Greed

Sunday Reflection – August 10, 2025

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Possessions that possess us

Luke 12 32 My little group of disciples, don’t be afraid! Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give the money to the poor. Make yourselves moneybags that never wear out. Make sure your treasure is safe in heaven, where thieves cannot steal it and moths cannot destroy it. 34 Your heart will always be where your treasure is.

35  Be ready and keep your lamps burning 36  just like those servants who wait up for their master to return from a wedding feast. As soon as he comes and knocks, they open the door for him. 37 Servants are fortunate if their master finds them awake and ready when he comes! I promise you he will get ready and let his servants sit down so he can serve them. 38 Those servants are really fortunate if their master finds them ready, even though he comes late at night or early in the morning. 39  You would surely not let a thief break into your home, if you knew when the thief was coming. 40 So always be ready! You don’t know when the Son of Man will come.

Kids Korner: Stop focusing on stuff (August 10th)

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Read Luke 12:32-40 with your family.

Sometimes when we read stories in the Bible, we can easily pictures ourselves being there. As fun as that is, it is easy to let our imagination build a whole picture and we miss what Jesus was trying to teach. It happens to adults all the time, too.

When Jesus talks about being ready and using the word picture of people waiting by the door, he is really talking about keeping our heart open to seeing God in people and places all around us. We can do that anywhere.

Jesus also talks about getting rid of everything we owned. That was hard to hear from Jesus, and it is hard to hear today. Some of the early followers of Jesus did give everything away, and then they needed to rely on others to buy them food and give them a place to live. So we have to use common sense when reading this passage.

Jesus was trying to make us realize that when we focus on stuff, we are not focusing on God or finding ways to help God’s people.

So when you find yourself more interested in what you own rather than other people, maybe it is time to think about what you really need, and get rid of some of the things that are just a distraction.

Sunday Reflection – August 3, 2025

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Earth riches that do not last

Luke 12 13 A man in a crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of what our father left us when he died.”

14 Jesus answered, “Who gave me the right to settle arguments between you and your brother?”

15 Then he said to the crowd, “Don’t be greedy! Owning a lot of things won’t make your life safe.”

16 So Jesus told them this story:

A rich man’s farm produced a big crop, 17 and he said to himself, “What can I do? I don’t have a place large enough to store everything.”

18 Later, he said, “Now I know what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all my grain and other goods. 19  Then I’ll say to myself, ‘You have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’ ”

20 But God said to him, “You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?”

21 “This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves, but are poor in the sight of God.”

Kids Korner: Greed (August 3rd)

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Read Luke 12:13-21 with your family.

What does greed look like? Often with children we show that greed is keeping all the cookies or not sharing them equally. But what does it look like in the world?

Greed looks like some people and countries having too much food while other people and countries not having enough.

Greed looks like some people being able to see a doctor and others being told there are no doctors or the doctors are too expensive so they cannot see them.

Greed is all around us. Our television and movies show us that greed is okay, but in God’s world greed is never okay.

There is enough for everyone in this world, we just have to share what we have.

Sunday Reflection – July 31, 2022

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The Rich Fool

Luke 12 13 A man in a crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of what our father left us when he died.”

14 Jesus answered, “Who gave me the right to settle arguments between you and your brother?”

15 Then he said to the crowd, “Don’t be greedy! Owning a lot of things won’t make your life safe.”

16 So Jesus told them this story:

A rich man’s farm produced a big crop, 17 and he said to himself, “What can I do? I don’t have a place large enough to store everything.”

18 Later, he said, “Now I know what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all my grain and other goods. 19  Then I’ll say to myself, ‘You have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’ ”

20 But God said to him, “You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?”

21 “This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves, but are poor in the sight of God.”

Performed by Margaret Whisselle

Kids Korner: Being foolish with riches (July 31st)

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Read Luke 12:13-21 with your family.

At first glance the story of the rich farmer might seem smart, after all he is protecting his future and storing his crops for another time.

But listen to why Jesus might call this man a fool: in a community where people were expected to help the poor, this man was selfish and didn’t share his good fortune with others. Also, he kept talking in the first person… “I” did thing and “I did that. There was no acknowledgement that God helped him grow crops, or all the field workers who did the real work on the farm. All this man could think about was himself. He did not assume that death would come, he thought he would live to enjoy all of his food and wine.

Jesus wanted the people he was teaching to think really hard about things… our futures are never guaranteed, and that is why we much depend on each other and share what we have with those who have less. God values our care for each other, not how much wealth we have saved up.