February 1, 2004
Jeremiah 1:4-10; I Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30
The prophet Jeremiah was born and lived at a time when his people were in great distress. They were in distress in spite of their history of belief that they were the chosen people of God. Jeremiah was contemplating not only the fate of his own people but the challenge of finding meaning in his own life. He concluded that he was born of the will of God, and that he was given both an ability and a challenge to fulfill his life as a mouthpiece for God. With this belief he went forth to say those things to his people which he believed God wanted him to say. He believed he had a "calling" from his Creator and he committed himself to fulfilling that "calling". He called his people from their "sin" to a loving relationship with their God.
When writing to the church at Corinth Paul was speaking about the variety of gifts and talents represented among human beings. After specifying of a number of these gifts through which God could work, in the church as an organization, and in human life in general, he then spoke of what he perceived the greatest gifts and talents of to be. Today, we might abilities as genetic inheritances. If we wish to describe what we feel we should do in life with spiritual terminology, we might also refer to the expression of these gifts as a "calling". Regardless of all the worthwhile "gifts" represented among human beings, and especially in the church, Paul reminded those to whom he write that there was one gift above all others. This was a gift available to everyone but it could only express its power if it was nurtured and practiced in the relationships of human beings with one another and with God. The talent of which he spoke was love. We might be able to do wonderful things, said Paul, but if we do not love one another, we do not make the kind of contribution to life that God intends for us to make. Among the wonderful gifts Paul said were "at the top" were faith, hope, and love. After defining what love "looks like", he then said that the greatest of all is love. No gift which we receive, and no gift which we give to others is greater than love. Our greatest calling in life is to live a life of love. Paul was not speaking of love as an emotion. He was speaking of love as a verb. Love, said Paul, is patient and kind, is not jealous or boastful. It is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Paul said the talent of love which each of us is capable of sharing is so great that it's need and power will never end. Other gifts will end, but the importance of, and need for love will never end.
Luke relates the story of Jesus telling the folks in his home town, at a service in the synagogue, about his intentions for his life. He quoted from the prophet Isaiah in which the prophet committed himself to proclaim the word of hope to the hopeless and to help those in great need of any kind. When he sat down after indicating that he embraced the words of Isaiah as the calling for his own life, he felt the eyes of the congregation upon him, some with admiration and pride and others with doubt and distrust. Jesus had "talked the talk". The real question remained to be answered. Would he "walk the walk". Luke continues the story by telling how Jesus told his relatives and neighbors what he was going to do with his life by saying, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Luke then proceeded to tell how Jesus left the synagogue and went out into other communities to "walk the walk". He went about doing good to all he could reach who were in need of help and to all who would listen in faith.
Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus all had something very important in common. They each explained the sense of "calling" that came upon them as very important. They saw a world in need and committed their lives to responding to that need with the talents and abilities which were theirs. None of them had to do that. They believed that God wanted them to use their abilities in response to the needs of their fellowmen. That is what they did. Jeremiah told his people what they must do in order to regain a relationship of trust with God. Paul told folks in the young churches that they each had many talents, but that they all had the ability to love and that there was no greater gift than to express their lives in love. Jesus went about doing good regardless of the response of those to whom he ministered. We do well to nudge our spirit of willingness to give the best we have to the world in the same spirit which Jeremiah, Paul, and Jesus demonstrated. The fact that God give each of us abilities/talents and that we live our lives in a world of need is the fact of our "calling". Each of us will/can respond in a manner of our own choosing.