November 27, 2022

For those who wish to watch the service as they read along, here is the link. Worship Service on YouTube

Moving From Our Economy to God’s Economy

 

Isaiah 9:2 and 6; Luke 1:46-47; 52-55

 

For the next three Sundays’ we will focus on the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge. Who was Scrooge? Charles Dickens created an iconic figure who represents greed, stinginess, and self-absorption. Dickens wrote the following character description of Scrooge in his book, A Christmas Carol. “Scrooge was a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching covetous old sinner.” He is not portrayed in a positive light, nor is he a popular figure by any means, despite finding redemption at the end.

 

The name Ebenezer is a Hebrew word meaning “Stone of Help,” representing a request for God’s assistance. (1 Samuel 7:12). In the hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” verse two begins, “Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’m come.” Despite the name’s Hebrew meaning, only 12 children in all of England were named Ebenezer in the recent census.

 

How did Ebenezer end up as a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner? How did he end up so against Christmas and all of humanity?

 

In reading A Christmas Carol, I found he was shunned by friends in his childhood, came from a place of poverty, did not grow up in a loving home, was sent away to boarding school at an early age, and when he was betrothed to a woman he actually loved, he chose the love of money and security over the love of his intended. Bitterness grew as his love for his own economy grew. His largest sin was his focus on himself, which then led to a host of other sins, including greed and having no love for any of his neighbors.

 

Scrooge was a sinful being who needed to repent(turn around) and be redeemed from sin. The work of redemption comes through the intervention of three spirits, who help Scrooge move from sin and self-absorption to finally care for others. The Scrooge you’ll see from time to time in worship may even get there BEFORE Christmas Eve. Stay tuned!

 

So, Scrooge is turned by the three spirits, who, in time, redeem his character from his self-absorbed sin. Through being redeemed, he stops focusing on his own economy, that is - his own careful and thrifty management of resources all for himself. In the end, he demonstrates God’s economy - using those resources to help bring glimpses of God’s kindom and sharing with others.

 

What about for you and me? We do not have three spirits to come visit us, to turn us from ourselves and redeem us from sin. We have someone better whom we celebrate the arrival of every Advent! We have Jesus, who helps us turn from sin and who redeems us. We celebrate his arrival as the infant child who would become Messiah and redeem his people. What does the word redemption mean?

 

The dictionary defines redemption as “the release of an item or person in exchange for some type of payment.” The classic Christian understanding is that the death of Christ upon the cross releases us from sin. However, the roots of redemption go much deeper in the New Testament.

 

The concept begins in Hebrew Scripture and means several things. First, redemption is used as a technical legal term in regard to inheritance, family members, tithing, and property - Leviticus 25:25-27 says, 25“If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold. 26 If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them, but later on, they prosper and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves, 27 they are to determine the value for the years since they sold it and refund the balance to the one to whom they sold it; they can then go back to their own property.”

 

The second root of redemption in Hebrew scripture has to do with the redemption of firstborn male children by means of payment or offering. Levite priests take the place of firstborn males and become God’s possession as they begin service at the temple (Numbers 3:45)

 

The third root of redemption in Hebrew scripture has to do with God’s relationship with the people of God. They are redeemed, and their relationship is restored after acts of rebellion. Psalm 130, one of the psalms of ascent, which was spoken as one came to worship at the temple, speaks of God’s redeeming the people. The last verse of the psalm reminds the worshiper, “It is God who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.”

 

The New Testament’s emphasis on redemption is developed by the Apostle Paul. Paul says that “all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, and redemption comes to us through Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:23-24) Bondage to self and to sin leads to alienation from God, from others, and to destruction. Redemption by the Messiah through payment for sins by his death frees us from this bondage to sin and the absorption of self. The gospel of Mark tells us that this was Jesus’ main mission. “The son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom (the release of a person in return for payment, very close to redemption) for many.” (Mark 10:45)

 

Redemption is a healing process that transforms who we are and conforms us more and more into the image of Christ. We become heirs of God through Christ. This knowledge of who we are and whose we are should lead us to a new way of life. Scrooge is an example here, as he raises Bob Cratchit’s salary, buys them the biggest goose in the butcher shop, makes sure that Tiny Tim is cared for, and starts saying Merry Christmas instead of Bah Humbug. As I mentioned earlier, Scrooge takes his focus off of his own economy- the careful management of his resources, all for himself, to a broader economy- God’s economy. God’s economy is God’s planned kindom- a kindom of justice, mercy, grace, and love using our own resources for God. We become part of that economy when we repent (turn around) and are redeemed.

 

The promises of these passages help us move from our own economy and care to God’s. The familiar passage from Isaiah 9:2 tells us - The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light- those who lived in a land of deep darkness’ upon them light has shined. This light is the Messiah, the light of the world(John 8:12). Christ’s light helps us to see others as fellow neighbors and fellow sojourners on this road we call “life.” Verse 6 reminds us - A son has been born for us to redeem us, to make us more Christ-like, to help us move from our economy to God’s, and to use the resources we have to share Christ’s light with others. What does God’s economy look like? We find out in Mary’s song of praise in Luke’s gospel.

 

Luke 1:46-7; 52-55

When she finds out she will carry the long-awaited Messiah and give birth to him she bursts out into song. 46 - Mary is lifted from her place as a lowly handmaiden, a bondservant, one of the lowest positions of servitude in the 1st century and sees a world of God’s economy- where resources are used to change the world. She sees this not in some future state but in the past. This has already happened in Mary’s eyes - the lowly are raised, and the lofty brought low. Why? Theologian Fred Craddock says, “So sure is the singer that God will do what is promised that it is proclaimed as an accomplished fact. This has already begun. God’s choice of Mary is evidence of it.”

 

Redemption is a healing process that transforms who we are and conforms us more and more into the image of Christ. A result of Redemption is a change of heart, a new way of being expressed in our words and actions.

So for the month of Advent, we who are redeemed, who are renewed through Christ, can show our redemption. Each week in Advent, you’ll find there are “Redemption in Action” things you can do. For this week, we encourage you:

  • Give Non-perishable foods to the LFP CHRISTMAS TREE! Over this next week, please bring us your canned good and non-perishable food items and place them under the tree. As our LFP is being repaired, once it is secure, we’ll stock the pantry.
  • Next week, your act of redemption will be to send cards and offer visits to friends and loved ones who are alone during the holidays. Let them know you care.
  • The third week of Advent, you can demonstrate redemption in Christ through giving gifts that are from God’s economy- the management of God’s resources for the wellbeing and care of others. I encourage you to try giving Christmas presents to others through the PCUSA giving catalog or even Heifer International. This is something we did in a mighty way with the last congregation I served in Fort Bragg, CA. We wanted to demonstrate God’s economy in a real and tangible way. We had a relationship with another Presbyterian church in Kenya. St. Peter Nduma and I knew that Heifer had previously worked with congregations that were in need by providing livestock. The congregation of St. Peter Nduma Presbyterian church was quite poor. So I wondered if Heifer International might be able to provide goats for the people of St. Peter Nduma, allowing them better nutrition through goat milk and cheese, offering them a livelihood where they could sell their goat dairy products, grow their herd, and sell livestock, etc. It took our tiny church a year of planning and two years of fundraising over $8,000 with rummage sales, cutting and selling firewood, and a few other things. Then it took almost a year of nagging at Heifer International because unbeknownst to me, in that three-year period, they were phasing out giving livestock from church to church. Eventually, after a lot of work and prayer, our sister church, St. Peter Nduma, received 23 dairy goats! That was a tangible example of living out our redemption by the Messiah and giving the world around us an example of God’s economy.

 

So, in those moments when you start to feel a bit Scroogy, remember who you are and whose you are. You have been redeemed by Jesus Christ, our Messiah. During this Advent-Christmas season, may that knowledge lead you to a life that blesses everyone in what you say and do. Alleluia! Amen.