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“The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.”

᛭ INI ᛭

(5. Oops!: Sin makes a fool (ἄφρον) of each of us!)

Sin makes a fool of each of us! Sinfulness makes us fools. Being sinners means we’re fools and so we act a fool—we sin. Our sinful flesh makes us stupid and shortsighted. Makes it so we don’t understand anything about God according to our human way of thinking. Sin makes it so we don’t understand how the universe works either.

A clear example of this is Adam in the Garden of Eden. Besides the fact that he let his wife be tricked by the serpent, that she ate the forbidden fruit right in front of him, and that he also ate the fruit, Adam, once he rebelled against God and nosedived into sin, thought it was a good idea to hide from God behind a tree.

Another example is the shortsighted man who wanted Christ to serve as probate judge and executor for his inheritance, as if that’s Christ’s mission. As if Christ’s judgment, His kingdom is of this world, rather than securing an eternal inheritance and kingdom by His suffering, death, and resurrection.

The final example is the man from Christ’s parable. He’s short sighted and stupid. But it’s not only because “he stored up treasures for himself and wasn’t rich toward God.” That’s the conclusion. His sin, his foolishness, his stupidity and shortsightedness began much earlier. It began when “[his] ground yielded plentifully,” and began the constant refrain of “my”—“MY crops,” “MY barns,” “MY produce,” “MY goods,” “MY soul.” It’s not just a matter of whose they’ll be, but whose they are!

(4. Ugh!: Your land, your cattle, your job really yields plentifully because of God.)

It’s not only true in Christ’s parable, but it’s often true in real life: “the land of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.” And sure we can talk in terms of his poor stewardship and management of these things, but that’s not the question or idea I’m focusing on today. We’ve got to back up a lot more… “The land of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.” But why?

I’m sure he had lots of “me, myself, and I” kind of answers to that question. “My land is really fertile.” “I irrigated at the right time.” “I planted the right kind of seed.” “I’m a good judge of character and hired some good workers at below market rate.” “I’m a pretty good farmer, if I do say so myself.”

What about your land, your cattle, your job, your career? Why’d your land produce at all? Was it the right seed? Is it that you put the right amount of anhydrous on? Or sprayed at the right time with the right chemical? Why’d you have calves? AI? Same with any job or career! Maybe you’re good at what you do. There are many who have skills but never get to use them… Why’s there money in your bank account or food in your cupboard or your house full of all that you have? Whose are all these things? “MY farm,” “MY cattle,” “MY job,” “MY money,” “MY house,” “MY things.”

As far as we know, we’re the richest and most prosperous society in human history! But whose are all these things? Why’s there corn? Or calves or crows or food on your plate or all that you have? It’s got nothing to do with your work ethic or proper land management techniques or being good at animal husbandry. “The land of a certain rich man yielded plentifully,” your land yielded, your job pays the bills because of the LORD God.

(3. Aha!: Everything’s His, even everything that’s yours.)

As we sang in our introit Psalm: “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man.” The LORD “provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.” He “sends forth His Spirit, and they are created.” He also “takes away their breath, they die and return to their dust.” “He satisfies the desires of every living things,” because “every beast of the forest is [His], the cattle on a thousand hills.” (Ps 50) “The earth is full of [His] possessions.”

Everything is His, even everything that “yours.” It’s his land, His house, His money. He sprouts the plants. He tassels the corn. He does it all: “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” You’re also His. You’re creature. He’s Creator. He knit you together, divided every cell, in your mother’s womb. He sustains you. The one who numbers how many or how few hairs you’ve got on your head also numbers every silk and kernel on every ear on every stalk…

We’re often shorted sighted of all this. We forget, which is dumb, but it happens especially when we’re in danger, perceived or real, of losing something that’s quote, unquote “mine.”

(2. Whee!: GOD GIFTS AND ENTRUSTS EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO YOU.)

And the LORD does something that we also forget and are shortsighted about. He’s given it to you! He won’t hold out on you. And even if He does, it’s His to do with what He wills. You’re not entitled to good yields or to a job or house or even car. You’re not entitled to your life or today or even tomorrow. Sin makes us think we are, but it’s all gift.

Sin also makes us afraid of such a God, that He won’t actually give or provide for all that you need to support this body and life. He really does “satisfy the desires of every living thing.” As the cattle and ravens have food, so do you. As the corn has tassels and silk, so you have hair on your head. And the LORD God, who created everything, and to Him rightfully belongs all things, He gifts it to you.

He also entrusts it to you, in order to care for your neighbor. Babies are nursed, your children are clothed, your grandchildren get all that you give them from the LORD. So also the giving of offerings, as Paul lays out in 2 Corinthians.

GOD GIFTS AND ENTRUSTS EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO YOU.

The fool in Christ’s parable forgot that. His sinful flesh was short sighted, and looked only at what his hands had done. He had been given not earned all that he had. The unbelieving in God’s righteous judgement of their sin and unbelief often get everything they want. “Eat and drink and are merry, for tomorrow we die!” they say. Though the LORD also reserves the right to work repentance by famine and drought and want and hardship. (Dt 28) To those who trust in Him, the LORD God gives all that they need, and often much of what they want, and those with faith receive all as gift as long as the LORD gives it. “The LORD giveth, and the LORD taketh away. Blesséd be the Name of the LORD!” Those with true faith believe that

GOD GIFTS AND ENTRUSTS EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO YOU.

(1. Yeah!: He gives you all things propter Christum.)

But why believe such a thing? Why believe that GOD GIFTS AND ENTRUSTS EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO YOU. Why believe that the ground’s His, that He grows the corn, that He provides the food? It’s not only because it’s true. (Even those who don’t have true faith can admit an almighty power had something to do with it.)

No, true Christians, those who truly believe, believe that GOD GIFTS AND ENTRUSTS EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO YOU BECAUSE He gives you everything for Christ’s sake! They believe they get their daily bread because God sent the true bread from heaven, His only begotten Son, to give His flesh and blood for your sake.

Believers are rich toward God because their sin debt’s been paid for. There sinful stupidity and shortsightedness is swallowed up by the wisdom of God and the eternal foresight of God: Christ crucified for the sin of the world.

Believers know that GOD GIFTS AND ENTRUSTS EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO YOU, just as He does for unbelievers. He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. He makes His sun shine on the evil and the good. Just because you’ve got worldly possessions doesn’t mean God’s happy with you.

Believers are rich toward God because God is the one who makes them rich toward Himself. Believers know this, trust this. It’s your only hope! God in Christ reconciled you to Himself. He gave something far more priceless than gold or silver—Christ’s holy, precious blood. He gives you something more priceless than the purest of Gold, something sweeter than honey or the best pumpkin pie—His holy Word. The God who cleanses you from all your sins, who feeds you with heavenly food—the body and blood of Christ—will of course provide daily bread.

As Paul says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” The God who gave up His Son, and the Son who bled and died and rose, who baptized you, who forgives you all your sins, who enlivens you with His Word, who gives you His Holy Supper, who pours the Spirit into your heart, He’s the one who has and who will GIFT AND ENTRUST EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO YOU. And by His Spirit, He will also move you to use it for His glory. But that’s a whole other sermon…

᛭ INI ᛭