Rich Toward God

Text: Luke 12:13-21

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

          I will admit that I was just a little bit convicted yesterday while working over at the parsonage to build a bigger “barn,” as it were, to store all the things that we seem to amass in this life. The median income in the United States puts the average American in the top 4% of wealthiest people in the world. And with that wealth comes stuff. Stuff that we use and throw away. Stuff that we keep and cherish for sentimental reasons. Stuff that a lot of times seems silly to people who are not as financially blessed. As we look at today’s Gospel reading, it might seem that Jesus is condemning saving, storing up for the future, or even the ability to “eat, drink, and be merry.” But God does not condemn wealth. What He warns against is the attitude that we can sit back, thinking that what we have is ours and not His, and that there will be security in the things that we amass in this world. He warns against “the one who lays up treasures for himself and is not

RICH TOWARD GOD.”

We can very easily become so focused on the business of amassing wealth and seeking security that we don’t realize we’re doing a bad job at it. For one thing, our riches will not bring us eternal life. Just as Jesus’ parable tells us, one day we’ll die and leave everything behind. And not only are we discontent most of the time with what we have and not sure whether we’ve amassed enough, but when we actually think we have enough, we let out a sigh of relief.

It’s in this frantic endeavor to find peace of mind and security in our possessions and thinking we’ve found it that we lose sight of the bigger picture. The Lord God is the provider of everything we have—both our physical and spiritual welfare—and for that reason He is the one we should focus on. When our sights are on him, everything else will fall into place. So, as we contemplate the richness we’ve been blessed with, the question really becomes, how are we to deal with it in our lives? Today’s text offers us some answers to that question.

“Someone in the crowd said to [Jesus], ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’ And he told them a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man produced plentifully’ ”

Certainly, throughout his Gospel, Luke embeds criticism of the rich and wealthy. But the criticism isn’t about having wealth. It’s about how and for what purpose that wealth is used. And the attitude of the one who has and uses that wealth unwisely. “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.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ”

So, what are you to do when your fields produce richly? When your investments yield strong returns? When your job pays well? You are not told to abandon all your possessions. That’s not going to satisfy Jesus’ demands. This parable also is not intended to give anyone a bad conscience over a good yield of crops or a successful increase in possessions. First of all, we are to see these things as blessings from God. And secondly, it’s the proper Christian thing for us to do to thank everyone involved in bringing food to our table by producing a surplus of crops or an abundance of resources beyond what we need for ourselves.

For Jesus to say, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” also doesn’t mean we can’t tear down older or smaller barns in order to build bigger ones. Or add ones where they need to be added. Phew! That eases my conscience a bit. To continue to meet the needs of our population, our communities, even our church, sometimes these things are required. Here we should consider Joseph, who in his time in Egypt took a similar approach to avoid the lean years ahead. The rich fool in the parable acted in a similar way, and it would be unimaginable for any group of people not to manage and plan its economy in such a way that it can meet the potential strains of future times.

Why then is the rich man called a “fool”? It’s because he lives in false security. He seems to manage his affairs well and we can admire his careful planning. But the rich man was a fool because he did not consider all the factors. He forgot something very important. He leaves out the One from whom he receives his life and to whom it belongs. He forgot to include God in his calculation of the many future years of easy living. And how quickly those years can be lost! “This night your soul is required of you.” At this point, as with all other points, the rich man’s life is in the hands of God.

And this is what he plans to do. “Relax; eat, drink, be merry.” These are the activities of many who are rich. And they’re the dreams of many others. And there’s nothing wrong with them. Except when they’re all about “me.” Which is what the rich fool shows when he says, “I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ” His thoughts and plans are only about himself. All his thinking is related to his material possessions. He doesn’t look beyond the rich yield of crops to see that there’s someone who gives it all to him as a gift. That’s our dilemma too. So often we see the things we have as coming from the sweat of our own brow as opposed to the gracious gifts of God that they are. And that doesn’t means that we’ve rejected God or that we deny His existence. But it does show how easily and quickly God can be left out of the picture. Behind all possessions is a loving God who is dearly concerned about His creation and provides and cares for it. The rich man is a fool because he doesn’t see life as a gift from God. Moreover, the rich man has no expectations for a life beyond death. In other words, taking life easy, eating, drinking, and being merry are the best that it’s going to get. When the pleasures of this life are seen as the end all and be all, what’s being ignored is the joys of heaven that are far greater than anything this life has to offer.

Any time we begin to speak to ourselves about what might do for ourselves with our earthly possessions, we’re already heading in a wrong direction. The monologue needs to turn into a dialogue. A conversation with God that begins with thanks and praises to him for what we’ve received. Only then does our life begin to express the relationship for which it was intended. All the things we previously looked at as just material things are now gifts from a loving God.

The ending for the rich man was definitely tragic. Jesus says, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” In this one sentence Jesus reveals his desire for each and every one of His children. To be “rich toward God.” But “What does this mean?” It could mean that we should rid ourselves of all of our possessions by selling them and giving it all away to the poor. Jesus gives examples of this, and the early church engaged in this practice, although they didn’t require it. It seems this course of action was for those whose wealth was creating a barrier between them and God. Because, as Luther said, “Whatever you set your heart on and put your trust in is truly your god.” (LC I 3). Jesus is not insisting on that line of thought in our parable. He’s not calling on us to get rid of all our possessions. What Jesus warns against is that when one clings to one’s belongings, he displays all kinds of greed. So, Jesus appeals to the goodwill, the love, and the freedom of His disciples. Like the rich man, we too should be orienting our lives to the needs of our neighbor and, of course, to God. Being rich toward God is to open our hearts to Him, and to let Him into our calculations about our future. And it also means that we take the needs of our neighbors seriously.

And that’s our neighbors both near and far. It’s easy to see the needs of the neighbors in our community. Are we using the abundance and blessings we’ve been given to address these needs? Quite honestly, it’s often easier to address the needs we think that people further away have. And while sending money is often what’s needed, as long as it’s done through groups that know how it can be best used, this’s often an easy way to feel like we’re helping without having to get our hands dirty.

As I’m sure you’ve caught on by now, being “rich toward God” has a lot to do with stewardship. Stewardship, or managing someone else’s possessions, is a huge part of what we’re called to do as Christians. We’re always managing God’s stuff. His treasures. His time. His talents. Just like that excess the rich man built bigger barns for wasn’t his own, our time talents and treasures aren’t our own either. They’re God’s, and we’re given the privilege of managing them to the best of our abilities. Which is why I want to challenge every one of you to consider how you’re managing God’s stuff. Are you giving all that you can give? Are your financial gifts the firstfruits of what God has given to you, or are they what’s left over at the end of the week? Is your service to your church, your community, and your neighbors a priority above all the other things that creep into your schedule. These are things that we all should be praying about. Entering into that dialogue with God to determine what His will is, even when it’s contrary to our will. His will is always better. And I’ve never met anyone who has prayerfully given more, whether time, talent, or treasure, who hasn’t reaped the reward of joy for their faithfulness to God’s calling to do so.

Of course, being “rich toward God” and giving more is not what assures us of any standing in the sight of God. It’s a joyful response to the one thing that does assure our standing in the sight of God. Which is the fact that we are seen through the lens of the cross and the blood of Christ which was shed there. Our faith in this truth and the salvation won for us is the only thing that allows us to stand on that day when we’re called before our Maker. Which is what the rich man didn’t account for.

To be rich toward God means that we’re aware of our dependency on God in all facets of life and that we cannot live a life separated from him. Being rich toward God means we recognize God as the provider of all our possessions and all our needs. Rich toward God means to turn to him in times of wealth and need, especially in our salvation. To be rich toward God is to know that in him we find mercy through the death and resurrection of his Son. And that richness has nothing to do with the size of our bank accounts, the amount of our possessions, or the dimensions of our barns. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.