*FOOL, THIS NIGHT YOUR SOUL IS REQUIRED OF YOU; AND THE THINGS YOU HAVE PREPARED, WHOSE WILL THEY BE? (LUKE 12:20)*
And he told them this parable \”The ground of a certain Rich man produced a good crop, He thought to himself What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. Then he said, this is what I will do,I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to myself you have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink and be merry. \”But God said to him you fool! this night your life will be required from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself. This is how it will be for anyone who stores up things for Himself but I\’d not rich towards God\”.(Luke 12:16-21)
Today, we are going to consider the value of the word of God to the things of the world in it\’s selves in relation to our physical existence.In the word of God we are told that the things of this world, not minding their diverse uses and attractions are but vain \”Meaningless!Meaningless! Says the teacher utterly meaningless everything is meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:2,) (Ecclesiastes2:21–23). \”For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skills and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labours under the sun? All the days his work is pain and grief even at night his mind does not rest, this too is meaningless\”
Paul admonishes us to focus on the things that are above while at the same time urging all to dwell in harmony with one another for in Christ we have gained a supernatural equality (Colossians 3:1–5,9–11). And in the gospel we are presented a picture of what becomes of those who put their focus on the things of the world (Luke 12:13–21).
Beloved, be reminded that in our choosing to become Christians, we have chosen to die with Christ in relation to the things of this world and to rise with him as new creatures in this world. This fact is more richly observed in the baptism by immersion, but this does not remove its effectiveness in the baptism administered using other forms of Christian baptism. It is the fact of this dying and rising with Christ which accounts for the Christian\’s life of being in the world but still not being of the world. \”Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God\’s will is His good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2_3). And it is when the Christian best understands this that he can more comfortably live out his existence among others in the world.
Today\’s Christianity is one greatly bedeviled by the quest for the material things of the world to such an extent that most Christians of today appreciate their connection to Christ only insofar as it helps upgrade their material status and increase their possessions. This accounts for the high rate of Pentecostalism and prosperity preaching reigning around the world today and the many misrepresentations of the Christian religion found even among persons who claim to be Christ\’s ministers. Based on this, we are encouraged to put away from our lives as followers of Christ.
Observe how the gospel presents the rich fool who although he has acquired his material possessions through no foul means, yet did not care about using them for a greater good – he was called home by God and these treasures served him no other use. This shows that material things are in themselves of no use unless they serve our quest for heaven. Christ\’s story in the gospel of Luke 12:16-21 serves as an affirmation to the word that leaving a wordly life alone without spiritual inclination which already has been told us that the things of the world are in themselves vanity.
Although the things of the world are vain, Paul in the book of Ecclesiastes invites us to rediscover how they can benefit our quest for heaven. We have to detach ourselves from them and use them in our service towards humanity. We have to use them in ways that manifest our absolute fear and respect for God and use them like what they are – things of less value in our journey towards heaven. When we develop within us a mind that appreciates material things of the world as things of less or no value, it would help us live this life in a more Godly manner and relate to others in ways that also help to dispose them towards the love of God. It is often the attachment we bear towards the material things of God that often pushes one into wrong doings while aiming to acquire them.
Indeed, today\’s Christianity has to an extent greatly failed most people because such persons, led by their inclinations to material things, only saw Christ as a means to gaining such things. And such persons in doing so, tend to forget that the Christian, even though he is in the world is no longer of the world and as such has no reason to place interest in the material things of the world above an inclination to the gains of it. If we truly understand this mistake, we would more easily relate harmoniously with others and use our material possessions in ways that would win for us more favor from God. Understanding this, as well, will make us loose interest in pursuing the material things of the world like they are of more value.
With the above understanding therefore, we pray God today for the grace to understand and appreciate the valuelessness of the material things of the world that in so doing we may learn to detach our hearts from them and focus it on using them for the pursuit of heaven. In so doing, we would not only be winning heaven and its blessings for ourselves, but would also be creating a better atmosphere for the people around us to also win heaven with us.
Happy Sunday my beloved!🙏
✍️ Blessing I N Onugha