In God We Trust?
10th Sunday after Pentecost, August 1, 2010 (Luke 12:13-21)
There once was a very wealthy man. For years he had been attempting to secure a promise from his wife. The promise that he so ardently wanted was this: if he were to die first that she would put 1 million dollars in his casket. And no, he wasn't to be cremated. Well lo and behold, he contracted a serious illness and died long before his wife. Her closest friends and family were curious as to whether or not she would keep her promise. After the funeral and grave-side service, the wife and a few of her closest family members and friends lingered at the graveside. They watched as she reached into her purse, withdrew her cheque-book and wrote a check to her deceased husband for $1,000,000. She then placed the cheque in the casket just before it was lowered into the grave. In many ways that story has always brought a smile to my face.
But then comes Jesus' story: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly". As we listen to this story, as it wills to work its way into our hearts and minds, we can try to escape its hold upon us by picking at the details. Why would the rich man tear down his barns and build bigger ones? Couldn't he just build some new ones in addition to the old ones? But make no mistake. At the heart of Jesus' parable is a word for us.
The very foundation of the parable is a question. What does our life consist of? Is the essence of our life, even the measure of our life, the stuff we acquire – a house, cars, a particular stock or bond portfolio, our business, or even what we financially leave to others. If so, Bill Gate's, the founder of Micro soft, is living a life that is more important, of more value than almost anyone else's.
But many of us might say, especially while we are in church that our lives aren't really about stuff. That's not what ultimately matters. But the truth is that most of us are or have spent incredible amounts of energy, time and more than a little bit of anxiety trying to procure enough stuff. Do we have enough? How much is enough? What if such and such happens? If only I had some more! How 'bout that Lotto Max – 50 million last week? Just imagine!
Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying that we shouldn't work. I am not saying hat we shouldn't do some serious planning around the future, both for ourselves and tentatively for others. I have a will. I have life insurance. I am blessed to have a pension plan. But it is important that we do all such planning with a certain amount of humility and a large dose of reality. Who is at the center of our plans? Are we thinking only for ourselves and those few we love the most? What would God have us do? And, whom are we ultimately trusting in all of this? Do we really think that we can procure our own "security"?
As we are continually blessed many of us grow older. Who knows the day may come when we need to go to a senior's residence, to inhabit a much smaller living place. And all of our "stuff", some of which we have cherished so much, worked so hard for, whose will it be? If we have children or friends, they may or may not even want that stuff. Or they may squander it. So, why are we living?
The Bible shows us that God calls us into relationship. The primary relationship that God wills for us is with God! Yes, you heard me correctly. Our primary relationship, the one before any of the others is to be WITH GOD!
It is God who chooses to love us into being. By God's grace we are each gifted with life! How much would we have to pay to buy such a gift – a mind, a heart, our imagination, our musical, athletic, and creative unique abilities? Would even Bill Gates have enough capital to purchase one such gift from God? I think not! The gift of life is absolutely beyond price. Ask anyone who sits, stands or kneels beside the bed of one they love who is being born or dying.
Eventually the relationships that we are most aware of, the relationship with our parent, our sister or brother, a special friend, or even a pet or different elements of the creation begin to assume special places in our lives. Such relationships are very important! But all of these flow from the heart of God.
So, are we to seek to dominate or manipulate, such people, other creatures, the creation for some perceived benefit to ourselves? As we do, what will the result be of making such choices?
We need to trust that Jesus loves us. And so it is that sometimes He warns us. One of his warnings comes clearly today: "Beware of all kinds of greed!" Instead of looking for meaning or affirmation in "stuff" Jesus encourages those early disciples and us to, "be rich towards God!" This is his command. We are to nurture our relationship with God. Be open to the wow factors of life. Pray and mean our own prayers. As we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread", realize that it is God who is and has provided us with what we need. As we employ the gifts God has entrusted us with to work give up worrying. Be generous with all that we have and are. God will use us and that for good.
You see, God is the liberator. Not only of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt but of ourselves. By God's grace we can be freed from looking at what others have and wishing, "gee it would be great to have that." We can have our eyes opened to see the many blessings we have, to live with and celebrate and yes, and gladly give them away, with and for others.
I mu0st confess that I struggle with this parable. Part of my struggle is living in this place and time. So many of us in North America have SO MUCH. We are among the richest 1 % of people in the world. Yet as I travel around Steveston, I sometimes am deluded into thinking that I am "poor" because I see that some "others" who have more stuff than I do. I sometimes catch myself thinking and feeling that my life would somehow be better if I just had "more".
Is that true? Does life get any better than God loving me, loving us, accepting us, promising to walk with us and this world through everything, to never let us go or abandon us? Could it get any better than God forgiving me and giving me a new beginning with God, with others and with creation each day?
Our truth is that we are so blessed by God!
How can we stay focused on God? How can we experience and share the gifts that God in Christ wants us to have including a peace that passes understanding?
Scripture has directions for us - but these directions need to be practiced individually and collectively. We can find a place and make a time to pray each day. In our prayer and reading we can ask God to help us to see our many blessings. We can ask God to help us to live thankfully each day. By the grace of God we can look around asking God to show us what God would have us do or not do that day. and be that day?
Our battle against greed is real. Greed doesn't give up easily on us or on anyone. Our society is often controlled by greed. We are told over and over again that the very meaning of life has to do with getting more and more and more, that we can never have enough! This message is a lie. This message and its resulting life style contradicts the very grace and love of God. If we capitulate to greed it will consume us and others, spilling over (literally) into creation. That's why Jesus warns us.
But Jesus doesn't just leave us with only a warning. Jesus also comes to us through His Spirit demonstrating that we are not alone. The very Creator God who gifts everyone with life is with us. In Jesus we are encountered by the very love of God as pure gift for us and for the world.
We can trust God! We must not put our ultimate trust, our purpose in things or possessions or anything less than God.
Whom are we trusting? May God through Jesus Christ help us to trust God – the one who is God, the One who loves us so much that He gives His all for us – who does not give up on us – even though we have too often given up, forgotten or neglected God. By God's grace we can count on God and live from God. May it be so! Amen.