The Gospel lesson [Luke 12:13-21] today starts with a family dispute, and I have seen a few of those in my day. I have seen it in church families, and I have seen it in biological families too. Susan and I have often laughed about a family dispute she observed at my house when she and I were dating. Susan was over at the house for dinner, and my mother had ice cream for dessert. My little brother had what my granny called “eyes bigger than his stomach.” He never let a serving plate pass without taking some, and his plate would be piled high with food he usually could not eat. So this brother was the first to serve himself ice cream, and there were the two adults, the four Haynes children and Susan at the table. My brother – no kidding – took half of the half gallon of ice cream and put it in a giant bowl for himself.
The rest of us were outraged of course, but we were trying to be on good behavior because we had a a guest for supper. The rest of us looked at what was left in the ice cream box and appealed to my mother as a final authority in this dispute. My mother asked my brother if he really needed such a large serving. He replied that if he could not eat it all, he could save some of it for later.
Hardly anything can divide a family like having to share an inheritance. Sharing some ice cream is bad enough, but dividing up an inheritance is really tough. There can be more squabbling than you would believe. It is this problem of dividing an inheritance that Jesus addresses this morning.
So Jesus is teaching, and a man from the crowd interrupts him. Jesus had been telling his disciples how God would help them when they experienced persecution. The man interrupts and says, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
It isn’t that inheritances aren’t important. There is a time and place for everything, and the man in the crowd had not found the right time and place.
His question made it clear that something was wrong. Had he tried to work with his brother to solve the problem? Had he gone to other members of the extended family to get help? You remember Mary and Martha. Martha does not go to her sister and say, “Yo – how about giving me a hand her in the kitchen.” The man in today’s Gospel is the same way. He didn’t try to get Jesus off to the side where he could discuss this matter privately. He did not say, “I have a problem and wonder if you could give me some advice.” Instead, he said, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
It might have been interesting to have been there to see the expressions on the faces when all this happened. Jesus is a patient man and all, but the disciples had just witnessed something pretty rude. How is Jesus going to respond?
Jesus warned the man to be on guard against greed. Then he told a story about a rich man who had a windfall. The rich man had barns, but they were ordinary barns, and they would not be adequate for the harvest he had. He decided to tear down his barns and super-size them.
“This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones,
and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
I will tell my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years.
Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.'”
But God said,
“You fool, tonight your soul is required of you.
The things which you have prepared-
whose will they be?”
The rich man was planning for the future of eating, drinking and being merry. God had another plan. Someone else would inherit his barns and crops. Someone else would spend his money.
Jesus concluded with these words:
“So is he who lays up treasure for himself,
and is not rich toward God.”
Jesus talked a lot about money and possessions. He did it because he knew that money and thnings can become more important to us than they should.
The problem is not having money. The problem is not our stuff. The problem is being owned by it. Money can feed the hungry. Money can house the homeless. Money can provide for our families. Money can build schools. Money can keep the church’s doors open.
We need to treat money with eternal vigilance. Money isn’t bad, but money can be bad for us.
Bill and Melinda Gates are using their money to fund medical research to save lives in Third World countries.
Andrew Carnegie used his wealth to start the public library movement in this country.
Alfred Nobel used his money to endow the Nobel Prizes––to encourage excellence and to promote peace.
John Wesley wrote:
“Do all the GOOD you can
By all the MEANS you can
In all the WAYS you can
In all the PLACES you can
To all the PEOPLE you can
As LONG as ever you can.”
We can do that whether we’re rich or poor. If we do that – if we do all the good we can and help all the people we can – our lives will be blessed whether or not we’re rich.
It’s possible to go through life consumed by money and the things that money can buy. There is the hazard that we will live lives that are spiritually bankrupt, regardless of the size of our bank account.
It is also possible to go through life figuring out how to love God and how to take care of our neighbor. If we do that, God will bless us, regardless of the size of our bank account.
Jesus ended his parable by warning us not to store up treasures for ourselves while being poor toward God. He doesn’t warn against storing up treasures, but against storing up treasures for ourselves. If we are selfish, we are poor toward God.
This parable of a rich but selfish man calls us to live our lives in such a way that we will become rich toward God. To become rich toward God, we need to love God and to love our neighbor. When we do that, we will be truly rich.
I have said these words in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sermon preached by Fr. Tom at St. Thomas Episcopal – Plymouth
August 4, 2019; Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 13
Hosea 11:1-11
Psalm 107:1-9, 43
Colossians 3:1-11
Luke 12:13-21