Episode 58 | Where Is Your Treasure?

[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, August 10, 2025, the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time. [00:00:23] This week's episode is entitled: Where Is Your Treasure? And in these readings, we are reminded that we must be prepared at all times for Jesus’ return when we will be judged… not by human standards, but by God's standards. [00:00:39] As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following: As citizens of the world, we are expected to have successful jobs, great houses, good families, nice cars, and the latest tech. But as Christians, God expects very different things of us. Jesus himself tells us that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Are we living as the world expects? Or as God expects? Or, more likely, something in between? In whatever way we may be living, we still have to ask ourselves… if Jesus came to judge us tonight, would we be ready? [00:01:25] So, let's begin. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for this time spent learning and studying your word in Sacred Scripture. Help us to know your will for us so that we may be better prepared for judgment when your Son comes again. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. [00:01:50] Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures. [00:01:56] Our Gospel this week is from Luke 12: 32-48. “[Jesus said to his disciples:] ‘Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the Master finds awake when he comes; truly I say to you, he will put on his apron and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have been awake and would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’ Peter said, ‘Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?’ And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. Truly, I tell you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, “My master is delayed in coming,” and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating. But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand more.’” Between last week's passage and this week's, the Lectionary skips several verses in which Jesus reassures his disciples that they shouldn't be anxious about the things of this world. In fact, that section ends with the very same verses that open this week's passage for us. [00:05:09] These reassurances follow immediately after last week's Parable of the Rich Fool which taught us that we should put our trust in God and not in the things we accumulate in this world. [00:05:23] Parts of this passage have parallels in Matthew's Gospel, although the biggest difference between the two is that Matthew doesn't incorporate the social justice component that Luke does… which really is to be expected since Luke's Gospel places such a strong emphasis on the poor. There is also a shorter and longer version of this week's Gospel… I'll point out where the shorter version begins and ends as we go through the text, because it is somewhere in the middle of the entire passage. So, let's break open this week's Gospel… “[Jesus said to his disciples:] ‘Fear not little flock,’” [00:06:09] Jesus is relying on that shepherd/sheep imagery that's so common throughout all the Scriptures. “for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” By that, Jesus simply means that trust in God will be rewarded… faith in God will be rewarded. [00:06:29] “Sell your possessions, and give alms;” There's that Social Justice component, that expression of care for the poor, which is so prevalent in Luke's Gospel. And what Jesus is saying here is that almsgiving serves as a sort of litmus test for faith because it helps us detach ourselves from the things of this world so that we can better concentrate on the things of heaven. [00:07:01] And we hear that in Mark 10 also, when Jesus tells the rich young man to sell what he has and give to the poor, but the young man isn't able to part with his earthly riches and so - he goes away sad. [00:07:19] Which just reinforces the lesson that those who are concerned more about themselves and their own comfort, by that selfish attitude, reveal their own lack of faith and trust in God. Whereas those who are generous and sympathetic to the plight of the less fortunate, by their selfless attitude, illustrate the sincerity of their faith and trust in God. [00:07:50] Jesus further adds to his endorsement of almsgiving… “provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.” [00:08:07] That phrase is one that has a very close parallel in Matthew 6, where Jesus says: “lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” [00:08:22] Jesus’ words here in Luke have a slightly different emphasis, which we might not quite get, when we hear Jesus talk about purses that do not grow old as his starting point. But that's because we need to understand that Jesus isn't talking about just any old coin purse. [00:08:44] What he is talking about is the very type of purse, the very type of container in which we would store heavenly treasure, which by its very nature would never be subject to any sort of earthly damage… not ravaged by time, not destroyed by moths, and not stolen by thieves. [00:09:10] Jesus then goes on… “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” [00:09:18] That sentence also appears - word for word - in Matthew 6. [00:09:23] And what Jesus means is that whatever we devote ourselves to, whatever we expend most of our time and energy upon, those are the things that are most important to us. And we must come to realize that it is not the extent of one's possessions that is important, it is where those possessions are located. [00:09:52] In other words, is our attention focused only on this world, or is it focused primarily on the next? [00:10:03] If you recall, I said I would alert you to the beginning and ending of the shorter version of this week's Gospel as we made our way through the text. Well, the shorter version begins with the next sentence: “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks.” [00:10:32] Jesus is warning his listeners that they must be vigilant at all times. [00:10:38] “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes;” Meaning that those who remain vigilant and prepared will be blessed. “truly, I say to you, he will put on his apron and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.” [00:11:00] What Jesus is talking about there is that he will come and serve the faithful in the heavenly banquet, the Supper of the Lamb, in the kingdom of God. [00:11:15] “If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants!” [00:11:23] That sentence is something else that requires some context for us to be able to understand. In biblical times, the Jews divided the night into three watches. So, is Jesus really saying that the Second Coming will only take place during either the second or the third watch of the night, as Jews divided time 2000 years ago? Of course not… he's employing a metaphor. He's comparing watches of the night to the seasons of a person's life. [00:12:01] The first watch would be childhood, the second adulthood, and the third old age. And the implication there is that the younger we are, the less emotional, moral, and ethical baggage we carry within ourselves, making it easier for us to be prepared for Jesus’ return. [00:12:24] But by placing the master's return within the second or third stage of life, Jesus is saying that perseverance is necessary… that anyone who does remain vigilant and prepared throughout every stage of their life will be blessed. “But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have been awake and would not have left his house to be broken into.” That sentence is yet another reminder about being vigilant and prepared. Jesus has already told us that he will come again, and he's told us that we need to be prepared for that. So, whether he comes at the end of our lives or if he comes at the end of time, we still need to be prepared. [00:13:26] When Jesus comes to judge us at that unknown hour, we can't say: oh, sorry, I meant to be prepared. He's already told us to be prepared, and he will not accept excuses. He says… [00:13:46] “You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [00:13:57] That is a warning that we must all take seriously! And that is also where the shorter version of this week's Gospel ends. [00:14:10] “Peter said, ‘Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?’” In other words, Peter is asking If Jesus was speaking just to the disciples or to the crowds as well. And Jesus answers Peter's question with another parable, which I think means that both parables are intended for everyone. So, what is the next parable? [00:14:35] “Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?” This parable is really about leadership and while it is directed in part toward the disciples, it is also directed toward everyone who holds any position of authority or leadership… world leaders, church leaders, community leaders, business leaders, teachers, parents… anyone who is responsible for others should take this parable to heart. [00:15:20] And remember, in biblical times, the position of a steward was one of authority, responsibility, and leadership. And when Jesus says: “give them their food at the proper time,” he doesn't mean food only… he also means all the necessities of life: Food, yes, but also shelter, safety, clothing, security… he means that all who have been entrusted with the care of others must protect and nurture those for whom they are responsible. Jesus goes on… “Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.” [00:16:08] The steward will be blessed if he is found doing the work he was given, regardless of how long it takes for the Master to return. [00:16:18] “Truly, I tell you, he will set him up over all his possessions.” Meaning that not only will the steward be blessed, he will be rewarded. And think of the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, when the master says: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.” That is, in essence, what Jesus is saying here as well. [00:16:52] “But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’” We've been talking about this in some form or another all along - the length of time it takes for the master to return is immaterial! [00:17:10] “and [that servant] begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,” [00:17:18] Meaning that the servant begins behaving badly and ignores his responsibilities because the master has been delayed. No, no, no! We've said delay doesn't matter… time doesn't matter. [00:17:31] “the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know,” [00:17:40] That takes us back to Jesus’ earlier Parable about the master returning from the wedding feast at the beginning of this Gospel. The difference is that in that first parable, Jesus focused on the blessings bestowed upon the servants who were prepared for the master's return. Whereas in this parable, he focuses instead on the punishments meted out to those servants who were not prepared for the master's return. [00:18:16] Jesus says that the master… “will punish [the servant], and put him with the unfaithful.” And by that Jesus means that the bad steward will be punished and then exiled. He will be removed from his position and from his community, and he will be counted among the unfaithful. [00:18:44] “And that servant who knew his master's will,” [00:18:48] Jesus is talking about his disciples and his faithful followers, certainly, but he's also talking about us… we know the master's will… we know God's will - it's in the Scriptures! [00:19:04] “that servant who knew his master's will but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating.” [00:19:15] Meaning that the punishment meted out to the wicked servant will be commensurate with the misdeeds that occurred. For us that means that every disciple of Christ has received knowledge of God's will, and if we do not follow God's will, we will be severely punished. “But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating.” [00:19:50] And it's usually at about that point that we all say… wait, what? How is it fair that both servants actions were equally bad, but one is punished more severely than the other? Isn't that unfair? [00:20:05] As incongruous as that seems, what it really means is that those who are ignorant of God's will cannot be expected to follow it and therefore cannot be punished as severely. [00:20:24] “Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required;” [00:20:32] We have the Scriptures, we have the Sacraments, we have the knowledge of God's will, and we are given the grace to follow it. That means that we, as followers of Jesus, are held to a higher standard than non-believers. Because we have been given much through the gift of faith and through our knowledge of God's will, much is then required of us. “and of him to whom men commit much they will demand more.” And that phrase is talking about earthly authority primarily - but Jesus uses that to illustrate that even worldly authority carries significant accountability. [00:21:35] Any task any undertaking, any assignment given by one human agent to another requires the task, undertaking, or assignment be conducted in a moral and ethical manner. [00:21:51] That is what a peaceful society should be based upon… and it is what a peaceful society's citizens have the right to expect. [00:22:05] But this Gospel reminds us that God places greater expectations upon us even than our earthly society does. Again, we who know better are held to a higher standard. [00:22:27] If we focus on solely on accumulating wealth, influence, power, prestige and possessions - if that is what we devote ourselves to - we will have a rude awakening when Jesus comes to judge us. [00:22:51] Discipleship is a demanding path, and Jesus expects more from his followers… more compassion, more justice, more love, more kindness, more acceptance, and more tolerance. [00:23:16] The kingdom of heaven is the greatest gift we can ever receive, and we must be worthy of it. So, if Jesus, our Master, were to come to us today - at whatever stage of life we might find ourselves - would we be ready for his judgment? [00:23:43] That takes us to our First Reading which is from Wisdom 18: 6-9a. [00:23:51] “Th[e] night [of the Passover] was made known beforehand to our fathers, so that they might rejoice in sure knowledge of the oaths in which they trusted. The deliverance of the righteous and the destruction of their enemies were expected by your people. For by the same means by which you punished our enemies you called us to yourself and glorified us. For in secret the holy children of good men offered sacrifices, and with one accord agreed to the divine law.” [00:24:32] The Book of Wisdom, sometimes called the Wisdom of Solomon, is part of the Wisdom literature in the Old Testament. Seven books comprise Wisdom literature: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (or Songs of Solomon), Wisdom (or Wisdom of Solomon), and Sirach. [00:24:56] The author of the Book of Wisdom never identifies himself by name, but he writes as if he were King Solomon. The date of the book, however, places it long after Solomon's death. Solomon reigned as king of Israel from 970 to 930 BC, approximately, and the Book of Wisdom dates from about 40 BC making it impossible for Solomon to be the author, but also making it very probably the latest written book of the Old Testament. [00:25:34] Because the style of writing is consistent throughout the entire book, it was likely the work of a single author. Most scholars agree that the author was a Jewish intellectual writing to a Jewish community in Alexandria, Egypt. A community that was struggling to maintain their heritage and identity was while living amidst a non-Jewish and, at times, anti-Jewish society. [00:26:10] This book is included in the canon of Scripture for Catholics and Orthodox, but not in the Jewish or Protestant canon. [00:26:21] So let's delve into this passage a bit more deeply… [00:26:26] “Th[e] night [of the Passover]” Those words evoke strong memories for the Jewish people, but require some additional context for Christians. [00:26:39] The night of the Passover was the night of the Tenth and final Plague where the Angel of Death struck down all of the first-born of Egypt, both of man and beast. That Tenth Plague was particularly meaningful because the Hebrews were spared. [00:27:02] The Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Hebrews because they had marked their doors with the blood of unblemished lambs… that is where the word Passover comes from - the Angel of Death passed over the Hebrews. [00:27:25] “Th[e] night [of the Passover] was made known beforehand to our fathers, so that they might rejoice in sure knowledge of the oaths in which they trusted.” [00:27:38] That means that Moses warned the Hebrews about the Tenth Plague, he told them to sacrifice an unblemished lamb and mark their doors with its blood precisely so the Angel of Death would see that blood and then pass by. [00:28:00] So, at the time of the Tenth Plague, all the first-born of the Hebrews were spared which was a cause for great rejoicing. God made a promise to the Hebrews; Moses made that promise known to them; the Hebrews put their faith and trust in God, and God kept his promise. [00:28:26] “The deliverance of the righteous (the Hebrews) and the destruction of their enemies (the Egyptians) were expected by your people.” Meaning that the events of the Tenth Plague and the Passover unfolded just as God had promised and as Moses had foretold. [00:28:49] “For by the same means by which you punished our enemies (meaning the Ten Plagues and the Exodus) you called us to yourself and glorified us. [00:29:00] God called the Hebrew people; he delivered them from their bondage in Egypt; he led them to freedom and then gathered them at Mount Sinai. “For in secret the holy children of good men (again, meaning the Hebrews) offered sacrifices (And by that it means those unblemished lambs), and with one accord agreed to the divine law.” [00:29:35] After the Passover, after the Hebrews were led out of bondage in Egypt, when the Hebrews gathered at Mount Sinai, they exclaimed: “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” That's recorded in Exodus 19. They agreed to the divine law: “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” [00:30:04] And by divine law, the author of wisdom is saying that the Hebrew people agreed to live according to God's commandments… “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” [00:30:18] It's easy to see the significance this passage has for the Jewish people, but we, as Christians, might ask what lesson should we take away from it? And why was it paired with this Gospel? And the answer lies in God's promises… at the beginning of our Gospel passage, Jesus says: “it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” which is one of the promises that Jesus makes to all of his followers on behalf of the Father. [00:30:52] Another promise is the blessings we will receive if we are faithful servants, because we're told that Jesus “will come and serve” those faithful servants at the heavenly banquet. And finally, Jesus promises that the faithful steward will be “set over all [the Master's] possessions.” [00:31:13] We should look at God's promises in the same way that the Hebrews looked at the blood of the unblemished Lamb that marked their doors in Egypt… those promises protect us, they benefit us. [00:31:31] As Christians, we have the Sacraments - we receive the Blood of the unblemished Lamb of God in the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the Blood that marks and protects us as belonging to God. But there's a bit of a warning in there as well… that if our treasure does not lie in heaven, if our hearts aren't focused on the kingdom, then we need to beware. We've heard God's promises, we know his will, and we know that he has high expectations of us. [00:32:16] So again, if Jesus were to come for us tonight, would we be prepared? Would we be recognized as faithful servants of God? [00:32:31] That brings us to our Responsorial Psalm which is Psalm 33, and the refrain is: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.” And here are the verses: “Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” “Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his merciful love, that he may deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine.” “Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and shield. Yes, our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” [00:33:29] This Psalm is a Liturgical Hymn, but it is actually directed toward the people rather than God. It calls on the people to praise God and revere his wisdom, his governance, and his eternal kingdom. It also reminds the Jewish people that God chose them to be his own people and that they in turn must be faithful to him. In the first stanza, when the Psalmist addresses his words to “the righteous,” he is actually speaking directly to the Chosen People - to those whose primary responsibility is to remain faithful to the Covenant. The end of that first stanza is a specific reminder of the unique and treasured place they have as God's own Chosen People. We hear the echo of two different scripture passages there… Deuteronomy 7, where Moses reminds the people: “that the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession” and then also Jeremiah 30, where God says: “you shall be my people and I will be your God.” [00:34:44] In the second stanza, we are reminded of God's care for his people during two different instances of famine - the first is from Genesis 45, when the Hebrews migrated to Egypt at Joseph's invitation during the seven years of famine in order to partake of the grain stored during the preceding years of abundant harvests. [00:35:10] That is what put them in danger in the first place, when the pharaoh who allowed Joseph to invite them died, and his successors resented the Hebrews that were then living in Egypt and becoming numerous. [00:35:29] The second instance is from 1st Kings 17, when Elijah stayed with the widow of Zarephath, and they ate for a year from a jar of flour and a jug of oil that did not run out despite the famine at the time. Both of those stories are good reminders of God's bounty. Then in the third and final stanza we hear the connection with our First Reading when the Psalmist says that God's people are glad because they trust in his holy name, which reminds us of the promises he has made and kept. And as I said, those promises are exactly what makes the connection for us with our Gospel… God's fidelity to his people and the fact that he keeps his promises. [00:36:23] Jesus instituted with us a New Covenant. It does not supplant the Covenant with the Chosen People, but it does establish a New Covenant which allows us access to the promises made throughout salvation history. [00:36:42] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is from Hebrews 11: 1-2, 8-19. “[Brothers and sisters:] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received what was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your descendants be named.’ He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead; hence he did receive him back, and this was a symbol.” [00:39:35] This is the first of four passages we will hear from the Letter to the Hebrews this summer. And just be aware that there is a longer and shorter version of this reading, so your local parish may choose to use the shorter option at Mass, since this is quite a lengthy passage. [00:39:54] The authorship of Hebrews has been long debated… in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, the Eastern Church recognized Paul as the author, while the Western church did not. There was a decided shift in that thinking during the 4th century, when the Western church came to agree with the Eastern Church that Paul was the author. [00:40:19] Martin Luther, however, rejected that during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. In response, the Council of Trent declared that the Letter to the Hebrews belonged within the corpus of Paul's works, without specifically affirming that Paul was the author. [00:40:42] So they sort of acknowledged that the elephant in the room was gray without actually saying it was an elephant. In 1902, Pope Leo XIII (the last pope to take the name Leo before our current pope, by the way), established the Pontifical Biblical Commission for a number of reasons, most importantly in order to maintain the integrity of Scripture. And then in 1914, that same Commission affirmed that the Letter to the Hebrews was canonical (meaning that it was a valid part of Sacred Scripture) but that Paul was not the author. [00:41:32] So where does that leave us? [00:41:35] Well, while modern scripture scholars don't attribute Hebrews to Paul directly, they do, however, recognize that its content is consistent with his doctrinal theology. It was most likely written by one of Paul's apostles, but the author never identifies him or herself. [00:42:01] It was probably written around 60 AD to a community of Jewish converts to Christianity that were experiencing significant persecution. [00:42:13] Not only is the authorship in doubt, but there is also some debate about whether it was originally a letter at all. It contains neither a greeting nor a closing, as a typical letter from that era would, and it actually reads more like a homily than a letter. It is undoubtedly the most theologically developed of all the New Testament letters and if it was, in fact, a homily… there's a very good chance that it was commonly circulated and frequently repeated, which could account for its maturity and complexity. [00:43:00] So, with all that in mind, let's break open what the author of Hebrews has to say… “[Brothers and sisters:] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” [00:43:16] I'm not really happy with the way that's translated there… the NAB translates that sentence a bit differently. [00:43:24] Instead of “the conviction of things not seen” it says “the evidence of things not seen” which is a much stronger statement. [00:43:36] The word conviction (used in the RSV translation) still places faith within the realm of opinion, whereas the word evidence (used in the NAB translation) moves faith into the realm of fact rather than simply opinion. “For by it the men of old received divine approval.” That sentence has often bothered me, and I'd never really found a satisfying explanation of it… until I dug deeper this time around. [00:44:13] And the best explanation I found actually came from the USCCB (the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops), which essentially said the faith of the patriarchs, prophets, judges, and martyrs of the Old Testament was firm and unyielding, which gave them the courage to accept God's promises and trust in his guarantees for their future. [00:44:46] That finally made sense! For by it (by their faith) the men of old (those patriarchs, prophets, judges, and martyrs) received divine approval (they accepted God's promises and his guarantees for their future). [00:45:11] And I think when we put it in the context of what comes afterward, that really makes perfect sense. Because after that statement, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews then presents a series of examples of such men of faith throughout the story of salvation history. [00:45:39] In the passage for this week, the Lectionary omits verses 3 - 7, which covers the examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah, and then takes us straight to the example of Abraham. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go.” In Genesis 12, God says to Abram: “go from your country… to the land that I will show you” and we take that level of faith for granted without looking at it from Abram's point of view, without really understanding how frightening that instruction had to be, and how much trust in God was required to undertake that journey. [00:46:47] “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents” And what are tents but temporary shelters - indicating that his time, his sojourn in the promised land, was fleeting, and that Abraham did not look at this world as his final home. “living in tents with Isaac and Jacob,” That sentence makes it sound like Isaac and Jacob were both sons of Abraham, but - of course - they weren't. Isaac was the son of Abraham and Sarah; Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah. “heirs with him” [00:47:44] Isaac and Jacob were the next two generations of Abraham's heirs. “heirs with him of the same promise.” The promises God made to Abraham… promises of land, descendants, and blessing. “For he looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and many maker is God.” That city, of course, is the new and eternal Jerusalem in the kingdom of heaven. And what the author means by “the city has foundations” is that it is permanent, unlike the tents in which they dwelt in the desert. [00:48:32] “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” [00:48:44] I think it's worth noting that this sentence, in the NAB translation, focuses primarily on Abraham with just a single mention of Sarah, whereas here in the RSV translation, the entire focus is on Sarah. [00:49:01] And, of course, the “him” that Sarah considers faithful is God. God promised Sarah that she would have a son - we heard that story just a few weeks ago - and God kept his promise to Sarah when she became Isaac's mother. “Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead,” [00:49:23] By all accounts, Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. “were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” That brings the shorter version of this reading to a close, and it ends with another of God's promises, doesn't it? In Genesis 22, God promised Abraham that his descendants would be “as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore” after Abraham had been willing to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice of on Mount Moriah… an act that was credited to him as righteousness, as we hear from Paul in Romans 4. We'll come back around to that in just a bit. “These all died in faith,” All the patriarchs, prophets, judges and martyrs of the Old Testament. “not having received what was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar.” [00:50:35] Meaning those holy men and women of the Old Testament did not live to see the advent of the promised Messiah, but they did hear and accept God's promise of a Messiah and saw its foreshadowing throughout Israel's history. “and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” That is the same acknowledgment that Abraham made “while living in tents” earlier in this passage… the knowledge that the Promised Land was not mankind's ultimate destination. [00:51:21] These men, our fathers in faith, lived as exiles on earth - knowing that the world was only a stop on the journey to their true heavenly home. [00:51:37] “For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland>” A homeland in heaven. “If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.” [00:51:53] If any of those men and women of faith had focused on their fears rather than on God's promises, if they had truly longed to return to the very homelands from which God called them to leave, he would have allowed them to return. [00:52:14] God gives each one of us free will, and he will never force us to believe in him, to trust in him, or to love him. [00:52:25] All of that must be done freely and willingly. “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” Those holy men and women of old truly wanted and sought after heaven… just as we do. “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” The new Jerusalem in the kingdom of heaven… the city that is the destination of all believers. “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your descendants be named.’” [00:53:24] I talked about this just a few verses ago, and remember I said we'd come back to it. Well, here we are. This is the testing that took place in Genesis 22. “He (Abraham) considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead;” What the author of Hebrews is saying is that Abraham's faith in God was so absolute that God could not only demand Isaac as a sacrifice - with all that would entail - but would also then be able to raise him back from death. [00:54:02] “hence he did receive him back,” [00:54:05] Because Abraham was willing to offer his only beloved son to God, Isaac was spared and Abraham received him back. [00:54:18] “and this was a symbol.” Isaac, therefore, becomes a symbol of renewal, return… and a symbol of Jesus - a foreshadowing of the Resurrection from the Dead of God's own beloved Son. This passage from Hebrews began by talking about faith being “the assurance of things hoped for [and evidence] of things not seen” and so we have to ask ourselves, what do we have faith in? What do we hope for? Because that is our real treasure. And as Jesus said: “where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also.” [00:55:17] So, is our treasure in our job? Do we hope for a nice house or expensive cars? Do we have faith in the latest tech? Hopefully not! Instead, we need to treasure the things of this world that bring us closer to God; we need to hope for a home in the kingdom of heaven; and we need to place our faith and trust in God alone. Because, if Jesus came to judge us tonight, I hope we would all be ready! [00:56:15] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at [email protected] Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hand. From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions. The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask. Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved. Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request. Thank you for listening and God Bless.