Jesus the Thief? ~ Luke 12:32-40 ~ Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Many of you I’ve told that my grandfather served the church as a lay minister.

When he was in his thirties, the old Pittsburgh Synod sent him to a tiny congregation in rural West Virginia that could not financially support its own pastor.

After worship one Sunday, he greeted a family that was quite discouraged that a brother and his family hadn’t been coming to church.  My grandfather asked if they would like him to visit, to which they quickly replied “no.”  “He’d probably run you off the farm,” they explained.

Yet my grandfather was up to the challenge.  I guess he figured a visit to a stranger’s farm couldn’t be any scarier than serving in the Army Air Corps during WW2.  So he drives to the family’s farm, and immediately he’s struck with how beautiful and well-maintained it is.  But before he even gets to the front door, a large man wearing overalls comes storming out the front door, with a double-barrel shotgun in hand. 

But my grandfather doesn’t go running away.  He gently introduces himself and explains why he’s come.  And wouldn’t you know it, but he visited the man and his family for nearly two hours—and they were in church the following Sunday…

But what if you were in the farmer’s shoes—and Jesus was your uninvited guest?  Would we receive him—or would we chase him away?

This question would be a no-brainer if the Bible precisely pinpointed the time and place of his coming—and if he showed up in a dazzling display of lights and music.  But that’s not reality.  Jesus comes as one we would not expect—at a time we would not expect… 

“You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour,” he says.

Jesus likens his coming to a thief who breaks into the master’s house and steals the master’s treasures when the master lets down his or her guard. 

Imagine that: Jesus the Thief…  And that’s not all: Jesus the Thief comes seeking treasure…  That treasure is your heart—and not just your heart, but you.  All of you.

But Jesus is not your typical thief who robs you blind.  Jesus claims you, and in exchange, he gives you the Kingdom of God; a treasure in heaven that’s completely safeguarded from the thieves and robbers that stalk this world.  And not because you’ve asked for it, or not because you deserve it, but because it is God’s good pleasure to give it to you as a gift…

The question is, do we see Jesus’ coming as the greatest gift of our lives, for which we’ll wait in joy?  OR, would we treat Jesus as a thief—a direct threat what our hearts treasure most? 

Trouble is, the kingdom comes to us as a promise.  We cannot yet dive fully into this treasure in heaven—but not so with the treasures of the here-and-now. 

Regardless of whatever your situation in life may be, we all have our treasure troves.  There are, of course, the treasures of possessions; the things we buy from the fruits of our labor, believing that they’ll fulfill our needs and make us happy.  There’s the treasures of time; a treasure demanded of us by so many others that sometimes we keep very little for ourselves (like money).  There’s the treasure we call freedom—to live life on our own terms. 

Jesus brings us the Kingdom of God as a promise—but do we trust that it’s a greater treasure? Do we trust his promise?  Because if we don’t, and we truly believe that the world’s treasures are the key to happiness, we’re going to chase Jesus away.

Furthermore, if there’s anything we’re keeping watch for, it’s for opportunities to have it all, know it all, and do it all:

·         To own the latest, greatest, fastest, fanciest stuff

·         To know what’s happening in our world, and know what’s going on in everyone else’s lives

·         To capture every thrill, every joy, and live the best of all possible lives.

It’s easy to miss Jesus’ coming if our fear is missing out on the best of what’s around. 

Jesus comes, like a thief to claim what is most precious to him—and that treasure is us.  He comes to give us a free gift that is eternally greater than any treasure we can ever have or hold—and that treasure is the Reign of God.  And does it surprise anyone that the one who comes as a thief would be crucified between two thieves?  Jesus’ love for us is a love like no other. 

Today, Jesus comes bringing the Kingdom of God.  The gift we receive comes as a promise.  It’s hard to trust that promise in light of the troubling realities of our time.  But we’re not without help—because Jesus has come into your life. 

Jesus gives you his Word so that you can know him in a personal relationship.  Jesus gives you his body and blood as a sign of the promise that your sins are forgiven and that you will live forever.  You can pray to him at any time, for any reason.  He will hear you, and he will take care of you. 

Living by faith is acting on the promises of God, trusting that they will all be fulfilled.  And the more and more you act on God’s promises, the more and more you’ll see the presence of Jesus in your life.  You will be surprised as he works in new and unexpected ways, to love you and care for you.  Your joy will come in the great gifts he gives you.  The treasures you once guarded so fiercely will come to be as nothing when compared to the all-surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus and doing his work. 

It is God’s good pleasure to give you God’s Kingdom.  There’s nothing to fear; nothing that God’s going to let us miss out on.  Let Jesus be your treasure.  Give alms; care for those in need; tell others of the treasures in heaven that God has in store for us all.  Trust him, serve him, wait for him, and watch—as God’s Kingdom dawns on our world.