Luke 12:13-21
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
The Best Granaries for the Most Valuable Wealth
In context, this text suggests that we are speaking about two brothers whose father died without leaving a will. In this case, according to Moses' law, the eldest brother is entitled to inherit twice as much as his younger brother Deuteronomy 21:17.
The younger brother, calling Jesus "Teacher," asks Him to tell his brother "to divide the family inheritance with him" (v. 13). Jesus' response is very clear. "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator among you?" (v. 14). In other words, stick to Moses' law.
This is an occasion to remind the gentleman and all Jesus' followers of what really matters and that true wealth and treasures are far from abundance of money, possessions, and using them for selfish personal gain. True treasure is found in sharing with others the blessings that God bestows upon each of us out of gratitude for what He has given, honoring Him, and meeting Him in the person of those in need.
Greed doesn't produce happiness and comfort. On the contrary, it brings more troubles and anxiety. Sharing with others, especially with the needy, is the means to "lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" Matthew 6:20-21.
Today's Gospel invites us to think about our concepts of the wealth we have and what treasures we are looking for. Are we aware that "every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights?" James 1:17. What do we think about the saying, "Some people are poor, all they have is money?"
Let us pray for the Lord to help us not lose sight of what real treasure is. May we avoid greed and live with the conviction of those who are confident in the Presence of God in our lives, seeing Him in the person of the needy. May our treasure be with God and may our heart be always there!