Thoughts for the Day

Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

This little section of our New Testament found only in Luke's Gospel reminds me of the 2019 film 'Greed'. If you haven't seen it, it's a satirical film starring Steve Coogan, who plays a billionaire who has recently suffered a damaging government inquiry into financial and ethical abuse in his fashion business which relies on sweatshops based in Southeast Asia. Along with this he has been accused of asset-stripping, and avoiding paying tax. His character, 'Sir Richard "Greedy" McCreadie' retreats to Mykonos to celebrate his 60th birthday which is to have a Gladiatorial theme, with a Roman arena, mock-gladiators, and a live lion. Things progress in a somewhat predictable, but fatal fashion, for Sir Richard!

Well alright this takes the theme of Greed to its ultimate conclusion. But with Jesus warning the man who wants to claim an inheritance that "life does not consist in the abundance of possessions", and following this by telling the Parable of the Rich fool, we might say that he too is taking greed to its ultimate conclusion. But this parable serves to remind us that life is not defined by our possessions but rather by our relationships with others and our relationship with God.

If we stop to think about what is important in our life we will probably find it's not the things we own, but rather the people around us, that matter. The parable challenges us to reflect on our priorities and think whether we are putting as much time and energy into them rather than in fleeting material possessions. For God surely wants us to experience a life well-lived - a life that aligns to the values taught by Jesus.

Lord God,
may we contemplate the real values in our life.
and what is truly important to us.
Then may we explore where we put our energies,
and our time and talents.
Help us to make an honest assessment,
and if necessary adjust things to re-align our values.
Amen.