What Does Jesus Say about Work?

  What Does Jesus Say about Work?

Labor Day, 2016

September 5, 2016
Jeff Lampl

Jesus and His Dad at Work

In the same way, let your light shine before others,

 so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Mathew 5:16

Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required,

and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. Luke 12:48

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.

You have been faithful over a little;

 I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'   Matthew 25:23

Why Workaholism can be the Worst Kind of Laziness

When Jesus speaks of work, he addresses it in the context of serving God.   He speaks of not wasting one’s talents, working in such a way that others are attracted to God, working in such a way that the smallest jobs matter so that we grow to have the capacity to further God’s Kingdom.   He relates work to God and to our purpose on earth as God’s partner in creating a flourishing world for all of God’s creation (a mandate given to human beings in Genesis 1:28 and 2:15)

So, how can working hard be laziness?   When I stay late at work because I want to get ahead because of my own ambition rather than witnessing to my colleagues that my life’s priorities center not around work, rather around my life with God, with my spouse and my children, I am being spiritually lazy.   I’m investing my energies disproportionately.

When I rely on myself, asking God to “bless my mess”, rather than beginning my work by giving it to him and following his lead, I am being spiritually lazy.   Doing so is a form of idolatry, thinking I can handle this part of my life without God.  I am playing God.

Jospeh Pieper writes that approaching work without a centeredness in Christ and his purpose creates in us a “roaming restlessness of the spirit”.  Nothing we do that way is ever enough.   We’re never satisfied and we’re proud that we’re not satisfied.  We proudly think that we’re virtuous in our pursuit of more and better.  He notes that work is not the ceaseless activity of capitalism, rather it has to do with cooperating with the God given purpose for which you were created, cooperating with God as your director and empowerer, and recognizing that your work has dignity insofar as it working “as to the Lord’.  When it is work simply for more money, or for more accolades or for more power it has lost its dignity, and you’ve lost dignity as well.

Personally I have fallen into this kind of laziness (acedia) in a variety of ways.   Sometimes I’ve stayed at work late rather than go home, because it’s easier to be at work than home with the kids during the 6:00 “dead zone” of the day.  That’s avoiding my call (the real work of God is my call, my calling, and that call is also to my home).    I have viewed work through the lens of ambition and desire for recognition, both of which are a form of avoidance, a laziness insofar as I have, during those times. avoided the time needed with God to repent and recalibrate.   I have worked (much, much, much too often) weeks without a Sabbath.   It is simple laziness to avoid the difficult work of doing nothing for a day a week other than to be present to God and to loved ones.   Work is simply easier than that.   Rest is hard.   Prayer is hard.   Simply being there for others is hard.

I could go on and on.   But you get the picture.   Do you suffer from acedia (the word our church “fathers” used for spiritual laziness of the heart)?   Could your workaholism be simple laziness?   Talk to Jesus about that and see what he says to you.   If you don’t like what he say, don’t be lazy.  Listen.

“Lord, those who have known you and listened to you over the last two millennia since you arrived on earth, died for our sin and rose from the dead, have so much wisdom for us.   Help us, Lord, is this world of “what have you done for me lately”, in this world that tells me my value is only in my utility, help us to practice the hard work of

stopping long enough for you to get a word in edgewise.

Amen”