Contentment

10th Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 13

August 5

Lectionary 18

Luke 12:13-21

Ecclesiastes 1:2,12-14 2:18-23

"Contentment?"

"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity." Ecclesiastes 1:2, RSV.

"I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 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. I have seen everything that is done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind." Ecclesiastes 1:12-14, RSV.

"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; 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. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 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. What has a man from all the toil and strain with which he toils beneath the sun? 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 2:18-23, RSV.

"One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me." But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?" And he said to them, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, ’What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And 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. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ’Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."" Luke 12:13-21, RSV.

Grace and peace to your from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ. Amen

When I told my wife that I was going to start off this sermon this morning with some song lyrics by the Beatles, she said you can tell you just turn 60.

Yes, I would like to share some lyrics from the Beatles’ song Can’t buy me love

Listen:

The Beatles - Can’t Buy Me Love Lyrics print version

Can’t buy me love, love

Can’t buy me love

I’ll buy you a diamond ring my friend if it makes you feel alright

I’ll get you anything my friend if it makes you feel alright

’Cause I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love

I’ll give you all I got to give if you say you love me too

I may not have a lot to give but what I got I’ll give to you

I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love

Can’t buy me love, everybody tells me so

Can’t buy me love, no no no, no

Say you don’t need no diamond ring and I’ll be satisfied

Tell me that you want the kind of thing that money just can’t buy

I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love

Now listen to an Aseop fable

"When a dog which had stolen a piece of meat out of a butcher’s shop, was crossing a river on its way home, he saw his own shadow reflected in the stream below. Thinking that it was another dog with another piece of meat, he decided to make himself master of that also; but in snapping at the supposed treasure, he dropped the meat he was carrying, and so went away empty handed."

The rich farmer said to his soul, "Soul you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink be merry."

"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities!! All is vanity"

"Jesus says, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions; "