C, Pent 25 Proper 28 - 2 Thessalonians 3:6-16 "Work Holy"

As Christians we are called to stand firm; especially in these last days of creation when more and more chaos and confusion threatens to clutter the conscience.

Just like soldiers protecting something extremely valuable, we Christians are called to stand together to protect, to uphold, and to trust the most precious work of our Saviour at the cross and the way he calls us to receive the benefits of his death and resurrection, laid out in his word.

We are told in Luke 21:19 that by standing firm you will gain life (NIV). Or to put it another way, by endurance in Christ and his ways your inner being will be protected. So as a company of soldiers or guards sticking together, what they are protecting will remain, together with themselves, when they stand firm.

But chaos and confusion are fuelled when the ranks break up, trust is lost in each other, and in the value of what is being protected. This is exactly why Paul exhorts the church in Thessalonica, as some break ranks from the traditions put in place by Christ himself. They have become conceited and fail to stand firm in the face of what they believe to be the last days before the return of Christ.

They thought Jesus’ return was about to happen, so they became idle in upholding, protecting, and proclaiming Christ, to a world which needed salvation. In fact they became so idle, not only did they turned away from standing firm in the faith, in their vocation as practising Christians, they also failed to take responsibility for the other vocations God had called them into. The very structure of their community was in danger, as some of them sought to sit down and stop working altogether. And in shirking their responsibilities, they were a burden on everyone else, contributing to the confusion of the day, and were putting pressure on the peace into which they were called.

Even worse, they were testing God, with their disruption to civil life and by their disobedience against the traditions of Christ. Their example was bringing no glory to God, but rather their idle practice as God’s children in Thessalonica was bringing God’s name into disrepute. They were in fact being a burden on God as well as everyone else!

The NIV bible says they became idle, but the Greek text literally says, they were walking around in idleness. They were not going about their business but were going about things in a disorderly and irresponsible manner.

Ironically, they were moving about at the same time as being idle; they were not standing firm in anything. They were just like a person who goes to do a task, but keeps their hands in their pockets. Or like a person who takes the floor and says many things without saying anything. Just a whole bunch of hot air, one might say! They had become good for nothing—in the way, troublemakers—hindering the way of Christ and the good works that flow from being truly focused on him.

So Paul says to the Thessalonians… Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labour we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 ESV)

All of us know that if something doesn’t work, it gets thrown out. Especially if it can’t be fixed! In fact, we live in a society that chucks out stuff, even when it can be repaired. So Paul also warns us not to chuck out the fellow believer, but to warn them as one who is also loved by the Lord. They, like all of us, are repairable by the power of God, being healed when they give up their disobedient idleness, and allow themselves to be brought back into the ranks of Christ.

Paul says… If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. (2 Thessalonians 3:14-16)

To be fair to the Thessalonians, we all must realise, we are the same as them. Every person struggles with idleness, and busying themselves with the business of others. All of us struggle to have peace at all times and in every way. And it’s been that way ever since Adam and Eve made the decision not to follow God’s way and will, and broke ranks busying themselves with sin.

When you or I decide to turn from the traditions of Christ, towards our own ways, we quickly become idle. We no longer work in the way we are meant! So it goes without saying that if something doesn’t work, then it shouldn’t be fed. Who amongst us would still put fuel in a motor that no longer runs? None of us! First the motor needs fixing and once it is, then it is fuelled to run in the way it was meant!

So too with us, Paul calls those who choose to let the power of sin run their lives, not to be fed. We all struggle with sin, but as we do, we still stand firm in Christ focused on his forgiveness. Sin might still cause us many hiccups, but we struggle against it. However, when the battle against sin becomes idle so it is given power to turn us away, then God needs to fix us and bring us back to Christ.

When we are brought back to him we are made holy. Holy is simply something or someone that works in the way it’s meant; in the way God desires it to work. God the Father is holy because he works in the way he’s meant, God the Son is holy because he does what he was eternally begotten to do, and the Holy Spirit is indeed holy because he comes from the Father and Son, doing the precise work he to is meant to do!

However, we are holy, not because we do what we are meant to do. We are made holy when God does his holy will in us, delivering his holy Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, through his holy word! We are made holy by the traditions of Christ, because they work in us, in the way God intended.

Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, and the hearing of his Holy Word — work forgiveness and peace. They are of God; therefore they work because they are holy, when we allow God to make them work. And these holy things allow us to work as holy Christians because they constantly kill the power of sin which is constantly trying to seize us up with disorder.

God and his holy ways are the good oil! Let him to continue to flow through you. Stand firm in Christ so you continue to work as God intended you to work, despite the abrasions of sin within. Amen.