August 25/29 - Pentecost + 14

Jesus Gives Golden Tickets to Share
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Pentecost + 14 – August 25/29, 2010

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Mysterious, marvelous chocolate factory
5 golden tickets to tour + lifetime supply of chocolate
As expected, tickets go to those w/ $ & resources to buy candy bars in mass quantities & up odds of finding ticket

With 1 exception
Charlie, poor kid,
Lives with his mom, 4 bed-ridden grandparents (in same bed!);
struggle financially;
socially – doesn't fit in, laughed at b/c he can't take part in Wonka-mania (only 2 candy bars throughout contest)

Day of the big tour comes
– and although all 5 have tickets,
entrance is secured,
you see them pushing & shoving for position
– Nevermind that they're all gonna get the same tour,
all have equal access,
they want to go in 1st!
Same behavior throughout the tour, selfishness, greed, etc.

We witness same kind of behavior all around us -
waiting for a plane;
in line at grocery store;
driving on the road;
camping out for tickets; or best spot in line the day after Thanksgiving.
Reveals our desire to be 1st;
We place ourselves over others,
as though our time or money was more valuable or important than someone else's.
Selfishness & greed play out all around us
– corporate decisions that play hard & fast w/ ethics & legality
– and excuse selves b/c what they want is more important than others;
than what is right;
than what is fair.
We put our needs, our desires 1st,
A sign & symptom of our underlying human nature,
our sinful selves.

Not new – to fictional world of Willy Wonka or our 21st C society –
Jesus points it out in gospel too.
The setting is the sabbath dinner, thrown by leader of the Pharisees.
Everyone there knows there's a place for them,
that there's food enough
– yet like kids in Willy Wonka,
when it comes time to sit down,
racing for position,
for best seat in the house.
It's about connections,
who sits next to who,
networking,
proving to everyone else where you rank in the order of things.

You see it in the guest list too:
Pharisee invites the elite,
the important,
the influential,
the powerful,
the wealthy
– the people who have something to offer in return,
maybe an invitation to the next big dinner party,
a chance to meet someone else who might give you a leg up.
Both are about “what's in in for me” mentality

Jesus calls them – guests & host – on it.
To the guests, he says,
"Try to exalt yourself, you'll be humbled;
humble yourself, you will be exalted."

To the host, "Are you giving something in order to get something? Looking for a payback? That's not the way it's supposed to be."

Back to Willy Wonka & kids on the tour.
We see Jesus' words in action:
4 selfish kids get humbled 1 by 1 – result of their own behavior.
They have this amazing opportunity given to them,
the tour, the lifetime supply of chocolate, this once-in-a-lifetime event
– and they blow it, because they want more.

All except for Charlie
– poor, downtrodden Charlie –
who was just happy to be there,
looking w/ eyes of wonder, amazement, surprise at this marvelous, magical world;
who knew he didn't have any reason to expect or deserve to be there;
not worried about anyone else, just thankful for what he's been given,

And who comes to find out at the end that it's even better than he dreamed!
Willy Wonka wants him to come and live with him,
to learn from him,
to take over from him when he's gone
– to do what he would do,
to care for the Oompa Loompas,
to continue his amazing vision

We tend to act like the other four kids, but God created us to be Charlies!
We are all invited to this amazing chocolate factory t
hat is the Kingdom of God,
where nothing is quite as it seems,
it's not what we expect,
but beyond our wildest imaginations and dreams.

We may think we are entitled
– but over time, we come to realize that we are recipients of a tremendous gift
– one we can't earn (who we know, $, IQ, car, house, job, achievements),
one we can't really deserve
– but invited still to come and live in the Kingdom of God,
to walk with Jesus, who says, “it's all yours, Charlie!
I want you to learn from me,
to do things my way,
to share this amazing gift with others..."

Because in God's kingdom, there aren't just 5 golden tickets.
There's an infinite supply – enough for everyone!
And because we know our place is already secure
& that there is enough for everyone,
we don't have to hoard them
or push & shove for 1st in line.

We live with Jesus,
who hands us a Golden Ticket and then a handful more
and tells us to go give Golden Tickets to everyone we meet
– to invite everyone to a world that isn't just pure imagination,
but is God's amazing vision for what will be,
where everyone is included,
and there are no bad seats
– because every seat in God's kingdom is the best seat in the house.

And at this meal,
the host comes and serves us,
not just candy & chocolate,
but his very self,
his body & blood,
given for us,
at the table where there is always room for one more.

And so we go, sent to the Charlies of the world,
the ones Jesus says can't possibly repay
– the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
the homeless, the mentally ill, the convicted criminal,
Anyone who feels like an outcast
– anyone who stands outside looking at the chocolate factory,
longing to come in and see what's inside,
wondering if there's a place for them...

Jesus sends us to them with a Golden Ticket
and this message,
"Come on in!
Jesus himself invites you.
He's reserved a place just for you
– and guess what? It's the best seat in the house!
Thanks be to God!
Amen.