BE ON YOUR GUARD AGAINST AVARICE

XVIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 12:13-21

Although we proclaim Jesus as the one who will come to judge and to separate the righteous from the evil ones, here on earth he refused to judge, mainly when presented with petty issues, even though we consider them very important. Jesus concentrated only on proclaiming that the Kingdom of God is at hand and that we must repent, convert and welcome God’s kingdom. He was not concerned with wealth, power and glory, considering them false values and an obstacle to the coming of the Kingdom of God and he taught his disciples to stay far away from them. Jesus lives according to the wisdom presented in the book of Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes): to be concerned with riches and what they can obtain is vanity. In the end, they do not satisfy us, do not protect us from suffering and do not bring peace and everlasting joy. For a while, we get puffed up and then we burst and wither away to be forgotten.

Jesus warns us against avarice: “Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.” In spite of this warning, today’s world is dominated by avarice and to the ears of today’s people Jesus’ words sound foolish. Our society is built upon the procuring of profit and everything is measured by it. What is not profitable on itself must, at least, enhance the activities that bring profit; otherwise, they will be discarded. Lured by riches, we transform the others in tools measured by their profitability. Full of avarice, we become deluded, incapable of assessing the reality that surrounds us. We behave as if we have an inner power that comes forth and destroys everything which does not recognise us. We set ourselves up as gods that should be worshipped. And that is a sheer delusion since we are frail and mortal. And Jesus’ words about the rich man can be applied to us: “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?”. Death is never far away and sooner or later it will catch up with us and prove our foolishness.