What you have is enough Pt 2

Proper C22 “What you’ve got is enough” part II

Some of you will remember a television from the sixties and seventies called “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in”.  Each week an award was given called the “Flying Finger of Fickle fate” for dubious achievements.  But fate is particularly fickle when it comes to dealing out financial success,   This kind of Success inspires us with dread and desire and it is something that society gives and takes away in oh so fickle ways.  Have you noticed ads that say “A such and such Diploma will help you achieve the success you deserve!  You can be certain that the promise here is financial success and that becoming a security officer or a dental hygienist’s assistant may another fickle promise.

When you think about it, is the American dream about only one path to happiness?  Raise our material circumstances, great things will follow, like money and fame.  It seems money and fame are not enough these days.  Money and fame were not enough for Brittany Spears, a fallen star who just lost her two children.  Power and prestige were not enough for Mark Foley or Idaho senator Larry Craig.   Great influence and position were not enough for Ralph Reed (remember the Christian Coalition), He got mired in the Jack Abramhof scandal.

This is a fundamental question for all of us: How much is enough? How much is enough and you might think it gutsy that I raise this question when we will soon be discussing “stewardship” and  “pledges”.

As we have been reading the Gospel of St. Luke you may have noticed that Jesus talks endlessly about the life of discipleship. He talks about hospitality, welcoming and helping strangers, seeking lost sheep, visiting prisoners, lost coins, prodigal sons, the rich man and Lazarus. Is it any wonder that the disciples experience frustration with all these challenges and cry out to Jesus Increase our Faith!  We do the same when we face the challenges of our professions, our friends and our duties at Church.  For much of the gospel, Jesus has questioned the faith of the disciples.  “O you of little faith,” he says often.  “Where is your faith,” he asks on the sinking ship in the storm.  So it is only natural that the disciples cry our, “More”, More! “Give us more…give us more faith, Increase our faith so that we can succeed at all the things you ask us to do Lord.

It is a familiar cry.  Whenever the Anglican Communion seems on the verge of self destruction, we say we need more; we need more resources, we need more planning, more insight, more people, we need more, more, more of everything before we can possible do what Jesus calls us to do.

We all know just how the disciples are feeling.  We need more time before we start the one a day Bible reading.  We need to earn a little more before we increase our pledge.  From time to time we feel like we are running on empty.  We should tap into that empty feeling when we hear the disciples ask for more faith.

Jesus response comes as a surprise.  He reminds us that what we have is enough.  Jesus says we do not need to increase our faith; we just need the tiniest bit of faith imaginable.  A grain of mustard seed’s faith can empower us to do great things.  As Jackie pointed our during our Bible study Yesterday Mother Theresa did great things with only the shadow of faith in her heart. Mother Theresa reminds us and Jesus reminds us that unless we have no faith, we already have enough!

What we’ve got is enough.  What we have is sufficient!

Jesus promises even more.  With the gifts that are given, he promises that we will do greater works than he does.  Who me?  Who us?

Jesus goes on to say that, at the end of the day, when you have used the gifts we already have been given, we may still feel as if we have not done enough – that you do not have enough to give. You will still feel unworthy somehow. That it is only your duty to have done these things Jesus calls us to do.

This is only natural, because we are so filled with the love of God, so filled with the Spirit of God, so perfectly created in God’s own generous and giving image that you will always want to do more for God’s sake and our neighbors’ sake.

We are called to trust what we have – what we have is enough. And trust what we have to give. It is more than enough. We can uproot trees. We can move mountains. The lame will walk, the blind will see. Loaves multiply so there’s enough to feed everyone. If only we have faith as small as a mustard seed.