Imagine you’re going out house shopping. You start looking on the internet and you end up with a choice: it’s a fantastic house, for sale freehold, or for sale leasehold. Which would you do? Freehold – why? It’s yours at the end.

Freehold, according to a common law commentator who is supposed to be very well known, his name was William Blackton, basically says that “fee simple or what is commonly known as freehold is the estate in land which a person has when the land is given to him and his heirs absolutely, without any end or limit put to his estates”. Land held in this way can be conveyed to whoever its owner pleases, it can be mortgaged, or put up for security as well.

However, leasehold land is acquired or held under that lease and the land is very often actually owned by the Crown, leased out for a specified period of time with certain conditions attached from the landlord, or the Crown, regarding rights and privileges.

And, in our generally acquisitive society, we immediately recognise that leasehold is somewhat counter intuitive. Leasehold is counter intuitive. We all want freehold, because of the ‘to have and to hold’, in perpetuity against a rainy day, is what we feel far more comfortable with.

Freehold, and that general freehold mentality sits well with us. To have and to hold in perpetuity against a rainy day.

No wonder the servant hung onto the talent from the master against the risk of losing it. At least he could give it back in one piece. But the risk of letting go, with the point of growth for the two other servants who were given their master’s money and the rewards, were huge.

And we’ve probably all been encouraged to think about this parable in terms of using our gifts for God, for indeed, this is what we’re surely invited and urged to do. But in the light of all of our readings today; and I’ve had a good look at them; I think we’ve probably all listened to them and thought – ‘what do we do with this lot’? I think we’re probably being invited to consider things from a different point of view. It’s not just our gifts God is interested in. I believe what we’re being asked to do is to take our thinking and understanding one step further, because it’s our lives God is interested in, not just our gifts, our whole lives. We’re each invited to consider to whom our life belongs:
 

•   is life freehold, ours to hang onto for our satisfaction alone? (In that instance I’m reminded of the swooping seagulls in the film ‘Finding Nemo’, crying out ‘Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine’ - those of you who have seen the film will know what I’m talking about.)
 

•   or is life leasehold? Ours on loan as a gift from the Crown, the Sovereign Lord, bringing a great sense of belonging or gratitude - an infinite possibility.

How we think about this will inform how we act.

Time and again, the prophets reminded the Israelites to whom they belonged, for whom their lives were to be lived, against the background of the military offensives and conquests among their immediate neighbours, and, potential invaders. Zephaniah, the prophet that we heard today, called the people of Israel to remember to whom they belonged and to live in such a way as to bless the whole of humanity. That’s what that reading was about. For just as a conquering army, that they had seen so often in their neighbouring states, could cut through the veneers of wealth and power and reduce people to the most basic principles of life, so he imagined on the day of the Lord the statutes of God’s righteous law would show up the true state of the people’s commitment, cut away the false values and reveal the true nature of their idolatry. That’s what he was talking about. It’s pretty tough stuff.

So will we live, remembering our life is God’s gift, or not?

And as the writer to the Thessalonians put it: ‘Will we lose sight of God’s ways and go through life asleep to the promises of God as children of darkness? Or, recognising from whom our life comes, will we live as children of light fully alive to the purpose of God’s loving designs for human life, willing to share and spend that life generously in the service of others?’

Time and again heroes and saints are noted for the way in which they live for others, for the way they generously put themselves out as an expression of love and solidarity. On this Remembrance Day we bring to mind those who have been willing to live and die for the freedom of others. We remember too the reality of the brokenness of a world that still wants to grasp and control, rather than live with the open hands and hearts of fellowship and sharing.

Leasehold living is a risky and costly business, counter intuitive as we’ve already discovered and it constantly places a choice before us. As I reflected on this I recognised it’s the risk of every parent recognising their children are on loan and choosing to release them back to God’s love as they become more fully themselves. It’s not easy. It’s the risk of loving anyone in fact: our partners, our friends, our families. How do we love them and let them go back into God’s love? They are not ours to hold onto. And it’s the daily choices – will I share my home today, will I use my skills, will I put my education to the service of others, my gifts, my inclinations, the things God has placed in me that I enjoy doing and do well – are they there for God too, are they there for others too, or just for me?

Will I live generously with all of my wealth?

A leasehold living is a matter of faith, because it really gets us to grips with: do we trust God’s generous love or not? Do we actually believe there’s enough to go round, and that when we trust in God, it will go round?

No wonder the writer to the Thessalonians said we need that breastplate of faith and love, because the very heart, the very source of our life – the heart – needs protection. And it needs to be girded and held and informed by our faith in a loving and generous God. No wonder we need a helmet of hope to protect our minds and our wealth so we don’t lose our focus on God’s promises, God’s purposes, when we are assailed from all sides. So we can fulfil our calling as God’s people, to be a blessing to a broken and wounded world.

Freehold or leasehold … which shall it be?