COMMITTED TO THRIVING

The Angel Oak Tree, Jones Island Park, South Carolina

Matthew 22:15-22

Psalm 1

Here's a modern fable you may be familiar with:

A Pig and a Chicken are walking down the road.

The Chicken says: "Hey Pig, I was thinking we should open a restaurant!"

Pig replies: "Hm, maybe, what would we call it?"

The Chicken responds: "How about 'ham-n-eggs'?"

The Pig thinks for a moment and says: "No thanks. I'd be committed, but you'd only be involved."

What can this story along with a Roman coin and an oak tree teach us about thriving as Christians and as the church.

Every living creature on this planet seeks to flourish, from single cell organisms to plants to animals to human beings. We are created with the desire to become all we can be and to live purpose-filled and meaningful lives; in other words, to thrive.

Whether it's to be in best physical condition we can be or to develop our talents to their fullest potential or to live a healthy, balanced life, we have to be committed to it. To thrive as Christians and as a church, we are called to be fully committed to it. The question posed by the story in Matthew 22:15-22 is are we willing to do that?

“Show me the coin used to pay the tax,” Jesus said to the Pharisees and the followers of Herod. And they brought him a silver coin, a denarion.

“Whose image and inscription is this?” he asked as he pointed out the royal seal that the coin had been stamped with.

“Caesar's,” they answered.

“Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what is God's.”

This answer sent them away speechless and shaking their heads. It should give us pause to think because it poses a serious question. “ Are we, who are created in the image of God, giving our all to God?”

The fable of the Chicken and the Pig defines two types of people. The Chicken is only involved, it's like people who say they “believe in God” or “are spiritual” but don't really have a life-changing relationship with God through Christ.

The Pig is like those who are totally committed to their faith and understand it requires the sacrifice of spiritual discipline and leaving one's safety zone to be obedient to the mission of God. That kind of commitment results in fruitful and transformational living which is what thriving is all about.

Jesus answer challenges us to think about which we are – the fully committed pig or the casually involved chicken.

On Jones Island in South Carolina grows the Angel Oak Tree. Conservatively, it's estimated to be in excess of 400-500 years old, stands 66.5 feet tall, measures 28 feet in circumference and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet. It still produces acorns and has survived numerous hurricanes.

It thrives because it has a root system that goes down approximately 66.5 feet and spreads out over an area of 17,200 square feet. There is as much tree below ground as there is above ground.

That's what is needed to thrive like the tree described in Psalm One: a commitment to developing a deep inward, spiritual life rooted in our relationship with God in Christ that results an an outward life that is strong healthy and makes a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world.

We are created in the image of God, and God's royal seal is stamped on all aspects of our lives. We are called to commit all that we are and all that we have to Christ; we are called to strive to thrive.