Looking Ahead to July 3, 2022 -- 4th Sunday After Pentecost

The Scripture Readings this week are:

• 1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25
• 1 Timothy 6:6-16
• Luke 16:10-13

The Sermon title is Faithful or Worthless?

Early Thoughts: What kind of a servant are you?

Eli was the High Priest. He is the one who is teaching the boy Samuel, who will become the next great leader in the story of the Israelites. Eli's sons, however, are a problem. They are expected to follow in their father's footsteps, to inherit the role as priest, but it seems they are only in it for themselves. They are misusing the sacrifices offered by the people. Even when their father pleads with them to change their ways they take no notice. As spiritual leaders they are, to be honest, worthless and scoundrels.

Timothy raises the faithful/worthless question from a slightly different perspective. The letter writer makes the less than subtle suggestion that maybe faithfulness is determined by what we consider most important.  If we assign ultimate value to the wrong things can we truly be faithful slaves/servants? (in the world where Scripture was written there is essentially no difference between slave and servant)

Then we have Luke, who brings in questions of honesty and dishonesty. It is a statement of faith that we have been entrusted with what belongs to another (God). It is a question of stewardship if we have kept that trust well and honestly. And, in the end, Luke goes to a similar place as Timothy. Which master will we serve? Can we be truly faithful to more than one?

You know something? I think I may have asked the wrong question up above. I think what I should have asked is "when are you a more faithful slave/servant and when are you less faithful?". Or maybe, following the logic we fine in Timothy and Luke, the question should be "to what master are you a faithful slave/servant?" "what do we think is of ultimate importance in guiding our actions?".

WE are called to be faithful slaves/servants in matters both big and small. Part of the way we respond to that call is to know when our wants fall into second place, that way we avoid the mistakes made by Eli's sons. Part of the way we respond is to put ultimate importance on community and basic needs being met and not falling prey to the love of money -- the root of all evil. Part of what it means is to remember that it is not, in the end, our stuff we are taking care of. And part of being a faithful slave/servant is to remember who is really in charge, who the master truly is.

How will you be a faithful slave or servant of God?
--Gord