Collect and Readings for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity – Jeremiah 32.1-3a, 6-15, Amos 6.1a,4- 7, Psalm 91.1-6, 11-end, Psalm 146, 1 Timothy 6.6-19, Luke 16.19-end
The Prayer for today God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit upon your Church in the burning fire of your love: grant that your people may be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel that, always abiding in you, they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
On the face of it, Jeremiah’s purchase of the field was likely to be a complete waste of money. Had he been thinking only in terms of financial gain, it would hardly have been considered a wise investment. But since God had just spoken to him about using it as a sign of hope, Jeremiah was happy to go along with God’s priorities. These took precedence over all his plans and ambitions.
Amos underlines for us the danger of being comfortably well off; the very comfort can cushion us from feeling for the poor and needy until we barely notice their suffering. So often this goes along with a sense of well-being which lulls us into thinking life is like this for everyone else too. We can become so cut off from the real world that we actually believe the needs are not there. It is this blindness, and injustice of the situation, which angers the God of love and compassion. He feels for the ones who get despised and ignored, simply because they possess less.
Paul has more good advice from young Timothy. He, too, recognises that many sins can get traced back to the ‘love of money’ rootstock, and advises Timothy to stay well away from it, pursuing instead the kind of riches that are good and eternal. God is by far the better bargain!
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus focuses our minds on the seriousness and urgency of this whole question. We are not to know when our opportunities for living thoughtfully and generously will run out; it would be sensible to sort it all out now, while we still have the chance. As we take stock of how we are living, we can hold in front of us the picture of this wealthy man who did nothing particularly evil, but neglected to notice the needs of those he probably saw every day.
Some things to reflect on:
• Was Jeremiah foolish to buy a field in the circumstances? Why does God sometimes ask us to do things which, in the world’s terms, are madness?
• Is it wealth itself which is wrong, or the way it cushions us to reality? Can real Christians be wealthy?
God bless and stay safe and well.
Rev’d Fiona Robinson