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“Stripped and Clothed”
Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43;
Colossians 3:1-15; Luke 12:13-21
Rev. Sandy Nuernberg
Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, WI
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 10th
Sunday after Pentecost
August 5, 2007
Prayer: O God, as we listen and absorb your Word into our flesh and being,
send your Holy Spirit among us and turn us from our foolhardy ways and draw
us closer to your wisdom. Enable us to realize that our lives are dependent
upon you for all that we need. Amen.
Is
there anyone we know who might not think that the ‘abundance of
possessions’ is what life is all about? Doesn’t money and possessions
bring happiness? And for our children and grandchildren, they must think
sometimes, that money grows on trees!! Why, with all the influences in our media
for wanting this, wanting that, and mostly, wanting more, we consumer-savvy
Americans can’t buy enough! Was there an E-bay or did the banks have Visa or
Tyme machines in Jesus’ lifetime; or any equivalent of our (cell) phones and
computers for communication?
The
other day (Thursday)
I was with a group of adults for our worship
together (Taylor-Ridge, Cottage Grove)
and I asked them their favorite T.V. commercial, they might be called
‘info-mmercials’ these days. They saw so many of them they told me, “I don’t
like any of them”, one said; another asked, “what is an Ipod, anyway?” My fav
right now is the one where the truck driver goes into the restaurant to clear
the refrigerator of cases of Miller High Life and says, “..pardonnez moi” , and
leaves saying, “A hamburger for $11.95, you’ve got to be out of your mind!”. In
other words, prices aren’t so cheap, even with the purchase of the popular
brand, huh?
Oh,
also, the credit card one, I think it’s the MasterCard logo at the very end of
the commercial; anything anyone would want, divine cruises, expensive drinks,
dinners or diamonds, and then the word “priceless” after they show us the
‘pricey’ things for a grand life—just charge it all! Don’t you think we get
‘sucked into’ wanting more and wanting the best? We feel we want it, we
deserve it, and if not for ourselves, then
we’ve got to want it for ‘those we love.’
Locally, the commercials at numerous home sales places, American T.V.,
Steinhafels, and The Brothers Main or The Carriage House, want us buying ‘two or
more pieces of furniture’ and, get this: ‘NO interest ‘til 2010.’ Or, if you use
USCellular, AT&T, or Verizon, you get a break on more minutes for more months as
the months click by! Now come on, do these places know how much debt we all can
handle, or do we (or they) know what will happen to any of us three years from
now?
In
studying and pondering our texts, I reflected again on one of our texts last
week; ask and it will be given to you, search and you will find, knock and the
door will be opened for you (Luke 11:9).
Maybe I took this text too literally; I want, I want! In asking, if we watch
commercials enough, we have to go out to BestBuy or OfficeDepot and purchase the
best manufactured electronic devices available. Or do we?
Jesus astounds us by saying that our lives do not consist of the
‘abundance of possessions (v. 15).’
Paul, writing in prison to the Colossians, tells them perhaps the climax of
their faith in Christ and Christ’ resurrection, “Set your minds on things that
are above, not on things that are on earth
(v. 2).”
For me, this 3rd chapter in Colossians is the theme for us today, and
is the theme of Paul’s entire letter. I have a note in the margin of my Bible ,
“I love this chapter, entirely.” What it tells me is if we can strip ourselves
of the foolishness of wanting more and more possessions in the ways of the
earthly world—the things of the earth, we allow ourselves to be clothed and
closer to the things above, the wisdom of Christ Jesus, and the wealth of the
Holy Spirit in us to not want and to be trusting enough that God will
provide us with our needs. It is really, trading our wares for God’s
wisdom!
The
richness of the text comes alive in Jesus harsh words, “You fool,” because Jesus
is not the arbitrator or judge in the family feud over inheritances. Yes,
in Jesus’ day there were situations for settling disputes just like there are
today. Then, the oldest brother received the inheritance; sometimes, perhaps the
rabbis (Jesus was a rabbi), were asked to help. Sometimes, lawyers are hired in
our day to assist in disputed settlements. But, ironically, Jesus says just two
words here in the way of warning, “Take care!,(v.15)”
He reminds them of their being on guard against greediness.
Jesus does not want to get involved here, partially because he is seen,
listened to, and watched closely as the healer, the teacher, and the peacemaker
who is rich toward God. Remember when Jesus was born the angels in the heavens
praised God saying, “ on earth peace among those whom God favors
(Luke 2:13-14)!”
For me, Jesus is telling us to be sensible. He is giving us a caution, that his
life is in words and actions; ours must be too In His denouncing the
greediness of accumulating possessions; money, power, or food, Jesus told his
disciples that these things were not
important. He asked them not to worry about their life, what to eat,
their body and what to wear; life is more than food or clothing. Let’s be
different in the story of the rich fool, he says, and care for the needy, not
additional barns! I ask myself often, “But Lord, you should see us in our glory
of possessions now!”
After our parable of the rich fool, Jesus compares us with the birds, and other
creation (grass, flowers);
we remember he said, “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span
of life? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I
tell you, even King Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these
(12:25-27).”
King Solomon, son of King David and Bathsheba, and the third King of Israel, was
arguably, the richest, wisest, success story in the O.T, but in his ruthlessness
and greed, eventually his kingdom came crashing down, he was stripped clean, as
God was not near the center of his life of luxury; power, wealth and wives
(I Kings,Ch.1-11).
Today, we know the rest of the story for Enron executives in our nation, and
Saddam Hussein of Iraq in a far away world where we are still at war.
Our good news is that we can be clothed, we can set our sights on the wisdom of
Christ in our lives, because we have been raised with Christ, seeking things
from above. We can be rich towards God in receiving what God has planned for us,
not what we want and think we need more of. We can be stripped of the
foolishness of our earthly possessions, knowing full well, that more is not
better; in wealth, people, power, or indeed food! We can put to death our
greediness, our disobedience, our old life. As we come to the communion table,
you and I, let us be clothed with our new selves, new practices, and a new life
in Christ. Thanks be to God. AMEN.
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