Introduction
Read from Lords day 44 in the Heidelberg Catechism
Their minds are focused on things that are passing away. Put your guard up against covetousness and greed. They aren’t about need they are about the sinfulness of our heart. We don’t need more stuff but we want more. This is a problem. Jesus is warning about this kind of sin. It throws off our contentment with what God has given us. Jesus teaches us for self-sacrifice not self-service. Godly restraint. Modesty in living. Our lives are more than our possessions.
Greed is as common as water among sinners. In this story the man was only thinking of himself. God shakes us in our times of want He reminds us that all comes from Him. Our culture teaches us that having more things is good.
Faith in Christ crucified is the true riches. True comfort and true riches. Jesus life did not consist in possessions of this world.
He taught us to offer up kindness and prayer to others. To give and not expecting anything in return. He taught us to bear fruit that lasts. This is what was wise in Gods eyes. When we are blessed with abundance we need to share with others. We need to pray for the needs of others. To show compassion. To think about others apart from ourselves.
The nature of the church is for the world see our compassion, our love. Jesus emptied Himself. Left the throne to come give His life for us.
Luke 12:13-21 (NKJV) 13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 “And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 “So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, [and] be merry.” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So [is] he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”