1 Pentecost 2nd After A 2011 Sunday, June 26, 2011 Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Denver, Colorado Pastor

Dena Williams The Holy Gospel according to the Community of St. Matthew in the 10th Chapter Glory to you, O Lord "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward." The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, O Christ The Most Important Sandbox Lesson Its very hard for most children to do. Its probably the most important lesson we learn in the sandbox, but its very difficult! My daughter Wendy spoiled me, I think. She was always been a really generous person. Even as a small child, she was so social that she quickly learned how to get along with others quite well. Wendy so enjoyed other children and she was so intuitive about what others think and feel and need

2 that she seemed instinctively to know the very most important sandbox lesson . . . shes always known how to share. Now, she also learned, I think, rather quickly, that sharing pays off! You often get what you really want when you share! I watched her negotiate some amazing trades as a toddler! On Thursday of this week, I took Wendys daughter, Lyric, 13 months old, to story and play time for babies at the Park Hill Library. I witnessed how difficult it is to learn to share. I watched a pair of twins trying to sit in their mamas lap at the same time. I watched a little boy burst into tears when another child took the toy he was holding. I watched a little girl, a walker, get knocked off her feet because she was in the path of another child, a determined crawler. Now . . . I have to say, I was amazed . . . that it was indeed . . . our sweet Lyric who took the toy and knocked over the other little girl! Whose child is this?! Well, first and foremost, Lyric is a child of God. Shes a child of God and she will learn and grow. The grownups in her life will help her learn this most important sandbox rule. We will help her learn to share! Now Lyric wasnt the only child who needs to learn to share. As I watched the other children, it occurred to me that Lyrics need to learn is certainly much more normal for most children than Wendys sort of inborn desire to share, but what a shock to this Gramma! I saw this darling baby girl in a whole new light!

She is a child of God. She is also a blessed little saint, saved by grace! And I love her to pieces! And we will be patient with her as she learns to share. I know plenty of adults, after all, who never did learn that sandbox rule. We will patiently teach Lyric to share. We will teach her to share her toys, to help others find a place to sit in the sandbox. We will teach her to gently brush the sand from their faces, to go for help from a grown up if someone gets hurt. We will teach her to be kind and responsible, to care and help and share whatever she has, to share who she is, to share whatever she can do to help others. We will teach her to be generous. Just how important is it to share, to be generous, to give to others out of our abundance? Well if you ask Jesus, it seems its pretty important! As a matter of fact, its the most important gift God gives us generosity, in the sandbox. Our story for today comes early in Matthews Gospel. Jesus calls his disciples, then he gives them instructions-42 verses of sandbox rules! The disciples are to proclaim the good news that Gods Kingdom is near. Jesus tells his friends,

4 If anyone is ill, you are to cure them, care for them. If someone is dead, you are to restore them, raise them. If anyone has leprosy, cleanse them, bathe their bodies for them. If someone suffers the demons of despair or fear or loneliness, be their friend. Care and restore, cleanse and be a good friend. Share what you have and who you are and what you can do to help others. Be generous. Care and restore, cleanse and be a good friend, be generous, and do not be afraid, you can do it! I promise! I know when a sparrow falls to the ground. I know how many hairs you have on your head. You are more valuable than the sparrows, so do not be afraid, I will remember you. Be generous. Then what? Well, lets take a peek at what comes next in Matthews story. John the Baptist is in prison. He hears that Jesus is teaching his disciples that generosity is the most important lesson of all. That is not what John the Baptist expects! He does not expect Jesus to teach something as simple as sandbox rules about sharing

5 and then tell his disciples this is the most important lesson. John expects sterner stuff he expects firmer rules, harder lessons. He expects Jesus to give much more challenging and demanding tasks to his followers. When all Jesus can come up with is, Be generous., John begins to have doubts about Jesus! He sends word to Jesus, Are you serious? Are you really the one sent from God, the Messiah? Im thinking we need to wait for someone else, someone with a better plan, than simply, Be generous! Jesus sends word back to John. The blind can see. The lame can walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf can hear. The dead are raised, The poor hear good news. What else is there, John? What else is more important than generosity? Nothing, nothing at all. Not only that, but if all you have to give is a cup of cold water to a little one who is thirsty, if thats the only thing you have to give, it is enough. Give whatever you have, no matter how small, give it generously and your reward for sharing will be remarkable. Theres an old Gospel hymn:

6 Oh Jesus if I die upon a foreign field someday, twould be no more than love demands, no less could I repay. Now as a Baptist teenager, I was reminded often that to die as a missionary on a foreign field was something we all could only hope to do. I had my doubts. I was pretty sure I did not want to be a missionary. I wondered if there wasnt some other way to serve, that did not require dying in Africa! I hoped there was some other way to share, to care for others, to use Gods gift of generosity. Im happy to say, theres more to this song, and theres more to sharing. Oh Jesus if I die upon a foreign field someday, twould be no more than love demands, no less could I repay. These are the words He gently spoke to me, If just a cup of water I place within your hand then just a cup of water is all that I demand. The most important sandbox lesson of all, in the words of Jesus: If all you have to give is a cup of cold water to a little one, give it, give it and do not be afraid, for I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen