10th & 11th May

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. Isaiah 55, 2 & 3

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16, 26

Good or bad management?

(Read Luke 12, 16 - 21)

In this parable it can be considered that according to modern rules the rich owner has turned out well in life. However, Jesus treats him as a fool. This is confirmed the following night. He died at the top of his prosperity.

If this man would live among us today he would enjoy glamour and would have a good reputation of respectability. Take care! Our value scale is not at all the same as God's one. According to God's scale this person argues against good sense.

Jesus did not treat him as a fool because he was wealthy. He does not condamn riches but he condamns greed and bad management of riches. Money itself does not have a moral value. Nothing in wealth is primarily corrupt and nothing in poverty is primarily virtuous.

Neither does Jesus condamn him for making a fortune dishonestly. Apparently, he had acquired his wealth by hard work and as a sensible business man. Why was he a fool? First of all, because he did not depend on God and secondly because he deceived his soul by only offering it perishable goods.

Our job is to work for our bread (2 Thessalonians 3, 8 - 12). Jesus knows that we need food, a roof and other material goods. Does he not say: "Your Father knows what you need?" (Matthew 6, 8) He also adds: "First seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6, 33).

However, the person in the parable of Luke 12 while getting richer in materialistic means he is getting poorer in spiritual means. Let us listen to his arguments with about 60 words: the words "I", "my", "mine" are found about 14 times in the 60 words. He thinks he can live and prosper in his small world centred on his own person. He speaks as if he would control the seasons, assure the fertility of earth and rule over rain and sun... It is foolishness when man is centred on himself and does not leave any room for God! We note the fact that this rich man ends by being committed to important business as well as to insignificant banalities. He forgot God and his future for eternity. However, death was at his door. The fact that he died at this exact moment is dramatical in this parable.

The Lord tells us that life of man does not depend on his goods. In order to have peace we need to have Jesus in our hearts.