Gospel Reading Sunday November 20th

(Luke 12:16-21)

This passage recounts the parable of the rich fool, which Jesus narrated to warn against the dangers of material possessions dominating our life, corrupting our spiritual journey towards the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus describes the life of a rich man whose fields yield a great harvest. In fact, the fields yielded so plentifully that the rich man did not have enough room in his barns to house all that he was harvesting. He then set about building bigger barns and said to himself proudly: “soul you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat drink and be merry”.

The rich man, blinded by his material comforts, put his trust in his worldly possessions rather than in God. God then said to the rich man: “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” With this parable, Christ teaches that we were not created in the divine image and likeness for a life dominated by worldly ambition or unrestrained self-indulgence. Instead, Christ wants us to become ever more like Him in holiness. But if we refuse and try to find peace in our worldly accomplishments, satisfying our selfcentered inclinations, we will become less than human.

We will become slaves to our desires and pleasures, which soon become addictions, and which will soon make us miserable, separating us even from those we love most in this life. How easy it is for people to gain the whole world and lose their souls! Material things, wealth, relationships and other blessings, all have their place in life. But they are not to become what life is about. If we make them false gods, we will destroy ourselves and lose them also, because only God is God. No part of creation finds peace or fulfilment unless it is offered to Him for blessing in accordance with His purpose for it. There is no path to the richness of the Kingdom apart from obedience. In the end, our choice is clear: either to serve ourselves or our Lord.

Source: Lychnos October / November 2016