It Depends On How You Define It

Sermon for July 27
Lectionary Readings:
Genesis 29:15-28
Psalm 105:1-11, 45b or Psalm 128:1-6
Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Do any of you remember that series from the 1980s called The A Team? It was about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who work as soldiers of fortune while being on the run from the military for a "crime they didn't commit". Remember, they’d put together elaborate plans to help the good guys… George Peppard who played the older leader of the group would rub his hands together and say, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Remember that?

Jacob was a guy who liked a good plan. He was one of those guys who instinctively knew how to spot opportunities and arrange circumstances to be most advantageous to himself. He managed to trade a bowl of soup for a birthright. He tricked his father into bestowing the better blessing on him than on his older brother. And in his relationship with his uncle Laban, managed to breed goats in a way that enriched himself beyond his uncle’s plans or desires. By the way, do you remember what Jacob was doing living with his Uncle Laban? He was on the run from his brother Esau whom he tricked out of birthright and blessing.

In our Lectionary reading from the Old Testament this morning we find Jacob rubbing his hands together and saying to himself, “I love it when a plan comes together.” He’d made a deal with his uncle Laban to work for seven years in exchange for his cousin Rachel’s hand in marriage. Genesis tells us that Jacob loved Rachel so much that those seven years seemed to him to be just a few days. He was motivated! He had a plan.

And yet…. the joke’s on Jacob. Jacob wakes up the morning after his wedding and finds Leah next to him. What?! For God was rubbing His hands together too. And when God has a plan – watch out! Things may not work out as you expect. I think it’s tempting to look at this story and say to yourself, “Boy, that Laban was as tricky as Jacob. He sure got the best of him.” But be careful that you don’t miss God’s hand in the story.

Remember, Jacob wanted to be The Guy. The Guy that carried the promise. If not, why would he bother stealing Esau’s birthright or blessing. And when you’re The Guy, you have to expect that your life takes on a significance beyond the ordinary. A Kingdom significance. Now the Patriarchs weren’t thinking about the Kingdom of God. But Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were aware that God had promised something special to their family. God was going to make from them a great nation – and had plans to bless the whole earth through them.

Now we know that Abraham had one child with Sarah. And Isaac had two children with Rebecca. Well it appears that with Jacob, God decides to get the reproduction party started. Let’s take a minute to look at how things played out for Jacob. We know that Jacob preferred Rachel. Well, Rachel was not exactly fertile Myrtle. In the end, Leah bears 6 sons for Jacob, Rachel 2, and their maidservants 4.

OK, so Leah was more prolific and the goal was to create a great nation. But there’s more… One of Leah’s sons was named Judah. And guess who’s genealogy he’s a part of? That’s right – fast forward a couple thousand years and Jesus is born! Jacob’s understanding was limited. His vision was narrow. Jacob focused simply on marrying the girl of his dreams, but God was doing the work of the Kingdom in his life.

Jesus spoke often about this Kingdom. In the Gospel reading this morning he tells us that the Kingdom of God is mysterious – it grows in unexpected ways, it spreads like yeast through dough, and above all, it is a treasure beyond value. In fact, it’s so valuable, that it’s worth selling all you have to possess. Our smaller stories are not worth considering when seen in light of the Kingdom.

Paul understood the wisdom of the Kingdom. Paul was a guy who’d had his plans changed. In fact, the trajectory of his life was dramatically altered. He went from the persecutor to the persecuted. Everywhere Paul went trouble seemed to find him. But listen again to his words in Romans:

"28We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. "

If you look at Paul, you see a man who’s sold all that he has for the pearl of great price – and he knows the good of it. Here’s a man living the abundant life, the Kingdom life. Here’s a guy who’d been rubbing his hands together as he planned his persecution of the young church. But again… God had other plans. They were life changing, Kingdom shaping plans.

Are you a person who loves it when a plan comes together? It’s natural to hope for our plans to come to fruition with no surprises. Usually that’s the way it happens. But sometimes, God has surprises for us. Sometimes He’s smiling as we anticipate a particular outcome because He knows the joke’s on us. The trajectory of our life will change. Indeed, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it so much as dawned on man what God has prepared for those who love him.”

The threads of our lives are intertwined with one another here in this place, throughout the world, and across time to form a tapestry – breathtaking in its beauty. Though right now, we only see the back side of that tapestry – which can appear as a jumbled mess, we have the witness of Scripture to assure us God is creating a thing of beauty.

Most of us would agree that the prosperity Gospel is a false Gospel. But maybe that depends on how you define it. If you define prosperity as everything going your way without a hitch – as blue skies and placid seas, then no, the Gospel won’t promise you that. But if you define prosperity as the privilege of taking part in God’s plans for His Kingdom, then, yes! No matter how young or old you are – no matter your stage in life – God has plans for you. Sometimes they include surprises. May our Gracious God grant us eyes to see His Kingdom, ears to hear His voice, and hearts to embrace His plans – even when they include surprises. Amen