Sermon: Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The Very Rev. William Thomas Deneke, rector

Today we are presented with one of the difficult sayings of Jesus. Difficult, that is, if we are rich, and by world standards, we are. So it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for us to enter the kingdom of God.

That may put us in the position of comedian W.C. Fields. In failing health and near the end of his notoriously irreverent and indulgent life, Fields was found by his doctor propped up in his sick bed, reading the Bible. His doctor said, "W.C., what are you doing with a Bible?" Fields replied with his wit, "Well, my boy, I'm lookin' for loopholes."

We may be tempted to look for loopholes around being faithful stewards. Loopholes, though, are like mirages: they promise more than they give. That's because shortcuts in matters of faith and commitment lead us away from the kingdom of God.

But the gospel isn't just warning us about loopholes. It is describing what our evangelical friends might call the struggle between control and surrender.

As long as we have the resources to shape our destinies, we are going to be tempted to avoid surrendering our lives to God. That's because we tell ourselves that we don't really, really need God. We can take care of ourselves and taking care of ourselves is the most important thing we can do.

Most of us have been brought up to believe that. If our parents didn't teach us that, then our culture did. And it seems to work, so in return for our self-dependency, we may be charitable and sometimes even generous with our resources.

So Jesus could not possibly be talking to us.

As a child growing up in the 50's, I remember going with my mother to eat at Luby's Cafeteria in San Antonio. Cafeterias were sort of big things in the 50's. You would go through the line and choose what you wanted. There were lots of choices. As a kid I was always drawn toward fish and tartar sauce.

The cafeteria was quite different from a boarding house where I sometimes ate when I was in college. There you ate what was put on the table and you had to serve yourself quickly before it was gone. The choice was more eating or not eating than what to eat.

The cafeteria model was probably what the rich man in the gospel was used to. Maybe not so much in his eating habits, but in his decision-making. His resources allowed him to live with choices. And Jesus knew that the same resources that gave him choices could get him into trouble with his soul and his neighbor. Paradoxically, the choices that promised freedom and favor, could bind him to their domain.

Here's the good news: Our money will not save us. Money can do a lot for us and for others but it will never open the gates to the kingdom of God. Those gates are opened by grace, mercy and compassion. And we do well to use our money to facilitate our being open to those gifts of God. That's why Jesus told the rich man to give his money to the poor. In so doing the man might have discovered the true source of wealth.

It is unlikely that banks are going to print on our statements, Money is for glorifying God and not for salvation. But if we want to share in the kingdom of God, we might want to think about it.

The kingdom proclaimed by and revealed in Jesus was a way of living that turned ordinary values upside down. It could not be bought; there were no privileged memberships. It was a realm defined by the Beatitudes, a kingdom where the last was first and the first last.

And that's hard for us to contend with. But at the end of the day our place in the kingdom will be secured not so much by what we believe but by God's mercy. Through the love of God, we can make changes in our lives that seem as unlikely as a camel passing through the eye of a needle.

This afternoon we will honor St. Francis of Assisi by blessing animals on the parish lawn. Francis is a good example of how God transformed a person of wealth into a servant of grace. In him we are presented with a vision of God's realm and a story of a rich, young man who did not turn away from Jesus' invitation.

What kind of invitation is Jesus offering us? And how do we respond? In the gospel story the rich man went away grieving. But at least he got it. He experienced the invitation, took it seriously and responded intentionally. He could have blown it off.

I think that is the greater danger we face. Becoming so defended by our resources or status or beliefs or even debt that we are no longer vulnerable enough to really hear Jesus' invitation.

But life conspires against our defenses. And there are many invitations from God. Invitations to put our trust in mercy and compassion. Invitations to be a blessing to God and a neighbor to others. Invitations to be a faithful steward, trusting the abundance of grace that is redeeming us even now.

As God's stewards, all of us are invited to see money through the eyes of God's kingdom. As with the rich man in the gospel, that may sometimes challenge us. But how much richer we are when our eyes and hearts are opened by the One who loves us more than we can even imagine. The One whose love is such that it enables even a camel to go through the eye of a needle.