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I love this little story. It’s another of Jesus’ rural parables. Many of
you, I’m sure, can relate to the farmer. All that work to raise a good
crop and for once it pays off. A huge harvest! In fact, so big, there’s
not enough room to store it all. So what do you do? Well, you could sell
some. You could trade it toward something else you need. You could give
some away. Or you could do what this farmer chose, you could build bigger
barns and keep it all, in order to cushion against the time when there
won’t be enough. Saving for a rainy day. Building security for the future.
Except that Jesus points out a problem. There may not be any future, so
what good will it do him then?
Now I don’t think Jesus has it in for farmers with big barns, or farmers
who have big harvests. I do believe though that Jesus was pointing out
that the farmer in the story wasn’t just building bigger barns to hold his
huge harvest. There was more to it than that. His bigger barns were a
sign of what he was really building in his life.
Independence?
Security?
Self-reliance?
In and of themselves, not necessarily bad things. However, that farmer
believed he could be secure in and of himself. He had lost sight of God
and the bigger picture and was in danger. No matter how big the barns and
how full they may be, there may not be any future to use them in. His
security lay in the wrong place.
Now what about us? Where does our security lay? What are we building?
Look at your life. What do your actions and choices indicate that you are
building?
Let’s try a little game. Think about this question: If you had to describe
your life as a building, what would it be? Let me give you some examples:
Maybe the life you’re building is a farm? Always struggling to make ends
meet and get by while at the same time something’s always growing.
Or a hospital? A place of healing and recovery.
Maybe a bank? A place of security and protection with strong walls and a
safe to keep people out.
A store? Where you’ve got it and in order for others to get it it’ll cost
them something.
Take a minute now and consider it. If you had to describe your life as a
building, what would it be?
What are we building?
In the Colossians reading Paul talks about the old and the new. “You have
been raised to life with Christ. Now set your hearts on what is in
heaven... Think about what is up there, not about what is down here. Each
of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator.”
Now those are good building plans! Building a life which is becoming more
and more like our Creator. A person whose mind and attitudes continually
raise them, and the people around them, up closer to God’s perfection. A
person who continually resists evil, avoids anger and hatred, stands firm
against greed. A person whose security rests in God, not in barns.
Is that what we’re building? It should be. As people who have been raised
to life with Christ, we should be building lives that reflect our new
status. People who live out the salvation we have been given in Christ Jesus.
But that’s easier said than done.
Sometimes, instead, it seems that what we’re building is a conglomerate
mess. It’s a mish-mash of old and new trying to stay together. Anger and
love. Greed and generosity. Pride and humility. Kingdom of God and
Kingdom of us. Eventually it’s doomed to collapse and fail because it’s
not what God wants for us. It’s not building in God’s image.
Think again about what you’re building. What parts need some renovating?
What needs to come down and be replaced? What needs to be expanded? Is
your building one solid piece, or is it more a combination that’s about to
fall in? If that’s what we’re building, then we need to tear it down in
order that we can start anew.
Of course, therein lies the good news. If or when the life we are building
does eventually fall down, God is there ready to rebuild. To re-lay our
foundation on Jesus and to rebuild us in the image of the Creator. God
will not revel in our destruction. You heard God say it through Hosea
earlier, “I can’t give you up. How could I possibly destroy you. My
feelings for you are much to strong.” As a parent loves a child no matter
how difficult they can be and as that same parent continually tries to
mould and sculpt that child into what is good, so God is, with us.
No matter how much of what we’re building falls in, God is always there
waiting to clear the rubble and rebuild.
So, what are we building?
Is it a life based on our own needs and wants?
Is it a life of misplaced security in ourselves?
Or are we building a life in the image of our creator?
A life we would be proud to invite Jesus into? That he would feel at home
in? And that reflects our trust and reliance on God.
What are we building?
Pushing Ahead:
1. Spend some more time with that question I asked you earlier; If you had
to describe your life as a building, what would it be?
2. Do something constructive this week to build up your life in the image
of your Creator.
