Proper 13C, 2025
Text: Luke 12:13-21
Title: Nothing or Everything
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Apart from Jesus, you have nothing.
With Jesus you have everything.
First, take the man in the crowd.
We know very little about this man, not even his name.
But we can piece together a few things based on what he says and how he says it.
First, he lacks wealth, at least he lacks the amount of wealth he was entitled to.
He wants Jesus to tell his brother to divide the inheritance with him. He thinks that he’s been short-changed, that he doesn’t have all that’s coming to him. In that day, wealth was usually measured in terms of land. He doesn’t have enough. He wants more. He deserves more!
This man comes to Jesus looking for Jesus to make him wealthier.
Ironically, Jesus has the ability to make this man wealthy beyond imagination, but not in the way that he expects or is looking for. More on that later.
Not only is this man in the crowd lacking wealth, he’s lacking a father. If there’s a dispute about an inheritance, that means that dad has died. We don’t know how long ago dad died, but losing a parent is not something that you can just get over.
But this man is so fixated on wealth, it doesn’t seem to bother him that his father is gone.
He doesn’t come to Jesus in mourning and sadness at his father’s death, but in greed and anger.
Ironically, Jesus is the only one who can solve the problem of death, but that’s not what this man is looking for. More on that later.
So this man is lacking wealth, he’s lacking a father, and he’s lacking a relationship with his brother.
His father is dead. His brother is not. The death of the father had the potential of bringing the family together. They could have shown one another love and support and compassion. But instead, they’re fighting over the inheritance.
Rather than care for the family he has left, this man’s love of wealth has destroyed his relationship with them.
He doesn’t come to Jesus asking him for help loving and forgiving his brother.
Ironically, Jesus is the only one who can restore broken relationships and make peace between enemies. More on that later.
So this man in the crowd is lacking wealth. He’s lacking a father. He’s lacking a relationship with his brother. And he’s lacking a relationship with Jesus.
What does he call Jesus? Not Lord. Not master. Not Son of David or any other title that would show faith and trust in him. Instead, He simply calls Jesus “Teacher,” “Rabbi.”
Now, that’s true. Jesus is a teacher. But He’s much more than that. He’s not just someone who answers questions and responds to demands. Jesus is the one who asks the questions.
How often does Jesus respond to a question with another question. “Who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you.”
Ironically, Jesus is indeed a judge. Jesus is indeed a mediator. But not in the way that this man expects. More on that later.
So this man is lacking wealth. He’s lacking a father. He’s lacking a relationship with his brother. And he’s lacking a relationship with Jesus.
And if this continues, he will end up losing his very soul.
That’s the point of Jesus’ story.
The man in the parable seemed to have everything. He had a huge crop, enough to last for years. Enough to retire on. He could just relax and enjoy the rest of his life.
But that life was about to end. And when he died, what would become of his soul?
He would be lost eternally because all he cared about was himself.
And that was Jesus’ warning to the man in the crowd. His love of wealth was endangering his soul, everything that he was and had.
This man’s idolatry of wealth cost him everything. Apart from Jesus, he had nothing.
Love of wealth turns you against the people in your life. You either see people like this man saw his father, as nothing more than the source of wealth. Or you see people like this man saw his brother, nothing more than a barrier to wealth. People either make you money or lose you money.
Love of wealth turns you against the other people in your life and turns you inward on yourself.
Did you hear how the man in the parable talked? ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’… I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’
The man in the parable and the man in crowd are so full of themselves, there’s no room for anyone else, least of all Jesus. But in the end, without Jesus, they have nothing.
What’s the alternative?
Jesus concludes the parable by saying, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
What does it mean to be “rich towards God?”
You might have heard people, religious people and pastors say, something like, “If you are generous towards God, if you give a lot of money to church, then God will reward you, God will bless you.”
Now, I’d love to be able to say that. That would truly motivate people to give, right? If you knew for sure that by giving to God you’d have both temporal and spiritual blessings, how much would you give?
But God’s blessings aren’t for sale.
Being rich towards God doesn’t mean giving God lots of money and hoping for something in return.
Being rich towards God means treasuring, valuing the things of God more than the things of man.
When you consider what you have, how wealthy you are, don’t look at your bank balance. Don’t look at how big your home is.
When you consider your wealth, look at Jesus.
The man in the crowd came to Jesus lacking an inheritance.
Jesus has an eternal inheritance stored up for you in heaven. You don’t have to work for it, or earn it, or fight over it. It is all yours, for free. Jesus gave up everything for you. Jesus died on the cross so that His inheritance could be yours.
And if that inheritance is yours, don’t get so worked up about your worldly inheritance.
Don’t fight and argue with one another over it.
Use your wealth to do some good- like helping folks in Texas rebuild their homes, or helping fill the shelves of a seminary library in South Africa, or making sure that this place can keep the lights on and the air conditioning going and that we can be a thriving congregation for years to come.
The man in the crowd came to Jesus lacking a father.
Jesus is risen from the dead. He gives eternal life to all who trust in Him. If you have been separated by death from your father, your mother, other family members and friends, there is hope that you will see them again in the resurrection.
And what more, through Jesus’ sacrifice for you, you have a loving heavenly Father who will always be there for you.
The man in the crowd came to Jesus lacking a relationship with his brother.
Jesus comes to bring peace. Because you are forgiven, you are to forgive one another. Don’t let things like money and wealth set you against your brothers and sisters and all those people God has put in your life. But love and forgive them unconditionally, the way that Jesus loves you.
The man in the crowd came to Jesus looking for a judge.
And Jesus certainly will be that. God the Father has appointed Him to be judge over all people. And if you come to him as this man did, convinced that you are right, looking to be justified for your greed or any other pet sin, you will find yourself condemned.
But if you come to Jesus with nothing and receive from His all His gifts that flow from His cross, you will be rich towards God, and you will have everything.
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