"Pursue the Right Goals"          2012

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11       Luke 12:16-21, 29-31

 

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

2I said to myself, “Come now, I will make a test of pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But again, this also was vanity. 2I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3I searched with my mind how to cheer my body with wine—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, until I might see what was good for mortals to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself; 5I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house; I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I got singers, both men and women, and delights of the flesh, and many concubines. 9So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me. 10Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

 

Luke 12:16-21, 29-31

16Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20But 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?’ 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” 29And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 30For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

 

During the 13^th century, a monastery was built in scenic Charteux

            amid incredibly beautiful snow-capped mountain grandeur

                        with glacier fed streams flowing into a lush green valley.

 

But all the windows

            were put in facing inward toward the tiny interior courtyard;

                                         and from inside the monastery,    you can't see

                                                any of the surrounding majestic mountain view.

 

    Maybe they didn’t want to be distracted by the glory of Creation,

          but it seems to me that those windows

                   were installed     foolishly facing in the wrong direction.

 

A good student did well in his classes, and after a job interview,

            went to work for a major corporation right out of college.

                                    He was self- motivated, a hard worker and very bright.

                                                He progressed quickly up the corporate ladder.

 

He was confident and intended to work his way clear to the top,

            and was determined to be president of the corporation someday.

 

He looked for difficult assignments to demonstrate his competence,

            worked insanely long hours, skipped family vacations,

                 and was the first to sacrifice whatever it took to get ahead.

It was no surprise to anyone when he became senior vice-president.

 

But then one day, he crashed with a startling realization…

    … it suddenly dawned on him that he’d gone as far as he ever would,

           and that he was never going to achieve the title,  president ---

              - younger executives nipping at his heels  would overtake him,

                        and one them     would    ultimately   attain the top spot.

 

He described it as   his devastating moment-of-truth,

            that for all his sacrifice, dedication, long hours & hard work,

                        he’d never achieve it –  never fulfill that goal…

      … and even if he had,   it wouldn’t have been enough,

              wouldn’t/couldn’t satisfy his longing for ultimate meaning.          

 

As he got near  to the top of his  ladder of success,

            he suddenly and shockingly realized that

                        it had been leaning against the wrong building all along.

                       

One of the fundamental questions that we humans all try to answer,

            and especially pertinent for this weekend’s graduates

                        as you consider your “next”,   and what really matters,

                                            what are the right and appropriate goals in life?

 

What is the point -- why do we strive so hard for worldly success?

          and in the end, how do we judge, if a life has been lived well?

 

Can a life be evaluated, measured and   adjudicated well-lived

            perhaps by what others say about us, after we are gone?

Is it what we accomplish or acquire that gives life its meaning?

     Is it the number of friends on Facebook or contacts on our droid?

Or maybe, it’s as this world’s popular culture seems to suggest,

            the goal is to minimize unpleasantness, suffering and failure,

                        while maximizing pleasure, happiness and accomplishment?

 

How does pleasure or success in life  relate to the  meaning of life?

 

King Solomon of Ecclesiastes, lived an ultimate experiment

            testing to determine   if pleasure, success and achievement

                  really does bring meaning, fulfillment and purpose to life.

 

God promised him wisdom & ability to achieve more than anyone else.

    Solomon had opportunity;   all the power, wealth and resources

            to really test and find out, 

                        if getting everything you desire and achieving every goal                          really can satisfy & give meaning and purpose to life.

 

Solomon’s accomplishments and building projects were many.  vs. 4-5

            I made great works; I built houses and planted vineyards for myself;  I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees.

 

Solomon achieved

            what would be called, 'the good life' by any standard,

                        with  20,000 slaves & servants catering to his every whim,

                          eager to provide any diversion, entertainment or desire;

                 which is a lot of people

                        committed to making his life more pleasing & comfortable.

vs. 9-10

            I got singers, both men and women, and delights of the flesh, and many concubines.  So I became great and surpassed all who were before me … Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them;   I kept my heart from no pleasure …

 

Solomon succeeded in every possible way that we might imagine,

               and he gave  talent, worldly success, wealth and pleasure

                   every chance and opportunity to fill his life with meaning…

 

… and after all his experimentation and exploration,

            what did Solomon finally conclude about life and fulfillment?

vs. 11

            Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent in doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

 

In the end, it didn't work out as Solomon had expected and hoped  --

            but rather he died

                        an embittered, cynical, and regret-filled  old man;

*    …  a most tragically wasted life that once had once been so hopeful & promising.

 

There is a poignant scene in the play,  The Man of La Mancha,

            when the character Cervantes says: 

                        I've been a soldier and a slave. I've seen my comrades fall in battle or die more slowly under the lash in Africa. I've held them in my arms at the final moment. These were men who saw life as it is, yet they died despairing. No glory, no brave last words, only their eyes, filled with confusion, questioning "Why?"  I don't think they were wondering why they were dying, but why they had ever lived.

 

vs. 11

            Then I considered all that my hands had done … all was vanity and a chasing after wind …

 

            The word, 'vanity', when used in the Bible, does not mean

                 a vain false sense of  pride, or conceit;   but rather à

                    'vanity' means  emptiness, nothingness and meaninglessness.

In Hebrew, it is related to the word for     vapor, smoke or wind…

      something that has no substance;    a delusion and pointless.

 

Solomon was very successful in everything that he ever attempted,

            and yet he finds that in the end, it’s all   meaningless & vain.

  It’s all a waste, pointless vapor, no more than dust in the wind,

            which leaves him feeling empty, bitter and unfulfilled…

                   … dissatisfied with what he’s done   and who he’s become…

 

… like monastery windows, all facing the wrong direction,

            … like getting to the top of    the ladder of success,

                        only to find out that its leaning against the wrong wall.

 

So   what is the point, the goal, the meaning and purpose of Life?

 

Jesus addresses that question in Luke 12:16-17

            Then he (Jesus) told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?'

 

This was a very wealthy man who owned lots of farm property.

            The land and his workers had produced a huge windfall;

                    so much so, that he didn't have enough room to store it all.

 

This is a greedy rich man, focused only on his own selfish desires;

            and how to provide for his own pleasure and well-being;

                        with no concern or thoughts toward sharing with neighbor.

 

And it’s not that he has been a thief, or has cheated anyone.

            He has simply been very successful,    and so he makes plans

                        to use his good fortune and excess to retire early & well;

                                                essentially, fulfilling the American dream.

                                                            However, God, calls this man,   a  fool.

vs. 20

            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?'

 

"being demanded of you"

                        is specifically a banking term, the repayment of a loan.

We see that the rich man, his life and all that it contains

            are really just on loan, belonging to his creator, to God … à

 

 … who that very night, demanded repayment in full on that loan:

               "All that stuff you acquired, --- you're not taking it with you.

                           You won't be needing pockets in the suit you are buried in,

                                   and the hearse that carries you, won't be pulling a U-Haul"

 

And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?

            He has acquired more wealth and more possessions and stuff

                        than he could spend or use during his lifetime …

                                                                   … and so God call this man, a fool…

 

… because he trusted his future, his life and security to things,

            hoarding wealth far in excess of what he could possibly use…

              … a fool because to focus only on pleasure and comfort,

                    or possessions and achievements   detracts from our lives.

 

Just as Solomon’s life reveals, to focus our lives solely on à

            pleasure, accomplishments, just to build or acquire,

                   becomes a deception with no real substance or meaning.

 

You and I,   we have this one very short mortal life-time

            in which to prepare to live eternally with God,

                        during which to grow and let the Holy Spirit transform us…

          … for we are destined to be with God forever enjoying eternity.

 

And the point is,

   that the critical thing about events & circumstances of this life,

            is that they can be useful    in deepening our walk with God,

                        teaching us to live more faithfully, usefully & lovingly,

                               to become more Christ-like in this world   for the next.

                       

For example, our chief concern

            is not that our investments might decrease or fail

                        but that is God showing us or teaching us something,

                                    concerning our attitudes toward wealth and treasure;

                                           perhaps to trust God,   more than our bank balance.

 

Could it be    that our dealings with difficulties and challenges

            are really intended teach us something God wants us to learn…

                        … and that our mistakes and failures, our setbacks in life

                                    can be the classrooms where God gives us instruction?

 

Consider our wins and losses, the issues and troubles of our lives,

            things that make us proud or anxious, frustrated or bothered,

                        in view of our whole life ---  now   and forevermore.

 

Perhaps the questions to ask, “What could God possibly be up to?,

                        could there be something God intends to show or teach? …

        … some way it might deepen or enhance our relationship with God?

 

This is a difficult and radical      a faith-driven perspective;

            - that in everything,  everything we encounter or deal with in life

                        it has the potential   to improve and deepen our faith

                              according to God's wise, gracious & wonderful purpose.

 

And perhaps   the Christian life of discipleship

            is not   for our comfort, our pleasure or our accomplishments,

                            but for us to learn by experience and grace,

                                    to walk in trust and hope with the Lord our God.

 

It may be that the most important thing, is not    solving a problem,

            but that we ask,  “how God can use this to teach and change me

                  to deepen and strengthen  my faith, and my faith-full-ness …

… to use my one and only life for more than just  eat, drink and be merry.

 

In the parable, Jesus calls us to forsake

            any idolatry   of self-advancement, possessions or success

                 for those can work against our walk & spiritual development.

 

That is not to minimize our efforts or our struggles in this world,

            but quite on the contrary,  to see them more clearly in a new way

                        for the gift  and potential under God   that they are … à

 

… for surely God can use it all     even our troubles and hurtsà

      to accomplish God’s will, amazing glory, good and blessings…

               … for as God brings us through our life’s disasters, we learn

                       to trust and rely, and to walk with the Lord  more and more.

 

The point and meaning of all this,

            is that our one and only short mortal life,

                  is not so much about what we achieve in life,   

                                    it’s not really just what happens to us,

                                                nor the delights and pleasures we enjoy à

 

à                    as much is it is    about how we react,   our response,  

                                    and how it leads toward God and our spiritual growth…

                                                … it’s really about   who we are becoming.

 

The Christian life isn’t just about victory, comfort and smiles,

        accomplishments, successes, pleasures or the goals we achieve,

                        but that Jesus came with a promise, John 10:10, Luke 12:29~31

            I came that you may have life, and have it abundantly.           … do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. … Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.   I came that you may have life, and have it abundantly.