Luke 12:13-21, Colossians 3:1-11
The story starts with a man in the crowd asking Jesus to settle an argument between him and his brother about what belonged to each of them. Jesus told the man off. He said, “Don’t be greedy. Owning a lot of things won’t make your life safe.’
Then he told them all this story which we refer to as the parable of the rich fool. Jesus was encouraging his disciples to live as those who trust in God. He’s saying don’t be so preoccupied with possessions that God is forgotten.
So we have the rich fool, the man with a harvest too big to store. Rather than thanking God and giving the surplus away, the fool comes up with the idea of tearing down his existing barns and building bigger ones in order to keep all of his harvest for himself. God speaks to the rich fool, pointing out to him that when he dies his crops will do him no good. He will have the benefits neither of his crops nor of God’s love, having ignored God during his life on earth.
This true story is completely opposite to the one Jesus told: Shadrach was a vicar and a farmer in Kenya. One year he was given a pile of rich manure to use on his fields. As a result his harvest that year was astounding. It was the talk of the town. He cut it down and brought one-tenth of his crop into the church because he wanted to thank God. It took up so much space. Just imagine! This was the talk of the town! And then he shared the harvest with others. What a contrast!
Jesus concluded his story with the rather hard words that the same will happen to anyone who keeps their possessions to themselves, and doesn’t thank God or use their possessions for the good of others. This message still has a huge challenge for us. We face the same temptations that the rich man faced. We are faced with the same choice as the rich fool: will we keep what we have to ourselves, or will we thank God for what he gives us and use what we have to help others?
The fact is that none of the crops or goods of this world will do any of us any good at the end of our lives. So we might as well share them while we’re here.
I want you now to think of a few of the good things that you have been given or that you have worked hard to make or earn. … Now think about which of these you would be reluctant to share with others or which you pride yourself on possessing.
Sometimes we’re tempted to take what we have for granted and to keep it for ourselves. Like the rich fool, we’re tempted to ignore God and do everything in our own strength. But we know that if we say sorry to God he will forgive us and make us like new because he loves us. According to Jesus’ story, everything we have comes from God. If we want to avoid being like the rich fool we need to give thanks to God for all that he gives us and then use what we have to help others.
Now consider these Bible verses:
Life does not consist in the abundance of things.
Or
Owning a lot of things won’t make your life safe. Luke 12:15
Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God. Matthew 4:4
There’s one thing that will do us good now and for ever: the Bible. God has given it to us for our good and for us to share to help others. What sort of good does the Bible do?
A Story – The Bible transforms a violent town in Brazil
Recently the Bible Society of Brazil began a Bible programme in Colombo City schools in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, the capital of Parana State. This particular city has a bad history of violence in schools. The County Guards, responsible for school safety, were often called to intervene in violent situations in and around schools in the area.
Sometime after the ‘Studying with the Bible Programme’ began, the County Guards noticed they were no longer being called to the schools to deal with violent situations. The Guards approached school leaders to ask why. Investigations led authorities to conclude that the Studying the Bible Programme, which involved students at school and parents working with their children on the materials at home, was the reason for the remarkable decrease in violence.
Now, the County Guards has formally requested that Parana State authorities implement this programme in all schools throughout the entire state. What began as a programme to transform the lives of individual children has led to schools, communities and potentially a whole state being transformed because of the Bible.
What is transformation?
Literally transformation is a ‘marked change in nature, form or appearance’. But what does being transformed mean when we are talking about people?
Plastic surgery can transform our appearance. So can a hair cut (or colour) or makeup. These things can all alter the way we look to others. But God’s not so concerned about transforming how we look on the outside. God wants to bring about change in how we are on the inside.
One of the ways God transforms us on the inside is through our reading of the Bible. Let’s look at how that works.
How are we transformed through the Bible?
Reading
When we read the Bible we need to do more than scan the words like a photocopier scans a page. We need to focus on our relationship with God. As Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians, “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes”. Eph 4.23 (NLT)
Thinking
God transforms the way we think. Once the way we think has been transformed, our actions follow. Actions follow thought. As Paul wrote to the Colossians, ‘You have put off your old self with its habits and have put on your new self.’ We are always in danger of reverting to our old ways and often we have to work hard and long at replacing old habits with new ones, old ways of thinking with new ones, old ways of behaving with new ones. Very often the changes come little by little but the overall transformation is solid.
Willing
The joke goes “How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb. One, but the bulb has to really want to change.” Transformation is bit like that. It begins with us acknowledging to God that we need to change, and that we are willing to change. When we’re willing and open, God does his best work in us. Reading the Bible is one way that God shows us what needs changing.
Waiting
Transformation takes time. In fact, it takes a life-time. We should never think we’ve been transformed enough. We can never say “God’s finished transforming me”. Building our relationship with God means spending time with him. We need to know God better so we can know when it’s God speaking, and when we are hearing our own thoughts. Time allows God to work. But in an age when we expect instant results, time is something many of us are often unwilling to give.
Learning
It’s through reading the whole Bible, that we learn who God is, what he’s like and how he acts in the world. Old Testament stories teach us of his creative power, his immense love for his special people, his compassion for the poor and his desire and plans for all to be pure and Holy like he is. The New Testament teaches us how God established his personal presence on earth, firstly through Jesus and then through his Spirit and his people, the church.
Journeying
When we go to a quiet place and sit down with God, we’re putting ourselves in a position to be changed. We’re saying, “God, come and change me”. Through our Bible reading, the Spirit works. We hear his still small voice speak as we read the words. We feel our hearts jump as the Spirit points to something. As we pause to think about it, we learn and discover what the Spirit wants us to know.
Transformation is a process by which our original self is being transformed into something new. It’s the ‘new’ part that should really excite and drive us. We know that the new person will be a more Jesus-like me. It’s fascinating to see how that takes shape.
The Bible is the key to our transformation. It’s essential to our whole Christian life. That’s why Christians all over the world want to have a Bible they can read daily and why the Bible Society works so hard to get them Bibles. Today being Bible Sunday the Bible Society has provided us with a DVD which tells the story of a Cambodian couple, Tin and Vibol Ket whose story illustrate how others around the world are being transformed by the Bible. This clip is on their website at http://www.biblesociety.org.nz/biblesunday Have a look.