Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” 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?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’
He said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Luke 12:13-31
It is hard, in this economy, not to be worried about money, budgets and the cost of living. We want our share and we want to protect it. Jesus was really clear when a member of the crowd demanded Jesus act as arbitrator and get him his "due", his inheritance. Jesus refused then and refuses now. In hard times like these, he suggests we should be generous and caring, not hoarding, greedy and selfish. He invites us, in our unique time, to trust the love of the living God, who feeds the birds of the air and the give great beauty to the flowers. Worry can breed paranoia and greed, while trust and love breed the gifts of compassion. Let us, when we are tempted to be greedy, turn and share God's love and provisions with others.
Wondrous Creator, life is renewed every morning
you watch over us as we sleep in the dark night
and help us as we prepare for the long winter ahead.
You remind us that there is always enough, yet we panic
thinking we will not have enough, we will surely perish
yet forgetting to see the beauty of the raven and the lilies.
Help us to turn, Lord, in this season of deep turning
facing our fears and trusting you with solutions
so love might flow where greed once ruled the streets. Amen.
