The purse that never fails

Grant us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right.  From today’s collect; a tall order. But if you look at the collects, which I have talked about before—they all communicate a similar theological principle that I’ve named recently: God gives us the grace to do what God would have us do. So, God will give us the spirit to think and do always those things that are right.

If you study today’s gospel, you’ll find that most people focus on the second two-thirds of it, about being ready and watchful for the Son of Man who comes like a thief in the night. I have always captivated by the opening verses, which bear repeating:

Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourself that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven that nothing can destroy. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus says “make bags for yourselves that do not wear out.” This is a high bar for something we make ourselves. And of course my mind goes to literal purses. Purses I have known…I have too many of them, as I’m sure some of you do as well. And the ones you are most attached to do wear out, right?

Make for yourself a purse that doesn’t wear out.

What if the purse that doesn’t wear out is no purse at all? What is our unfailing treasure in heaven? It is not this building, this beautiful space that we love, and it is not our former glory. Our treasure is not our longing for more people or more resources. It is not our bank accounts or the tangible treasures we might keep at home or in a safe deposit box.

Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock.” This tips us off that Jesus is not preaching to anyone in the general public who will listen, as his most recent teachings have been. He is preaching to his immediate circle of disciples, that motley crew that included people whom polite society did not expect would inherit the kingdom. This was a small group. Twelve people. A couple of whom turned out to be of no use whatsoever and one who even turned on him. Other followers who today would probably be criminals or addicts. Fear not, little flock.

The unfailing treasure in heaven is what we have inside each one of us, and what we bring to this place every week. Our treasure in heaven is the refreshment and renewal each of you finds each Sunday at this table. I hope that what you are here for and what you take away each week is nourishment for your work of being Jesus’ hands and heart in the world: in your work, in your family, with the neighbors and strangers who cross your path. We have this treasure. It doesn’t wear out.

But wait, there’s more.

Like all of the gospels, especially Luke, this morning’s verses ask something of us. Not only are we to shift our thinking and set our sights on a different kind of purse, but we are to sell our possessions and give alms. Actually, alms does not mean what most people think it means. It is not a handout, but an act of mercy.

What do you think of when you think of an act of mercy?

I think of a cup of cool water. Letting someone use my phone to make a call. Giving someone a nutritious meal or a cigarette. Or a poncho in the pouring rain.

I have been thinking a lot lately about small kindnesses. Some days, it is what gives me the most ready hope. Kindness I have received, kindness I watch others perform or receive, and small kindnesses that I am blessed to be able to offer others.

What if the purse that never wears out, the unfailing treasure, is filled with the little acts of mercy we do? If this is true, then it really is God’s pleasure to give us the kingdom because it is here, all around us. Everywhere we look are people in need of mercy—including me, for sure, and maybe you—and everywhere we look are opportunities to show mercy.

People in my line of work are kind of vulnerable to getting a savior complex from time to time. So it is a great gift to me to think about small kindness, small impacts. I came across a quote the other day that inspired me and I hope it will inspire you as well:

You don’t measure your own success against the size or volume of the effect you’re having. You gauge it from the difference you make to the subject you’re working on. Is leading an army that wins a war really that much more satisfying than teaching a four-year-old to ride a bicycle? …you go for the small things and you do them as well as you can. (Colin Cotterill, Anarchy and Old Dogs)

What if our Christian vocation and our treasure in heaven are the same? Our calling is to follow Jesus in small, achievable ways. If we all do that, the world can be transformed, through love that triumphs over fear and death, into the kingdom. Let us throw our hearts into this unfailing treasure.