Luke 14: 1, 7-14 "Why are we here?" a message to students and adults

            I believe that there are two things that Jesus does more in the Gospel of Luke than in any other Gospel: Eat and Pray. Today, we find Jesus at yet another meal. Jesus is eating with the Pharisees and they are watching him closely. This is not much different than all the other times they have “watched” him. He has already taught and healed on the Sabbath; so, what else are they going to do to him. I guess this is their way of not letting him out of their sight. But once again, Jesus turns the tables on them; not literally.

            Jesus begins watching where they begin to seat themselves. It appears that Jesus is the one who is watching closely. I would think that the Pharisees knew which one was supposed to sit where at the table, but Jesus watches closely. And, as they get their seats, Jesus begins telling a story. It is a story about the wedding banquet and the seating chart. We all know about the seating charts. He, Jesus, tells the Pharisees that they should not automatically ASSUME that they know where they are going to sit. We all know what happens when the Pharisees assume, right?

            There is a reason behind all this seating charts and wedding banquets; I would also include special dinners. Back in the time of Jesus, having a dinner party was a big deal! It was a big deal on several levels: first, being invited, by itself, meant that you had some kind of status in the community. Just the invitation meant you were important to the host. Being important also meant that you had something to offer. You did not get invited just because you were a nice person. You would get invited because maybe the host needed something from you; maybe a loan, promotion, some livestock. That something could also be an invite to the guest’s next dinner party. There was always a reason for inviting a particular guest.

            In addition to the invitation, place setting was also important. Meaning, the more important the person, the closer to the host the guest would sit. For instance, in the promotion scenario, the boss would be sitting right next to the host. That way the host can impress the boss more directly than sitting way at the other end of the table. Could you imagine the boss coming up to sit beside the host and the boss is told by the host, “your seat is that one over there.” How humiliating would that be? You might not get that promotion after all.

            That is exactly what Jesus is talking about. Don’t always assume you are going to the highest place of honor; because that is when things CAN get embarrassing. Jesus tells us that …you see, I just switched the grammar from “they (meaning the Pharissees) to” us.” The reason I did this is because this is still happening in our lives. We have seen it on television…the boss is invited to dinner because some promotion is on the line. We see it in our society where people get special status and recognition for things they may OR MAY NOT have done. We put so much emphasis on this status and everyone wants their fifteen minutes of fame. Some will do anything to get on television movies or become famous in some way.

            It is not only in our culture but it is in our everyday lives. We want to be known for the Good things we do in our work because it might get us recognized. We see it in our schools at the lunch table, in the cliques or groups at school. There are tables where our young people want to be noticed by the “cool kids.” They want to be invited to sit with the popular kids. They want to be associated with the cool group of kids because that is status, especially in school. If they hang out with the cool kid then they must be cool, also. No one even thinks about the kid that is not even invited.

            And that brings me to the second part of this Gospel reading. Jesus gives a message to the Pharisees about who to invite. Jesus tells the host to invite the people you never even thought about. He tells the one who invited Jesus to invite all those people that normally would not get an invitation.  Invite the people who don’t necessarily have something you need or want. Invite the people that won’t boost your status with your neighbors. Invite, the least, last, lost, and lonely to your dinner; the cripple, lame, blind and invite them because they are just as valuable as the people that we think are important. He is telling us to invite the people who cannot repay you, can’t offer you a promotion, a job, or even give a dinner in return. He tells us that doing this blesses us.

            How can we be blessed by inviting this least, last, lost, and lonely? We can be blessed because of the love of God. God showed us how important we are. God showed us that God is the one who created the heavens and the earth so that we have a place to live. God created you and me so we are not alone; to be with one another and to help one another, to lift each other up in good times and bad, and God made all the creatures of the earth. All this is blessings beyond belief. So how can we be blessed when we invite our brothers and sisters who are different? It is because we are showing others that they and we are blessed when we are all together, working together, celebrating together, and even mourning together.

            The big picture of these two situations in our Gospel comes down to one question, “Why are we here?” As I said before, God created all these things us, animals, our world, and our universe. SO why are we here? Are we here to see who can help us get what we want, when we want it? Is that all there is to this life? I don’t think so. I think there is more. Jesus is telling us that, with all that God has created, God did so without worrying about who can pay what back? God created, not for his own sake, but for ours. God sent Jesus into the world for our sake to teach us about God and about one another. God sacrificed God’s only son on the cross for our sake. I don’t think there is any way that I could ever pay that back, let alone any one of us, because I am not God and don’t have the power to do all those things.

            We can, however, respond to the gifts of God’s creation. We can respond to the blessing of God’s creation of the earth and sea by taking care of it as best we can. We can respond to God’s blessings of animals by protecting the endangered ones and respecting what we hunt and eat. We can respond to God’s gift of one another by respecting one another, caring, and helping one another. We can respond by sharing this Good News with all God’s children; the Good News that we all are loved by God so much that God’s only son went to the cross for us…to show us God’s love. That everyone matters and is important.

            So to the students of these congregations, I would say that as you start this new school year, think about these things:

-          Inviting a kid who seems always to be alone to sit with your group.

-          Reach out to someone different than you.

-          Post on Facebook something nice about someone who rarely gets noticed.

-          If someone asks you why you are doing something nice for a person who rarely gets noticed, say “because its what you think God wants”

Those are not just words for students. Let us as adults practice this as well: AMEN!

Luke 13:10-17 Freedom...God's freedom to Worship

            It is said that the first speaker, Edward Everett’s speech was two hours long. He is not the one remembered on that day in November of 1863. His words have, for the most part, been lost to history. It was the man who spoke after him who has been long remembered for his speech that day in Gettysburg. He stood up and began his two minute speech with the words: “Fourscore and seven years ago…” President Abraham Lincoln gave what is now one of the most moving speeches of his lifetime let alone ours. In this speech, he calls the people’s attention to those who have died on the field, those who gave their lives to preserve the nation. In the end of the speech, he uses the word “freedom.”

            It is in this word “freedom” that we find our Gospel reading. Jesus is in the temple and he is teaching. This woman appears who is bent over and cannot even stand up straight. That is all we know about this woman. There is no back story of who she is or where she comes from. All we know is that she is afflicted and can’t stand up straight. I wonder why that is? I would suggest it is because that is not the most important part of the story. It does not matter where she came from, who her parents were or what her history is. What matters in this story is two things. She is in need of healing and it is the Sabbath day. You know, that day in the Ten Commandments “you shall honor the Sabbath and keep it Holy.” Remember that is the law as we talked about last week. It is in keeping with this law that is being faithful to God.

            So, let’s talk about that first issue, her being afflicted. Once again, we don’t know anything this woman, but we do know that she is suffering. She has been suffering for eighteen years. That is a pretty big deal because imagine walking bent over for 18 years. I once knew a woman who was bent over because she had back problems for so long. She was in constant pain and all she could see was the ground. Something like this is life-changing. You have to change how you work, sit, eat…this kind of ailment puts a lot of limitations on everyday life. I cannot imagine the amount of changes that would be necessary to live that life.

            In his typical way, Jesus calls her over and says, “woman, you are set free from your ailment.” No fireworks, no trumpets, bells, or whistles. He just does what he is called to do. This woman no longer has to worry about this ailment. She is made whole and she “immediately” stands up straight and she starts praising God! She starts praising God! She uses her words to show her gratitude because now her whole life is changed! So what is the big deal? She is now healed!

            The big deal is not that she is healed but it is when she is healed. Remember last week, we talked about the Law and how the people of Jesus time lived by the law. It was their way of living a life of faith and belief, even though they themselves fell short of the law…they tried to hold others strictly by the law. The law stated that The Sabbath was to be honored and kept Holy. That meant NO work was to be done on the Sabbath. I have been told work in Israel is still not done on the Sabbath; that elevator operators do not work on the Sabbath and that hotel elevators are configured to stop on every floor on the Sabbath day. Jesus heals this woman ON the Sabbath and IN the Synagogue…right in front of the elders. So there is a problem in that Jesus is going against the law.

            Jesus shows us the different side of that law. First, he points out that the elders have animals to feed and water every day; so this notion of not doing anything on Sunday is unreasonable because animals need to be fed in order for them to do what we want them to do. He goes on to tell them “ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day.” He is telling us that there is a such thing as Good Work that can and maybe should be done on the Sabbath day. Jesus is telling us the Gospel: “Why shouldn’t someone who has been held in the bondage of this ailment be healed on the day the Lord has made?” Why shouldn’t she be set free?

            Fifty years ago, we heard someone else talk about freedom. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of freedom. He spoke eloquently and honestly about the need for freedom; freedom for a group of people that had been treated inhumanely, beaten, jailed, tortured because of the color of their skin. He spoke about his dream for men and women and the dream for his children. He used the word “freedom.” He used the phrase “Let freedom ring” over and over has he spoke of where freedom should lived and experienced. Let freedom ring from the mountain top of Stone Mountain, Georgia, every molehill of Mississippi.

Dr. King and Abraham Lincoln spoke to freedom as the ability to live life to the best that one can live it, experience it, and rejoice in it. Their speeches were to inspire us all that freedom is something deep within us that can bind us, inspire us, unite and untie us.

Jesus’ use of the word freedom also shows what is deep within us. Through this story of this “bent over woman” we can relate to her situation. Our lives may not necessarily seem like they are ours. Everyone has a schedule to keep, practices to get to, work schedules, sports schedules, and let’s face it there are the fun schedules too (wanting to see a particular movie, show, play). We all have them and sometimes we are held captive to these schedules. We are held in bondage to these schedules. Then we begin to get overloaded and where do we find ourselves, bent over and looking down; or our shoulders shrugged forward walking like we have to and not like we have a spring in our step.

Jesus tells us and shows us that we don’t have to be held captive to all that. Jesus frees us from this captivity that keeps us so bent over. Jesus shows us that we don’t have to be held captive to the bondage of schedules, timetables, or sin. Jesus shows us that there is freedom in giving thanks and praise to God for the blessings of love in the world rather than hate, the peace of being brothers and sisters in Christ and working together to bring the kingdom of God into this broken world, the mercy of God who gave his only Son to die for our sake; so that we ARE free. We are free to love God and show God our thanks and praise; to love God with all our heart and soul, and giving praise for all that we have been given.

Now, there might be some who interpret God’s freedom to mean other things. Some may interpret God’s freedom to mean “I can do whatever I want and God will forgive me OR I will come to God when I need God because I have freedom of Choice now…thanks God.” God does speak to everyone differently and we all have a personal relationship with God. I would suggest to everyone that no matter who you are, you need God. I will give you an example; when we are asked to watch our grandchildren or nieces and nephews do we think it is a God thing or God freedom. I would suggest to you that it is. We don’t HAVE to watch children or take care of them. We don’t HAVE to feed them…but we do. Why do we do that? We do it out of love, out of the freedom to love; and who is it that created that LOVE. It wasn’t you or me. It was God! God created and showed us love and taught us love.

So let God’s freedom ring. Let God’s freedom ring to speak to us in our times of sorrows and sadness; let God’s freedom ring to bring us to a place…this place where we can come, sit down, and leave the bondage of society outside these doors. Let freedom ring in our ears and minds and hearts when we hear the words “Your sins are forgiven.” Let God’s freedom ring to hear “this is my body and blood given for you.” Let God’s freedom ring to tell others about a place where they can come to hear the words “you matter.” So that when you go out into the world, you know that God's love for us all calls us to share this message with all God's children: AMEN  

Jesus and Stress

            As I was reading through some commentaries on this particular Gospel reading this week, several writers jokingly suggested that this might be a good Sunday for the pastor to be on vacation. But as I prayed over this text and took the words and listened as I read them over and over, I think that it is fitting that I am here this Sunday and not on vacation.

            It is important to be here because of the words that Jesus says in this Gospel reading. Listen to these words: ⁴⁹I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! That’s comforting! He goes on to tell all those listening that he has a baptism in which to be baptized…okay… But then he says “what stress I am under until its completed! Let me say it again; Jesus says, “what stress I am under…” I think this may be the first time that we hear Jesus telling all of us and the disciples that he is STRESSED! Jesus stressed? How can that be? He is the Son of God?

            The only time we like to remember when Jesus loses his temper is the most famous story that we can recall. We remember when Jesus comes into the temple and overturns the tables yelling about turning his “father’s house into a den of thieves!” We remember that one because it is so linked to Lent and Good Friday. This story we don’t hear too often. I don’t know why that is but it is important to know what is going on with Jesus. A few weeks ago in our Gospel readings, Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem. Jesus knew what was going to happen when he got to Jerusalem. He has been teaching the disciples and the crowds about who he is and told them about his own death and resurrection. He is stressed out. He is at a point where he is stretched to his limit.

            You might ask,, “how can this be?” It is because God sent Jesus, God’s Son, in human form to walk on this earth with us. What we are seeing is the human side of Jesus. We are seeing the human reaction of a man who knows that he will undergo “great suffering, rejection, be killed, and be raised.” I don’t know what is in the mind of Jesus, but knowing the first three could be overwhelming for any of us; and the resurrection part may not even enter our minds. I think we can all relate to feeling stressed. We all know the stress of taking care of our families, jobs, responsibilities, schedules, etc. let’s face it, we might not be going to the cross but we do know stress. There are others in this world that have those same stresses and proclaiming their faith to Jesus Christ can be dangerous. We all know stress.

            Jesus does not stop at telling us he is stressed. He goes on to say that he has come to create division. This is scary because he speaks of mother against daughter and father against son. Is Jesus telling us that he has come to start a fight? After all these words of “Love your neighbor, love your enemies”, are we supposed to be fighting now? Is that old joke about spouses not getting along with in-laws supposed to be THE WAY?

            I don’t believe that Jesus is telling us that arguing is the way. What he is saying goes much deeper than that. In Jesus time, the Jewish people lived by the law. The law came out of the first five books of the Old Testament and it was called the Torah. These five books (Genensis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) defined many aspects of life for the Jewish people and it is how they understood being faithful to God. We, too, hold these books to be God’s law in living a faithful life that honors God. We also believe that God sent Jesus into this world because we keep falling short of this law.

We make mistakes and we do things that are not always pleasing to God. Jesus came into this world to acknowledge that we are broken and we make mistakes; despite that brokenness, God sent his only son into the world to save us from that brokenness of the world and save us from ourselves. God gave us the gift of Jesus to teach, walk with us, and to die for our sake on a cross; a symbol of suffering and shame; So that, through this death and resurrection for our sake we are no longer held captive by our brokenness and our sin.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this division that Jesus talks about is that he is showing us the path to God in a different way. We tend to think of law as those things which you cannot do; laws are restrictive. Let’s take the first commandment: You shall love the Lord your God and you shall have no other Gods. Pretty cut and dry…love God and no other Gods. That’s the law. Jesus comes to teach us “here’s all the ways you can love God and having the God who is the creator is a Good God to have on our side.” I know I am over simplifying this but Jesus shows us the Good News that God has blessed us with so much that why wouldn’t we want to show God our gratitude and love back; as a response to what we have first been given.

So where does that leave us? Last week our Gospel reading started off with Jesus telling us not to fear little flock. Both these churches are celebrating anniversaries this year; Chapel on its 150^th and Woodsboro with its building construction 100 years ago. With these anniversaries we also have the church changing in the 21^st Century. The future of the church is uncertain. Budgets need to be met while ministries need to continue. There are large numbers close to 80% of  people in this nation that are unchurched. Many others have stopped coming, for whatever reason.

As I said last week God is doing something BIG. I don’t know what it is but this is our time to look at what God is calling us to do in the church. Is God calling us to look at each day in the life of the church as new and exciting? Does God call us to change our thinking to praising God for a new day of ministry and the chance to be a worker in God’s kingdom? Imagine how our lives would be different, how God would change our lives when we look at each time gathering together to sing and worship the God who has blessed each and every one of us in this way. Imagine the hope and excitement of knowing that we look at the world as God’s creation and giving thanks for this gift each day.

There is no promise that this will be easy. We will be stressed out, but we are not alone. We are all in this together…in this world, on this journey of faith, in our joys, and in our sorrows. We do have each other and we do have the promises of God to be with us.

Vacations do have their place. But I am glad to be here in this place and worshipping the God who has given us so much. I am glad that you are here because the church needs you… the Church needs all of us to testify how God has changed our lives and shaped who we are; and may we continue to tell the story of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: AMEN

Do not fear little flock...the history and future of the church.

There are two entirely different sermons that have been written for each congregation for Sunday August 11th. Both sermons are specific to specific moments in the history of each congregation. One was written as a dialogue and this one is not.

Luke 12: 32-40:

100 years ago Pastor Reese Poffenbarger and the congregation embarked on a calling that was bold. They began a building project. This building was primarily wood when it was first built. Pastor and people prayed and decided to make this structure predominantly brick. It was a bold move because they moved into uncharted waters. They had to make sure that they could get the funding and the resources to make sure this happened. We all know how it ended because we are sitting in this beautiful building that they have made for themselves and for us.

            All this week, this one phrase from the Gospel kept coming into my mind. “Do not fear little flock.” Jesus words to his disciples. I don’t know about you but when those are words that start off a sentence, I start to get nervous and anxious. I start to wonder what is going to be next. I start running scenarios in my head; good ones and bad ones. Then I start wondering what alternative plans are there to fix whatever is going to happen.

            In our Gospel of Luke, we hear the words “do not fear…” Jesus words mean that something big is about to happen. How do we know this? We know it because we have experienced those words several months ago when we heard the angel Gabriel say those words to Mary. “Do not fear, for I am an angel of the lord…” Those words were uttered again when an angel appeared to shepherds in their fields. They heard the words and I bet at some point there was some initial fear. It makes sense, because it is a human reaction. I cannot say that if an angel appeared, I wouldn’t or none of us wouldn’t be afraid.

            Jesus tells us that something BIG is about to happen. Yet he does not come right out and say it. He says “for it is your Father’s Good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” What does that mean? How are we going get something like that? It sounds Good, sounds like we just hit the jackpot! Woohoo! We are getting THE kingdom! That is something to celebrate isn’t it? Alright, so next, Jesus tells us to sell our possessions and give alms…wait…what did he just say (checking back in the Gospel)? Sell all your possessions and give alms.

            What is Jesus telling us about this kingdom? I know it sounds like a repeat of last week. Are we not allowed to have nice things? What is this all about? This does reinforce what we heard last week in that we are not to let our possessions rule our lives. What matters is that God wants us to remember who enabled us to have jobs, paychecks, friends, and family. God wants us to remember that all good gifts come from God. God wants us to know the importance that all this comes from God and that God wants only the best for us.

            This message…do not fear little flock…is telling us something BIG! Jesus tells us that God wants to give us the kingdom because it brings the Father pleasure. He is telling us that God wants Good things for us; to work together and take care of what God created, to be in relationship with one another, to support one another, and help each other in times when there is suffering and pain. God wants us to know that we are valued…that each one of us is important. It is not just our bodies but it is who are, one of God’s creation and children of God that makes us important.

            You see, when Jesus tells us do not fear, the BIG thing about to happen is more than just the statement that follows…”it is your Father’s pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” The BIG thing is that Jesus is the one that is going to make that happen. Jesus is going to go to the cross; Jesus, God’s Son, is going to be handed over and suffer death for us. Jesus’ death on the cross is for our sin and for our mistakes; for those times when we are not acting in a way that lifts up the glory and compassion that Jesus has taught us. The Big thing that happens is Jesus body and blood poured out for you and me…offered for you and me. So that we can seek forgiveness and offer forgiveness whenever possible. so we can live in the light of God’s gracious and merciful love, despite our brokenness and despite those times when evil creeps into our lives. With all this, we still DO fear when Jesus tells us not to fear because it is hard to put our trust and faith in something we cannot plainly see.

            But I assure you, this love and sacrifice of God’s only Son is something we have witnessed. Through our faith in God, we witness the pouring out of God’s body and blood when we share Holy Communion. We witness Jesus on the cross with all the saints that have gone before us; through the Word and through our participation in the life of Christ and this church. We witness the gifts of forgiveness, hospitality, and God’s grace whenever we welcome the stranger.

            I am confident that the families and the pastor did have some fear 100 years ago when they began construction on this building. However, they did not let fears overcome their calling to build this house of worship; to give back to God the fruits and blessings of what they received from God. I am also confident that they heard these same words of not fearing. God was in their hearts to want to worship in this sanctuary. They put their fears aside and let God guide them on  this adventure that continues today as we worship in this place.

            Now it is our turn. It is our turn to hear the words “do not fear.” We are in a time when there are more people who have not heard the word of God or even care. On Saturday, August 3^rd, we had a representative from the synod meet with the joint council. One of the things that we discovered was that there are roughly, 80% of the population in this nation that are unchurched; never been to church. We are in a time where so much of our time is being demanded of us that we cannot make it ALL work. We are stretched to the point of saying “something has got to give.” We see it in the declining numbers of people who attend church on Sunday mornings. We see it in the busy schedules of  trying to do more with less. We see it in the turmoil and wars, and all the suffering that is going on in the world.

            Now it is our time to pray for God’s guidance. What does God call us to do in this world? What do you want us to do God? It is our time to be God’s hands and feet in this community like the saints who have gone before us. How do we tell the Good News of Jesus Christ in our community and in the world?  God does call us to be the voice proclaiming the Good News of Jesus through our faith experiences of God in our own lives. Through our relationships with one another and our experiences in our church and in the community.

            In those words “do not fear” there is hope. There is hope in the ministry of gathering on Sunday morning to give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus Christ. There is hope in the ministries that we are a part of through Glade Valley, the Woodsboro/New Midway School partnership, and the Thrift Store. There is hope in building relationships with the people of this community. Several months ago we tried an experiment to tell our faith story with one word on a card. We told our stories and that is a sign of hope and faith. Hope is in the words that we use to tell our story in our own words and share who we are. Hope is in that form of taking time out for ourselves to gather in worship, sing praises to God. I believe that Jesus tells us not to fear because he knows that we will never be abandoned. God is with us all the time.  

            So it is a great time to be church. God is doing amazing things and we get to be a part of God’s work in the kingdom. Let us look to the future with the confidence in the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, “do not fear little flock, for it is the Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom;” AMEN! 

Luke 12:13-21 Are We Ruled by Things?

Remember I told you last week that there are some passages that can make you go,”huh?” Well, this one will definitely make you think twice. This passage can be misunderstood and quite controversial. Why; because it talks about things that make us very uncomfortable. This passage talks about having nice things and wealth. That, alone, can make us all uncomfortable.

This person comes up to Jesus and wants Jesus to settle this dispute with his brother. I can hear the voice, “Jesus, tell my brother to give me back what is mine!” It can sound like us when we were much younger. I can them yelling “Its mine! Is not! Is too! Although it sounds childish, inheritances were important in Jesus time. Property and items were passed down from families. It helped in the continuation of the community. Inheritances helped define the station in life of the person who survives. It helped when it came to marriage dowries, defined the place in the community, and it helped maintain a person’s wealth status or determined wealth. Inheritance was important and this person…could have been a man or woman…wanted their fair share.

So they go to the person they think can sort all this out, Jesus. Jesus knows how important inheritance is. He is Jewish and know that inheritance can mean so much and helps determine so much. I mean, we are in the twelfth chapter at this point so we know who Jesus is and many in the crowd have seen how much authority Jesus has been given at this time. By this time in our Gospel, Jesus has healed, driven out demons, raised from the dead, and Peter gave his declaration about Jesus, “you ARE the Messiah.” Surely, these people have some idea who Jesus is; and they go to him to settle this issue.

Jesus gives an answer that we might expect and misunderstand. "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." Did he just say what I think he said?! Did he just say we cannot have nice things? That could be a little troubling. I think we all want to have nice things. Why is it so wrong to have nice things; a nice car, cell phone, computer, clothes, etc. What makes all these things so bad? We will cover that in a minute.

Jesus does not stop there. Jesus begins telling a parable. Parables are teaching tools that Jesus uses to help illustrate his point. Some of them are quite clear while some can be a little confusing. He tells this parable of a wealthy man. His fields are yielding an abundance of crops. There is so much that he cannot store his crops with what he has. So, he decides to tear down his barns. Sounds like a good decision. After all, he needs a place to store his stuff and why shouldn’t he build a new barn to store these crops. Why is this a problem?

Question: Who does he consult in this decision to tear down his barn? Scripture says he thought to himself. He asks himself, “What should I do?” Then he says…and I love this part…”soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years…” Do you notice that throughout this whole parable the wealthy man is talking to HIMSELF! He uses the first person singular “I, me, mine.” This wealthy person is talking and thinking to himself in his planning. One could say, “well, it is his crops.” It is true that they are his crops but there is something missing from this parable.

What is missing is that there is no room for anyone else in this man’s world. There is no room for others in the world. This man is thinking only about himself and what he needs to get by. He is not thinking about the workers who harvested his crops. He is not even thinking about the blessings that he received these crops. The point of this story and the scripture reading is not “don’t have nice things.” The point to this reading is that this man in the parable is storing all this for himself. He is allowing the possessions that he has define who he is. Meaning, if he has all this harvest, then he has to maintain all of it so that he can “eat, drink, and be merry.” In Jesus time, I said before, being a good host to parties (if you have wealth) was important. Serving good meals was important. This person is going to make sure that he has enough to hold all these parties while maintaining enough for himself. That can get daunting and tiring; so much so that there isn’t a whole lot of time for other things like friends, family, fun, and God.

That is what Jesus is telling the person from the crowd. He is saying that when there becomes an overabundance of things, we tend to work harder at trying to keep our things; to the point that we become sidetracked and isolated from more important things and our focus is more what we have then who we are. It means that we let our possessions define our lives; we let the things we have drive (figuratively and literally) what we do in this world. We have seen the stories of Lottery winners who are so inundated with money that they don’t know what to do and some lose all their winnings and sometimes their homes. Things don’t always go well or as well as we would like them to. Jesus is warning us not to lose the relationships in our lives as people and as a community with one another and with God.

This parable warns us to be mindful of our relationships. What are those things in our life that can distract us from the love and care of God? What are those things in our lives that allow us to put the power, grace, and mercy of God off to the side and say it is not important? What are those things that sidetrack us as a community from our relationship with God? I am not telling you that you cannot buy the car, the I-pad, the lottery ticket, or anything like that. Those decisions are between us and God.

What Jesus is telling us is to not let things run our lives. Possessions don’t give us value and don’t determine who we are. Possessions don’t show us worth, don’t speak to us, they just sit there and cause us to spend more time and money to maintain them. It is our relationships with one another, the larger community, and most importantly God that defines who we are. For it is God that shows us worth; God created us and gave us the gift of one another and to care for the world and for each other. God gave us value in the gift of sending his only son into the world and that son who would end up on the cross for us.

So what is our response? What is our response to a God that has given forgiveness by God’s only Son on the cross? Do we sit back as the man in our parable and say, “soul, I got what I wanted. I’m done. Eat, Drink, be merry?” Or do we think to ourselves that God has been so gracious and merciful that we respond in sharing the compassion that we have been given with one another and with the community?

AMEN