August 1, 2004

Mindekirken Aug 1, 2004
Pastor Jens Arne Dale

Luke 12.13-21

Have you ever received a big inheritance? In today’s text we meet two brothers who had inherited. But they couldn’t agree on how to share. Sometimes siblings might experience an inheritance as more of a strain than a blessing. We’ve heard histories about siblings who have fallen out with each other due to inheritance. It happens that they even might avoid sitting together during the funeral…Some stop talking with each other for years…Is a piano or a cabin worth that life should be poisoned by envy? Are a few stocks worth bitterness which might split the flock of siblings?

The man we meet in today’s text obviously felt offended by his brother due to division of an inheritance. And honestly; difficult division of inheritance should be brought to the probate court, a lawyer or another neutral institution which all heirs would accept. As a rabbi, Jesus was a natural choice for someone who needed help to divide an inheritance and still maintain a good relationship with his brother. But Jesus refused to be a judge. Instead he came up with a general warning against greed. The portrait of the rich peasant is ingenious, sad and actual at the same time.

The peasant, no character comes closer to the description of the story of creation: God put man on the earth to care for it. Work is the call of God. When you go to work, either as a farmer, industrial worker, teacher, physician or businessman, you do what God wants us to do. At our daily jobs, we are the co-workers of the creator. That’s also the case if you work at home without receiving a paycheck. If you are retired or on unemployment or sickness benefit, you’re still part of God’s great dream of this world: to fill the earth and subdue it, Gen 1.28. We serve God through our daily life. Life is a gift, and God’s blessing is present wherever humankind is.

But this is not the whole picture. After the fall, the human of the earth, Adam, still had to keep the earth even though it brought forth thorns and thistles. By sweat on your face you shall eat bread, Gen 3.19. Work would also be a burden. Life is a gift, but it might also be experienced as a toil. What is blessed might be felt like a curse.

What would you say about the farmer who Jesus portrayed? It looks like he did most things right. Many would have said that he harvested greatly and was really blessed. He rebuilt his barns to make them bigger, and planned carefully for retirement. The rich farmer said to himself: Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. I guess he was a snowbird with a big country house in Arizona. He kept his golf clubs ready both in Minnesota and Florida.

We are fascinated by people with money. We simply love stories about success. How many of you have been to the new Ikea store? Many go there because they have little money and feel they get a good value for themselves at the new furniture store. Others just go to take a look at all times biggest furniture business. Bill Gates has got competition for the title richest man in the world. Few things are more American than the dream about success. America is the land of opportunities for the one who would like to become rich.

One of the first to experience success came from Iraq. Abraham had camels, sheep and cattle, and a promise of land and offspring. Wealth was regarded as God’s blessing in the OT. Our neighbors in Gjøvik, Norway, happen to originate from the same city as Abraham, Ur of the Chaldeans. When I was back home this summer, I spoke with Mohammed, and he assured me that Norway is the best land in the world. As a political refugee he and his family have experienced the blessing, not of personal richness, but enjoying the common good in one of the world’s richest nations. But affluence is not the same as happiness.

Norway is on top also when it comes to sick leave. It's a good thing that we have the benefit, but a sad thing that we need it, and even worse when people exploit the system. Something must be wrong when 25 % of the workforce is on sick leave all the time. Is there something wrong with attitudes and work ethics? Affluence has brought some unhealthy habits and life style sicknesses. In Norway they talk about the up-growing generation as less robust physically and psychologically than the previous generation. You can’t just vote for a good life, even if you have plenty of money.

In the Lord’s prayer we say: Give us today our daily bread. But we shouldn’t forget that we continue: Lead us not into temptation. The rich farmer had plenty of daily bread. But he had been led into temptation. He was captive in his own selfishness.

The parable is full of words like I, me, my and mine. A student was once asked what part of speech my and mine are. He answered aggressive pronouns. The rich farmer was aggressively self-centered.

The Romans had a proverb which said that money was like sea-water; the more a man drank the thirstier he became.

Paul said: The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.1 Tim 6.10. Those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. Jesus warned against the lure of wealth. The prophets of the OT attacked the greedy rich ones who suppressed poor people and exploited them in an unfair way. The rich farmer never saw beyond himself, and he had no heart for his neighbor.

The rich farmer never saw beyond this world. But God said to him: You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be? When one plays Monopoly, the one who has the most money at the end is the winner. That’s not the case in real life. By collecting money only for oneself, one loses. You can’t take anything with when you pass away, it’s written in a song, and it sounds biblical.

Paul puts things in order in the letter to his young friend Timothy: And for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share. 1 Tim 6.17-18.

What did it benefit the rich man that the barn was full when God’s spot in his life was empty? A robber may say: Give me your money or I’ll take your life. The rich man kept his money, but lost eternal life. He followed the rich young ruler who came running to Jesus and asked how he should inherit eternal life. Jesus examined him about the commandments, which he claimed to have kept. But when Jesus pointed out that money had taken God’s place in his life, he went away grieving. He had been blessed with treasure, but it had become a curse because it had taken God’s place in his life.

Jesus calls us to follow him. According to that, we would regard our treasure as his gifts, and be willing to share with others. Paul says there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment. 1 Tim 6.6.

The goal of our lives is not to become rich, but rich toward God. The one who has his treasure in heaven, doesn’t need to worry. He knows that God cares.

Glory be to God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen.

The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ·  924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 ·  (612)874-0716