The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr

 

Luke 12: 13-21

What does it mean to be secure? Some say it’s to be safe and protected, not worry about anything, or be unharmed. Others say it’s having what you want or having things that can’t be easily lost. Many feel secure when they have a roof over their head, food in the pantry, and money in the bank. Some feel secure in the Holy Spirit. We feel secure when we turn on our house alarm to protect our belongings and ourselves. What makes you feel secure?

The movie The Big Short is a true story based on the U.S. financial crisis in 2008. In  mid-2000, the housing market was considered the safest investment in the world. Banks were giving out mortgages left and right, even to people who couldn’t afford them. Then the banks were taking these risky mortgages that they had given to people, they were bundle them all together, and selling them off to investors. People were borrowing money and spending money, and the investors felt invincible. People were buying the homes of their dreams. Investors were getting rich. It was a time to relax, eat, drink, and be merry. The investors, the homeowners, the bankers, everyone felt secure, safe, and protected with nothing to worry about. Times were good.

It's a lot like the story of the rich man Jesus is telling the crowd about in our Gospel reading today. In the story, the man had acres and acres of land, and his crops grew abundantly. Growing so much that his barns could not hold all of his crops. They were just too small. He had the financial means to afford bigger barns, so he tore down the small barns and built bigger ones. This way, he would have a surplus to last him for years. He could relax, eat, drink, and be merry. The landowner felt secure, safe, and protected, with nothing to worry about. Times were good.

As this man is relaxing and being merry, God shows up and gives him a new name, “fool.” “You fool!” says God. “Tonight you’re going to die. None of these things you’ve stored up for yourself will do you any good. Now, who will get all your things?” Who are they going to belong to? What he thought was security, was not going to save him.

You may ask, “Colette, does this mean I can’t have stuff? Does this mean that I can’t have nice things?” No, that’s not what this means. Jesus’ story says that we have to be rich toward God. Yes, we can have “stuff”, but God also wants us to invest in God’s kingdom. It’s what theologians call “the economy of grace.” The economy of grace means that we live in the reality that everything is a gift from God. It means that our security comes from God’s love, not from possessions or success. And it means that when we live with abundance, we say, “God provides all I need; I can share freely.”

The man with the grain only thought about himself. He says, “My crops. My grain. My goods. My barns. My soul. I will do this. I will do that.” At no time does he ever think of others. He doesn’t thank God for what he’s been given. We don’t know if he has family or friends, but he sure doesn’t act like it. He doesn’t say, “I have so much that I’m going to see if my friends need any.” Instead, he says, “I have so much, I need to build a bigger barn.” He found his security in his accumulation.

There’s a family I know in Richmond Hill. For various reasons, they live in scarcity. Their pantry is bare, and I suspect they go to bed hungry most nights. Their church helps them when they can, but it’s never enough. The family puts their trust and security in God.

On Wednesday of this past week, there was a knock at their door. They opened the door, and standing there were three complete strangers; the family had no idea who these people were. When they looked down at the hands of the strangers, the hands were filled with grocery bags. The complete strangers were standing there with bags and bags of food that filled the family pantry, filled their freezer, and filled their refrigerator – canned goods, chicken, beef, shrimp, pasta, eggs; they even brought food for their pets. The strangers said they had heard that the family was struggling, and they wanted to help. They said they would be back in a week, and then they would be back once a month. They told the family, “From now on, you will never be without food.” These strangers shared their excess grain. They invested in God’s kingdom.

The housing bubble burst in 2008. People had been borrowing and spending, thinking the good times would never end. Homeowners began defaulting on loans, and the whole system crumbled. Banks collapsed, and millions of people lost their homes and their jobs. People had trusted in money, houses, and credit as their security. Instead of investing in God’s kingdom, the more money they made, the more they wanted. Like the rich fool, people trusted in what they could accumulate and control. It was all just an illusion of security. Our security systems can collapse instantly, but God’s love and care for us does not.  

Jesus is not telling us to live irresponsibly and not work or not save. He’s not telling us not to plan for the future. He’s telling us that instead of hoarding, like the rich fool, we should share and care for others because our treasure, our security, is in heaven, not the bank.

The family I know had felt insecure. They were worried about where their next meal would come from. They were doing their best to provide for themselves. And then, in a way they didn’t expect, God cared for them, through God’s people. Instead of self-reliance and storage, they experienced dependence on God and God’s provision through community. This is “the economy of grace.” Grace often flows through people.

What does being “rich toward God” look like in your life right now? True security is not found in what we own or in what we control. True security is found in God’s never-ending love and care. Wealth and plans can vanish in an instant. Hoarding our wealth can lead to a false sense of security. We are called to live wisely and generously. If God provides for you, don’t just store—bless others.      Amen.