Greedy man
Greedy man: Photo credit: CarbonNYC [in SF!] on VisualHunt / CC BY
Sunday, August 4, 2019 – Hosea 11:1-11, Psalms 107 1-9; Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23; Colossians 3:1-11, Luke 12:13-21
Announcing a sermon on Luke’s story of the rich man and his possessions, which led to his building larger barns and his tragic end, will seem unfair to the average church-goer. Some will ask, “What is wrong with building larger barns, expanding, isn’t that the American way?” In the business world, you grow wealth or die, and that may mean driving out the competition.
Others might say, “The farmer lacked imagination. Just think of what he could do with all of that wealth.” The sin in this case seems to indicate that our farmer didn’t know that how to be rich toward God was to share rather than hoard. I have preached that text in those ways too.
But lately I have discovered that a different reading of the parable lifts up another way to read and understand the tenth commandment. I was taught that the first four commandments have to do with our relationship with God. The last six focus on our relationship with the human family. And should we take number 10 seriously, “Thou shall not covet,” the other five are covered.
Covetousness begins by our making comparisons, and when we compare, someone always seems to get the short end of the stick. Among the seven deadly sins, envy seems to grow out of the “Do not covet” command. Envy is the cause of the first murder, the first death in the Biblical narrative. Envy is the sin that festers. The contrary virtue of envy is justice. We hear the cry of children, “It isn’t fair.” And life isn’t fair. And the work of the Church is to move the needle a bit toward fairness—to level the playing field, to learn to share.
To overcome covetousness is to finally see that making comparisons often leads to the tragic. Jesus’ ministry is plagued by those closest to him attempting to seize the prize, like two brothers who ask to be seated at his right and left.
A friend tells the story of a grandma who had many grandchildren. It was her joy and custom to give each child a special Christmas gift. Soon she discovered that the children were making comparisons as to who got more or less. The grandma in her gift giving simply tried to know the children well enough so as to select a gift that really was needed and helpful. Much to her dismay, she discovered that the children, in making comparisons, made some feel left out. So one Christmas she added up the amount she would spend, figured out an equal amount, and each child got exactly 4.85 cents!
Learning how to be fair and just is hard work—but it is the work of the church. At this point I am reminded of Paul’s word, “When I was a child I thought like a child…when I became an adult I put aside childish ways” That is the ticket—to become adult. Will envy end, no, will covetousness go away, no, but perhaps we at least will recognize it, put our needs aside, and work for a more just world for everyone.
Dear God, thank you for making us different in so many ways. And we thank you for making us alike in so many ways. Now we would ask that you give us the wisdom that enables us to share life together with justice and love. Amen.
The Rev. Bill Cotton of Des Moines is a retired clergy member of the Iowa Annual Conference. Along with colleagues and friends, he writes MEMO for Those Who Preach, which is delivered by email.