Sermon 2022.07.31
Jesus is asked to get involved in a dispute regarding an inheritance. He says to not be greedy, and then tells a parable about a rich man who harvests a bumper crop of grain. The man builds larger storage facilities. Why didn’t the rich man sell the excess grain? The price would drop. The rich man doesn’t want to see the price of his grain diminish, so he would rather store it, and sell it later. Nevermind people who are hungry.
Jesus criticizes this approach. He says that we could die at any moment. What good will all of our hard work of preserving the price of things bring us when we die? Nothing. Maybe we should concern ourselves about the quality and preponderance of life; at least as much as the quality and preponderance of money.
You used to be able to fill up your tires with air for free at the gas station. Now they charge money. Do you know why that is? Inflation. Get it? Inflation. So what is the government doing to address inflation? They are raising interest rates. They are giving an incentive for people and institutions to save money just like the rich grain grower did in Jesus’ parable. Too much grain in the market drops the price of grain; just like too much money in the market drops the price of the dollar.
What would Jesus do to address inflation? He would admonish us to beware of greed, and tell us a parable. He would warn us to not be fools, to not focus on preserving the worth of an artificial instrument like money; but instead pray to have enough bread for one day, and pray that God’s kingdom of peace and justice would come here on earth. You can’t take it with you, but you can shape your legacy.
Tradition holds that King Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. He lacked nothing in terms of wealth and power. Solomon surveys all that he has and concludes that it is meaningless, that working and toiling for wealth, power, and security is like chasing after the wind. No matter how much you get it won’t be enough, you will die, and you cannot control what others will do with it.
The despair that Solomon feels isn’t all bad. Reflecting on life’s brevity can open the possibility of faith. You can see that life is a precious gift of grace. You can serve your neighbor in love with the time you have.
One way that we can practice our faith, serve our neighbor, and keep greed in check is through stewardship. Faithfully giving away a portion of your income, perhaps 10% if you are able, is a way of trusting in God’s Grace. This applies not just to us as individuals, but to institutions, and us as a church. We as a church body need to be generous too.
A couple of weeks ago during Sunday School, one very young child innocently asked, “What does God do with the money we give?” I said that the church together decides what we do with the money. Most of it is used to pay the bills of the church, the lights, the gas, and the salaries of the staff including the pastor. Some of the money we give away to help others in need. That’s how we give it to God.
Sheri and I give 10% of my gross cash income as an offering. We have also written Grace Lutheran Church into our last will and testament as a beneficiary. I would like to see us as a congregation move toward tithing as well. It is so important for us to support the work of the synod and the wider church.
There may be no better time in history to be generous than right now. Economy is a biblical word. It means: managing a house. The true currency of any economy is trust. Trust is created when we sacrificially give and help one another in times of need. So have faith, and be generous. Amen.
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