Have You Ever Chased The Wind? Careful How You Answer!

Two Bible passages are coming together for me this morning.  One is in the  Gospel of Luke 12: 
...for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." 

The other from the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes chapters one and two. 

14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind….

 It is quiet obvious  that neither Jesus or the preacher, named Qoheleth, seem to know what it is like to live in the United States of America today!  

If all that we do is a " all is vanity and a striving after wind…." And our possessions offer very little to the meaning of our lives. What have we been pursuing for the last hundred plus years?

How are we to understand, these two wise teachers, if life is not striving to make a living by hard work, and putting in overtime, so that we have enough money to spend?  If abundant possessions isn't what brings meaning and purpose to our lives?  Then why do we find American families with two working parents?  And children who need others to care for them after school?  

It is the American Way!  It has been that way for years and years!  

Has it all really been a "a chasing after the wind?"

Without any true and realistic answers to that last few questions.  I want to relate all of this a story that is most likely true.  I clarify that because some say it is a legend.  Story or legend, it has to do with what happens when people live like the rich farmer.

It was 1935!  Mr. LaGuardia, mayor of New York City, one bitter cold winter day, had taken over the judges seat in Police Court.  One of the cases, that came before him, was a man arrested for stealing a loaf of bread.  LaGuardia look at the man and said:  "I've got to punish you!  The law makes no exceptions!  I can do nothing but fine you ten dollars."  Then he reached into his pocket and handed the man a ten dollar bill to pay his fine.   

Then he did something amazing!  LaGuardia looked over the courtroom, full of people, and said: "And now I remit the fine!  Furthermore, I am going to fine everyone in the courtroom fifty cents."  (Remember, in 1935 fifty cents was a lot of money!)   I fine all of you fifty cents "for living in a town where a man has to steal a loaf of bread in order to eat."  

Then he gave the man what he collected for the courtroom guest!  Forty seven dollars and fifty cents.!

End of story!

God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 

The parable of the Rich Farmer!  And the Story of what LaGuardia did in that courtroom in 1935!  Say something about how we have raped the value of life!

Could it be that our American culture has lost touch with the message that God, in Jesus' skin, came to bring?

"Love as I have love you!"  

"You love your neighbor as you love yourself!"

We hear those lines, and then quickly dismiss them, as old news.  Old core values that have no realistic meaning for todays values systems.  

What is it like to chase wind?   

Are we missing Jesus' reason for telling that short little parable about how the rich farmer wanted to keep all his stuff all to himself?  

I am thinking that Jesus is getting at something much deeper than things and money.  He is talking about something way past greed!  Way past greed, to  being absolutely self-involved! 

The farmer seems to have had no other relationships!  Except his coveted possessions.  His small perception of  security and future life style.  He seems to be the sole provider to all of life.  

The King of the Kingdom of Him!

No! I am thinking that this tiny parable is not about being rich!  Nor is it about abundance!  Nor greed!  That is only the surface point of the parable.  

The deeper, more meaningful, point is lack of understanding about God. And his lack of relationship, with God, in his life.

Now, granted, this is my simple take on the story!

None-the-less, it seems to me that all of the ingredients of a meaningful existence are missing.

20 But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'


 A personal life experience!  

I have been a pastor for just about thirty years come September.  I have witnessed the fallout of "the good life!"  A life of striving and collecting, of buying and selling.  

I have witnessed the painful truth of joy-less people. People who have worked long and hard to attain the "American Dream!"  The dream of status, wealth, possessions!  Who have grown weary of the failure, to achieve the promised dream, to provide for personal pleasures and meaningful relationships with family and friends.  

I have seen the results of children who grave, one thing simple thing, attention -- quality time --  from their parents.  There is no quality time today!  There is only busy schedules!

15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." 

However!  One's life does flourish, and experience, joy, meaning and purpose in the abundance of well cared for and attended to relationships.

That is just the truth!

I invite you to imagine, for a moment, what the world would be like if we all gave as much time and energy to our family relationship as we do earning money to spend on things.

Imagine if we spent as much time and energy with our families as we do our jobs!

Just imagine the difference it would make!

The difference it would not only make to our families, but the culture we live in.

Just possibly there would be less rage, crime, mental health problems and un-happy-ness!

As I was writing, the above, a memory came to me.  It is a sermon I gave while on Internship; that had a profound effect on my attitude about the importance of relationships.

Now I must preface this by telling you, that at the time, I was going through a heartbreaking divorce.  And what relationships meant was pretty intense!  

The reading I preached on was from 1Timothy.  The verse was in Chapter 6:7.  

"...for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it."

What I came to, in my study of that sermon, was this: 

We do come into the world with only one thing!  
      And we leave this world with just one thing.
        And that one thing is a relationship with God!

A precious relationship that is given, to each of us, with our very first breath!  Given to us by God!  And God nurtures this relationship as we move through our time on this earth.

The second part is:  In and through our relationship, with God, comes relationship with others!

It is made clear, throughout all of scripture,  that we were not created to live separately.  Alone!

for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

Rather!   One's life does consist in the abundance of quality relationships!  

All else is "Vanity of vanities, and a chasing after the wind!"

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." 16 Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' 18 Then he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”(Lk.12)

2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. …12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind….18 I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me; 19 and who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a man who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by a man who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the toil and strain with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For all his days are full of pain, and his work is a vexation; even in the night his mind does not rest. This also is vanity.  (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14 & 2:18-23)