The parable Jesus tells of the rich fool and his barns is not about death, but about life; about the way to live, not about the need to die.
Into this conversation comes the jarring demand for Jesus to arbitrate in a property dispute.
Jesus replies first with a question: “Who set me judge over you?”
Not a rhetorical question, because there’s a bit of irony here; it was God who appointed Jesus, as we say in the Creed, to judge the living and the dead, when He comes again in glory.
For the moment though, Jesus is not there to judge, least of all settle silly family squabbles.
Cautioning His listeners to shun greed of any kind, Jesus reminds them that life is far more important than possessions; true life is a loving relationship with God.
When our earthly life is over, all of our possessions are left behind; but if we have cultivated our relationship with God, the life goes on in God’s eternal Kingdom.
Faith in God, in God’s love for us as revealed in Jesus, is all we need; it is enough.
Jesus isn’t saying that we shouldn’t have material possessions at all, that we shouldn’t enjoy the good things God has given us, or that we should focus entirely on the one apparent certainty in our lives; its end!
Because there is another certainty; the love of God, a love that teaches us the value of giving, rather than receiving.
The rich fool had enough, and more to spare, of material possessions.
He had so much food that he couldn’t store it all; did others around him have enough food?
Did he bother to find out?
Did he call to mind God’s frequent call upon us, through the prophets, that we should feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or give to the poor?
None of us know the hour of our own death, or of Christ’s coming again in glory, so our carefully laid plans of increasing our material wealth in this world may never come to anything.
However, if the investment we make is in our spiritual wealth, we can be sure of a rich return.
If we seek the treasures of the Spirit, of Love, Joy and Peace, they’ll be multiplied in the next life.
So, this coming week, let’s look at the needs of others, and be prepared to give of our own abundance to those who don’t have enough; to give our time, our talents or our money to help those in need.
To share our faith with those who have yet to recognise God’s love.
This isn’t a way of earning salvation, but simply helps us to appreciate it.
The more we absorb the commandments to love God and love thy neighbour, and the more we allow our lives to be guided by those principles, the less preoccupied we become with our own possessions and the less we need fear death.
Enough, they say, is as good as a feast.
And the feast we have come together to share this morning is a reminder of God’s all-sufficient love and a taster of that feast we will share in heaven.
Feed on Him in your hearts, by faith with thanksgiving.
Because if we have faith; we have enough.
Amen