One day, many years ago, my grade school son said to me firmly, “Dad, I don’t want you talking about me in your sermons anymore.” My daughter quickly agreed with her brother. “Yeah, me neither,” she said, “I have friends in church. Don’t you remember what it was like when you were our age?” Oh. Sorry. I thought I was being careful. But they no longer wanted to even be mentioned. This was unfortunate for me as a preacher, because every week kids provide you with so much interesting material. But, I agreed, and did not talk about them anymore… until today.
Actually, the two stories I will tell today (and tomorrow) were used in long ago sermons—before I was given the ultimatum from my children. I recently found these in an old file folder marked “Gratitude.” (I am going through and discarding all my old sermons that were written on paper. I don’t want my kids fighting over them after I’m gone. However, they have told me I have nothing to worry about.)
One summer day I asked Katherine, the girl who lived next door, to mow our lawn while we were on vacation. She came over and I showed her how to start the mower, where the gas can was, and where the property lines were. Before she left, I told her what I was planning to pay her, and she said that would be just fine.
My eleven-year-old son was listening to all this, and when Katherine left, he said to me: “Now Dad, I heard how much you are going to pay Katherine. That’s for the whole month, right?”
I replied, “No, I will be paying her that for each time.”
He looked at me and said angrily, “What? You are going to pay her that much each time? When I mow the lawn, you never pay me one red cent.”
I then reminded him that he does get an allowance, and then I gave him the usual line about how his mother and I provide him with a home and food and clothes and a room, and therefore, he can be expected to contribute to the household chores. He had heard it all before, but did not appear to be convinced. So, I decided to lay it on a little thicker this time. I said, “Really son, when you think about it, after all we do for you every day, you should wake up each morning, look around, and say, ‘I have a nice home here and a room and lots of toys and three meals a day. What can I do for you today, Dad and Mom, to show you how much I appreciate all you do for me? Do you have any jobs I can help you with today before I go out and play?’”
He just rolled his eyes, shook his head, and said, “Dad, I bet when you were a kid you never once said that to grandpa and grandma.”
“You are right” I said. “I did not ever say that. But I could have, and it would have been just as true then as it is now.”
Parents provide everything for their children. Children in the home can be expected to share in household chores. God has given everything to us. We can be expected to serve God with what we have been given. Martin Luther’s explanation to the First Article of the Apostle’s Creed, after listing the many things we have received from God, ends with these words: “God does all this purely out of fatherly and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness on my part; for all of which I am duty bound to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him.”
Parents serve God by providing for their families—that is a part of it. Many families have something left over, and that can be given to the church, to missions, to feeding the hungry, etc. There is much to be done in God’s Kingdom, and as the catechism says we are “duty bound to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him.” Thank and serve.
Just like my son cutting lawn and not getting ‘one red cent’ for it. (continued…)
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Luke 17:9-10 — (Jesus said), “Will the master thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
1 Peter 4:10 — Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Romans 12:11 — Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Colossians 3:23-24 — Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
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Lord, as Thy mercies do surround us, so grant that our returns of duty may abound; and let this day manifest our gratitude by doing something well pleasing to Thee. Amen.
–Edward Lake (1641-1704) English pastor, tutor to royalty, and writer.
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