An
Opportunity to Refocus: Bigger Barns or Richer Relationships?
Texts:
Luke 12:13-21 (main focus); Colossians 3:1-11
Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to
you from the one who is and who was and who is to come, our living Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Okay…(take i-Phone camera out)…time to FOCUS!
I just got this phone two weeks ago, after the screen on my other phone took a
nosedive and shattered. So, I’m still learning to use it, but I am loving the
camera on it. So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to take a picture of you all
this morning, okay? :)
(Put on panoramic mode)…All right, smile and
say, “Coffee!” (Take picture) There! Thank you! I think this turned out pretty
well!
Sometimes, though, do our cameras lose focus? The picture we
take turns out blurry…The camera wants to focus on something other than what we
want it to focus on. When it does that, we need to adjust it.
Today’s Gospel reading from Luke deals with
adjusting focus. It starts with a man who almost sounds like he’s commanding Jesus,
“Tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” Jesus doesn’t help
the man get his inheritance but shows him a different way. An opportunity to
refocus. Life is not valued by one’s possessions. This man was allowing the
inheritance to come between his relationship with his brother, even his
relationship with Jesus, as we see in the way he calls out to Jesus.
Now money in and of itself is not a bad
thing. It can do wonderful things. It can provide for us and our families, it
can be given to help those in need, it can buy coffee and other enjoyments. It’s
not so much about the money as it is the attitude towards it.
So, what is worth, the true value of life?
In the last verse (verse 21), we hear the words, “rich toward God.” What does it mean to be rich toward God?
When you look at what Jesus says in the four
gospels, true richness comes in the form of relationship: relationship with God
and relationships with others. Think of the stories we’ve heard from Luke’s
Gospel over the last few weeks: the Good Samaritan, helping us to think who our
neighbors are and how to treat them. We also heard about Mary and Martha:
Martha was distracted by the busyness of providing hospitality for Jesus that
she was missing out on the chance to listen to and spend time with him. The
relationship was the far better thing.
So, in regards to today’s story of what is
known as “the rich fool,” maybe we need to ask ourselves where our hearts and
actions find themselves: Is it bigger
barns or richer relationships? What do we allow to cause us to lose focus on
our relationship with God and others?
Jesus often used parables or stories to
teach. Today is no exception. He tells the story of a rich man who has
basically allowed greed to get the best of him. The rich man is all about, “I.”
We hear him thinking to himself, then having a conversation to himself, “What
should I do…I have no place…I will do this: I will pull down…I will store…I
will say to my soul.” He is also all about “my”: “my crops…my barns…my grain
and my goods…my soul.” No one else is in the story except the man and his
abundant crops…Until the voice of God speaks to him. This man had shut everyone
else from his life and thoughts. For him, is it bigger barns or richer relationships?
In this story, maybe it’s not so much about
the abundant crops, or as the song says, “It’s not about the money, money,
money”…Maybe it’s the focus on oneself, “I/my.” The greatest sin is living life
inward for self instead of outward for God and others. The rich man is preoccupied
with possessions. Feeling secure in being self-sufficient. He provides for
himself, not needing anyone else. He can make it on his own. His provisions
will care for him for many years. He does not need the security of God’s love, nor
the love of family and friends, or a community like Holy Cross for support.
Have we ever felt like that? What do we allow to cause us to lose focus
on our relationship with God and others? Do we keep to ourselves? Go it
alone? Dear friends in Christ, we are not meant to “go it alone.” We are
created to be loved and to love. God loves us, and we are to love God and others.
We are created for relationship: relationship with God and one another. As God
exists in a community of love—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—we, too, are called to
be a community of love. To each other and to people out in the world who may have
never heard of or experienced unconditional love.
Winston Churchill once said, “We make a
living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” The old adage, “Whoever
has the most toys when he dies wins,” is a lie, because what do you really win?
You’re dead!…and the toys will go to someone else.
Another quote I heard this week was, “If it
was easy to love your neighbor, Jesus would not have talked about it so much.” That
may be true…And Mother Teresa says about true love, that it “causes pain.
Jesus, in order to give us proof of his love, died on the cross. A mother, in
order to give birth to her baby, has to suffer. If you really love one another,
you will not be able to avoid making sacrifices.”
Sacrifices…Friday marked the end of a
chapter for me in my life: After almost four years, it was my last “regularly-scheduled”
shift working at Caribou. It was a mixture of emotions for me, because I am
embarking on a new, exciting, unknown journey where God is calling. It’s sad to
leave the warmth, laughs, conversations, and smiling faces I have come to know,
and they have come to know me. Who would think that saying “Hello!” every
morning in a British accent to a certain customer would build a connection? I
do have her phone number, and at least I am only a phone call away, so I can
call this woman and say, “Hello!” :)
Truth be told, and this may come as a shock,
but working at Caribou will not make you anywhere near a millionaire. Although
I kind of felt like one, being surrounded by all that coffee! But, it was
something a million times better: it was rich in relationships. My friends, you
can’t put a price tag on that.
Bigger barns or richer relationships?
Because of the love given and received
there, to and from coworker and customer alike, it’s very hard to leave. True
love causes pain. But true love is ultimately what holds us together. Yes,
Christ suffered and died on the cross. But Christ also rose again on the third
day, overcoming death and the grave.
In baptism, the “old” is put to death, and
the “new” rises. Our Colossians text from today focuses on that. We have died to
the foolish chasing after bigger barns, but we have also been raised with
Christ. Life in Christ includes reorienting our values. We can take hold of a
life shaped by God’s love in Christ. And that is true richness.
Because of Christ, we are free! WOO HOO! Say
it with me, “WOO HOO!” :)
Because of Christ, we are free from all of
the things in this life that may weigh us down…Free from worry…Free from greed,
the “need,” want of bigger barns…Isn’t that good news? We are also free TO have
richer relationships with God and others.
Today, maybe you’re wondering, “How can I
have a richer relationship with God? With others?” Take some time today and
focus on where your heart and actions are. If you are looking to deepen your
relationship with Christ, take a few minutes extra each day in the Word and
prayer. Find a Bible study to be a part of. If you are looking to deepen
relationships with others, is there a person that God has been putting on your
heart to call? Call them. Strike up a conversation with the cashier at Rainbow
or Target. Take someone out for coffee.
When we lose focus, by the help and grace of
the Holy Spirit, we can adjust it and refocus. As a really good friend told me
this week after a friend of his suddenly passed away, it causes contemplation. Do we need to spend more time with those we
love? Do we need to be less busy? As in the rich man’s case, why does it
sometimes seem to take our mortality or someone else’s to cause us to stop and
reflect?
Are we investing in bigger barns or richer
relationships? Are we growing in our relationship with Christ? Are we being as
Christ to all we meet? Our loved ones, family, friends, congregation member…The
stranger, the cashier, the barista, the homeless?
I want to close with a story I heard a
couple of weeks ago, and I don’t know if it’s a true story, but it’s a good one
nonetheless…Pastor
Jeremiah Steepek transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the
10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that
morning. He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling
with people for service. Only 3 people out of the many people there said hello
to him. He asked people for change to buy food - NO ONE in the church gave him
change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and
was asked by the ushers if he would please sit in the back. He greeted people only
to be greeted back with stares and dirty looks.
As he sat in the back of
the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was
done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the
church to the congregation. "We would like to introduce to you Pastor
Jeremiah Steepek." The congregation looked around clapping with joy and
anticipation. The homeless man sitting in the back stood up and started walking
down the aisle. The clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him. He walked up the
altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused
for a moment then he recited Matthew 25:34-45, which ends with Jesus saying, “The
King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of
these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (NRSV).
That
was pretty much the sermon for the week. They needed the opportunity to
refocus. Thankfully, God does give us those opportunities. Unfortunately for
the rich man, his opportunities had run out. Today we have the opportunity to
ask ourselves if we need to refocus. Bigger
barns or richer relationships? What do we allow to cause us to lose focus on
our relationship with God and others? Let’s live into the
freedom we have in Christ and be rich toward God! Instead of “Give me
more,” may it be “Give me Jesus.” And share Christ with others.
And now may the peace of God that surpasses
all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Caroline Harthun
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
9:30am
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Children’s
Message
Hi, guys! How are you doing today? Great!
So, today is a special day for me, to be
with you all, so I want to celebrate with you, is that okay? Great!
How many of you like chocolate? I know it’s one
of my favorites. Let’s see…(pull the big Kit Kat out of my bag) Do you like Kit
Kats? Should we each eat one? Woo hoo!
(Take the small Kit Kats out of the bag)
Okay, here you guys go!
(If they have confused looks on their faces)
What? (See if they say anything about the candy-size difference) Because I’m
older and bigger, doesn’t that mean I get the bigger candy bar?
As we hear in our readings today, when we
are baptized, we become a member of God’s family, a child of God. We are all
God’s children. And God loves all of us equally. Do you have brothers or
sisters? Does your mom or dad love you all equally? Just like our parents love
us, God loves all of us, not loving one more than the other.
When we become part of God’s family, what
separates us or makes us different doesn’t make us who we are; we are all in
Christ. Jesus gives us our main identity. As we follow Jesus, we are to become
more like Jesus.
For example, would Jesus keep the big candy
bar for himself? No…He would give it to someone else who didn’t have one. Who
should we give it to? I know…Should we give it to Pastor Anne? Great! :)
Shall we pray? Dear God: Thank you so much
for choosing us. Help us to remember that we are all your loved children and
that no one is better or less than the other. We are happy to be part of your
family. Thank you for blessing us with more than we need. Help us to share with
others who may not have as much. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Remember to take your
Kit Kat with you! Thanks for coming up this morning! :)
