Louise McEvoy

 

Luke 12:13-21 (The Voice)

13 A person in the crowd got Jesus’ attention.

Person in the Crowd: Teacher, intervene and tell my brother to share the family inheritance with me.

Jesus: 14 Since when am I your judge or arbitrator?

15 Then He used that opportunity to speak to the crowd.

Jesus: You’d better be on your guard against any type of greed, for a person’s life is not about having a lot of possessions.

16 (then, beginning another parable) A wealthy man owned some land that produced a huge harvest. 17 He often thought to himself, “I have a problem here. I don’t have anywhere to store all my crops. What should I do? 18 I know! I’ll tear down my small barns and build even bigger ones, and then I’ll have plenty of storage space for my grain and all my other goods. 19 Then I’ll be able to say to myself, ‘I have it made! I can relax and take it easy for years! So I’ll just sit back, eat, drink, and have a good time!’”

20 Then God interrupted the man’s conversation with himself. “Excuse Me, Mr. Brilliant, but your time has come. Tonight you will die. Now who will enjoy everything you’ve earned and saved?”

21 This is how it will be for people who accumulate huge assets for themselves but have no assets in relation to God.

Reflection

This summer, our women’s small group read Jen Hatmaker’s book Simple & Free. We were asked to dive deep and look at the excess in our lives, like possessions, media, waste, spending, and stress. It made us see how much we have, and in our society, we have SO MUCH. The amount of stuff in our lives can hinder our relationship with God and the important work for the Kingdom. Do we need all these things? How does possessing these things affect my faith journey? How does having these things enhance the Kingdom? It was very convicting.

 

When I read this translation of today’s passage, I want to laugh and cry. My first thought is, “This Mr. Brilliant… what an idiot.” Of course, eventually, I realize, “Oh, I am Mr. Brilliant.” Oops and Ouch. When we live in a society that accepts the accumulation of wealth and “stuff” as “success,” we lose sight of what Jesus is trying to teach us here. He warns us in verse 15 that “a person’s life is not about having a lot of possessions.” Yet, here I am surrounded by more books than I can read in the next few years, toys and games that I thought my daughters needed to have a great childhood, clothes for every season… my list can go on and on.

 

Notice that this man’s sin is not being wealthy or having a large harvest. It’s what he chooses to do with his resources. In verse 17, the man identifies a storage problem. He is worried about how he can keep all the resources to himself, relax, and retire. The end. The issue is not storage, but the fact that he is keeping it all for himself and not using his gifts and resources for the Kingdom.

 

Everything we have is temporary. Everything we have is from God (James 1:17). Jesus charged us with two commandments – love God and love your neighbors (Matthew 22:36-39). Hoarding all the goods that God has given to you is not on God’s agenda. If all good things come from Him, we have a duty to use it for the Kingdom work. Ponder what is excessive in your life and pray about purging it to someone who can benefit from your out-seasoned items. Be intentional. Know your recipients. Pay it forward.

 

At St. Luke’s, one of our Inside-Out Habits is to “give ourselves away in generosity and service as apostles, sent by Jesus to be the good news in the world.” Let’s challenge ourselves to do what Jesus would do if he was still alive. It is not too late to start today, and we can start with baby steps.

 

Prayer:

God of Abundance,

I see your generosity all around me. I see it in my home and in my life. Please show me how I can serve your Kingdom by using the resources you have given me to help and serve others. May all my motives be for your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.