A reflection on the readings for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost. The readings are here.
Well, isn’t the writer of Ecclesiastes a cheery one? While tradition does name Solomon as the author, historical and textual evidence point to it being written after the ancient Israelites returned from the Babylonian exile, long after Solomon was king of Isreal. The disillusionment with ‘everything under the sun’ makes sense as those who have tried to stay faithful to God’s Way lived in the consequences of their leaders deviating from God’s instruction.
“Under the Sun” means life lived outside of God’s Way. The ancient Israelites would have heard this to be life outside of Eden, both literally and metaphorically out of sorts with God’s intent for all of creation. Its juxtaposed with seeking wisdom from all that is done “under heaven,” in alignment with God’s intent, what we would say as “on earth as in heaven.” It is frustrating and perplexing when we give ourselves to the building up of God’s Kingdom on earth as in heaven and watch as those who are devoted to building their own kingdoms undermine, undo, destroy, and prohibit all that we are doing as we follow Jesus. It does feel like all is vanity. The word translated as vanity means vapor or smoke, to convey the idea of emptiness or transitory or uncontrollable.
Jumping forward to the other readings for today, this same idea is there. The psalmist points out the truth that whether we seek to live by the wisdom of God’s way or live life in the pursuit of worldly wealth, we will die. Paul tells the church in Colossae to seek things that are above, which isn’t about going to heaven when we die but living in the kindgom-on-earth-as-in-heaven here and now. So just what is the point of choosing to follow Jesus?
We follow Jesus so that we live as we are made to live, the way Jesus shows us in flesh and blood by his own behavior and actions during in earthly ministry and by the parables he tells. In our gospel reading for today, a man comes to Jesus to ask him to settle a family dispute. As an answer, Jesus offers a warning about being greedy. A life lived storing up monetary wealth and worldly possessions for our own gain is not the life Jesus leads us into. Jesus isn’t gaslighting but giving the man the opportunity to see the wisdom of life as God intends it to be.
Greed is about more than just money or possessions. Greed is an ego problem. Greed is a symptom of a self-centered and self-serving life. When we see others as only a way to get what we want, we are not following Jesus. When consider only ourselves and not how our actions and behaviors impact others, we are not following Jesus. When we are willing to upend other people’s lives so we don’t have to admit fault, we are not following Jesus. When we are wiling to make false accusations against others to hide our own guilt, we are not following Jesus.
Our prayer for today asks God that we, as the church be governed by God’s goodness. The greatest danger God needs to defend us against is our own egos. When we deny the power of God’s love and misuse power to place ourselves above others, either in the church or in the world, we are not following Jesus. We are not glorifying God. As the church, and as particular followers of Jesus, we can’t use our relationship with God as a weapon against others. Jesus only ever offered poeple invitations into the Kingdom. He didn’t seek to coerce or control but to teach us how to live toward communion with God and each other. We walk in relationship with Jesus not for our own benefit but for God’s glory and the building up of the kingdom-on-earth-as-in-heaven. Living as kingdom people is what makes us rich toward God.
We cannot claim the label ‘church’ and also define ourselves by who we exclude rather than who’s invited in. We can’t claim to be a part of the Church and then attempt to do all of the so-called kingdom work by ourselves so that others aren’t able to participate in the building of the Kingdom. When we think we are the smartest, most spiritual, strongest, or wisest we are attempting to store up glory for ourselves, not God.
Being rich toward God puts un on the relational and redemptive journey back to the way God intended life to be in the Garden of Eden. Back to before we humans decided we knew a better way to grow into our humanness than The One who made us.
When we live to build healthy, Jesus centered relationships, we are living in the kingdom-on-earth-as-in-heaven, we are being the church. We are living the life God made us to live. And yes, we will physically die some day, but we will have begun our everlasting life here and now as we follow Jesus daily into the Kingdom. And this is not fleeting vapor, not vanity. This Jesus following, Kingdom building, God glorifying life is the purpose of being human. Showing us this Way of Life is how God protects and governs us. It is our choice to follow or not. To live an everlasting life or to live life vainly. Following Jesus is what leads us to knowledge, strength, wisdom, and love.
Together, let’s set our minds on things above, where Christ is. Amen.
Mother Nancy's Coffee Thoughts 