Ash Wednesday (2024)

The One Who Played the Wrong Horse Luke 12:12-21 and Revelation 3:1-3

One day a man asked Jesus to intercede on his behalf and urge his brother to split their inheritance fair and square. The Lord detected some greed and anxious concern in the request, so He told the story about a man who played the wrong horse, as it were. The man was a farmer and had a good business, so good that he had to start thinking about expansion. In making plans to put away his fortune he decided he would take it easy. After all, he thought, a person who devotes his energy to making good in life deserves to be able to eat, drink, and be merry. This was his bet of a lifetime, to be able to cash in his chips for the long retirement. He retired alright. He cashed in when death made him a loser. When his soul was required of him he discovered that he had played the wrong horse.

In gambling there is always the element of uncertainty, and as a result, anxiety. And when we count on the wrong things the result is tragedy. Jesus told the story to show us that there is someone we can count on, that God loves us and cares for us. In Luke’s account the story appears between Jesus' sayings about people who “are of more value than many sparrows (12:7), and who are to God more important than grass (12:28), for, He says, “it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (12:32). There is no need to play the wrong horse when you have a sure bet like that.

Counting on Goods

But, is there anything wrong with preparing for the future or wanting to provide for one’s enjoyment? After all, says one of the beer commercials of yesteryear: “you only go around once and you must grab all the gusto you can.” There is nothing in the story that Jesus told to indicate that the man’s sin was that he wanted to take it easy. There is no indication that his goods were gotten dishonestly, that he was unlucky to be so fortunate, or that he did wrong in wanting to enjoy leisure or retirement.

That's not our problem either. As a matter of fact, our problem, like that of the man in the story, could very well be that we can’t take it easy, that our activity becomes so feverish and anxious that we cannot begin to enjoy even what we accumulate. Working long hours, getting in overtime, coming home dead tired, we often find it impossible to enjoy what we earn. We gamble to get, but the payoff may be that we are never able to use what we counted on, or, using it, we find that it gave us no sense of fulfillment, not to mention enjoyment. We all know of people—no blanket judgment intended here—who work hard to retire only to die on their way to Florida. Sometimes the horse we bet on never comes in.

When We Should Be Counting on God

The rich man in the story was no fool simply because he had means and knew how to manage it. There was nothing wrong with his desire to enjoy life. His trouble was that he didn't seek it in the right place: his priorities were all out of wack. Our Lord introduced that little parable with the words: “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” The rich fool, however, believed that his life had meaning, that his future was secure, if he had ample goods. He was ready to stake his security on something that couldn't come across. His gods were unable to deliver. He is left holding tickets on a loser. That was his folly: he centered his life on goods instead of God.

Take the Church in Sardis, for example, from our second reading. Outwardly the Christians of Sardis appear to be alive, but are actually in a state of physical or mental inactivity. In a couple words, they are lethargic and careless, taking their Christianity for granted. And the reality is, if they do not repent, they will be spiritually dead and be without heaven. They show works which look good and godly, but their faith is in peril of dying. They have lost faith and heart toward Christ and God, or at least they are in danger of doing so.

What is it that deprives us of enjoyment ? That we have all too few possessions? That we don’t have job security? That the future is always uncertain? That we might not live long enough to enjoy what we have accumulated? That today our soul might be required of us? No, it is not these possibilities that ruin our joy. It is rather, as Jesus tells us, the misfortune of not being “rich toward God."

God Comes Through

There is a hymn that makes the point rather well:

All depends on our possessing

God's abundant grace and blessing,

Though all earthly wealth depart.

He who trusts with faith unshaken

In his God is not forsaken

And e'er keeps a dauntless heart.

He who hitherto hath fed me

And to many joys hath led me,

Is and ever shall be mine.

He who did so gently school me,

He who still doth guide and rule me,

Will remain my Help divine.

Yes, “all depends on our possessing God’s abundant grace and blessing.” It is not our goods that put joy into life; it is the goodness of God! That is what Jesus is teaching in this story: a man's life consists in the abundance of God’s goodness. And that is the point, that God can be counted on to care for His people. Gamble on goods and our horse will never pay, but trust in God and we will know forgiveness, mercy, and life everlasting. And that is not a gamble; it is a gift.

Unfortunately for this rich man, the one possibility he refused to consider is exactly what happened. All that wealth could do him no good as he stood before God. He had neglected his relationship with God, the most important aspect of life, and found himself in death not with riches but with less than nothing. He was exactly what God called him: a fool.

Jesus wants us to grasp that somber truth so we rethink where he should fall among all our priorities. Death can come at any time. So now is the time to cling to Christ in true repentance. Not later. Now. There is no higher priority.

Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return. None of us knows how much more time we have before we stand before the Lord. Given that reality, we dare not approach life as the rich man in the parable did. We dare not succumb to the temptation to focus our attention on this life. Far more important than this life's prizes are our eternal soul and our relationship with God. Now is the time to repent of our sins and turn to the Lord for forgiveness. Now is the time to focus our attention on God and cling to him. Now, is the time to be rich toward God. For we are dust, and one day to dust we shall return.

We are able to trust only when we have God’s Word stored up in our hearts. Faith is not gambling, hoping somehow that things will turn out alright, imagining that God will confirm our goals and reward our striving. Rather, faith is receiving what God offers, claiming what He promises, counting on His ability to come through. By faith we live with a sure Word of God.

Riding a Winner

That our horse (if we may be so irreverent) has already come in! That old work horse, that war horse (if we may continue to be so irreverent), our Lord Jesus Christ has won for us an abundant blessing of God! The heavenly Father does care for and protect all His children. He remains the Creator, responsible for His creation. He reveals His concern for us. He restores us to sonship and salvation by risking defeat, by gambling, as it were, everything on the innocent suffering and death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

And when it was all over, when Satan had gambled and lost, when Christ arose as Victor and was crowned as King, Good News was proclaimed to all the world. The race had been won. The war had been decided. The outcome of our lives was assured, victory with Christ for people filled with anxiety and lacking in trust, for all of us victims of greed. God has made us rich in His goodness. He has prepared a treasure for us “where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.” (12:33)

We tend to focus our priorities on the pleasures of this life to the point of withdrawing our hearts from our Lord, making us negligent of our souls and our salvation; In a phrase, we take it for granted. Like the Church of Sardis who were just acting the part. Or the farmer who never once considered what was more important than earthly pleasure and possessions. The distractions of the world have no eternal value because they are empty; it is time to return to the Lord – to wake up!

Since God has opened up the future and given us His kingdom of righteousness and peace through Jesus Christ so that our living now might be filled with a new quality, that anxiety might give way to trust.

Therefore, we are now enabled to give up the foolishness of playing wrong horses with our fowled up priorities.

Christ is #1 in the Kingdom of God and therefore, He now can be #1 in our lives as well. How do we square away our priorities? Attend the Sunday or Wednesday worship service most weeks every month. Dedicate yourself to a Bible class, where you can grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus.

Because of Jesus we can now confess our sins with a broken and contrite heart, knowing that our God will hear us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We can now love our neighbor as Christ loves us.

Because of Christ Jesus we now have peace with God. As a result, we can return to the Lord our God because He is gracious and merciful. Let’s turn to our Savior in repentance now. Thanks be to God, for He does all things well.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.