Reflections for Youth - When enough is enough
So this week I've been thinking about the story "The Greedy Python."
Maybe you remember the book? It's a colorful kids' picture book with illustrations by Eric Carle and the story is written by Richard Buckley.
I remember reading the story over and over again to one of the kids I used to babysit. Here's how the story goes:
The python was the biggest snake in the jungle. He was very strong, long, and very hungry. He goggled up all the animals that came into sight. A mouse, a frog, a fish, a bird. But he didn’t stop there. He gobbled up a porcupine, a monkey, buffalo, and even an elephant because he couldn’t get enough. The animals inside him start to kick and squirm and he coughs them up. He quickly forgets feeling sick and wants more. The book says "His greed was astonishing!" So, the story ends because he sees his own tail and swallows it up... and he disappears.
Our scriptures this week from the New Testament both teach us something about wealth and greed.
In the Gospel of Luke Jesus tells a parable - the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.
Read Luke 16: 19-31
In Paul's epistle, we read his words to Timothy about being content with what we have.
Read Luke 16: 19-31
In Paul's epistle, we read his words to Timothy about being content with what we have.
Read 1 Timothy 6: 6-19
The parable in Luke is very narrative and reads like a fable. In the story, there is a very rich man who wears the finest clothes and very poor man named Lazarus. They both die, and Lazarus is taken by angels to heaven and the rich man is tormented in hell, according to the Gospel. The rich man looks to heaven and sees Lazarus with Abraham. He asks Abraham to send Lazarus to give him some cool water to cool his tongue amid all the flames. Abraham says a big ole' nope and points about the the the roles of the men have been reversed. Lazarus is comforted in heaven and the rich man is in misery and it can't be changed. The rich man then makes a plea for Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers to perhaps change their ways so they don't suffer the same fate. That request is also denied and Abraham tells him "If they didn't listen to the prophets then they won't listen to a dead man. Even in death and from his place in hell the rich man is still looking upon Lazarus as someone less than. Requesting that he perform duties as if he were a servant.
The Timothy passage is a little less dramatic - although it does contain the well-known passage the reads "for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." Paul writes to Timothy about finding contentment and the proper use of money. Paul urges the pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Paul says that being close to God can make you rich, but not in money or having lots of things. He reminds us that when we were born we had nothing and when we die we can't take anything with us. When we have too many things, we are tempted to hurt people.
Both passages have got me thinking about just what is enough? How do we become content with what we have? The story of "The Greedy Python" reminds us that we can become so consumed with getting what we want that we forget about others. We overlook people like Lazarus and keep eating all those animals because we just want more. We, like the python, can be so consumed by getting what we want that we lose ourselves along the way.
Some questions to think about this week:
The parable in Luke is very narrative and reads like a fable. In the story, there is a very rich man who wears the finest clothes and very poor man named Lazarus. They both die, and Lazarus is taken by angels to heaven and the rich man is tormented in hell, according to the Gospel. The rich man looks to heaven and sees Lazarus with Abraham. He asks Abraham to send Lazarus to give him some cool water to cool his tongue amid all the flames. Abraham says a big ole' nope and points about the the the roles of the men have been reversed. Lazarus is comforted in heaven and the rich man is in misery and it can't be changed. The rich man then makes a plea for Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his brothers to perhaps change their ways so they don't suffer the same fate. That request is also denied and Abraham tells him "If they didn't listen to the prophets then they won't listen to a dead man. Even in death and from his place in hell the rich man is still looking upon Lazarus as someone less than. Requesting that he perform duties as if he were a servant.
The Timothy passage is a little less dramatic - although it does contain the well-known passage the reads "for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." Paul writes to Timothy about finding contentment and the proper use of money. Paul urges the pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Paul says that being close to God can make you rich, but not in money or having lots of things. He reminds us that when we were born we had nothing and when we die we can't take anything with us. When we have too many things, we are tempted to hurt people.
Both passages have got me thinking about just what is enough? How do we become content with what we have? The story of "The Greedy Python" reminds us that we can become so consumed with getting what we want that we forget about others. We overlook people like Lazarus and keep eating all those animals because we just want more. We, like the python, can be so consumed by getting what we want that we lose ourselves along the way.
Some questions to think about this week:
- What “stuff” keeps you from focusing on God?
- How can you keep worldly things you appreciate from becoming all-consuming?
- Which attribute that Paul urges Timothy to pursue do you most want to embody in
the coming week?
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