18th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C
After reading today’s Gospel, I chuckled to myself as the topic of inheritance is currently a hot topic in the family at the minute. In one area, the topic of inheritance tax my brother and I will have to spend on my mother’s estate. And on the other, the various loans and handouts my brother is currently receiving from my parents, to spend his newish house, specifically, on new solar panels and batteries, to me, it sounds a lot like all my inheritance money is quickly disappearing down the drain.
In Gospel we are moving away from Jesus’ teachings to the disciples about not to ‘worry’ or ‘be afraid’ about facing persecution, but now instructs the crowds not to worry about lacking of material goods.
He makes his point with the parable of the rich fool, which is unique to Luke’s Gospel. The man is obsessed with his material goods, his only concern is about ‘my harvest, my barns, my grain’. In contrast, Jospeh in the book of Genesis, (the one with Technicolour dream coat) when he became second in command to Pharaoh, he also collected grain abundantly, however, for the sole purpose to feed the country, and the surrounding area in times of famine. In today’s Gospel the man was focused on himself alone, thinking that he is in total control of his life. We hear, that he congratulates himself on having so many good things stored up, and therefore he can rest, eat, drink and be merry, knowing that he is now secure in the many years to come. God calls him a fool, a term Jesus applies to the Pharisees earlier in the Gospel. ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God.’
Realistically, the rich man behaved as if there is no God, since he has put his trust in his possessions rather than in God. However, his plans came to nothing, because that very night his life was demanded of him. The ‘life’ that the man considered to be his own, was really on loan from God. The man wishing to save his life, ended up losing it.
The lesson today is: To always keep God in the picture. We should always view earthly things, whether negative or positive, in the view of eternity, in the view of God’s plan for us. This is precisely what the foolish rich man did not do. He was too busy thinking about himself, rather than thinking about God, and thanking him for all the many blessings he has received. Too busy hoarding his wealth, rather than sharing it with the poor. Stored up treasure for himself, rather than treasure up in heaven. The man was not rich in God’s eyes.
We to, can overcome our temptation for greed, by helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
What is given to others is not lost but is transformed into treasures for eternity. Or in my brothers case, new solar panels for his house.
Regarding myself, I need to stop thinking about the safety of money after I retire, and how much I’ll be receiving from the parents after they die. I need to remind myself of the time, I gave up my flat, my possessions, including my career in the NHS, and handed it all over to the Lord, as I pursued a life in the Priesthood. I said to myself then, I am going to leave it all in the Lord’s hands, and ten’s years later, being three years Ordained, I need to remember that I am still in the Lord’s hands, and to trust in him fully, building up treasures for myself in Heaven.
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