inauspicious place, Christ could come back at any time, so we should always be ready.

That can sound fearful, though, like: “stay on your best behavior or Jesus might catch you doing something bad and punish you for it.Don’t forget that any moment the Second Coming might happen, so you definitely shouldn’t do anything like rest or have fun.”

But Jesus wasn’t trying to scare his followers into submission. In fact, our reading opens with the words “do not be afraid”!

Not only is there the face value meaning, but it also again evokes Advent and Christmas: when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be Jesus’ mother and when the angels announced to the shepherds that Jesus had been born. In both stories, the angels toldthe humans not to fear.

And in our first reading, we read another instance that’s less associated with Christmas: when God promised Abram a multitude of descendants. All of these proclamations of good news started with “do not be afraid.”

Instead of scare tactics, is it possible that our Gospel reading today is actually good news? Yes! And let’s look at how:

Jesus starts by saying that God is pleased to give his hearersthe kingdom. That’s a far cry from “behave or else.” Instead, Jesus is reminding them that by following him, they’ve become a part of the Beloved Community, not just in the future, but here and now. They were part of bringing God’s community of love, joy, and peace to the world around them, making earth a little more as it is in heaven wherever they went.

As we talked about last week, Jesus wants his followers to prioritize relationships over stuff. The parable of the rich fool last week showed that life is meaningless when it’s full of stuff and no one to share it with. This week, Jesus says to invest in what can’t be taken away from you. Stuff decays or gets stolen, but relationships with God and each other are what make life worth living.

So, when Jesus goes on to talk about slaves waiting for their master to come (always a challenging metaphor—it’s uncomfortable when Jesus talks about an unjust and dehumanizing system like enslavement without denouncing it), Jesus isn’t talking about “behave or else” here.

We might expect the slaves to need to wait for their master to keep from getting punished, but that’s not how Jesus tells the story. Notice the master’s surprising behavior: when he gets home, Jesus says he will sit his slaves down and serve them. Not what you’d expect.

As uncomfortable as Jesus’ use of slavery imagery is, he’s talking about a complete reversal of the social order, where the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Kind of sounds like Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, doesn’t it? The rabbi, not to mention God in the flesh, stooped to do the dirtiest, lowliest job that the unluckiest servant normally did.Jesus used this story to declare that Beloved Community upends human hierarchies.

When the Second Coming happens, the people who are living into the Beloved Community, loving and serving their neighbors, will be sat down at God’s banquet that will never end.

But remember that we don’t earn our place at God’s table—it’s there for us from the moment God imagined us into being. We don’t serve our neighbor to earn our invitation into God’s Beloved Community—we’re already here!

We serve our neighbor now, because we recognize the image of God in them, because that’s how we would want to be treated, because God loves us so much that it pours out of our hearts and our hands in the form of service to our neighbor.

That is Beloved Community. That is earth as it is in heaven.

And also, it’s easy to get distracted. Marketing campaigns try to get us to believe we’re not worthy without buying their product.

Society sells us business courses and status symbols that allegedly will help us reach a higher rung on the corporate ladder, regardless of who we step on to get there.

We spend our lives trying to earn a place at a table without wondering if it’s even worth sitting at.

We’re like the rich fool in last week’s parable, trying to find security in stuff, but stuff won’t save us.

Sure, we can pay for top notch healthcare and for someone to diversify our portfolio to maximize profit and minimize risk. We can optimize our schedules to be the most productive. We can network to be invited into the most exclusive and powerful circles. We can have the best security systems to protect our privacy and our belongings.

But none of that will guarantee us love, ensure us a meaningful life, or protect us from death.

Our society spends so much time and effort distracting us from what really matters in life. “Buy this eye cream so you don’t feel like you’re aging.” “Binge this tv show to help you forget the shallowness of your friendships.” “Drink this alcohol to numb your anxiety and this energy drink to override your depression.”

It's all a distraction.

Instead, Jesus says, “Be ready.” Stay awake. Not in an “or else” sense, but in the sense of: “I love you and I don’t want you to miss out on what really satisfies: community, relationships, generosity, joy.”

Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi said, “Never allow pleasure or discomfort to distract you from your path.”

We human beings often want to ignore discomfort and lean into pleasure, but this quote reminds us that both can be distractions from what really matters. Do you want a momentary dopamine hit or the hard work of being in community? Do you want to indulge in complaining or refuse to use discomfort as an excuse to let yourself quit something worth doing?

In our reading, Jesus calls us to the path of Beloved Community. Don’t allow pleasure or discomfort distract you from that path.

We associate the message of our Gospel reading today with Advent and Christmas, but today we’re reading it in the long stretch of Ordinary Time. The commands “keep watch” and “stay awake” aren’t about obsessively policing our behavior so that Jesus won’t catch us doing something we shouldn’t. They’re about being present to what really matters in the day-to-day ordinary times of our ordinary lives.

Jesus invites us to be present to connection and community, the relationships that make life worth living.

Life isn’t about building bigger barns or guarding our stuff carefully against moths and thieves. It’s about loving God and loving our neighbor, living with open hands and open hearts.

Do not be afraid, little flock. The good news is that you are already part of the Beloved Community. Don’t let distractions or human hierarchies make you forget how much God loves you.Let your ordinary time be filled with connection and love.

Sermon on Luke 12:13-21

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

We can draw some pretty bleak conclusions from our readings today.

Maybe all is vanity. Maybe there’s no point in working for anything,

because someone else will benefit from it after we die.

Maybe our very life will be asked of us tonight, and we won’t get to

enjoy the fruits of our labor.

But I don’t think that’s what those readings are actually about. Our

reading from Colossians actually sums up the point of our readings well:

“Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are

on earth.”

That’s not to say that we shouldn’t enjoy things here on earth. God

created this world and called it good. God made food taste good and

made us with eyes that can appreciate beautiful things. God gave us skin

that’s sensitive to the softness of a blanket. We can appreciate good

things in this life. The Bible often uses strong either/or language that can

cause us to draw the conclusion that everything earthly and physical is

bad and everything spiritual is good. But I like to imagine God enjoying

watching us appreciate the world God created. It seems ungrateful to

shun the pleasures God created for us.

We just get into trouble when we focus on physical comforts and

enjoyment at the cost of ignoring our relationships with God and each

other.

The Teacher in Ecclesiastes was throwing his hands up in the air, giving

up on everything he had worked for because he couldn’t be certain of his

legacy. He seems to have found no joy or meaning in his work and still

felt despair at the idea of not knowing whether those who came after him

would care about his work and make good decisions. He was focused

inward, obsessed both with the drudgery of his work and the uncertainty

of its future.

Then, the opening of our Gospel reading shows someone approaching

Jesus to settle a disagreement with his brother over their inheritance.

And then Jesus starts telling this story about a man who’s also focused

inward, obsessed with storing up.

Jesus doesn’t say he got his wealth by mistreating his workers. The

problem instead seems to be that he doesn’t mention them at all, nor any

family, nor any other person. His inner monologue is full of the words

“I” and “my.” He, unlike the Teacher in Ecclesiastes, doesn’t seem to be

worried about what will happen to his stuff later. He just wants to enjoy

himself but doesn’t seem to have any concern for relationships with

other people. By extension, the brother who approached Jesus seems to

be putting his concern for possessions over his relationship with his

family.

Now, I don’t know what the situation was, but I do know that

inheritance and arguments over money and heirlooms can rip families

apart. I’m not saying it’s never justified to disagree about these things,

but they’re often symptoms of deeper hurts. We can let stuff become

symbolic of our relationships and fight over that instead of having more

vulnerable conversations about what our family means to us.

Whether your family is biological, chosen, or a mixture of both,

relationships are worth far more than stuff. That’s what the Teacher and

the rich man were missing. They were focused on themselves and their

stuff instead of human connection.

That’s what our readings point us to: what’s most important in life.

People don’t get to the end of their lives and wish they had more stuff. If

their death was brought on by poverty, then yes, wishing they had

enough resources to prevent a life cut short is understandable, but that’s

not what Jesus is talking about here.

• He’s talking about priorities and pointing out how lonely even the

  enviable position of prosperity can be if one doesn’t share it with loved

  ones and neighbors and the community.

  In our individualistic culture, it’s easy to fall into that loneliness. We can

  pay for delivery services instead of asking a favor from a neighbor or

  even interacting with a cashier at a store. Algorithms curate the people

  and ideas we interact with online.

  There are deep-seated cultural scripts that tell us that it’s shameful for an

  individual to be poor instead of shameful for a society to let them be

  impoverished, which keeps us from asking for help. Add on biases

  against people of color, immigrants, gender non-conforming people,

  people in larger bodies, people with disabilities, and so on, and our self-

  worth gets capped by how closely or not we embody the “cultural ideal.”

  Anything else becomes shameful.

  And so, we isolate ourselves for fear of what’s different or for fear of

  being different. We build bigger barns, numb ourselves with eating,

  drinking, and being merry, gripe about the dreariness of our jobs, and

  worry about who will get hired to take our place someday. We stay in

  our safe silos and forget the richness of community just outside our

  doors.

  The 2004 movie Crash explores racial relations in LA through several

  intertwining storylines revolving around a car accident. One of the

  storylines involves a district attorney and his wife, Jean, played by

  Sandra Bullock.

  At one point, Jean falls down the stairs in her house. She can’t get any of

  her so-called friends to help her. A friend of ten years even refuses to

  end her massage early to come to her aid. It’s Maria, Jean’s cleaning

  person, who takes her to the emergency room. When they get back to the

  house, Jean pulls Maria in for a long hug. “Do you want to hear

  something funny?” Jean whispers to Maria. “You’re the best friend I’ve

  got.”

  Jean’s life had gotten turned inward. She hung out with people like her:

  upper-middle-class white people who called each other to complain

  about their gardeners but who would never actually lift a finger to help

  each other. She learned the value of relationships—genuine,

  compassionate ones—the hard way.

  The movie plays hard into the “poor little rich white lady” trope, but it

  doesn’t take much to become isolated like that. It’s a gradual thing. It’s

  harder to get to know our neighbors than it once was. We get updates on

  people’s lives through social media posts instead of picking up the

  phone or meeting for coffee. We can afford to run to the store instead of

  borrowing a cup of sugar and building mutuality. We easily become rich

  in dollars and poor in relationships.

  We face the same challenges as the characters in our readings.

  What do we want our legacies to be?

  What will happen to our possessions after we die?

  What work can we do that will live on after us?

  What really matters? Who really matters to us?

  How can we expand our circles and deepen our relationships so that

  instead of turning inward toward vanity and loneliness, we turn outward

  with a spirit of joy and generosity?

  Relationships are hard work and can be painful. They require

  vulnerability and difficult conversations. But they’re what’s worth

  having in this life. Relationships with each other and God are what

  Beloved Community is made of. Embrace God’s immense and

  unchanging love for you and use it to love those around you. Your life

  will be richer for it