First of all, I want to thank the Monnots for allowing me to be a part of this service today. It is incredible for me to be back here at All Saints – in the church where I grew up. This is where I received my first communion, was confirmed, and, I actually preached my first homily here when I was seventeen and had just graduated from high school. And of course, three years ago, this is where I was ordained to the Diaconate. All Saints is such an incredibly special place to me and to my family, and so I am honored to be here with you today.
Although, before I agreed to preach, maybe I should have looked at the Gospel lesson for today. Indeed, this parable is a tough one to flesh out. Maybe it would help to try to put this parable into today’s language and terms. There was a rich man – a CEO of a Fortune 500 Company, perhaps – who found out one of his managers had been embezzling money from the company. Furious, he called the manager into the conference room, and immediately fired him. The major newspapers and magazines covered the story, and thus he was completely disgraced. He knew he’d never find another job in the corporate world again, since his dishonesty and untrustworthiness were well known. To try to make amends, he began working behind the scenes, going to the competition, working out deals that would benefit his former employer by making the company more money. When the CEO heard this, he was impressed with the managers’ efforts, and thanked him for his efforts.
But then what happened? Did he get his job back? Did the fact that he tried to redeem himself count for anything? Would the media care about his renewed efforts to make up for what he did wrong? Jesus doesn’t really say, and so its difficult to figure out the larger meaning. Parables usually mirror or parallel humanity’s relationship with God. But in this instance, my hunch is that this parable is actually about human nature in general. Indeed, a corrupt person can turn around and do “good” things. They can attempt to make amends. In fact, we have a criminal justice system that is based on restitution. Trying to repay or replace what was lost, damaged, or taken from another person. And more often than not, this entails repayment in the form of dollars. This is the system of the world. Indeed, the rich man in the parable appreciated having some of his money back, and maybe was impressed by his ex-manager’s initiative in getting it. But being caught in this world of earthly wealth, he could only respond in kind, which meant that once proven untrustworthy, no matter what he did, the manager had to remain on the outside looking in.
This is why Jesus warns us at the end that we cannot serve both wealth and God. You see, for most of us, trusting people who have hurt us, forgiving people who have betrayed our trust is very hard. We label each other as “good” and “bad,” judging each other’s integrity and character. I don’t think we can help it, really. We live in the world and are constrained by our human faults and limitations, including desires for worldly riches and possessions, and the drive to do whatever it takes to have them. But these are also the desires and temptations that lead us away from God. And God knows that they are there. But unlike the CEO, when we are ready to stop falling into the traps of this world that tear us away from serving God and God’s purpose for us, God is ready to take us back with open arms. Yes, we have been dishonest. Yes, we have squandered the things and gifts that God has given us. We have messed up repeatedly. And really, there is no good reason for God to forgive us, except that God is not human – thank God! – and therefore God can exceed what anyone else on Earth is capable of doing. God was willing, in Jesus Christ, to suffer, die, and then rise again to show us the way; to show us the way back to God. Not through money or power, but rather through abiding and eternal love.
In a few moments, a precious little girl will begin her life in Christ. Today, promises will be made on Paetynn’s behalf, and she will begin her journey towards knowing and experiencing what having a relationship with God is all about. This is not about bestowing God’s love on Paetynn. God already loves her so much. And Jesus has already saved her. All of that has been done and not a drop of water has touched her forehead. So why baptize her? What will this accomplish? What baptism does is it gives Paetynn a path so that when – not if, but when – she gets caught up in the things of this world she will know how to find her way back. It used to be that in the baptismal ceremony, there would be a point in which people would literally turn away from the doors of the church – the doors that lead to the outside world, in order to face the altar, where God is. This symbolically embodied the start of a new life, a new orientation that one takes on in baptism. Listen closely to the words of the baptismal service: the first 3 questions asked of the Godparents mimics this old ritual. Do you renounce – wickedness, evil powers, sinful desires, the things of the world that keep us away from connection to God? That’s the stuff ‘out there.’ And the next 3 questions are the 180: do you turn to Jesus, do you trust him, do you promise to obey him? This is truly the beginning of a new way of life in Christ Jesus.
The Godparents will make these promises for Paetynn, but all of you are then asked to do all in your power to help her, to be present with her, to support her in staying on that path, and in finding it when she gets off of it. This is in there because the reality is, we don’t live in a vacuum. This life of faith, being followers of Jesus, is not an easy thing. That’s why we need each other – we need parents and Godparents, friends, and relatives, and parish communities to help keep us on track. And we can make these promises for Paetynn because we know that God always honors God’s promises. God has already promised to love us unconditionally. And Jesus has already fulfilled his promise to take away our sins transgressions. It’s all already done. We just have to keep our end of the bargain. Which is, of course, easier said than done.
That is what is truly mind blowing about this though. We can embezzle, squander, cheat, lie, steal from God – and I know I do it everyday myself – and yet, when I’m ready to knock all that stuff off, God will give me my job back. God will take me back. It doesn’t make much sense. Now, that doesn’t mean we should do all that stuff. No, God obviously wants us not to do them, but knows through our weaknesses, we will fall short from time to time. But redemption, a new life, is here for us when we are willing to turn around and try again. Paetynn’s baptism is the beginning of that journey, and with the support of this community, she – and all of us – will be able to keep finding her way back to God, who is waiting for us, and will always welcome us back with open, loving arms. We just have to be willing to remember, and turn around. Amen.