Sunday, August 3, 2025

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-26
Psalm 100
Colossians 3:1-11
Luke 12:13-21

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name.

My favorite photos from our trip to Honduras were moments I captured of the adults, both team members and moms, interacting with the children. I am a people watcher, and it was such a pleasure to see the love and joy in their faces. I spent several minutes watching one of the moms playing with a small boy who is in her care. She lifted him up, swung him around, tickled his belly, and spun him around and around. He giggled with every new movement. On another occasion, that same mom was bouncing on the trampoline with him. He wanted her to do all the work, and she happily complied. They laughed and laughed. It made me happy to watch their joy. It was a simple pleasure that I experienced during a week that was filled with intense physical, spiritual, and emotional moments.

What are the simple pleasures that bring joy to your life? Who are the people that make you smile? What makes you laugh? Have you ever had the experience of discovering something you remember from your childhood as you were going about your day? Do you stop to smell the roses or watch the birds at a birdbath? Do you people watch at the mall and see how moms and children interact? Do you see the dad playing football in the yard? Does any of that remind you of the simpler times and old friends?

It is so good to be thankful for those simple things, but it is even better to be thankful for the greatest gift. We are God s people. That doesn’t seem like much, especially to those who do not believe that there is even a God. However, God is active in our world today, continually creating and recreating the world for His glory. In relationships, flowers and birds, and our memories, God manifests His love for us in tangible ways we can see and experience with joy. When we look for God in the simplest of pleasures and sing for joy with thanksgiving and praise, we’ll experience the grace that God has for us in the most unusual places.

Sometimes it is hard to see joy, because there isn’t always a reason to rejoice. Solomon knew that truth, and today’s passage from the book of Ecclesiastes doesn’t seem very hopeful. The New International Version translates Ecclesiastes 1:2, “Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” It is so hard for us to think that everything we do has no meaning at all. We work hard to accomplish our goals in life, to feed our families, to ensure that we have a roof over our head and clothes for our bodies. We practice our hobbies and sports to become accomplished. We read books to gain knowledge, follow the news to stay informed. We create friendships so that we will not be lonely in the hope that we will be happy and content. We don’t think any of this is meaningless; it all means something to us.

Yet, we are reminded that everything comes to an end. We retire from our jobs and others take our place. Our children grow up and move into their own lives. We hope that they will retain some of the things we have given to them, but they do not hold on to everything. Many in my generation lament that our children do not want the things we have collected. Our traditions die because they create new traditions. Sometimes they see the world from a different point of view, and they take a path we would not take. Our hobbies come and go as our interests change with the trends of the day. Our memories fade and knowledge changes as researchers find other possibilities. Even our friendships end as we move on to other places or people.

Sometimes it takes a trip to a foreign country to realize how differently people see the world. Everyone has a passion, a point of view from which they direct their lives, and establish their priorities. I saw in the interactions of those who lived on the farm we visited that their priority is community. Each mom had children who lived in their house, but when they cared for every child when they gathered on the playground or for dinner. They were focused on the people in their lives. Sadly, those of us in first world countries often focus on our accomplishments and our goals, with relationships being secondary and sometimes even distracting. Some are on a spiritual quest, while others are firmly planted on the ground. Some see the world as being “a glass half empty” while others see it as “a glass half full.”

As we look at the pursuits of others, we wonder why they work so hard at chasing after all the wrong things. However, we too are caught up in the pursuit of meaninglessness. We see other perspectives and points of view as invalid or less important than our own. In the end, we learn that it was all meaningless.

The teacher in Ecclesiastes laments that everything he has worked for will be given to the next generation that did not earn it, and yet so many of us have worked our lives so that we have something to leave to our children. Those who have lost someone they live, especially their parents, have had to deal with the material goods they left behind. After Bruce’s parents were gone, I had to ensure that the grandchildren had something with which to remember them. I sent photos of all my mother-in-law’s jewelry to all the granddaughters; each chose certain pieces. We did the same with my father-in-law’s ties. There were many pieces they did not want, and I had no idea what to do with them.

Younger generations are not really interested in having the things that we loved and collected over the years. They don’t want antiques. They don’t want collections. They don’t want superfluous stuff. This attitude of theirs made me think about what I have in the house. Those porcelain figures we collected as investments are not worth what we paid for them, and they are now not much more than dust catchers. We think we are leaving jewels to the next generation, but they’ll probably put them out in an estate sale or yard sale and get a dollar for them despite their real value.

I was thankful that the grandchildren did want a piece of their grandparents’ lives to remember them. They were kind and respectful about allowing one another to keep their favorites. This is not always true when dealing with inheritances. Families have argued and even separated over the stuff left behind, each heir demanding their due with no respect for everyone else’s desires. I’ve even heard stories of family members raiding the home of the person who died, removing everything for themselves, leaving nothing behind for the others. Many cases are complicated because the loved one’s wishes were not properly documented, or the papers were not legally acceptable. The fight can go on for years.

The teacher fears that everything he has worked for will be squandered away by those left behind. This happens all too often. I once read a story about an heiress who wasted her family wealth chasing after worldly pleasures and abusing the advantages she had inherited. Her troubles were widely reported, with constant commentary about her actions and the consequences of her actions. She was even imprisoned for illegal behavior that was a danger to herself and others. This is the way of life for many who have been given the benefit of wealth; they ruin many lives by chasing after their hedonistic obsessions. Unfortunately, the wealthy, young socialite learned that her behavior would have yet another consequence: her inheritance was taken away and was given to a charity that was more worthy to receive the money.

Most modern estates are divided equally between all children, but in ancient times the estate was typically divided between the sons, with the eldest receiving a double portion. This meant that if a man had two sons, the first born would receive two thirds of the estate and the younger just a third.

In the story from today’s Gospel lesson from Luke, two brothers approached Jesus about a probate case. This was not unusual, rabbis were authorized to judge this type of case and Jesus was seen as a rabbi. The brothers wanted an official verdict for their dispute. Jesus answered, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” Jesus refused to become involved with their dispute, but He did not leave the question open. He used it as an opportunity to give the crowd a lesson in greed.

Jesus warned the crowd to be careful about greed, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.” The parable tells of a man who had more than he could ever need. He had more than he could even store. He decided to build bigger barns to hold it all. Then he felt that he could relax, eat, drink and be merry. God spoke to the man, telling him that it was that day that he would die. “The things which you have prepared - whose will they be?”

We do not always know what will happen to our worldly goods when we die. Many families hold sales to get rid of the stuff that was held most dear by the departed. There are those, however, who battle over every penny. How many parents would want to leave wealth to their children if they knew it would destroy the family?

We fight with our brothers and sisters over perishable things because we are greedy. Most of us aren’t looking to have more than others, we simply want our fair share. We want things to be equal, at least equal to our benefit. For most of us the motive is good – we want security for the future. We want to know that we will be safe tomorrow, that we’ll have enough to eat and all that we need to survive. We like the thoughts of having a big home and a nice car, but for most of the intent is to ensure a comfortable life. We want to be happy. We want to feel secure.

It is good for us to share our possessions with those who came after us, and I hope my children will save at least a few of my memories. It is important that we prepare the paperwork to make it an easy process for our heirs. Our scriptures this week remind us, however, that the material possessions that we work so hard to collect are perishable and it is meaningless for us to put all our energy and focus into building up these things. We are meant to ask ourselves, “Where will I store all these things?” but the answer should be different than the man’s answer. Will we hide our grain and goods in a bigger barn, or will we dedicate it to God and for His use in this world. In this way we will store treasures in heaven, treasures that will last.

It is hard to believe, but it is nearly time for the children to return to school. This was always one of my favorite times because I love shopping the back-to-school aisle. There’s something about a new pack of pens or a notebook filled with crisp unmarked pages. My children are long grown, but I can still shop to donate. While there, I’m bound to buy something I don’t really need for my own office. I probably already have too much of whatever I might buy buried in a drawer! One year as we were preparing for the children to go back to school, I cleaned out my office supplies and discovered a pile of book covers, more than enough for several years. I bought those book covers every year, but my children didn’t use as many as I bought. I didn’t buy any that year, focusing my shopping on more important items.

We always bought some new clothes for going back to school. I can remember my own childhood and how exciting it was to get a new outfit to wear on the first day, plus new underwear. One year as we did our shopping, my son told me, “I have enough clothes.” In Texas they don’t need blue jeans or sweatshirts until later in the year, and it was always in November that we realized that he had outgrown the clothes for cooler weather. In August it was unnecessary to buy new clothes, but by November it was time. He had a good attitude about our shopping: why buy clothes when you have a perfectly good wardrobe for the circumstances of that moment? Why have dozens of pants that fit when there are only seven days in a week?

We like to have choices, whether it is our clothing or office supplies. We like to know that we can choose between wide ruled or college ruled paper. We like knowing that if we want to wear a purple shirt that there will be one in our closet. We feel secure because we have choices, but we also think we will find happiness if we can satisfy our immediate desires. When we wake up in the morning with a closet full of clothes, we seem to have control and power over our lives.

Yet, we learn in our scriptures this week that we do not find peace in the accumulation of things, even if they are things that we need like shelter, clothes, and school supplies. As a matter of fact, such accumulation often makes our lives more complicated. While we might like having a choice in the morning when we get dressed, it is so much better to know that you have a clean and comfortable outfit for the day. Too many of us own so many clothes (me included) that we never get around to wearing everything. A story is told about how a man discovered a lovely, brand-new nightgown his wife had bought, specially wrapped with the tags still on and the receipt in the box. He found it as he went through her personal possessions after she died; she hid it away in a drawer, saving it for a special occasion. She never found that perfect moment.

We do not know when we will die and everything we accumulate will be given to the next generation. Why do we waste so much time chasing after things that are meaningless? We build up cabinets full of supplies that we’ll never need and buy so many clothes that we will never have the chance to wear. We buy bigger houses and work hard to keep them just to store all the things we have gathered. In the end we can’t take it with us, and in our quest to gain more we often lose sight of what is really important. That’s what I saw in the community in Honduras. I realized that so much of what we do here at home is vanity.

What is vanity? In modern speech, vanity is an excessive belief in one’s attributes, usually physical but it can also be used in terms of abilities or accomplishments. Vanity is boasting without humility about one’s greatness. Carly Simon had a song with a chorus that went, “You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you. You’re so vain; I'll bet you think this song is about you. Don’t you? Don’t you?”

Historically, the word “vanity” had a slightly different understanding, without the self-centered focus. It meant something more like uselessness, or meaningless, as the NIV translates the word. The last words in today’s Old Testament lesson seem to say that the hard work and toil of life is without worth, “a striving after wind.” This is a rather depressing thought. Why do we bother if everything we do is meaningless? We cannot come to that conclusion based on the passage. Solomon teaches us that everything done apart from God is meaningless. Chasing after our selfish desires is vanity. Pursuing our own agendas is futile. Promoting our own greatness is a striving after wind. We are nothing without God.

There was a cartoon called “Coffee with Jesus” which showed Jesus having coffee with a variety of characters that had questions for Him. He offered some down-to-earth, heavenly advice. The cartoon was not always comfortable because the artists challenged our understanding of faith, life, and relationships. Sometimes they made me laugh. Sometimes they made me think. Sometimes they made me angry. But there’s something very real about the conversations Jesus has with the characters in the comic strip.

One episode showed a man named Carl asking Jesus about His favorite Christian singer. Jesus answered that He enjoyed listening to a woman from a small village in Thailand who sang with her whole heart all day long. Carl said, “Oh. So, no one anyone’s ever heard of.” Jesus answered, “She won’t be touring the church circuit anytime soon, Carl, but she’s famous where I come from.” Carl never heard of the woman in Thailand who sang with her whole heart, and we will never get to hear her praise songs, but Jesus knew and the angels rejoiced when she sang. Our own successes and failures will never be reported on the news, but Jesus knows, and He celebrates our accomplishments and cries over our pain. He’d rather hear us sing “Jesus loves me” than attend a concert with every RIAA Diamond Certified Artist. The list is filled with extraordinary musicians, but Jesus loves to hear you sing and He is in the front row every time you raise your voice in praise to God.

Vanities of vanities, all is vanity. At times it seems like this is true. The passage seems without any hope at all. Yet, as we are reminded of the truth that our pursuits are meaningless in the greater scheme of things, we are also reminded that there is a greater scheme. We look beyond ourselves, our points of view, our passions, and we see that there is hope. Though our toil is in vain, our days are full of pain, and everything we do in this life will either pass away or be given to another generation to waste or ruin, our hope rests in something much greater than ourselves. In knowing, and living, this truth, we will see that His purposes and pursuits are not so meaningless.

You will have to work for the things you have: the food on your table, the roof over your head, the clothes in your closet, but do it with songs of joy and praise on your lips. Perhaps our work is meaningless in the greater scheme of things, but loving God is never in vain. Sing of His glory and His love. Hum the tunes of your favorite hymns and break out in the words of “Jesus loves me” once in awhile. God has written His Word on our hearts, and we can easily reach for those words in the songs that we hold dear. In our singing, we keep God close to us, remembering His truth and sharing them with the world. Shout for joy and sing joyful songs, give Him thanks and praise His name!

It doesn’t matter if we are rich or poor, high or low. We will all die and everything we have accumulated will be given to another. It may be used for good, but history tells us that human nature is more likely to fall into the traps of evil. The kings of Israel were given the good things which God had assured for His chosen people, and they used it to honor and worship the false gods. They led the people away from the one true God, into lives that were truly meaningless and empty.

We are called to be rich toward God. There are many ways that can manifest in our lives. We are given gifts and talents, opportunities and relationships that God uses to make His will happen in the world. We have material possessions that can be shared with our neighbor. We have knowledge and wisdom that can make life better for others. The Gospel story does not tell us that we can’t have wealth, but that we are to use our wealth for the sake of the world. The wealth we have, whether it is our possessions, our time and our abilities, is given to us to be used to the Glory of God. We were blessed to be able to use our resources to share God’s grace with the people in Honduras, but we were also blessed because they shared their lives with us, and we saw God’s grace in the love and joy they exhibited through their relationships.

Paul wrote, “Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth.” We are called to live a life that rejects the attitudes and actions that are vanity. Paul lists so many negative traits which are idolatrous and disobedient like sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness. He added anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. These traits are self-centered and a striving after wind. But God has made us new. In Christ we are transformed into a new creation, gifted and called to live for Him. Paul reminds us that we are not alone in this, that all those who believe, no matter who they are, become part of Christ and will share in His glory. This is why we were created; this is our reason for life. This is where we will find joy.

The fruit of our toil, when used solely for ourselves, is meaningless and vanity. Yet, money itself is not bad. When we are rich toward God, we give the fruit of our labor to honor Him. The same is true of our time and talents. The life lived well is the one that is lived for Him. “When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.” Instead of rushing through life filling our barns with grain that will eventually spoil, joy is found when we go forth in faith and do God’s work in the world. This is our purpose, the reason for our blessings. Your calling will be different than mine. You may never have the opportunity to travel to a different nation to share the Gospel with strangers, but you can enjoy the simple pleasures of life in God’s Kingdom wherever you are and praise Him for them.

“Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” It doesn’t have to be. The life lived in praise and thanksgiving of God is the life that experiences true joy. The psalmist writes, “Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all ye lands. Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence with singing.” We all know that our work is not toil when we are doing something we love with an attitude of joy. So let us all praise God every moment of every day, living and working for His glory. This is not vanity or a striving after wind; it is a gift from God’s own hand.