Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sr. Carla Vasconceles
Luke 12: 32-48
It’s interesting to note how often Jesus was questioned by someone from the crowd—or from outside it. Even in situations where, at first, he seemed to ignore the call, he soon offered his attention and responded. And he always responded with wisdom and authority. The objective was clear: his words and gestures fulfilled the mission of always putting life first. Therefore, Jesus didn’t waste time and energy on issues that could divert attention from this greater good: caring for life, for human relationships, for the common good.
That said, it’s clear why Jesus avoids the question narrated in this Sunday’s Gospel. The problem presented isn’t the need to heal a sick person, clarify a teaching, or expel an evil that punishes and subjugates someone… The problem at hand is the division of an inheritance. Although it’s an unfair situation—one brother didn’t give the other his due—Jesus refuses to get involved in the conflict. It’s striking how material inheritances can provoke fights, lawsuits, and even deaths. We all know countless sad stories about families torn apart after the death of a wealthy relative, fighting over a piece of the inheritance: that patrimony that the heirs, typically, made no effort to build… and which benefits only a select group of chosen people, named in a will.
Earthly riches were definitely not the focus of Jesus’ mission: even more so, riches fought over among a few… In fact, Jesus has a very firm stance on money, stated in Matthew (6:24) and Luke (16:13): “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The message is clear: these are two “Masters” who oppose each other. On one side, God; on the other, money, with its power to become… “God.” Yes, we need material goods to live. Therefore, the problem is not having goods. The problem is acquiring them unjustly and concentrating them. Accumulated in the hands of a few, “goods” become “evils,” become… “riches”—which no longer serve the God revealed by Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t waste opportunities. There was a problem of greed that was destroying the friendship between blood brothers. Even though he didn’t agree to mediate the family conflict, he took advantage of the situation to invite reflection and, who knows, a change of life. And he takes from his valuable repertoire another of those stories that captured people’s attention and made them return home reflecting and drawing conclusions for their lives.
The parable is familiar to us: that of the very rich man who didn’t know what to do with so much wealth—and also didn’t ask anyone’s opinion on what to do with it. The entire story is told within a solitary and selfish context. The man has no family or friends—all he has is wealth. He doesn’t even know how to thank God for the bounty of the earth, which gave him wheat, or attribute to his employees the fact that he has become rich because of their work… It never occurs to the rich man to share the surplus produced by his workers (Any similarity to today is no coincidence). He is willing to spend money on larger buildings, but he is unwilling to share with those who have less than he. The sentences attributed to him are marked by a single possessive pronoun: “my”. Even his rest and joy are solitary. And all his security is built on the riches he has accumulated.
Often, the greed for possessions disguises a very human and authentic need for security. But the security offered by a large bank account, charismatic leadership, a stable relationship, or any other similar substitute is destined for frustration. We can choose to rejoice with less, in a less consumerist way, and fraternally share what we have and are with everyone, caring for our Common Home and respecting the rhythms of nature… or we can choose to have a lot and celebrate in solitude, choosing between those who deserve food, opportunities, and love and those who don’t. Jesus always shared bread and compassion. Therefore, all our prayers, songs, worship, and religious celebrations must be aligned with the evangelical struggle for more fraternal relationships among all beings and for the fair sharing of the earth’s goods!
Luke 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them this parable:
“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ‘
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
“This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Meet Sister Carla Vasconcelos, SNDdeN
