Ecclesiastes
1:2, 12-14, 2:18-26— Under the
theme “Possessed by possessions,”
wise King Solomon speaks of the vanity of possessions.
The vanity of accumulating wealth and leaving it to
one who did not work for it. To get property, financial security, and a
sizeable nest-egg, one usually must work hard and long for it, unless he
inherited a fortune. To get ahead financially, a husband may work night and
day, hold more than one job, and his wife may work, too. The question must
often come to these people’s minds: Is it worth the work? Are our material
desires and standards too high? Are we missing out on the better things of life
by giving all our time and effort to making money? Our lesson speaks to these
questions.
In our reading the realist attitude, the voice
speaking from experience, stands out. The Preacher has painful lessons to
share. Firs, what point is there in pursuing earthly success as if it would
last? None. The fruits of labor, the spoils, go to the survivors. You can’t
take it with you! (See Vv. 18-19)
More intellectual efforts produce nothing more permanent.
All is left behind when a person dies. Wisdom, knowledge, skills all do not
carry over. (See Vv.20-21) And even though God gives rest, fretting over the
futility already described and tossing and turning turns that opportunity for
relief into still one more fleeting moment in life. (See Vv. 22-23)
Verses 25-26 end an otherwise rather somber section on
an upbeat note. The fruits of life’s labors and the intellectual efforts are
all described as vanity because the sole character involved was the individual
living under the sun. From the myopic perspective one sees only despair. Verse
25 brings us back to God and clearly points to Him as the one who makes the
difference between an anchorless life adrift in emptiness and a life anchored
by trust, mindful of God’s larger perspective and total control above the sun.
A Collect
during the Pentecost season: O God, the Protector of all who trust in
You, without whom nothing is strong and nothing is holy, increase and multiply
Your mercy on us that with You as our Ruler and Guide we may so pass through
things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your
Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now
and forever.
Collect for
Proper 13: O Lord, grant us wisdom to recognize the treasures You have stored up
for us in heaven that we may never despair but always rejoice and be thankful
for the riches of Your grace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our lord, who
lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God now and forever.[2]
[1] The Crucifixion Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcut copyright © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use
[2] Collects taken from Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
[3] Collect for Wednesday the week of Pentecost 8, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. II © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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