Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 25, 2025
John 14:23-29

After living here for nearly four years, I finally broke down and did it. I swallowed my pride and spent the twenty five dollars to join the Landry’s Select Club. Every time I go to any one of Galveston’s many Landry’s establishments, I will get special treatment. 

And that pitch they have – if you spend just twenty five dollars, the next time you come, you’ll save twenty five dollars. Pretty good, right? It’ll be like you never even spent that twenty five dollars. They give you another twenty five dollars on your birthday. And then, as you come back again, you’ll get points. And you’ll get even more money off. I mean, you would be a fool not to become part of the Landry’s Select Club.

Because you know, the next time my family wants to go to a restaurant, it’ll be in the back of our heads – well you know, we should go somewhere we can get points. And then, when it’s your birthday, well, we could always use that discount. And suddenly, you’re hooked.

Except, of course, as we all know, there is no such thing as a free lunch. You know that they have crunched the numbers, and they are going to make money off this proposition. Let’s not fool ourselves. They are happy to give out increments of twenty five dollars when they are making a whole lot more than that because you go there all the time. Businesses are not in the business of losing money. That’s why it’s called a “loyalty program.” If you’re loyal to them, you get a little bit back for yourself. 

Now, of course, this is nothing new. There have been loyalty programs since the time of Jesus. In the ancient Roman world, society worked on a patron-client system. Someone higher up the socio-economic ladder would be a patron. They would offer economic and social opportunities to people below them on the ladder; their clients. In return, clients would give their patrons support, service, and loyalty. Just like me and my brand new Landry’s Select Club card. They give me a little bit off my next plate of flounder, and I promise to come back soon. In the time of Jesus, a client promises to vote for the patron in the upcoming election, and the patron will promise to make favorable laws for the client. It’s all about loyalty. Loyalty that is paid for, given, and exchanged. Same as it has ever been.

And that’s what makes this story about Jesus so mind-bendingly revolutionary. It’s the night before he dies; he’s washed the disciples feet; he’s shared a meal with them; and as things are wrapping up he says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Hey that’s great. We could all use more peace. But it’s the next part – “I do not give you as the world gives” (John 14:27). 

Granted, Jesus never ate at a Landry’s restaurant, but he gets it. He knows the way the world works. Jesus knows that in this world, money and favor and loyalty are always being exchanged in return for something else. We give to political candidates and causes because we think they will enact policies that will be good for us. At the end of a semester, certain students cozy up to their teachers, hoping that the little extra attention will earn them a grade bump. This is how the world gives. With strings attached.

And then there’s Jesus. Upending the whole economy, and creating a new one. Jesus gives; he just gives. Earlier in his ministry, Jesus heals ten lepers, and only one comes back to say thank you. But you know – those nine ungrateful lepers were still given the gift of healing. There were no strings attached. Jesus will gather vast crowds, thousands of people and give them bread and fish – literally a free lunch. And we have to assume that most of them probably never followed Jesus any further than that. Jesus does not love to get love in return; it’s not a spiritual loyalty card program. No, he stretches wide his arms open the cross and simply gives. Not as the world gives, but as God, the giver of every good and free gift gives. 

And what does he give? The Holy Spirit. The Advocate, who will lead us and guide us into the ways of joy and truth. Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (14:24). The Holy Spirit is the One who will prop us up, speak for us, give us what we need in our hours of need. Jesus is giving us courage to break out of the world’s method of exchange, of favor, and to live differently. To live by grace, to live by faith, to live by giving, not expecting anything in return. Like he did. Jesus gives us all of that freely.

And the beautiful thing, is that when we live that way, when we live with the Spirit, then we are free. We then are not bound to the tyranny of the exchange system. Because that’s what they are. We think we’re being rewarded for our loyalty but in reality, we’ve become captive. To save a few bucks, we’ll use our loyalty cards, but really, we’re beholden to the system that runs the show and we drown in debt. We think that social media is free, but really, we become captive to it. This is how the world gives. It gives in order to make us prisoner.

So, if the Landry’s Select Club card is the symbol of how the world gives, this is the symbol of how the Lord gives. [Holding a church offering plate.] Think of it – we pass this around church, people put money into it. And really, there’s no benefit you accrue by putting anything in here. And everyone gets the same thing, whatever you put anything in here or not.

And look, this is not a cheap sermon to get you to give more money to the church. And I don’t even use the offering plate, my bank just mails a check to the church office monthly. But you get the point.

What we put in here is a free gift. And yet, because of that, it demands an even higher loyalty from us than this. Precisely because we do not get anything in return. Precisely because we do not give as the world gives, we give as the Lord gives. Freely. Without expectation of anything coming back for us. This is the true measure of loyalty. Giving without the expectation of getting.

And of course, it’s not about money. It’s about your heart. Yes, the money we put in here is important. We wouldn’t have church without it. But the money is a sign, a symbol, of what we really give. Our hearts, our souls, our minds. We give them all to God, not expecting an exchange in return, but only because it’s the right and good and holy thing to do. Because by giving our selves, by offering ourselves, we are working out our own loyalty to the Lord God.

Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31). This is the true test of loyalty.