Homilies
Give Generously; Do Not Build Bigger Barns.
Holy Spirit take my words and speak to each of us according to our need.
We’ve just heard a parable from Jesus that pierces straight through the illusions we so easily build our lives around. A man approaches Jesus with a very normal, reasonable request: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But Jesus does something unexpected. He doesn’t adjudicate the dispute. He doesn’t weigh in on who’s right or wrong. Instead, he offers a warning: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
And then he tells a story. A parable about a rich man whose land produces a bumper crop. So much, in fact, that he doesn’t have space to store it all. Rather than asking what God might want him to do with his abundance, he thinks only of himself. “I’ll build bigger barns. I’ll relax. I’ll eat, drink, and be merry.” But then God says to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?”
Jesus then ends with a line that at the time was disturbing but so too is it now: “So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
This passage confronts us perhaps more than we would like because it challenges one of the most deeply embedded instincts of our culture: the striving for more. More comfort, more possessions, more money, more experiences. We are bombarded daily by messages telling us that what we have isn’t quite enough. That contentment is just around the corner, if only we upgrade—our phones, our wardrobes, our cars, our shampoo even where we shop for food.
And yet Jesus says: Life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.
It’s not that wealth or success is inherently wrong. But when it becomes our goal, when our identity and security are built upon what we have and what we do, it becomes a spiritual trap. It fixes us in a pattern of never being content with what we have or who we are and as such we become so distracted in seeking the next improvement that will surely make our life complete, so much easier or better that we actually miss out on living life itself. It is a form of slavery. And it blinds us to the truth of God’s providence. Our lives are sustained not by what we earn or acquire, but by our trust and faith in the grace and faithfulness of God.
So, how do we step off this treadmill of striving?
First, we must reclaim a vision of God’s providence. Jesus reminds us throughout the Gospels: “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” The birds of the air do not sow or reap, yet your Father feeds them. The lilies of the field do not labour, yet they are clothed with beauty.
To believe in God’s providence is not to be passive or careless. It is to trust that our lives are held in His hands. That we are provided for, even when we don’t feel in control. And that our worth is not measured by what we accumulate, but by the love God has already shown us in Christ. We may receive everything we want but we can trust that God will provide for us, everything that we need.
Second, we need to practise contentment. Contentment doesn’t come naturally. It’s a spiritual discipline. Saint Paul said, “I have learned to be content with whatever I have.” That’s a powerful line. ‘Learned to be content’. It’s a habit of the soul that grows when we begin to thank God for what we already have rather than chasing after what we don’t.
Maybe that means giving thanks for the roof over our heads, the relationships in our lives, the food on our table. Maybe it means learning to say “enough” when the world says “more.”
When we chase happiness or things we think will make us happy, we are always left disappointed for there is always something else that takes its place and so, we can never quite achieve it. This is turn leads to feelings of failure and incompleteness.
As an aside, I don’t know if any of you have watched The Chosen on Television (I can thoroughly recommend it if you haven’t) but in the latest series which is based on the events of Holy week, they show Jesus and his disciples preparing for the Passover. It is called the Dayenu prayer. "Dayenu" means "it would have been enough" in Hebrew. It's a song of gratitude, listing a series of God's actions in bringing about the Exodus, with each action followed by the refrain "Dayenu". Even if God had only performed one of these actions, it would have been sufficient, but God did so much more, highlighting His abundant grace and generosity. For example; if God had only brought them out of Egypt and not given them the Sabbath, it would have been enough; if God had given them the Sabbath but not the Torah, it would have been enough; if God had given them the Torah but not built the Temple, it would have been enough. They appreciated and were content with the least of these things but the abundance of God’s response was a further, unexpected blessing.
Third, and this may be the hardest, we must confront the myth of consumerism. Our culture says, “You are what you buy.” But the Gospel says, “You are not your own. You were bought with a price.” Consumerism reduces life to transaction; the Gospel transforms life into communion; communion with God and with one another.
So we should strive to resist that myth. Beginning by simplifying our lives—owning less, giving more, and finding joy in what is eternal rather than what is disposable.
Consider undertaking a spiritual audit of your time, your energy and your resources. Where does your treasure go? Because Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Cultivate regular gratitude. Perhaps keep a journal. My friend has a five year, 3 line memory journal. Each year she can look back and see what was happening the year before. It helps her stay accountable and be grateful for the opportunities that have happened within the passing of that year. Other friends I know choose to name three things each day that they’re thankful for. Focussing, not what they want, but on what they already have.
Practice generosity, not necessarily with your money – we all know the difficulties posed by the cost of living crisis- but with your time and your attitude. If you have abundance, don’t build bigger barns. Ask instead: Who needs what I have? Give to those in need. Support the work of your community, your council and your church. Be a blessing; to others and to yourself. Seeing others benefit from your efforts, is enormously beneficial to the soul.
Finally, reclaim Sabbath rest. Stop striving, stop scrolling, stop accumulating for one day a week—and rest in the truth that you are already loved. Jesus ends this parable with a challenge: “Be rich toward God.” That is something that is not measured in bank accounts or barns. It’s measured in love, faith, trust, and the fruit of a life rooted in God’s kingdom.
In a world obsessed with more, may we be a people who proclaim: God is enough. God will provide. And that, in Him, we already have all we need.
Amen.