I bring you grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Gospel writers tell us that the people of Jesus’ day were amazed at his teaching because, unlike the Pharisees and traveling rabbis that filled the countryside, he taught as one who had authority. There was no “hemming or hawing” or “well on the one hand, yes, but on the other hand”—there was a simple, straight-forward message that claimed to be-- and was indeed—the truth of Almighty God.
But because Jesus’ words have the authority of God himself, then and now, there is a very real temptation for us to use his words as a tool to manipulate others. We think of some husbands’ readiness to remind their wives that the Bible says that she is to submit to him while being oblivious to those words a few verses later that call him to love her sacrificially and lead his family as a Christ-like servant.
This misuse of Jesus’ authoritative Word was what was going on with the man in the beginning of our lesson who came to Jesus with a problem involving money. He correctly recognized that Jesus’ word possessed the authority of God himself—but he wanted to misuse that authoritative Word to get his own way.
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But Jesus said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?"
Jesus simply wasn’t having it—not with that man and not with us. Jesus does not speak to us so that we can use his words as a tool to manipulate others—as leverage to get what we want. Instead, he speaks to us so that we might be changed. That’s especially important for us to remember as we hear Jesus speak to us today about the place and role and importance that money has in our lives.
We are tempted to tell ourselves that this parable of the rich fool really doesn’t apply to us because-- after all—we’re not rich—or at least not as rich as some. We are tempted to look around the sanctuary to make sure that this person or that who it really applies to-- is listening. But in these temptations we are just like the man that Jesus rebuked who wanted to use the authority of the Lord’s words as a tool designed for others. But it’s not—it’s a word of divine authority--from God--for us—to change us.
Jesus speaks these words to each of us today because the point of the parable is not really about how much money we have—it’s about what’s first in our hearts-- no matter what we have. The parable is not really about what we posses—but about what possess us. Jesus says:
"Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
There are a couple of different ways of numbering the Ten Commandments and in the way shared by Lutherans and Catholics, nine and ten both deal with the sin of covetousness—a sin of the heart. When I talk about these commandments with our confirmation kids I always make the point that this probably a good way to number them—giving two commandments on covetousness-- because all of the other commandments—and whether or not we keep them—begins in our hearts.
Adultery begins in the heart with a lack of appreciation and thankfulness for the spouse that God has given to us and a sinful desire for another’s spouse. Stealing begins in the heart with a lack of satisfaction for the material gifts that God has given to us and a sinful desire for other’s things. Idolatry begins in the heart with a lack of satisfaction for our “creatureliness” and the sinful desire to be our own god. Covetousness is a spiritually deadly sin. James writes in chapter 4 of his epistle:
“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.”
The man who came to Jesus out of the crowd that day thought he had an inheritance problem that a proper disposition of money could fix. But he didn’t. He had a spiritual problem that only Jesus could fix—and that spiritual fix began with recognizing that the problem was in his own soul. It begins in the same place for us—with recognizing and confessing the sins of our heart.
Jesus says, “…be on your guard against all covetousness.” We do have to be on guard because this sin can sneak up on us. There are economic disparities. There are differences in people’s gifts and abilities and resources. And the shift in our hearts from thankfulness and satisfaction for what we do have-- to greed and covetousness for what we don’t have-- can almost be imperceptible until we’re overcome by it. Especially in our “market-place” economy, these disparities and differences are exploited by marketers who tell us that life really is about what we have or don’t have.
Jesus tells us just the opposite. He says: “Life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions.” We know this don’t we—at least intellectually? We know that no matter how rich we are or successful or powerful we are, life itself is much more than mere things--that all of the wealth of the world will not extend our life one breath or beat of the heart beyond that day that God has already ordained for us ( to say nothing of the utter meaningless of material things when it comes to eternal life!)
We know in our heads the truth of what Jesus says (that life does not consist in the abundance our possessions) but how hard it is for us to remember it and re-order lives accordingly! And so Jesus tells us this parable of the rich fool to illustrate his point about the place and importance of material things in our lives in a memorable way.
"The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'
One of the very first words our kids learn is the word: “mine”. Children have to be taught to share. It doesn’t come naturally to them anymore than it does to us because our sinful flesh is turned in on itself-- and we see the truth of human self-centeredness so clearly in the rich fool’s words. My crops—my barns—my grain—my goods—my soul. But how wrong he was! Because as much as he thought all these things were his—Jesus tells us the truth about the real source of his wealth. Jesus says, “…the LAND of a rich man produced plentifully.”
Now the truth of the matter is that farming is both an art and a science, and to be successful at it you have to be both smart and a hard-worker. But it is also true that no matter how smart you are and no matter how hard you work and no matter how much modern technology you bring to bear in your work as a farmer—a crop simply will not be produced if there is not adequate sunlight and rainfall and fertile soil and dry weather for harvest—there are gifts that only the Creator can give.
The vast majority of farmers that I have ever known recognize it and that knowledge produces humility and a faith in God’s provision. But there are exceptions—and this man was one of them--for he had completely left God out of the picture. He said: What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'
I want you to notice what he didn’t ask. He didn’t ask: “Lord, what would you have me do?” “Seeing as how you have so abundantly and richly blessed me, how can I serve you and your people with these your blessings?” God never even enters into his thinking. It simply never occurs to him that the God who has blessed him-- might have something to say about the blessings he has bestowed. What about us?
When we get a raise or a promotion or a bonus is our first thought: “Lord, what would you have me do?” Or is it, “What will I do with more money?” It is so easy for us to forget that-- behind our hard work and behind our intellect and behind our wise investing is the God who gives it all-- down to each and every breath and heart-beat—and instead of humility and thankfulness for God’s gifts—much too often it is pride that fills our hearts over what we have done—just like that fool in the parable who said,
'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
Once again I want you to hear what he doesn’t say: “I will do this.” “I will return a tithe to the LORD as the Giver of it all.” “I will help those in need around me”. “I’ll do give an offering for the temple of God.” Instead he planned to build a monument to himself that would show everyone around him how rich and how successful he was.
In the early part of the 20th century a German economist and philosopher, Thorstein Veblun, came up with a phrase that describes the man’s plan for bigger barns and the vulgar, material excess that we see all around us in our culture today: “conspicuous consumption”: the purchase and use of material goods-- not because we genuinely need them—but as signs to demonstrate to others how rich and smart and sophisticated we are.
We can’t be Paris Hilton but we can carry her purse if we have the 1500 dollars. We can’t play golf like Tiger Woods but we can use his driver to duff around the course. We’re not Wall Street tycoons but we can use the same Mont Blanc pens as they do. The labels on our shirts and the stripes on our shoes and the nameplates on our cars are all intended as a testimony to others as to how well off and smart we are.
But what they really reveal about us is the poverty of our souls and the emptiness of our lives—just like the rich fool who said to himself. Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' And of course he was right! He had every thing he needed for many years—EXCEPT—the many years. Only God can give those years-- just like he gives every other gift of body and life.
We can deceive ourselves into believing that the material things that we have are of our own making-- but that delusion will come to an abrupt halt when we come face to face with the real Giver of those gifts. We can delude ourselves into believing that we are the captains of our souls and the masters of our destiny-- right up until we come face to face with the One who really is.
The people around the rich fool- and himself at the top of the list-- thought he was the brightest, most successful, and wisest man they knew. But God thought differently.
God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich in God."
The fool went to sleep that night just as he had every other night of his life believing he had the world by the tail—but that night was not like every other night—it was his last night. He had not-- and would not-- commend his soul into the hands of his Creator and Redeemer and so his soul would taken from him in eternal death in hell.
And with that most precious possession lost—all that remained of him—all of those things that he called his own—all those things that he valued above God-- would be given to others-- who would fuss and fight over them just like the man at the beginning of our lesson. Such is the end of all those who covetously lay up treasures and are not rich in God.
But thanks be to God, that moment has not yet come for us! This is a moment of grace for us—this is a day of salvation--a God-given opportunity for us to re-evaluate our lives and turn in repentance from greed and covetousness—a day to topple the idol “mammon” off the throne of our hearts and receive in faith the one true God who lives and endures beyond the grave.
All of the riches of Christ are set before us today—his Word that calls us to repentance and faith—his body and blood which assure us that his death and resurrection are for us individually and personally—his abiding presence that makes our lives-- no matter how humble-- very rich indeed.
The Good News for us today is that our Lord Jesus Christ did not fail to keep first things first as we so often do. He came to do the will of his Father—and he did it—perfectly. He did not come to be served but to serve. And he did not count his own life too high a price to pay to secure the salvation of our souls and to free us by his resurrection from the fatal bondage to the things of this world.
Life—true, unending life with God--does not consist in the abundance of our possession—but it consists—from beginning to ending-- of Christ-- who is our life.
God has graciously and providentially brought us to this time and this place to receive in faith the riches of his grace in Christ-- so that as we lay our heads down tonight—even if it is our last night—we can commend our souls into the hands of our merciful, forgiving Father and sleep at ease-- knowing that through faith in Jesus we are rich beyond measure. Amen.
And now may the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your heart and min in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting. Amen.
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