By David ReayMonday 3 Nov 2014LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Luke 12:13-21
13 Then someone called from the crowd,”Teacher,please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”
14 Jesus replied,”Friend,who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15 Then he said,”Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself,’What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said,’I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself,”My friend,you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat,drink,and be merry!”‘
20 “But God said to him,’You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
21 “Yes,a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (NLT)
It is so easy for followers of Jesus to agree with the sentiments of Jesus expressed here. We shake our heads sadly at the greedy materialism of our world. We readily affirm that a relationship with God matters so much more than having possessions. And yet it is so hard to put those sentiments into practice.
Nothing wrong,of course,with having good things,with being wealthy. (Most of us are wealthy in relative terms). But we can be sucked into an insidious materialism that sees us talk constantly of what we have,of what we intend to buy,of how whatever is new and well marketed is necessary for us.
We can play the possessions game,boasting of our impeccable homes that may conceal impoverished relationships within that home. We can obsess endlessly about our economic status and give little thought to enriching the lives of others. Lovely homes,private school education,well-paid jobs and the latest technology are not bad in themselves but they are no measurement of the sorts of human beings we are.
It is said that materialism is all about buying something you don’t need with money you don’t have to impress people you don’t like. The rich fool of Jesus’ time has his contemporary imitators.
Blessings
David Reay