Scripture Reading: Luke 12:13-21
What does it really mean to have "enough"? Vicar Roland Rossmiller unpacks Jesus's shocking parable of the rich fool who had everything the world says matters—yet lost it all in one night. This powerful sermon challenges our modern obsession with accumulation and reveals the one thing that truly satisfies. Discover why a 100-year-old woman's simple response to a million-dollar offer holds the key to contentment, and learn what Jesus meant when He called successful people to find their rest in Him. Based on Luke 12:20 and Matthew 11:28, this message will transform how you think about money, security, and what it means to have a life that's truly "enough."
What Is Enough?
A Sermon by Pastor Roland Rossmiller Based on Luke 12:20 and Matthew 11:28
Grace, mercy and peace from God, our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I have a big question for you: What is enough?
Is it money? A paid-off mortgage? A life of ease? The world says enough is more. Is it a certain number in your bank account, a clutter-free home, or a well-organized life? Is enough a feeling of security or finally arriving at the life we dreamed about?
The world offers a very clear and very false answer: We have enough when we have more.
The Rich Man's Story
Jesus tells a story of a man who had it all—or at least that's what he thought. His barns were full, his harvest abundant, his future secure. He said to himself, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for you for many years. Relax, eat, drink and be merry." He was going to tear his barns down and rebuild them bigger.
For our discussion this morning, let's defend this mindset for a moment—not because it's right, but because it sounds so normal, so rational, and so modern.
Defense Reason One: "I've Got All Kinds of Stuff"
The rich man thought, "I can sit back and enjoy." This is the dream, right? You work hard, build wealth, and then eventually you earn the right to relax. The rich man had worked the land, planned ahead, and built larger barns. In many ways, he had done everything the world praises. And who could argue with him? He had reached the pinnacle of worldly success.
But God said to him, "Fool, this night your soul will be required of you, and the things you have prepared—whose will they be?" (Luke 12:20)
Defense Reason Two: Live in the Present
This sounds like retirement, right? (Unless you're a 70-year-old vicar at First Lutheran!) Even Solomon, the wisest man on earth, wrestled with this in Ecclesiastes. In chapter 8, verse 15, he wrote: "So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat, drink and be glad."
He explored the pleasures of food, wealth, work and laughter. And yet his conclusion was sobering. In Ecclesiastes 2:11: "Everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
Solomon wasn't wrong to enjoy life, but even he realized that momentary pleasures cannot provide eternal peace.
For many, retirement is the golden goal. The world defines it as a time when you've done enough, earned enough, saved enough, and now it's time to travel, relax and enjoy yourself—a life of ease. Sounds like the reward we've earned, right?
Defense Reason Three: Sound Financial Planning
Sound financial planning is very important. Absolutely. God calls us to be wise stewards. But there is a slight shift from stewardship to hoarding, from trust in God to trust in wealth.
The world preaches a gospel of accumulation: "You never know what could happen. Better store a little more, and just to be safe, a little more after that." But there is never enough.
The tragic irony: The rich man never got to enjoy what he had stored up. He trusted in barns instead of Christ. He thought he was securing his future, but he neglected the far more important reality of eternity.
The Real Problem
We chase enough in things that can't satisfy: possessions, pleasure, performance. But none of these can save our soul.
And so we return to the big question: What is enough?
We chase money, success, status, approval, thinking if we could just achieve the next goal, then we'll finally rest. But the finish line always moves. The inbox always refills. The to-do list never ends.
What we're really longing for isn't more stuff—it's peace, security, identity, rest and contentment. And none of those are found in a storage unit or a 401(k).
Sin twists our desires. It tells us to look horizontally, out to the world, not to God who can give. We become like spiritual scavengers, searching for crumbs of worth in things like productivity, appearances, and applause.
The Gospel Answer
So what is enough? We have the gospel answer: Jesus is enough.
Jesus offers true, eternal rest, joy and security. Enough isn't about what you have—it's about who has you. And Jesus has you when you believe in Him fully, freely, forever. Through His cross and resurrection, He gives what the world cannot give: forgiveness, life and salvation. Not earned, not achieved, but given by Him.
A Story of True Contentment
Kay has a 100-plus-year-old aunt in Nebraska named Rave. Rave understands this kind of grace. One day she got a phone call from someone pitching a way for her to make a million dollars. She listened briefly, then calmly said, "I don't need it," and hung up.
That response is more than just wisdom—it's freedom. It's the kind of contentment that only comes when your heart is already full of something better. She didn't need to chase more because she knew that what she had in Christ was already enough.
Christ's Invitation
Hear these words from our Savior, from Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
You don't have to prove yourself, earn your way, or build bigger barns. Christ has already done it all.
Jesus gives gifts the world cannot: forgiveness, peace, identity, hope and eternal life. These can't be earned. They're freely given through His Word and Sacraments.
Jesus meets us today in real, tangible ways:
Through the divine service, where He speaks, forgives and feeds us
Through Scripture, where His promises are written and unchanging
Through Christian fellowship, where we gather with others in faith and love
These are given to all freely, generously, without conditions. You don't earn these gifts. You don't deserve them, but Jesus gives them anyway. That's His grace.
The Final Word
Jesus is always enough. Jesus—the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the Good Shepherd—gives what truly matters: forgiveness, life, salvation.
As Martin Luther said, "Where there is forgiveness of sin, there is also life and salvation."
The Gospel answer: Jesus is your enough. Not your bank account, health, or achievements.
May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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