The Gospel of Luke, chapter 12:15

There is nothing wrong in being rich or in possessing wealth; it is how you handle money that matters. Today’s Gospel reminds us that the important thing is to grow rich not for yourself, but “in the sight of God” (Luke 12/21). And how does one grow rich in the sight of God? Evidently by maintaining a balanced view of wealth. This Gospel message brings to mind an old story about a farmer who pinched and hoarded away every cent he ever made, until he had a whole silo full of them. He never spent a one, not a single one! Then, one day as he was admiringly looking up at his mountain of money, it all came tumbling down on him, crushing him to pieces. This may sound extreme, but it is true to life. People who accumulate wealth without empathy for ones fellow man run the risk of being overpowered by it in the end, of being trampled into the ground by their material obsession. The poor fellow, in this story, needed a better sense of balance in his life.

Jesus does not condemn the pursuit of material things, outright. He sees wealth as a gift from God and not as the possession of the ambitious or greedy. His message cautions that the pursuit of wealth can easily leave us too distracted to help usher in his kingdom.

Advertising and the media, however, constantly urge people to invest in all kinds of alluring financial markets as a hedge against the future’s inevitabilities. Living in a recession, knowing that so many people are homeless and jobless, can make such advice seem all the more appealing. In hard times, it requires a delicate sense of balance to recognize the wisdom of being “intent on things above.” Yet, this is the challenge we all have to face. Plan for the future! Yes, indeed. Remember what hangs in the balance, however, and don’t forget that only one investment opportunity yields eternal dividends and that is to become “Rich in the sight of God.”

The Lord tells us to “avoid greed in all its forms.” The rich fool was not content with enough; he felt compelled to amass more and more wealth so that he could “take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy” himself for “many years.” But “God said to him, you fool! This very night you will have to give up your life.” And, the Lord concluded, “this is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God’s sight.”

This parable addresses the major problem in today’s society; that is, the problem of greed which has brought our economic system to its knees.
Let us strive, therefore, to be rich in God’s sight, not man’s.

Fr. Hugh Duffy