Sunday, July 31, 2022

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

There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

Isn’t it interesting that in today’s Old Testament passage, the teacher 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. Right now I am dealing with the collection of my mother-in-law’s jewelry. I’ve shown pictures to all the granddaughters, and they have asked for certain pieces. There are many pieces they just don’t want. I don’t know what I will do with them.

We have learned that our children’s generation 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 the value we think they have.

I have been thankful about two things as I have dealt with this jewelry. First of all, the girls do want a piece of their grandmother’s life to remember her. Second, they have been kind and respectful about sharing these pieces. It helps that they seem to have much different taste, but also that they are thinking about the wants of their cousins. This is not always true when dealing with inheritance. Families have divided over the stuff left behind, arguing over every piece. These cases are often very complicated because the wishes were not properly documented, or the papers were not legally acceptable. They can go on for years.

The teacher fears that everything he has worked for will be squandered away by those to whom it is left. This happens all too often. There was a story about an heiress who took the wealth into which she was born and wasted it, chasing after worldly pleasures and abusing the advantages she had been given. 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 great wealth; they ruin lives by chasing after their hedonistic obsessions. Unfortunately, the wealthy, young socialite learned that her behavior will have yet another consequence: her inheritance was taken away and given to a charity that was more worthy to receive the money.

In modern times, the estate is normally divided equally between all the children in a family. However, in ancient times, the estate of a man was typically divided between his sons, with the eldest son receiving a double portion. This meant that in a family with two sons, the first born would be given two thirds of the estate and the younger just a third.

In the story from today’s Gospel, two brothers approached Jesus about an inheritance situation. This was not an unusual thing for them to do; the rabbis were authorized to judge cases like this. The man went to Jesus because he saw Him as a rabbi, and he wanted an official verdict to their dispute. Jesus answered the brother, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” Jesus was not interested in becoming 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, “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. Jesus said that 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. Certainly, there are those who might do battle over every penny. How many parents would want to leave wealth to their children if they knew it would destroy the family?

I still think we should leave good things behind for those who follow. I also know that it is up to them what to do with those things when I die. Our scriptures for this week teach us that the material possessions for which we work so hard are perishable and it is meaningless for us to put all our energy and focus into building up these things. We are called to ask ourselves, “Where will I store these things?” 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 up treasures in heaven, treasures that will last.

Imagine the world in which that man lived if he’d shared that grain with his neighbors rather than hiding it in a barn to ensure his security for tomorrow?

“‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher; ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’” Some translations suggest the Hebrew word here, which is “hebel” should be translated meaningless. It is actually given a number of different translations throughout the Old Testament: breath, delusion, emptiness, fleeting, futility, idol, useless, vain, vapor, worthless. We would have to read the word in context to understand the meaning of that particular writer, but this list helps us to see more what the word might have meant to the writer of Ecclesiastes.

The word vanity has a connotation in today’s world of selfish pride or admiration of ones appearance and accomplishments. Yet, as we look at those translations, we see that it is something a little different. It is like grasping at the wind. We can see vapor, but we can’t catch it. In more modern terms, what we have is never enough. We buy a house and fill it with things and then realize we need more space, so we buy a bigger house. Then we realize we have room and buy more things. We work hard to have these things and to pay for the costs of having those things. We need to pay for utilities, and anyone who has had a house knows that the maintenance is ongoing. Something is always breaking. Something always needs to be painted. Something always needs to be replaced.

We want the perfect home, but isn’t it like vapor? Isn’t it always beyond our reach? We are never satisfied, so our constant work toward that perfect home is as someone described, “Unsatisfying, endless repetition of old things that nobody will remember; nothing you do will last, and at the end you die. And you can’t fix it.” This does not seem very hopeful, does it?

It is so hard for us to acknowledge that everything we do has no meaning. We work hard to accomplish our goals in life. We do it to feed our families and ensure that we have a nice place to live. We practice our hobbies so that we can be good at them. We read books to gain knowledge, follow the news to stay informed. We create friendships so that we will not be lonely. We don’t think any of this is meaningless. It means something to us.

Yet, everything comes to an end. We retire from our jobs and others take our place. Our families grow up, our children move on. Though we hope that they will retain some of the things we have given to them, they do not hold on to everything. 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.

As we look at the pursuits of others, we wonder why they work so hard at chasing all the wrong things. However, we too are caught up in the pursuit of meaninglessness. In the end, we learn that it was all meaningless, even our own passions.

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.

I heard someone say recently, “The only thing we can take to heaven is what is stored in our hearts.” The greatest treasures stored in our hearts are the things we do for the glory of God. These are the treasures that will last.

The teacher laments the fact that everything he has done in this life will be left behind to another when he passes into death. He does not know if his heirs will ever appreciate what they inherit or if they will even be good stewards of the gifts. He does not know if they will be wise men or fools. Like the teacher, when we die all that we have worked hard to accumulate will be beyond our grasp.

Some people try to take it with them. They have items that they want to have placed in their coffins. There is a joke about a man who made his wife promise to bury him with all his money. She made the promise, and at the funeral she walked to the coffin just as it was being closed and placed within it a cardboard box. A friend asked, “You didn’t really put all his money in that coffin?” She answered, “I made a promise and kept it. I collected all his money into my bank account and wrote him a check.” That’s one check that will never be cashed.

In Egypt, the pharaoh was given a household of good things for his afterlife. Pets, servants, food and everything they would need were provided in their tomb for their journey as if it would be useful to their dead flesh. This practice was not limited to those with wealth, power and authority or only in Egypt. In many cultures even the common man was buried with important implements of their life. The farmer was given a plow, the doctor his tools. The grave of a Saxon warrior was unearthed in England while we lived there. He was buried with his horse and his sword. We benefit from these practices because we learn so much about the culture when we study what was buried with the dead, but they did nothing for the people after they have passed.

These practices are meaningless. What good are a dead horse and a sword for a dead man? The food in the pharaoh’s tomb spoiled, his earthly goods were stolen by grave robbers. The lives of the servants and pets were wasted. None of these things are eternal and even if those of those other faiths have a possibility of eternal life beyond the grave, the perishable will never become imperishable. We don’t need worldly goods when we die, so why do we chase after them while we are alive?

The teacher in Ecclesiastes asks what we are working so hard to accomplish. “For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.” We worry and rush about doing many things that are nothing but vanity. Again we ask, what is vanity? It is self-centeredness. It is focusing on the wrong things. It is making sure that we have everything we want, everything we think we need. It is a rushing after many things, hoarding of our blessings. It is like the man who saved all his money to take it into the grave or the man who torn down one barn to build a bigger one. We do not find peace in the accumulation of things, even if they are things that we need. As a matter of fact, the accumulation of stuff often makes our lives more complicated.

A woman died. When her husband was going through her personal belongings, he came across a special box with a beautiful new night gown. It still had the receipt and had been purchased long before her death. She was waiting for a special occasion to wear the nightgown, but she died before she 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 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 and more we often lose sight of what is really important.

We see similar language in the verses from Ecclesiastes and Luke. Both talk about eating, drinking and being merry. The difference is that the teacher knows that his enjoyment comes from doing God’s work. The man in the parable thinks he deserves to eat and drink and be merry because of his own accomplishments. Which attitude leads to eternal life?

Here’s the hard part for us: our hard work and toil is not always outwardly selfish. Who among us hasn’t worked hard to make life better for our kids? We scrimp so that they can go to college. We pay for lessons and books and materials so that they can become all they have been created to be. We provide them with a place to live, food to eat and clothes for their backs. This is not selfish. We even save so that when we die, we can leave them with something that will make their lives easier. We buy insurance so that they will not be left with debts they cannot pay. We invest so that they will receive an inheritance. This is neither selfish nor self-centered.

I think it is interesting, though, that the man in the story is storing grain. He has more than he can possibly ever use. What will happen to that grain? Will it benefit his children if it is left inside a barn? Will it feed anyone if it becomes moldy or infested with insects? The man’s desire to keep all his grain in a barn was vanity because hoarding would make it worthless. How much better is it to take the excess, which is a gift of God, and share it with others? Perhaps the man knows what he will do with that grain, but what will happen when he dies? Will his heirs know what to do with it? Will they use it properly? Or will it go to waste?

St. Basil the Great wrote about today’s Gospel lesson: “You who have wealth, recognize who has given you the gifts you have received. Consider yourself, who you are, what has been committed to your charge, from whom you have received it, why you have been preferred to most other people. You’re the servant of the good God, a steward on behalf of your fellow servants. Do not imagine that everything has been provided for your own stomach. Take decisions regarding your property as thought it belonged to another. Possessions give you pleasure for a short time, but then they will slip through your fingers and be gone, and you will be required to give an account of them.”

St. Basil talked about how the rich man in today’s text didn’t know what to do with all his stuff. He has so much from this harvest and previous harvests that he decided to build a bigger barn. And yet God reminds him that his life could be taken at any minute. What good is all that grain wasting away in a barn? And what will the next person do with it? How much better would it have been to give some of that grain to feed the hungry? The rich man was given excess not so that he could hoard it in bigger and better barns but so that he could provide for those who had less. If he recognized that his blessing came from God, belonged to someone else, he might have done something completely different with his excess.

Paul wrote in the epistle lesson for today, “Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.” The earthbound attitude is one of self-centeredness; when we chase after the things of this world we lose sight of the things that truly matter. We eat, drink and be merry, not in celebration of God’s grace, but in boastful merriment of our own accomplishments, buying bigger houses to hold all our stuff.

Paul listed the ways our self-centeredness manifests in this world, and it is not a pretty sight. He encouraged us to put those attitudes away, to be the new creation we are in Christ Jesus and live for Him. He reminded 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. Paul wrote, “...and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator, where there can’t be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.” This is why we were created; this is our reason for life. Our time on earth might sometimes seem meaningless, but nothing done for God’s glory is ever in vain.

When John Wesley was still an atheist, he was aboard a ship that encountered a fierce storm. It was so terrible that the wind split the mast and it broke in half. He was terrified. Aboard the ship was a group of Moravians from Germany who showed no fear. Instead, they gathered together to sing hymns. They sang so loud that they could be heard above the wind. Wesley later asked one of the Moravians, “Weren't you afraid?” The man replied, “Thank God, no.” Wesley was so impressed by their faith and confidence that he gave his life over to Christ at a Moravian meeting house.

Music is a powerful way to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Moravians onboard that ship worshipped God in the midst of their trouble. This worship not only gave them comfort, but it also planted a seed of faith in the heart of John Wesley. It is no wonder that music became the center of John Wesley’s ministry. Some of our tangible things can bring us joy, but there is something special about singing a joyful noise unto the Lord, especially in our times of difficulty. You never know who might overhear and meet Christ in the midst of their own storm.

Martin Luther once said, “Next to the word of God, music deserves the highest praise.” This is true because music is a powerful way to share a message and it is often through music that the message is best remembered. He firmly believed in the power of music. He wrote, “I wish to compose sacred hymns so that the Word of God may dwell among the people also by means of songs.” The songs we love become treasures in our hearts.

The life lived in praise and thanksgiving of God is the life that experiences true joy. The psalmist wrote, “Shout for joy to Yahweh, all you lands! Serve Yahweh 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. This is not vanity or a striving after wind; it is a gift from God’s own hand.

We chase after so many things, too many of them are nothing but vapors out of our reach, meaningless and vanity. But God wants us to live a life filled with the good things that bring us joy. The greatest blessings, of course, are those in which we see God’s hand. He is active in our world today, continually creating and recreating the world for His glory, manifesting His love for us in tangible ways that will not last forever as well as ways that are written on our hearts for us to take into eternity.

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 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 or buying bigger and bigger houses, joy is found when we go forth in faith and do God’s work in the world. This is our purpose, the reason why God has blessed us. So instead of chasing after that which is nothing but vanity, let us all praise God every moment of every day, living and working for His glory, dwelling in the joy that will last forever and ever.