Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Luke 12:13-21
Pastor: Pastor Berg
Sermon Date:  July 31, 2022

Perhaps the parable that Jesus tells today hits a little close to home. Perhaps, like I have, you’ve struggled with this story. Because, doesn’t this sound like the American dream? Doesn’t this seem like exactly the goal that many of us are trying to achieve? Work hard, save up, invest so that we can enjoy those golden years? Clearly something is out of whack with what this guy was doing that causes God to say: “You fool!” 

Our focus today is a Christian’s relationship with worldly wealth. In fact, six different times over the next 14 weeks, the lessons we read are going to address our relationship with wealth. And so it’s important I think to make sure we understand a few things about wealth before we dive in. Followers of Jesus don’t reject earthly wealth. They don’t avoid it or despise it. It’s not a sin to be rich. In fact, that word rich is often used very positively in the Bible. And we certainly don’t want to give the impression that worldly wealth is wrong or planning ahead is wrong or investing for the future is wrong. All of these things are wonderful blessings of the Lord and can be used and valued correctly. 

So what was it that prompted Jesus to tell this parable? What was it that caused him to speak so strongly? If you go back to the beginning of chapter 12, Jesus is sharing some pretty strong warnings. He’s trying to lift the eyes of the crowd to some lofty spiritual thoughts. He’s trying to focus them on what is truly important, about eternal things. And then we get to verse 13 and we hear, “Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” In other words, Jesus, let’s talk about what’s really important, getting me my money.

What was behind the inheritance request? We don’t have to guess. Jesus’ answer reveals it. It was greed. According to Jesus, greed is equating life with the abundance of our possessions. It’s giving possessions a value they don’t possess and a role that they were never meant to fulfill. In other words, Greed is equivalent to foolishness. And if we are honest, greed is a cultural blindspot. 

A fellow WELS pastor shared the story of how he was moving into a different home and needed some temporary storage for his possessions during the transition. He said that there were storage units everywhere. And that’s true around here too isn’t it? It seems like someone is putting up a new set of storage units constantly. Well, this pastor said he called five different storage unit facilities, each with hundreds of units and they were all full. There was not a single unit available. We have so much stuff! And while having lots of things is not sinful, it can certainly lead us down that path. 

I’m going to read the parable again. And as I do, I want you to think about this: when does sin become evident in the man’s plans? When does he show his greed? “The land of a certain rich man produced very well. He was thinking to himself, “What will I do, because I do not have anywhere to store my crops?” He said, “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 goods. And I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink and be merry.” 

So where did he go wrong? Where did greed creep in? Perhaps, it’s easiest to identify this by noticing how he talks and noticing what’s missing. Who is getting the credit for this abundance? Look at verses 17 and 18. How many times do you find an “I,” or a “my,”? And what don’t you see anywhere in these words? There is no acknowledgment that these blessings are from God. There is no thanksgiving, no recognition. He was all set. He was secure. His soul was secure in his wealth, until it wasn’t. He had no eternal perspective.

Do we ever find ourselves in a similar situation? We work and grind to gain an abundance of possessions. We set our hearts on this salary or that investment on this toy or that property and we think that if we get to that point, we’ll be set. We’ll be good. Until we’re not. What if the looming recession actually comes to fruition? What if the stock market crashes again? What if your health fails? Again, it’s not wrong to be financially blessed. It’s not wrong to have an abundance of things or to enjoy them. It’s not wrong to take a vacation and physically rest. It’s not wrong to save up for retirement, to use your blessings wisely, and to enjoy the fruits of that wise use of money when you retire. However, if these things, if these possessions have become our sole focus, if this is where we find our security, if greed has overtaken our hearts, we may hear these words from God: “You fool, this night your soul will be demanded from you. Now who will get what you have prepared?” That is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” 

Are there any scarier words that we could hear from God than, “You fool!” And yet, we have to admit that we are prone to greed. And it’s not just money, it’s not just toys. We can be greedy for attention. We can be greedy for fame. We can be greedy for pleasure, for earthly security. Remember, Jesus warns us to watch out for all greed. 

But thankfully we have a Savior who is not willing to simply let us go down the path of greed without warning us, without convicting us. We have a Savior whose body was teeming with the greed of the whole world, with your greed and mine. He took that greed to the cross and he paid for it with his holy, precious blood. He put that greed away with his innocent suffering and death. And in exchange, he took away any need for greed by making us rich. “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich.”  Christ has given us his righteousness! Our Life is not about what we have; our life is about who we are. And we are rich because of who Christ has made us to be. Look again at what Paul wrote to the Colossians in our second reading: “For you died, and your life is hidden with God in Christ. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

When Jesus died on the cross, our sins died with him. Forever forgiven, now our life is hidden with God in Christ. It can’t be snatched away. And so when Christ, rose, we rose, because Christ is our life. And so when Christ returns, we will be with him in glory forever! And so you see that we are rich in Christ already now because of what Christ has done for us!  Dear Christian, Don’t Play the Fool! Don’t allow greed to rule your hearts but instead be rich toward God.

And how do you do that? Think about it this way. How do you get all the air out of a cup? You can tip the cup over but there’s still air in the cup. You can blow into the cup but there’s still going to be air in the cup. So how do you get all the air out of the cup? You have to fill it up with something.  If you fill up that cup with water, it pushes all the air out. So how do you get rid of all the greed in your heart? You can say, “Don’t love this or love that,” but it’s not going to do any good. How do you get rid of the greed in your heart? You have to fill it up with something. You have to fill it up with the love of Christ. You fill it up so full with Christ’s love that there’s not room for anything else. You think of all that Christ has done for you, how he is your life, how your life is safely hidden in him, how richly he has blessed you that there’s no room for greed. You are so rich in Christ right now that you can use the abundance of your blessings not for your security, but to support his work. You are so rich in Christ right now that you can use the abundance of your talents not to get more and more, but to give more and more in service to others. 

In our first reading, Solomon admits that he spent his life in an experiment of sorts. He tested himself with pleasure and possessions that could produce it. He lived out the rich fools mantra: “Eat, drink, and be merry.”  Eventually, however, he reached the same conclusion as Jesus. Greed was foolish. Earthly possession had value. They were a source of food, drink, and satisfaction from work. They were gifts from the hand of a generous God. That is where their value stopped. If they were a person’s entire life goal, they will inevitably fail. They will become meaningless.

One commentator quipped, “Solomon already tried this experiment, so we don’t have to.” Don’t Play the Fool! Recognize that the abundance of blessings you enjoy are gifts from the Lord! Thank him for those blessings! Enjoy the blessings that God has given you, but all the while be rich toward God. Guard against greed by filling up your hearts with the love of Christ. Fill up with his Word and Sacraments so that your heart is overflowing, so there’s no room for greed. And let that overflowing love of Christ spill out in your service to Christ and your neighbor.  “For you died, and your life is hidden with God in Christ. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Amen.