Proper 3a

Matthew 6:34 “You of Little Faith … So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Today’s gospel is from Jesus’ own wonderful Sermon on the Mount that starts with the beatitudes. This sermon of His continues with Him giving us His Lord’s Prayer. Today’s gospel comes from the Sermon on the Mount, the heart of Jesus’ teaching to us. The heart of what He wanted us to understand.

Let’s talk about today’s gospel, about Worrying - and about Faith.

MAD Magazine’s great philosopher, Alfred E. Neuman, says ‘What – me worry?’

But Alfred E. Newman was an airhead. Thinking makes Faith more difficult. No thinking for Alfred lets him smile, and say “What – Me Worry?” But our thinking makes us worry too much. We need to be able to set aside the Worrying, to ignore worldly concerns, to put Faith first so we can Walk with Jesus.

Consider Jesus’ Original Disciples. They gave up their jobs. They trusted charitable donations as itinerant preachers – or they would starve.

“As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who came to be called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Immediately they left their nets and followed him.’” [Matt 4:18-20]

The Simon Peter song we sang for the procession – “He spoke to me, asked me if I wanted more… He told me of life, of what it could be. He told me a man was born to be free”.

A man was born to be free. Simon and the other Disciples stepped out in Faith to: further develop their Faith in God, to free themselves from worldly concerns, to focus on the otherworldly, to become Free in the arms of Jesus. Jesus Loves us. He wants us to have Life beyond what we imagine it can be. The disciples put their Worries aside. If they weighed the wages paid versus the risks, they would just say ‘no!’. But the issues were too important; they were called by God, and they said ‘yes!’ Even though it didn’t make worldly sense.

Do things that don’t make sense. Do them because you are Called to do them.

Fr. John’s second career – as an ordained priest – why do it? Why not just sit in his lawn chair eating bon bons and swilling Scotch? It doesn’t make sense.

Consider the baby boomers who retire to risk time, money, and health to serve others. It doesn’t make sense.

Consider Cynthia Soares’s missionary trip into the unknown, into the wilderness of Africa; as a young mother of 2 - even scarier. It didn’t make sense.

They put their Worries aside. If they weighed the wages paid versus the risks, they would just say ‘no!’.

But the issues were too important; they were called by God, and they said ‘yes!’ Even though it didn’t make worldly sense.

Many modern theologians think that Jesus says that we must die (or be willing to die) so that we may truly live!

Think of those who are afraid of strangers and voluntarily shut themselves into their homes - doors shut, windows shuttered, the room dark. On the other hand, compare that worry, that fear, that darkness, to the terminally ill patients who demand to leave the hospital, to go home, to go into the sunlight.

I fondly remember pushing my Mom around the block in her wheelchair on one of her last days. She was confined in a safety bed, one with rails that were put up so they can’t get out of bed without approval and help from others. The doctor said, given her bones weakened by bone cancer, it was a considerable risk for her to get out of her safety bed. But she said she wanted to take the risk. And she was free as we rolled around the sidewalks of the block around her home. The spring flowers were out for her. Her risk. Her ‘What Me Worry?’ Her Freedom. Her Joy. Her Freedom.

Jesus calls us to take many more risks, to live our lives to the fullest.

Consider Soldiers, Firemen, Policemen, Doctors and Nurses who accept the risk of death to serve. It doesn’t make sense. But they are called to serve. They put their worries aside. Just like Jesus tells us to do.

When we are on our deathbed, thinking back on our lives – we’ll fondly remember all the crazy, risky, things we did – sky diving, river running, serving those who have contagious illnesses, traveling to the wilderness of Liberia, Africa.

Jesus wants us to do these crazy, risky, things!!! Jesus wants us To Pray, To Listen to God’s Call, and To Act. Note there is no ‘Worry’ step in this process. The process is Pray, Listen, Act. Pray, Listen to God’s Call, Act.

Let us ‘Dream the Impossible Dream’. The Biggest, Most Impossible Dream of All is that of Bringing God’s Kingdom to Earth. In the second verse in the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done’ means Bringing God’s Kingdom to Earth. Dream this Impossible Dream. But we at St. Timothy’s not only dream the impossible dream, we make it happen! We are bringing God’s Kingdom to earth, starting in the wilderness of Liberia, Africa, with School Children and with their parents.

This Liberia in the recent past - Bishop of Methodist Church in Liberia wrote in 1999

“The first thing the peace keeping troops noticed when they arrived in Monrovia in 1990 was the deplorable condition of the people of Monrovia. Liberians were dying by the thousands from hunger and diseases. Thus, the first needs the troops saw and attended to were the humanitarian ones. They began to share their meager resources and rations with the dying population they met. The soldiers were seen feeding children, the elderly, and mothers with babies. The nurses and doctors in the first contingent worked around the clock to save lives.

The war in Liberia has introduced a culture of violence into our society. Young people are accepting the notion that they can obtain power through one means - the use of force. Our society has become saturated with arms; the use of threats and intimidation to achieve what one wants has become commonplace. Young people need special attention to help expand their views of achieving power.

The war has also brought a lack of respect for our humanity, for human rights, and for the elderly. The intense and open brutality shown by combatants has affected Liberia adversely. After seeing how people were tortured and killed, after seeing corpses lying around, and after blaming the older people for the national problems, attitudes toward one another are negative. Human rights mean nothing. Many Liberians have concluded that they cannot expect justice or fair redress of their complaints when their rights are violated. The aged feel isolated and dehumanized because of neglect. If the leaders and the common people insist on order in the society, and human rights are promoted, this problem can be solved. We must promote civic education in the schools and for the public, so that the citizens will understand that they have a duty to themselves and to one another and that they have a responsibility to uphold the government, especially in promoting positive principles.” Liberia Will Rise Again, Arthur F. Kulah, Abingdon Press, ©1999

Conclusion

Since the Methodist Bishop in Liberia wrote that in 1999, Liberia has dramatically changed. Their President Taylor is in The Hague for War Crimes against Humanity. A wonderful new president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a 70 year old woman, now is the President of Liberia. She took office in January 16, 2006 – just 2 years and 4 months ago. She is Africa's first elected female head of state. She graduated from a United Methodist high school in Monrovia. She received college degrees in Accounting and Economics from US Universities, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University. She returned to Liberia in 1997 in the capacity of an economist, working for the World Bank, and for Citibank in Africa. She is often referred to as the "Iron Lady".

On 5 November 2007, President George W. Bush awarded Johnson-Sirleaf the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award given by the United States.

When Cynthia was there, President Ellen, (Ma Ellen), had been in office for only 1 and a half years. Ma Ellen received her elementary and high schooling in Liberian in a Methodist school – no public school. Our elementary, high school and vocational school is touching more than 2000 children. And we can do more. Think of the blessings of that container when it arrives at the schools in outback Liberia. Think of the blessings for the children’s schooling, for their job training, for their respect for institutions, for jobs, for their families. We must not worry about how well the financial ends are going to meet. We must do God’s work.

In today’s gospel, Jesus said, ‘Ye of Little Faith.’ and ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’

Jesus Loves Us. He thinks we’re beautiful. He wants us to walk free from our safety beds. He wants us to say ‘yes!’, to take risks that don’t make worldly sense because the risks are much greater than the wages paid.

Jesus wants us to do miracles. With Faith, with a ‘What – Me Worry?’ attitude that puts your worries aside, Pray, Listen to God’s Call, then Act. We can do His miracles. Jesus told us so in His Sermon on the Mount.

St. Timothy's