From Greed to Gratitude
Thanksgiving 2009
Luke 12:13-21
Pastor Durk K. Peterson
Alleluia! Lutheran Church, St. Michael, MN
From Greed to Gratitude
For many families this year Thanksgiving will be different. Different than in years past. Job loss or transition. From two household incomes to one. From one income to none. Fear and anxiety. Bills to be paid. Job search. Wondering what the future will be. Is it possible to give thanks in this economic climate?
For others who still have jobs….”I can’t complain. At least I have a job.” In this economy I am so happy to have a job. It certainly is not the Great Depression my friends, but it is the Great Recession we are living through. Is it possible to give thanks on this night?
Maybe you’ve had this experience…as a pastor I’ve most often sensed or heard thankfulness or gratefulness from people who have gone through some really hard times in their lives- suffering of any kind, addiction and recovery of any kind, mistakes and consequences of any kind…. Somehow such tough experiences shape our perspective on life, don’t they?
There is nothing like turning to scripture to gain a renewed sense and spirit of thankfulness. If you’ve had the chance to read through any of the apostle Paul’s letters you more than likely have noticed how he often begins his letters. He almost always (except for Galatians) expresses thanks to God for the people to whom he is writing. He writes such things as this…
“I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying in joy…” (Phil. 1:3)
“I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers…” (Eph. 1:16)
“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus…” (1 Cor. 1:4)
“In our prayers for you we always thank God the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ….” (Colossians 1:3)
Not does Paul foster a mood and spirit of thankfulness. Our Lord, Jesus also teaches and preaches what our God desires. The Lord our God desires grateful living. God desires what you’ve more than likely heard referred to as an “attitude of gratitude.” Yes, an attitude of gratitude. Thankful hearts. Appreciate lives. This is what Thanksgiving in our country is all about. Taking time to be thankful. Thankful for our many blessings, family, friends and possessions.
As you know the opposite of this attitude of gratitude is “ingratitude” or unthankfulness. Someone takes and takes and takes and hardly ever gives thanks. Someone expects everything to go his or her way and then is miffed when this doesn’t. Someone seems to unaware of how good they have it in life and how much to be thankful for. Whether aware of this or not, we’ve all had shown this ingratitude in some way if we are honest with ourselves. Or, we’ve met up with someone who shows this ingratitude quite clearly.
Jesus teaches us about thanks and gratitude through a parable you we hear in Luke’s gospel.
Luke 12:13-21
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13 Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ 14But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ 15And 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.’ 16Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” 18Then 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. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” 20But 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?” 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’
The writer of Luke’s gospel sets the scene. A younger brother wants the older brother to divide up the inheritance. In those days the oldest brother got it all. Younger brother gets greedy. He asks Jesus to tell his oldest brother to do this. To this Jesus responds- be aware of all kinds of greed! For your life doesn’t consist in the abundance of possessions.
Picture of field of grain being harvested (combines at work)
Then, Jesus tells the parable of the rich farmer that you just heard read. So, Jesus tells a parable about a rich farmer. He celebrated a bumper crop. He had prepared the soil. Planted seeds. Tended the plants. And then when the harvest came it was overflowing. An incredible, unbelievable crop came in at the harvest. A bountiful harvest. The kind of harvest every farmer would love to see and experience and take to the bank. The crop was so huge that he had to tear down his old barns and build new, larger storage facilities. He celebrated and immediately went ahead with the build. Now is the time to “eat, drink, and be merry!” Now it is time to party! Part with reckless abandon. Party all night long and celebrate my good fortune for the years ahead.
Unfortunately, that night the rich farmer died. That night “his soul was demanded from him. And the Lord said to him. And now, whose possessions will these be?
The Problem? My friends, the problem is not the overflowing crop. No, his problem was greed and self-sufficiency. The greed at work in his said that he would never have enough. The self-sufficient bent or attitude said that he would be able to take care of himself just fine, thank you very much! No words of thanks to God or offering made to God in response to the harvest. No renewal of his dependence on God for his livelihood. In this story the farmers shows us how possessed by his possessions he is when he says, “My crops. My barn. My grain. My goods.
Picture of dollar sign $ here
So, what about us? What is our situation? If you think about it we live in a culture addicted to instant gratification. Yes, we expect that our needs should be met now with little delay, because….well….we want things now. And, we are addicted to luck or to chance. “If only I could win the lottery!” If only I would get lucky. To get that letter from a wealthy relative that we will have enough money to no longer have to worry abut money ever again. Both of these bring the focus on to us. Yes, us as the center of the universe….and away from the Lord our God.
We also live in a time when we regularly see public displays or investigations into greed revealed. Bernie Madoff, Denny Hecker, Tom Petters, Jeffrey Skilling from the Enron collapse. As I’ve followed these stories here and there I am usually just stunned….stunned but not surprised. Because I quickly realize that all of us have the ability or capacity to do the very same things as these individuals and criminals. How could they do such terrible things. Well, greed….for starters.
The word of judgement from the parable. This judgment comes in the in the form of a question. Now that your life is over, “Now who will have these possessions?” You can’t take it with you…. can you?
The Movie “Greedy”
One of my all time favorite movies is the moves Greedy starring Kurt Douglas. Douglas plays the part of a wealthy grandfather. As he gets on in years his children grow more and more greedy. And they spend considerable time ingratiating themselves to their grandfather. Well, one year the grandfather appears to be failing-ends up in a wheelchair. And then he appears to be losing his mind- he gets a girlfriend who is 30 years his junior. And, the kids go crazy and their antics go wild. Finally, at the end of the movie Douglas’s character is in the wheelchair poolside with his children practically begging him to divide the inheritance. And, he surprises them all when he gets up out of his wheelchair and walks away from them. Obviously their greed had gotten the best of them.
One of our challenges is greed. Bumper sticker “He who dies with the most toys wins!” Greed is a force in our lives that says this. You can never have enough. You will always want more. The late millionaire Howard Hughes once said this about money. “Just when I think I have enough money. I always want to have more…
Jesus Calls Us Back With Love!
My friends, God’s grace in Jesus Christ gets the best of us in a good way. Jesus loves us. Jesus forgives us. Jesus offers us grace and salvation through holy baptism. When we go down the path of ingratitude, Jesus calls us back. When we go down the path of greed, Jesus calls us back. Back to the full life in the kingdom.
Jesus is our Savior for whom we are ever grateful, ever thankful, ever indebted. Yes, tonight we can and should be grateful for our possessions, our family, our friends, our church- this great congregation of Alleluia! Above all we thank God for Jesus. We who love Jesus who follow Jesus who worship Jesus, will always be thankful…
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