Luke 12:32-40
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecostย -ย 7 August 2016
Rev. John Derme
Pop quiz! Are you ready? Do you wanna be rich? That is the question we asked and answered in last week's sermon. If you were here, or if you read the sermon, what was our answer? Initially, we'd probably say the answer is "no." And if by being rich you mean storing up money or possessions for yourself, then Jesus told us that "no" is the correct answer. But Jesus also taught us that we do want to be rich toward God. So, in that respect, the answer is "yes!" Whether we have a lot or a little, money and possessions cannot make us safe, secure, and happy. We are rich toward God when we trust in him.
We noted last week that some of us have more money and possessions than others of us. We didn't mention, though, how almost all of us have a lot more financial wealth than most of the people in the world and in previous human history. We are already rich! Yet even if you are a millionaire, Jesus wants you to have even greater wealth than all your money! How rich do you wanna be?
Jesus already knows how rich you wanna be. He sees what is in our hearts and minds. He knows what is important to us. And he wants us to think about what is important, too. That's why, in our Gospel of the Day, he says "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Whatever it is that you treasure, that is the thing into which you will pour your heart, the thing that is going to take first place in your mind.
So, where is your treasure? What do you value? Some people keep their treasure in the form of dollar bills or gold coins, because they like to look at it often and feel good when they know exactly where it is. Other people keep their treasure in the stock market, because they like the potential of having it grow. Many people don't even really treasure their money; instead their treasure is all of the things that money can buy: toys, status symbols, and entertainment. Do you find value in any of these? Are these the focus of your efforts: stockpiling more in your accounts so that you will always have enough to take care of yourself or gaining wealth so that you can buy all of the things you think you need? Jesus proposes a test to help you examine your heart and find out. He says, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor." Are you willing to do that?
To answer that, you'll first have to examine your financial situation. Figure out just how much you have. How much money is in your accounts? What is your home worth? What is your car worth? What is your collection of precious spoons worth? What are all your tools worth? Maybe you don't have as much as you imagine the next person has, but I wouldn't be surprised if you have more than you thought you had.
After you have examined your finances, examine your heart. Are you willing to give everything away? Are you willing to trust in Jesus and keep nothing? "Well, of course not! I can't give all my money away! I need that money to provide for myself. I need that money to feed and clothe my family. If I don't save my own money, how am I going to take care of my needs in the future? How can Jesus tell me to sell it all and give the money away? Doesn't he know that it's not cheap to live in this world? Is he trying to make me starve and die?"
This all seems like a perfectly reasonable reaction. But if this is our response to his words, we have failed his test โ not because we didn't give everything away, but because we've shown that we don't trust that he can take care of us. Each one of us fails, at times, to trust God to take care of our earthly needs. He is the one who has given us everything that we have, and he could take it all away in a heartbeat if he wanted to do so. In fact, when we fail to trust his care for our needs, that is exactly what we have earned. We deserve for him to take it all away and leave us with nothing. Not only have we earned this kind of suffering in our lives. He is coming back to judge us. For ignoring his blessings he should send us to suffer eternally in hell.
No matter how much money we would like to accumulate in this life, our sins reveal that by nature we are spiritually bankrupt. Worse than any physical poverty, we had nothing with which to pay our debts to God. Therefore God provided for us in that need. He provided a Savior, who came to earn the payment for us and to pay the debts that we owed. Our Savior Jesus lived his entire life in physical poverty, but with that life he earned us spiritual riches. At his death, even his clothes were taken from him โ he had nothing. But with that death, he won everything for us. Jesus tells us, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." With his life and death, Jesus earned forgiveness for our sins and a place for us in the kingdom of heaven.
God's free gifts to you, however, don't end there. He has given you everything that you have ever needed for your life here on earth, as well. Do you have a place to live? God is the one who has provided it. Do you have transportation to get you where you need to be? He is the one who makes sure you have it. Do you have clothing to wear? God has given it to you. Do you have food to eat everyday? He makes it grow and makes sure that it gets to you. If you have the ability to earn money, he is the one who has given that ability to you. If you have enough money to save for the future, he has provided that, too. If God wanted to take it all away from you, he could. But in his grace he doesn't, because he loves to take care of your every need.
Does it sometimes feel, though, like he hasn't given you enough? Some of you know what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck. Maybe there have even been times when your paycheck didn't cover all the expenses. Has God forgotten about you? Look back on your life and answer that question. Was there ever a time that God failed to meet your needs and left you to die? If you are sitting here today, the answer must be "no." He has met your every need up until today. His promise remains true that he will continue to meet your needs, so that you can trust him with your future.
When you have witnessed God's care for your life in the past, and when you hear his promises to provide for your future, it makes you realize that you really could sell everything you have and give all your money away. Even if you gave it all, he would continue to take care of you. But he is not literally asking you to do this. He's talking about your faith. Whether you have a lot saved up for your future or nothing at all, do you trust that he will do whatever it takes to make sure you have what you need? Or do you put your faith in yourself and your money for the future? Since God has given us the spiritual treasure of a position in his kingdom, he will give us earthly blessings as well. Trust in him, because he will give us everything that we need.
When we trust in him, Jesus tells us, we are storing up treasure. Not the kind that is buried in the ground or hidden in a box or floating in the stock market. Those can be stolen or destroyed or simply disappear. Through faith in Jesus we store up treasures in heaven that cannot be lost or taken away or used up. These treasures are yours right now: forgiveness and eternal life are yours. Finally they will be seen when Jesus returns like a thief on the Last Day. Then he will gather all those who have trusted in his care. Even though we still won't deserve it, he will reward us by taking care of our every need forever in heaven. There we will never again be afraid. We will see the treasure that he has won for us, and our hearts will spend eternity thanking God.
Until that day, how will you show that your faith trusts him to care for your needs? We will not make money and possessions our treasure. We will not pour our hearts into earning money and possessions for ourselves. Instead, our faith in God's care will show itself in the way that we focus our time and effort on growing closer to him. We will store up treasure by hearing and learning his message. We will store up treasure by kneeling at his altar and receiving his Supper. Jesus' words, his body, and his blood are worth more than all the money in the world!
Our trust will also show itself in the way we use the money he has given us for the benefit of others and for the building up of his kingdom through the spread of the gospel message. It takes a lot of confidence to give your money away for the good of others. When you give it away, you can be confident that the God who has given it to you will give you more. Yes, he will give you more to provide for you during your life on earth. And yes, he will give you even greater treasure in heaven.
"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also," Jesus says. What valuable thing does your heart seek? Are you looking to build up riches on earth that perish, or riches in heaven that you will enjoy forever? Examine your heart and ask yourself, "How rich do you wanna be?" Since God is providing for your life on earth and your eternal life in heaven, you will forever be rich beyond your wildest dreams!