Bev Franco Essay - San Francisco Theological Seminary

to material possessions. Jesus warns us not to treasure material things for two reasons:
they are temporal and can be destroyed or taken away from us, and storing them up keeps
us from storing up spiritual treasure. We are given an either/or choice. Our hearts can
only be in one place.
Materialism blinds us to the ephemeral nature of earthly possessions. Betz says,
“Everything on this earth is subject to perishability. This is a fact of life and everyone
should know it, but people are normally ignorant or defiant, thinking that they alone can
escape from the destiny awaiting all material goods.” 30 The Psalmist warns that we can’t
take it with us. “Do not be afraid when some become rich, when the wealth of their
houses increases. For when they die they will carry nothing away; their wealth will not
go down after them” (Psalm 49:16-17). Belief in the security of material things is folly.
Fine fabrics draw moths, money corrodes, riches are stolen away from us. “‘Take care!
Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the
abundance of possessions’” (Luke 12:15). Jesus then goes on to tell the Parable of the
Rich Fool who stored up his abundance of grain and said to himself, “‘Soul, you have
ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to
him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you
have prepared, whose will they be’ So it is with those who store up treasures for
themselves but are not rich toward God” (Luke 19-21). The rich fool is not an evil man,
just a fool who thought extra material things would keep him safe. 31
Seeking security in earthly possessions keeps us from seeking security in God.
When our time, talents and money are given over to earning and protecting things, we
30 Betz, 433.
31 Barbara Brown Taylor, “Treasure Hunt: Luke 12:13-21” Review & Expositor 99 no.1 (Winter 2002):
101.
11