Читать книгу Rich in the Things That Count the Most - James W. Moore - Страница 7

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10

In almost every healthy family, the children, as they grow older, like to tease their parents (especially their dads) about some funny moment from the past. The moment our children most like to tease me about happened when our daughter, Jodi, was sixteen years old. Her younger brother, Jeff, was thirteen at the time. They, grinning mischievously, came into the den of our home one evening to tell me that one of their friends named Jennifer had just turned sixteen and her dad had given her a brand new red sports car for her birthday. They both thought that this was a great idea, a great gesture on Jennifer's dad's part. They thought that Jodi, who had just turned sixteen a few days before, would be glad to receive a brand new red sports car from her dad anytime now and that Jeff would like one also when he reached sixteen years of age.

I said, "Well, let me explain that. Jennifer's father is a very successful oil man, one of the wealthiest men in town. He could easily afford a brand new sports car for his daughter, and I know that we are all happy for them and their good fortune. However, I am a Methodist minister with a Methodist minister's salary. The church has been wonderful to us, but the truth is we can't afford a brand new car right now."

Jeff, empathizing with his big sister, spoke for both of them, expressing their disappointment. He said, "Rats!" (That's about as strong as it gets in a parsonage.) He said, "Rats! I wish we were rich!" And I said, "We are rich. We are rich in the things that count the most! We have love, we have faith, we have the church, and we have one another. Those are the things in life that really matter. We can't afford a sports car right now, but we are rich in the things that count the most."

Now, Jodi and Jeff knew that and really understood that deep down inside. They knew coming in that night that the chances of a new car were slim to none. But over the years and up to the present moment, they have had such fun teasing me about that conversation. They think it's hilarious!

"We'd like to take a family cruise to Hawaii, Dad, but we can't afford it. That's OK because we are rich in the things that count the most!"

"The World Series? The Super Bowl? The Final Four? Wimbledon? The Masters? Cabin in Colorado? No way! But that's OK because we are rich in the things that count the most."

"Dad's got a hole in his shoe, but don't worry about it, because we are rich in the things that count the most."

After each comment like that, they laugh and laugh and hug me. They think it's so funny, and yet that is precisely what they are now saying to their children when their children want something they don't really need or they can't really afford. The point is: it's nice to have money and the things that money can buy, but every now and then we need to check to be sure that we have the things money can't buy. Now, please don't misunderstand me. I am not being critical of wealthy people. As a matter of fact, I know quite a number of people, some of them my best friends, who have both. They have material wealth, and they also have the riches that count the most.

Over the years, I have noticed that the people who are rich and happy are the people who would be happy even if they weren't rich because their happiness is not dependent on material things.

I hope we will all count our many blessings and name them one by one; but as we do that, it's good to remember that even if we didn't have a lot of possessions, we could still be grateful because God is with us and God is for us. Real gratitude is more than counting material blessings. God is our friend, and that is the real source of our gratitude. That's the real reason we can be grateful.

Isn't it fascinating and revealing to note that our greatest expressions of thanksgiving historically have come from people who did not have a lot of material "things." Think about it:

Jesus, who had no place to lay his head;

Luther, who was in hiding for his life;

Francis of Assisi, who was voluntarily poor;

Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf;

Mother Teresa, who served tirelessly in a leper colony;

the Pilgrims, who were hungry, cold, and scared at Plymouth Rock.

There's a sermon there somewhere and it's all about the lesson Zacchaeus learned that day in Jericho. He was a chief tax collector and very, very rich. He was rich and miserable! Miserable because his selfish pursuit of wealth had cost him dearly. It had caused him to lose his God, his church, and his friends. His selfish pursuit of ill-gotten wealth had caused him to lose the riches of life that count the most.

Let me ask you something. What are you most grateful for today? What are the riches in your life right now that will last and endure, that won't rust or corrode or become boring or go out of style? What are the riches that Zacchaeus found that day in Jericho? What are the riches that count the most? Let me mention three that flow gracefully out of the Zacchaeus story in Luke 19.

First, There Is Faith

There is God and his amazing grace. How is it with you right now? Are you rich in faith? Are you rich in God? There's nothing more valuable than having God in your life. That's why Zacchaeus was so miserable that day in Jericho. He had lost his God. He had lost his faith. He had drifted away from his Lord, his Master, his Creator, his Savior. Even though he had great material riches that day, he felt lost and empty and unhappy.

And then look what happens. God comes looking for him. Jesus walks over to that sycamore tree, looks up, and calls him by name. He doesn't say, "Hey, you!" or "Hey, Shorty!" or "Hey, tax collector." He calls him by name: "Zacchaeus, come on down. Let's go and have lunch together." For the rest of his life, Zacchaeus would never forget the sheer lunatic joy of that moment.

God came looking for him and came in the spirit of grace and forgiveness. God came to him and called him by name, and Zacchaeus's life was turned completely around because he suddenly realized that faith in God is the most valuable thing in the world.

Notice that Jesus gave Zacchaeus no material gifts. Jesus gave him something better—grace, respect, acceptance, forgiveness, a chance to change his life and make a new start. Zacchaeus was so touched, so honored, so grateful, that his lifestyle was totally changed. Why, it even touched his wallet: "Behold, Lord," he says, "the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I will pay it back four times over."

You see, that's what grateful faith does; it changes our lives. It changes what we put our trust in. Think about it like this. The words "In God We Trust" appear on our coins and on our paper money. The question is, "Do we trust in God?" or "Do we trust the money on which that motto is printed?"

In a nutshell, here's what happened to Zacchaeus that day in Jericho: He stopped trusting the money and started trusting God! He realized that day that discipleship is better than dollars. As Christians, we are rich in the things that count the most because, first of all, we are rich in God. We are rich in faith.

Second, There Is Church

The church is another of the riches of life that count the most. Zacchaeus had gotten tied in with the Romans and had gotten wealthy off the deal. But in the process, he had lost his church. Please don't let that happen to you. Stay close to the church. It's one of the most valuable gifts God has given us.

Now, let me say something to parents and grandparents with all the feeling I have in my heart. You can give your children cashmere sweaters or ski trips to Colorado or sports cars if you want. But let me tell you something. Without question, the best gift you can give them is Jesus Christ and his church. If you want to do something good for your children, if you want to give them the gift that keeps on giving, if you want to give them a gift that shows them how much you love them, then introduce them to Jesus Christ and his church. Get them completely involved in serving Christ through his church. It's the best gift you can give them, the most valuable thing that you can do for them.

Now, of course, we can't make that decision for them. Ultimately, it is a personal decision. But we can strongly encourage them in that direction, and that is our calling: to show them with words and actions how important the church is. I am so proud of our church and the incredible things we do that so powerfully touch the lives of people in the name of Christ.

Recently I went to a small civic committee luncheon at the Houston Club downtown. Just ten people were there. Only one person at that meeting was a member of St. Luke's, the church I pastored, but every single person there was being touched in some significant way by St. Luke's.

One woman was an educator, and she thanked me for St. Luke's because she said all of her in-service training was held there and our church always welcomed them so warmly and so graciously.

Another said her son attended our day school and loved it.

Another said her daughter came to St. Luke's to take piano lessons regularly.

On and on it went, all these people being touched by our church. I felt so grateful and so gratified and so fortunate to be a part of our great church.

Recently, we had a new member party to rewelcome the new members who had joined the church in recent weeks. We asked the people there to tell us about themselves and what brought them to our church.

One young couple there that night fascinated me with what they said. The young wife's name is Dalia and she is from Mexico. Her husband's name is Christolf and he is from Germany. They come from different backgrounds, different countries, different cultures, and different denominations. They had been looking and looking for a church that was right for them. Dalia said, "When we walked into St. Luke's, the people were so kind, so gracious, the sanctuary so beautiful, the worship service so wonderful, and I knew," she said, "that God resides in this place. I could feel his presence, and it just felt like home." Christolf said, "That's right. When we came here we knew we were at home."

Isn't that beautiful? I was so proud of the church that I wanted to go get another commitment card and make another pledge to support it. As Christians, we are "rich in the things that count the most" because, first, we have faith. Second, we have the church.

Third and Finally, There Is Love

Zacchaeus became "rich" in a new way that day in Jericho because he learned from Jesus the power of love.

Some weeks ago, Mitzi Scott, who works with our children's choir program, Sunday Sing, told the children that her sister-in-law—who is a nurse and a major in the Air Force—had been sent to Iraq to work with a medical field unit in that dangerous war-torn area.

The children wanted to help, so first they sent cards to Mitzi's sister-in-law. She wrote thank-you notes and spoke of their needs there. The children responded. They started bringing candy, gum, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate mix to choir practice on Sunday night, and these items were sent to the medical mission station in Iraq. Then they sent plastic pillowcases and phone cards and cookies.

The major mentioned that in addition to helping those wounded in action there, they helped heal a nine-year-old girl who had been bitten by a viper. Word spread about that, and now mothers with tiny babies who need bottles and formula and diapers were showing up at the mission station. The major asked her supply officer to order supplies to set up a pediatric clinic. The supply officer said: "I can do it, Major, but it will take ninety days." The major said: "St. Luke's can beat that!" And we did!

She sent an e-mail, and the children of our church responded. Word spread through our church family about what the children were doing and others stepped up to help. The St. Cecilia Choir, the Chancel Choir, a Bible study group, the ushers—all came forward to help. And today there is a pediatric unit in a medical mission station in Iraq because our children are being taught in our church the beauty and power of Christlike service, Christlike compassion, and Christlike love.

The major has ordered a special flag that will soon be flown in Iraq. The flag has these words: "Thank you, St. Luke's United Methodist Church, Operation Iraqi Freedom."

Let me ask you something: Do you feel blessed? Do you feel rich— rich in the things that really matter, rich in the things that last?

As Christians, we are rich beyond measure because we have faith, we have the church, and we have love. Those are the things that count the most.