Given at the Lynnville (IL) UMC on August 1, 2004, the primary Scripture is from the 12th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 13-21.

“Hi! My name is Steve… and I’m… a packrat!” I think most people who know me would agree with that confession… and my wife, decidedly so! As some of you may know, I have ‘stuff’ saved from when I was in grade school!

I once had, sitting on top of my computer monitor, a wire sculpture that I did in sixth grade, while in the family room yet today is a plaster bust I did in the eighth… neither of which were considered very good by my teachers… I think I received a passing grade for each, but just barely… but in today’s modern-art world, they would probably demand ‘big-bucks’!

Some of you may remember hearing about the box of letters and ticket-stubs and so-on I have from my high-school days, while stored on another shelf is a thirty-odd-year collection of hats, most of which have never been worn. Meanwhile, tucked away in various locations are most of the cowboy hats that I have ever worn, and a fair selection of the clothes and ties that I wore as a teenager, including, I think, all of the coats I have worn since at least 1970. You see, I have a real problem throwing anything away… you just never know when you might need it, or it might come back in style, or you may need to prove something to somebody!!!

But, my problem runs deeper than that! I can’t tell you how many parts I have changed out over the years, only to keep the old ones, dragging them home if need be, just because ‘I might use something off of it someday’! For example, I replaced a turn-signal switch in a Ford van one time that had circuitry problems. But the old one is sat in a box in the garage for Years ‘just in case I ever need a part for the one in my truck’. Never mind that the odds are it wouldn’t have been the right piece… never mind that you can almost never take one of those things apart… never mind that I would probably never find it if I DID need it… if I even remembered that I had it! I saved it, brought it home, and had it someplace in the garage… along with five-hundred other things brought home for similar reasons! I just can’t throw stuff away… their possible value is just too great to me!

However, I must note that not everyone shares my enthusiasm… for example; most would not understand why I once drug home the old shower stall that a guy where I used to work gave me one time. It had leaked, it was pretty small, and we really had no place in that house to install it, but I brought it home anyway and unloaded it next to the garage. As far as I know, it’s still laying there today. The last I saw it, all of the plastic sides had been broken, and weeds and small trees had grown up around and hidden it, but it was still there… I just Couldn’t seem to be able to get rid of it!

Now, in my mind, I look at all of this stuff and consider the vast amount of wealth I have represented there. Others, however… wonder why the garage is full of junk while the new car sits outside in the weather! I need more garage! I need more storage! A barn… or maybe two! Come to think of it, I did have stuff stored over in other people’s barns at one time! Oh well! Maybe a warehouse… someplace where I can really store everything in order and then do a computerized inventory so I can know what I have and where I can find it!

Sound familiar? The man in Jesus’ parable, today, had a similar problem… he just had too much ‘stuff’, and was trying to figure out how to keep it all! But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves… let’s start at the beginning.

The Life Application Commentary tells us that, “Perhaps because of Jesus’ constant insistence on justice, a person from the crowd asked him to arbitrate a dispute. Instead of addressing the injustice, Jesus exposed the greedy motives of the man and revealed God’s perspective on the foolishness of greed. The simple parable Jesus told describes a person who is solely concerned with himself — his welfare, pleasure, and security. He showed no gratitude towards God or willingness to share with those less fortunate, and his ingratitude invoked God’s anger and led to the man’s downfall.

With every one of his teachings, Jesus gave a glimpse of heaven. Here, in vivid detail, can be seen God’s reaction to the greedy — those who gather as much as they can for themselves. The Lord is appalled at their foolish ingratitude, and he rewards their hard work foolishly spent on themselves with severe judgment. If a person won’t distribute his or her resources to others in this life, God will do it after the person’s death. In effect, Jesus was telling this person to get his priorities straight…”

Now, at this point many preachers would concentrate on those priorities by breaking into a stewardship sermon regarding the idea of ‘who does it belong to in the first place?’ Indeed, most bulletin pictures available for these verses reflect that very idea… and yes, I’ll take just a moment to address that particular angle myself by quoting, once again, from the Life Application Commentary…

“Jesus warned against greed for possessions. Greed keeps track of every tool lent, every dime shared, every overtime minute worked, every check to charity grudgingly written.

Jesus leads the way to generosity, a rare trait today. As God opens heaven to you, clutch less what you own and share more what you have been given.”

However, in Matthew 23:23-24, Jesus says, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

Now, there is no record of any Jewish law requiring the tithing of spices… however, in an effort to appear earnest and diligent in their observance of the law, these people were tithing even these items each year. Jesus praised them for that… but condemned them for their failure in practicing those aspects of the law that really mattered… justice… mercy… and faithfulness!

It is very true that we need to be far more aware of just what the true source of all of our earthly wealth is… if God had not blessed us with the intelligence and abilities to do the things we do, we would have nothing! So, indeed, everything we have we have through the blessings of God, and we need to be much more mindful of that at times… there is a quote someone gave me a few years ago that I think is very apropos… “Don’t give until it hurts… give until it feels good!” We all need to remember that sometimes, and return to God more of what He has been so generous with to us.

But I would also point out that money is not always our most valuable possession… for many of us living today, our time is as valuable, if not more so, than the cash we may have tucked away in some account somewhere! And if that be the case, shouldn’t we also be giving God more of that as well?

The Life Application Commentary says that, “It is possible to carefully obey certain details of God’s laws but still be disobedient in our general behavior. For example, we could be very precise and faithful about giving 10 percent of our money to the church but refuse to give one minute of our time in helping others. Tithing is important, but giving a tithe does not exempt us from fulfilling God’s other directives.”

And that leads me to the point that I really wish to make today… something, I think, that goes still deeper, and in reality has far more meaning and impact on our lives than the ‘money’ issue! And it goes back to what I think Jesus was really getting at when He said… “…a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

In Romans chapter 5, Paul says…

“For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God — all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.”

Let me read that last part again… “…we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God — all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.”

In Hosea 11: 1-11, God says…

“When Israel was a child, I loved him as a son, and I called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called to him, the more he rebelled, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols. It was I who taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him. I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him.

“But since my people refuse to return to me, they will go back to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria. War will swirl through their cities; their enemies will crash through their gates and destroy them, trapping them in their own evil plans. For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me.”

These people had a personal relationship with God each and every day… and yet they turned away from Him and turned to other things more ‘comprehendible’… an idol that they could see… a ritual that brought them personal glory or pleasure… and God, in turn, turned from them.

How is your relationship with God?

In Barnes’ Notes we read, concerning today’s verses, “What an awful sentence to a man who, as he thought, had just gotten ready to live and enjoy himself! In a single moment all his hopes were blasted, and his soul summoned to the bar of his long-forgotten God. So, many are surprised as suddenly and as unprepared. They are snatched from their pleasures, and hurried to a world where there is no pleasure, and where all their wealth cannot purchase one moment’s ease from the gnawings of the worm that never dies.”

Again… how is your relationship with God? Are you praying each day? Are you reading His Word? Are you opening up yourself to His wants and desires for you? Are you letting yourself be fully immersed in the love and strength that comes with a full and rich relationship with God?

That’s what Jesus is asking here. Because there is nothing of nor on this earth that will earn anyone a place in Heaven… no amount of money or grain or new cars or big houses or fancy clothes will get you through those golden gates! For, just as all of my old parts and machinery and what-have-you have no value to anyone else… the only thing that matters to God is your faith… your love… and how you have combined those things in doing His work during your lifetime!