Which do you Choose? Hommily 18th Sunday OTC

Praise be Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen

Did everyone get the message of our scripture readings today?  Greed is bad.  Greed is the excessive, reprehensive, inordinate, and a wanting desire for possessions– money, things, cars, houses, and food. With greed, this desire become more important than anything else does.

No one here won the $1.28 Billion dollar Megamillion lottery jackpot. There is a chance for a “lotto greed” with that much money and people were lined up out the door when I got my tickets.

One ticket sold in Illinois won. That is a lot of money, if you took that amount of money in $100 bills and laid it end to end, it would be well over 1200 miles. In $100 bills, it would weigh over 28K lbs. That is a lot of money. 

Since no one here won that money, I really do not have to speak about greed because none of us is rich enough to be greedy.

If that is what you think,– Vanity of vanities! All things are vanities. Qoheleth (ko--hay-leth) this – if all you do is work so you will have more. If you are up all night worrying about your job or how you’ll have more – it is vanity of vantities - “you can’t take it with you so what is the point?”

Consider the choice between two newspaper articles from an unknown date in the future that tell your life story.

One outlines a world famous, super successful, and extremely wealthy person. In life you focused on success and wealth to ignor everything else (ignored your family, friends, and God) to become this self-made person. It told of a life full of all the wealth and excess success in the world brought about. It told people were jealous and envious, which made you guard everything, even yourself, what if this article was your obituary.

One outlines how loved you are and the good you have done. You lifted up the poor and lived a lifetime ministering to the hungry, sick, homeless, and imprisoned. Yet, you had no earthly wealth or things – money, possessions or fame- only a life lived among people you loved and who loved you. People knew your smile, generosity, love, and devotion to God. You shared everything and yourself with others, what if this article was your obituary.

Which do you choose?

Greed is not just about money and wealth.  Greed is desires that harden your heart to the Christ in you and the Christ is all.

Paul describes this to the Colossians. Each of us is given the choice of what is of the earth and important to this world. Those things are immorality, impure passions, evil desire, and greed. All are idolatry. These things become god of the world.

Or, we can seek the better. Choose what is above instead of what is on Earth.  Choose a life hidden with Christ in God. Choose to be renewed. Become a new person in the image of God our creator. When see Christ is in us, we see Christ in all.

Paul asks, “Which do you choose?”

Your probably thinking, Deacon I am not rich or greedy. I have no excessive, reprehensive, desires for anything, especially none of the things Paul lists. I just want a little bit more.

Be careful, God’s commandment is not to covet (desire) what we do not have. Someone wanted just a little bit more and said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share his inheritance with me.”  

Jesus response knew that person’s heart.  Jesus could have said your right, bring your stingy scoundrel of a brother here to take him to account.

Knowing the heart of the person who spoke to him, Jesus said –“Take care to guard against all greed for though one may be rich, your life does not consists of possessions.”

Greed causes us to put a wrong value on temporary things. It treats the temporary things of this earthly life as if it will endure on earth forever. The temporary things become all we hope and believe in.

Greed treats eternal things as if they are not real and will never happen. That may be why scripture does warn that the greedy will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Jesus warns; Do not make earthly things, the most important thing in our life.

Jesus does not say being successful and having nice things is wrong.  He does not condemn a nice house, a nice life style, or things we have in our life.

He gives us this parable of the rich man’s bountiful harvest. He hoarded all his wealth, greedily keeping all the good things for himself.

Jesus said to those who listened, “you are going to have to make an account for all this things you have been given.” Who do they belong to, you or God.

Jesus asks this question - Build riches on earth or build treasures in heaven? Which will you choose?

Be good, be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another.

Praise be Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen.