Once
there was a burglar who was caught and brought before a judge for trial. He was
found guilty, and was asked by the judge if he had anything to say before he
was sentenced. The burglar stated, “Well, you know, Your Honour, it’s like
this. The more a man has, the more a man wants”. The judge replied, “Is that
so? Well, I tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to sentence you to 15
years in jail. How many more would you like?”
The
brother who wanted Jesus to arbitrate the inheritance dispute with his brother
in this morning’s Gospel reading is like the burglar in my story. Both of them
were motivated by greed, and only cared about themselves and not for others.
The rich farmer in Jesus’ parable was the same way. He cared only for himself
and hoarded what he had. He did not want to share his wealth with others. He
was so concerned about his earthly success that he forgot about the one person
who was responsible for his earthly success-God.
Jesus
is NOT telling us not to prepare for our future. In fact, it would be foolish
for us NOT to prepare for our future, especially our future life after we die.
If we want to have a future with God, we must prepare ourselves spiritually NOW
by doing his work in this world and by following his will for our lives. In
fact, I’ve been writing and preparing this sermon in mid-summer-a time when
farmers prepare for the fall and winter by harvesting the crops that were
planted in the spring. Just as the farmer prepares his fields before he plants
his crops, we must prepare now for our next lives especially since we never
know when we will die. If not, we automatically prepare ourselves for a life in
hell.
Jesus
is also NOT telling us to sit back and do nothing in the hope that God will provide
for us. In fact, Paul says that anyone who refuses to work should not expect to
eat. Jesus encourages us to keep just enough of our possessions for our own use
and share the rest with the poor. In other words, we must look outward toward
others instead of looking inward toward ourselves. True satisfaction in life
flows out of fulfilling the purpose for which we were created; namely, to enjoy
a loving relationship with God. Wealth and selfishness can never substitute for
a relationship with him, and they will ultimately make the heart feel hollow.
For
example, in 1923 a group of the world’s most successful men met at hotel in
Chicago. The members of that group included the president of the largest steel
corporation, the greatest wheat speculator, the president of the New York Stock
Exchange, a member of the United States’ Cabinet, the canniest investor on Wall
Street, the future director of the World Bank, and the head of the world’s
largest monopoly. A few years later, this was their fate: Charles Schwab died
in debt; Arthur Cutten died in obscurity; Richard Whitney became insolvent, did
time in Sing Sing prison, and was blotted out of the “Who’s Who” list. Albert
Fall was pardoned from prison in order that he might die at home. Jesse
Livermore, Leon Fraser and Ivan Kruger, the match king, all died by committing
suicide. All of these men learned how to make money, but none of them learned
how to live. In 1930, Charles Schwab said, “I am afraid. Everyone is afraid. I
don’t know, we don’t know, whether the values we have are going to be real next
month or not”.
The
same thing can be said of the current economic crisis. Most of the material I
have heard or read suggests that the crisis was caused by greed, especially
with the issue of sub-prime mortgages and subsequent bank failures in the
United States. To make matters worse, I’m sure many of you have read about the
outrageously high salaries that were paid to the CEOs of these banks. These are
almost as bad as the salaries that many professional athletes are paid. At the
same time, many people in society are struggling to get by on low wages, social
assistance, or by being underpaid for the work that they do.
Why
does such a discrepancy exist? It’s because of society. Society tells us that
the way to recognize accomplishment in any field-sports, entertainment,
business, etc. - is to pay these outrageously high salaries. It is disgusting
when a CEO in a large corporation can be paid millions of dollars per year and
socialize with the elite of society, when all of the workers who are really
responsible for his or her success are paid far less that what they are
worth-and in many cases, far less than they need to survive.
Have
you ever had a case of poison ivy? If so, you probably know how hard it is to
keep from scratching. You want relief, but scratching only makes it worse.
Greed is the same way. We get excited and we want to scratch it, but we shouldn’t.
Possessing more and more promises relief, but it only makes the situation
worse.
Some
of you might have seen a movie that came out in the 1980s called “Wall Street”.
In that movie, Michael Douglas played an investor named Gordon Gecco. In one
scene, he launches into a defense of greed in which he claims that greed is
good. While money does indeed make the world go around (as the old saying
goes), greed is one of the main causes of problems in our society today,
especially the current economic crisis. Greed comes from a lack of moral,
spiritual and ethical understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Some of
the most miserable people are extremely wealthy, and some of the happiest
people are extremely poor. Some of the snobbiest people in the world are
extremely wealthy, and some of the nicest people are dirt poor. I know, because
I’ve seen both, especially when I worked at a local lumber mill.
Billy
Graham tells the story of how years ago he and his late wife Ruth were on a
Caribbean island. One of the wealthiest men in the world asked them to come to
his lavish home for lunch. At that time the man was 75 years old, and
throughout the entire meal it seemed he was very close to tears. He finally
said, “I’m the most miserable man in the world. Out there is my yacht, my
plane, my helicopters; I can go anywhere I want to go when I want to go there.
I have everything I want to make me happy, and yet I am as miserable as hell.”
Billy Graham talked to him, had prayer with him and tried to point him to
Christ, but the man would not be saved.
Billy
Graham said they then went down the hill to the small cottage where they were
staying. That afternoon the pastor of the local Baptist church came to call. He
was an Englishman, and he was also 75. He was a widower, and he had spent most
of his free time taking care of his two invalid sisters. He was jumping up and
down, full of enthusiasm, full of love for Jesus and love for others. They were
talking and the Baptist preacher said, “You know, Billy, I don’t have two cents
to my name, but I am the happiest man in the world.” Billy Graham said that
after the pastor left, he turned to Ruth and said, “Ruth, of the two men we
have met today, who was the richer man?” Billy said “We both knew the answer”.
Life
is more than material goods. Materialism is often a symptom of buried emotions,
especially the emotion of wonder. Instead of finding fulfillment in the wonder
and beauty of creation and nature, we get wrapped up in things. As the old
saying goes, instead of loving people and using things, we end up unhappily
loving things and using people. Our relationship with God is much more
important than our possessions. When we bring our problems to God, he shows us
how much we need to change and grow in our attitude toward the problem.
In
1888 Alfred Nobel picked up a French newspaper and read his own obituary. His
brother had died and by mistake the newspaper printed Alfred’s obituary
instead. In it, Alfred Nobel was remembered as the dynamite king, the merchant
of death, a person who had amassed a great fortune out of explosives used
extensively in wars. Alfred Nobel didn’t like what he read, and set out to make
a better name for himself. He established the Nobel Prizes, including the Nobel
Peace Prize, which today continues to honour people around the world who have
championed the cause of peace. Alfred Nobel moved from success to significance.
Jesus
condemned the man because he forgot that he was going to die some day. What
would happen then? Someone else would have all that he owns. We are the same
today. We don’t want to think that we will die some day and that someone else
will get our possessions. That’s why some people die without having a will, not
realizing that the law will then determine who gets what-and sometimes the
law’s decisions might not be what the deceased person wanted. Someone once
said, “Be interested in your future, because you are going to spend the rest of
your life there”. We need to be concerned about preparing for our soul because
it will be spending eternity wherever it is sent, and it is better to spend it
in heaven than it is to spend it in hell. If we forget about death and God
because of our greed and our self-centered attitudes, we will be condemned. If
we want more of anything, it should be of everything God offers to us. All we
have to do is accept it in faith and submit to his will for our lives.
Jesus
called the man to think about others instead of just himself, and he issues the
same call to us today. Poverty did not come from God. God created enough for
everyone. We are called to put others above ourselves, especially the less
fortunate in society. For example, our church lay readers are encouraged to
become involved in issues relating to social justice. That’s one of many
reasons why I work with the local food bank. Our rector answered the same call
when he was the Chaplain of the Missions to Seamen in the Port of Halifax, and
he continues to answer that same call today as the Honorary Chaplain of the
Missions to Seamen for the Port of Liverpool and Brooklyn.
If
our chief goal as humans is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, we will
achieve this by feeding our souls on spiritual food and serving others that
will, in turn, make our life matter. The point of our Gospel reading is that
God sees life from a totally different perspective. Do we share God’s point of
view?
As
I close my sermon this morning, I want each and every one of us to think of the
impact we as Christians would make on today’s world if every one of us would
make and pray the following commitment. “Dear God, I am available today. Please
use me today to be ‘as Jesus’ in some way, first to my own family, and then in
some way to every life I touch. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer.
Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, AMEN”
Bibliography
2.
Notes from
Peter Anthony’s Bible Study, Winter 2010
3.
ESV Study
Bible, part of Wordsearch Bible software package
4.
Life
Application Bible Notes, part of Wordsearch Bible software package
5.
Johnson’s
Notes on the New Testament, part of Wordsearch Bible software package
6.
Barnes’ Notes
on the New Testament, Explanatory and Practical, part of Wordsearch Bible
software package
7.
Exegesis for
Luke 12:13-21. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.
8.
Rev. Charles
Hoffacker, “Avarice: The Disease and It’s Cure”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.
9.
David
Lenninger, “It’s Not the Money…. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.
10. Rev. Randy Hyde, “A New Lesson on Life”. Retrieved
from www.lectionary.org.
11. James D. Kegel, “Overlooking Saipan”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.
12. Philip W. McLarty, “The Parable of the Rich Fool”.
Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.
13. Charles F. Stanley, “Holding Too Tightly”. Retrieved
from www.intouch.org
14. Richard Inness, “The Purpose of Life”. Retrieved from www.actsweb.org.
15. Richard Inness, “The Why of Materialism”. Retrieved
from www.actsweb.org.
16. Richard Inness, “To Be as Jesus”. Retrieved from www.actsweb.org.
17. Richard Inness, “Is Your Life Wonder-full or
Wonder-empty?” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org.
18. Dr. Ray Pritchard, “Hold Lightly What You Value
Greatly”. Retrieved from www.keepbelieving.org.
19. Abingdon Commentary. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
20. James Merritt, “The World is not Enough”. Retrieved
from www.esermons.com
21. Dr. J. Howard Olds, “The High Price of Short Cuts”.
Retrieved from www.esermons.com
22. “Lutheran World Federation Assembly to Focus on
Alleviating Hunger”. Retrieved from Lutheran World Information through The
Anglican Church of Canada News Service
23. John Shearman’s Lectionary, Tenth Sunday after
Pentecost. Retrieved from http://seemslikegod.org/lectionary/archives/tenth-sunday-after-pentecost-august-1-2010
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