1 Timothy 2:1-7
First of all, then, I urge that
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2for
kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is right and is
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires everyone to
be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is
one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus,
himself human, 6who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested
at the right time. 7For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle
(I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith
and truth. 8I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands without anger or argument;
Thanks
be to God! Thanks be to God for all of
the wonderful things that God has done for us, from the creation of this world
and all the lives that are in it, the delicate ecosystems throughout it, the people
that we have in our lives, for our live themselves, for the food that we eat
each day and for our occupations and our schools and our leaders, thanks be to
God! So often we can forget to give
thanks. We forget to look at the good things and instead
focus on the bad.
For
instance, look at where we are now after our elections. Instead of giving thanks for having
elections, for having leaders, for the freedoms that we have, for the country
that we live in, people in twenty states signed petitions to secede from the US. Not to mention all the commotion we still
hear with people complaining about who won and the damage its going to do to
the country, which we would have heard as well if Romney had won instead. And so often I see all over the internet or
hear from friends that we need to pray for the country, because now we are
completely done for due to 4 more years of Obama. Of course, I’m convinced that we live in a
country that just loves to have something to complain about, because I’ve never
seen people happier than when we get someone’s attention and get to destroy
someone else or rant and rave about the way things are or the way they used to
be or could you believe that so in so did that?
But
instead of living in such a negative reality, we are called to a life of joy,
we are called to live in the light of God, who sacrificed himself that we might
live and that we might have peace.
Instead of complaining, we are called to pray for one another, that all lives
may be filled with peace and dignity. We
are to pray for people, not just for countries, for God is focused on the
people and desires that we have joy, that we have peace, and that we know the
love that He has for us and that we should have for one another. And in this we take great joy, that God loved
us enough to take all the junk of this world onto His back and say “I Got this,
don’t be afraid and don’t worry, I got this and I got you.”
And
that is the real message that we are called to give as Christians, it is the
message that the writer of Timothy is exclaiming, that God desires all to be
saved and gave himself as a ransom for all people, and acts as mediator in the
person of Jesus Christ, God who took upon himself human weakness and
understands our faults and bridges the divide between humanity and God. We should be thankful, because God loves us
and because God cares for us and provides for us. Most of all we should be thankful, that God
has sacrificed for us as well.
And
that is why we give thanks and that is why we sacrifice in order to show our
appreciation to God, for His own sacrifice for us. We give of ourselves, our time, and our
resources in order to benefit God and God’s kingdom, which is present at this
very hour here on earth. We give of
ourselves in order to serve the One who is the ultimate servant, our God. Our God who stooped low in order to lift us
up and who faced every betrayal and every insult and still forgives all who
have insulted his name and betrayed his trust, and disobeyed his loving laws. And so we are called to follow His example,
we are called to live out our lives not filled with anger and argument, but
instead we are called to live out our lives in forgiveness and healing and
compassion.
This
Thursday is Thanksgiving, and it is the perfect time to live out this healing
and compassion as well. As we gather
with family, whom sometimes we know far too well and with whom open
conversation can lead to arguments, whether over politics, religion, teams to
root for, that time in 2nd grade that you stole a cousins favorite
toy, or who gets to break the wishbone, remember Christ. For if he can take death of the cross and
betrayal by a closest friend, than we can surely take losing the last drumstick
and some disagreeable conversation and still let it all go and our love for one
another flourish.
So
when Aunt Mildred asks you for the mashed potatoes on Thursday, and you are
thinking that you would really like to toss at her face, please don’t. Instead be kind and forgiving, do not let
anger rule your hearts but instead give thanks, give thanks for your family and
your friends, give thanks for all their quirks that make them who they are and
that bind you together as family, give thanks for the people here who join with
you each Sunday to hear the Word and to grow together as the family of God, and
give thanks for our elected officials, that even when we don’t agree with them,
we are glad to have them to help our country and our area run safely and
efficiently.
May
we give thanks, and not be troubled in heart and not filled with anger and
argument, that we may also be ambassadors for or Lord and for the Love and
Forgiveness that He brings, which we get to experience each day and give to
others as well.
Amen.
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