Living... HERE AND NOW... get with it

Luke 20:27-38 (the November 10 lectionary text)

Resurrection... Heaven... just a few thoughts...

As a Hospice Chaplain of 12 years, I can tell you that it is true - "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but don't nobody want to die."

The church has been led to believe that this faith is all about "pie in the sky when you die" through personal salvation gained by any number of works, merit and self-righteousness.  It has done that, since the days of Jesus and after, in order to have power and control over God's children and manipulate them with false promises.

According to the Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, that is ALL WRONG.

Even the Sadducees, who don't believe in resurrection, tried to get Jesus to focus on resurrection and life in heaven.

Jesus' answer?
A description of life now, and how people need to be focused on how they are living with God HERE AND NOW.
God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living.
The God who promises life after death considers them ALL alive.
So, this is about the living, HERE AND NOW.

If our goal is just resurrection and life in heaven, then our goal is ALL WRONG.
If our goal is how we live in faithfulness to God and Neighbor HERE AND NOW, then we are people of the Way of Jesus.

Karma (yes, it is Christian) demands that we do the right thing, but also for the right reasons.
We are not, according to Jesus (and Paul), supposed to believe that this life is about earning, meriting or deserving heaven.  That is WAY TOO SELF FOCUSED for the living of Agape Love and Grace.
It is about being faithful to what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us as God's Will for how we live HERE AND NOW in this part of God's Kingdom.
It is about how we give of ourselves for God and Neighbor, without concern for ourselves.

Being heaven minded corrupts our hearts, our motives, our purpose and our walk with God.
It allows false teachers to manipulate us for the sake of their own power, status and wealth.
(see here Luke 20:45-47... not in the lectionary for some reason)

Agape Love and Grace in heaven are a given.
Living Agape Love and Grace in this part of God's Kingdom are our challenge, our call, our mission, and our only purpose, at least according to the Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels.
There is too much work to be done in Agape Love and Grace, for us to be focused on "rewards," when salvation is given "by Grace through Faith, apart from works."
There are too many who are considered "the least of these", for us to be worried about ourselves.
There is too much injustice for us to be concerned about our own privilege above others.
There is too much hatred and apathy for us to be only concerned about US being lifted up.
There is too much need among the most vulnerable around us for us to be worried about our own entitlements, blessings, favor and wealth.

Jesus says, in effect, "Get over the resurrection thing and do what I told you to do."
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord', and do not do what I tell you?"  Luke 6:46

We do the right thing, according to what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us as faithfulness in the living of Agape Love and Grace HERE AND NOW, as a RESPONSE to the Agape Love and Grace that God has given us in Christ Jesus.

Jesus has already taken care of redemption, salvation, resurrection and life in heaven.
Get over it.  Get with it.

Pastor Jamie