The Meaning of Life – 2nd in series on Titus
Titus 1:7-16 (They profess to know God but they deny him by their actions)
September 23, 2012
Communion
Some of you may remember the 1998 Spielburg directed, Tom Hanks movie “Saving Private
Ryan.” In it a group of soldiers are sent to the front line to rescue or bring back a Private James
Ryan. He is to be saved because his four brothers have been killed in various battles during the
invasion of Europe on D-Day. The idea is set in motion when the commanding general learns
of the situation and is reminded of Lincoln’s letter to a family who lost all five of their sons
during the civil war. Eventually seven soldiers die saving Ryan. One of the last is Tom Hanks
who tells the private essentially to be worth it. “Earn it,” he says. At the end of the movie, the
now retired Ryan is visiting the Normandy cemetery with his wife and adult children. Standing
beside the marker of one of the men who died to save him, he asks his wife, “Have I led a good
life? Am I a good man?”
It is a question we all grapple with regardless of our age. Am I living a good life? Not an
adventurous life or a famous life or a recognized life or a financially successful life but a good
life. Am I living a life that I can be proud of and that honors God and is embedded in my faith?
Today is the second in our series on “The Meaning of Life” based on Paul’s brief letter
to Titus. Paul is writing to his companion and fellow missionary and child in the faith. Titus is
given the task of finding good people to be leaders in the church.
Last week Twine shared the true story that in the closing moments of a two-week
conference on Crete, a writer named Robert Fulguhm asked Alexander Papaderos what was the
meaning of life. His response was to pull a small, round mirror out of his pocket that he always
carried with him. He said that people are meant to shine the light of God’s love and grace into
the dark corners of the world and into people’s lives. (If you did not get a mirror last week, there
are some in the prayer center and you may one up after worship.) Papaderos reminded his
listeners that we are not the light ourselves but are sharers of the light.
So the question becomes, what kind of people best reflect the light of God into the
world? The same kind of people who will best lead the church. The same kind of people who
actually live their faith in Jesus. People like you. Paul describes to Titus what those good people
look like. The list of five deal-breaking behaviors accompanied by the list of desirable
characteristics gives us a good idea what our everyday lives should look like.
So let’s begin with the things we should not be. Remember these are negative traits that
destroy our positive spiritual influence because they cut us off from God. The first is pride or
as we read it arrogance. Are we judgmental or accepting of other? Must we always be right? Must
we always be in the spotlight or first? Do we think we have all the answers to the point we have
stopped listening to the legitimate concerns of others and the guidance of God? Second
negative trait is being quick-tempered. Do you fly off the handle or use your words to hurt
other people? Is your first response anger? Or are you instead cultivating patience and
gentleness? The third trait we do not want to be known for is addiction. Alcohol was a
problem in the first century just as it is today. But there are other addictive behaviors and
patterns we know we need to avoid. They include but are not limited to prescription or illegal
drugs, pornography, over eating. And gambling In our world temptation is pretty much
everywhere. How do you handle it? Addiction compromises our ability to respond to God’s call
and leading.
The fourth negative issue is the misuse of power. When Paul uses the word violence,
he is not just talking about physical violence but any use of force or intimidation to get one’s
way. So…”do you every try to use people or intimidate them? How’s your stubbornness
quotient? Do you need to be in control all the time? Do you have a problem receiving
instruction gracefully?”
The final problem is greed. It is easy to cut corners when we think no one is looking.
So ask yourself, are all your financial dealings above reproach? Your expense accounts, your
taxes, your business ethics? Are you leading a more generous life than you used to do?” (ideas
from Spiritual Influence/Titus by John Ortberg, Zondervan 2009)
The five negative characteristics to avoid are actually very straightforward. I don’t think
any of us would argue that these are actually ok or acceptable for any Christian or any one else.
So what characteristics do give our lives meaning by bringing us into strong and healthy
relationship with others? We read, we must be “hospitable, a lover of goodness, prudent, upright, devout
and self-controlled.” (Titus 1:9)
We begin by practicing hospitality. I spoke about this a couple of weeks ago. This
implies a real interest and devotion to the welfare of others. A lover of goodness appreciates the
good in both people and in the world around them. Prudent is to be measured and wise, not
subject to whims. Upright means fair and thus trustworthy. Devout places your focus on God’s
presence and purposes and self-controlled or measured is a mark of maturity. Basically, we are
meant to be honest and caring people of integrity.
Altogether, it means to have a gracious life regardless of events, because there are always
situations and events that we must face and live through. For Titus on Crete the problem is a
cult of Jewish Christians who are teaching that believers must first convert to Judaism and be
circumcised before becoming a Christian. So Titus is looking for leaders who know the Word of
God well and can correct and rebuke those who are leading others down the wrong path.
We have our own situations and events we must live through here at the church, in our
families, at work and in the world. Our lives are to be marked by honesty, caring and
integrity. One writer describes this list as an extremely moderate standard. It is doable. It is
achievable. Yet people in all walks of life struggle with how to live this way.
About a year ago there was a great article in the New York Times titled “The SEAL
Sensibility.” It was written by a Navy SEAL to help people understand this elite force and the
brutal training they undergo. Near the end of the article he wrote, “What kind of man makes it
through hell week? That’s hard to say. But I do know –generally – who won’t make it. There are
a dozen types that fail: the weight-lifting meatheads who think that the size of their biceps is an
indication of their strength, the kids covered in tattoos announcing to the world how tough they
are, the preening leaders who don’t want to get dirty, and the look-at-me former athletes who
have always been told they are stars but have never been pushed beyond the envelope of their
talent to the core of their character.
“Some men who seemed impossible weak at the beginning of SEAL training – men who
puked on runs and had trouble with pull-ups – made it. Some men who were skinny and short
and whose teeth chattered just looking at the ocean also made it. Some men who were visibly
afraid, sometimes to the point of shaking, also made it.
“Almost all the men who survived possessed one common quality. Even in great pain,
faced with the test of their lives, they had the ability to step outside of their own pain, put aside
their own fear and ask: How can I help the guy next to me? They had more than the fist of
courage and physical strength. They also had a heart large enough to think about others, to
dedicate themselves to a higher purpose.” (NYT, 05-07-11, “The SEAL Sensibility” by Eric Greittens)
In a parable recorded in both the gospel of Matthew and Luke (25 & 19 respectively),
Jesus tells the story or three servants entrusted with varying amounts of treasure. They are to
invest it while their master is away. Two use the talents they are given and multiply them but the
third hides their talent. The one who wasted the opportunity is sent away. To the two who did
the best they could with what they had, they receive the greatest commendation: “Well done
good and faithful servant.”
Isn’t that what you would like to hear at the end of your life as well? In Titus we are told
the things we shouldn’t do and the characteristics we should cultivate. It comes down to living
devout and caring lives with honesty and integrity. In this way while we are never the light,
we will be able to reflect and share the light. In so doing we may earn the accolade, “Well done
good and faithful servant – you have led a good life!”