Advent Devotional – December 2

Advent Week 1: Hope

December 2

Luke 12.13-21, NRSV

Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ Then he 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?” Then 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. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, 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 towards God.

The pre-Christmas season isn’t the easiest time to be considering this parable. We have so much stuff, and many of us feel compelled by culture or habit to buy more stuff for others who may have no place to store more stuff. So—make do with less, and your life will most likely be simpler. Yes, we hear you, Jesus. We know it’s true, and we promise to try again this year to buy less and to enjoy others more.

But back up to the beginning of the passage, and consider the question that sparks the story. Instead of “tell my brother to share the inheritance,” what if “someone” had said, “Teacher, my brother and I haven’t spoken for years because of an argument we had over who should get Mom’s jewelry. Can you give me some advice on how to mend things with him?” Maybe Advent isn’t the easiest time to unclutter messy, painful family situations, but it’s on your mind anyway, and you’re reading this devotional guide, so you already intend to pray. So what about it? Is there a box of family junk sitting on a shelf in your memory somewhere, and could you—just as a start, mind you—ask Jesus to help you sort it and get rid of some of it?

Prayer: Teacher, will you help me make things right with  ______?

Action: Write down whatever “stuff” there is between you and someone else in your family. Then imagine yourself letting go of it, as you pray the prayer above.

Richard Vinson is Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies at Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC.