In our Gospel reading from Luke (10th century image, left) at church yesterday, we heard Jesus’ words once again: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
This time however, Pastor Alison Shane, expanding on the text in her sermon, gave the passage a “down home” connotation that is causing me a bit of pause.
The Scriptures do not condemn wealth, per se, she observed. The difficulty, she quickly zeroed in on, is greed, accumulation for its own sake and amassing riches so one can “party” (verses 19 & 20 of Luke 12).
In our western culture, and especially here in the U.S., we Christians often rationalize the idea that, relative to others in our society, we are safely avoiding all of the above.
But in so thinking, we are overlooking – perhaps even avoiding – our brothers and sisters around the world. Compared to them, how does our understanding of greed and accumulation stack up?
Pastor Alison pointed out that later in the chapter Jesus cautioned, “from everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.”
When we compare OUR “much” to third world “much,” a whole new light is shed on the situation. “We need to think about wealth and greed in terms of the world,” she suggested.
Ouch. That’s getting a bit close to home.
Are real estate holdings “accumulations”? Are investments “amassing riches”? I’m probably “copping out” to say I really don’t know. I can see, however, how they could be considered such if compared with possessions of people in the third world and with their ability to accumulate.
In Jesus’ parable, the rich man who had amassed enough so he could relax and party received this rebuke: “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.”
Pastor Alison suggested that excessive accumulation beyond sustenance is the point with which we ought to wrestle. But even for sustenance, God has promised provision.
After pointing out how God takes care of even the birds in the air and the lilies in the field, Jesus offers this advice beginning in verse 29: “And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”
Wow. This is a kind of faith and this is a perspective that I have to admit is pretty much absent in our western culture. And I’m bothered by it.
But will I be bothered enough to take action in my own life?
This time however, Pastor Alison Shane, expanding on the text in her sermon, gave the passage a “down home” connotation that is causing me a bit of pause.
The Scriptures do not condemn wealth, per se, she observed. The difficulty, she quickly zeroed in on, is greed, accumulation for its own sake and amassing riches so one can “party” (verses 19 & 20 of Luke 12).
In our western culture, and especially here in the U.S., we Christians often rationalize the idea that, relative to others in our society, we are safely avoiding all of the above.
But in so thinking, we are overlooking – perhaps even avoiding – our brothers and sisters around the world. Compared to them, how does our understanding of greed and accumulation stack up?
Pastor Alison pointed out that later in the chapter Jesus cautioned, “from everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.”
When we compare OUR “much” to third world “much,” a whole new light is shed on the situation. “We need to think about wealth and greed in terms of the world,” she suggested.
Ouch. That’s getting a bit close to home.
Are real estate holdings “accumulations”? Are investments “amassing riches”? I’m probably “copping out” to say I really don’t know. I can see, however, how they could be considered such if compared with possessions of people in the third world and with their ability to accumulate.
In Jesus’ parable, the rich man who had amassed enough so he could relax and party received this rebuke: “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.”
Pastor Alison suggested that excessive accumulation beyond sustenance is the point with which we ought to wrestle. But even for sustenance, God has promised provision.
After pointing out how God takes care of even the birds in the air and the lilies in the field, Jesus offers this advice beginning in verse 29: “And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”
Wow. This is a kind of faith and this is a perspective that I have to admit is pretty much absent in our western culture. And I’m bothered by it.
But will I be bothered enough to take action in my own life?
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