August 1, 2010
Luke 13: 13 – 21
“Summer’s Last Plunge” Stewardship Sermon Series
Idols in our Lives
Grace, mercy and peace to you this day in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen
Most students are awestruck by at least one of their teachers during life’s educational experiences. Moments occur with these teachers which are remembered for a life time. I am willing to bet that this story from Luke as shared by Jesus, the teacher was one of them. In fact Jesus is called “teacher” at the beginning of today’s gospel text by those seeking an answer to a problem; by those wanting to learn a life lesson they could use in order to settle a dispute. Jesus the teacher gives them more than they bargained for. As a seminarian I too got more then I bargained for from a professor one day in New Testament class as we discussed the parable of The Rich Man.
The concept of idolatry was brought up as aside discussion, something which often occurred from the hungry mouths of new theologians. Our professor proceeded to jump up on one of the tables and ask in a booming voice, “WHO AND WHAT ARE YOUR IDOLS?!?!” Our professor, our teacher would not let us continue with class until we had wrestled with that question. That, my friends in Christ is where we begin our Summer Stewardship Plunge for the month of August 2010 as we face the difficult, important and challenging decisions as the Body of Christ in the world. We begin with what Luke another great teacher has to day about idols and greed.
First, let’s admit that this text is hard on the ears and on the heart. Luke has a specific theology regarding our “stuff” and it is not neutral. Luke brings us the concept that riches have the potential for being our undoing. The text continues as Jesus is asked to solve a problem with riches between the two brothers. What Jesus actually does with his answer is teach his disciples, the brothers, and the crowd which surrounded him and us about idols and the greed they bring. He warns them about economic realities which occur when we ingest only for ourselves without thought to our duty and delight in service and care for the community. The Jesus in Luke is harsh with the rich; the Jesus in Luke community and service driven; the Jesus I Luke warns us against our love for our idols. According the Mark Allan Powell in his book Giving to God tells us what idols are. “Idols,” he says, “are those things which are chief contenders for unwarranted affection.” Money and possessions he warns are especially prominent candidates for idolatry, our unwarranted affection.
“Who and What are your idols?”
Jesus uses a parable to teach two brothers, the disciples, the crowd that surrounded him and us about idolatry of things which lead to greed and death. In the parable of the rich man w hear of someone who is a “horder”. He builds large barns to keep his riches secure. This action is not to be confused with the protection of a bountiful harvest for the future of a community as was the case in the story of Joseph. The actions of the rich man are done to store up his “stuff”, his money, his possessions, his IDOLS to insure his personal selfish “fat cat” feelings for his future. In the barns his idols would be guarded, protected, and safe from others. With this action complete, the rich man can relax.
What does God think of actions of the rich man? God calls him a fool; one thinks and does that which is contrary to good sense. In this case; contrary to God’s sense. The rich man has no plan or thought for sharing his idols for the good for the community. He lives in the worlds of “me” not “thee and me”. The night is upon him in which his life will be required of him by God.
“What does it profit them if they gain the whole world and lose or forfeit themselves? Luke 9: 25
What have you r idols done for you lately? Luke’s Jesus teaches the two brothers, the disciples, the surrounding crowd and us about agreed that creates the idols and gives them power in our lives. The teacher Jesus offers four teaching points in his overall approach to this greed and its creation of idols in our lives:
· Use what you have to benefit others in the world’s community
· God’s word alone carries all the richest we will ever need, something that Mary was trying to teach us.
· Building a trusting relationship with God does not require the things of this world and has no room idols.
· Our real treasure is in heaven brought to us by the Savior Jesus.

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Posted By Pastor Bettye to Community at the Crossroads at 7/31/