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.’” vss. 19-20a
Luke 12:16-21
If any of the people in the crowd around Jesus were familiar with the book of Ecclesiastes, they would have realized that the truths contained in his parable on greed were found in its pages. While some of his parables were obscure and needed interpretation, the point of this one is obvious. Whether any of them took it to heart is another question. People who devote themselves to the accumulation of wealth are impervious to the wisdom of Jesus and Ecclesiastes. Ask any of the billionaires now running this country and creating tax laws for their own benefit about this parable and they would likely smile dismissively. Most of them only invoke the name of Jesus to impress voters and maintain a facade of faithfulness. They seem not to realize that cutting programs to help the poor and deporting asylum seekers reveals only their blatant self-serving hypocrisy. But we can’t only pick on rich politicians, the truth is that most people do little to curb their lust for accumulation, so it’s also in their best interest to tune out the clear warnings of Jesus. The problem is that he told the truth! It is the height of foolishness to devote our energy to pleasure and gain. Only in love with service do we find the fuel that feeds the soul.
Thought for the Day: How do I deal with the convicting words of Jesus?
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