FAMILY TREES

 

I spoke to you before about trees. I mentioned all the different types of trees on our property and which ones are my favorites. Today, I am going to talk about a different type of tree called a Family Tree.

A family tree is what we use to show all the different members of our family. I have been discovering information on my family tree about my grandparents and where they lived before coming to the USA. I also received a message from a cousin on my mother’s side who was also searching for family information. I have never met her in person, but have spoken to her on the phone a couple of times.

I mention this because in our Epistle (2 Tim 1:1-14), we read about Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois. They were the people who brought Timothy to the Christian Faith. Grandparents are like the roots of a tree firmly planted in the soil. Parents are like the trunk standing straight and tall. Children are like the mighty branches spreading out all around. Grandchildren are like new buds at the end of the branches growing ever further into the sky.

In your family, where are you, your parents and grandparents? Like Timothy’s mother and grandmother, how are they the trunk and root of your family tree? How are your grandparents grounded firmly in the Christian Faith? How do your parents support your faith like a mighty trunk of a tree?

My grandparents made sure all of my aunts and uncles were baptized. My parents made sure we learned our faith by attending church and Sunday school. My brothers were with me like branches on a tree. Now, our grandchildren are just learning about the Christian Faith like new buds. With that, we pray.

Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their fathers and mothers the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Paul's Advice to Timothy

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Three L’s of Timothy: Letter, Lesson, Life, and my focus is our Epistle (2 Timothy 1:1-14). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Monday morning is when I usually start to write a new sermon. As I thought about this activity, it came to me that I like to start on Monday morning because Sunday worship is behind me and another is only six days away. In full disclosure, I write most new sermons more than a week ahead of time. For example, I started writing this sermon on September 19, 2022.

Monday morning used to be the time I would meet with my boss or staff and go over briefly how our weekends went. For example, on Monday morning, February 15, 2016, I asked my boss, “What did you get your wife for Valentine’s Day?” He replied, “A box of chocolates and a card.” Since I initiated the conversation, he knew that I wanted him to ask me, and he did. I replied, “A house.” To this he said, “I don’t think anyone will top that one.”

Some people do not look forward to Monday morning. Some know that additional labor awaits them at the office. Others need extra coffee and pray for a short day. There are eight federal holidays in 2022 that fall on a Monday, not including New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Veterans’ Day. Whether or not you celebrate the Birthday of George Washington or Jesus Christ, you don’t have to work on those Mondays. So, for some, Mondays mean an extra-long weekend.

Additional terms from Monday morning include Monday morning disease (a horse disease), Monday-morning feeling and Monday morning sickness. The idiom, Monday morning quarterbacking was coined in 1931 to describe the critical rehashing of the weekend football game strategy. Monday morning quarterbacking has also come to be understood as one who second guesses.

I mention all of this because when it comes to the Second Letter of Timothy, you will discover that Biblical scholars are akin to Monday morning quarterbacks when it comes to expressing their opinions and second guesses about the Pastoral Letters. So, in the spirit of the season, Here we go, Stillers! Here we go! Let’s look at the Letter, today’s Lesson and Life.

While some scholars think 2^nd Timothy was written by Paul during his “second career”, that is, between his arrests, most consider that a ghostwriter penned the Letter after Paul’s death as a farewell testament by someone who knew his last days so that the Letter would be historical with some dramatic license. However, the debate about the authorship and date should not muddle the power of this Letter.

The Letter is a passionate appeal that Paul’s work would continue beyond his death through generations of disciples. Paul committed his life to Christ and knew that even in his sufferings God would protect what He entrusted to His Church. Ironically, Paul was chained, but the Gospel cannot be. This is reflected in the manner in which Paul lived his faith in freedom and in prison which, in turn, encouraged his audience. Paul contributed enormously to making the love of Christ real to Christians, and 2^nd Timothy contributed to making Paul loved.

The body of this Letter is shorter than the 1^st Timothy, and the contents are written more tightly. The Letter takes into account Timothy’s personality and reflects Paul’s loneliness and suffering in prison as his death approaches.

2^nd Timothy is the third of Paul’s three final testaments. The first was Romans when he knew that he faced difficulties in Jerusalem but hoped he could travel to Rome and eventually to Spain. (See Romans 15:24ff.) The second is found in Acts 20:17-36, where he spoke to the church leaders of Ephesus because he was aware that he would never see them again. Yet, death is not envisioned in those passages as it is in this Letter, where we read, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (4:7-8).

The Letter contains teaching about the inspiration of Scripture (3:15-16); and the topic of false teaching, but here, specific names are mentioned. These individuals were teaching that the resurrection had already happened, and that there would be no resurrection of the dead. Paul addressed this in 1^st Corinthians 15:12ff, “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”

Having summarized the key points of the Letter, let me move to my second point, Lesson. The opening verses (1-3) express Paul’s life within the Christian community and his affinity to Timothy. Life within the Church is not just any life, but one shared with fellow believers. As I read this, I reflected upon something I read in the seminary. I was writing a theology paper and came across an article about St. Bonaventure, the Church and the Trinity. It has stayed with me these last 35 years. The teaching was that the deeper you immerse yourself into the life of the Church, the deeper your relationship with the Trinity is. It’s what Paul is saying here. There’s life and then there’s life in Christ which comes only through being a baptized and active member of the Church.

To understand his thanksgiving for the Christian faith (3-5), which depended upon a tradition that reached back through family to Israel, it helps to see that faith is properly handed on as links form a chain. Spiritual heirs must carry on this mission which is kindled and rekindled through the laying on of hands (6) and the handing down of the true teaching of the Faith.

Timothy possessed a sincere faith. He could have received this faith when Paul asked him to join him as a companion (Acts 14:23), or when Paul and the elders appointed him to lead the Church in Ephesus (1 Tim 4:14). The Holy Spirit gave this gift to him as Paul laid his hands on him. So, Paul reminded him to use the gift God gave him zealously for it was given to Timothy through the Holy Spirit. Though he was shy, the Holy Spirit filled Timothy with all that he needed to carry out God’s work.

Through His Holy Spirit, God gives power to all who need it. God gives people the power to do what He asks them to do. God gave power to Timothy to be the leader that God wanted. In what way has God provided you with the strength of character that He needs from you to accomplish His work?

Timothy was already confessing Christ and spreading the Good News when Paul encouraged him to continue to do that, and not to be ashamed that his mentor was imprisoned. Preaching the Gospel led to Paul’s imprisonment and eventual death, but the Gospel also led Paul to eternal life. Likewise, Timothy had to be ready to suffer and perhaps die for Christ and the Gospel, but he could endure any impending suffering because God would make him strong. Can you think of a time when God gave you the strength to do what He wanted you to do?

Like Timothy, we know that God saved us through Christ and calls us to holiness. For Paul, that call was manifested through his life as a preacher, apostle and teacher. For me, the call is manifested through my life as a pastor, husband and neighbor. Your call may be that of a spouse and neighbor, parent or grandparent. Your job may or may not afford you the opportunity to show Christ to others. For example, this past week while on retreat with other pastors, one offered a reflection on his former profession as a twenty-year police officer in the military. He said that it was not easy striking someone with a nightstick or shackling someone with handcuffs. Although he was not a believer at the time, these duties made him sick. When he spoke to the base chaplain about this, he was told that people depended on him to do his job, and he must execute it for the safety and good of others. The chaplain added, “After you do your job, then go and repent.” Eventually, God led him to the Church and he now serves as a pastor. My point is that sometimes a job may not always afford us the opportunity to show Christ to others, and may even call us to physically punish another person, but through Christ, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, we realize that we have a higher calling. So, if you have not thought about it, what is God calling you to be and do today? Ponder that as I move to my third point, Life.

The Pastoral Letters to Titus and Timothy offer encouragement to younger pastors. All young pastors need encouragement. At one time, I was a young pastor and welcomed encouragement from experienced and seasoned pastors whether that was conveyed through books, articles or in person. At our pastors’ conference this past week, I learned some things from pastors older and younger than I. We all benefit from the knowledge of people both younger and older than we are.

I ask my cousin, 25 years younger than I, to help me repair my power equipment. I asked octogenarian Frank Namath which Medicare plan to choose. If you ever wanted to know anything about machinist work, you would have asked my dad. Lots of people turn to Dave Ramsey for financial advice. Since the meaning of advice is an opinion worthy to be followed, your advice would be an area in which you have some expertise. If your opinion is not based on your area of expertise, you might decline to offer advice and refer a young person to someone more familiar with the subject.

“Young” is a relative term, and young people could be children, teens, adults, parents, new Christians or even newly promoted executives. As a mature or seasoned Christian, like the Apostle Paul, in relationship with a young church leader, what advice would you offer? As a base chaplain listening to a military police officer bothered by the actions of his job, what advice would you offer? As a parent listening to a son or daughter complain about attending church, what advice would you offer? What advice would you offer to the parents of that child?

Our culture is becoming increasingly hard of hearing to the message of the Gospel, or in more cases, antagonistic to it. Our culture has an impact on us whether we like it or not. President Pingel spoke about this last week at our pastors’ conference in his sermon regarding people’s desire for convenience, speed and satisfaction when seeking anything, including religion. As we pastors discussed what to say to church members who no longer attend, I heard this answer from a pastor 12 years older than I. Pastor Bob said, “I ask them, ‘Is your belief system working for you?’ Then, I listen and pray to Christ for help.” As I pondered that advice, it dawned on me that the theme of our pastors’ conference was apropos to our Epistle.

You see, my friends, we all know that many people are seeking happiness through a life where their desires are fulfilled with convenience, speed and satisfaction … and we know that happiness does not come through that kind of life. To the young we offer this ancient wisdom, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” And to these, Moses added, “You shall teach [these words] diligently to your children.” (Deut 6:5ff.) May you teach and live this advice each day, and as you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Wisdom

 

Who is the wisest person you know? When I was in grade school, I thought our teachers were some of the wisest people I knew. They taught us how to read words and musical notes, how to understand math and maps. We even had one teacher who taught chemistry and another who taught us how to golf.

As I got older, I thought that our college professors were some of the wisest people. They had doctor’s degrees and read books in foreign languages. Some of them even wrote books. To me they all seemed wise.

When I got older, I realized that there are not many wise people in the world. I say that because in our Psalm today (146), we read “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.” There are a lot of people who talk a lot and write a lot of words, but there is no salvation in them, only in the Lord our God.

The Psalmist told people that the Lord God made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, [and] keeps faith forever. A person who gets elected to office, has a job on TV, or knows a lot about a few subjects, is not necessarily wise. But if someone understands that God is infinitely wiser and rules forever, and knows that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; [and] fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7), then you might want to listen to that person. My point: Always listen to God’s teaching above all others’ teachings. You’ll never go wrong if you listen to God.

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Three Rs of Christian Living

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Three Rs of Christian Living, and my focus is our Gospel (Luke 16:19-31). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are standing within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Three Rs, as in the letter R, refers to the foundations of education: reading, writing and arithmetic. We use the phrase “the three Rs” because each word has a strong R sound at the beginning. The term is ironic, since everyone knows that two of the words do not actually begin with the letter R.

During the 17^th century, New England teachers summed up learning as "four Rs" - Reading, 'Riting, ‘Rithmetic and Religion. These days, school districts identify three Rs as Relating, Representing and Reasoning. All this to say that my three-pointed sermon is Repent, Right and Relationship – and what those Three Rs have to do with Christian living.

First, repent. A simple definition of repent is to feel or show sorrow for something bad or wrong that you did and that you want to do what is right. Repentance is a major theme in Luke, but before Jesus began his earthly ministry, John the Baptist proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.^[1]

Jews taught repentance long before John appeared on Jordan’s banks. In Deuteronomy, we read, “When you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.”^[2]

The Chronicler wrote, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”^[3]

Prophets echoed repentance in their preaching. In Isaiah, we read, “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.’”^[4] Jeremiah wrote, “After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”^[5] Ezekiel exhorted, “If a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live.”^[6] So, John or Jesus did not introduce repentance. It was present from the days of Moses.

From Repent to Right. Simply defined, right means morally or socially correct; agreeing with the facts or truth; or speaking, acting or judging in a way that agrees with the facts or truth.

Its root word is from the Greek, orektós, and the Latin, rectus, meaning straight. The Ancients said the straight muscles in our bodies – the thigh and abdomen – enable us to stand straight or erect. In English, the word right emerged as straighten or direct, and the obvious connection between right and righteous is easy. God called people to live righteous lives, that is, morally acceptable lives, and called them to stand up straight for themselves and others; that is, to live in relationship with others. We stand erect and see straight with our brothers and sisters beside us. That brings me our third R – Relationship.

The word relationship means the way two or more people, groups or countries talk to, behave toward or deal with each other, or the way they are connected. The root word of relationship is the Latin word, relatus, meaning to refer, but initially from latus, meaning side. Think latitude or lats if you exercise. To stand in relation or to have a reference point, or to bring something into relation with something else is how people used the word in the 17^th century. “To feel connected or sympathetic to” emerged in psychology around 1950. However used, the word connotes a connection. As God’s people, we relate to one another in righteous living. We stand and see straight with our brothers and sisters beside us.

Now that we have the three concepts – repentance, right and relationship – let us examine our passage. Our parable opens with Jesus contrasting two characters. The rich man is unnamed, but Jesus named the other man Lazarus, meaning “the one whom God helps.” The rich man lived large. A clothes hog, he covered his body with purple linen and silk, but the only thing that covered Lazarus’ body was sores.

While people reserved feasting for special occasions, this man partied to the extreme. He feasted sumptuously seven days a week. Lazarus, like the prodigal son who would have been content with pig food, yearned to be satisfied with food scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the fact that dogs licked his sores only added to his humiliation. A crippled beggar at the gate of the rich man’s house where people came and went, Lazarus was the perfect recipient for almsgiving.

The parable provides a fitting conclusion to chapter 16 and the attitude toward possessions in view of God’s Kingdom. In addition, the description of the rich man suitably depicted the Pharisees, who were lovers of money. They were like him, who knew, yet ignored Lazarus. On the other hand, Lazarus represented society’s outcasts. Though his life was pathetic and pitiable, his name suggested importance in God’s sight.

At the moment the Pharisees identified with the rich man and the outcast identified with Lazarus, Jesus introduced the Great Reversal. Lazarus died and angels carried him to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man died and was buried.

From Hades, the rich man opened the conversation by asking Father Abraham to have mercy on him. This recalled Pharisees who came to John the Baptist and claimed, “We have Abraham for our father,” yet refused to repent and submit to John’s baptism.^[7] Unlike Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, whom Jesus dubbed a son of Abraham,^[8] the rich man refused to repent. Zacchaeus repented and welcomed Jesus into his home for he knew that simply being a son of Abraham did not protect him from condemnation.

The rich man did not speak words of repentance. He realized his condition was permanent and pleaded for help. He still thought only of himself and his needs, and not those of Lazarus. In response, Abraham told the rich man to remember what happened, that is, to read back and interpret events that took place. Lazarus begged at the gate, while he lived large and ignored the beggar’s needs.

This parable illuminates the story of the unrighteous steward who showed mercy toward his master’s debtors, because he trusted in the mercy of his master. Because God treats sinners with mercy, the rich man so should have treated Lazarus, and the Pharisees should have treated society’s outcasts with mercy.

Still unrepentant, the rich man requested that Lazarus go to his brothers, for he realized repentance was crucial to salvation. Yet, he did not consider the Word of God sufficient to produce repentance. Instead, he desired a miraculous sign – someone raised from the dead. While the Old Testament contained accounts of the resurrection,^[9] why would his brothers believe another’s testimony if they did not believe the Scriptures?

Abraham suggested they listen to Moses and the Prophets read in the synagogue. In other words, heed the Scriptures read during worship and take them to heart. As hearers of the Word, they would know all they need about the kingdom of grace, characterized by mercy and almsgiving to people like Lazarus. The conclusion for the Pharisees is this: If they do not stop scoffing at Jesus’ teaching about the proper use of possessions, they would find themselves with the rich man in eternal torment.

Now, let me examine our Gospel in light of my three Rs of Christian living – repentance, right and relationship. It is easy to see Jesus’ call for repentance. As I explained earlier, repentance is a basic Biblical teaching, which includes righteous living in relationship with people like Lazarus.

True Sons of Abraham heed God’s commandments. In Exodus, we read, “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat. … You shall do likewise with your vineyard and … olive orchard.”^[10] Leviticus legislated, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner.”^[11] Deuteronomy repeated the command to live righteously with others,^[12] and Proverbs taught, “Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.”^[13]

Isaiah exhorted, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”^[14]

That Abraham suggested the rich man’s brothers listen to Moses and the Prophets read in the synagogue is the message Jesus directed to the Pharisees. You see, one of Luke’s goals in writing his Gospel was to encourage rich Christians to attend to the needs of the poor and to share material goods. We can easily imagine the impact this parable must have had on the Church’s rich members. Sobering and scary, it should do the same to 21st-century American Christians.

Some early Christian Pharisees who saw no need to observe Old Testament Law regarding right living in relationship with the poor needed to repent more than anyone. Let me repeat that because it applies to Christian living today. Some early Christian Pharisees who saw no need to observe Old Testament Law regarding right living in relationship with the poor needed to repent more than anyone.

We live in a rich country. However slender our personal fortunes, they dwarf the incomes and possessions of people in most countries. Even if we get laid off, we can still collect unemployment. In many other countries, this is not the case. In other words, Lazarus is among us! Do we choose to ignore Lazarus? Do we distract ourselves with foolish pleasures as the rich man did?

Neither Jesus nor Luke was an economist or a politician, but at a certain point, the problems of poverty and homelessness turn into economic and political matters. How we deal with the poor personally and socially is one of the challenges we face today.

Most of the time, we live righteous lives in relationship with the poor, and yet, even if that is always true, we cannot afford to gloss over this parable. Pastor Arthur Just, who digs into Luke in his commentary, raises the idea of the proper use of possessions. He writes, “The proper use of possessions in view of the coming age and the Old Testament testimony, including [the] resurrection … prepares people for the Gospel and the life to come.”^[15]

The proper use of possessions prepares us for the Gospel and eternal life, and for how we live as a Gospel people today. Folks, if we are not a Gospel people, what kind of people are we? If I am not a living Gospel, what kind of Christian am I? If I am not a repentant sinner who lives righteously in relationship with society’s outcasts – widows, orphans, the poor and the foreigner – what kind of Christian am I? So, my friends, I pose a delicate question: How do I use my possessions? Delicate indeed, but one to ponder.

I worked for an organization that promotes church planting in Asia, Africa and Latin America. One of our donors, a financial advisor, informed me that when he told clients about this nonprofit, some replied, “I want you to tell me how to invest my money, not how to spend it.” In other words, asking people to consider how they use their possessions is a delicate question, but it needs to be pondered.

Friends, I imagine you are in a relationship with our Triune God, and, like the Trinity, in relationship with other people. I ask you to do only one thing. Ponder the three Rs of Christian living. Am I a repentant sinner who strives to live in right relationship with the outcasts of society and share with them my possessions for the greater glory of God? Ponder that question, and when you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

---

[1] Luke 3:3.

[2] Deuteronomy 30:2-3.

[3] 2 Chronicles 7:14.

[4] Isaiah 30:15.

[5] Jeremiah 31:19.

[6] Ezekiel 18:21-22.

[7] Luke 3:7-9.

[8] Luke 19:9.

[9] 2 Kings 4:8-37; 13:20-21.

[10] Exodus 23:10-11.

[11] Leviticus 19:9-10.

[12] Deuteronomy 15:4-8.

[13] Proverbs 28:27.

[14] Isaiah 58:6-7.

[15] Just, 634.

God and Money

 

Do you ever hear people talk about money? They may use sayings when they speak about money. A penny saved is a penny earned. All that glitters is not gold. As poor as a church mouse. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth and so on. There are hundreds of sayings about money, which teach us money’s value and how we can use it to better people’s lives.

Most of the time people talk about how little or much money they have; how someone cheated them out of money or how they got a deal; how expensive something is; how the government wastes money; or how well their money is doing or not doing. My favorite is when an athlete is offered more money than he has ever made, and he says that he prayed about it, and God helped him make his decision to take the money.

We all need money to live, but some people live for money. That is the case in today’s Gospel (Luke 16:1-15). The Pharisees loved money, and they made fun of Jesus when he said that you cannot serve God and money. He pointed out that the things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.

When I hear people talk about money, I think of the The First Commandment: I am the Lord your God; you shall not have other gods before me. I think of that because to me it sounds like some people love money more than they love God. Now, I want you to remember something. You can love money, but money will never love you. God loves you, and you should always love God more than anything or anyone.

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Timothy

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Timothy: Person, Purpose and Practical Application, and my focus is our Epistle (1 Timothy 2:1-15). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are standing within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Wikipedia has a page for everything. There is an entry for Timothy as a given name. It tells us that Timothy is a masculine Greek name meaning “one who honors God.” In the United States, the name was most popular in the 1960s, ranking 13^th among all boy's names. Now, it doesn’t even make the top one hundred. Surprisingly, it is also a name for girls.

The known actors named Timothy include Busfield, Dalton, Hutton and Olyphant. Among athletes and singers are Tebow and McGraw, but “Tiny Tim” was really Herbert Buckingham Khaury. Then there is Leary, the psychiatrist who advocated drugs, and the infamous mass murderer McVeigh. Fictional characters appear as McGee in NCIS and Cratchit from Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

There are many people in the Bible and early Church that we scarcely know, among them is Timothy, often mentioned in the same sentence with Titus. He came from Lystra in what is now Turkey. His father was a Greek pagan, and his mother, Eunice, was a Jewish-Christian. Acts introduces him in chapter 16, when Paul made his first missionary journey to Lystra. Timothy is mentioned frequently in Acts and many of the epistles.

Timothy was Paul’s companion on several missionary journeys. He was sent by Paul to Thessalonica to strengthen the Christians. Paul referred to him as a brother and God’s co-worker or servant. When Timothy returned from that journey, he reported the good news of the Thessalonians faith and love.

Paul then sent him from Ephesus to Corinth to remind the Christians of how to live as followers of Jesus because some had become arrogant, bold, pretentious and/or proud. He also sent him to Philippi to teach them to humble themselves like Christ did.

In addition to his missionary journeys, Timothy is prominently mentioned in the opening greetings of several of Paul’s letters – 1^st Thessalonians, Philippians and 2^nd Corinthians. These are three of the churches he helped Paul start. He was also associated with Paul in his imprisonment in Ephesus, where he became their first bishop. Ephesus was an idolatrous city. It is there that Timothy was supposedly martyred.

Timothy was comparatively young for the work he was doing, and several references indicate that he was affectionate, tender and timid. Yet, even as a young man, he was an example for other Christians as he learned this from Paul. As Lutherans, we observe his feast on January 24^th. He is known by Catholics as the patron saint of those with stomach ailments because of one of Paul’s most frequently quoted lines addressed to him: “Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23).

I am sure there is more to know about Timothy, but we move on to my second point, Purpose. What is the purpose of Paul’s Letter to Timothy?  There are several themes running throughout this Letter: Church order or structure, true and false teaching, and community relations and belief. Today’s passage deals with the third purpose, and I will get to that shortly, but first will touch upon the first two themes.

Church order here is about the role of bishops or teachers. 5:17 tells us that only certain presbyters were involved in preaching and teaching, but not all were bishops. 3:1 shows that the position was esteemed, and Paul warned that bishops were not to become conceited (3:6).

The qualifications for deacons are also outlined in chapter three: respectable, not given to too much wine, not pursuing dishonest gain, married once and good managers of their children and households. They were tested before being admitted to this service. Likewise, women are mentioned for service. Although some translations, such as ours, use the word wives, there is a strong case that the Greek grammar indicates that the meaning is women who are deacons and not women who are wives of deacons. The last group Paul writes of is the widow.

Teaching is described in chapter one, the latter half of chapter three and into four, and chapter six. Sound doctrine is always an important issue in the early Church, just as it is today. We see that Paul struggles against arrogant individualism and that his prime target was Cynic philosophy whose philosophers spoke with sarcasm or skepticism about God and traditional religious beliefs, and praised those who did not marry and raise a family.

Now, let’s turn to the theme of community relations. What we have in chapter two is akin to what we have in in Paul’s Letters to Colossians (3:18-4:1), Ephesians (5:21-6:9) and Titus (2:1-10): household codes. To understand household codes, I suggest that you turn to Section Three in Luther’s Small Catechism and read the Table of Duties. We credit The Good Doctor, Martin Luther, who coined the term Haustafeln, which refers to a summary table of specific actions members of each family are expected to perform.

In this list, virtues and vices are similar to what Paul wrote elsewhere (see above), and the stress here is on God’s desire to save every human being. Christians are to pray for all people, as we read in verse one. The reason Paul strongly encourages prayers for the kings and rulers is because Christians did not participate in the civic worship of the gods and were suspect because of that. It is not that Paul was encouraging patriotism, but that civic authorities allow Christians to live in peace, and so that these authorities come to a clear knowledge of the truth.

If God is one, he must be concerned with all peoples, and Paul links this truth to Christ, the one mediator between God and men. Here, Paul emphasizes Christ’s humanity. Why? Docetism. The Docetists who came later were those who focused on the divinity of Christ and denied that Jesus came in the flesh. They believed that he only seemed to have flesh. This belief destroys the entire concept of the Trinity. As one early Church Father put it, “This refers to the perfect humanity by which salvation is [formed]. The fact that Jesus shares a common humanity with us is the whole key to salvation.”[1] This heresy is attacked by John in his Letters as well, and Paul mentions it here as a reminder to Timothy to be aware of false teachings. It’s a good reminder for us too. Through Jesus Christ – true God and true man – you have been saved, as Paul testifies in the next verse.

The next section deals with how people should act, but the first verse (8) reminds us to lift holy hands without anger or quarreling, which reminds me of what I do when I pray before you. When I bless you, I lift my hands over you. When I pray at the altar, I lift my hands and direct you to lift up your hearts. And when I speak the Lord’s Prayer, I hold my hands as if I am surrendering. Standing with hands outstretched and palms turned upwards to the heavens indicated that one was open to receiving God’s grace. If you are uncomfortable praying like this in public, try it when you are praying alone.

The household codes regarding how women should act is much longer here. If you were to ask me why, I would have to tell you, “I don’t know.” As I have aged, I have noticed that I rely upon that phrase more often. What Scripture does reveal is that women assumed the right to pray aloud at Christian worship. They also held responsible positions. Phoebe, Prisca and Junia are depicted as preaching and teaching.[2]

Although mention is made of gold, pearls and costly attire, most Christian women did not have the means to adorn themselves like this, however, Paul does address behavior here and in other passages of the Letter. John Chrysostom makes an interesting observation about the last verses (11-15). He wrote, “Eve was not subjected in her original condition as she was made. Nor was she called to submission when God first brought her to the man. She did not hear anything from God then about submissiveness. Nor did Adam originally say any such word to her.”[3] Chrysostom goes on to say that subjection came after the fall.

So, what practical application does 1^st Timothy have on our lives today as individuals and as Church? In a word, prayer. I have said this before, but it bears repeating. I start each day in prayer by reading Psalms, a Scripture passage and a meditation by one of the Church Fathers. I often follow this by reading a Daily Devotion from Lutheran Hour Ministries. After I have finished that I usually turn to the news, and that’s when my disposition also turns sour.

So much in our world – or what’s reported by storytellers – turns our stomachs. One of the most sickening stories was the opinion of a professor from Carnegie Mellon University regarding Queen Elizabeth on the day she died. And no matter who is President, half the nation and maybe even the world is upset about some new policy or program. People mock leaders in high positions on every level from the world and nation to local towns and townships, from universities to school districts, from professional coaches to youth coaches. For me, the practical application of today’s passage is to pray for all these people either by name or position so that we may lead peaceful and quiet lives and that they come to the knowledge of the truth.

As a congregation, we do that through the Prayer of the Church. As individuals, we can do that through our own intercessory prayers. Cindy and I include family members, friends, neighbors and church members in our prayers each morning and before supper. We live such relatively peaceful and quiet lives that on some days, we have little personal contact with anyone. Perhaps the challenge for me is to pray for people like St. Monica did for her pagan son, Augustine, who eventually did come to the knowledge of the truth, and then taught it. So, let’s not discount the power of praying for someone’s heart and mind to turn to Christ.

The other application that comes to mind is good example. Every Christian can lead others to Christ through prayer and good example. Paul’s desire is that anger, rage, wrath, and being quarrelsome, argumentative, or scheming has no part in the life of a believer. If you demonstrate these vices in your lives, how are you drawing others closer to Christ? How do such vices make me more like Christ? On the other hand, the good example I provide to my spouse, children, parents or in-laws will eventually lead them closer to Christ. You may not realize it, but friends, neighbors and coworkers sense whether or not that you pray – and pray for them.

As we close, I encourage you to re-read Luther’s Table of Duties. Notice how Luther intentionally listed them from congregation to society to household. In our congregation we remember our identity in Christ as individual members of His Body. We then move into the world and our daily work before returning home where we gather with family in mutual service, for meals, in prayer and rest.

Luther’s Table teaches that all of us are called to live within our particular stations – church, society and home. In these ordinary places we serve and obey God by living His commandments not solely for ourselves but more importantly for the well-being of the people God has placed in our lives. God uses us in the world for the good and blessing of our neighbors. As God uses you each day, I pray that the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keeps your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus Amen.

---

[1] Theodore of Mopsuestia, Commentary on 1 Timothy, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament IX, edited by Peter Gorday. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL (2000), p. 158.

[2] See Romans 16:1-3, 7; 1 Corinthians 11:5; 16:7, 19.

[3] John Chrysostom, Homilies on 1^st Corinthians. Commentary on 1 Timothy, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament IX, edited by Peter Gorday. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL (2000), p. 165.