Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out!  Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15).

Can having too much stuff be as harmful to our spiritual health as having too many pounds is to our physical health?  

Jesus says, “Yes, absolutely.”  

As we enter the second week of our Inner Strength: Building a Resilient Core series, we’re looking at some of the lies that can trip and trap us as we seek to follow Jesus faithfully.  Last week, we looked at the Lie of Performance, “I am what I do, my value depends on my performance.”  This week, we look at the Lie of Possessions, “I am what I own and control; my possessions tell me and the world who I am.”

This week’s passage begins and ends with a warning from Jesus.  First, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”  Then at the end, “This is how it will be (HINT: not good) with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).

Between his two warnings, Jesus tells a story to drive home his point (please read Luke 12:13-21). 

It’s the story of a blessed farmer: he has enjoyed an abundant harvest, big profits.  What to do?

He already has barns to store his surplus; sounds like he has been blessed by God more than once.  But now, bigger blessing needs to be protected, secured, stored up against the inevitable times when harvests won’t be so abundant.  So bigger barns are needed.  Sounds prudent, responsible, right?  

Nope, says Jesus; it’s greedy.

Jesus warns against “all kinds of greed.”  One taproot of greed is a lust for control and security, instead of living trustingly before God.  I want more money, more stuff, more stuff-status, more admiration from my neighbors with less, all for this goal:  I get to say to myself, “You’ve achieved ‘financial security’!  Now it’s time to take it easy, to eat, drink and be merry, without a care in the world.”

Whence come abundant harvests?  Sure, we need to put the work in, but it is God who grants fruitfulness to our labors.  So “my” blessings actually come from God, belong to God, and are to be used by me for God’s purposes.  The greedy are selfish; they only see themselves, they don’t (won’t) see their neighbors.

What does it mean to be “rich toward God”?  It means that a good bit of what is currently in my stewardship is purposed by God for the help, comfort and support of my neighbors and community.  This is not a government program or mandate.  It is those who are blessed realizing that they have been blessed by God in order to be a blessing from God to the world around them.

How has God blessed you?  Financially, relationally, stuff-wise, health-wise, with wisdom, in other ways?  Are you as rich toward God (and neighbor) with these entrustments as Jesus would like you to be?