Life is not about having much but being much!

Luke 12:13-21

13 Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance." 14 He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?" 15 Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." 16 Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. 17 He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' 18 Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, 19 and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!' 20 "Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And then your barnful of goods, who gets it?' 21 "That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."

Food for thought!

                       

Jesus refused  and refuses to be mixed up  in our disputes about wealth. However, out of that man's request there came to Jesus an opportunity to lay down what his followers' attitude to material things should be. Jesus did it in the form of a parable. Two things stand out about the man in the parable.

(a) He never saw beyond himself. 

There is no parable which is so full of the words, I, me, my and mine. The rich fool was indeed self-centred. This man had never thought of giving any of this abundance away. His whole attitude was the very reverse of Christianity. Instead of denying himself he aggressively affirmed himself; instead of finding his happiness in giving he tried to conserve it by keeping.

The Romans had a proverb which said that money was like sea-water; the more a man drank the thirstier he became. And so long as a man's attitude is that of the rich fool his desire will always be to get more, and that is the reverse of the Christian way. Our life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. Life  is not a question of having but of being. Life is not about having much but being much.

(b) He never saw beyond this world. 

All his plans were made on the basis of life here. There is a story of a conversation between a young and ambitious boy and an older man who knew life. Said the young man, "I will learn my trade." "And then?" said the older man. "I will set up a business." "And then?" "I will make my fortune." "And then?" "I suppose that I shall grow old and retire and live on my money." "And then?" "Well, I suppose that some day I will die." "And then?" came the last stabbing question.

The man who never remembers that there is another world is destined some day for shock. Yes, we too are fools to store up earthly wealth but neglect to have a rich relationship with God. What we have will be lost one day; what we are is ours for ever. So we do well to invest in being more than in having more.