You Can't Take It with You

1 Timothy 6:6-16

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost  -  18 September 2016

Rev. John Derme

Have you prepared your will? When your time on earth is done, who will get all your money and stuff? Even if you don't have much, somebody will get the things that belong to you, so it may as well be the people you want to have them. I wonder whether anybody has ever stated in their will that they are going to keep all their money for themselves? Even if someone tries, it won't work. As the saying goes, "You can't take it with you."

"You can't take it with you" is what the Apostle Paul wrote to the young pastor named Timothy. The Bible's book of 1 Timothy is one of the letters Paul wrote him to give him instructions for his ministry. In our Second Lesson for today, Paul brought up the subject of money, because there were false teachers who were preaching to make money and get rich. Paul was always clear that true ministers should earn money to live from the preaching of the gospel. But it made him upset that people used the ministry to satisfy their greed.

You don't have to be a pastor to be greedy, though. Paul's warning to Timothy is something that we all need to hear, because almost all people are tempted to love money.

Whether you try to get rich through the ministry of the gospel or through some other means, people like having money. If they have money, then they will also be able to have everything that money can buy. Some of the things that money can buy are pretty important. St. Paul mentions in the Second Lesson that we need food and clothing. Of course, if food and clothing (and we might add shelter) are all that is needed, then most of us have far more money than we need.

How much of our money do we spend on the things that we don't need? God never tells us that we can't have any of those things. But he does tell us today that we shouldn't love them. Would it make you happier if you had everything you want? When we aren't happy unless we have one or more of those things we don't need, that means we do love those things. Do you know anybody who has only food and clothes and is happy with only that? Would you be content if that is all you had?

Most people aren't happy with that. They are greedy for more. In their greed they strive to get all those things they want. But greed also gets them some other things they don't want. Paul says they fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. The trouble isn't only for this life. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil that causes problems in our lives and can lead to problems forever.

The money and possessions that you can gain from greed won't last you very long, because you can't take them with you out of this world. We may not all have the same amount of money right now, but all people are born with the same amount, and we all have the same amount as soon as we're dead. Can you see why Paul says that as long as we've got our basic necessities, we'll be fine?

When I was a kid, I remember people driving around with the bumper sticker on their cars: "He who dies with the most toys wins." Far more accurate were the people who had the sticker that said, "He who dies with the most toys still dies." If any of us thinks that accumulating money and possessions will do us any good in the long run, we are not only in denial of the death that will come to each of us. We are also putting ourselves in danger of losing not only our money, but also our salvation. You can't take it with you.

In this world of greed, there is a way that we can learn to be content. We can learn to understand the difference between our necessities and the money and possessions that we don't need. The only way is to learn it from the one man who was always perfectly content, even though he usually had nothing more than food and the clothing on his back. He didn't keep anything for himself. Jesus died with no toys. Even his clothes were taken from him by the men who crucified him.

When Jesus was being killed, he didn't only give up his possessions. He gave up the righteousness that he had earned during his life for us. He didn't accumulate wealth, but he did take for himself all the sins that were ours. He took the stuff that nobody would ever want – the punishment for our love of money – so that we could have what we truly need – forgiveness for our sins and eternal happiness.

Because you know that you have what you need forever, you can be content with whatever you have. Since you know that you don't need to pursue money, you are now free to thank Jesus by pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Now you are free to fight the good fight of faith, to hold onto the eternal life that Jesus has given you, to make the good confession of the faith. On the way to his cross, Jesus confessed the truth about himself before Pontius Pilate. Jesus is the king of all who gave up everything to save his people. You can be content to confess your faith in him. You can be content in all circumstances to give up all wealth and power to serve him, because he has given you everything. Now you are free to use the money you have not for your own purposes, but to serve Jesus, giving our offerings for the work of his kingdom, to proclaim the good news of his forgiveness, so that more people can enjoy his blessings.

The one who takes care of you during this life and forever is God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. Honor and might are his forever. When he returns he will take you to enjoy his wealth. Do you ever have to be afraid that you won't have everything you need? You have more than you need, because the God who owns everything is taking care of you.

When you die, you will have to leave your money and possessions on earth. You can't take it with you. But why would you want to take it with you? You've got far better blessings waiting for you in heaven.