—The Gospel of Luke, chapter 12 : 13 – 21

There is nothing wrong in being rich or in possessing wealth. It is how you handle money that matters.

The parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13–21 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 life.

The Gospel message in Luke, chapter 12, 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 fondling and looking up at his mountain of money, it all came tumbling down on him, crushing him to pieces. This may sound extreme or exaggerated, 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 obsessions. The unfortunate 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 self-centered possession of the ambitious or greedy. His message cautions us against the disinterested 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 instability. Living in a time when money seems to be on everyone’s mind, and seeing so many people who are homeless and jobless, can make such advice seem all the more appealing. In hard times, it is all the more urgent to have 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. The Gospel urges us to do this. Remember what hangs in the balance, however, when you are planning for the future, 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, like many today, to amass more and more wealth, which eventually would destroyed him and them if they lost their souls in the process. The rich fool thought that, with his wealth, he could “take life easy,” and that he could “eat, drink, and be merry” for the rest of his life. But “God said to him, you fool! This very night you will have to give up your life.”

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 brought our economic system to its knees in 2008. This could happen again.

Let us strive, therefore, to be rich first, in God’s sight, not man’s.

—Fr. Hugh Duffy