A Lasting Legacy: You Have Chosen Wisely

Do you recall the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?

Silly question I'm sure but not everyone is as a movie buff as I am or have time on their hands to watch a lot of movies. For those who haven't or cannot remember the premise: The movie focuses on part time archeology professor and full time awesome adventurer, Dr. Indiana Jones and his search for the holy grail, the cup of Christ used at the Last Supper. Indiana goes through several amazing adventures that eventually lead him to a hidden city and after passing three tests, he comes into a secluded cave where an old knight is sitting guarding/protecting the holy grail. The problem is Indiana has to chose the cup out of hundreds of possibilities. Once he's chosen the cup the has to take a drink from a spring and if he's chosen wisely he lives, if not he dies.

The Nazi bad guy decides he should get to choose first and his mistress chooses a golden cup with jewels. He believes the cup because of its decor is truly the cup of the King of Kings. He bravely dips the cup into the spring and toasts, “To eternal life” and takes a sip. After a few dramatic seconds (SPOILERS) he starts to literally decay in front every one. After turning to dust, the Knight says, “He chose poorly.” Indiana chooses a dusty, dirty wooden cup, a cup of a carpenter and takes a swig from the spring and surprise, surprise, the Knight tells him, “You have chosen wisely.”

Today's scripture is sort of like this scene. Paul tells the church of Ephesus to be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:15-20).

Choose wisely.

Paul's instructions could be seen as instructions that say, “Live as I live and do as I do and you will live a good life.” And perhaps to us modern day Christians it comes off as such but Paul was writing to a church and to a culture that was new Christianity. The churches Paul was planting were full of more Gentiles than Jews and they were coming from a culture that might not be considered Christian. So Paul would write instructions like this because part of his mission was not only persuade people to become followers of Christ but to teach them how to live differently or in our church terms: how to act like Christians.

This type of instruction is littered throughout Ephesians. We've read the instructions for unity in the church and how members are to speak to one another by building up and lifting in love. So, while Paul's instructions may seem dated or cultural specific, we still struggle with half truths and separating the gospel from the culture, these instructions can help us navigate our way through and navigate what it means to be church.

Paul begins his instructions by telling the church to live wisely by making the most of our time because the days are evil. I am not entirely sure why Paul thinks the days are evil. Perhaps it has to do with the immediate interpretation that Christ was to return very soon thus they needed to make the most of their time. It could be Paul has the case of the Mondays. What Paul means, or what I think, is that we need to make the most of our time because time is a valuable commodity. We struggle to make the most out of our days and get that proverbial to do list done.

Paul isn't speaking to husbands who ignore the honey-do-list but speaking more to the church. How the church spends its time matters. If the church spends a majority of its time in meetings or visioning or repairing or arguing or in class, then it could be argued that the church is not using its time wisely. If the ministers, the deacons and members are not out and about doing the work of Christ then we are wasting time. We have a job to do and we shouldn't be wasting our time with frivolous matters.

Of course we know the importance of meetings, visioning, repairs, and Sunday school classes or small groups but if a church is doing just that then the church is not using its time wisely. If the church's ministers are spending their days cooped up in their offices or writing ideas on whiteboards or planning events, it could be argued they are wasting their days. Again, those things are important but there's more that needs to be done and we do not have a lot time to get it all done.

I am not a very good time manager. If you were to grade my time management skills I would probably get a C or C+. I suffer from the disease procrastinitus which causes me to procrastinate and I will put off my papers, my sermons, bulletin work, until the last minute because I prefer to do other things. Sometimes though I put off making visits because I'm not in the mood or I've gotten wrapped in a conversation online. I am just not a very good time manager. Unless we're traveling; when it comes to travel I am very pushy about how we use our time.

This type of wisdom though, the issue of time, probably received its influence not only through the understanding of Jesus' immediate return but through the parables of being awake and being prepared. Overall though, the issue of time management is important for the church. If a church is spending it's time feeding members only then the hungry are forgotten. If the hungry are the only ones being feed then the members become hungry. I truly believe a wise church is a church that discovers how to balance the importance of feeding both the hungry and the members.

Paul urges us to make the most of our time. Paul knows that time flies and that's why he is instructing the church to make the most out of their time, for at the last day all of us must give an account of the way we used it.

That reminds of the old Harry Chapin song “Cat's In the Cradle”. You remember that song, right? Cat's in the cradle with silver spoon, little boy blue and the man in the moon. When you coming home dad? I don't know when but we'll get together then son. We'll have a good time then.

I may be accused of many things in my life but being a workaholic I will never be. In fact, some may mistake me as being lazy. Making the most of my time matters, making the most of our time matters, and Paul's instructions may be directed to the church but how we spend our time as Christians matters too. If we must give an account of the we way used this precious gift of time, then my hope is that we will be able to say, “I spent my time tending to all you placed in my care. I spent time gardening with a neighbor, riding with a friend, playing catch with my son or daughter, sitting on the porch swing with my wife. I spent my time feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the poor, visiting the sick, and those in prison and I have done it in the most unique and creative ways.”

I think Jesus would like that answer. I think Paul would too, if he's eavesdropping.

So we are to choose wisely with our time and not to act foolish but understand the Lord's will and to be filled with the Spirit. Being filled with the Spirit and understanding the Lord's will means we will learn how to balance our time and use it wisely. For we are only here for a little while and what we do with our life from beginning to end matters and it must have meaning. 

There's more to explore but we'll save that for the sequel next week.