The Most Important Thing In The World

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD

Ecclesiastes 2:1 – 11

What is the most important thing in the world? The scripture I just read was written by Solomon, who was the richest, wisest, and most influential king of Israel. If you were paying attention, you heard Solomon say that he had it all – luxurious homes, beautiful gardens and orchards, slaves to wait on him hand and foot, all the silver and gold he could hope for, any woman he wanted on his arm, and parties all the time. I guess Solomon was the original rock star. But Solomon said one more thing that we shouldn’t miss. In verse 11 he said, “But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless – like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.” How sad is that? The mightiest king of Israel had anything he wanted at his disposal, but none of it mattered.

Let’s fast forward a thousand years. Jesus is standing there, speaking to the crowds that had gathered to hear him. The Bible says, “Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, “What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.” Then he said, “I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!” (Luke 12:13 – 19)

I have often wondered if Jesus had Solomon in mind as he told this story. God had certainly blessed this man with everything that he thought he needed. He had enough to live on for a very long time and wouldn’t have to work anymore. But he didn’t have the most important thing – the one thing that he truly needed.

Let me stop right there for a moment. I have heard people criticize the man in this story because he was rich. But there is nothing wrong with being rich, especially if we use our wealth to help others and glorify God. It’s true that the man appears to be somewhat selfish…it looks like he is only thinking about himself. He wants to store up all his wealth so that HE can live a life of ease. But there is more to this story.

Nothing is said about this man committing adultery. We have no indication that he ever stole anything. He is not described as being cruel to others or to harming anyone else’s reputation. Maybe he went to the synagogue every Sabbath. Maybe he put money in the offering box at the temple. He may have even put a coin or two in a beggar’s cup every now and then.

My point is that this man seemingly was a pretty good guy. He never got into any trouble, and he may have had some pretty good morals. But, just like Solomon, what he had was not good enough.

Jesus continues the story in Luke 12:20, 21. “But God said to him, “You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?” Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” This rich man and Solomon both found out that all the pleasures this life had to offer were ultimately meaningless in the end. The most important thing in the world is a relationship with God.

You may be thinking, “Hey, I HAVE a relationship with God! I am here tonight, aren’t I?” But let me tell you that a relationship with God is more than just showing up for church now and then. When you have a relationship with someone, you spend time with them. You get to know them well. You think about them often. Be honest with yourself for a few minutes. Think about the time between tonight and the last time you were in church. How much of that time did you actually think about God? How much time did you spend in prayer, or in studying His Word? Did you spend more time watching tv, or texting, or hanging out with your friends? If you truly had a relationship with God, if you truly loved Him, wouldn’t you want to spend some time with Him?