Luke 12:13-21 Lectionary text for August 4
Greed means always wanting more, no matter how much one has.
There is no satisfaction in it, no contentment and no thankfulness.
It drives people apart because there is a finite amount of everything, so
when some are always about getting more, it leaves others with less.
Greed is central in empire values.
It is all about the self - getting more for me, taking care of number one -
making sure that me and mine are taken care of.
It is the drive behind competition, success and achievement for many,
because the real object for them is getting more, always more, even
or especially at the expense of others around them.
Some will play word games and twist the logic around to make others
believe that this is patriotic, natural or even godly. They will talk
about all they can do with what they gain above what they need, but
it comes at the expense of others and what is shared is at best
a negligible amount, because it is about GETTING and KEEPING
more for oneself and one's own.
Greed is NOT a Kingdom Value. Regardless of what your prosperity
preaching pastor or bishop may say, Jesus who fulfills the Law and
Prophets has no value for Greed in the Gospels.
In the Kingdom, the value is for ENOUGH - for ALL having ENOUGH.
In the Kingdom, the value is on Thankfulness for what we already have.
In the Kingdom, the value is in sharing from our abundance - anything
over enough that we have, so that others may have enough.
So, Jesus warns, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of Greed;
for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."
And then Jesus offered the parable of "The Rich Fool."
The fool had a lot.
The fool did not think about giving of his abundance.
The fool devised a plan for hoarding more for himself.
The fool died.
In the meantime, those who were exploited so that the fool might have more
suffered.
In the meantime, many went without what they needed as the fool sat on an
abundance.
In the meantime, others adopted the fool's values, believing it to be wisdom
and even godly providence.
Some folk are working themselves to death to get more, always more, though
they already have an abundance above what they need.
Some folk exploit the laws, tax codes, workers and whoever else they can to
get more for themselves at the expense of the poor and middle class, against whom
the laws, tax codes and lack of workers' rights were designed to work.
Some folk are true believers in the lie that if you work hard enough you can
be wealthy, and the lie that you should aspire to be wealthy.
Some folk are manipulators of those who believe the lie because they benefit
from its perpetration in our society, and believe they are justified in doing so.
Some folk are blamed, scapegoated when the wealthy and powerful exploit and destroy the
lives of those without enough, and those exploited masses believe it to be the
fault of anyone but the wealthy and powerful who did it to them, but who they aspire to be someday.
Greed divides. It destroys.
The Rich Fool was rich at the expense of others, who he exploited and/or ignored.
The Kingdom of God is about community, about Shalom - about everyone having
enough for completeness, wholeness and well-being, and not about some having
much more than they need while others struggle to survive (that would be empire).
So, what do you treasure?
Having and getting more material wealth, power and/or status?
Or being rich toward God in having healthy community, well-being and thankfulness with
contentment?
Are you rich in wisdom?
Or are you simply a rich fool? (or a rich fool wannabe?)
Pastor Jamie
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