What’s in Your Toolbox?
Blake Heffner September 3rd, 2006
“What’s in Your Toolbox?” September 3, 2006
Texts: Psalm 15 & Romans 12:6-18
INTRO: “What’s in your wallet?” That’s what Capitol One wants you to ask every time you leave the house – are you prepared to meet your financial needs? This morning, in the midst of Labor Day weekend and the first weeks of the new school year, let’s ask a similar question: In a spiritual sense: What’s in your backpack – as you head to school? What’s in your purse or your attaché case? What’s your toolbox as you head to work? What are the essential things that we need to carry with us to be good Christians? What are the most important virtues we need practice each day?
This whole issue was sparked afresh for me when I was looking at an ancient spiritual guidebook, written for monks nearly 1500 years ago. It is known as St. Benedict’s Rule for Monks. At the beginning, Benedict asks: What are the instruments for good works? He goes on to answer that question by listing some 72 virtues and attitudes for good living. He sums it all up by saying: “These are the tools of the spiritual craft. If we employ them unceasingly day and night [then we’ll be OK on the Day of Judgment].”
1. Psalm 15
Perhaps a thousand years before St. Benedict, the psalmist sat down to make his own list. What does it take to be able to enter the Temple, to live on Mt. Zion? He came up with a comparatively short list of six things:
· Walk blamelessly and do what is righteous
· Speak the truth from your heart and do not slander others
· Honor those who fear the Lord; despise the wicked
· Keep your word, even if it hurts
· Don’t lend money at interest, and
· Do not take a bribe against the innocent
Basically: Walk right, talk right and deal rightly with your money! If these ways are in your spiritual toolbox, he affirms, you shall never be moved.
2. Paul
The Apostle Paul created several lists of do’s and don’ts. One of his classic ones is found in our lesson from Romans, chapter 12. We can summarize them in about a dozen bullets:
· Whatever gifts God has given you, appreciate them and use them
· Let your love be genuine – that means
· Honoring others above yourself & not being proud or conceited
· Practicing hospitality
· Rejoicing with those who rejoice & mourning with those who mourn,
· Living in harmony with others, and
· Blessing those who persecute you - that is,
· In addition, we are to keep our spiritual fervor high, by
· Being joyful in hope
· Being patient in affliction
· Being faithful in prayer, and
· As far as possible, living at peace with everyone.
That’s roughly a baker’s dozen “tools” for living. It is a tall order and worthy goal. If we exhibit these virtues, surely we will be as light for the world and salt for the earth!
C. St. Benedict’s List
So, some five hundred years after Paul, St. Benedict sat down to write out a rule for his monks. He wanted to give them a blueprint for living that would really serve as the whole toolbox – everything a sincere person would need to live a holy Christian life. Benedict came up with the list that is printed on your insert: some seventy-two points!
You may be surprised that virtually every one of these virtues apply to living the Christian life today. Benedict begins with the two greatest commandments of Jesus – to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and strength, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Next, he lists five of the Ten Commandments. The Golden Rule is no. 9: “Not to do to another what you would not have done to yourself.” That’s simply the negative version of “Do unto others what you would have them do to you.”
Then Benedict addresses the kinds of things that we identify with monastic life: self-denial, asceticism and fasting. It is important to note that these are things Jesus urged on all his disciples. Self-denial is not in vogue in the church today – at least the main line Protestant churches. But, our Pennsylvania German forebears embraced such values: frugality and self-denial were instilled in every generation until recently.
Monastic life wasn’t a complete escape from the world. Benedict urged his monks to relieve the poor, clothe the naked, visit the sick and even bury the dead. Monks were to help anyone in trouble and even console the sorrowing.
You might think that living in an atmosphere of prayer would make everyone agreeable. Benedict knew better. He commanded: don’t give way to anger, don’t nurse a grudge, entertain deceit in your heart, or give a false peace.
On the positive side, Benedict followed Paul carefully: underlining the need to speak the truth, bear wrongs patiently, love one’s enemies, and bear persecution for justice’ sake.
Look at No. 36: Not a great eater! You’d think in a monastery there wouldn’t be enough food for overeating. Today, do we think carefully enough about the quantity and quality of food we eat?
I love the next few, too: Not drowsy. Not lazy. Not a grumbler. Not a detractor. Teachers in school really would like to put those on a blackboard! What a different world it would be if we all decided not to be grumblers or detractors!
Right after that, Benedict cultivates an eternal perspective: Put hope in your God. Attribute to God – not to yourself - whatever good you see in yourself. On the other hand take responsibility for the evil that you have done. Have a healthy fear of God’s judgment, be in dread of hell, and desire eternal life with passion. I don’t know many folks who dread hell these days! If we did, we wouldn’t be so reluctant to share Jesus with others. And the majority of people don’t take responsibility for their sins anymore. Right? We’re great at making excuses.
With the biblical authors, Benedict understood how critical our words are: Guard your tongue against evil and depraved speech. Don’t love talking. Don’t say useless things. Don’t try to get everyone laughing. We might do better to get folks laughing these days – life is way too sobering.
Of course, Benedict urges his monks – and us – to be diligent in prayer. He concludes with words that come right out of the New Testament: Hate no one. Don’t be jealous or envious. Don’t love contention. Beware of haughtiness – or pride. Pray for your enemies and make peace with your adversary before the sun sets.
His final point is really a key: Never despair of God’s mercy. That is so vital! After such a long – and challenging – “to do” list, virtually every one of us feels like a failure. We fall short of keeping this list every day. How wonderfully Benedict reminds us that the bottom line is God’s grace and mercy.
When we fail, we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who has made the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. “Therefore,” the Letter to the Hebrews declares, “We have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, we can approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Isn’t Benedict’s concluding remark encouraging? “These are the tools of the spiritual craft. If we employ them unceasingly day and night, and return them on the Day of Judgment, our compensation from the Lord will be that wage he has promised: ‘Eye has not seen , nor ear heard, what God has prepared for those who love Him.’”
Let’s return for a moment to God’s mercy and notice a subtle but significant distinction between these three texts. The psalmist and Benedict tell us to do this and that, then God will bless us. Paul, on the other hand, invites us to offer ourselves to Jesus Christ first, and receive his precious grace, then go out and serve the Lord. Chapter twelve begins: “I appeal to you, my brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Martin Luther declared: “Good works will not make a person good, but a good person will do good works.” Do you see the difference? We can’t work our way into heaven – none of us are good enough for that. But if we surrender ourselves to Christ Jesus, as living sacrifices, then the Spirit of the Lord at work in us, will enable us to do good works – not in order for us to be saved, but because we have already been saved by the grace to God!
So, what’s in your wallet, your purse, your backpack, your toolbox?
Let us pray…
Scripture lessons: Psalm 15
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Love
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
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