Becoming Rich Towards God
Sermon preached by Dn. Jeff Smith on Sunday, November 23, 2025
Once upon a time, (I begin this way, because that’s what parables are, stories that guide us). So, “once upon a time, the land of a rich man brought forth plentifully, and this rich man thought to himself, I will build larger barns; and there I will store all my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! Tonight your soul is required of you. Consider this: your life as you know it is over.’ And so, it will be for all those who lay up treasure for themselves and are not rich toward God.” Today we hear one of the Lord’s most searching parables—the story of a rich man whose land “brought forth plentifully,” like ours does, yet he was found to be poor at the moment of his death because he was not rich toward God.
So, the obvious question is, “What does it mean to be rich toward God?” This story is a tragedy because the rich fool was not able to quiet his mind and to be awakened to a life in Christ, who describes a man externally successful with full barns, comfort, security, and plans for a long life. And he reveals a spiritual reality when he says, “You fool! This night your soul is required of you.” The rich man’s soul was empty while his barns overflowed. He cultivated his soil but neglected his soul. He expanded his barns instead of expanding his heart. He planned for years instead of planning for eternity.
The rich man in the parable says: “I will say to my soul, soul you have many goods laid up…” Notice that he doesn’t pray to God or express gratitude. He doesn’t repent or even notice his neighbor. The fool's words were only to himself.
But Christ did not condemn his bumper crop or big barns. He did, however, condemn the rich man’s possession by possessions. The rich man’s fault was not that he had riches, but that his riches had him.
Christ’s call is stark: “This night your soul is required of you.” His death will strip away all of his illusions: his possessions, his accomplishments, his titles, and portfolios. The only thing that will remain is his relationship with God the Father, his Son, and an awakening to the Holy Spirit. Maybe, just maybe, there is still hope for him. Remember, funeral processions do not include U-Hauls.
St. Cyril of Alexandria writes: “The soul takes nothing with it but its virtues and its vices.” Are our barns full but our souls empty? We also are in danger of building bigger barns—more projects, acquiring more status, more accounts, more digital noise—while our souls become thin, distracted, and unanchored. Are we rich in possessions but poor in prayer? Do we invest in careers but neglect repentance? Have we gained the world but forgotten the Kingdom? Let us refocus.
But the world praises our busy schedules, our productivity, our achievements, and our accumulations—everything that this man sought. The world rarely teaches stillness. It rarely teaches silence. It rarely teaches inner attention.
We need to stop and notice our thoughts and our temptations. This is not easy. When we are still with ourselves, do we like what we encounter? Often, no. That’s why we are addicted to noise, and quick to turn on the radio or TV. But we have to quiet the noise to hear the voice of God. We can only soften our hearts through humility and confession. And then participate in the Eucharist, receiving Christ so that our hearts may be transformed into His dwelling place. These are the practices that make us “rich toward God,” storing our treasure “where moth and rust do not destroy.”
The Orthodox tradition speaks deeply about the inner person and the way of the heart—the place where God meets us. In the liturgy today, we proclaimed,”Let us lift up our hearts.” Like Christ, St. Gregory Palamas taught, “The kingdom of God is not far from us, but within, if only we would return to ourselves.” But the rich fool’s thoughts and attention never really turned toward his creator.
St. Isaac the Syrian writes: “Enter into the inner chamber of your heart, and there you will see the heavenly chamber.” Instead, the rich man entered his barns, his treasuries, and his storehouses—but he never really entered the treasury of his own heart, which is where God wishes to dwell with us.
To pursue the interior life means to cultivate an awareness of God within, to practice watchfulness over our thoughts, nurturing prayer that flows from the depth of our souls, forming a humble, repentant, receptive posture, and allowing Christ to dwell and act within us. It is the life the world does not see—but God sees. St. Theophan the Recluse summarizes this beautifully: “The principal thing is to stand with the mind in the heart before God.”
To be “rich toward God” is to live from a heart filled with mercy, humility, prayer, repentance, generosity, gratitude, and longing for God. Developing an interior life can free us from the slavery of our passions and restore our souls as temples of the Holy Spirit.
Let us hear the call of St. Isaac the Syrian, who wrote, “Make peace with yourself, and all of heaven and earth will make peace with you.” Let us seek the Kingdom within so we may shine with the Kingdom to come.
And let us pray, Lord Jesus Christ, enter into the poverty of our hearts and make us rich toward God. Teach us to guard our inner life, to cultivate prayer, repentance, and love, so that when our souls are required of us, we may stand before You clothed in Your mercy and not be ashamed. Amen.