Atom“YOU FOOL” says Jesus
Luke 12:13-21
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who comes to us through His Holy Spirit. Amen.
Having heard the Gospel, Here’s an article from the June 18th issue of Sports Illustrated, written by Rick Reilly, their Senior writer…He writes:
(note that selected portions were read from this article…including the first part…and then to when Simmons comments that money can ruin you…also left out part about wonderbra – that part didn’t seem to preach well!!??!!)
(Note also that the scanned document didn’t print on the webpage...we’re working on this..)
It’s a great story…it’s but one living example of what today’s Gospel from Luke points us to. You heard the story from Luke…
A young man called out from the crowd and said: Rabbi, tell my brother to divide the inheritance of our father.” Recognize that Jewish law clearly prescribed that at the death of a father, the elder son received 2/3 of the inheritance, and the young son received 1/3. This is obviously a younger son who is complaining about the inherent unfairness of it all. Nothing will divide brothers and sisters more than dividing up an estate. So it was then, and so it is now. Jesus refused to get involved in a petty family squabble.
Jesus was concerned, however, with the bigger picture of being preoccupied with the things of this world. He said: “Beware of greed, for life does not consist of things possessed. The sum total of a person’s life is more than their financial portfolio.”
He then illustrated this point by telling a story…far different than the one Rick Reilly just told. He told the story of a man who had an unbroken run of prosperity. In today’s language, he had successfully played the commodities market. So prosperous did he become that his barns could not hold all of his crops. His solution was to tear down these barns and build bigger and better barns. Then, with his financial security in hand, he could sit back and truly enjoy life. His philosophy was: eat, drink, and be merry.
And, truth be told, isn’t it true that when we hear this story we find ourselves rather envious of this man. A financially successful man—we see him as savvy and wise. Yet, Jesus concluded the story by saying that this man was a fool.
The question that I ask is “WHY??” What did this man do wrong?? And, my question is somewhat selfish because it seems to me that it would be wise for me (and you) to know the answer…in order that Jesus NOT call me a FOOL also!!!
Now, to answer this question of what he did wrong, it seems to me that we must first understand that this is not a parable about money. Nowhere does Jesus condemn the man’s earning savvy!! Rather, let’s be clear that this is a parable about values and living out what is important in life. With this in mind, let’s flush this out just a bit…why did Jesus call him a fool?? A few stories:
STORY: In the aftermath of World War II, a husband and wife were getting ready to go to a memorial service for the son of friends of theirs. The young man had been killed in the war and his family was dedicating a window in their church to this young man who had lost his life. The window cost $50,000.
“What a beautiful thing to do in honor of their son,” the wife said to her husband. Suddenly, she turned around with an ashen look on her face and said, “What are we going to give?”
“What are you talking about?” he said. “We don’t need to give anything. Our son came back alive and safe.”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” she pressed. “Our friends lost their son, and they are giving $50,000. We got our son back, and we are not giving anything?”
ONE THOUGHT: Perhaps living without gratitude for his blessings in life is one reason Jesus called him a fool!!
STORY: Leo Tolstoy once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. The title of Tolstoy’s story was: How Much Land Does a Man Need? Here is how Tolstoy tells the story:
One day a farmer received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point.
He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run, knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost. As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared.
He immediately collapsed, his life flowing out of him. In a few minutes he was dead. Afterwards, his servants dug a grave. And, ultimately, the land he ended up owning was not much more than six feet long and three feet wide.
A SECOND THOUGHT: Is living thinking (and believing) that bigger is better (more is better) one reason Jesus called him a fool??
Take a look at verses 17-19…and count the number of times this man uses the word “I” and “MY”, as if HE was the owner and the one in charge!! I count 6 “I’s” and 3 “my’s”!!
Then, remember the words of the song writer…
We give thee but thine own. Whate’re the gift may be
All that we have is (pause) THINE alone, a trust O Lord from thee.
A THIRD THOUGHT: Maybe the reason Jesus called him a fool was that, he got who he was and who God is mixed up!!
STORY: A local story…candidly, one of many that could be told.
A few months ago, a younger couple at First Lutheran received the gift of an inheritance from a relative…and…in the language of today’s Gospel, this couple took stock of their barns…and discovered they were really full…so…
They stopped by the church office and asked Wade and me, as Pastors, “Where could this money we received be put to use by someone who really needs it…because we don’t need this…we have far more than we need!!”
A FOURTH THOUGHT: Could hoarding everything we get and forgetting that blessings are intended to be used to bless others be another reason Jesus called him a fool??
STORY: Timothy Merrill writes:
Have you ever seen the bumper stickers on people’s cars — “God bless America.” That’s patriotic, but the massive implicit oversight is that God already has blessed America! It’s like, what are we asking for here? When we look at our reality against the reality of the world around us, we realize how much we are the farmers building bigger barns. Instead of asking God to bless America, we need to ask how America as a whole and America as individuals, can be a blessing to the world …through our choices…and living out the values of Jesus!!
Today’s Gospel is a gospel about values…about what’s important. Please know that I’ve chosen to NOT enter into the paradox of America today; The paradox that, on the one hand, reminds us that we are part of the richest generation in the history of the world…consuming more than all other generations in the history of the world combined; while, at the same time, 95% of us are seeking some type of spiritual purpose and meaning in life…being rich toward God.
What are some ways we can live out these values of Jesus? You’ve heard of a couple in the stories from today. Here are a few more practical ways to be rich towards God, suggested by Timothy Merrill…editor of Homiletics Journal:
Don’t build bigger garages…rather, consider shared ownership of possessions with your neighbors. There are tons of things we own which we don’t need exclusive use of. Do two homes need two lawn mowers? Sharing possession combats accumulation and greed and builds relationships with the lost.
Slim down your want list by making a journal with two lists: a list of all the things you need to live and another list of things you want for your life. Commit to purchasing only from the need list for the rest of the year.
Don’t build bigger closets…rather, go through your closets and drawers once a year. If you didn’t wear a piece of clothing that year, give it away.
Make a list of your monthly budget categories in order of amounts spent on each. Look at how your charitable giving compares with your accumulation line items — clothing, eating out, entertainment, grooming, hobbies, etc. Does the order need to change?
Christmas shopping starts again in three months?? This year, declare a tight price limit on family presents, go with a no-gift Christmas, or give just as much as you do on gifts to a local shelter or ministry.
For the next month, every time you appreciate something that somebody else has, stop to pray for your own contentment with how you have been blessed.
Don’t rent a storage unit. If you have one, give away and consolidate to only what you can fit in your home.
One final thought…a story again…somebody put and ending to this story…it goes like this:
It seems that the day finally came when our rich man entered into heaven (that night if you remember). An angel guided him on a tour of the celestial city. He came to a magnificent home. “Who lives there?” asked the wealthy man. “Oh,” the angel answered, “on earth he was your hired man.” The rich man got excited. If this was the way hired men live, just think of the kind of mansion in which he would spend eternity.
They came to an even more magnificent abode. “Whose is this?” asked the rich man almost overwhelmed. The angel answered, “She spent her life as a missionary.” The rich man was really getting excited now. Finally they came to a tiny shack with no window and only a piece of cloth for a door. It was the most modest home the rich man had ever seen. “This is your home,” said the angel.
The wealthy man was flabbergasted. “I don’t understand. The other homes were so beautiful. Why is my home so tiny?” The angel smiled sadly, “I’m sorry,” he said, “We did all we could with what you sent us to work with.”
Jesus said to him, “You fool!!” and so it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.”
Jesus tells us that that we are blessed to be a blessing.
Let’s leave the bigger barns to the rich fools of the parables and commit to being better at sharing than at storing…and being rich towards God.
AMEN.
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