Rich in God’s Love
Posted on Jul 26, 2022 by Shari Van Baale
(Jesus) said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
(Luke 12:15-21)
This week’s Gospel reading warns of putting more value on your possessions rather than your relationship with God. The rich man in the parable produced an abundance of crops and stored it for later. He could have shared it with others in need, but he kept it all for himself. You can accumulate all of the possessions and wealth in the world, but if you are not “rich toward God,” all of that doesn’t matter.
You can find people who have lots of material things but feel empty inside because they don’t know God. And you can find those who have few possessions but know the love of God and feel rich inside even though they might not have a lot.
We have heard it before — you can’t take it with you; don’t store up earthly treasures. For all of your possessions will be gone when you pass away.
It is hard not to be tempted by the latest gadget and high-paying job so we can accumulate more things. But in the end, all that matters is your relationship with God.
Shari Van Baale
Salem Communications Coordinator