Luke 12:13-21
13 A man in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us.” 14 Jesus answered him, “My friend, who gave me the right to judge or to divide the property between you two?” 15 And he went on to say to them all, “Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because a person’s true life is not made up of the things he owns, no matter how rich he may be.” 16 Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. 17 He began to think to himself, ‘I haven’t anywhere to keep all my crops. What can I do? 18 This is what I will do,’ he told himself; ‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store my corn and all my other goods. 19 Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink and enjoy yourself!’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?’ ” 21 And Jesus concluded, “This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God’s sight.”
Other readings: Eccl 1:2, 2:21-23; Ps 90:3-6, 12-14, 17; Col 3:1-5, 9-11
LECTIO
In today’s reading feuding brothers get a short answer from Jesus. He refuses to get involved in their dispute and they are left to resolve the issue themselves. However, Jesus is a master at turning a question into an opportunity for teaching. And so he follows up his comments with a parable.
The rich man at the heart of the narrative is feeling good. Not only has he good crop-bearing land, but he’s also an excellent farmer with a surplus of corn and other goods. He believes bigger barns to store his riches will set him up for life.
The rich man pictures his future. He will live a life of ease: food and goods to hand mean he can sit back and eat, drink and make merry with not a cloud on the horizon. Sadly, he doesn’t seem so wise about spiritual matters and fails to consider God or anyone else’s needs.
The rich man completely overlooked God, but God didn’t forget him. That night was to be the rich man’s last on earth. And it didn’t look as though he was heading for heaven.
In this parable Jesus is not criticising the man for being wealthy. But he is commenting on the man’s attitude to God and his fellow man and how he handles his wealth.
Luke follows up this theme in the Book of Acts where he reports the believers sharing their goods with one another (Acts 2:44-45). They also sold their property and possessions to give to those in need.
The Church believed it was right and proper to share with others as a practical demonstration of love. Mutual love was plainly not something this rich man considered. But Jesus taught that this was the only way for his followers to behave.
MEDITATIO
In all his careful business plans and decisions the rich man gave little thought to God and his fellow man.
How do you plan your life? When decisions need to be made, whose guidance do you seek? Consider Jesus’s statement: “A person’s true life is not made up of the things he owns.” What things and attitudes make up your life? What can we learn from this passage about healthy and unhealthy attitudes to money?
Why does Jesus call the man in the parable a “fool”?
ORATIO
Use the words from Colossians 3:1-5 to inspire a time of prayer with the Lord.
CONTEMPLATIO
Consider how you can make Jesus’s advice practical and “store up riches in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-21). What do you think makes a person rich in God’s eyes? Spend some time quietly before God and let him reveal his riches in your life.
Lectio divina is an ancient tradition of reading and engaging with God’s Word. These outlines for the Sunday Gospel readings are published by the Bible Society.
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