Sleeha,5thS,June20,10

Sleeha 5^th S,June20,10

(Lk.12:16-34)

According to Deuteronomy, 21:17, when the family property is divided between heirs, the eldest gets double the portion of the younger one’s. When disputes arise, they approach the Rabbi for the resolution of the dispute.

It is in this spirit that one man approached Jesus for help in the division of his family inheritance between him and his brother.

Jesus uses the occasion to give his views on property and on the providence of God.

Through a very telling parable Jesus shows how fragile are man’s relations with his wealth.

The parable is a very powerful one in making us aware that our hold on wealth is very brittle. The rich man thought that he could go on enjoying his good harvest by building more barns .He could store them and live for many years without any worry. There was no thought in his mind about the poor and the needy or of the need to help them. He was concerned only with his needs . He was under the belief that the abundance of material supplies would give him a longer hold on life. He never realized that he was dependent on God for his life. At any moment, his life would end in death. If life is so transient, how much more transient is our relationship with wealth. Jesus, thus, makes him understand that what is real is spiritual wealth--- our conformity with the will of God.

Jesus goes further to explain how necessary it is for man to depend on the loving providence of God. He asks his listeners to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the earth around them. The beautiful flowers and the carefree birds are taken care of so lovingly that they bloom and fly without any anxiety and worry in their lives. No petal is plucked from the tiniest of flowers. None of them grows deformed. No birds are harmed in their flight. If God is so kind and generous to the little things of nature, how much more would He be to men who are the most beloved of his creatures. Jesus then shows the uselessness of worries and anxieties. He asks further whether it is possible for man to increase his height by an inch through his worries. It is God’s providence that takes care of us, gives us longevity of life and determines our stature. For every bit of our fragile life, we are dependent on God’s mercy.

Hence, what is important is growing rich in our relationship with God. That means , we have to be helpful and merciful We have to help the poor and the needy. When our neighbors are deprived of the bare necessities of life, it is not right in the eyes of God that we squander our wealth in unnecessary enjoyments of the luxuries of life. We have a responsibility to help the poor. We cannot just shirk that responsibility by saying that it is the job of the Government to take care of the poor. If we know that some one is suffering from hunger or from lack of financial support , we have to reach out to that person. Pope Paul V1 has spoken of this very eloquently in his Encyclical, “Populorum Progessio: “ Increased possession is not the ultimate goal of nations nor of individuals….The exclusive pursuit of possessions thus becomes an obstacle to individual fulfillment and to man’s true greatness.”

What He tries to make us realize is that it is not material wealth that is important. Beyond sustaining our physical needs, it has no value in our lives. We should never become salves to our wealth or talents. We are just their stewards and custodians. We have to use the surplus for the welfare of others.

Jesus knows man is prone to worries. Hence he gives us very strong assurances of Gods protection in our lives.