July 21, 2002 - Lesson: Lesson: Matthew 6.1-4

Sermon Title: Bragging Rights

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INTRODUCTION:

A story is told about the turtle who wanted to come to Florida for the winter?

He knew he could never walk all the way, so he talked to the two ducks who shared his pond. They were better equipped for long-distance travel.

He found a piece of stout cord and persuaded each of them to take an end while he, with his strong jaws, held on in the center.

It was a pleasant flight and everything was going as planned until someone on the ground looked up and said with admiration, "Who in the world thought of that?"

Unable to restrain the impulse to take full credit for the idea, the turtle opened his mouth to say, "I did."

We do not have to imagine what happened to the turtle.

MAIN BODY:

Granddaughter Caitlin the past two weeks was in a Drama Class at Hilltop School.

Friday was the presentation of all their hard work.

One of the pieces acted out was the story of the Fox and the Crow.

The fox was hungry and saw that the crow had in its beak an enticing piece of food.

How was the fox going to get it?

He praised the Crow.

What gorgeous feathers you have Mr. Crow.

What lovely eyes you have Mr Crow.

What a beautiful voice you have Mr. Crow, "Would you sing for me."

The Crow sang, "Caw, Caw" and dropped the bit of food right into the fox's mouth.

Aesop tells the fable of the man who had two wives.

One was younger than he and had lovely dark hair.

The other was older who hair had turned white.

The younger plucked out all the husband's dark

The older plucked out all the husbands light hair.

The poor man became bald.

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  1. What are we talking about?
    1. Ego needs.
    2. Boasting about our actions.
    3. Bragging rights.

Remember the movie Annie Get Your Gun with Betty Hutton and Howard Keel?

There is a fierce competition between them.

There is a song that is sung by Annie and Frank

Anything You Can Do

Irving Berlin, from Annie Get Your Gun

Annie

Anything you can do,
I can do better.
I can do anything
Better than you.

Frank and Annie

No, you can't...Yes, I can.
No, you can't....Yes, I can.
No, you can't....Yes, I can,
Yes, I can!
Yes, I can!

Frank

Anything you can be
I can be greater.
Sooner or later,
I'm greater than you.

Annie and Frank

No, you're not. Yes, I am.
No, you're not. Yes, I am.
No, you're NOT!. Yes, I am.
Yes, I am.
Yes, I am!

  1. What Jesus is teaching is the nature of personhood, and credibility as Christians.

Barry Asmus, in an article, "Building an Unlimited Future", Imprimis, 21 [January 1992], 1) tells the story of Albert Einstein's arrival at heaven's gate. There, he was informed that his quarters were not ready and that he would have to live with three roommates.

The first of these introduced himself by bragging that he had an I.Q. of 180. Einstein was delighted and assured the fellow that they would have a wonderful time discussing the theory of relativity.

The second roommate was quick to boast that he had an I.Q. of 120. Einstein replied, Terrific. We can discuss the quantum theory of mechanics and examine some mathematical equations.

Then they looked at the third roommate.

The third roommate was sheepish when he admitted that his I.Q. was only 80.

Einstein paused, gave him a long look, and asked, Where do you think the stock market will finish this year?

Whoops!

In West Texas there is a sign that boasts, Horses for Everyone.

In small print it reads:

For skinny people, we have skinny horses.

For fat people, we have fat horses.

For disabled people, we have disabled horses.

For people who have never ridden horses, we have horses that have never been ridden.

Want to ride?

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  1. Even though Jesus uses the illustration of giving alms, what he is teaching is the danger of our ego needs becoming greater than our need for loving generosity.
    1. We are not to brag or boast about what we do for others.
    2. Do not sound a trumpet to identify what you are doing.
  2. As a matter of fact we are to have a constructive and natural opinion of ourselves, skills and abilities.
    1. Paul writes in Romans 12.3-8:

3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness, (Romans 12:3-8, NRSVA)

    1. Without an understanding of the self, you cannot function as a person or a Christian to your optimal level
  1. We are to provide for the needs of the poor.
    1. The genuine poor.
    2. The apparent poor.
    3. The church is here to be taken advantage of, even by the selfish poor.
      1. I would hazard a guess that we have a very difficult time with this one.
      2. We have to understand that the church is here to provide a service to the community.
      3. Sometimes it is the only way to reach out to those whose need are not even readily apparent to themselves.
      4. This is what Jesus did for the people with whom he associated, taught, and offered miracles.
  2. Then Jesus says: "Do not let you left hand know what you right hand is doing."
    1. How are we to understand this rather enigmatic, mystifying saying?
      1. Alms done in secret.
      2. Generosity done without recognition.
    2. We read earlier in Matthew 5.14-16: 14"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven, (Matthew 5:14-16, NRSVA)
    3. How do we resolve the tension and apparent conflict between these two admonitions?
    4. The difference is found between boasting and humility.

Paul exclaims in 1 Corinthians:

26Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31in order that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord," (1 Corinthians 1:26-31, NRSVA)

    1. We humbly admit our generosity.
      1. No personal aggrandizement.
      2. Do all for the glory of God.

31So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 32Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved. 11:1Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ, (1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1, NRSVA)

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    1. There should be no self-consciousness in our actions.

Hazel Perry was a loving. Compassionate, generous, Christian.

There were people who were in need in Mukwonago who would not, because of their pride, avail themselves of the help available through the county or the state.

So Hazel with the help of other Christians founded the Mukwonago Christian Community.

If you had a need for food, food were appear on your doorstep.

The same with other needs that might be apparent to the members of the Community.

It was all done anonymously.

In this way a large number of people were helped.

The organization still exists

    1. The anonymity has not been maintained, but the purpose is intact.
    2. This is the way it ought to be.
  1. This is because boasting or bragging has its own reward and negates the rewards of God, both now and in the future.

CONCLUSION:

Philosopher Christina Hoff Sommer laments that students taking college ethics are debating abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, DNA research and the ethics of transplant surgery while they learn almost nothing about private decency, honesty, personal responsibility or honor

Christina Hoff Sommer's, in "Teaching the Virtues", Imprimis, 20 [November 1991], 1). tells this Saul Bellow story

There was once a rabbi in a small Jewish village in Russia who vanished every Friday morning for several hours. The devoted villagers boasted that during these hours their rabbi ascended to heaven to talk with God. A skeptical newcomer determined to discover where the rabbi really went.

One Friday morning the newcomer hid near the rabbi's house, watched him rise, say his prayers and put on the clothes of a peasant. He saw him take an ax and go into the forest, chop down a tree and gather a large bundle of wood. Next the rabbi proceeded to a shack in the poorest section of the village in which lived an old woman and her sick son. He left them the wood which was enough for the week. The rabbi then quietly returned to his own house.

The story concludes that the newcomer stayed on in the village and became a disciple of the rabbi. And whenever he heard one of his fellow villagers say, On Friday morning our rabbi ascends all the way to Heaven, the newcomer quietly added, if not higher. (4)

  1. Is there need to say anything more?

Amen

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