The Sunday of All Saints (G)

Luke 12:13-21

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ 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.” ¹⁶ And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷ and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

It is easy for many of us to add up how many gadgets, guns, cars, season tickets, CDs, DVDs, wines, or what ever you are interested in. You can then compare your house to your neighbors. You can even look around town, and figure out which part of town you live in. But all these things are meaningless and a chasing after the wind. Since the industrial age it is very easy to say, you don’t even have the latest, or the most, because they are always coming out with more.

I know that we like to compare what we have and do to what others have and do. But in the end there is only one thing that matters. Does Christ own you? It is a lot easier to go out and relax when you know that it is not about how much you have, but who owns you.

Jesus Christ has bought you with a price. He has paid the price for your redemption in his very body and blood. He has claimed the victory and you are the prize. Christ has fought the battle and defeated our common enemy death.

We do not get to store Jesus up in a barn. We do not get to own our own farm. It is Christ who claims you. And everything you do. God may take your life, even child, fame, and wife. But our treasure is not here. But in heaven where there is no beer?