| “GREAT BLESSINGS; GREAT EXPECTATIONS” Micah 6:1-8; Luke 12:35-48 Olivet Covenant Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, PA © Rev. Linda Jaymes, 11/15/2009 |
This past Wednesday we celebrated Veterans Day, a national holiday that honors ALL American veterans, both living and
dead. However, since we honor our war dead on Memorial Day, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for
dedicated and loyal service to their country. Thus, each year on November 11 various celebrations are held to let the veterans
among us know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made to keep our country free. (Stand up, veterans!)
Veterans Day was originally called “Armistice Day,” and it began as a way to commemorate the ending of the "Great War"
(World War I). On that day an "unknown soldier" was buried in the highest place of honor in both England and France (in
England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These ceremonies took place on November 11th because
World War I hostilities ended at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). In 1921, the
United States followed France and England by laying to rest the remains of a World War I American soldier—his name "known
but to God" –in Arlington National Cemetery. This site became known as the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" and today is
called the "Tomb of the Unknowns," symbolizing dignity and reverence for the American veterans. It’s interesting to note that
in 1968 Veterans Day became one of our “Monday Holidays,” but ten years later, owing to the historical significance of
November 11th, Congress reversed itself and returned the holiday to its traditional date. 1
As I have grown older, whenever I consider national holidays such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Independence Day,
the thing that comes most to my mind is how blessed we are to have inherited this great land. I know that people of other
lands probably feel just as proud and nationalistic about their countries as I do about mine, but I really believe that there is
something special about the United States. And I don’t say this blindly, without admitting to the many problems we do have.
But even taking our problems into account, we have a lot going for us compared to most of the rest of the world. For one
thing, we are wealthy. Even the poorest people and the homeless in this country are better off than the majority of people in
some countries! And we are free. Within the confines of our constitution and its laws, which are intended to be just, we are
guaranteed the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. So far, we are free to worship as we please, and we have
access to the clear message of the Christian gospel, the most wonderful Good News anyone has ever heard. Not every country
has these privileges. We are truly blessed.
But then as I think about all that, I cannot also help but think—or wonder—why are we here, in this country? Why not
Afhanistan or Darfur or Haiti? If we believe in a Sovereign God, a God who knows all things and arranges all things, a God
who, according to Psalm 139, wrote in his book all the days of our lives, long before we were ever born, a God who could
have ordained that we be citizens of other lands, what are we to understand about our purpose here and now as citizens in this
land of incredible blessing? Do we realize that as Christians there are implications for us simply because we live here, and not
someplace else?
I suppose there are many people who never even think about questions like that. Some take for granted the blessings we
enjoy in this land. Others may be deeply thankful to be Americans—and not starving in the Sudan—as we realize that there but
for the grace of God, go you and I. But to put it bluntly, thankfulness for the blessings we have here in the United States just
isn’t good enough. It’s good; but I think God calls us to something greater. And I think that the “something greater” has to do
with those words we just heard at the end of the reading from Luke: “To whom much is given, much will be required.” Great
blessings from God are not serendipitous. We cannot believe God has given us what we have merely on a whim. Great
blessings upon us imply God’s great expectations of us.
This has always been true for God’s people. We heard from the prophet Micah today about a “complaint” that God had
about his people Israel. Micah presents it as courtroom drama, reminding Israel that God is not only their Redeemer, but their
Judge. Micah says that God has a case against his people. He is bringing charges against Israel! And why? Despite all that
God had done for them—delivering them from slavery in Egypt; giving them leaders like Moses and Aaron; sustaining them for
40 years in the desert and then bringing them into the Promised Land—despite all of that, the Israelites had not lived up to God’
s expectations.
God had established Israel as a nation in order that they might be a model society that would attract other nations to God. He
had blessed them beyond measure, but in return they had only paid Him lip service. They had gone through the motions of
practicing religion, but had denied God in their everyday actions and behavior. They had been dishonest in the marketplace.
They had lied and deceived and exploited the poor. They had become obsessed with storing up treasure for themselves.
Instead of being touched and humbled by God’s outpouring of blessings upon them, they had become proud and self-
sufficient. They rebelled against God’s authority and rejected his prophets. They forgot that their “Promised Land” was a gift
from God. They lost all sense of what true goodness is: to act justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with God. And in
God’s eyes, they were guilty as charged and sentenced to a time of severe punishment, all because they had received God’s
great blessings but not lived up to God’s great expectations.
Based on this scripture, I find it hard, as an American, not to worry and wonder about how we as Americans must appear in
God’s eyes. Are we living up to God’s great expectations, considering the great blessings He has given us in this land of
promise? Are we doing justice and loving mercy and walking humbly with our God, or are we pursuing our own agendas and
laying up treasures for ourselves? As a nation, do we resemble the wise stewards in Luke’s parable, who counted their
blessings a sacred trust belonging to the Lord, or do we look all too much like the Israel of Micah’s day?
Those are hard questions for us to ponder. One difficulty is that on a personal level we see ourselves as wise stewards,
while on the corporate level we admit that as a nation we are often “guilty” of the things Micah talks about. It seems like it’s
always someone else who is responsible for corruption in government, or pollution of the environment or the demise of quality
public education. But the trouble with that kind of thinking is that in a land of government by the people, we are the corrupt
government. In a land of free enterprise and rampant consumerism, we are the buyers and sellers that contribute to pollution.
In a land of public education, we are the apathetic public. Sooner or later, we need to realize that the nation is us. The city is
us. The neighborhood is us. The school is us. The congregation is us. Everything we do or don’t do contributes in one way
or another, either positively or negatively, to the final outcome of history. And so, like it or not, we need to consider whether
God may be saying to us Americans as He said to Israel, “I have a case against you.”
I realize that this is very uncomfortable for us to think about. We don’t want to turn out to be the bad servants in Luke’s
parable, who disregard the Master’s wishes, misuse others and indulge themselves on the bounty and blessings entrusted to
them by the Master. As I said before, we would rather think of ourselves as the wise stewards, always ready and waiting for
Christ to return. But we have to remember that waiting for Christ means doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with
our God. It means living for Him, moment by moment, day by day, until He returns. It’s a hard calling. It’s a commitment. It
requires sacrifice. And in this day and age, if we are honest, we would prefer to omit that word from our vocabulary altogether.
Hanging downstairs over the stage in Zion Hall, from the days when Gordon Reynolds was pastor here, are two plaques
that read: “Attempt Great Things for God; Expect Great Things from God.” They remind us that when we give ourselves
“greatly” or sacrificially in attempting the Lord’s work, whether it’s within the church or in the neighborhood, in business,
government or school, we can expect Him to do great things in and through and for us. But I think we also need to reverse
those plaques from time to time, and remember that when God gives us great things, blessing us beyond all expectation, we also
need to give ourselves back in great ways—perhaps sacrificial ways—to the Lord’s work. When God gives us great blessings,
whether they are material or spiritual, He expects us to offer them back to Him and use them to attempt great things for Him.
And by the power of his Holy Spirit dwelling within us, it is possible not only to attempt great things for God, but to accomplish
them as well.
When I think of not only the accomplishments but the qualities that make America great, a willingness to sacrifice is at the
very top of my list. Maybe that’s because I think of sacrifice, when motivated by love, as being the virtue that reminds me
most of Christ. He sacrificed his citizenship in Heaven to become one of us, a citizen of earth with all its messy problems. It
was his loving sacrifice that redeemed us from sin and eternal death. It was his loving sacrifice that brings us back into
relationship with the Father. It was his loving sacrifice that gives us life in the Holy Spirit, who makes Christ alive even in sinful
mortals such as us. And if we want to attempt great things for God and for this country, I think that same quality of loving
sacrifice must play a key part.
On national holidays like Veterans Day, the government (which is us!) usually reminds us to pray for world peace. That’s
certainly a godly and worthy prayer. But I hope we will also pray for ourselves, that we might be more like all of those in this
nation’s history who didn’t hold onto the blessings God had given them, but sacrificed them for a greater good, so that others
might be blessed. These are the ones who, in dying for our freedoms, remind us of Christ, who died for our salvation. These
are the ones we just sang about so movingly in our hymn:
--the pilgrim feet, whose stern, impassioned stress beat a thoroughfare for freedom across the wilderness;
--the heroes, who proved in liberating strife that they loved country more than self, and mercy more than life;
--the patriots, who still dream, of a time when our cities no longer cry out for justice, but are a gleaming example of God’s
grace, brotherhood and peace.
God’s great blessings toward us demand our soul, our life, our all. He has given Americans not only material wealth and
numerous freedoms, but a sacred trust: the trust of the Gospel. It is the trust of his love, his forgiveness, his redemption and
promise of eternal life, and his very life in us now, by His Holy Spirit. Granted, not all Americans are Christians and the culture
around us is becoming increasingly unwilling to even consider the Gospel message. But American Christians can always bless
others, which is what God expects. We can share our material wealth, as God has blessed us. We can forgive someone who
doesn’t deserve it, just as the Father has forgiven us. We can love the unlovely, just as God, in Christ, has loved us. We can
do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with our God. And in so doing, we give others a glimpse of God’s Kingdom and a
“living” gospel, which is more powerful than words.
As Americans, we often emphasize the fact that freedom carries with it great responsibility. As Christians, perhaps we need
to re-emphasize the same thing about God’s blessings. They also carry with them great responsibility. To whom much is
given, much will be required. Great blessings imply great expectations. But by God’s power and mercy and love, those
expectations can be accomplished. When managed wisely, given freely, sacrificed lovingly in service to the God from whom all
blessings flow, God’s blessings have the power to change the course of history. That has been the heritage of this country, a
heritage I hope we never lose. But it depends on us—not the government, not on business or the economy, not the schools—
but on each of us, standing up for what is right and walking humbly with God and doing our part daily to act justly and
mercifully in all relationships of life.
Soon after the end of World War II, Rev. Peter Marshall, Presbyterian Pastor and Chaplain of the U.S. Senate led the
congress with this prayer: “Make us aware of the responsibility that rests upon us to create peace in our own hearts, in our
homes, in every association with our fellows. Teach us that righteousness alone exalteth a nation. Lead us; inspire us. Make
us Thy people to walk in Thy way, that this land may become in a new and deeper way, God’s own country.” (Emphasis
mine.) Sadly, I fear we are losing ground in this endeavor. This nation seems less and less like God’s own country and
perhaps it’s time to recommit ourselves wholeheartedly to Peter Marshall’s prayer.
This brings us back to my original question: when Christ returns to judge the earth, will He have a case against us, or will He
find that this is God’s own country? Will He find that we have turned our backs on God, or will He find us to be a righteous
nation, walking in his way? Will He see that we have hoarded God’s blessings for ourselves, or that we have sacrificed them
back to God in acts of justice and mercy, generosity and love? Those are questions each of us must answer for ourselves. But
as we consider them, let’s remember that we are not Americans by chance, and these blessings we have are but a gift from the
God who has placed us here for a reason. The Lord reminds us that to whom much is given, much will be required.
Therefore, let each of us do our part to insure that our generation’s greatness be marked, like our mothers’ and fathers’ before
us, not in the counting of our blessings, but in the giving of them, in the same spirit of sacrificial love in which God has given
all things to us.
Let us pray.
1. History of Veterans Day taken from About.com, www.usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/veteransday.htm
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
-- Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, act 4, scene 1
dead. However, since we honor our war dead on Memorial Day, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for
dedicated and loyal service to their country. Thus, each year on November 11 various celebrations are held to let the veterans
among us know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made to keep our country free. (Stand up, veterans!)
Veterans Day was originally called “Armistice Day,” and it began as a way to commemorate the ending of the "Great War"
(World War I). On that day an "unknown soldier" was buried in the highest place of honor in both England and France (in
England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These ceremonies took place on November 11th because
World War I hostilities ended at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). In 1921, the
United States followed France and England by laying to rest the remains of a World War I American soldier—his name "known
but to God" –in Arlington National Cemetery. This site became known as the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" and today is
called the "Tomb of the Unknowns," symbolizing dignity and reverence for the American veterans. It’s interesting to note that
in 1968 Veterans Day became one of our “Monday Holidays,” but ten years later, owing to the historical significance of
November 11th, Congress reversed itself and returned the holiday to its traditional date. 1
As I have grown older, whenever I consider national holidays such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Independence Day,
the thing that comes most to my mind is how blessed we are to have inherited this great land. I know that people of other
lands probably feel just as proud and nationalistic about their countries as I do about mine, but I really believe that there is
something special about the United States. And I don’t say this blindly, without admitting to the many problems we do have.
But even taking our problems into account, we have a lot going for us compared to most of the rest of the world. For one
thing, we are wealthy. Even the poorest people and the homeless in this country are better off than the majority of people in
some countries! And we are free. Within the confines of our constitution and its laws, which are intended to be just, we are
guaranteed the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. So far, we are free to worship as we please, and we have
access to the clear message of the Christian gospel, the most wonderful Good News anyone has ever heard. Not every country
has these privileges. We are truly blessed.
But then as I think about all that, I cannot also help but think—or wonder—why are we here, in this country? Why not
Afhanistan or Darfur or Haiti? If we believe in a Sovereign God, a God who knows all things and arranges all things, a God
who, according to Psalm 139, wrote in his book all the days of our lives, long before we were ever born, a God who could
have ordained that we be citizens of other lands, what are we to understand about our purpose here and now as citizens in this
land of incredible blessing? Do we realize that as Christians there are implications for us simply because we live here, and not
someplace else?
I suppose there are many people who never even think about questions like that. Some take for granted the blessings we
enjoy in this land. Others may be deeply thankful to be Americans—and not starving in the Sudan—as we realize that there but
for the grace of God, go you and I. But to put it bluntly, thankfulness for the blessings we have here in the United States just
isn’t good enough. It’s good; but I think God calls us to something greater. And I think that the “something greater” has to do
with those words we just heard at the end of the reading from Luke: “To whom much is given, much will be required.” Great
blessings from God are not serendipitous. We cannot believe God has given us what we have merely on a whim. Great
blessings upon us imply God’s great expectations of us.
This has always been true for God’s people. We heard from the prophet Micah today about a “complaint” that God had
about his people Israel. Micah presents it as courtroom drama, reminding Israel that God is not only their Redeemer, but their
Judge. Micah says that God has a case against his people. He is bringing charges against Israel! And why? Despite all that
God had done for them—delivering them from slavery in Egypt; giving them leaders like Moses and Aaron; sustaining them for
40 years in the desert and then bringing them into the Promised Land—despite all of that, the Israelites had not lived up to God’
s expectations.
God had established Israel as a nation in order that they might be a model society that would attract other nations to God. He
had blessed them beyond measure, but in return they had only paid Him lip service. They had gone through the motions of
practicing religion, but had denied God in their everyday actions and behavior. They had been dishonest in the marketplace.
They had lied and deceived and exploited the poor. They had become obsessed with storing up treasure for themselves.
Instead of being touched and humbled by God’s outpouring of blessings upon them, they had become proud and self-
sufficient. They rebelled against God’s authority and rejected his prophets. They forgot that their “Promised Land” was a gift
from God. They lost all sense of what true goodness is: to act justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with God. And in
God’s eyes, they were guilty as charged and sentenced to a time of severe punishment, all because they had received God’s
great blessings but not lived up to God’s great expectations.
Based on this scripture, I find it hard, as an American, not to worry and wonder about how we as Americans must appear in
God’s eyes. Are we living up to God’s great expectations, considering the great blessings He has given us in this land of
promise? Are we doing justice and loving mercy and walking humbly with our God, or are we pursuing our own agendas and
laying up treasures for ourselves? As a nation, do we resemble the wise stewards in Luke’s parable, who counted their
blessings a sacred trust belonging to the Lord, or do we look all too much like the Israel of Micah’s day?
Those are hard questions for us to ponder. One difficulty is that on a personal level we see ourselves as wise stewards,
while on the corporate level we admit that as a nation we are often “guilty” of the things Micah talks about. It seems like it’s
always someone else who is responsible for corruption in government, or pollution of the environment or the demise of quality
public education. But the trouble with that kind of thinking is that in a land of government by the people, we are the corrupt
government. In a land of free enterprise and rampant consumerism, we are the buyers and sellers that contribute to pollution.
In a land of public education, we are the apathetic public. Sooner or later, we need to realize that the nation is us. The city is
us. The neighborhood is us. The school is us. The congregation is us. Everything we do or don’t do contributes in one way
or another, either positively or negatively, to the final outcome of history. And so, like it or not, we need to consider whether
God may be saying to us Americans as He said to Israel, “I have a case against you.”
I realize that this is very uncomfortable for us to think about. We don’t want to turn out to be the bad servants in Luke’s
parable, who disregard the Master’s wishes, misuse others and indulge themselves on the bounty and blessings entrusted to
them by the Master. As I said before, we would rather think of ourselves as the wise stewards, always ready and waiting for
Christ to return. But we have to remember that waiting for Christ means doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with
our God. It means living for Him, moment by moment, day by day, until He returns. It’s a hard calling. It’s a commitment. It
requires sacrifice. And in this day and age, if we are honest, we would prefer to omit that word from our vocabulary altogether.
Hanging downstairs over the stage in Zion Hall, from the days when Gordon Reynolds was pastor here, are two plaques
that read: “Attempt Great Things for God; Expect Great Things from God.” They remind us that when we give ourselves
“greatly” or sacrificially in attempting the Lord’s work, whether it’s within the church or in the neighborhood, in business,
government or school, we can expect Him to do great things in and through and for us. But I think we also need to reverse
those plaques from time to time, and remember that when God gives us great things, blessing us beyond all expectation, we also
need to give ourselves back in great ways—perhaps sacrificial ways—to the Lord’s work. When God gives us great blessings,
whether they are material or spiritual, He expects us to offer them back to Him and use them to attempt great things for Him.
And by the power of his Holy Spirit dwelling within us, it is possible not only to attempt great things for God, but to accomplish
them as well.
When I think of not only the accomplishments but the qualities that make America great, a willingness to sacrifice is at the
very top of my list. Maybe that’s because I think of sacrifice, when motivated by love, as being the virtue that reminds me
most of Christ. He sacrificed his citizenship in Heaven to become one of us, a citizen of earth with all its messy problems. It
was his loving sacrifice that redeemed us from sin and eternal death. It was his loving sacrifice that brings us back into
relationship with the Father. It was his loving sacrifice that gives us life in the Holy Spirit, who makes Christ alive even in sinful
mortals such as us. And if we want to attempt great things for God and for this country, I think that same quality of loving
sacrifice must play a key part.
On national holidays like Veterans Day, the government (which is us!) usually reminds us to pray for world peace. That’s
certainly a godly and worthy prayer. But I hope we will also pray for ourselves, that we might be more like all of those in this
nation’s history who didn’t hold onto the blessings God had given them, but sacrificed them for a greater good, so that others
might be blessed. These are the ones who, in dying for our freedoms, remind us of Christ, who died for our salvation. These
are the ones we just sang about so movingly in our hymn:
--the pilgrim feet, whose stern, impassioned stress beat a thoroughfare for freedom across the wilderness;
--the heroes, who proved in liberating strife that they loved country more than self, and mercy more than life;
--the patriots, who still dream, of a time when our cities no longer cry out for justice, but are a gleaming example of God’s
grace, brotherhood and peace.
God’s great blessings toward us demand our soul, our life, our all. He has given Americans not only material wealth and
numerous freedoms, but a sacred trust: the trust of the Gospel. It is the trust of his love, his forgiveness, his redemption and
promise of eternal life, and his very life in us now, by His Holy Spirit. Granted, not all Americans are Christians and the culture
around us is becoming increasingly unwilling to even consider the Gospel message. But American Christians can always bless
others, which is what God expects. We can share our material wealth, as God has blessed us. We can forgive someone who
doesn’t deserve it, just as the Father has forgiven us. We can love the unlovely, just as God, in Christ, has loved us. We can
do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with our God. And in so doing, we give others a glimpse of God’s Kingdom and a
“living” gospel, which is more powerful than words.
As Americans, we often emphasize the fact that freedom carries with it great responsibility. As Christians, perhaps we need
to re-emphasize the same thing about God’s blessings. They also carry with them great responsibility. To whom much is
given, much will be required. Great blessings imply great expectations. But by God’s power and mercy and love, those
expectations can be accomplished. When managed wisely, given freely, sacrificed lovingly in service to the God from whom all
blessings flow, God’s blessings have the power to change the course of history. That has been the heritage of this country, a
heritage I hope we never lose. But it depends on us—not the government, not on business or the economy, not the schools—
but on each of us, standing up for what is right and walking humbly with God and doing our part daily to act justly and
mercifully in all relationships of life.
Soon after the end of World War II, Rev. Peter Marshall, Presbyterian Pastor and Chaplain of the U.S. Senate led the
congress with this prayer: “Make us aware of the responsibility that rests upon us to create peace in our own hearts, in our
homes, in every association with our fellows. Teach us that righteousness alone exalteth a nation. Lead us; inspire us. Make
us Thy people to walk in Thy way, that this land may become in a new and deeper way, God’s own country.” (Emphasis
mine.) Sadly, I fear we are losing ground in this endeavor. This nation seems less and less like God’s own country and
perhaps it’s time to recommit ourselves wholeheartedly to Peter Marshall’s prayer.
This brings us back to my original question: when Christ returns to judge the earth, will He have a case against us, or will He
find that this is God’s own country? Will He find that we have turned our backs on God, or will He find us to be a righteous
nation, walking in his way? Will He see that we have hoarded God’s blessings for ourselves, or that we have sacrificed them
back to God in acts of justice and mercy, generosity and love? Those are questions each of us must answer for ourselves. But
as we consider them, let’s remember that we are not Americans by chance, and these blessings we have are but a gift from the
God who has placed us here for a reason. The Lord reminds us that to whom much is given, much will be required.
Therefore, let each of us do our part to insure that our generation’s greatness be marked, like our mothers’ and fathers’ before
us, not in the counting of our blessings, but in the giving of them, in the same spirit of sacrificial love in which God has given
all things to us.
Let us pray.
1. History of Veterans Day taken from About.com, www.usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/veteransday.htm
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
-- Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, act 4, scene 1
