In the Name of the Father, and of the +
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Shortly before telling this parable to the crowds, Jesus
prayed, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden
these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.”[1]
The parable before us this evening is not intended to be complicated. In fact,
Jesus tells us exactly what the parable is intended to illustrate: “Take heed
and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of
the things he possesses.”[2]
At the end of the parable, He even tells us the consequences for not learning this
lesson: “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”[3]
This parable speaks not of possessions, but of the
orientation of your heart. You are warned against covetousness, not theft,
pride, or gluttony. At first blush, the man in the parable seems to be making
wise decisions. He is almost like the ant in Aesop’s fable, who spent all spring
and summer gathering grain so that he would have food in the winter. In that
fable, it is the grasshopper, who spent the spring and summer in idle leisure,
who starves when the weather turns cold.
Our rich man has more grain than he knows what to do with. He
considers his options and decides to tear down his barns and build bigger barns.
When that is done, he will retire so that he can eat, drink, and be merry. This
seems like the ideal life. In fact, it is the life many of us are living, have
lived, or aspire to live. Work hard now so that I can eat, drink, and be merry
later.
Yet the rich man is not our hero. He is condemned to hell
for his actions in this parable. Notice first that he has no one to speak to.
He must consult with himself, with his own soul. If every man is born sinful,
and indeed he is, then we must know that conferring with one’s own soul will
only lead to sin. Not only this, but we are given no indication that the rich
man considers using his wealth for the benefit of anyone but himself. As a rich
man, he almost certainly has employees, but they do not factor into his
calculations. He does not even pause to thank God for the richness of his soil,
the fertility of his seeds, and the yield of his crops.
While the rich man seems to be virtuous, he is in fact
nothing but a fool. His own soul leads him astray. His heart is turned inward, focused
only on the accumulation of wealth so that he might gain more wealth, and then
satisfy the passions of his flesh with food, drink, and pleasures.
Covetousness always leads to idolatry. It leads to idolatry because
covetousness involves the obsession of your heart. It is the turning of your
heart toward something that God has not given to you, something that is not
yours by right. If your heart is turned toward anything but God, you have
committed idolatry. St. Paul speaks very harshly against the Corinthian Church,
equating the aspirations of the rich man, to “eat, drink, and be merry,” to denying
the resurrection:
Why do we stand in jeopardy every
hour? 31 I affirm, by the boasting in you
which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32If,
in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage
is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat
and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 33Do not be
deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” [In the case of our rich
man, this evil company is the council of his own soul, a soul evil from birth,
turned away from God and hostile to the Almighty.] 34Awake
to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I
speak this to your shame.[4]
The rich man is not condemned for having great wealth. It is
more difficult for a rich man to be saved than for a camel to pass through the
eye of a needle, but temporal riches are not sinful. Idolatry is sinful. Coveting
is idolatry. Therefore, coveting riches is sinful. Coveting more time is
sinful. Coveting health is sinful. Coveting the admiration of man is sinful.
Coveting approval of the world is sinful. Covetousness is sinful and all are
guilty.
See what a covetous heart will yield. According to our Lord,
it might yield great riches, enough to retire on. A covetous heart will also
yield loneliness. It will drive others far from you and you won’t even notice.
You won’t notice because your eyes, ears, and all your members will be
singularly focused on the desire of your heart. Covetousness may yield for you
the satisfaction of your passions—hunger, thirst, sexual pleasure,
entertainment, and more. Covetousness will certainly yield an eternity in hell,
where those same passions will be turned into torment.
Afterall, you cannot take your possessions with you when you
die. And why would you want to? This heaven and earth will pass away but on the
last day, God will recreate the heavens and earth. They will be remade in
perfection. You will be remade in perfection. You will have everything to satisfy
your every need because you will have the presence of Christ. You will be gathered
together with the saints in glory. What more do you need?
With that in mind, we can understand how our earthly life is
defined. Of what does one’s life consist?[5]
It first consists in the abundance of God’s love. You are a creation of God,
beloved by the Father, redeemed by the shed blood of Christ, and the temple of
the Holy Spirit. Whether your fields have produced little or more than you can
handle, you have everything necessary for eternity.
Second, your life consists in Holy Baptism. Here, you
received the Name of the Triune God, sealed upon your head. On that day, you
were drowned. You died. Death no longer defines you because it does not have a
claim to you. Thus your biological life consists in your spiritual life. You
are a united being who has been washed in the flood of Jesus’ blood.
Finally, your life consists in your participation in the
Body of Christ, the Church. In Holy Baptism, you were also made a member of the
Body of Christ. You were grafted into His body such that you now share in the
unity of the one, holy, catholic, and Apostolic church. All around you are your
brothers and sisters in Christ. In this case, blood and water are the same
thickness, because you are united to each other in the water of Holy Baptism,
made a Sacrament in the Blood of Jesus.
Your life does not consist in the abundance, or lack, of
possessions. You are not defined by these things, and you ought to flee from
those possessions which draw the focus of your heart away from God. Repent of
your covetousness and flee to those things God has given you. Flee toward that
of which your life does consist – God’s Word of love and forgiveness, your
Baptism, and the Church. With what possessions you do have, be generous.
Retirement is not a sin, but miserliness is. So is prodigal living.
Do not store up an abundance of wealth because tomorrow is
not certain. Christians should daily pray, “Lord, come quickly,”[6]
and mean it. Should He answer our prayers and return before the next rising of
the sun, there will be no use for treasures on earth. Store up instead,
treasures in heaven, that is, treasures of love, charity, faithfulness, hope,
courage, and humility.
Above all, give thanks to God Almighty for everything you
have been given. You may be spending the next few days surrounded by friends
and family. You may be spending it alone. You may have a feast. You may have whatever
is in the fridge. Give thanks. Give thanks because God has called you by the
Holy Gospel.
And if you are alone, call a brother in Christ. Do not be
shy. In so doing, you will give him the opportunity to love you and fulfill his
vocation to you. You will give him someone with whom to share the abundance of
his table. Most of all, you will join together in the Body of Christ, thereby
enjoying the abundance of your life.
In + Jesus’
name. Amen.
