HOW MUCH DO WE NEED?

Matthew 5:3-10
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Count Leo Tolstoy, a wealthy Russian aristocrat born in 1828, went through a life-changing religious crisis in his forties. Dissatisfied with traditional Russian religion, he discovered the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). He began to try to live up to its message of simplicity, love, and forgiveness. He gave away most of his fortune, founded many charitable institutions, and proclaimed the gospel. You probably know him for his classic novel War and Peace.

In later life Tolstoy wrote numerous short stories and parables that told of the advantage of living by the principles of the Sermon on the Mount. One of them, "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" tells the story of Pahóm, a peasant who wanted to own property. "If I had plenty of land," he said, "I shouldn't fear the devil himself."

The devil heard Pahóm's boast and saw to it that Pahóm had opportunities to obtain more and more land. But he was never satisfied, so he moved to the wilds of interior Russia in his quest. There a local chief presented him with a huge challenge. He could start out walking in the morning and own all the land he could encircle by sunset.

He left at dawn and, driven by greed, tried to circle a huge plot of wilderness. He stumbled back to the starting point right at sunset, exhausted. As his hand reached out to touch the finish line, he fell to the ground. Pahóm was dead. Tolstoy concluded with these words: "Six feet from his head to his heels was all
[the land] he needed."

When we're obsessed with acquiring anything--from land to cars to designer clothes--we're choosing to follow the devil. Satan's got us. He will use our greed to destroy us. Our highest goals should be giving, not getting. After all, that's what the Sermon on the Mount is all about. --Dave Egner

DESTINATION POINTS

* Which parable of Jesus does Pahóm's story remind me of? * Have I ever wanted anything so much that I would do anything to get it?
* How can an awareness of life's brevity help us live more successfully?

LINKS:
To read How Much Land Does a Man Need? and other works by Tolstoy, go to http://www.ccel.org/t/tolstoy

bottom line: Life is short--make yours count!

soul journey