Luke 12:13-21

August 2, 1998

Earlier this week, as I was studying today's Scripture lesson - "the parable of the rich fool", it's called - it struck me as ironic that the television news was full of stories about the Powerball drawing. 295 million dollars!

I found myself thinking about what I could do with 295 million dollars. What an interesting problem it would be!

In the middle of all this, our son Peter called from New Hampshire. New Hampshire is a Powerball state. Pete was calling to tell us that he had bought us a ticket! He said the only condition was that, if our ticket won, we had to pay for his wedding next summer, buy he and Melissa a house, get him a Dodge Viper, Melissa a new convertible, and throw in a speed boat, and three wave runners.

As I considered how much money 295 million dollars would actually be, I found myself feeling very generous, so I said, "Pete, I think I'd rather just give you, say, a million dollars and you can buy whatever you want."

He said, "Oh no, you're not getting off the hook! I want the wedding, the house, the car..."

Old Pete evidently hasn't the foggiest idea of how much a million is. He'd probably never be a winner on The Price Is Right! either!

295 million dollars.

The parable of the rich fool.

How interesting that both of these elements collide together this week!

Now, I would imagine that a lot of pulpits this Sunday are going to use the Powerball event, along with this lectionary reading of the parable of the rich fool, to preach about the pro's and con's of state lotteries. I will bet you even money - forgive me for saying that - that those who are opposed to state lotteries will not mention the fact that lotteries were a very common means by which the original thirteen American colonies supported themselves. Now this places many preachers in a difficult position. Those who support the return of prayer to the public schools, for instance, argue that public prayer is in keeping with the Christian principles set forth by the founding fathers and mothers. And it is. Public prayer was a highly-valued principle built into the foundation of America. But so were lotteries. So...if you support restoring prayer to public schools on the basis of returning to America's religious roots, you sort of have to support the lottery idea too! But I don't think that thought will find much play in America's pulpits today. Its much easier, and more popular, you see, to advocate positions that are put out simplistically, without a full range of information, and not enlightened by the facts of history. Beware of such people!

On the other hand, there will be those who brilliantly advocate the idea that lotteries bring much needed state revenue, tax relief, and, in some cases, targeted funds for such important things as education. These folks - like their counterparts on the other side - will not be honest enough to admit that there's a darker side to the story as well. Lotteries take advantage of the poor. Poor people spend more money on lottery tickets than wealthy people. The extra state revenue is provided by the poor. The extra tax relief is provided by the poor. The extra funds for education are provided by the poor. And not only that, but might there be a correlation between the emergence of state-sponsored gambling and the growing attitude in our society that you can get something for nothing and that success does not require work, and commitment, and responsibility? Lottery advocates rarely want to talk about these things because they, like their counterparts on the other side, depend upon limiting the information so that consensus will be won by narrow thought rather than by broad discussion, full information, and comprehensive debate. Beware of such people.

Now if there is a lesson to be learned here, it is that nothing is as simple as it seems.

And that's an important lesson to apply as we take up this passage from the 12^th chapter of Luke. It is not entirely what it appears to be on the surface. Some may see it as a proof text supporting their position against gambling. But it's not. Others may think it is a condemnation of wealth. But its not that either. So come with me into the parable of the rich fool, and let's discover some important truths that can lead us closer to Christ and enrich our lives.

You may find it interesting that this is not a story found only in the Bible. It occurs elsewhere in Middle Eastern literature, and also in the Gospel of Thomas. What's different about it here is how Jesus uses the story to make an important point.

It all starts, of course, when someone in the crowd complains to Jesus about his cheapskate brother who has evidently cheated him out of his rightful share of an inheritance. Jesus gently puts his arm around the guy and says, "Buddy, I'm not going to get between you and your brother. But think about this: be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

Its striking to me how Jesus almost never gets fooled by curve balls. What I mean by that is that - time after time in the Gospels - people come to Jesus presenting what seems to be one kind of problem, but it turns out to be another. At first glance, it appears to be a belt-high fastball. But in case after case, at the last second, that fastball develops a big hook and reveals itself for something else altogether. A curve ball. And although you and I may find ourselves swinging away at the high hard one, Jesus just holds back a bit until the ball hangs, and then knocks it out of the park. That ongoing drama is one of the things that truly excites me about the Bible.

Now here's a guy who thinks his problem is his brother. If only his brother can get straightened out, he'll be a happy man! You know, I feel that way sometimes. Why, if only my dear bride Sandy would get her act together, I could be a really happy dude! If only that Church Council would go along with all my ideas, the world would be a better place. If only I could get that job...if only I could win that lottery...if only I could get my kid to move out of the house and get a job...if only other people would understand me...if only...

Oh, many of us lay our problems and lack of joy at the feet of other people and other things. But here Jesus tells us its wise to look closer to home. This man's problem is not his brother. This man's problem is himself.

And what is it that's making this man so unhappy and pulling him away from his own family?

Why, its greed. The inheritance he anticipates is more important than the relationship he has. And there is probably nothing that will better test our values and our character than the choices we make between things and people. So Jesus says: Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

And then Jesus goes on to tell the story of the guy who builds bigger barns to store all his goods, and just as he finishes the project, drops dead. And the story ends with the key question, "Who does all this stuff belong to now?" And the Middle Eastern humor of the story may not be so obvious, but I can almost hear Jesus giggling as he suggests that all the guy's stuff is probably going to end up being inherited by the very brother who cheated him in the first place!

We need to be careful about greed. But even then, there's a deeper dimension to this story! You see, it looked like a fastball, but it wasn't. Then it appeared to be a curve ball, but lo and behold, now Jesus is holding up his swing again and...look...it's a change-up! Gosh, I love the Bible!

Do you see it? At first the problem seemed to be the nasty brother. Then it seemed the problem was the issue of greed. But now, at the very end of the story, Jesus brings us to where he wants us to be with these words: "So it is with those who store up possessions for themselves but are not rich toward God."

Do you want to be a happy person? Do you want to find the secret to joy? Do you want to learn how to build strong relationships, and experience life at its fullest?

Learn to be rich toward God!

When I was in college, there was a very beautiful and wealthy Congregational church located not too far off campus. In its day, it was a powerful church, attended by many of the city's elite families. But that was before the '60's brought a dramatic demographic shift. White folks moved out to the affluent suburbs. Blacks and Hispanics moved into the inner city. Little by little, the membership dwindled as people became more and more afraid to drive into the city. Some members of the church argued that they ought to more deliberately aim the church's ministry toward the people now living all around it. Goodness knows there were many needs out there. Perhaps they should give the building to a black congregation, or maybe even hire staff who could reach out toward the growing ethnic population. But others maintained that this was their church as it had been their parents' church before them and their parents' before them.. This was the place where there were stored memories - memories of baptisms, weddings and funerals. This church was their sacred barn in which was stored their faith and they couldn't bring themselves to give it up. So they put some money together, closed the doors, and as far as I know, this church still sits there in the midst of tremendous human need, ministering to no one, but well-maintained as an empty building by an endowment fund that will never run out.

On the other hand, there was a Community church located in Radburn, NJ. It was a fairly successful church, but those of you who are familiar with the area know that Radburn is one of the fastest growing Jewish suburbs in the state. As the Christian population declined and church membership diminished, the people of the church faced a similar predicament. After a great deal of prayer, they finally decided to end the church's life as a worshipping congregation. They sold the buildings for a couple of million dollars, and became instead the Church at Radburn Foundation. With monies earned from the trust, the foundation now provides generous financial support to Christian based projects that cultivate ecumenical understandings. A large grant this year was given to our Community Churches to support development of an exciting new program designed to produce racial sensitivity based upon the "agape" love of the New Testament. We may be able to test this program in the not-too-distant future.

Now let me ask you: Which of the two churches do you think was rich toward God?

I believe that Jesus calls us to learn to become generous people. People who prayerfully and creatively dream about and develop ways to pour out their gifts in Jesus' name.

I recently heard about a man who became convinced that God gave him financial skills for a reason other than accumulating wealth for himself. Recently, he felt led to take a sum of money - I'm not sure how much it was - to create a new investment account. It's held separately from his retirement funds and all that. It exists for one reason and one reason only - to produce money that can be donated to causes that help people in Jesus' name. He calls it his Faith Fund! His plan is to aggressively invest the money to produce the highest return it can, and then to give it all away to responsible causes that bring benefit to people, and especially children. Every day this man gets up and manages that fund to make it more and more effective for God.

I think that's the kind of creative generosity that Jesus is calling us toward.

I know another person who has a way with words. Oh, does she have a way with words. She's sort of confined to her home these days, but one of the ways she uses her time is in writing letters to people she knows, and people she reads about in the newspaper. To one family that had been burned out of their home she wrote, "I can't imagine how hard it must be for you. Please know that I am praying for you every day." To a friend who was going through a difficult time, she wrote, "I've never really expressed to you what a beautiful person I think you are. I see Jesus in you."

These are the kinds of down-to-earth things Jesus is talking about when he calls us to be rich toward God.

You see, at the heart of the Christian walk is a choice we have to make almost daily. It is the choice between storage and pourage.

Accumulating. Or disseminating.

Being blessed. Or bless-ing.

As we come to the table today, where we are encountered by Christ's pouring out of his life for us, I want to tell you that you are the most gifted group of people I have ever known.

And I believe with all my heart that the gifts you have are not intended for you alone. Would you put them to use for the Kingdom of God? Would you pray, and creatively imagine how your gifts can touch people and change the world in Jesus' name? Would you be like the man with the Faith Fund, or the woman who writes letters to lift people up?

You see this is not really a parable about a rich fool. It is an invitation to share the kingdom of God..

Go this week, dear friends, and be rich toward God!