Extravagant Gifts of God

There is a couple I know who are definitely of retirement age, who, across the years have had natural children, adopted children, and more than 100 foster children!

By definition, foster care arrangements are difficult situations.

There is an incredible amount of heartache with them, for the children themselves,

for the parents who may be in jail or on drugs or alcohol or some other crisis,

and also for the foster parents who are supposed to provide some sanity and stability in a chaotic world.

How can foster parents put up with it all?

They do not have to do these things, since they could walk away just as the rest of us do,

but instead they try to make a difference in those young lives, and by extension, in the lives of troubled parents as well.

That they get some money to serve as foster parents cannot explain it.

It has to include the extravagance of love.

One such foster mother was asked: “You are a great mother, but don't you think that there are limits to how much love you can give?”

She replied, “When it comes to love, I have not yet found the limits.

From my experience, love is a renewable resource.

The more love you give, the more love you seem to have.

That is how it has been in my experience.”

Extravagant love!

According to John's Gospel [John 2], one day Jesus was invited as a guest to a wedding banquet.

After things got underway, the wine ran out, and Mary told the servants to do whatever Jesus asked of them.

At length, Jesus did direct them to fill the great stone water pots with water, and when the contents came to be tasted, found to be wine of the finest vintage.

Even if every person in the village of Cana had been there that day, it was still an incredible abundance: 180 gallons of wine!

Surely it was a sign that the celebration was not just for a moment , but was to continue!

It was not just love abundant, but in super-abundance!

Remember a story that Jesus told:

The father of two wayward sons didn't just welcome them into the house – he ordered a grand feast, a wild expensive party for all the local folks.

He had no idea whether the sons would respond appropriately, but he gave the party anyway.

Extravagance!

Jesus also told the story about the crazy Samaritan, who didn't just help the man lying at the side of the road.

He took the man to one who could offer continuing care and said “Here's my credit cards, check-book, everything, to pay for whatever he needs.

I'll be back and make up anything that is lacking.”

What else can we call that but extravagant love!

I know a couple now living out in South Dakota who chose to a adopt a child.

They gave care and love, but the child turned out to be painfully disturbed, not just going through the usual kinds of rebellion, but getting into drugs and destructive behavior.

Years have gone by, and the child has grown to adulthood, and has been in and out of jail a number of times.

But still the parents love and do not abandon that wayward one, and do what they can.

Jesus says that when one sinner repents, heaven throws a huge party.

So many parties!

We know how expensive parties can be, especially things like wedding receptions.

Some years ago in little Punxsutawney there was an evening wedding reception which ended wit fireworks cascading over the hillside behind the country club.

Such extravagance, such a gift not only to the guests at the club, but also to the whole community!

By the sheer number and scope of the stories he told and the actions he did, Jesus seems to be saying that heaven is about God's extravagant love toward us, whether we warrant such attention or not.

We who haven't deserved it and cannot earn it nevertheless receive enough and more than enough.

And Jesus took loaves and fishes, hardly enough for one or two persons, and looking up to heaven, gave thanks to God, divided the loaves and fish, distributed the pieces by means of the disciples, and after everyone had eaten, had the disciples gather up 12 baskets of leftovers.

This little detail, the number 12, is the number we use to describe the[1] completeness of Israel (all 12 tribes), as well as the[2] fullness of time, the 12 months in the year and the hours on a clock-face, and [3] all the parts of the church, named through the 12 apostles.

The completeness of Jesus' intention and action through that little detail is marvelous Good News.

This is so important that this is recounted twice in Matthew and Luke, and one of the few stories that is present in all four gospels.

God's loving extravagance provides for us, as he intends.

Other gods are known by their miserliness, selfishness, and capriciousness.

Our Lord God exuberantly overdoes everything.

God could have made one shade of flowers and that is miracle enough, but instead we have the whole rainbow worth of shades and hues.

And God's creative impulse is infinitely renewable.

God is busy creating and recreating each time these stories are told, each time that we gather at font, and table, and reading desk.

“It causes me to tremble, tremble,” the old spiritual says, as we hear and feel and taste that Jesus is giving his very life to us in the Holy Communion.

Is Jesus wasting himself on us?

Are we making faithful use of his precious gifts?

Jesus told stories about that, too.

There was the prodigal son's older brother and the question of whether he ever came into the party.

The story ends before we find out if he relented and came in, or remained outside frumping.

The feast was intended for him also; did he receive it or spurn it?

Then also there were the servants who were entrusted with the owner's property.

The wise ones used and developed it; the foolish hid it away so that he could give it back safely when the owner returned.

He was not commended for his lack of action.

God's extravagance is to spill over into our behavior, it seems.

God takes a chance on us; what chances are we willing to take?

For the sake of Jesus, might you take the chance on inviting your neighbor to sit with you next Sunday?

Because of our joy in God's gifts, we ought to be able to say, “Well, we've never done this or that task before, but maybe now is the time.”

I wish everyone had seen the children zooming around the courtyard at the conclusion of Vacation Bible School last week.

It was celebration fueled with a little bit of ice cream, while the adults stood and talked together a bit.

May that excitement and exuberance spill over into all of our relationships and activities!

In the 2^nd century, one pagan marveled at how the Christians cared for each other with seeming joy, even when they were under persecution themselves.

He exclaimed, “See how these Christians love one another.”

Why?

Because when Jesus throws a banquet, even at the appetizer table there is more than enough!

Let our response be Thanks be to God. Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.