Bigger Barns?

Biblical theme - Grasping hold of the inheritance

Cain & Abel

Jacob & Esau

Joseph & his brothers

Saul & David

David & Absalom

Disciples “who will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Luke 9:46-48

Literal & Spiritual

seem to be treated the same

Grasping after what is given freely

that’s the tragedy of Mr. Bigger Barns - he spent all of his life grasping hold, until there was no more life left, and the barns were left to gather dust

We all know someone who has wanted to pass on the inheritance, and has not lived the life they’ve been given.

On the other hand, we can probably also think of those people who are so busy dreaming of their inheritance, that they grow bitter while they’re waiting

A classic example from scripture was Jacob

Name literally means the one who grasps

Tricked his brother into giving up the inheritance

Tricked his father into giving him the blessing intended for his brother.

Wrestled the angel, and the angel was overcome.

We can read that story, and think “Oh, Jacob won.” But did he? God had promised Abraham that through Isaac, all the world would be blessed. The blessing was already his. So what did Jacob gain from his scheming and wrestling? He gained a life running from his problems and a dislocated hip.

The blessing was already his. All he had to do was accept the gift he had been given, but instead he spent his life struggling and trying to win it for himself.

We’re blessed with an inheritance

Spiritually, but also financially.

The most trouble I have is with people who try to grab the inheritance for themselves.

Financially, but also spiritually

When we grasp with bitterness, our world gets smaller

Tennis

Book

When we give with love, our world gets bigger

book

tennis

What does it mean for the receivers of inheritance?

What was Jesus’ message for the squabbling brothers?

What is the message for us in the church?

I wish I could give a grand answer as to why everything is going to turn out alright for our church, but there are no guarantees.

I wish I could give a hope filled message that would inspire you to give

But I’m afraid I’d sound like just another hustler.

As a church, we’re goiong through some tough times.

Just when we felt like we were turning a corner, COVID hit, and everything got turned upside down.

It’s like we’ve been plucked out of our predictable lives and plonked down in the middle of a maze.

Finding the Way

Wedding story

Middle of a maze

Path marked with rose petals.

When the guests had arrived, a tidy kiwi decided to gather up the petals.

No-one told the bride!

In a panic she was turning this way & that and got thoroughly lost. In the end, I had to force a way through the hedge so she could find a way through.

The wedding went ahead, albeit with a few twigs in the bride’s hair.

When we try to force our way upon a situation, we end upgetting lost. When we take the pressure off, we can find a better path.

The Choice

So, like the brother’s in Luke’s gospel, We’ve got a choice

No, not “A” choice, but a neverending series of choices in front of us.

Just like being stuck in a labyrinth, how we choose to choose will shape our fortunes

- we can be like Jacob and try to wrestle the world into our image - choose to grasp hold of our inheritance as God’s children.

All we will achieve is becoming more and more lost.

Or we can choose, at every intersection, to be generous in spirit, and generous in love, trusting that God’s love is bigger than our problems.

That’s not an easy choice to make

But it does get easier.

What will we do with our inheritance?

Flail around, looking for someone to blame? Someone to wrestle?

Or will we choose a better way.

Reaching our to one another in love.

COVID has made it hard on our church to be the church. We can’t be together as often as we would like. Our weekly progammes and events are disrupted.

Choose generosity. Choose love.

But we can still choose the path of generopsity and love, and as long as we keep choosing that path we will never be lost even if our surroundings are unfamiliar.

There are many ways this can be made real in our lives:

Choose to reach out and call someone you’re thinking of.

Choose to help out someone who is having a hard time.

Choos to pray and trust teh Lord with our ups and our downs.

Choose to live the life you have been given, instead of struggling for an inheritance that is yours already.