Mark 10:17-31

The front of local markets have been crammed full of candy for the past two weeks. [Get someone to take pictures of your specific local markets.] Halloween "Trick or Treat" might not be until the end of this month. But candy creators want us to stock-up and stock-pile.

As a kid it was such a rush to come home after "making the rounds" of the trick-or-treat neighborhood and ceremoniously dump out all that candy crammed into our paper bag. Every piece would be inspected. Perhaps some cautious trades made with siblings. Then each of us got our own bowl to keep our "cavity central" separate from everyone else.

Halloween candy is consumed according to two very different philosophies. There are the "hogs" and there are the "hoarders". The "hogs" dive right into the bowl, scarf down all their favorites the first night, eat until queasy, and then finish it up during lunchtime at school the next day. The "hoarders" not only stretch out the life-span of their goodies until Thanksgiving. They also allow themselves only one or two "favorites" per day, mixing in the less desired goodies to fill out the daily ration.

There are obvious problems with both of these strategies. The "hogs" either get horrible stomach aches, or suffer an out-of-control sugar rush that leads them to harass little sister, drive the dog crazy, and get grounded by a frustrated parent. The "hoarder" lords their "I still have candy" status over others for a month. But eventually they end up with stale, rock-hard, break-your-teeth "goodies" that really are not good (although they would never admit it).

For both kids and adults it is hard to know how to deal with "wealth," with "stuff" we have that others may not.

(from http://www.sermons.com)