Commentary
Sunday, August 4,2019, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Vanity of Vanities
First Reading Commentary: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23
Qoheleth said, “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity.” The footnote in the bible says that this is a Hebrew superlative expressing the supreme degree of futility and emptiness.
Pride makes us think that we are so important that everything we do is important. Many of us, in our vanity, put a lot of effort into making sure that we impress others and/or leave a legacy behind that others will remember when we are gone. But the fame that we seek and the material and financial wealth that we acquire here in this life which we consider to be important, is of no value at all.
The example is given by Ecclesiastes of one who labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill but still had to give property to one who did not labor at all. Granted, there are those who do not deserve such a reward because of their laziness and unwillingness to work; themselves. But there are many who toil and labor with great tenacity but are still unable to make ends meet. It is supposed to be for the sake of helping those people that we pay taxes.
Sadly, that is not the way that some people who are at the top of the money chain see it. They are so concerned with holding on to what they have in spite of the fact that they have more money than they will ever be able to even think of spending that the idea of paying taxes makes them sick.
Then there are those who struggle with preparing their will because they are unwilling to leave any part of their estate to someone who did not work for it. And: to think that some of these same people were born into their wealth and did not work for it either. Sometimes, I cannot blame these people because they know that the perspective heir will not protect the estate but will only squander the estate away. In their vanity, they feel as though they are entitled to the estate simply because they are an heir.
The only estate that we are entitled to: is the Kingdom of Heaven and that is also the only estate that matters. Those who have an estate in this life to leave behind and those who are in line to inherit that estate are given the opportunity to consider this in today’s reading from Ecclesiastes.
We are taught that no profit comes to a man for his toils and anxieties of the heart for the work he does under the sun. His days are filled with sorrow and grief and at night, he cannot rest.
Isn’t that true for so many wealthy people who; consider their wealth as the most important thing in their lives? No matter how much they have, they just cannot seem to have enough. Likewise, isn’t that true for those who struggle to have wealth and consider that to be most important in their lives?
Sounds like Ebenezer Scrooge who spent all of his time counting his money only to be miserable. Only after he learned how unimportant that was, was he able to find happiness. That is the message from Ecclesiastes. Both Paul and Jesus will teach us more in today’s second reading and the Gospel.
We Have It All
Second Reading Commentary: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Paul tells us that if we are raised with Christ, we should seek what is above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. We should not think of what is on earth because we have died and our lives are hidden with Christ and when He appears, we will appear with Him in glory.
Once again, Paul is telling us that what is on earth is not important. When Paul said, “If you were raised with Christ…” he was talking about faith. If we believe in Christ, then being with Him in heaven should be the most important thing in our lives.
Paul tells us to put all of the things which lead us into sin to death since we have taken off the old self with its practices and put on the new self. Through faith, when we confess and repent, we leave everything behind us and start anew. Paul is telling us not to go back to the old because when we are with Christ, there is not, “Greek, and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.” In other words, when we are with Christ, we have it all!
Don’t Be Foolish
Gospel Commentary Luke: 12:13-21
Someone asked Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
This person’s question to Jesus demonstrates that he and his brother were both greedy. The man was consumed with acquiring some of the inheritance and the brother refused to share. This is exactly one of the points that I was making in today’s first reading. But Jesus does not interject Himself in such squabbles and gave a warning to guard against such greed.
Jesus told a parable about a man who had a bountiful harvest and built bigger barns so that he would have a place to store it. Then the man said to himself, “…you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!” But God said to him, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?” Then Jesus said, “Thus will it be for all who store up treasure…but are not rich in what matters to God.”
Jesus giving this parable in response to the persons’ question points out that we cannot take worldly treasure with us. Therefore, we have to leave it to someone and people may very well fight over it. We have all seen that happen and may have even found ourselves in the middle of such a dispute. But that was not the main message that Jesus was giving us.
Greed is a deadly sin which will lead us into being denied the Kingdom of Heaven. The sin of greed will cause us to commit other sins against each other. Some people will fight and even kill because of their greed. Others will lie, cheat and/or steal. And, the sin of greed will cause us not to help those who are in need.
Remember Jesus telling us that what we do for the least of our brothers, we do it for Him? Therefore, when we commit the sin of greed, we not only sin against others; we sin against God. That really is true with all sin but people rarely think of that when they are being greedy.
It is wise to save for a rainy day but when we make wanting more just so that we can have more a priority in life, we are committing a foolish and deadly sin. Our priority should be with receiving all of the grace we can by having faith in Christ and following His Light.
