And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
COLOSSIANS 3:23-24 (NKJV)
Happy Labor Day! Did you know that Labor Day originated during the labor union movements of the 1800s as a way to celebrate the social and economic advancements of the United States and pay tribute to the driving force of our economy—the American laborer?
I didn’t think there was anything spiritual about our labor or our jobs to write about. So I checked to see what the Bible had to say. Particularly I chose St. Paul’s writing to Christian households about our jobs. He said “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).
I found that God says a lot about our labor. The very first thing that God gives humanity to do ---- is a job. The first thing that God says to Adam is I’ve got a job for you. Adam lives in a garden and God says, work it and take care of it. This is very spiritual because as Adam does his work faithfully, in loving obedience to God, he worships and honors his Lord.
I know I haven’t considered very often that as I do my job (whether paid or unpaid), I am working for the Lord and not for people, that it is the Lord Christ I am serving. Most often I would assume that many of us think that we are working for ourselves or for a company, for a paycheck or personal fulfillment or for the cause. And certainly that is all a part of our work. But it’s not the main thing. We may not like our boss or the people we work with or the job we’re doing, but we do it honestly and to the best of our ability because we are working, not for people, but for the Lord. It is the Lord Christ we are serving and Paul writes, “work at it with all your heart.”
So teachers, be good teachers and work at it with all your heart. You are working for the Lord. And students, your job is to learn, so learn well and study diligently; work at it with all your heart, it is the Lord Christ you are serving. And parents, spouses, children, and brothers and sisters, be good family members; this is your vocation and it is from God himself, who is your life. He’s the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He’s the whole pie. We don’t make God a part of our life; he makes our life a part of him.
Luther says that God hides behind a mask. Like Moses, we don’t get the chance to see God’s face, at least not yet. We will one day see him face to face, but not now. Now, it’s only from behind a mask. And that mask is the various jobs and vocations that people do. Luther says, “All our work in the field, in the garden, in the city, in the home, in government, these are the masks of our Lord God, behind which he wants to be hidden and to do all things.” Luther says, “God himself is milking the cow through the poor milkmaid on the stool” (Gustaf Wingren, Luther on Vocation). If you’re looking for God, at work in your life, at work in this nation, at work in this world, you find him behind the mask of people at work doing their job as parents, spouses, carpenters, accountants, teachers, doctors, nurses, police officers. You fill in the blank with whatever your job is.
Now maybe you are thinking, but I’m retired, I don’t have a job. Maybe we retirees need to go get one. We don’t need to reenter the work force, but we can find a place to volunteer and be of service. And the reason why? It’s good for us to do this, but that’s not the main thing. The primary thing is that this is the way God cares for people and we express our love for our neighbor. One of the highest vocations and callings that we have all been given is to pray. As we pray, we are responding in loving obedience to our Lord and acting in loving service to our neighbor.
This work that we do through the various vocations and jobs that we have, has nothing to do with our salvation. The job of “Savior” is not a job that God has given to us to do. The only One who has the vocation of Savior is Jesus Christ. His job was certainly not a pleasant one and there was nothing profitable in it for him. But Jesus carried out his vocation in love for the Father and in love for all of us. We are saved because of the job that Jesus did as Savior -- not by our work. So we are free to do our jobs without the pressure of needing to justify ourselves before God or anyone else. We are free to do our job in loving response to the honor of having been called by God himself to be his servant in loving service to our neighbor.
Let us pray this prayer by Jay D. Weaver: Heavenly Father, as summer comes to a close, we ask a special blessing on those returning to school. We trust them to your care. We also ask that you bless the work of adults who now return from vacations to a more intense period of labor. Even though it is often difficult to walk in another's shoes, may those who labor and those who manage seek to understand each other and their needs.
Some of us are retired from our jobs and professions. Bless the work that we do as volunteers, grandparents, and participants in the creation of better lives for all. Our work is also important. We are aware of those who cannot participate in many activities because of illness or advanced age. Their lives are also important. Provide them a healing grace and a hope for tomorrow.
Finally, we want to thank you for all you have given us. We are a people who have been richly blessed in this wonderful land of opportunity. Teach us to share our wealth with a world that is in great need. We thank you for churches that are trying hard to live up to your calling in their community. Give them a vision for the future as they serve a needy world.
Most of all we thank you for caring enough to send us your very own Son, who set out on a path that led to his death. He bade us follow him down that same path. We tend to stray from that path, yet your grace gently pulls us back. Hold our hands as we boldly take the next step on our journey. We ask all these things in Jesus name. Amen.
Contributed by Chris
Monday September 5, 2011
Liturgical Year A: Week 41
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading:
Lectionary 23 (Proper 18)
Twelveth Sunday after Pentecost