The Transforming Power Of A Changed Perspective
Sermon
Sermons On The Gospel Readings
Series I, Cycle C
As we wander through the middle of this twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we notice that Jesus makes some comments that are, at the very minimum, puzzling. He says, "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear" (v. 22).
Does Jesus really expect his disciples to stop worrying and to abide by that advice? Jesus' followers were poor people. They had a hard time keeping their families clothed. They did not always know from whence the next meal was coming. Of course, they worried about food and clothing. How could they not?
A few verses later Jesus continues, "Do not be afraid" (v. 32). Just how does a frightened person comply with that command? Let us say the minister is called to the hospital in the middle of the night. A car filled with teenagers has been involved in a traffic accident. The extent of injuries has yet to be determined. Parents from the church wait in the emergency room. Is it realistic to expect them not to be frightened about the news the doctor might bring? Worry so pulsates in their throats that they can hardly catch their breath. "Remember Jesus commands us not to be afraid," falls on deaf ears. Injured loved ones cause us to worry. As human beings we are "hard-wired" for it. How then do we make sense of Jesus telling us not to do what comes naturally?
Let me begin unpacking an explanation by noting that at its heart, Christianity is a radically different way to look at the world. Faith serves as a set of spectacles through which we see the world as God wants us to see it. People of faith think differently because we see differently. Because we see differently, we are supposed to live differently. Seeing the world through God's eyes requires some changes. As Paul puts it in Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect." When Jesus admonishes his followers not to worry and not to be afraid, he is applying that tenet. It is the biblical principle of the transforming power of a changed perspective.
That is not to say fear and worry can or even should be eliminated. In proper proportion and in the right circumstances, fear and worry serve us as gifts of a loving God. Some things produce anxiety in us. Indeed the stock market could crash. The Social Security trust fund could become bankrupt. The nations of the Middle East could set the price of oil at $300 a barrel and force people to use their Sport Utility Vehicles as large flowerpots. These are genuine sources of worry. When Jesus tells his followers not to be afraid and not to worry, he is talking about keeping fear and worry proportional, not eliminating them entirely. We can expect to be frightened. In the right amounts over the right things, that is a wonderful gift of God. However, we should fear the fearsome. Worry, but not about those things over which we have no control. And under no circumstances need we permit ourselves to be paralyzed by anxiety.
The problem, of course, is that these gifts can be misused. Homo sapiens, after all, is the only species capable of standing on hind legs and snatching worry out of thin air. That is a misuse of God's good gift. A friend tells of living in married student housing at a major university. The woman in the apartment next door was pregnant with her first child. It is right and proper to be so concerned for an unborn child that one seeks out prenatal care. This neighbor was more than sufficiently concerned. After a regular visit to the obstetrician she came to see my friend and gasped, "The doctor told me today that the baby is forming ears. Oh, Carol! I am concerned. I don't know how to make ears." This woman was a master of raising worry to an art form. That is the species of worry and fear about which Jesus warns us.
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear." While wonderful advice, we need to know how to put it into practice. Return to Romans 12:2. We are not to be conformed to this world, but we are to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. We are to seek a faithful perspective on this life. Our lives can be transformed by looking at things the way God wants us to see them.
This twelfth chapter of Luke is one of many places in the Gospel where Jesus paints the world the way God wants us to see it and then invites us to take a peek at the canvas. As might be expected, there is a profound difference between how the world wants us to see life and how God calls us to see it. Our natural inclination is to look only at what concerns us at the present moment. Faithfulness calls us to see things more as God sees them. I know my needs and wants. God knows the needs of all creation. I am very familiar with my little corner of the world. God has intimate knowledge of everything from the tiniest microbe to the most distant collapsing star in the furthest galaxy at the edge of the universe. I have a fairly good memory of my life from about the age of two or three to the present. God has experienced the history of the universe from the time of creation to the present moment. God calls me to try to see more from God's perspective than from the perspective of self.
Jane Parker Huber reminds us that a panoramic view changes the way we think and then the way we live. In her hymn, "When In Awe Of God's Creation," she notes that from outer space, earth is a "mysterious floating marble, strewn with clouds and bathed in grace." From that higher altitude, there are no lines of demarcation that slice us into nations, class, and race. Like a trip into outer space, the Gospel of Jesus Christ lifts us up and permits us to see the world, if not exactly from God's perspective, then at least from higher ground. As the hymn writer claims, the broad horizon of outer space reveals that there are no good reasons to continue hatred. Wars can cease. We can love each other. There can be peace. Seeing the world through the Gospel of Jesus Christ transforms our lives by calling us to larger lives in a larger world. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect."
They say that if a newborn shark is kept in a small tank of water it will never achieve its full size potential. No matter how much the shark is fed it will not outgrow its surroundings. In the open ocean a shark that grows to sixteen feet will be full-grown at two feet if kept in a small tank. The shark's environment determines its size. People are the same. If we insist on living in the miniature world of nothing more than personal needs and desires, our growth is stifled. We become consumed by the tyranny of a too-tiny "Me, Myself, and I." When we get entangled in self, we become consumed with worry and fear. Oh, woe is me, what shall I eat? What shall I wear? To paraphrase our Lord, "Quit focusing on yourself. Push the limits of your vision. Haven't you noticed that even crows have enough to eat? God takes care of birds and you are more valued than any bird. Trust God. Don't fret about what you will wear. Take a look at the flowers in that meadow over there. Those lilies never worry and God takes care of them."
With these words the Master offers a perspective which makes it possible for us to live victoriously rather than to be overwhelmed by fear and worry. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect."
You might have heard this non-biblical proverb. "The biggest difference between the rich and the poor is that the poor still think if they had enough money they could solve all their problems." I used to think that meant that, unlike the rich, the poor have not learned that one cannot acquire sufficient money to solve every problem. Rich and poor alike will encounter problems.
I have come to realize that is not its meaning. To say, "The greatest difference between the rich and the poor is that the poor still think if they had enough money they could solve all their problems," has little to do with money. It is a proverb about attitude, about perspective. People are not poor simply because they lack money. They are poor because they still think that more money will correct every problem. People are not rich simply because they have a great deal of money. They are rich because of their attitude.
True riches emanate from confident trust in God's loving care. Truly wealthy people may continue to have problems with their children, but they are not consumed by their worry. The truly wealthy may be anxious about a problem, but they are not paralyzed by fear. That which makes a person truly wealthy is not money. It is the power that comes from a transformed perspective.
After telling his followers not to be afraid and not to worry, Jesus goes on to say, "It is the nations of the world that strive for these things," that is for food and clothes (v. 30). As people of faith we are not to content ourselves with the outlook, values, and priorities of this world. (Notice how reminiscent that is of Paul's comment not to be conformed to this world.) After the diagnosis, Jesus offers a prescription. He says that we are to "strive for the kingdom, and these things will be given to you."
Instead of being consumed by worry and fear, work for the reign of God. To state that another way, whenever you find yourself being drained by personal concerns, go out and do something for someone else. What tremendous advice. Nothing escalates anxiety faster than expending all your time and energy thinking about self. Nothing alleviates self-concern more effectively than doing something for others. Be personally empowered by giving of yourself in service to others. Such transforming power comes from that different perspective.
Our Lord finishes off this section of his preaching with a short discussion on when we can expect the end of history and the coming day of judgment. The Bible teaches that God brought the world into existence and that there will be an end of the world. Certainly as individuals, there was a time before we were born and there will be a time after we die. Both our own demise and a coming judgment day for the world are sources of fear and worry. The context of Jesus' remarks in Luke 12 suggests that people were worried about this. The Master informs his audience that it is not known when God will bring about the cataclysmic end of history -- and by implication, when individuals can expect the end of their earthly journey. It could happen at any time. It might happen in the middle of this night or at dawn on some day in the distant future. The only thing of which we can be certain is that it will come when least expected. Therefore, we must always be ready. Since we will receive no warning, we need to live every day of our lives as if today just might be the day we will answer to God.
Again that is a very different way to think about things. It is also a very empowering perspective. If you want to know the deepest joys, live each day as it if it might be your last. Live each day as if this just might be the day that ends with you standing before Almighty God being asked to account for your life. Don't put off the really important things until tomorrow. Do not be conformed to the ways of this world. Look at things the way God wants you to see them. That perspective will empower your life. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Does Jesus really expect his disciples to stop worrying and to abide by that advice? Jesus' followers were poor people. They had a hard time keeping their families clothed. They did not always know from whence the next meal was coming. Of course, they worried about food and clothing. How could they not?
A few verses later Jesus continues, "Do not be afraid" (v. 32). Just how does a frightened person comply with that command? Let us say the minister is called to the hospital in the middle of the night. A car filled with teenagers has been involved in a traffic accident. The extent of injuries has yet to be determined. Parents from the church wait in the emergency room. Is it realistic to expect them not to be frightened about the news the doctor might bring? Worry so pulsates in their throats that they can hardly catch their breath. "Remember Jesus commands us not to be afraid," falls on deaf ears. Injured loved ones cause us to worry. As human beings we are "hard-wired" for it. How then do we make sense of Jesus telling us not to do what comes naturally?
Let me begin unpacking an explanation by noting that at its heart, Christianity is a radically different way to look at the world. Faith serves as a set of spectacles through which we see the world as God wants us to see it. People of faith think differently because we see differently. Because we see differently, we are supposed to live differently. Seeing the world through God's eyes requires some changes. As Paul puts it in Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect." When Jesus admonishes his followers not to worry and not to be afraid, he is applying that tenet. It is the biblical principle of the transforming power of a changed perspective.
That is not to say fear and worry can or even should be eliminated. In proper proportion and in the right circumstances, fear and worry serve us as gifts of a loving God. Some things produce anxiety in us. Indeed the stock market could crash. The Social Security trust fund could become bankrupt. The nations of the Middle East could set the price of oil at $300 a barrel and force people to use their Sport Utility Vehicles as large flowerpots. These are genuine sources of worry. When Jesus tells his followers not to be afraid and not to worry, he is talking about keeping fear and worry proportional, not eliminating them entirely. We can expect to be frightened. In the right amounts over the right things, that is a wonderful gift of God. However, we should fear the fearsome. Worry, but not about those things over which we have no control. And under no circumstances need we permit ourselves to be paralyzed by anxiety.
The problem, of course, is that these gifts can be misused. Homo sapiens, after all, is the only species capable of standing on hind legs and snatching worry out of thin air. That is a misuse of God's good gift. A friend tells of living in married student housing at a major university. The woman in the apartment next door was pregnant with her first child. It is right and proper to be so concerned for an unborn child that one seeks out prenatal care. This neighbor was more than sufficiently concerned. After a regular visit to the obstetrician she came to see my friend and gasped, "The doctor told me today that the baby is forming ears. Oh, Carol! I am concerned. I don't know how to make ears." This woman was a master of raising worry to an art form. That is the species of worry and fear about which Jesus warns us.
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear." While wonderful advice, we need to know how to put it into practice. Return to Romans 12:2. We are not to be conformed to this world, but we are to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. We are to seek a faithful perspective on this life. Our lives can be transformed by looking at things the way God wants us to see them.
This twelfth chapter of Luke is one of many places in the Gospel where Jesus paints the world the way God wants us to see it and then invites us to take a peek at the canvas. As might be expected, there is a profound difference between how the world wants us to see life and how God calls us to see it. Our natural inclination is to look only at what concerns us at the present moment. Faithfulness calls us to see things more as God sees them. I know my needs and wants. God knows the needs of all creation. I am very familiar with my little corner of the world. God has intimate knowledge of everything from the tiniest microbe to the most distant collapsing star in the furthest galaxy at the edge of the universe. I have a fairly good memory of my life from about the age of two or three to the present. God has experienced the history of the universe from the time of creation to the present moment. God calls me to try to see more from God's perspective than from the perspective of self.
Jane Parker Huber reminds us that a panoramic view changes the way we think and then the way we live. In her hymn, "When In Awe Of God's Creation," she notes that from outer space, earth is a "mysterious floating marble, strewn with clouds and bathed in grace." From that higher altitude, there are no lines of demarcation that slice us into nations, class, and race. Like a trip into outer space, the Gospel of Jesus Christ lifts us up and permits us to see the world, if not exactly from God's perspective, then at least from higher ground. As the hymn writer claims, the broad horizon of outer space reveals that there are no good reasons to continue hatred. Wars can cease. We can love each other. There can be peace. Seeing the world through the Gospel of Jesus Christ transforms our lives by calling us to larger lives in a larger world. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect."
They say that if a newborn shark is kept in a small tank of water it will never achieve its full size potential. No matter how much the shark is fed it will not outgrow its surroundings. In the open ocean a shark that grows to sixteen feet will be full-grown at two feet if kept in a small tank. The shark's environment determines its size. People are the same. If we insist on living in the miniature world of nothing more than personal needs and desires, our growth is stifled. We become consumed by the tyranny of a too-tiny "Me, Myself, and I." When we get entangled in self, we become consumed with worry and fear. Oh, woe is me, what shall I eat? What shall I wear? To paraphrase our Lord, "Quit focusing on yourself. Push the limits of your vision. Haven't you noticed that even crows have enough to eat? God takes care of birds and you are more valued than any bird. Trust God. Don't fret about what you will wear. Take a look at the flowers in that meadow over there. Those lilies never worry and God takes care of them."
With these words the Master offers a perspective which makes it possible for us to live victoriously rather than to be overwhelmed by fear and worry. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect."
You might have heard this non-biblical proverb. "The biggest difference between the rich and the poor is that the poor still think if they had enough money they could solve all their problems." I used to think that meant that, unlike the rich, the poor have not learned that one cannot acquire sufficient money to solve every problem. Rich and poor alike will encounter problems.
I have come to realize that is not its meaning. To say, "The greatest difference between the rich and the poor is that the poor still think if they had enough money they could solve all their problems," has little to do with money. It is a proverb about attitude, about perspective. People are not poor simply because they lack money. They are poor because they still think that more money will correct every problem. People are not rich simply because they have a great deal of money. They are rich because of their attitude.
True riches emanate from confident trust in God's loving care. Truly wealthy people may continue to have problems with their children, but they are not consumed by their worry. The truly wealthy may be anxious about a problem, but they are not paralyzed by fear. That which makes a person truly wealthy is not money. It is the power that comes from a transformed perspective.
After telling his followers not to be afraid and not to worry, Jesus goes on to say, "It is the nations of the world that strive for these things," that is for food and clothes (v. 30). As people of faith we are not to content ourselves with the outlook, values, and priorities of this world. (Notice how reminiscent that is of Paul's comment not to be conformed to this world.) After the diagnosis, Jesus offers a prescription. He says that we are to "strive for the kingdom, and these things will be given to you."
Instead of being consumed by worry and fear, work for the reign of God. To state that another way, whenever you find yourself being drained by personal concerns, go out and do something for someone else. What tremendous advice. Nothing escalates anxiety faster than expending all your time and energy thinking about self. Nothing alleviates self-concern more effectively than doing something for others. Be personally empowered by giving of yourself in service to others. Such transforming power comes from that different perspective.
Our Lord finishes off this section of his preaching with a short discussion on when we can expect the end of history and the coming day of judgment. The Bible teaches that God brought the world into existence and that there will be an end of the world. Certainly as individuals, there was a time before we were born and there will be a time after we die. Both our own demise and a coming judgment day for the world are sources of fear and worry. The context of Jesus' remarks in Luke 12 suggests that people were worried about this. The Master informs his audience that it is not known when God will bring about the cataclysmic end of history -- and by implication, when individuals can expect the end of their earthly journey. It could happen at any time. It might happen in the middle of this night or at dawn on some day in the distant future. The only thing of which we can be certain is that it will come when least expected. Therefore, we must always be ready. Since we will receive no warning, we need to live every day of our lives as if today just might be the day we will answer to God.
Again that is a very different way to think about things. It is also a very empowering perspective. If you want to know the deepest joys, live each day as it if it might be your last. Live each day as if this just might be the day that ends with you standing before Almighty God being asked to account for your life. Don't put off the really important things until tomorrow. Do not be conformed to the ways of this world. Look at things the way God wants you to see them. That perspective will empower your life. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect."
