Whose Plan is it Anyway?
Text: Luke 12:13-21
There is a book I have on my shelf called “The Essential Jesus” that tries to take the written sayings of Jesus and distil them into a form that would be easy to remember, similar to the way that Jesus himself might have expressed them. The intention is not to replace the parables, but allowing us to hear them with fresh ears.
I can’t say that the Parable of the Rich Landowner is one that is particularly well known. We know the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son… but not the Rich Landowner. Maybe it’s because it’s a parable that really makes us uncomfortable, because it touches on those uncontrollable events in life that always seem to get in the way of our own personal plans.
Rendered to its essentials, here’s how this parable sounds:
A rich landowner made some long-term plans
“I will sow and I will reap
I will plant and I will gather
I will fill my storerooms to capacity
I will have more than I could ever want.
That night he died.
Not terribly optimistic is it? A rich landowner who makes these big, grandiose plans, and before he can even begin them, he dies.
What was Jesus thinking?
Well… Jesus proclaimed parables that described the Kingdom of God. He tries to get us to see the world through God’s eyes… and then respond to the world around us from that radically different point of view. It is a change of heart, a change of eyes, a change of being in who we are. So when it comes to the parables, the question we bring is what is this telling us about the kingdom of God. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, it shows us that the help that we need can come to us from places that we don’t want. The Prodigal Son challenges us with the reckless love that responds in celebration even to the ones who offend us.
So what is the challenge with the Rich Landowner?
In many respects, it’s pretty obvious. A wealthy man sits down one day and makes all kinds of plans for the future of his estate for him to personally enjoy. That night, he dies… and all the grandiose plans that he made dies with him.
It’s a cautionary tale, reminding us that life can throw us all kinds of curves. As such, we should not get too attached to the plans that we make. We can make all the plans we like, but if it’s not part of God’s plan, then it’s worth nothing. John Lennon once wrote in his song Be“life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” It was somewhat prophetic… the song was released to the public three weeks before he was murdered.
For the people listening to Jesus, this parable was much more subtle that his others. For poor, rural folk, it was probably a treat to hear a story of a Rich Landowner getting his come-uppance in dying before realizing any of his grandiose plans. It wouldn’t be until later that people would start to really think, and realize that life circumstances can change so quickly… and our plans along with it.
Does it mean we shouldn’t make any plans at all, since things can change so quickly? Well… not exactly… Remember that the parables are about the Kingdom of God. Jesus tries to get us to see things with God’s eyes… and if it means a harsh tale of how plans can be rendered meaningless by life circumstance then so be it.
It’s about discerning God’s plan, not enforcing our own. What Jesus is trying to shake us out of is coming up with our own plans, and then asking God to bless it… rather than trying to discern what God’s plan for us really is. That’s the challenge… and for us in 21st Century North America it is perhaps one of the hardest things for us to do.
Here’s a real-world example. On April 15th, a well known, and reasonably respected multinational company held their annual meeting. The CEO delivered a speech that was building on the strong financials of 2009. This 2,300 word speech outlined all of the company’s plans, detailing their intent to move the business forward in responding to issues of climate change, working with a low-carbon economy, and to be seen as a leader in environmentally friendly ventures the world over. The stock market responded favourably, and told everybody that this was a good investment. This is where you wanted to put your money.
Five days later, one of their drilling rigs, the Deepwater Horizon exploded, burned, and then sank, turning loose the worst oil spill disaster in US history. The name of the company: British Petroleum. Tony Hayward’s now odd speech is available online if you want to look it up. For all those plans that they had made… well… circumstances have drastically changed. I believe that at the moment, BP’s stock has lost over 50% of its value.
Overlay the parable that Jesus told of the Rich Landowner… and wow… what a modern-day parable.
But there’s also a problem here that’s far more subtle than we realize. Jesus had a way with words to draw people in, to bring people onside to his way of thinking, and then to suddenly turn the tables and realize that in fact the challenge is to us.
Whether it’s the Rich Landowner, or BP, we can fold our arms, look disapprovingly and cheer Jesus on as he gives those rich people their come-uppance. Keep in mind that the people that Jesus taught were the poorest of the poor…
…but the point that we all have in common is that we all make plans. We have our designs, our expectations… no matter how big or small… What Jesus is after in this parable is two fold…
1. We should not put too much stock into our own plans, because things can change in an instant.
2. Rather, being in tune with God’s, and discerning and trusting in God’s plan is the healthier path.
3. We should never presume that we know God’s plan without consulting with God first.
This is hard stuff, it’s really challenging. Far more challenging, I think than we realize. What it requires on our part is a change in the way we think about and approach planning in our lives. It means trying to be in tune with how God is working in our lives, and orienting ourselves to be part of God’s plan, rather than trying to get God to bless our own. Not only that, if we’re more in tune with this, we may be able to better respond to whatever curve balls come at us. It’s a way we can really engage in being life-giving to those around us.
Maybe that’s what Jesus is trying to teach us.
Amen.
There is a book I have on my shelf called “The Essential Jesus” that tries to take the written sayings of Jesus and distil them into a form that would be easy to remember, similar to the way that Jesus himself might have expressed them. The intention is not to replace the parables, but allowing us to hear them with fresh ears.
I can’t say that the Parable of the Rich Landowner is one that is particularly well known. We know the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son… but not the Rich Landowner. Maybe it’s because it’s a parable that really makes us uncomfortable, because it touches on those uncontrollable events in life that always seem to get in the way of our own personal plans.
Rendered to its essentials, here’s how this parable sounds:
A rich landowner made some long-term plans
“I will sow and I will reap
I will plant and I will gather
I will fill my storerooms to capacity
I will have more than I could ever want.
That night he died.
Not terribly optimistic is it? A rich landowner who makes these big, grandiose plans, and before he can even begin them, he dies.
What was Jesus thinking?
Well… Jesus proclaimed parables that described the Kingdom of God. He tries to get us to see the world through God’s eyes… and then respond to the world around us from that radically different point of view. It is a change of heart, a change of eyes, a change of being in who we are. So when it comes to the parables, the question we bring is what is this telling us about the kingdom of God. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, it shows us that the help that we need can come to us from places that we don’t want. The Prodigal Son challenges us with the reckless love that responds in celebration even to the ones who offend us.
So what is the challenge with the Rich Landowner?
In many respects, it’s pretty obvious. A wealthy man sits down one day and makes all kinds of plans for the future of his estate for him to personally enjoy. That night, he dies… and all the grandiose plans that he made dies with him.
It’s a cautionary tale, reminding us that life can throw us all kinds of curves. As such, we should not get too attached to the plans that we make. We can make all the plans we like, but if it’s not part of God’s plan, then it’s worth nothing. John Lennon once wrote in his song Be“life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” It was somewhat prophetic… the song was released to the public three weeks before he was murdered.
For the people listening to Jesus, this parable was much more subtle that his others. For poor, rural folk, it was probably a treat to hear a story of a Rich Landowner getting his come-uppance in dying before realizing any of his grandiose plans. It wouldn’t be until later that people would start to really think, and realize that life circumstances can change so quickly… and our plans along with it.
Does it mean we shouldn’t make any plans at all, since things can change so quickly? Well… not exactly… Remember that the parables are about the Kingdom of God. Jesus tries to get us to see things with God’s eyes… and if it means a harsh tale of how plans can be rendered meaningless by life circumstance then so be it.
It’s about discerning God’s plan, not enforcing our own. What Jesus is trying to shake us out of is coming up with our own plans, and then asking God to bless it… rather than trying to discern what God’s plan for us really is. That’s the challenge… and for us in 21st Century North America it is perhaps one of the hardest things for us to do.
Here’s a real-world example. On April 15th, a well known, and reasonably respected multinational company held their annual meeting. The CEO delivered a speech that was building on the strong financials of 2009. This 2,300 word speech outlined all of the company’s plans, detailing their intent to move the business forward in responding to issues of climate change, working with a low-carbon economy, and to be seen as a leader in environmentally friendly ventures the world over. The stock market responded favourably, and told everybody that this was a good investment. This is where you wanted to put your money.
Five days later, one of their drilling rigs, the Deepwater Horizon exploded, burned, and then sank, turning loose the worst oil spill disaster in US history. The name of the company: British Petroleum. Tony Hayward’s now odd speech is available online if you want to look it up. For all those plans that they had made… well… circumstances have drastically changed. I believe that at the moment, BP’s stock has lost over 50% of its value.
Overlay the parable that Jesus told of the Rich Landowner… and wow… what a modern-day parable.
But there’s also a problem here that’s far more subtle than we realize. Jesus had a way with words to draw people in, to bring people onside to his way of thinking, and then to suddenly turn the tables and realize that in fact the challenge is to us.
Whether it’s the Rich Landowner, or BP, we can fold our arms, look disapprovingly and cheer Jesus on as he gives those rich people their come-uppance. Keep in mind that the people that Jesus taught were the poorest of the poor…
…but the point that we all have in common is that we all make plans. We have our designs, our expectations… no matter how big or small… What Jesus is after in this parable is two fold…
1. We should not put too much stock into our own plans, because things can change in an instant.
2. Rather, being in tune with God’s, and discerning and trusting in God’s plan is the healthier path.
3. We should never presume that we know God’s plan without consulting with God first.
This is hard stuff, it’s really challenging. Far more challenging, I think than we realize. What it requires on our part is a change in the way we think about and approach planning in our lives. It means trying to be in tune with how God is working in our lives, and orienting ourselves to be part of God’s plan, rather than trying to get God to bless our own. Not only that, if we’re more in tune with this, we may be able to better respond to whatever curve balls come at us. It’s a way we can really engage in being life-giving to those around us.
Maybe that’s what Jesus is trying to teach us.
Amen.
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