Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (GA)

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.”

What did I do wrong, I did nothing wrong? All the guy does is build bigger barns, must he die for giving thanks to God for an increase in the harvest. Does the man die because he built bigger barns? Maybe it is just ironic? Where do you store your wealth? What is your wealth?

I think of this like someone setting up another portfolio for retirement. You are planning for the future. Is there something wrong with that? If you are putting your faith in yourself, YES. If you are putting your hope in a glorious future in this fallen creation, YES. If you are giving thanks for the gifts God has given you and enabling those talents to grow, it is not wrong. 

Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, but look to the treasure you have in Heaven, seated at the right hand of our Father. Likewise, you should think of money like manure, it is best when you spread it around. Jesus Christ is our eternal treasure. We do not store him up in a barn, but share him with the world. We forgive one another. He has died for the forgiveness of your sins. He has provided you with a hope not in a fallen creation, but in a new Heaven and new earth.