The readings today could be summed up in one sentence,
“Avoid greed if you really want to live.” Jesus knows that we all need a certain amount of money and goods to sustain life, so he isn’t rebuking the rich man for what he owns, but he faults him for being greedy. This warning is not just for anyone who is considered wealthy, for no matter what we have, anyone of us could be guilty of greed.
Listed as one of the seven capital sins, greed is dangerous because it blinds us to God’s love. Greed has been considered the most-committed, least confessed sin in our country.
Few literary characters epitomize greed better than Ebeneezer Scrooge, the tight-fisted merchant in Charles Dickens’ beloved story, The Christmas Carol. All he cared about was making a profit. If anyone wished him, “Merry Christmas,” he would reply, “Bah, humbug!” To increase his profits, he even worked late on Christmas Eve and expected his nephew, Bob Cratchit, to do the same. That night, he encountered the ghost of Christmas past who reminded him of what he had once been but that wasn’t enough to change him. However, when the ghost of Christmas future shows him his grave, Scrooge then realizes that there is more to living than living for oneself.
In this parable, Jesus focuses on the rich man’s attitude, which is a cartoon of selfishness. I doubt that there is another parable in the gospels with so many personal pronouns: I, my and myself. When asked what part of speech those words were, one student quipped, “aggressive pronouns.” Like Scrooge, this rich man was aggressively self-centered. He couldn’t see beyond his own wants.
Greed is a dangerous attitude that can infect anyone of us, rich and poor alike, for greed is born out of the fear of never having enough. As Jesus points out, no amount of possessions can make our lives secure in the long run. He tells his listeners to beware of wanting more, just for the sake of having more. But isn’t that what the American dream is all about?
We swim in a culture of excess where the pursuit of having more is admired. We applaud ambition, yet as many families discover painfully along the way, this trait can threaten our well being. When parents give up the precious quality time they can spend with their children for the sake of their careers and income, they discover too late that relationships can never be taken for granted.
The readings open with the line, “Vanity of vanities!” Qoheleth wasn’t speaking of conceit but of illusion. Las, many of us have been fooled into believing that fulfilling the American dream is more important than following the wisdom of the gospel.
Few of us own granaries or barns. Still, we are duped into believing that more is better, newer is better, bigger is better, more than what we already have is better but for how long? When we die, what difference will it make when we stand in the presence of God what our worldly goods amount to? After all, as King Tut discovered, we really can’t take it with us.
What matters in the end as Jesus points out is being rich in the sight of God, but how is that to be achieved? Although easier said than done for many people, the answer lies is choosing to live out of love instead of fear. That is what Scrooge came to realize through his encounters with the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. He could see that he had been spiritually asleep. Through prayer, which followed the visit of Christmas future, he rediscovered the beauty of living out of love, sharing what he had with others, rather than hoarding. If Scrooge can change, so can we.
To become rich in what matters to God, we must live out of love for God and for others, not the fear of abandonment. We may expect such giving to hurt, but in reality, we will discover that being generous will leave us feeling safe. As Scrooge did, we discover that there is much more joy in giving than in receiving. Those of us who were once tight fisted like Scrooge have learned that there is no joy to be found in living out of fear but there is much joy to be found in living out of love and sharing what God has blessed us with, our treasures and our talents.
If we are to become rich in what matters to God, that means changing our attitude toward stewardship. Out of every dollar you earn, how much do you give to the parish and other charities? Surveys on tithing show that the average Catholic family gives less than two cents of every dollar earned. Is your gift to the parish the first fruits of your earnings or a giving of your loose change?
Being rich in what matters to God begins with an attitude of the heart in which we see ourselves not as owners in the ultimate sense of our possessions but as stewards of what God has entrusted to us. After all, where did we get the intelligence, talents, energy, ability, health, stamina, and love that enable us to be who we are and where we are in life? In return, we are expected to share what God has blessed us with.
Jack Benny, a beloved comedian for many decades on radio and television was often depicted as being tight fisted. In one skit, an armed robber approached him and demanded, “Your money or your life!” There was a long pause, while Benny did nothing and said nothing. Finally, the robber impatiently asked, “Well?” Benny replied, “Don’t rush me. I’m thinking about it!”
Is that you are doing or has this parable awakened you to what really matters in life before it is too late?