Title: Own Vs Life
Contents
To be born in this world and live a rich life once! It's something everyone dreams of at least once. If you have money, you are welcome wherever you go. I feel like I am treated like a person if I have money in the world. In this respect, the protagonist of today's sermon can be said to be the owner of an ordinary life. This man comes to the Lord and asks for an inheritance. He probably left a considerable amount of inheritance when his father passed away. However, no matter how long he waits, his older brother does not share his wealth. So I came to Jesus with this problem. Jesus' answer was surprising. "Beware of all covetousness. A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
After a parent's death, it is perfectly normal for siblings to share their inheritance. The just request is what the Lord calls “covetousness.” It is legally justified, but the Lord tells us to resist covetousness. Why did the Lord say that it was covetousness when his brother made a legitimate request? The Bible does not mention specific reasons for this, but it can be inferred as follows.
Perhaps the older brother didn't have much money, and the younger brother probably already had a lot of money. When the Lord speaks of covetousness, it seems to presuppose that the person already had a lot of wealth. It cannot be said that covetousness is to ask a person who does not have material things for what he deserves. It can be seen that he is saying that he is covetous because he wants to have more even though he already enjoys and has many things.
Too secular values prevail, and the Bible calls them mammon idols, i.e. material idols. The thought of turning your life upside down in one shot, that thought is wrong. That is why the Bible calls greed itself idolatry. Why? This is because when covetousness enters, the position of the owner changes. You should have put Jesus in the place of your master, but since you put something else in that place, covetousness is inevitably idolatry. Whether you have a lot or little, you have to let go of greed. Greed obscures our judgment and destroys us. Why should we give up covetousness? As the answer, he gave the parable of “the foolish rich” in today’s text.
This rich man is committing the folly of accumulating wealth. What is the problem with the rich man in the text? The problem is that I was just trying to build it up. When God gives us material things, he does not give them to store up, but to use them for good works. Whether it is for the cause of God, for the poor, or for sharing and giving, it is given to us to use, not just to keep it hidden.
Why not become a slave to material things? Our lives are entirely in charge of the Lord. The rich misunderstood that they would be happy if they had a lot and accumulated it. One of the misconceptions people have is the idea that owning something will make you happy. Possession brings convenience in life, but not true happiness.
Happiness is not determined by possessions. True happiness is in life. When the true life that Jesus gives is overflowing in you, you will live in true happiness. Therefore, before we have anything, we must fully believe in Jesus and ask for His grace so that we can become those who enjoy the life of Jesus. Only then will you be the one who enjoys true happiness.