December 31: Leaving and Letting Go

Leaving and Letting Go

Matthew 2: 1-15; 6: 19-21

December 31, 2023

          The path from here to heaven is a journey, which involves leaving the familiar and letting go of our treasures.

          We stand at the edge of a new year. Two questions for us to ponder during this message are: What’s God inviting you to leave this coming year? What’s God inviting you to let go of in 2024?

The path from here to heaven is a journey, which involves leaving the familiar and letting go of our treasures.

This is what the wise men discover. These men studied the stars. They noticed even the slightest changes in star patterns. They believed the gods could speak to them through the position, movement and differences in the star formations.

One night they noticed some dramatic changes in the night sky. They believed it was a sign that a Jewish king had been born in the land of Israel. They felt a call to leave their home in Iraq and travel many, many miles to Jerusalem. They took along some of their most valuable treasures: gold and some sweet smelling powders – frankincense and myrrh.

These men went on a journey, which involved leaving the familiar and letting go of some of their treasures.

These men took a journey, which led them to the God of the universe, Jesus the Christ. Here they worshipped Him face to face. Here they let go and gave away some of their most valuable treasures.

Finding God for them meant: leaving and then letting go. 

The path from here to heaven is a journey, which involves leaving the familiar and letting go of our treasures.

I remember talking with a member of a former church a year before she died. Madeline was a 96 year old member of that church who lived in her house most of her life. She was talking about the possibility of moving someday  

She said, “But what am I going to do with all of this?”

She pointed around the room.

Then she said, “Especially that.”

She motioned to the one wall of her living room. She said, “My father painted that wall size mural over fifty years ago. Now what’s going to happen to that mural if I were to move?”

I said, “Madeline, I don’t know. But there’s one thing I do know. The journey from here to heaven involves letting go of everything. Jesus said something about not being able to take anything with us to heaven.”

The path from here to heaven is a journey, which involves leaving the familiar and letting go of our treasures.

When I was pastor in Pentwater, Michigan there was one phrase I used often with them in my sermons. I first used it on my initial Sunday there. I used it so often they repeated the second part of it after I said the first part – like a call and response.

Here’s the phrase: New beginnings mean letting go.

I would say: “New beginnings mean….”

They would respond by saying: “Letting go”.

Letting go is difficult. It will be difficult for my parents when they move someday. It was difficult for Madeline when she had to move. It’s always difficult to let go of that which we consider valuable.

But God often invites us to let go.

He invites us to let go of things in this world so we can hold even more tightly to our treasures we’ll find in heaven.

Jesus reminds us that our heart will always be where our treasure is. If all our treasure is earthly; if we hold too tightly to this world; if we resist leaving and letting go – we’re going to have a difficult time getting into heaven.

As we look back to Jesus’ earliest years, we see that his family had to learn that difficult lesson of leaving and letting go.

It was hard enough for Mary to leave her home in Nazareth and travel to Joseph’s family home in Bethlehem. I’m sure Mary missed her parents and her aunts and uncles. I’m sure she missed not only her friends, but also the familiar markets and hillsides of Nazareth.

But two years later, just as Mary was getting acquainted with a new town and new friends, God spoke to them again. He let them know: you must let all of this go and leave for Egypt.

Mary and Joseph left all that had become familiar and comfortable to leave for a foreign country. They left their home and their people to become immigrants and aliens.

Many of God’s people in the Old Testament did the same thing. Abraham and Sarah spent time in Egypt before moving back to their promised land of Israel. Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt. His father Jacob eventually brought his whole family to Egypt. Moses spent his entire life between Egypt and the edge of Israel.

All of these saints discovered the truth I’ve been highlighting in this message:

The path from here to heaven is a journey, which involves leaving the familiar and letting go of our treasures.

We stand at the edge of a new year. Two questions for us to ponder are: What’s God inviting you to leave in this coming year? What’s God inviting you to let go in 2024?

Take time by yourself in the coming days to get alone with God and ask God those questions. Listen to God’s answer and then respond by saying, “Yes, God.”