26th Sunday after
Pentecost /
Matthew 25:14-30
Rev. Gayle M. Highness
Croak, or Croak!
Once upon a time, a frog sat on a
lily pod in a swamp. The frog looked out over the swamp and, a far as he could
see, it was all dark and gloomy and not at all pleasant.
“What am I to do about this place,”
the frog thought. “There’s no life here … nothing but darkness and gloom.
“I know,” said the frog. “I’ll do
what comes naturally. I’ll croak.” So he began to croak out a froggy tune, and
soon, here came another frog to join him.
“Hello there,” said the second frog.
“I was all alone in the dark. It was all
darkness and gloom as far as I could see. I didn’t know WHAT to do until I
heard you croaking and then I got so excited thinking, ‘Hey! There’s somebody
else out there. I’m going to go see!’ ”
And so the two frogs became fast
friends and, together they continued croaking away, and the swamp wasn’t so
dark and gloomy any more. There was life after all, and more than before.
Meanwhile, not far away in another
part of the swamp, another frog looked out and saw nothing but darkness and
gloom. “What am I going to do about this?” thought the third frog.
“I could croak, but then who knows
what might happen? Something might hear me croak and then what? It might be
bigger than me and it might be mean and it might hurt me or even eat me. I think it’s best just to play it safe.
I think I’ll just sit here and just
get used to the dark. Life probably isn’t meant to be any better than this
anyway.” And eventually, the third frog
just died and rotted and sank into the darkness of the swamp.
Three frogs: one croaked with the
froggy voice he was given, a second joined him and the swamp got a little
brighter. The third considered croaking, but was afraid and, in the end, he
croaked anyway.
This world in which we live is a
dark, swampy place, too, in a way. God made it good, but darkness entered
because of sin, and we’re all trapped in it. There is wailing here and gnashing of teeth.
But God has a plan. God is on a mission.
God sent his Son Jesus to earth to save the world – to bring light to the
darkness – to set things right between us and God. And that is what Jesus did.
In Christ, there is salvation –
eternal life, healing, wholeness and peace. Jesus did the work God sent him to
do. Through his death and resurrection, he re-established God’s kingdom on
earth. He called and gathered a few followers and, once he completed his
mission, he left, just like the man in the parable we heard in today’s gospel. And some day, he’s coming back, too!
But in the meantime, God didn’t
leave us empty handed. He sent his
Sprit.
In Christ, God’s Kingdom broke
through the darkness! And God’s kingdom
of light and life is still here among us now, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
in the hearts of all who believe.
God has entrusted His Kingdom – His
property – His mission to redeem the world – to us! We receive God’s Spirit by grace through
faith.
So here we are in this sin-bound,
swampy earth and here we sit, graced with the amazing knowledge that this is
not all there is – that darkness and gloom, war and oppression, sickness and
death, is not the ultimate reality!
There is forgiveness and new life
with God in Christ. We have this Good News that we are saved from eternal
death, wailing and gnashing of teeth by grace through faith because of Jesus.
God has entrusted us with this news
and given us a mission to advance His Kingdom by spreading this Word, which
ignites faith in the hearer.
So what do we do? Do we croak?
Or do we just croak?
The first frog looked out into the
gloom and did what came naturally. He used what he had and croaked out a tune –
that’s all. He didn’t know what was out there or what would come of it. That
wasn’t his concern – he just sang and the tune went out and got results. Life
multiplied. Light spread.
The frog who analyzed and worried
and was afraid, thought he was playing it safe. But he just died in the dark –
nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Last month our council was presented
with an opportunity to use our gift of this building to help spread God’s good
news in Nauvoo. This small band of
disciples called Signs & Wonders Fellowship needed a warm place to continue
the Saturday night worship they had begun in the State Park last May.
They began to ask around … ran into
obstacles here and there and eventually asked us: Could we use your building?
We pondered the risks: Who are these
people? What are they all about? Is their doctrine compatible with ours? Are we
being used? Shouldn’t they be able to
get their own building?
What about insurance if someone gets
hurt? What if they say or do something that reflects badly on us or, worse yet,
causes us to get sued? What if this stirs
up disagreement within our own congregation?
On the other hand … what if God is
giving us an opportunity to reach out in mission to the community of Nauvoo in
a way we never would have come up with on our own?
Of course, Signs & Wonders is
taking a risk, too. Their vision is to be non-denominational – to attract
people who may not otherwise set foot in a church, and to be a support and
encouragement to the Body of Christ in Nauvoo in all its forms. Will it
compromise their vision and mission
to be housed in a mainline denominational church?
We have each been entrusted with a
share of God’s Kingdom. Together, maybe
we can take five talents of good news and turn it into ten!
If we keep our treasure to ourselves
– safe and sound within the confines of the familiar walls and faces of this
building, we will die on the vine. It is the nature of God’s life to spread. If
we close the doors and try to contain the flame inside, what little light and
energy we have will be taken away.
So, here’s just one little example
of something we can do – of a way to invest the gift of faith and property God
has given us.
But there is more to be done on this
earth. Each of you has this gift of the amazing knowledge that God loves us and
forgives us and gives us new and eternal life through faith in Jesus.
How can YOU take that treasure and
multiply it for the sake of God’s Kingdom today? What bold and risky venture
can you try – what can you do that might just come naturally if you weren’t
afraid of what would happen?
Why not take the risk? It’s merely
an earthly risk, you know. From the perspective of God’s kingdom, there is no
risk at all! What do we have to lose
when God has promised us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in
Jesus Christ.
The only risk we take is NOT to do
anything with the treasure God has given to us – to bury it so that nothing bad
will happen to us in this short and gloomy life. What appears to be the safest approach really
amounts to turning our back on God for the sake of our own comfort.
Earlier, in the 16th
chapter of Matthew, we read that Jesus told his disciples:
“If any want to become my followers, let them deny
themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save
their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find
it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their
life? …For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his
Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done.”
God has given us the precious gift
of salvation, paid for by the blood of His Son. With that gift comes a command,
“Go and make disciples. Extend my kingdom. Advance my mission. Serve my purpose
to redeem and restore the world by boldly using the resources I have given you.”
Don’t make it too difficult. Just do
what flows naturally from the life you have in Christ when you set aside your
fears and trust God to work through you, using the unique talents and interests
and passions God put into you in the first place.
Then when you stand before Jesus, it
will be so wonderful to hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful
servant. Enter into the joy of your
master.”