Sermon: Pentecost 9, Luke 12:32-40

August 10, 2025 
Faith-La Fe Lutheran Church
Pastora Veronica Alvarez

What is the one thing you hold onto tight in your life, something you believe keeps you safe or secure?

Now be honest with yourself: does that thing really help you live ready for what God is doing? Or is it trapping you in fear, distraction, or a false sense of security?

Jesus opens today’s Gospel with these words: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” This isn’t empty comfort or a vague hope. It is a bold promise. God delights in giving us what truly matters: love that never fails, mercy that covers every failure, justice that restores brokenness, and life that death cannot touch.

This promise echoes back to God’s words to Abram in Genesis 15: “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward will be very great.” Abram faced deep uncertainty, holding onto a hope that seemed impossible. God promised descendants as countless as the stars, even though Abram and Sarah were old and childless. God called him to trust, not in what he could see, but in God’s faithfulness.

Like Abram, we live by faith. God’s kingdom isn’t a future hope; it’s breaking into our lives now. We may not see the whole picture. We may struggle with fear or doubt. But God is our shield, our protector, and our reward.

God doesn’t just give us the kingdom and leave us to figure out the rest on our own. No, God is actively at work inviting us to join in. Jesus says, “Be dressed for action, keep your lamps lit, be ready.” This isn’t about being anxious or frozen in fear. It’s about being awake, alert, living with clear purpose. God’s kingdom is here and now, and God is leading.

Living like this is hard. The world screams for our attention every second: work, bills, social media, fear, survival. But Jesus interrupts all that noise and says, “There’s something bigger happening.” Jesus calls us to stop centering our lives on what scares us or what looks comfortable, and instead live rooted in the unshakable reality of God’s presence and power within us.

This new life begins in baptism. Baptism isn’t just a one-time ritual that happened a long ago. It is God’s claim on you and me. Through water and Spirit, God says, “You are mine. You belong. You are loved.” You are marked forever with the cross of Christ. That mark doesn’t fade. That promise never expires.

Baptism is more than an identity; it’s power and purpose. It clothes us with Christ, fills us with the Spirit, and sends us out.  We don’t live like this because we’re perfect. but because God’s grace claims us, transforms us, and equips us to be light in a dark world.

Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Baptism helps us take an honest look at what we truly treasure. Are we holding onto fear, control, or comfort? Or are we holding fast to God’s promises; promises that push us to live with courage, compassion, and justice?

last week, at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, I saw this baptismal calling in action. People from across the church gathered not just to talk about faith but to decide how to live it out, to speak truth, show mercy, and work for justice. Baptism sends us into the world not just to believe but to act.

And right here at Faith-La Fe, when we pack food boxes for our neighbors, we’re not just handing out groceries. We’re handing out hope and dignity. That’s baptism in action. When we serve breakfast at Grace, it’s not just about a meal, it’s about hospitality, recognizing the worth of every person, and giving a glimpse of God’s kingdom here and now. That’s what Jesus means by being dressed for action and keeping our lamps lit.

Jesus isn’t warning us to be anxious about the end of days. He’s calling us to live as though the kingdom is already here, now. To be people awake and ready to respond when someone’s hurting, when justice demands action, when God shows up in unexpected ways.

And here’s the good news, Jesus says when the master finds the servants awake, he will serve them. This flips everything we expect about power and authority. Usually, in the world’s way of thinking, the master or leader is the one who commands and expects service. But Jesus turns that upside down. God, who is the Lord of all, chooses to serve us.

This is the heart of how God relates to us every day. God doesn’t hold our lives at arm’s length, waiting to judge or punish. Instead, God comes close, humbles Godself, and meets us where we are. God’s love is not about demands or earning favor. It’s about freely giving us grace and mercy, fully accepting us even when we fail.

Living in this truth changes everything. We don’t have to prove ourselves. We live in the freedom of being fully loved, nothing can separate us from that love. When we know we are served and loved unconditionally by God, we can let go of fear, pride, and the need to control.

Because of that love, we are empowered to serve others, not as a burden or obligation, but as a joyful response. We follow the example of Jesus, who washed his disciples’ feet, who healed the sick, who fed the hungry, who died on the cross. Serving others keeps us awake and ready, keeping our lamps burning.

This is the kingdom’s heart: God serves us first, and then calls us to serve the world. It’s a cycle of grace that fuels courage, compassion, and justice. When we live this way, we are free and alive in God’s kingdom.

So, what does this look like in real life? It starts with honest self-examination. What’s really holding you back? Fear, pride, comfort? Do you avoid hard truths just to keep the peace? Do you put being right above being kind? Facing these questions honestly opens the door for God’s transforming work.

This life God calls us to isn’t flashy. It’s often messy, small, and inconvenient. But it matters. It matters when we show up for each other. When we choose grace over judgment. When we pray, listen, serve, and speak up for those the world pushes down.

Today, Jesus isn’t scolding us. He’s inviting us to live alert, ready, lamps burning. The kingdom is here, in our church kitchen, in the food boxes, in the hands that serve, in the voices crying out for justice.

Fear loses its grip when we live this way. God has us. Our job is simple: stay open, grounded, courageous. Keeping the light on.  Amen.