Luke 12.16-21 ~ Harvest

Let us look at the Wind and the Sun drama below, and ask ourselves what the raincoat stands for?

Could it have something to do with our preoccupation with SELF and SIN?

In our Confirmation Class, we discussed the many gifts, talents and abilities and blessings given to us, especially over the last one hundred years…

There have been so many advances in medicine, technology, agriculture, new discoveries, in progressive laws being made.

Men on the moon, diseases wiped out, televisions, computers, bigger and better crops, such variety in food, purer water, better housing…

An abundant harvest!

But we also looked at the many ways in which we as humankind have missed the mark, so to speak. There are also signs of dis-ease in our world because of the poison of our sinful ways and our rebellion against God. War, starvation, chemical leaks, lethal viruses springing up, oil pollution, rivers and coastlines damaged, animals extinct!

In our gospel reading, from Luke 12. 16-21 we have here one of the most pitiful and terrible parables about a man, who has too much! He has reaped a really good harvest, and is about to rake in the profits…what will he do with the abundance of his wealth.

Will he look and see the reality of the problems in the world around him or will he just cut himself off and look after number one?

What are his priorities and who does he think of first?

YES HIMSELF!

He is totally preoccupied with HIMSELF! (Indeed he uses the words me, mine, my, myself 8 times in just two verses.)

He reasons…I AM IN NEED

I HAVE NOWHERE TO STORE MY CROPS

THIS IS WHAT I WILL DO.

I WILL PULL DOWN MY BARNS AND BUILD BIGGER AND BETTER ONES, THEN I WILL BE ABLE TO STORE AND HOARD AND KEEP FOR MYSELF WHAT BELONGS TO ME.

I’LL BUILD EXTENSIONS…

I’LL EAT THE BEST FOOD

I’LL DRINK MYSELF SILLY

I’LL GO TO RELAXATION CLASSES

I WILL BE MERRY

IF IT KILLS ME!

IT DID ACTUALLY’ HE DIED THAT VERY NIGHT.

GOD DEMANDED HIS LIFE FROM HIM.

‘YOU FOOL,’ SAID GOD,

WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE, WITH ALL THAT I GAVE YOU…

NOW WHAT ABOUT YOUR POSSESSIONS?

WHO WILL GET THEM NOW?

This man must have worked so hard to achieve what he did, but it didn’t do him any good in the end. He had only stored up treasures for himself, and was not rich, really rich in God’s eyes.

And it was too late.

We’re all a little like this man.

We know what we ought to do, we know what we should do, when we have more than we need…so why is it there is such an imbalance in our world? Why such a gap between those who have and those who have not?

As with the strong fierce wind blowing, we who ‘HAVE GOODS’ in the world wrap the raincoat of SELFISHNESS and GREED etc around ourselves even more tightly, and we resist and shut out real generosity.

‘I AM IN NEED,’ we say.

I’ve got my holidays to book, my house to pay for, my children to clothe….

It is only when we fully come to comprehend the fullness of God’s love, the heat of the sun, that we are able to let the raincoat slip from our shoulders, and walk free to love others as God, in Christ, has loved us.

'Not that we would find ourselves hard-pressed, but that there should be more equality.' so scripture says.

We begin to realise just how blessed we are and how much we have been given, and gradually we begin to see the need to show God’s mercy and goodness to others.

Our eyes are opened when we experience the warm breath of God upon our lives.

The Wind and the Sun:

Out came the sun

Resplendent each ray

Such brilliance, such warm

‘Twas a splendid new day.

Then up rose the wind

Determined to play

And wreak havoc and blow

the young clouds on their way.

‘Pon my word,’ said the sun

‘You don’t seem VERY strong

I’ve seen much fiercer winds

Than you, don’t get me wrong.’

‘What rubbish, what lies’

Said the wind to the sun

‘And I’ll prove it to you

Before this day is done.’

‘There’s no competition’

Said the sun, ‘I am stronger

I’m bigger, I’m broader

My rays are much longer.’

It was at this point

Way down on the plain

A man was out walking

Expecting some rain.

‘Let’s see who is stronger

Watch this man with a coat,

And whoever removes it

Of course wins the vote.’

‘So I’ll go first,’ said the wind

‘And he blew and he blew.’

But the man just got colder

And his goose pimples grew.

He huddled and shivered

To keep himself warm

Pulled his coat further to him

To keep out the storm.

More fiercely, wind wheezed

More tight, the man gripped

In the end all exhausted

His victory slipped.

‘Stand back’ smiled the sun

‘I’ll find this quite easy,

His coat is too thick

I will make him feel queasy.

I will burn, I will shine

My task to complete

He’ll frizzle and fry as

I turn up the heat.’

The man soon responded

He loosened his coat

And it fell from his shoulders

All people take note!

With the wind came resistance,

Too harsh and too cruel

And the powerful sun

Made him out as a fool.