Text:  Matthew 6:25-34 (Ephesians 2:1-10)                                                 U Cantate (5^th Sunday of Easter)

Special Service of Thanksgiving to God

for Rosalie Neumeyer’s 25 years of teaching ministry

First Things First

In the name of him who loved us and gave himself for us, dear friends in Christ: It happened some time back in a small rural community not much unlike our own, that the mayor and city council decided to stage an event that would stir up a little town pride and cohesion – and maybe get the town’s name out there for pubic relations purposes. So they hit upon the idea of setting up a contest to name the town’s most distinguished living son or daughter:  that person they could honor who had been born and raised in the town who had gone on to make the greatest contribution to improve the lives of other people in the world.  They thought that such a contest would show just how many outstanding people the town had produced and so give everyone there a healthy community “esprit de corps”.

Well, the contest was announced and soon the nominations came pouring in. The mayor and town council, who were the self-appointed judges, found themselves deluged with completed contest forms with all the accompanying letters, testimonies, and affidavits detailing the important life’s work and philanthropy of many present and former citizens of the town.  Altogether, it was quite impressive.  They were really quite pleasantly surprised to discover just how greatly people from their little town had impacted the world.  But after lots of hard work and tough decisions, the judges managed to narrow the field of candidates to four finalist who were invited to come to the town for a special celebration and ceremony at which they would be officially recognized and the winner of the contest would be announced.

When the great day came and the ceremony began, the four finalists were introduced, each one by the person who had originally nominated them.  The first was a highly respected and influential politician in Washington.  The list of his genuine achievements – things that he had actually done to help people and improve the nation – sounded like the empty campaign promises of most politicians, the things they say to get elected but never plan to do.  The second candidate was a famous pediatrician who had developed a number of important medical procedures for treating sick and injured children.  She was personally responsible for saving the lives of hundreds of children, and through the teaching and spread of her methods, thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of others.  The third finalist was a fabulously wealthy former businessman. He had made a fortune in the high tech industry; but then, suddenly and unexpectedly sold out.  Now he used his billions to do vital charity work, finance scholarships for underprivileged students, and support a host of other worthy causes.  In addition, he volunteered his time and know-how to help direct the boards of such institutions.

Now, pretty much everyone in the audience recognized or at least knew about these three celebrated citizens, so it was no big surprise to see them on the platform.  But the fourth finalist was something of a shock.  No one seemed to know who she was.  She was an ancient woman wheeled onto the stage by one of the nurse assistants from the local nursing home.  She was all bent over and shaky; she wore an old, faded housecoat and had a tattered quilt in her lap and over her legs.  She gave no indication that she knew where she was or why she was there.  And the nurse assistant who brought her out – well, she was obviously a hard working woman with very meager financial means – a far cry from the highly educated and finely dressed spokespersons for the other finalists.  The contrast between these two and the others set the crowd to whispering and joking among themselves.  A few open sniggers of derision were heard. “What on earth”, people thought, “were they doing up there?”  The nursing home employee then timidly stepped up to the microphone and said, “I am very impressed with the other finalists.  They done some great things, and our town can be mighty proud of them.  But this here is Ida Mae Schinckelgruber.  She’s almost a hundred years old.  She can’t hardly see or hear anymore.  But before she retired thirty years ago, she taught first grade in this town for nearly fifty years.  She taught them other three how to read and write and do figures.  They done a lot.  But they couldn’t a’ done nothin’ without Ida and what she done for them.”

I probably don’t need to tell you who won the award.  And I expect she would have won even if the other three finalists had not immediately withdrawn from the contest and gone over to thank their former teacher. 

… Okay, I’ll confess that that was one of those sentimental stories that I really don’t like to tell because they unfairly play with peoples’ emotions; but nevertheless, the point of the story is still valid and worthy of our consideration. No matter what we do in life, no matter how high we climb or what great things we accomplish, we couldn’t have gotten there without the hard, dedicated, and unfortunately often forgotten and thankless work of those who labored to lay down for us a solid foundation on which to build.  The first things always have to be first.  There’s no way around it.  And so it’s fitting that we take the time to thank the Lord for calling people into this important work and sustaining them it.  And I hope it’s absolutely clear at this point that in honoring one today who has so labored with distinction, we honor them all – all those people: parents, teachers, coaches, instructors, scout and 4-H leaders, and all the rest, who gave to us the gift of themselves, and who with patience (most of the time, anyway) and with love instilled in us the fundamental disciplines and knowledge we needed to be where we are today.

But, of course, as fitting as it is that we give thanks for those who have done the hard work of preparing us to be productive members of society, today we are recognizing and showing our appreciation for something even deeper than that.  Reading, writing, and “’rithmetic” are the essential first things of a solid education.  They make it possible to lead a “successful” life, at least according to the reckoning of the world.  But today we’re not just talking about teaching in preparation to face life’s challenges – as important as it is – but also the teaching ministry of the Christian school in general and the Lutheran school in particular.  We’re talking about those who not only lay a foundation for their charges with the basic tools of learning, but much more importantly, who build that foundation upon the solid rock of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – and who, I want to stress, labor to ensure that the strength of that Rock radiates out into the superstructure and supports every component and connection.  Those who labor in that ministry are conscious that the materials with which they help build lives are not merely the wisdom and knowledge of men that flower in their season and fade in time, but the Words of God that will endure forever.  They understand that they are helping to build lives for eternity.  In a very real sense, they understand how important it is to keep the first things first.

And what is foremost among the first things?  Jesus our Lord answers that question in the Gospel lesson we heard this morning.  Speaking of where our priorities should lie, he said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” And this is where the basic philosophical difference lies.  Most schools train children with the goal that when they graduate, they will be able to secure for themselves the things that the world seeks:  food, drink, clothing – in our day and culture, we could translate that into a nice home, a nice car, all the “indispensable” electronic gadgets, and what have you.  But the Lutheran school starts with a different idea – a different goal.  It sees its primary purpose to be a support to the parents and to the church to use the Word of God to help a child build and sustain a personal trust in Jesus Christ and his work of atonement for the sins of the world.  It seeks to communicate the divine wisdom of the fear of the Lord and faith in him with the certainty that with this faith will come all those other necessities and blessings the Lord promises to those who keep their priorities straight.     

And that’s why it’s particularly gratifying that the theme for this school year at CLS is:  “Saved by Grace”.  If the first thing is “seeking the Kingdom of God and his righteousness” – and we have it from the highest and most reliable authority that it is – then the first thing to know about the first thing is that both the Kingdom and God’s righteousness are gifts that the Lord gives by grace and by grace alone to those who with humble and contrite hearts open their hands to receive them.

And here again we see the basic difference in philosophy between the world and the Kingdom of God laid out in stark contrast.  The fundamental assumption of the world is that rewards are due to those who work to attain them.  If righteousness and salvation are the goal, well, then it’s obvious that one must strive hard to obey God’s laws and try to please him.  Then, if you give it your best effort, it’s only right that the Lord will give what you deserve:  the crown of life.  In the wisdom of the world, it makes perfect sense. 

Unfortunately for all who adhere to that wisdom, it’s also perfectly wrong. St. Paul wrote that those who rely on what they do according to the law remain under the law’s curse – and its curse is death both in time and eternity.   But in today’s Epistle lesson Paul speaks of God’s wisdom and of his grace.  He tells us that we were dead in transgressions, slaves of our sinful natures, and the objects of God’s wrath.  But that God in his great love and mercy sent his Son Jesus to attain for us what we could never attain for ourselves.  And how by faith in him, in his death for our sin and his resurrection to life, we are raised up with him and seated with him in heavenly realms. God did this, Paul asserts, to show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

These, then, are the first things:  God’s grace in sending his Son to be our Savior and for sending his Word and Spirit that we might know and trust in him.  What we celebrate today and give thanks to God for is a life – indeed, the many lives – dedicated to building the lives of others on the first things.  Rosalie, may our gracious God continue to bless you in your faithful service for him. And may he give you and those who share the noble task to which you have been called the wisdom, strength, and courage to continue, granting you joy in your work and his perfect peace in Christ Jesus our Lord.  In his holy name we offer our thanks and praise to God.  Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!