July 31, 2022, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
There is no doubt that people who work hard for a living or struggle to make ends meet often wish for wealth and the leisure of not having to work. It is a common dream to have more money than one knows what to do with and to spend it however or whenever one would like. But today’s readings offer sage advice on the fruitlessness of living such a decadent lifestyle without the knowledge of what the future might hold.
It begins with the First Reading from the book of Ecclesiastes (Ecc. 1:2; 2:21-23), which is sometimes referred to as Qoheleth, the protagonist of the book who offers a collection of sayings about the foolishness of hoarding wealth. In fact, the writings of Qoheleth offer a very pessimistic outlook on many of the things that humans strive for, such as wisdom, wealth, and power. Some believe that the advice offered harkens back to King Solomon who, in fact, possessed all of these things and who is referred to as “David’s son, Qoheleth, king in Jerusalem” in the opening verse. (Ecc. 1:1).
The book begins with the general theme that it contains, “Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” (Ecc. 1:2). Here Qoheleth expresses the futility of chasing after the vanities of this life which are temporary, insubstantial and meaningless. He gives a specific example of someone who has “labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill” (Ecc. 2:21) yet, when he dies, he must leave all of his property, everything he has accumulated, to someone who has not worked for it. Such a man has endured toil, grief, sorrow, and anxiety in amassing his wealth, but not lived to enjoy it. Worse yet are those who have no one to bequeath their fortunes to, who are “all alone with no companion, with neither child nor sibling—with no end to all their toil, and no satisfaction from riches.” This also is vanity. (Ecc. 3:13)
In later chapters, Qoheleth will go on to explain that the good fortune a person enjoys is a gift from God that should not be stockpiled, but rather used and enjoyed in the present moment of life. He states, “Here is what I see as good: It is appropriate to eat and drink and prosper from all the toil one toils at under the sun during the limited days of life God gives us; for this is our lot.” (Ecc. 5:18). But most importantly, in addition to enjoying the fine things that a person has obtained as a gift from God, one must remember the most important aspect of life is to “Fear God and keep his commandments.” (Ecc. 12:13).
In the Gospel from Luke for today (Lk. 12:13-21) we find a similar theme. The crowds are following Jesus, and someone shouts out to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me” (Lk 12:13). Perhaps not wanting to get in the middle of a family squabble over money, Jesus responds, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” (Lk. 12:14). But then Jesus goes on to offer a lesson about greed with the use of a parable.
He talks about a rich man whose land has produced a bountiful harvest. The man wonders what to do with such a large harvest because he has no room to store it. So, he decides to tear down his barns and build larger ones to store his produce and to celebrate haughtily in the upcoming years because he will be secure in his wealth. He does not worry about anyone else, nor think about sharing his possessions with the less fortunate. For this he is criticized by God who says, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?” (Lk. 12:20).
All of his wealth will have been wasted, and no one will benefit from his good fortune, especially those who are needy or underprivileged. His situation is like the man in Qoheleth, except he has ignored what is the most important thing declared by Qoheleth, that is to “Fear God and keep his commandments.” (Ecc. 12:13). Jesus says it in these words, “Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.” (Lk. 12:21)
What is the message found in Qoheleth and the parable of Jesus for us? Certainly, we must work hard to feed and clothe our families and to give them a nice place to live where they can enjoy the comforts that God has granted us. And it is wise to save for the future just in case our income takes a sudden drop due to the loss of a job, illness, or retirement. But there is a difference between saving money for the unexpected emergency versus hoarding an abundance of wealth for the purpose of self-indulgence and luxury. And it is especially important that we offer help to those who are less fortunate through the variety of charities sponsored by our communities, or even members of our extended families who suffer the disadvantages of low income or illness.
As Qoheleth teaches us, “Here is what I see as good: It is appropriate to eat and drink and prosper from all the toil one toils at under the sun during the limited days of life God gives us; for this is our lot. This is a gift from God.” (Ecc. 5:17).