Daily Catholic Lectio. Mon, 21 October ’24. Rich towards God

Daily Catholic Lectio

Mon, 21 October ‘24

XXIX Week in Ordinary Time, Monday

Ephesians 2:1-10. Luke 12:13-21

Rich towards God

“It is necessary that we get rid of the myths that wealth creates, and we become rich towards God.”

“Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me,” cries out a voice from the crowd. The voices from the crowds towards Jesus are quite interesting in the Gospel of Luke. The person who cried out presumed that Jesus, the teacher who taught spiritual things, would know things concerning the material world.

“Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Jesus’ answer comes in the form of a question.

Jesus begins his exhortation with a warning: “Be on your guard against all covetousness!”

He continues by pointing out the three myths concerning wealth or riches:

(a) ‘The more riches you have, the more life you have’ – often wealth is the stick with which we measure others. Even the nations of the world are measured in this way and are named as ‘first’, ‘second’, and ‘third’ world. But this is a myth. For life, dignity, and respect are beyond riches.

(b) ‘Wealth must multiply wealth’ – the rich man in the parable multiplies wealth with wealth. There is no boundary to riches. The journey without boundaries makes us frustrated and competitive.

(c) ‘It is recommended that we are rich in the eyes of people’ – often we use our riches to impress other people. We want to be acknowledged and appreciated for the possessions that we have: our house, car, land, jewels, dresses, and status. This is a myth again, for it does not require wealth to impress God.

The aforesaid three myths are misconceptions and are wrong.

Jesus, on the other hand, proposes three right perspectives regarding wealth:

(a) ‘Do not give room for greed or covetousness’ – the action of acquiring wealth begins with the feeling of greed. Desire is to possess what we need; greed is to possess in excess. The excess is limitless. Greed is treated as one of the seven capital sins. A person who has greed is like a bottomless bucket. No amount of water can fill it. Naaman, who was cured of leprosy, wanted to give gifts to the Prophet Elisha. The prophet declines the offer. But his servant Gehazi, out of greed, lies to Naaman and obtains silver and silk (cf. 2 Kgs 5). Naaman’s leprosy afflicts Gehazi. Greed develops into lying, robbery, and cheating.

(b) Powerlessness of wealth: The rich man in the parable presumes that wealth is powerful enough to do anything. But Jesus points out to him the incapability or powerlessness of wealth: ‘Wealth is powerless in front of death.’ Wealth gives us self-sufficiency. However, it does not make us full and all-powerful. There are things in the world that wealth can’t buy. Our wealth can help us avail efficient medical facilities, but it can never guarantee life.

(c) A man who is not rich before God: Jesus divides people into two categories: ‘one who is rich before humans,’ and ‘one who is rich before God.’ Riches need to be transacted into good works, almsgiving, and charitable deeds. We need to exchange wealth to make it real and useful. Jesus leaves the audience to understand the meaning of ‘becoming rich towards God.’

As far as management is concerned, the rich man in the parable is an ideal to strive for. He works hard; he fosters his riches; he does not cheat anyone; he is excellent in finance management; he knows the value of compounding, expanding, and multiplying. He knows to enjoy the present, and he has a precise plan for his future. He is a self-made man. He comes across to us someone whom we can imitate. But the intelligent person in the eyes of the world is called a ‘fool’ by Jesus. He was foolish because his understanding of wealth was myopic and narrow.

“It is necessary that we get rid of the myths that wealth creates, and we become rich towards God.”

In the first reading, Paul, writing to the Ephesians, asserts that they were saved by faith, and they need to do good works. He writes, “We are created in Christ for good works.” Here Paul makes us understand the purpose of our individual lives.

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The ‘pilgrims of hope’ get rid of greed. (Jubilee 2025 AD, bite 230)

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy