8-3-25                   Luke 12: 13-21

  13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull 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, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

Peace and mercy come to you through Jesus Christ, who brings the full inheritance of riches from God to you.

Family squabbles and contention, we’ve seen them before in Scripture and we have witnessed them in this life. There is dissatisfaction in what one receives as an inheritance because not everything is divided into absolutely equal proportions. This man in the crowd was hoping Jesus, the Teacher with his recognizable authority, would settle things, thus providing him a larger share than tradition accounted to be his. Jesus makes it plain he is not going to become a judge in such matters. Afterall there is something more significant for this brother to consider. 

We also heard from another discontented man, the author of Ecclesiastes. He was a cynical and unhappy guy. Even though he had accomplished many things, as a teacher of wisdom, having an audience of devoted listeners, he was still grumbling!  He did not enjoy his work although it brought him much gain, because, as he said: I must leave it to my successor, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. So, his conclusion is that all is vanity. In other words, he may take some pride in those accomplishments of life, yet it brings him only emptiness. For his summary is: 20 So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? 23 For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity. So, the best thing he can come up with is in the next verse: There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God. Even with that, there is a tone of disappointment, and he still does not sound totally convinced that such an outcome is adequate for what he has done for it. Perhaps you noticed that he seems to be using the standards of measurement that comes from this world, the way society measures and determines value. So that all that is gained becomes vanity, empty, because it is not his forever. He has taken the wrong measuring tool; he didn’t use God’s standards. 

Jesus aims at a similar lesson with the parable he used to answer why he will not judge the brother’s case about his complaint of an unequal inheritance. There is this basic problem in the way we measure value, how we view what is truly a treasure. The rich man in the parable, had productive land, and that harvest season was so good he needed more storage space. He figured new, larger barns would assure him enough room to keep that surplus bringing him years of leisure. He wouldn’t have to keep at the daily toil but could devote himself to recreation. He could eat, drink, and be merry, as that dream is described!  He measured his security by the size and number of his barns.  

We often do the same. We look at how many figures are recorded after the $ sign in the bank account, and financial portfolio. Or we relax because of how many rooms are in our house and how many storage units we need to hold all our stuff. Or perhaps you check out the number of acres you own or how new and fancy are your cars and big toys. After this last week of having our rummage sale, it is again brought home to me, that we can accumulate an access of goods. It then becomes a large task to deal with all that stuff. We come to find out much of it is not really needed and although others may want it, it is not out of real need. This stuff can become a problem rather than a source of security. As Jesus said to the crowd: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then as the man in the parable was reminded: This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ You really can’t take it with you.

Where is true security to be found? Paul wrote to the Colossians saying: Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. When Christ, who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.  And Jesus made it known to the crowd, right before his parable, that: 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. 7 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.   8 I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God. God cares so much for you, don’t ever forget it! You are secure in His love.

We are being reminded that real security is found in our relationship with our Lord. Our inheritance is assured by that bond; our riches will be found in that association. 

Here’s a story, which relates to such a concern. There was a nine-year old boy who wanted to have the assurance that a legal, familial bond would bring.  You see, Tristan had been abandoned at four by his birth mother, whose life had become a nightmare of drugs and licentious living. Donna and her husband have cared for Tristan since his relinquishment and wanted to adopt him but the legal fees were prohibitive at $10,000. So, Tristan decided to help by selling lemonade.

He sold lots of lemonade! His stand attracted hundreds of generous customers as the word spread about this third grader’s goal. The stand raised close to $7,000 and another $9,000 was brought in by an online go-fund-me.  Before his idea with the lemonade stand, the family had done all they could by economizing. They cancelled their vacation, skipped hair appointments, and got cheaper phone & internet services. It wasn’t enough. Donna said: “Tristan is absolutely our son. He is in our hearts, but this adoption is to reassure him, so he knows he has a forever family and has our name.” Thanks to the goodness of many people, the adoption could be finalized.    (Connections, July, 2016)

What Tristan sought, and all of us need, is that reassurance, that faith, that we DO belong, that we are part of the family. Therefore, the inheritance that is offered to us, as part of the family of God, does not come because of stuff, or stocks and bonds, it isn’t in a house or a bank. Our inheritance is not split up but is wholly and completely our own. Each of us is a child of God, having been granted that relationship in our baptism and maintained in the family meal. As children of God we are to live out our lives in the family way, using the gifts God provides, sharing them for the benefit of others. Your inheritance is insured in Christ, the source of real security. In that family connection is the true treasure.