Tenth Sunday after Trinity – Sermon 229

8th January 2016 Off By Derek Buckthorpe

Tenth Sunday after Trinity

10.00am Holy Communion.

4th August 2013

Bible References :

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Prayer to start 

 

May the words of my lips and the thoughts of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ                  AMEN

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Success! –  How do we measure it?

 

by the size of the house – or houses? – we live in? by how much money we earn?

 

How many degrees or qualifications we’ve got?

 

How many people we are in charge of? – or know?  – or know us – on facebook –or twitter?

 

For most people – success is usually about achieving financial security – so that we feel – we can do what we like – when we like – how we like!

Point 1        Jesus’ teaching on life

 

In our Gospel reading Jesus is teaching His disciples about what their attitude towards God  should be – when He is suddenly interrupted by a man who is dissatisfied with his inheritance –

 

The man believed the division of his fathers’ estate between himself and his brother was unfair – and wanted Jesus to intervene on his behalf –

 

For Jews of Jesus’ time – land wasn’t just where they happened to live – possession of Jewish land was an important symbol – and families clung to their inheritance for religious reasons as well as economic ones –

 

Jesus’ reply was not what the man expected –

 

Jesus tells Him that God is changing the importance of it all – and that what he suggested was not why He was here –

 

Jesus turned to the crowd and began to talk about the real issue that the man raised – not ‘fairness’ – but ‘Greed’ –

 

Jesus told them a parable about a man and his barns –

 

The rich man thought he had done well – had a really good harvest – and expected to have even more –

 

so much so that he decided he would need bigger barns to keep it all in – So he could use it to secure his future

 

In Jesus’ story – the word ‘I’ is used six times – and the word ‘my’ – my crops – my barns – my grain – my goods – my soul – used five times –

 

The man thinks it’s all about ‘Him’ and ‘His’ –

 

When our hearts become focused on ourselves – all we can think about – is spending the resources and gifts  – that we have – on ourselves –

 

The man thought he’d made it – that now he could do what he wanted – when he wanted – how he wanted –

 

But God said to him –

‘You fool’ – life isn’t like that – and the kingdom of God isn’t like that –

 

‘this very night your life is being demanded of you – and the things you have prepared – whose will they be?’

 

The man had left God out of His plans – and that was a big mistake – because it is God who has control over his future – not him –

 

As our OT reading also reminds us – with our vanity – we may toil all our lives – to reach our earthly success – but when the time comes for us to leave – we have to give it to someone who has not worked for it – and may not appreciate it –

 

People are fools when they focus on material life – and make no plan for eternal life –

 

People are fools when they love things and use people to get even more things – because of their vanity – they fail to realize that security in life doesn’t lie in barns – but with God

 

Point 2        How we should respond-

 

Paul in his letter to the Colossians – tells us where our heart should lie –

 

‘If you have been raised with Christ – seek the things that are above – where Christ is – seated at the right hand of God’

 

Set your minds on things that are above – not on things that are on earth’

 

A vicar was invited to dinner – by a rich landlord – and after the meal – was taken to where he could get a good view of the surrounding area –

 

‘Twenty five years ago,’ said the landlord – ‘I had nothing – now’ – pointing north – and then south – and east and west – ‘as far as your eye can see’ – it’s all mine – all mine!

 

He paused for a moment – expecting to be complimented on his great success – but the vicar placed one hand on his shoulder  – and pointed up – and said – ‘and how much do you have  in that direction?’

 

Paul reminds us that we need to discard the patterns of our behavior – that take us in a direction – away from Christ –

 

And put on patterns of behaviour that bring us – in a direction – nearer to Christ –

Like a suit of clothes – we need to take off –- anger – greed- malice – slander – lying –

 

And put on what we see in Jesus – Compassion – kindness – humility – gentleness – patience – forgiveness of others –

 

Labels can mean a lot in clothes – for us – if Jesus’ name is not on them – then we are wearing the wrong clothes –

 

What’s important is that we live with a changed heart – a heart changed by Jesus – a heart that welcomes God’s love within us and reflects God’s love all around us –

 

Point 3    So what does that mean for us?

 

If Jesus – had told that story – today – He may well have spoken about the European wheat and butter mountains – or the selling of unprofitable shares – or the payoffs to fat cat bankers –

 

In Jesus’ time the average person had very little food or money – and most likely only one spare garment of clothing – to have become ill or injured – would have meant instant destitution – a bit like our 3rd world countries today –

But here in the West – we live in a society that demands that people set themselves – higher and higher goals – and living standards – live in bigger and better houses – with higher and higher price tags – requiring people to work harder and for longer –

 

But – none of us – regardless of who we are – or where or how we live – wants to come to the end of our earthly life – and find that we did nothing – that really counted –

 

Responsible stewardship by saving or building for a secure future – is not what Jesus is questioning –

 

Jesus’ concern is that we shouldn’t focus all our efforts on improving our own status and influence in society – ahead of the needs of others and ahead of the needs of God –

 

The kingdom of God – at its heart – is about God’s sovereignty sweeping the world with His love and power – so that all people made in God’s image – and dearly loved by Him – can live in the knowledge that God is in control – and will guide their future –

 

Life in Christ is not measured by what we own or achieve on earth – we will not be judged on whether we could have achieved more or done more –

 

We will be judged by what’s in our hearts – by the heavenly treasures we carried for Jesus – the riches we were willing to share with God and with others – not the earthly ones we carried for ourselves

 

Conclusion

 

Jesus is here with a message that God is ready to shower grace and a new life on people everywhere

 

His values and priorities are bearing down on the greed and anxiety of the world – and turning hearts towards God and His love –

 

We need to play our part – Our key to success is to live a new life in Christ – to be renewed in His image – and to follow and live by Jesus’ ways of forgiveness and love –

 

When we reach our journey’s end – there can be no measure of achievement greater than that.

Amen