August 3 | Pentecost 8, Year C
Hosea 11:1-11 or Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23
Psalm 107:1-9, 43 or Psalm 49:1-11
Colossians 3:1-11
Luke 12:13-21
Is it foolish to save money for future expenses? Are we to take a “vow of poverty” as Christians and give everything we have away? Am I required to respond to all requests for help, whether they come from panhandlers on street corners or telephone solicitors? In general, and on an objective basis, the answer to each of these questions is no—at least based on this parable. Jesus does not condemn wealth or the accumulation of wealth, but rather he addresses the attitude of greed.
How we deal with our material possessions is a matter of the heart. It is not the amount that we have, but rather how we deal with what we have, that is the focus of Jesus’ teaching. As a result, our attitude toward our material resources is one of the most obvious measures of our relationship with God and our neighbors. The man in the parable shows no consideration of anyone but himself. First, he does not acknowledge that what he has comes from God. He may have worked hard and planted the seed, but he did not make it grow into a rich harvest. Yet, there is no thought of thanking God or giving back to him—only how that harvest would benefit himself. Likewise, he demonstrates a callous disregard for the needs of others. For the man, the bountiful harvest is his vehicle to easy street. He holds on to his wealth only to serve himself in a future that he assumes is assured.
One who makes assumptions based on personal ability and resources alone is foolish when it comes to eternal life. Whether the center of our life is material possessions, status, or ability, that center is our god. If that is the case, then when we die our god dies with us. We are left with less than nothing. The wise person is the one who recognizes that everything comes as a gift from God and is for his work in the world.
The most important factor, then, when it comes to saving our resources or giving them away, is God’s will. Our proper approach is to thank God for what we have and offer it to him for his use—in his time. The key to achieving God’s will is remembering that God loves people and so should we. If we are to love others, then we need to hold what we have been given with a loose grip—ready to give when the need arises and under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Since the greatest fruit of the Spirit is love, our material resources are to be used to love God and others—to obey God and to work for the greatest good for our neighbor.
The word of Christ directs us as to how we are to live in the Church and in the world. Jesus said that they (non-believers) will know we are Christians by our love for one another (in the Church). The way we live in the Church will affect how the secular culture surrounding us perceives God. Will our corporate life be a positive or a negative witness to Jesus? It will be positive if our life in community reflects the true nature of Christ—which is God’s reconciling love. Even a greater effect on our neighbors will be how we relate to them directly. St. Paul wrote that “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name [the true nature] of the Lord Jesus.” Our entire life, all that we are and all that we have, is to be submitted to Christ and directed by his Spirit. This will naturally lead to unity in the Church and the living witness of God’s reconciling love in the culture.
Look It Up: Psalm 107:43
Think About It: If wisdom is the right use of knowledge, what does love have to do with it?
The Rev. Dr. Chuck Alley, former rector of St. Matthew’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, teaches anatomy at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical School.
