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Trinity 8/Proper 13 Luke 12:13-21 ( Colossians 3:1-11 )
Luke 12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." 14 Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." 16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' 18 "Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." 20 "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
A Sunday school teacher was teaching the children about heaven. She asked them, "Kids if I sell my house and my car, and give all the money to the poor, will I get to go heaven?"
The children in unison replied, "No."
She asked them again, "What if I quit my job and spend all my time helping orphans, then will I go to heaven?"
The children again replied "No."
The teacher then asked the children, "Okay, just how do I get to heaven?"
Little Tommy put up his hand. "Yes Tommy, how do I get to heaven?" the teacher asked.
He replied, "You gotta be dead first!
21 "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
Can we buy our way into heaven, by giving our money, time and talents to God? This is what you could draw from this verse, but it would miss the point.
The point is that God loves us so much and has so many blessings in store for us he doesn't want us to be distracted. In the parable the man invested his time, intelligence and energy in taking advantage of the crop God had blessed him with. This led him to think that life is about material things. Having an easy life with food, drink and fun.
I guess this something many people would aspire to but it doesn't satisfy.
In July 2006 Money Magazine in the United States asked the question, "Can money buy happiness?"
It said that the new science of happiness starts with a simple insight: We're never satisfied. "We always think if we just had a little bit more money, we'd be happier," says Catherine Sanderson, a psychology professor at Amherst College, "but when we get there, we're not." Indeed, the more you make, the more you want. The more you have, the less effective it is at bringing you joy, and that seeming paradox has long bedeviled economists. "Once you get basic human needs met, a lot more money doesn't make a lot more happiness," notes Dan Gilbert, a psychology professor at Harvard University. And while the rich are happier than the poor, the enormous rise in living standards over the past 50 years hasn't made Americans happier. Why? Three reasons:
1) People overestimate how much pleasure things will bring them. The initial thrill soon disappear and people then want more.
2) More money can lead to more stress. A larger house further away from work can lead to a longer trip to work, less time to spend at home with the family and so on.
3) People compare themselves with others, usually their peers. This can lead to jealousy and covetousness.
If we covet and pursue possessions that are not our this goes against God's provision for us.
1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Material things cannot fully satisfy and they can also become a god. Taking the time, worship, service and devotion that we should be giving to God. People can trust in things, rather than the God who provided them.
It can even lead to people thinking that they have created their wealth or possessions and they rule their own destiny. Today's parable shows that God is in control. That we cannot guarantee when we shall live or die.
We cannot earn our way to heaven. But what we do with everything at our disposal - our possessions, our time, our energy, acts as a spiritual barometer.
Are we really preparing ourselves for heaven in this life?
Are we living under the lordship of Jesus Christ?
Are we trusting in God, living for Him, worshipping and serving Him, because this is what heaven will be like. Being focused on God is something Paul writes of in today's Epistle.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Do not let your possessions rob you of eternal life. Be united with Christ now with the life, love, joy, peace, hope, security, acceptance, and forgiveness that this, and this alone brings.Are we really preparing ourselves for heaven in this life?
Are we living under the lordship of Jesus Christ?
Trusting in God, living for God, worshipping and serving him, because this is what heaven will be like.
There's a true story that comes form the sinking of the Titanic. A
frightened woman found her place in a life boat that was about to be lowered into the raging North Atlantic. She suddenly thought of something she needed, so she asked permission to return to her stateroom before they cast off. She was granted three minutes or they would leave without her.
She ran across the deck that was already slanted at a dangerous angle. She raced through the gambling room with all the money that had rolled to one side, ankle deep. She came to her stateroom and quickly pushed aside her diamond rings and expensive bracelets and necklaces as she reached to the shelf above her bed and grabbed three small oranges. She quickly found her way back to the lifeboat and got in.
Now that seems incredible because thirty minutes earlier she would not have chosen a crate of oranges over the smallest diamond. But death had boarded the Titanic. One blast of it's awful breath had transformed all values. Instantaneously, priceless things had become worthless. Worthless things had become priceless. And in that moment she preferred three small oranges to a crate of diamonds.
This change of priorities and being focused on God is something Paul writes of in today's Epistle.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Do not let your possessions rob you of eternal life. Be united with Christ now with the life, love, joy, peace, hope, security, acceptance, and forgiveness that this, and this alone brings.
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A man is walking down the beach and comes across an old bottle. He picks it up, pulls out the cork and out pops a genie. The genie says, "Thank you for freeing me from the bottle. In return I will grant you three wishes." The man says "Great! I always dreamed of this and I know exactly what I want. First, I want one billion pounds in a Swiss bank account." Pow! There is a flash of light and a piece of paper with account numbers appears in his hand. He continues, "Next, I want a brand new red Ferrari right here." Pow! There is a flash of light and a bright red brand-new Ferrari appears right next to him. He continues, "Finally, I want to be irresistible to women." Pow! There is a flash of light and he turns into a box of chocolates. Copyright 1999 Gibson Productions
We live in a world where people always want more, and it is never enough.
Multimillionaire John D. Rockefeller was once asked how much money it took to make a person happy. His answer was, "Just a little more."
This greedy attitude was found in the man who spoke to Jesus. Verse 13, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Deuteronomy 21:17 gave the general rule that an elder son received double a younger one's portion. The man wasn't asking Jesus to settle a disagreement, rather he wanted to get Jesus on his side. A bit like Martha two weeks ago. Disputes such as this were normally settled by rabbis but Jesus did not get involved in judging this matter. This was not because Jesus couldn't weigh up the evidence and make a decision. It was not that Jesus was not interested in social and ethical concerns but focuses on this man's motivation and uses the situation to highlight the consequences of greed.
Why shouldn't we be greedy ?
Verse 15, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Jesus' words that show that greed comes from the mistaken idea that real life is to be found in possessions; it leads people away from Jesus' kingdom where real life is to be found.
Jesus is saying that there is more to life than possessions. What is life about then ? It is about being 'rich towards God', verse 21. We are to love and serve God through the saving act of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the criteria that will be used by God when he comes to judge us. Not by how big a car, house, bank balance of share portfolio we had. When we come to face God these things will no longer be in our possessions so they will be useless to us, not that they could impress God anyway ! The man is called a 'fool' by God. This is not an insult but a word used in the Bible to describe someone who rejects the knowledge and way of God.
In this incident we observe Jesus' approach to money. He did not condemn the possession of it. But he did warn against putting faith in money to secure the future. The rich man's money did him absolutely no good the night of his death. To emphasize his point, Jesus referred back to King Solomon, the richest man in the Old Testament (verse 27).
The problem that the man had was that he let money become an idol. This is something that Paul warns about in Colossians 3:5, 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
- An idol in the Bible is always a representation of something real that people treat as God. They may offer it love, worship, prayers, offerings; they may look to it to provide security or protection. In other words, idolatry is the tendency in humanity to assign a religious or sacred value and power to something that is created, rather than the Creator.
- We need to ask some precise questions to find out if something is an idol:
- * In whom, or in what, do we place our trust (our faith)?
- * Where do we look for security and happiness?
- * Whom or what do we expect to guarantee our future?
- * What do we think can guard our liberty?
- * Whom do we believe on the subject of truth?
- The danger of money is that the pursuit of it can end our relationship with God. 1 Timothy 6:9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
- An idol replaces God and God honours that choice. The rich man was excluded from God's presence for ever because he put himself and his greed before God and before his relationship with his brother.
How do we avoid idolatry and not trust in money ?
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Paul tells Christians to focus on Jesus, on spiritual and not earthly things. When East and West Germany were separated by the Berlin Wall people tried to escape from the East to the West. Some of them lost their lives. Those who succeeded enjoyed a new life in the West and never considered going back to their old way of life.
Our new citizenship is of heaven, not of earth. Paul reminds us that Christians have died to their old life so to live according to the ways of the world is a denial of their nature. Later, in verses 9 & 10, Paul compares becoming a Christian to a change of clothes, 'you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self,'
We can avoid idolatry by focusing on Jesus and living a new way of life that he gives. We are to reject relying upon money or possessions. We are to have a radical trust in Jesus which is an antidote to all idolatry.
After today's gospel reading Jesus tells his disciples that they should trust in God and not worry ( verses 22 ff. ). He uses examples from nature to show how God provides for his creatures. "Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centred in anything short of God and his will for us", Billy Graham.
One day a father and his rich family took his son to a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "Very good Dad!" "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Yeah!" "And what did you learn?" The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon."
When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless. His son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!"
Copyright 1999 Gibson Productions
This shows that there is more to life than possessions, and our perspective, rather than our possessions determine how rich we really our. Christians are called to be content with what God gives them...
1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Socrates was asked, "Who is the wealthiest man?" His answer: "He who is content with the least."
If we really trust God then we believe that he loves us and will do the best for us. This belief in his provision and sovereignty means that we know that he give us everything that we need, and also not give us things that we do not need, or that could harm us. Such a belief must lead to contentment. We only need basic things like food and clothing. Therefore, anything else is a bonus that we must give thanks for, in addition to thanksgiving for the food and clothing, of course !
What should we do with our wealth and possessions ?
Wealth is dangerous. We fallen human beings easily disregard our responsibilities, especially when wealth makes us feel less dependent on God. The rich are warned to be on their guard. Those who are rich have a responsibility for what God has entrusted to them. The rich man in the parable used his bumper harvest and thought only of his own interests. He refers to my crops, I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, I will store all my grain and my goods. I will say to myself 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years...'
The warning is clear. Not only are Christians not to be greedy, they have a duty to use what they are given responsibly, and not just for their personal use. When God gives a blessing it carries a responsibility with it. God's gifts can be used for His honour and glory, for selfish ends, or for the devil.
Jesus said that his disciples had to be generous with their money, food, drink, talents, possessions and time ( cf. Matthew 25:34-36 ).
What then should our attitude and actions be ?
- We are to reject way of world : The world says 'You are what you earn/own', and 'Money/possessions provide all the happiness and security you need'. As Christians we know that these are a lie. Such attitudes lead to greed, parents working long hours at the expense of their relationships, immoral actions by ambitious people, the exploitation of the weak, the exploitation of the created order and the devaluing of those who do not have a job.
- As Christians we are called to help the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the homeless, the unemployed, refugees, and those enslaved by the greed of others.
- This involves praying and campaigning over third world issues such as unpayable debt owed to greedy banks, and the payment of paltry wages to workers operating in terrible conditions.
- We can use the money at our own disposal to buy fairly traded products such as tea, coffee, chocolate, and bananas.
- We can support organisations such as Christian Aid and Tearfund who help people in the Third world with prayer and with our giving.
The lesson of this is to trust in God and his kingdom, and free yourself of worry about money and possessions.
Wesley's guidelines on money
John Wesley knew grinding poverty as a child. His father was the Anglican priest in one of England's lowest-paying parishes. He had nine children to support and was rarely out of debt. Once John saw his father being marched off to debtor's prison. When John became a teacher at Oxford University he was paid more than enough to live on. He spent his money on playing cards, tobacco and brandy.
While at Oxford, an incident changed his perspective on money. He had just finished paying for some pictures for his room when one of the chambermaids came to his door. It was a cold winter day, and he noticed that she had nothing to protect her except a thin linen gown. He reached into his pocket to give her some money to buy a coat but found he had too little left. Immediately the thought struck him that the Lord was not pleased with the way he had spent his money. He asked himself, "Will thy Master say, 'Well done, good and faithful steward'? Thou hast adorned thy walls with the money which might have screened this poor creature form the cold! O justice! O mercy! - Are not these pictures the blood of this poor maid?"
Perhaps as a result of this incident, in 1731 Wesley began to limit his expenses so that he would have more money to give to the poor. He records that one year his income was 30 pounds and his living expenses 28 pounds, so he had 2 pounds to give away. The next year his income doubled, but he still managed to live on 28 pounds, so he had 32 pounds to give to the poor. In the third year, his income jumped to 90 pounds.
Instead of letting his expenses rise with his income, he kept them to 28 pounds and gave away 62 pounds. In the fourth year, he received 120 pounds. As before, his expenses were 28 pounds, so his giving rose to 92 pounds.
Wesley felt that the Christian should not merely tithe but give away all extra income once the family and creditors were taken care of. He believed that with increasing income, what should rise is not the Christian's standard of living but the standard of giving. This practice, begun at Oxford, continued throughout his life. Even when his income rose into the thousands of pounds, he lived simply, and he quickly gave away his surplus money.
One year his income was a little over 1400 pounds. He lived on 30 pounds and gave away nearly 1400 pounds. Because he had no family to care for, he had no need for savings. He was afraid of laying up treasures on earth, so the money went out in charity as quickly as it came in. He reports that he never had 100 pounds at any one time.
Wesley limited his expenditures by not purchasing the kinds of things thought essential for a man in his station of life. In 1776 English tax commissioners inspected his return and wrote him the following: "[We] cannot doubt but you have plate for which you have hitherto neglected to make an entry." They were saying a man of his prominence certainly must have some silver plate in his house and were accusing him of failing to pay excise tax on it. Wesley wrote back, "I have two silver spoons at London and two at Bristol. This is all the plate I have at present, and I shall not buy any more while so many round me want [need] bread."
Wesley's guidelines on money:
1. Gain all you can. Money can be used for good. But do not thereby damage yourself, others, or the environment.
2. Save all you can. Two reasons were not to waste money, and not to increase desires.
3. Give all you can. Giving begins, but does not end, with the tithe.
Four Scriptural principles on spending:
a. Provide things you and your family need. ( 1 Tim 5:8 )
b. Have food and clothes and be content. ( 1 Tim 6:8 )
c. Do what is right in the eyes of everyone. Owe no debt. ( Rom 12:17; 13:8 )
d. Do good to all men. ( Gal 6:10 )
In giving these four biblical principles, Wesley recognized some situations were not clear-cut. He accordingly offered four questions to help his hearers decide how to spend money:
1. In spending this money, am I acting like I own it, or am I acting like the Lord's trustee?
2. What Bible verse requires me to spend this money this way?
3. Can I offer up this purchase as a sacrifice to the Lord?
4. Will God reward me for this expenditure at the resurrection of the just?
In 1744 Wesley wrote, "When I die if I leave behind me ten pounds... you and all mankind can bear witness against me, that I have lived and died a thief and a robber." When he died in 1791, the only money mentioned in his will was the miscellaneous coins to be found in his pockets and dresser drawers. Most of the 30,000 pounds he had earned in his lifetime he had given away. As Wesley said, "I cannot helping leaving my books behind me whenever God calls me hence; but in every other respect, my own hands will be my executors."