Thankless Tasks

A lawyer died and arrived at the Pearly Gates. Saint Peter asked him, "What have you done to merit entrance into Heaven?"  The lawyer thought a moment, then said, "A week ago, I gave a quarter to a homeless person on the street." Saint Peter asked Gabriel to check this out in the records, and after a moment Gabriel affirmed that it was true.  Saint Peter said, "Well , that's fine, but it's not really quite enough to get you into Heaven."  The Lawyer said, "Wait, wait! There's more! Three years ago, I also gave a homeless person a quarter."  Saint Peter nodded to Gabriel, who, after a moment, nodded back to affirm that it was true. Saint Peter then whispered to Gabriel, "Well, what do you suggest we do with this fellow?" Gabriel gave the lawyer a sidelong glance, then said to Saint Peter, "Let's give him back his 50 cents and tell him to go to Hell."

"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Then again, it was Clare Booth Luce who said “No good deed goes unpunished,” and lack of appreciation is the punishment most despised by most people. We have been hearing a lot in this congregation about a failure to recognize generous acts and offers to help gone un-acknowledged. As a church, as a community, as a planet, we always need volunteers. One of the things we should volunteer to do is to thank our volunteers. It’s a paradox that one of the most common reasons for not volunteering is that people say their efforts were not appreciated, yet when we ask volunteers to stand up for recognition everyone turns suddenly shy. No one wants to be like those trumpet-tooting hypocrites in our Gospel lesson. So I won’t ask you to stand up, but let’s all give ourselves and each other a round of applause. Didn’t that feel good?

Let’s consider for a moment some other obstacles to giving and helping. One problem is a mismatch between what needs to be done and our own talents and resources. Think of the classic example of the Mother’s Day breakfast prepared by the loving, enthusiastic, well-intentioned children. Isn’t that dear? It takes Mother 3 hours to clean it up. She’s telling herself it’s the thought that counts. The thought does count, but it’s important to keep thinking. We all hate to discourage good intentions in others or in ourselves, but take an honest look at what you can accomplish.  Apply yourself where you can do most good; don’t start something you just can’t get done and roadblock the project. You’ll burn out, feel guilty, and worst of all the deed won’t get done. We also need to guard against volunteering for a task and being stuck with it until we are sick of it. This is when you need to recruit another volunteer. One of the most difficult and important acts of volunteerism is encouraging other volunteers. Above all fight the tendency to think that it’s easier to do it yourself than to find someone else to do it or show them what has to be done. Go out there and rally the troops!

Another big deterrent to charity is the impulse to judge where it is deserved. Resist the assumption that some people just can’t be helped, (even though it may be true). Sometimes we should just cast bread upon the waters (Ecclesiastes 11), and let God figure out what shore it reaches. So I am going to say something shocking. I dare you to put a dollar bill in your pocket and walk down Duval or Front Street and give it to someone who really creeps you out. Maybe, even probably, they really are the drunken, criminal, lazy flotsam of humanity they appear to be. This sort of person usually frightens my dog. But maybe they are down on their luck and a kind impulse from a stranger will make all the difference. We have all heard tragic stories of well-meaning people who try to help someone who takes advantage of them. The injury can range from callous ingratitude to robbery or physical abuse or worse. But sometimes a little help makes a huge difference and becomes a turning point. Don’t stick your arm into the alligator’s jaws, but once in a while do something for a hopeless cause.  As Alexander Pope famously opined: “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” Have the courage to be a fool and maybe you will be someone’s angel.

Now virtue can be its own reward in more ways than one. In Key West it seems that, with the exception of the occasional wedding or birthday, every party is a benefit for something or other. It’s what we do. This is a good thing. What’s not to like about cocktails for a cause? We’re in favor of the Environment, and Art, and Education, and we’re against Disease and Poverty and Oppression. You can’t really argue with that. I’m the first to iron my dress and shampoo my dog and show up and spend my carefully budgeted $20. I’m here to tell you, however, that you ought to be helping with the folding chairs and the raffle table and cleaning up after the party as well. Many of you are doing just that, but I’m putting it on the to-do list for everyone else. Do refer back to the earlier point about matching your skills to the job, but find the job that you can do that needs doing. I have a substantial list of tasks right here in your church; see me, send me an e-mail, trust me, you are needed. Some ministries are easier to love than others. Cooking With Love is an unqualified success. Next year we will be removing it from our outreach ministries budget because it is supporting itself. It’s going to get its own account. People that we have a hard time bringing up these stairs are working hard downstairs to perform this community service. (I will point out, however, that as our client list continues to grow we really need more drivers. Keep this in mind, and tell your friends. It is a painless feel-good way to get your friends and colleagues through the front door, and that is not too far from the sanctuary stairs.) The gratitude of the clients provides instant reward for this act of charity, but you still get a star in your heavenly crown for doing a genuinely good thing. Virtue that feels good still counts as virtue.

But what about the truly “Thankless Tasks?” What about things that not only go unrewarded, but that actually bring calamity and disaster and the attacks of enemies? We heard a reading from the recently discovered and translated 3rd century Gospel of Judas. The story is also told in the Gospels we know. In John 13 Jesus says

“I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ “

[He is referring to Psalm 41:9 which reads

9Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted,
   who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.]

Then John tells us

So when He had dipped the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. ... and Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.”

and finally

31When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.”

So we know that what Judas did was necessary for the fulfillment of Jesus’ mission on Earth, but as we heard in the quotation from the Judas Gospel, Jesus tells him “...you will be cursed by the other generations.”  This is a really tough lot to accept. No other human being in 2 millennia has been asked to volunteer for such a rotten job. Matthew tells us he couldn’t live with himself afterwards, and threw the 30 pieces of silver on the temple floor and went out and killed himself. After-party clean-up is pretty much a piece of cake in comparison. Sometimes the odious tasks are necessary. I am here to testify that sitting at a Board meeting is not nearly as much fun as going to the Southernmost Party. Writing a budget is likely to get you cursed and reviled. Searching for a new pastor could also be a set-up for criticism and argument. And nobody even offers 30 pieces of silver.

Jack London said: “A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.” Giving the thing that is hard to give, doing the task that is hard to do are acts that are truly exalted. Giving and doing with little thanks is genuine sacrifice and so is holy in the sight of God. It is a good thing to be appreciated for good deeds. It is a very good thing to take time to offer appreciation and thanks for the good deeds of our brothers and sisters. It is God’s will for us to do the deed because it is good. The Hebrew word “Mitzvah,” means “commandment” and refers to 613 commandments in the Torah. We also understand it to mean an act of kindness, on the principle that it is God’s command that we treat each other kindly. ‘Random acts of kindness and senseless beauty’ improve our planet and our species and are in fact acts of worship.

We know that the early Christians were communists in the literal sense. We read in Acts2: 44-45

“44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.”

In this way they went beyond the giving of alms or the lending to the needy commanded in Deuteronomy to a life of sharing and equality. Jesus also asked that  the followers take a step beyond when He said:

43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be children of your Creator in heaven. God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Creator is perfect.

I challenge you today to take a step beyond in giving, especially of your time and talents and gifts and do the tasks that need doing: not only the tasks that are rewarding, but the thankless tasks as well. I challenge you to take the initiative and invent the task that you are called to do. I remind you that we were taught, in the face of challenge to:

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven,” (Luke 6:23)

And I remind you also that (heaven)

“...the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21)

I ask you today to turn your willing hands to God’s will and you will find your reward in that Kingdom.

Amen