August 10, 2025

I speak to you in the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The idea I want us to be thinking about today is the importance of putting “first things first”.

About ten years ago, I went fishing with my dad and my brother Tommy in Missouri.  Now – unlike us – Dad is an avid fisherman.  He’s got all the accessories – trolling motor, fish finder, GPS.  Dad is also obsessed with planning.  So we had everything you need for a fun day on the water: life jackets, sunscreen, snacks, drinks.

But as we’re skimming along the surface of this man-made lake: ka-chunk.  A submerged tree shears two blades off the propeller.  We’re about 4 miles from where we put in, so Dad fires up the trolling motor and we head back.

When Tommy and I ask what happens if the batteries on the motor run out, Dad says “You’ll just have to row, I guess.”  So we open up the storage compartment to discover … one oar.  Which is great if you want to go in circles.  We made it back all right, but amongst all the bells and whistles, Dad had been distracted from something really important.  First things first.

Jesus tells three parables this morning that each emphasize the importance of putting first things first.  But I want us to think carefully about the last two.

The first of these tells about servants who wait for the return of their master from a wedding banquet being held some distance away.  Now in Jesus’ era, weddings weren’t an afternoon ceremony with a chicken dinner and dance to follow.  The feasting that followed the wedding would have lasted for up to a week as the entire community celebrated together.

The servants’ challenge was that the master could return at any time.  And because attending to him is their most important priority, he shouldn’t have to bang on the door and wait while the servants rush over from other tasks or get up and come sleepily to let him in.  So waiting with anticipation and listening for the signs of the master’s return is their most important work.  First things first.

Then, Jesus uses a parable about a thief and a homeowner.  In ancient Palestine, thieves generally didn’t go through the door, for fear of waking those in the house.  Instead, they would quietly dig through the house’s mud brick wall to enter, steal what they wanted, and leave before anyone awoke.  The only way to stop a robbery like this would be to stay awake all night, alert and listening for the robber.  In this parable, Jesus is again emphasizing the need to be watchful and vigilant.  First things first.

In these parables Jesus is teaching us about the importance of trust, of listening, and of readiness.  But our takeaway can’t be that we have to be hyper-vigilant – fully engaged with our surroundings and on high alert all the time.  None of us can do that.  But what we can do – what we must do – is to systematically cultivate our spiritual awareness – our spiritual sixth sense – while we wait and watch for signs that the master is on the way.  Think about it as the difference between being the lookout and being on the lookout.

But even this is difficult in a world where fear and anxiety are running rampant.  Between things like the economy, hunger, global warming, political strife, homelessness, disease, and death, there’s plenty to keep us awake at night.  We all know that anxious, stressed people are not at their best.  And that’s especially true when it comes to being the people God is calling us to be.  More then ever, we’re having trouble putting first things first.

At the very beginning of this reading, Jesus assures us “do not be afraid” as long as we live by these teachings.  It’s an extraordinary word of comfort in our increasingly threatening world.  In the midst of our challenges, Jesus invites us to trust in the Father’s gracious promises and listen carefully as the Spirit leads us into a future full of unknowns.

So, in all this mess, how do we respond faithfully to God’s invitation?  How do we learn to trust more deeply?  To listen more diligently?  How do we cultivate that sense of being on the lookout as we wait?  That my friends, requires us to more deeply develop our practices of discipleship.

Discipleship is challenging work.  It doesn’t always play well in a culture that longs for instant results.  But the reality is that discipleship doesn’t emerge overnight any more than friendship or learning a new language or becoming proficient with a musical instrument does.  Discipleship is a deeply ingrained condition formed through steady habits and disciplined practices around prayer, listening, service, and invitation.  It’s a way of life that acquires its layers and contours incrementally over long stretches of time, often developing imperceptibly.  The same way we don’t notice our child’s changing appearance until we start to look back over the pictures and are startled by the growth. 

Learning how to devote ourselves to Jesus and the kingdom tasks he’s given us can be challenging.  But over the course of many uneventful days of practicing discipleship habits together – with each other’s help and encouragement – we learn how to put God at the center of the things we do. 

And when God is at the center of our lives, we have learned to put first things first.

Centering ourselves on God – putting first things first – allows us to set aside the distractions of the world.  Discipleship equips us to listen and be on the lookout for the Master.  Growing in our discipleship allows us to more easily trust that we can follow God into the future that God has prepared for us.  Because when fear and anxiety run rampant, being carried forward in the palm of God’s hand is the safest place you or I can ever be.  Amen.