Ecumenism and Economics
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Sermon Texts:
Amos 6:1-7
1st Timothy 6:11-19
Luke 16:19-31
Whether the cynical maxim "Money makes the world go around" or the
comic one-liner "No one's ever seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul", the
author of the First Letter to Timothy is addressing the same issues: "We
brought nothing into the world… we can take nothing out of it." And
in an age marked by an inequitable distribution of wealth similar to our own,
Jesus knew then what we experience now: money matters and money-talk grabs people's
attention. Taxes, wages, debts, investments and rewards-Jesus spoke often and
vividly about the clashing priorities between God's way of being and the world's
way of doing business. That clash is most evident in Luke's Gospel which portrays
Christ consistently siding with the poor.
The poor man dies and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich
man died and was buried. In the torment of Hades, he lets out an anguished cry
for mercy. But Abraham says, Sorry. Remember that in your lifetime you received
your good things. Your preoccupation you're your fortune only showed that every
day of your life you were dying to get where you are now, and forever. The eternal
fate of this rich man stands side by side with the reminder in 1st Timothy:
Do not set your hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us
with everything to enjoy.
The readings this morning focus upon our attitude toward wealth. Elsewhere is
scripture, it gets stated that the love of money is the root of all evil, that
being well-off is not evil per se but, as we hear this morning, it is our undue
attachment to the things of this world that constitutes sin. Of course, all
of us Christians here, well, none of us are unduly attached, right?
Let's test it with a story from a woman's childhood.
We were rather poor during the 1930s, poor enough to feel the lack of necessities
and to live on the edge of insecurity. One Saturday evening I was working late
on my homework. I was in the living room, my brothers were outside with their
friends, and my parents were in the kitchen, discussing our financial situation.
It was very quiet, and I found myself more and more following the kitchen conversation.
Mom and Dad were talking about what had to be paid for during the week, and
there was very little money-a few dollars. As I listened, I became more and
more anxious, realizing that there was not enough to go around. They spoke of
school needs, of fuel bills, of food. Suddenly the conversation stopped, and
my mother came into the room where I was studying. She put the money on the
desk and said "Here. Go find two of your brothers and run to the drugstore
before it closes. Use this money to buy strawberry ice cream."
"What?" I asked. "We have to use this to pay bills, Ma, to buy
school things. We can't spend it on ice cream." Dad looked at me a moment,
then threw back his head and laughed. "Your mother is right," he said.
How many of us think her mother was right? How many consider the decision irresponsible?
If we have any trouble with this story, it might be an indication of the extent
to which we are unduly attached, how we do set our hopes on the riches of the
world.
"Do as your mother says." So I collected my brothers and went to the
drugstore; we came home with our arms full of ice cream packages. My mother
had set the table, made fresh coffee, put out what cookies we had, and invited
in the neighbors. It was a great party! I do not remember what happened concerning
the other needs, but I remember the freedom and fun of that evening .It was
a matter of survival of the spirit. I learned that my parents were not going
to allow money to dominate them. I learned something of the value of money,
of its use. I saw that of itself it was not important but that my attitude toward
it affected my own spirit-could reduce me to powerlessness or give me power
of soul.
That things and the money to get them can overpower an individual's soul is only the half of it. For at the same time that one's soul is being ruined, one does so at the expense of another's flesh and blood. This is not only the case with individuals but with whole societies and nations: Foundations for the future, built with uncertain riches, are usually laid upon poor Lazarus. This is the injustice which the prophet Amos decries in the Old Testament lesson. "Woe to those who are at ease in Zion"-those who believe they have made it, who have reached the plateau of financial stability and who endeavor to stay there. "And woe to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria"-who believe they live in the very country God has chosen-"you notables of the first of the nations". "O, you who say we must follow this course to put far away the evil day and bring near a reign of violence." "Woe to those who lie upon beds of ivory" while homeless people sleep in your streets. "Woe to those who eat lambs from the flock and calves from the stall from countries where countless numbers scavenge trash. "Woe to those who sing idle songs" while the Third World manufactures your goods for a song. "Woe to those who anoint themselves with" fine or crude oils but are not grieved over the ruin of whole nations. "Therefore, you shall be the first of those to go into exile", consigned to a Hades of your own devising.
The sumptuous feasts of the rich man, the running sores of poor Lazarus; the
terrors of hell, some of the reasons for terror in our world.
The pathology of our sickness unto death is older than Amos' scathing diagnosis.
The author of the epistle says, "As for you, people of God, shun all this."
That does not mean come to church as a retreat from the world's problems but
rather as a way to train, to meet them head on, to fight the good fight of the
faith; to say no to the dollar standard of what is economically practical and
yes to God's standard of compassion and justice at any cost.
Do the ways of this world and God's hope for the Creation have to be at dichotomous odds separated by a chasm the likes of which puts the rich guy in the pit and the oppressed poor up at God's side but not until after death? What is economically practice-able in this life to uphold God's standard of compassion and justice for all?
Oikumene and Oikonome. Two very closely related Greek terms: Ecumenism and Economics. Community and the science of relationships that support community. The advice of 1st Timothy for those who have wealth is simple. And we need to remember that by the world's standards, every one of us in this place of worship is extremely wealthy. How are we to bring community and economy into line? We are not to be haughty or arrogant about our wealth nor set our hopes on the uncertainty of riches but instead rely upon our richly provident God. It's all about doing good (not doing well) and being "rich in good works", "generous and ready to share". As with the little girl's strawberry ice cream story, we are to be extravagant in spending this treasure of Christian practices now in order to fund a future rooted in the life that is really life. Priceless.
©Thomas F. Reese
September 26, 2004