Read: Luke 12:13-21
Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that we may hear your Word, turn to Christ, repent of our sins, and reject all that is evil. Amen.
Introduction
Today is a beautiful and significant day — a day of commitment, confirmation, and courage. Those of you being confirmed are publicly saying “yes” to God. You’re not just inheriting faith; you’re owning it. And at the heart of this moment are three simple but powerful vows:
- Do you turn to Christ?
- Do you repent of your sins?
- Do you reject evil?
In today’s Gospel reading — Luke 12:13–21 — Jesus tells a parable that challenges us to consider what really matters in life. It gives us the perfect lens through which to view these vows.
In Luke 12:13–21, we once again find Jesus teaching in the midst of a large crowd as he continues his journey to Jerusalem. Someone in the crowd shouts out, asking Jesus to weigh in on a family dispute over an inheritance. Jesus refuses, saying he will not be their arbitrator, and instead tells the crowd a parable.
The connection between the request and the parable seems confusing. But in truth, Jesus is doing what he often does: redirecting the conversation to expose a deeper issue. Concerns about wealth are distractions, and concerns about future gains are misplaced, because one’s security does not come from money. It comes from God. One’s life does not consist of possessions.
“Do you turn to Christ?” – The Call to Real Treasure – Christ Centred Priority
In this parable, Jesus tells us about a rich man whose fields produce a surplus harvest. Unsure how to store all this abundance, the man makes plans to tear down his smaller barns and build larger ones. He believes he will be able to store enough to relax for several years and live off what he has earned. We hear his internal monologue as he tells his soul that he can now eat, drink, and be merry.
To a Jew, prosperity is God’s blessings. He must have been a good person. It is at this moment that God appears and tells the man that he is a fool, because that very night he will die. What good will all his preparations be in light of death?
This parable is not about money — it is about where we turn when we are looking for meaning, security, or purpose. The man in the parable turned to himself. He trusted in his wealth, his plans, his own sense of control. But he forgot something crucial: life is not about possessions — it is about relationship with God.
The rich man is focused on the wrong thing. The Rich man focussed on his wealth. He is worried about what he posssess and so have failed to focus on being “rich toward God.” His heart is with earthly treasures, not with God.
But in all of that, Luke stresses that Jesus invites us to trust, not in what we can build or save, but in the God who sees and provides. We cannot change the future, but we can follow God. We can seek after God’s Kingdom. We can turn our hearts and minds toward Jesus. Our possessions will not save us. But God can.
So, when we ask: “Do you turn to Christ?” — we are really asking:
- Do you look to Jesus as your source of meaning?
- Do you trust Him to lead you — not just when life is easy, but when it’s uncertain?
- Do you let His love shape your values, your time, your decisions?
Turning to Christ is a daily posture — a direction we face, again and again.
“Do you repent of your sins?” – The Call to Real Change – Christ Formed Purity
The rich man in the parable doesn’t see anything wrong with his plan. He isn’t robbing anyone. He is just… successful. But Jesus sees a deeper problem. This man has built a life centered entirely around himself. He has forgotten God and neglected others. His sin is not dramatic — it is subtle. But it is deadly.
The rich man in Jesus’ parable is not condemned for being wealthy, but for turning inward rather than upward. His plans were all about “my crops, my barns, my grain, myself”. He turned to his possessions for security: “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”
To turn to Christ is to make Him our highest priority – not just spoken in word but lived in action. Turning to Christ means shifting from self-reliance to Saviour-dependence.
A little boy was asked by his Sunday School teacher, “If I had $1,000,000, and gave it all to the poor, would that get me into heaven?”
“No!” said the boy.
“If I cleaned the church and helped old ladies across the street, would that get me into heaven?”
“No!” the boy replied again.
“Then what must I do?”
“You’ve got to be dead,” said the boy.
The teacher, surprised, asked, “Why do you say that?”
Repentance is not just about admitting we have done something wrong. It is about waking up — seeing how we have drifted from God — and then turning around.
The Greek word for repentance, metanoia, means a change of mind, a change of direction. It’s like realizing you’re heading down the wrong road and choosing to make a U-turn.
- Do you find yourself chasing security in things that do not last?
- Are there habits, thoughts, or attitudes that keep God at a distance?
To repent is not to wallow in guilt — it is to walk into freedom. It is to say, “Lord, I’ve tried to run life on my own — and I need You to lead.”
The rich fool’s sin is not only greed but forgetfulness of God. He lives without reference to the One who gave him breath and blessing. Repentance is not only feeling sorry; it is changing direction. It is moving from selfishness to surrender — from the earthly to the eternal.
In Confirmation we vow to repent, acknowledging we cannot build bigger barns to store away our guilt or hide our wrongdoing. We bring them to the Cross. The Holy Spirit, whom we receive in Confirmation, cleanses us and reshapes our desires.
Repentance is less about perfection achieved, more about direction changed. It is a Christ-formed PURITY
“Do you reject evil?” – The Call to Real Resistance – Christ Driven Perseverence
Evil is not always obvious. Sometimes it wears a smile. Sometimes it just looks like selfishness, or greed, or indifference. Jesus calls the man in the parable a fool, not because he made money, but because he made money everything.
Evil whispers: “You do not need God. You do not need others. You just need more. More stuff. More comfort. More control.”
- That your worth is in how you look.
- That your success is all about being better than others.
- That faith is something private, not something lived out.
Rejecting evil does not always mean standing in front of giants. Sometimes it means standing against the small lies that creep into your heart. It means being selective about which commands we will keep and which we can be less strict about. To reject evil is to say no to anything that tries to steal God’s place in your life.
To reject evil is to say to the world: my worth is not in what I possess but in whose I am. We refuse to bow to the idols of greed, pride, lust, and selfish ambition. Like the rich fool, the evil tempter whispers: “Take life easy – relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But we answer, “I belong to Christ. I choose the way of His Cross, the way of sacrifice, service, and selflessness.”
Rejecting evil is not a one-time event but a daily resistance. Every day we say: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
CONCLUSION: What Kind of Life Will You Build?
Today, as you come forward to be confirmed, you’re choosing to build a life that matters. Not barns filled with stuff, but hearts filled with Christ. Not a life consumed with self, but a life shaped by grace.
When you say:
- “I turn to Christ” You are choosing the true treasure.
- “I repent of my sins” You are choosing real transformation.
- “I reject evil” You are choosing the right battle.
These are not small promises — but you are not alone in making them. The Holy Spirit is with you. The Church stands beside you. Christ goes ahead of you. And you can trust that the One you turn to, Jesus. He is the One who has already turned toward you, arms open, full of grace and truth.
Lord Jesus, we turn to You — our Savior and Friend.
We repent of the ways we’ve gone astray.
We reject all that is false and dark.
Fill these confirmands with Your Spirit.
Give them courage, joy, and a heart for Your Kingdom.
Make their lives rich — not in the world’s eyes, but in Yours. Amen.
