Let us pray: Come Holy Spirit, enliven these words and help us become richer toward God. In the name of the Creator, the Redeemer and the Sustainer. Amen.
"Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."
Today, Jesus is talking to us about all those things that we work so hard to get. Although society tells us otherwise, Jesus reminds us that our lives and our identities are NOT based on the things we’ve accumulated. Sure, we need SOME things, and I know I certainly ENJOY certain possessions. But, like Martha, Jesus reminds us once again that our focus should NOT be on producing, consuming, or accumulating. Instead, it should be on relationship, on growing rich toward God. Today, Jesus challenges us, invites us, and reminds us, about our relationship with our things and our relationship with God.
Notice the language in today’s parable: The land of a rich man produced abundantly. This man already has plenty, he is wealthy landowner and his land yields a bumper crop. Great, right? He says to himself. What should I do? I don’t have room to store all of this extra. I know. I’ll tear down my perfectly good barns and build huge new ones so that I can store all of this surplus. Yes, that’s what I’ll do.
Then I’ll be all set. I’ll store all of MY grain and MY goods and I will say to MY soul, soul, you’re set for many years. Chill, relax, eat, drink, party it up.
God calls this man a fool, reminding him that even though he may think he’s set, he might die that very night. And then what? And then who will get all of the extra he’s laid up for himself. We can’t take it with us, right?
One of the commentaries I read titled this parable, “The Mismanaged Miracle.” The man in the story mismanages this amazing gift of a bumper crop. He fails to recognize that this extra is a gift from God. He lacks gratitude. He fails to consult others about what he should do with this gift. And he doesn’t give any thought to how he might use this extra to help others. I, me, my, mine. He fails to consider that the abundance that God provides is for the good of all. God’s generosity it to be shared.
Everything that we have is thanks to God. All things come of thee O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee. To God we owe our ultimate thanks. Yes, we do work and achieve and accomplish and do amazing things, AND, we could do none of those things without the gifts that God has given us.
Like the man in today’s parable, how do we choose to view the things we have? Especially when we receive an unexpected bonus? Do we too, tend to forget that everything comes from God? When we receive a windfall or an unexpected gift do we take the time to give thanks to God? Do we think of others and how we might be able to help, share, and use our abundance for their benefit? Do we consider how to use our “more than we need” so that others can meet their needs?
Today, Jesus challenges us, invites us, and reminds us. He challenges us to evaluate our relationship with our things, to evaluate our needs and our wants. Our necessities and our extras, our luxuries. And he invites us to consider how we can share our abundance with others so that we might help God’s dream of justice and equity come true all around us. And finally, Jesus reminds us that our possessions are not our lives. Our stuff does NOT define us. Nor can things every truly satisfy us. No matter how much, or how much bigger, nicer, or more expensive, our things won’t fill us up. Only a relationship with our loving God can do that.
Working to be rich toward God means working on that relationship.
By comparison, our possessions are worthless. Coming to know our Creator God is invaluable. We can’t let our works or our possessions, define nor guide us. When we begin to see that everything we have is a gift from God, then we can change our whole lives. When we begin to consider others before ourselves and start to understand that what we have been given from God is for the mutual aid and benefit of ALL, then we can start to grow our riches with our good and loving God.
Amen.
